Objective To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) with different numbers of ports in the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax. Methods We conducted a comprehensive search of CNKI, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMbase, Wanfang Data, and the Chinese Medical Journal Full-text Database for clinical controlled trials on VATS with different port numbers for spontaneous pneumothorax, from their inception to March 2023. Two researchers independently screened the literature and assessed its quality.The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the methodological quality of cohort and case-control studies, and the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used to evaluate randomized controlled trials (RCT). Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4.1 software. Results A total of 107 studies were included, comprising 35 RCT, 2 cohort studies, and 70 case-control studies. All cohort and case-control studies included in the analysis had NOS scores≥7. The meta-analysis revealed that compared to two-port VATS (2P-VATS) and three-port VATS (3P-VATS), single-port thoracoscopic surgery (SPTS) was associated with less intraoperative blood loss (SMD=–1.58, 95%CI: –1.93 to –1.22, P<0.001; and SMD=–1.59, 95%CI: –2.03 to –1.14, P<0.001, respectively), shorter postoperative hospital stay (SMD=–1.05, 95%CI: –1.29 to –0.82, P<0.001; and SMD=–1.08, 95%CI: –1.39 to –0.77, P<0.001), shorter duration of postoperative chest tube drainage (SMD=–0.75, 95%CI: –1.00 to –0.50, P<0.001; and SMD=–1.23, 95%CI: –1.72 to –0.75, P<0.001), fewer postoperative complications (OR=0.34, 95%CI: 0.26 to 0.45, P<0.001; and OR=0.47, 95%CI: 0.33 to 0.68, P<0.001), and lower pain scores at 24, 48, and 72 hours after surgery (P<0.05). The operative time for SPTS was shorter than that for 2P-VATS (SMD=–0.53, 95%CI: –0.90 to –0.16, P=0.005) but showed no significant difference compared to 3P-VATS (P=0.21). When comparing 2P-VATS with 3P-VATS, 2P-VATS demonstrated less intraoperative blood loss (SMD=–1.02, 95%CI: –1.81 to –0.22, P=0.01), shorter postoperative hospital stay (SMD=–0.59, 95%CI: –1.11 to –0.06, P=0.03), shorter duration of chest tube drainage (SMD=–0.46, 95%CI: –0.85 to –0.08, P=0.02), fewer postoperative complications (OR=0.36, 95%CI: 0.22 to 0.59, P<0.001), and lower pain scores at 24, 48, and 72 hours after surgery (P≤0.05). Conclusion Both SPTS and 2P-VATS are effective and safe surgical options for spontaneous pneumothorax, deserving further promotion and application in clinical practice. However, due to limitations in the quantity and quality of the included studies, more large-sample, high-quality research is needed to validate these findings.

Objective To systematically evaluate the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in treating esophageal cancer patients of different genders. Methods Computer searches were conducted on PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases to collect randomized controlled trial (RCT) on ICIs treatment for esophageal cancer patients from the establishment of the databases to January 25, 2024. Two researchers independently screened the literature and extracted data according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The outcome indicators were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), and RevMan 5.4 software was used for meta-analysis. The modified Jadad scoring scale was used to evaluate the quality of the included literature. Results A total of 10 RCT involving 5364 esophageal cancer patients were included in this study, with 2684 patients in the trial group and 2680 patients in the control group. The Jadad scores of the included literature were all ≥6 points, indicating high-quality RCT. Meta-analysis results showed that female esophageal cancer patients receiving ICIs treatment [HR=0.72, 95%CI (0.59, 0.87), P<0.001] had a more significant median OS prolongation than male patients [HR=0.73, 95%CI (0.68, 0.78), P<0.001]; while male patients [HR=0.57, 95%CI (0.52, 0.64), P<0.001] had a more significant PFS prolongation than female patients [HR=0.72, 95%CI (0.55, 0.94), P=0.01]. Female patients treated with ICIs alone [HR=0.66, 95%CI (0.50, 0.87), P=0.003] had a more significant median OS prolongation than male patients [HR=0.79, 95%CI (0.72, 0.87), P<0.001]; while male patients receiving ICIs combined with chemotherapy [HR=0.67, 95%CI (0.61, 0.74), P<0.001] had a more significant median OS prolongation than female patients [HR=0.77, 95%CI (0.59, 1.01), P=0.06]. Conclusion Female patients receiving ICIs have a slight advantage in OS compared to male patients, while male patients have an advantage in PFS. Male patients receiving ICIs combined with chemotherapy have better survival benefits than female patients, while female patients using ICIs monotherapy have better survival benefits than male patients.

Objective To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of single-port thoracoscopic surgery (SPTS) in the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax. Methods Computer searches were conducted in PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, WanFang, and the Chinese Medical Association databases to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies on the comparison of efficacy and safety of SPTS and three-port thoracoscopic surgery (TPTS) for the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax from their inception to March 2024. The Cochrane RCT bias risk assessment tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) were used to assess the quality of RCTs and cohort studies, respectively. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4.1. Results A total of 68 studies were included, comprising 23 RCTs and 45 cohort studies with a total of 5403 patients. The NOS scores of the cohort studies were 7-8 points. Meta-analysis results showed that compared with TPTS, SPTS had less intraoperative blood loss [SMD=−1.58, 95%CI (−1.93, −1.22), P<0.001], shorter postoperative hospital stay [SMD=−1.05, 95%CI (−1.29, −0.82), P<0.001], shorter postoperative drainage tube placement time [SMD=−0.75, 95%CI (−1.00, −0.50), P<0.001], fewer postoperative complications [OR=0.34, 95%CI (0.26, 0.45), P<0.001], fewer postoperative recurrences [OR=0.48, 95%CI (0.32, 0.72), P<0.001], and less pain at 24, 48, and 72 h postoperatively [SMD=−1.71, 95%CI (−2.13, −1.30), P<0.001; SMD=−1.70, 95%CI (−2.35, −1.06), P<0.001; SMD=−1.72, 95%CI (−2.16, −1.29), P<0.001]. Conclusion SPTS is safe and effective in the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax with high clinical value and can be further promoted in clinical practice. Considering the limitations in the number and quality of included studies, researches with larger sample sizes and higher quality are needed to validate the above conclusions.

Objective To systematically evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of lung subsegmentectomy and segmentectomy in the treatment of small pulmonary nodules. Methods Computer searches were conducted on PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMbase, Scopus, Web of Science, SinoMed, Wanfang Data, VIP, and CNKI databases to collect relevant literature on the short-term efficacy and safety of lung subsegmentectomy and segmentectomy for small pulmonary nodules from the inception to April 2024. Two researchers independently screened the literature and extracted data according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of the selected literature. Results A total of 15 retrospective cohort studies with 2417 patients were included, among whom 796 patients underwent lung subsegmentectomy and 1621patients underwent segmentectomy. The NOS scores of the included literature were all≥6 points. Meta-analysis results showed that compared with segmentectomy, lung subsegmentectomy had a lower overall postoperative complication rate [OR=0.54, 95%CI (0.39, 0.75), P<0.01] and fewer lymph nodes dissected [MD=−0.43, 95%CI (−0.81, −0.06), P=0.02]. There was no statistical difference between the two surgical methods in terms of operation time [MD=5.11, 95%CI (−4.02, 14.23), P=0.27], intraoperative blood loss [MD=−14.62, 95%CI (−29.58, 0.34), P=0.06], postoperative hospital stay [MD=−0.24, 95%CI (−0.49, 0.01), P=0.06], postoperative drainage time [MD=−0.14, 95%CI (−0.46, 0.18), P=0.40], intraoperative margin width [MD=0.10, 95%CI (−0.16, 0.35), P=0.46], or recurrence rate [OR=1.57, 95%CI (0.53, 4.61), P=0.42]. Subgroup analysis results showed that when using uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopy for surgery, compared with segmentectomy, lung subsegmentectomy had less intraoperative blood loss [MD=−15.57, 95%CI (−28.84, −2.30), P=0.02], shorter postoperative hospital stay [MD=−0.49, 95%CI (−0.63, −0.35), P<0.01], shorter postoperative drainage time [MD=−0.19, 95%CI (−0.35, −0.03), P=0.02], and lower overall complication rate [OR=0.55, 95%CI (0.31, 0.98), P=0.04]. Conclusion Lung subsegmentectomy can achieve similar efficacy as segmentectomy and has a lower overall postoperative complication rate. In terms of safety, lung subsegmentectomy can achieve a margin range close to that of segmentectomy. When performing uniportal thoracoscopic surgery, lung subsegmentectomy has advantages over segmentectomy in terms of intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, and drainage time.

OBJECTIVE To s tudy the impr ovement effects of tilianin on the atherosclerosis （AS）model mice and its potential mechanism. METHODS Eight C 57BL/6J mice were taken as the normal group. Forty ApoE－/－ mice were randomly divided into model group ，tilianin low-dose ，medium-dose and high-dose groups [ 2.1，3.5，7.0 mg/（kg·d）] and simvastatin group [positive control drug ，3.5 mg/（kg·d）]，with 8 mice in each group. Normal group was given normal diet ，and other groups were given high-lipid diet to induce AS model. At the same time ，normal group and model group were given normal saline intragastrically ， administration groups were given relevant drug intragastrically ，once a day ，for 12 consecutive weeks. The levels of TC ，TG， LDL-C，HDL-C，Ox-LDL，IL-1β，IL-6，MCP-1 and TNF-α in plasma were determined. The pathomorphological changes of the aorta in mice were observed. The positive rate of ICAM- 1，VCAM-1 and PCNA in the aorta were determined. mRNA expressions of MMP- 2，MMP-9，TGF-β1，Smad2 and Smad 3 as well as protein expressions of TGF-β1，Smad2/3 and p-Smad 2/3 were also determined in aorta of mice. RESULTS Compared with normal group ，the plasma levels of TC ，TG，LDL-C，Ox-LDL，IL-1β， IL-6，MCP-1 and TNF-α in model group were increased significantly（P＜0.01），while HDL-C level was significantly reduced （P＜0.01）. Lipid plaques were formed in the aorta ，and the plaque area was large and caused severe stenosis of the lumen. mRNA expressions of MMP- 2，MMP-9，TGF-β1，Smad2 and Smad 3 as well as positive rate of ICAM- 1，VCAM-1，PCNA and protein expression TGF-β1，Smad2/3，and p-Smad 2/3 in the aorta were significantly increased （P＜0.01）. Compared with model group ， most of above indexes of medication groups were improved significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS Tilianin can inhibit the activation of TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway and then inhibit the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells ，reduce ， inflammation and regulate lipid metabolism to inhibit the No.81960766） formation of AS.

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) on all-cause mortality in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) at real world scenarios. Methods: Patients who met the diagnostic criteria of HFpEF in the China National Heart Failure Registration Study (CN-HF) were divided into death and survival groups. The demographic data, physical examination, results of the first echocardiography, laboratory results at admission, complications, drug use and clinical outcomes were obtained from CN-HF. The univariate Cox proportional hazard model was used to screen the variates that might predict prognosis, and then the covariates with statistical significance were included in the multivariate Cox regression model to analyze the predictive value of baseline NT-proBNP on all-cause death. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between NT-proBNP and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), so as to further explore the predictive value of the interaction between renal dysfunction and NT-proBNP on death. Since NT-proBNP did not obey the binary normal distribution, it was expressed by the natural logarithm of NT-proBNP (LnNT-proBNP). Results: A total of 1 846 HFpEF patients were enrolled in this study, with an average age of 71.5 years, 1 017 males(55.1%), median NT-proBNP 860 ng/L, and median eGFR 73.9 ml·min^-1·1.73m^-2. After a median follow-up of 34 months, 213 (11.5%) patients died. Patients in the death group were older, with higher NYHA classification Ⅲ-Ⅳ ratio, longer hospital stay, higher serum potassium and NT-proBNP level, prevalence of complications of diabetes mellitus, arrhythmia and atrial fibrillation, use of angiotensin receptor antagonist(ARB), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), diuretic and digoxin was significantly higher in death group than in survival group. Body mass index (BMI), diastolic blood pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), hemoglobin, serum cholesterol(TC), serum triglycerides (TG) and eGFR, and use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), statins and aspirin were lower in death group than in survival group. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that NT-proBNP was a predictor of all-cause death in HFpEF patients (HR=2.522, 95%CI 2.040-3.119, P<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the elevated NT-proBNP remains as the independent predictor of all-cause death in patients with HFpEF (HR=1.230, 95%CI 1.049-1.442, P=0.011) after adjusting for age, BMI, diastolic blood pressure, LVEF, hemoglobin, serum potassium, serum sodium, TC, serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), TG, eGFR, atrial fibrillation, as well as the treatment of ACEI/ARB, MRA, diuretics and digoxin. Spearman correlation analysis showed that LnNT-proBNP was negatively correlated with eGFR (r=-0.361, P<0.001), but there was no interaction between NT-proBNP and renal dysfunction in predicting death in HFpEF patients (P>0.05). Conclusion The elevated level of NT-proBNP at admission is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in HFpEF patients.

Objective To explore the learning curve of the Tianji orthopedic robot in assisting percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF).Methods A retrospective study was conducted of the consecutive 44 OVCF patients (71 fractured vertebrae) who had been treated with PKP assisted by the Tianji orthopedic robot from May 2018 to March 2019 at Department of Ortbopedics,The First Hospital of China Medical University.They were 2 men and 42 women,aged from 55 to 89 years (average,68.6 years).Their operations were performed by the same surgical team.The patients were divided into 4 even groups (n =11) according to the date of operation.The accuracy of robot-assisted puncture,total operation time,robot operation time,PKP operation time and complications were statistically analyzed and compared between the 4 groups.Natural logarithm regression analysis of total operation time,robot operation time and PKP operation time was conducted to determine the association between operation time and operation number [y =aln(x) + b,x indicating operation number and y operation time].Results The 4 groups were comparable due to insignificant differences in age,gender or operative segment between them (P ＞ 0.05).The total rate of accurate puncture was 95.8％ (68/71).The rates of accurate puncture were 92.9％ (13/14),94.4％ (17/18),94.7％ (18/19) and 100％ (20/20) for groups 1,2,3,and4,respectively,with no significant differences between groups (P ＞ 0.05).The total operation time for the 4 groups was respectively 56.6 ± 6.6 min,46.4 ± 8.5 min,40.2 ± 4.7 min and 40.4 ± 5.7 min and the robot operation time for the 4 groups was respectively 32.1 ±4.9 min,23.8 ±5.1 min,18.9 ±2.7 min and 19.6 ± 5.3 min,showing significant differences between the 4 groups (P ＞ 0.05) and a significant difference between groups 1 and 2 versus groups 3 and 4 (P ＞ 0.05) but no significant difference between group 3 and 4 (P ＞ 0.05).The natural logarithm regression analysis showed that the total operation time [y =-7.2861n(x) + 66.616,R2 =0.4889,P ＜ 0.001] and robot operation time [y =-5.6621n(x) +39.763,R2 =0.5196,P ＜ 0.001] decreased significantly with the increase of operation number but became stable in groups 3 and 4.There was no significant difference in PKP operation time among the 4 groups (P ＞ 0.05).The main intraoperative complication was leakage of bone cement in the anterior vertebral space and intervertebral space,with a total incidence of 8.5％ (6/71),showing no significant difference among the 4 groups (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions The puncture accuracy of the Tianji orthopedic robot in assisting PKP for OVCF may not change with the increased operation number.The total operation time and robotic operation time decrease with the increased operation number.The learning curve of the Tianji orthopedic robot becomes stable very fast,indicating the surgical technique is easy to learn.

BACKGROUNDBlood pressure variability (BPV) is a reliable prognostic factor for cardiovascular events. Currently there is a worldwide lack of large sample size studies in visit-to-visit BPV. Based on the Kailuan Study, we analyzed the visit-to-visit BPV of patients to investigate the range and influencing factors of BPV.

METHODSIn 11 hospitals in the Kailuan Company, 4 441 patients received routine health checkups. Physical examination measured blood pressure (BP), body height, body weight, and waist circumference, and body mass index was calculated. Blood samples were analyzed for plasma total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and high-sensitivity c-reactive protein (hs-CRP).

RESULTSThe effect of gender on systolic BPV was investigated. The average systolic BPV was 10.35 mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) overall, 10.54 mmHg in males and 10.06 mmHg in females. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that the age (RR = 1.022), systolic BP (SBP, RR = 1.007), LDL-C (RR = 1.098), and history of hypertension (RR = 1.273) were significant risk factors for higher systolic BPV. We found that aging (RR = 1.022), increased SBP (RR = 1.007), and a history of hypertension (RR = 1.394) were determinants of systolic BPV in males. The risk factors for systolic BPV of females were aging (RR = 1.017), increased SBP (RR = 1.009), increased LDL (RR = 1.136), and increased TG (RR = 1.157).

CONCLUSIONOur findings indicated that the systolic BPV is closely associated with age, SBP and history of hypertension.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Pressure ; physiology ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; China ; Cities ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Lipoproteins, HDL ; blood ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; blood ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Triglycerides ; blood ; Waist Circumference ; physiology

Objective To estimate brain grey matter volume changes and location of abnormal brain regions cerebrum in early stage of bipolar disorder I (BD),in order to provided objective basis for diagnosing early stages BD.Methods 1 7 cases of BD with duration less than 2 years and 1 7 normal controls were recruited in this study.The volumetric difference of grey matter between two groups were analyzed by using voxel-based morphometry(VBM)software.Statistical threshold was voxel> 100,P <0.001 (uncor-rected).Results Compared to the normal controls,the grey matter volume of BD patients decreased in the left dorcial anterior cingu-late cortex(ACC),left insular,right sub-genu ACC,left superior temporal cortex,bilateral hippocampus-parahippocampus-amydala and left posterior lobe of cerebellum(P <0.001).Conclusion The grey matter volume of early stage BD patients is decreased,main-ly locating in the bilateral limbic system,the superior temporal gyrus and the cerebellar cortex,which probably is the morphological appearance of pathomechanism in early stages of BD.

Objective To explore the characteristics of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) of lumbar sacral nerve roots (LSNR)in normal and degenerative lumbosacral vertebrae. Methods The research recruited 20 normal volunteers and 31 patients with spinal stenosis on conventional MRI and DWI scans in lumbosacral spine. We measured the areas from lumbar 3 to sacral 1 at the intervertebral spaces and reconstructed the 3D maximum intensity projection (MIP) and counted the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)of LSNR and ganglions. Results In the control group, 196 (98%) LSNR ran symmetrically and lateroinferiorly and 200 ganglions were well defined on MIP of DWI. In the patients group, 74 LSNR showed changes of compression on both T1WI and T2WI, in which DWI appeared thin and distorted in 59 (80%). The ADC value of LSNR were(1.70 ± 0.40)× 10-3 mm2/s and(1.98 ± 0.57) × 10-3 mm2/s separately in normal volunteers and patients (P=0.000), while the ADC values of ganglions were(1.42 ± 0.21)× 10-3 mm2/s and (1.54 ± 0.53)× 10-3 mm2/s respectively in normal volunteers and patients (P=0.000). Conclusion DWI can display the pattern and course of LSNR and ganglions, which indicate that ADC values of compressed LSNR and ganglions are higher than normal ones.