BACKGROUND:Mesenchymal stem cells show extremely therapeutic potential for radiation-induced lung injury through delivering exosomes.Age is a primary factor affecting the function and biological efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the protective effects of exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of different mouse ages on radiation-induced lung injury in mice.METHODS:Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of young mice and old mice were obtained by whole bone marrow adherent culture.The exosomes were isolated from the supernatant of passage 3 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.Ten 2-month-old C57BL/6J mice were randomly selected as the control group after anesthesia and not irradiated.The remaining 30 2-month-old C57BL/6J mice were used to establish a mouse radiation-induced lung injury model and were randomly divided into three groups.Exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of young mice,exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of old mice,and PBS were injected through the tail vein,respectively.The survival rate of mice was monitored.The lung function,lung inflammation and fibrosis were assessed at 1 and 12 weeks after irradiation.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The concentrations of particles and proteins in exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of young mice were higher than those in exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of old mice.(2)Compared with the control group,the survival rate of mice in the PBS group was low,and lung inflammation was obvious at week 1 after irradiation,and the levels and mRNA expressions of interleukin-1β,interleukin-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α were increased.Collagen deposition in lung tissues was observed at week 12 after irradiation,and the mRNA level of E-cadherin was decreased,while the mRNA levels of α-smooth muscle actin,transforming growth factor-β1,and β-catenin were increased.(3)Compared with the PBS group,the survival rate of mice in the exosome group was significantly improved,and the level of proinflammatory factors and their mRNA expression were reduced at week 1 after irradiation,the mRNA level of E-cadherin was increased,and the mRNA levels of α-smooth muscle actin,transforming growth factor β1 and β-catenin were reduced at week 12 after irradiation.(4)Among all the above indicators,the therapeutic effect of exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of young mice was better than that of exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of old mice.(5)The results showed that exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of young mice contained more particles and proteins,and the effect of alleviating early inflammation and late fibrosis of radiation-induced lung injury in mice was better than that of exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of old mice.

BACKGROUND:Mesenchymal stem cells show extremely therapeutic potential for radiation-induced lung injury through delivering exosomes.Age is a primary factor affecting the function and biological efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the protective effects of exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of different mouse ages on radiation-induced lung injury in mice.METHODS:Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of young mice and old mice were obtained by whole bone marrow adherent culture.The exosomes were isolated from the supernatant of passage 3 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.Ten 2-month-old C57BL/6J mice were randomly selected as the control group after anesthesia and not irradiated.The remaining 30 2-month-old C57BL/6J mice were used to establish a mouse radiation-induced lung injury model and were randomly divided into three groups.Exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of young mice,exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of old mice,and PBS were injected through the tail vein,respectively.The survival rate of mice was monitored.The lung function,lung inflammation and fibrosis were assessed at 1 and 12 weeks after irradiation.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The concentrations of particles and proteins in exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of young mice were higher than those in exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of old mice.(2)Compared with the control group,the survival rate of mice in the PBS group was low,and lung inflammation was obvious at week 1 after irradiation,and the levels and mRNA expressions of interleukin-1β,interleukin-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α were increased.Collagen deposition in lung tissues was observed at week 12 after irradiation,and the mRNA level of E-cadherin was decreased,while the mRNA levels of α-smooth muscle actin,transforming growth factor-β1,and β-catenin were increased.(3)Compared with the PBS group,the survival rate of mice in the exosome group was significantly improved,and the level of proinflammatory factors and their mRNA expression were reduced at week 1 after irradiation,the mRNA level of E-cadherin was increased,and the mRNA levels of α-smooth muscle actin,transforming growth factor β1 and β-catenin were reduced at week 12 after irradiation.(4)Among all the above indicators,the therapeutic effect of exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of young mice was better than that of exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of old mice.(5)The results showed that exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of young mice contained more particles and proteins,and the effect of alleviating early inflammation and late fibrosis of radiation-induced lung injury in mice was better than that of exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of old mice.

Objective:To evaluate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow dynamics and volume changes of pulsatile tinnitus (PT) patients induced by sigmoid sinus wall dehiscence (SSWD) using MRI.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. Totally 55 SSWD-PT patients, and 35 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were prospectively enrolled at Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University from October 2019 to September 2023. The CSF at the midbrain aqueduct level was analyzed based on phase-contrast MRI to obtain the flow dynamics information. Based on T 1-weighted turbo field echo sequence, the CSF was segmented and the volume of CSF was calculated using ITK-SNAP software. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the differences of each parameter between the two groups. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the parameters with statistically significant differences to obtain the independent influencing factors of SSWD-PT and establish the combined parameters. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate the efficacy of diagnosing SSWD-PT. Results:Compared with controls, the SSWD-PT group showed significantly decreased mean flux (MF), mean velocity, peak velocity( P<0.05), and significantly increased regurgitant fraction (RF), CSF volume ( P<0.05). No significant differences were observed in forward flow volume, backward flow volume, and stroke volume ( P>0.05). The logistic regression results showed that MF ( OR=0.497, 95% CI 0.305-0.808, P=0.005) and RF ( OR=1.809, 95% CI 1.040-3.147, P=0.036) were independent influencing factors of SSWD-PT. The area under the curve (AUC) of MF and RF for diagnosing SSWD-PT were 0.641 (95% CI 0.517-0.766) and 0.675 (95% CI 0.564-0.786), respectively. The AUC of the combination of MF and RF was 0.724 (95% CI 0.614-0.833). Conclusions:SSWD-PT patients have abnormal changes in CSF flow dynamics and volume. The MF and RF demonstrate moderate diagnostic value for diagnosing SSWD-PT.

Objective To evaluate the efficiency of intra-tumor and peri-tumor ultrasound radiomics models based on machine learning algorithms for predicting benign and malignant Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 4 breast lesions, and provide insights into early diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted based on the medical records of 450 female patients who underwent breast ultrasound examination in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from June 2020 to April 2022. The patients were divided into the benign (n = 199) and malignant (n = 195) groups according to pathological examination, and randomized into the training (n = 275) and validation (n = 119) sets at a ratio of 7∶3. Radiomics features were extracted and screened. Intra-tumor, peri-tumor, and intra-tumor + peri-tumor ultrasound radiomics models were constructed based on three machine learning algorithms, including logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), and multi-layer perceptron (MLP). Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curves were plotted to evaluate the efficacy of the radiomics models for prediction of benign and malignant breast lesions. Results A total of 17 intra-tumor, 16 peri-tumor, and 17 intra-tumor + peri-tumor radiomics features were selected for model construction. Based on LR, MLP, and SVM algorithms, the intra-tumor + peri-tumor radiomics models showed higher predictive efficacy than intra-tumor and peri-tumor radiomics models. The predictive efficacy of intra-tumor, peri-tumor, and intra-tumor + peri-tumor radiomics models were higher based on the SVM algorithm than based on LR and MLP algorithms. For the intra-tumor radiomics model based on the SVM algorithm, the area under the ROC curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and a specificity were 0.909, 0.851, 0.860, and 0.842, respectively, in the training set and 0.866, 0.832, 0.847, and 0.817, respectively, in the validation set. For the peri-tumor radiomics model based on the SVM algorithm, these values were 0.899, 0.855, 0.882, and 0.827, respectively, in the training set and 0.844, 0.815, 0.847, and 0.783, respectively, in the validation set. For the intra-tumor + peri-tumor radiomics model based on the SVM algorithm, these values were 0.943, 0.876, 0.860, and 0.892, respectively, in the training set and 0.881, 0.849, 0.915, and 0.783, respectively, in the validation set. Conclusion The intra-tumor and peri-tumor ultrasound radiomics models based on machine learning algorithms are highly valuable for prediction of benign and malignant BI-RADS 4 breast lesions. The intra-tumor + peri-tumor ultrasound radiomics model based on the SVM algorithm has the optimal efficacy for prediction of benign and malignant BI-RADS 4 breast lesions.

OBJECTIVE To study the anatomic characteristics of the anterior ethmoidal canal(AEC)based on 0.1 mm ultra-high resolution CT.METHODS Nine cadavers(18 side orbits)fixed in 10%buffered formalin were enrolled and underwent U-HRCT and MSCT.Divided AEC into horizontal,superior oblique,and inferior oblique segments and observed the displaying rate of each section.Subjective evaluation of display situation was performed by two experienced radiologists independently.The diameter of each AEC segment was measured.RESULTS No significant difference was found in the display rate of the horizontal and superior oblique segments between U-HRCT and MSCT groups(P>0.05),the display rate of inferior oblique segment of U-HRCT group was significantly higher than MSCT group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the objective evaluation results between two evaluators and consistency was strong.Subjective scores of each segment of AEC in U-HRCT group were 10.00 points(9.75 points,10.00 points),2.00 points(2.00 points,3.00 points)and 8.00 points(6.00 points,10.00 points),in MSCT group were7.00 points(5.75 points,8.00 points),2.00 points(2.00 points,2.00 points)and 2.00 points(2.00 points,4.00 points).Subjective scores of horizontal and inferior oblique segments of AEC in U-HRCT were higher than MSCT(P<0.05).The anteroposterior diameter of the horizontal section of AEC is(0.92±0.12)mm,the axial diameter is(1.04±0.22)mm.The anteroposterior diameter of the inferior oblique segment is(0.47±0.08)mm,and the transverse diameter is(0.50±0.06)mm.The anteroposterior diameter of the superior oblique segments is(0.66±0.11)mm,and the transverse diameter is(0.72±0.20)mm.CONCLUSION U-HRCT is better to evaluate AEC than MSCT.It could be used to help to study the anatomic characteristics of AEC before surgery to avoid complications.

Objective:To compare and observe the efficacy and safety of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) combined with 41G ultrafine needle injection of balanced salt solution (BSS) and internal limiting membrane inversion and coverage in the treatment of large-diameter macular hole (MH).Methods:A prospective study. From April 2023 to April 2024, 42 patients (42 eyes) diagnosed with large-diameter MH at The Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanchang University were included in the study. The substrate diameters (BD) of MH are all greater than 1 000 μm. All affected eyes underwent best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), microvisual field, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and OCT angiography (OCTA) examinations before surgery. BCVA examination was conducted using the international standard logarithmic visual acuity chart, and the statistics were converted to the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity. Microfield-of-view examination records the mean retinal sensitivity (MS) within a 12° range of the fovea. The minimum diameter (MD) and BD of the hole were measured by OCT and the MH index (MHI) was calculated. OCTA measures the area and perimeter (PERIM) of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in the fovea centralis, as well as the retinal vessel length density (VLD) and vessel perfusion density (VPD) in the central area. The affected eyes were divided into the observation group (22 eyes, treated with PPV combined with 41G ultra-micro needle subretinal injection of BSS and the control group (20 eyes, treated with PPV combined with internal limiting membrane inversion and coverage) according to the random number table method. The patients were followed up for 6 months after the operation, and the above indicators were reexamined at 1, 3 and 6 months. The changes of BCVA, MS, FAZ parameters, VLD, VPD before and after the operation, as well as the closure of the hole and the occurrence of complications were compared between the two groups. The independent sample t test was used for comparison between groups. The correlation between postoperative indicators and preoperative structural parameters was analyzed using Pearson analysis. Results:In the 22 eyes of the observation group, the hole closure rate was 100.0% (22/22) 6 months after the operation, and the complete closure rate was 90.9% (20/22). In the control group of 20 eyes, the closure rate was 95.0% (19/20), and the complete closure rate was 90.0% (18/20). The hole closure rate of the affected eyes in the observation group was better than that in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant ( χ2=1.736, P=0.420). The logMAR BCVA, MS, FAZ area, PERIM, VLD and VPD at each time point after the operation in both groups were significantly improved compared with those before the operation, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that in the observation group, logMAR BCVA at 6 months after surgery was positively correlated with BD before surgery ( r=0.340, P=0.029), and negatively correlated with MHI before surgery ( r=?0.350, P=0.023). Six months after the operation, MS was positively correlated with the preoperative hole height and MHI ( r=0.330, P=0.034). In the control group, 6 months after the operation, MS was negatively correlated with BD before the operation ( r=?0.480, P=0.032), and positively correlated with MHI before the operation ( r=0.510, P=0.027). Six months after the operation, the FAZ area of the affected eyes in the observation group [(0.17±0.09) mm 2] was larger than that in the control group [(0.12±0.07) mm 2], and the difference was statistically significant ( t=?0.340, P=0.025). No complications such as abnormal intraocular pressure, retinal pigment epithelium injury or retinal detachment occurred in all the affected eyes after the surgery. Conclusions:PPV combined with 41G ultra-micro needle subretinal injection of BSS for the treatment of large-diameter MH has a high rate of hole closure and good safety. Larger BD and MD, lower MHI and hole height before surgery may affect the recovery of visual function after surgery.

OBJECTIVE To explore the clinical value of metagenomic next generation sequencing(mNGS)in detec-tion of pathogens from the patients with pulmonary infection.METHODS The clinical data were collected from 103 patients with pulmonary infection who were treated in respiratory and critical care medicine department of Gansu Province People's Hospital from Jun.2021 to Jun.2023.The pathogens were detected from all of the patients with the use of mNGS for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)and traditional cultures(including sputum culture and BALF culture).The positive rates,consistency,distribution,efficacy and curative effects were observed and sys-tematically compared between the two detection methods.RESULTS Totally 122 strains of bacteria,47 strains of fungi,94 strains of viruses,3 strains of Mycoplasma and 2 strains of Chlamydia were detected from the 103 pa-tients by mNGS,as compared with only 45 strains of bacteria and 20 strains of fungi that were detected by the tra-ditional culture method.The positive rate of detection of pathogens was 89.32％by mNGS,higher than 38.83％of the traditional culture method(P＜0.001).There was certain difference in the distribution of pathogens be-tween the two detection method,the two detection method showed the poor consistency of detection efficacy,and the effect of targeted drug therapy based on the mNGS-detected pathogens was higher than that of the mNGS-negative empirical therapy(P＜0.001).In addition,some of drug resistance genes could be detected by mNGS.CONCLUSIONS The mNGS shows remarkable higher efficacy in detection of the pathogens causing pul-monary infections than the traditional culture method and can detect various types of pathogens.The effect of the targeted drug therapy based on the pathogens detected by mNGS is remarkable.It plays an imorptant role in guid-ing the clinical diagnosis and treatment of the patients with pulmonary infections.

OBJECTIVE To explore the clinical value of metagenomic next generation sequencing(mNGS)in detec-tion of pathogens from the patients with pulmonary infection.METHODS The clinical data were collected from 103 patients with pulmonary infection who were treated in respiratory and critical care medicine department of Gansu Province People's Hospital from Jun.2021 to Jun.2023.The pathogens were detected from all of the patients with the use of mNGS for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)and traditional cultures(including sputum culture and BALF culture).The positive rates,consistency,distribution,efficacy and curative effects were observed and sys-tematically compared between the two detection methods.RESULTS Totally 122 strains of bacteria,47 strains of fungi,94 strains of viruses,3 strains of Mycoplasma and 2 strains of Chlamydia were detected from the 103 pa-tients by mNGS,as compared with only 45 strains of bacteria and 20 strains of fungi that were detected by the tra-ditional culture method.The positive rate of detection of pathogens was 89.32％by mNGS,higher than 38.83％of the traditional culture method(P＜0.001).There was certain difference in the distribution of pathogens be-tween the two detection method,the two detection method showed the poor consistency of detection efficacy,and the effect of targeted drug therapy based on the mNGS-detected pathogens was higher than that of the mNGS-negative empirical therapy(P＜0.001).In addition,some of drug resistance genes could be detected by mNGS.CONCLUSIONS The mNGS shows remarkable higher efficacy in detection of the pathogens causing pul-monary infections than the traditional culture method and can detect various types of pathogens.The effect of the targeted drug therapy based on the pathogens detected by mNGS is remarkable.It plays an imorptant role in guid-ing the clinical diagnosis and treatment of the patients with pulmonary infections.

Objective:To evaluate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow dynamics and volume changes of pulsatile tinnitus (PT) patients induced by sigmoid sinus wall dehiscence (SSWD) using MRI.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. Totally 55 SSWD-PT patients, and 35 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were prospectively enrolled at Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University from October 2019 to September 2023. The CSF at the midbrain aqueduct level was analyzed based on phase-contrast MRI to obtain the flow dynamics information. Based on T 1-weighted turbo field echo sequence, the CSF was segmented and the volume of CSF was calculated using ITK-SNAP software. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the differences of each parameter between the two groups. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the parameters with statistically significant differences to obtain the independent influencing factors of SSWD-PT and establish the combined parameters. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate the efficacy of diagnosing SSWD-PT. Results:Compared with controls, the SSWD-PT group showed significantly decreased mean flux (MF), mean velocity, peak velocity( P<0.05), and significantly increased regurgitant fraction (RF), CSF volume ( P<0.05). No significant differences were observed in forward flow volume, backward flow volume, and stroke volume ( P>0.05). The logistic regression results showed that MF ( OR=0.497, 95% CI 0.305-0.808, P=0.005) and RF ( OR=1.809, 95% CI 1.040-3.147, P=0.036) were independent influencing factors of SSWD-PT. The area under the curve (AUC) of MF and RF for diagnosing SSWD-PT were 0.641 (95% CI 0.517-0.766) and 0.675 (95% CI 0.564-0.786), respectively. The AUC of the combination of MF and RF was 0.724 (95% CI 0.614-0.833). Conclusions:SSWD-PT patients have abnormal changes in CSF flow dynamics and volume. The MF and RF demonstrate moderate diagnostic value for diagnosing SSWD-PT.

Objective:To compare and observe the efficacy and safety of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) combined with 41G ultrafine needle injection of balanced salt solution (BSS) and internal limiting membrane inversion and coverage in the treatment of large-diameter macular hole (MH).Methods:A prospective study. From April 2023 to April 2024, 42 patients (42 eyes) diagnosed with large-diameter MH at The Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanchang University were included in the study. The substrate diameters (BD) of MH are all greater than 1 000 μm. All affected eyes underwent best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), microvisual field, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and OCT angiography (OCTA) examinations before surgery. BCVA examination was conducted using the international standard logarithmic visual acuity chart, and the statistics were converted to the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity. Microfield-of-view examination records the mean retinal sensitivity (MS) within a 12° range of the fovea. The minimum diameter (MD) and BD of the hole were measured by OCT and the MH index (MHI) was calculated. OCTA measures the area and perimeter (PERIM) of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in the fovea centralis, as well as the retinal vessel length density (VLD) and vessel perfusion density (VPD) in the central area. The affected eyes were divided into the observation group (22 eyes, treated with PPV combined with 41G ultra-micro needle subretinal injection of BSS and the control group (20 eyes, treated with PPV combined with internal limiting membrane inversion and coverage) according to the random number table method. The patients were followed up for 6 months after the operation, and the above indicators were reexamined at 1, 3 and 6 months. The changes of BCVA, MS, FAZ parameters, VLD, VPD before and after the operation, as well as the closure of the hole and the occurrence of complications were compared between the two groups. The independent sample t test was used for comparison between groups. The correlation between postoperative indicators and preoperative structural parameters was analyzed using Pearson analysis. Results:In the 22 eyes of the observation group, the hole closure rate was 100.0% (22/22) 6 months after the operation, and the complete closure rate was 90.9% (20/22). In the control group of 20 eyes, the closure rate was 95.0% (19/20), and the complete closure rate was 90.0% (18/20). The hole closure rate of the affected eyes in the observation group was better than that in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant ( χ2=1.736, P=0.420). The logMAR BCVA, MS, FAZ area, PERIM, VLD and VPD at each time point after the operation in both groups were significantly improved compared with those before the operation, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that in the observation group, logMAR BCVA at 6 months after surgery was positively correlated with BD before surgery ( r=0.340, P=0.029), and negatively correlated with MHI before surgery ( r=?0.350, P=0.023). Six months after the operation, MS was positively correlated with the preoperative hole height and MHI ( r=0.330, P=0.034). In the control group, 6 months after the operation, MS was negatively correlated with BD before the operation ( r=?0.480, P=0.032), and positively correlated with MHI before the operation ( r=0.510, P=0.027). Six months after the operation, the FAZ area of the affected eyes in the observation group [(0.17±0.09) mm 2] was larger than that in the control group [(0.12±0.07) mm 2], and the difference was statistically significant ( t=?0.340, P=0.025). No complications such as abnormal intraocular pressure, retinal pigment epithelium injury or retinal detachment occurred in all the affected eyes after the surgery. Conclusions:PPV combined with 41G ultra-micro needle subretinal injection of BSS for the treatment of large-diameter MH has a high rate of hole closure and good safety. Larger BD and MD, lower MHI and hole height before surgery may affect the recovery of visual function after surgery.