Extensive studies have identified potential adverse effects on semen quality of obesity, based on body mass index, but the association between body fat distribution, a more relevant indicator for obesity, and semen quality remains less clear. We conducted a longitudinal study of 4304 sperm donors from the Guangdong Provincial Human Sperm Bank (Guangzhou, China) during 2017-2021. A body composition analyzer was used to measure total and local body fat percentage for each participant. Generalized estimating equations were employed to assess the association between body fat percentage and sperm count, motility, and morphology. We estimated that each 10% increase in total body fat percentage (estimated change [95% confidence interval, 95% CI]) was significantly associated with a 0.18 × 10 6 (0.09 × 10 6 -0.27 × 10 6 ) ml and 12.21 × 10 6 (4.52 × 10 6 -19.91 × 10 6 ) reduction in semen volume and total sperm count, respectively. Categorical analyses and exposure-response curves showed that the association of body fat distribution with semen volume and total sperm count was stronger at higher body fat percentages. In addition, the association still held among normal weight and overweight participants. We observed similar associations for upper limb, trunk, and lower limb body fact distributions. In conclusion, we found that a higher body fat distribution was significantly associated with lower semen quality (especially semen volume) even in men with a normal weight. These findings provide useful clues in exploring body fat as a risk factor for semen quality decline and add to evidence for improving semen quality for those who are expected to conceive.
Humans ; Male ; Adult ; Semen Analysis ; China ; Body Fat Distribution ; Longitudinal Studies ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Body Mass Index ; Tissue Donors ; Obesity/complications* ; Spermatozoa ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; East Asian People

OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical characteristics, efficacy, and prognosis of pediatric Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 72 children with newly diagnosed LCH. RESULTS: The median age of the 72 children was 5 years (range: 0-14 years), with skull involvement being the most common (56 cases, 77.8%). The BRAF-V600E mutation was not associated with clinical characteristics, efficacy, or prognosis (P>0.05). The 5-year overall survival rate was 91.6%±4.2%, and the 5-year event-free survival (EFS) rate was 67.5%±5.8%. The 6-week chemotherapy response rate and 5-year EFS rate were lower in the risk organ involvement group compared to the no risk organ involvement group (P<0.05). The five-year overall survival rates for the group with multi-system involvement and the group with platelet count ≥450×10⁹/L were respectively lower than those for the single-system involvement group and the group with platelet count <450×10⁹/L (P<0.05). Risk organ involvement is an independent risk factor for 5-year EFS (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Skull is the most commonly affected site in pediatric LCH. The BRAF-V600E mutation is not related to clinical characteristics, efficacy, or prognosis. Elevated platelet count, risk organ involvement, and multisystem involvement are associated with poor prognosis, with risk organ involvement being an independent risk factor for 5-year EFS.
Humans ; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell/therapy* ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Male ; Infant ; Female ; Adolescent ; Retrospective Studies ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf/genetics* ; Prognosis ; Infant, Newborn ; Mutation

A 10-year-old girl was admitted with a 38-hour history of widespread subcutaneous petechiae and hematuria and a 6-hour history of jaundice and oliguria. Physical examination revealed widespread subcutaneous petechiae and jaundice of the skin and sclera. Laboratory tests showed anemia, thrombocytopenia, acute kidney injury, and markedly elevated lactate dehydrogenase. Thrombotic microangiopathy was initially diagnosed, with a high suspicion of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). Eculizumab was initiated within 9 hours of admission (within 48 hours of onset). After the first infusion, hemolysis rapidly ceased, and the platelet count and renal function gradually returned to normal. Whole-exome sequencing identified homozygous deletions of CFHR1 exon 2 and CFHR4 exon 1. aHUS typically has abrupt onset and rapid progression. Clinicians should maintain high suspicion for aHUS when the triad of thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and acute kidney injury is present. Ultra-early eculizumab (within 48 hours of onset) rapidly blocks complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy, reverses organ injury, and improves long-term prognosis. Additionally, complement-related genetic testing is important for etiological clarification and individualized determination of eculizumab treatment duration.
Humans ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/administration & dosage* ; Female ; Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome/drug therapy* ; Child ; Complement C3b Inactivator Proteins

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

Paraplegia caused by spinal cord injury is a serious neurological complication, for which surgery is currently the main treatment method. Due to different surgical approaches, patients are usually expected to maintain a passive prone position for a long time or switch between the supine and prone positions. Affected by multiple factors such as neurogenic sensory disorders, pathological changes in muscle tone and operative duration, the risk of intraoperative acquired pressure injury (IAPI) is significantly increased. Current clinical prevention strategies for IAPI in these patients predominantly focus on localized pressure relief during positioning, lacking systematic, standardized comprehensive prevention protocols or evidence-based guidelines. To address it, Department of Nursing, Orthopedics Branch, China International Exchange and Promotive Association for Medical and Health Care, Spinal Trauma Professional Committee, Orthopedics Branch, Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Nursing Group of Spine and Spinal Cord Professional Committee of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine organized experts in relevant fields to formulate Guideline for the prevention of intraoperative acquired pressure injury in paraplegic patients with spinal cord injury ( version 2025), based on evidence-based medical evidence and latest research results and clinical practice at home and abroad. Eleven recommendations were put forward from the aspects of preoperative risk assessment, intraoperative prevention strategies, postoperative handover and monitoring, and supportive mechanisms for IAPI prevention, aiming to standardize the prevention measures and management strategies of IAPI in paraplegic patients with spinal cord injury and accelerate the recovery of patients and improve the therapeutic effect.

Objective To develop a method of combining electroencephalogram(EEG)/electromyography(EMG)with multi-regional fiber photometry recording to simultaneously capture the changes of neuronal activity in the whole brain and specific brain regions during epileptic seizures.Methods The mouse head was divided into left and right regions based on the middle suture of the skull.EEG electrodes(EEG/EMG)were implanted in one side,while optical fibers were implanted in the striatum,hippocampus,entorhinal cortex,and thalamus on the contralateral side to simultaneously monitor EEG,EMG,and calcium signal dynamics.Results By combining EEG/EMG with multi-regional fiber photometry recording,differences in neuronal activity across brain regions,alongside EEG and EMG,were observed during different behavioral states.In a kainic acid(KA)-induced epilepsy model,abnormal synchronous neuronal discharges in the mouse brain were accompanied by calcium signal changes in the striatum,hippocampus,entorhinal cortex,and thalamus,with the earliest changes occurring in the hippocampus.Conclusion The combined use of EEG/EMG and multi-brain-region fiber photometry is successfully implemented in mice.This method synchronously recordes abnormal calcium signal changes across multiple brain regions,along with EEG and EMG,in the KA-induced epilepsy model.

Objective:To examine the regulatory effects of a potential antifibrotic tetrapeptide called N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline (Ac-SDKP) on the expression of epidermal growth factor (EGFR) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in lung tissues with fibrosis induced by silicosis in rats. This study aims to explore the potential therapeutic benefits of Ac-SDKP in the prevention and treatment of fibrotic lung diseases associated with silicosis.Methods:In January 2024, disease targets and Ac-SDKP active ingredients were predicted through GeneCards (https://www.genecards.org) and OMIM (https://www.omim.org) databases. Using R 4.2.1 software, we identified overlapping targets between pulmonary fibrosis and AC-SDKP. Cytoscape 3.10.2 was employed to visualize interactions between active chemical components and these targets, followed by GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis using R 4.2.1. Forty healthy adult Wistar rats were selected to establish silicosis models through single-dose gavage with 50 mg/ml silica suspension (1. 0 ml per rat). The rats were randomly divided into four groups: model control group (4 weeks), silicosis model group (4 weeks), Ac-SDKP preventive treatment group (acquired via intraperitoneal injection of a micro-release pump containing Ac-SDKP [800 μg/ (kg·d) ] during modeling, maintained for 4 weeks), and Ac-SDKP anti-fibrosis treatment group (acquired via intraperitoneal injection of the same pump after 2 weeks of modeling, continued maintenance for 2 weeks). Each group contained 10 rats. The pathological changes in rat lung tissues were observed. Western blot technology was used to detect the protein expression levels of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), signal transduction and activation transcription factor 3 (STAT 3), caspase 3, and caspase 8 in lung tissues. Immunohistochemical techniques were employed to assess the expressions of EGFR, STAT3, caspase 3, and caspase 8. Overall differences between groups were compared using one-way ANOVA.Results:Compared with the control group in the silicosis model, rats in the 4-week group exhibited significant fibrotic nodules. The lung tissues of these rats showed statistically significant increases in α-SMA, EGFR, STAT 3, Caspase 3, and Caspase 8 protein expression ( P<0.05). In contrast, the Ac-SDKP prevention and anti-fibrosis treatment group demonstrated markedly reduced expression levels of these proteins compared to the 4-week silicosis model group, with statistically significant differences ( P<0.05). Immunohistochemical staining revealed that brownish-yellow expression of EGFR, STAT3, Caspase3, and Caspase8 was significantly enhanced in silicotic nodules within the silicosis model group. Conversely, this brownish-yellow expression was notably decreased in the Ac-SDKP prevention and anti-fibrosis treatment group compared to the 4-week silicosis model group. Conclusion:Ac-SDKP may exert antifibrotic effects on the lungs of rats with silicosis by regulating the EGFR/STAT3 pathway.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic performance of resting echocardiography in detecting severe coronary artery stenosis.Methods:A total of 136 patients with suspected coronary artery disease（CAD）who presented to Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital between January 2021 and December 2024 were prospectively enrolled. All patients underwent both coronary computed tomography angiography（CCTA）and transthoracic echocardiography within one week. Based on CCTA results，the patients were divided into non-severe stenosis group（ n=78）and severe stenosis group（ n=58）. Echocardiographic parameters including left atrial maximum volume（LAVmax），left ventricular global longitudinal strain（GLS），left ventricular longitudinal strain of endo-myocardium，mid-myocardium，epi-myocardium（LSendo，LSmid，LSepi），early diastolic mitral inflow velocity（E），early diastolic mitral annular velocity of the lateral and septal walls（e'），and E/e' were measured. Predictive factors for severe coronary stenosis were identified using LASSO regression，and a nomogram model was developed via multivariate Logistic regression. Model performance was evaluated using ROC curves，calibration curves，and decision curve analysis. Results:Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed LSendo，LAVmax，and E/e' as independent predictors of severe coronary artery stenosis. The nomogram constructed based on these predictors achieved an area under the curve of 0.798（95% CI=0.723-0.873），with sensitivity and specificity of 0.756 and 0.759，respectively. Conclusions:The resting echocardiography-based nomogram model demonstrates good diagnostic efficacy for severe coronary artery stenosis. It may serve as a noninvasive tool to assist in risk stratification and clinical decision-making in patients with suspected CAD.

Objective:To evaluate the long-term oncological outcomes of partial nephrectomy(PN)in patients with renal cell carcinoma(RCC)who were clinically staged as clinical T1(cT1)preoperatively but upstaged to pathological T3a(pT3a)after surgery.Methods:A total of 427 RCC patients postopera-tively diagnosed as pT3aN0M0 at Peking University Third Hospital from February 2013 to December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed.Among them,33 cT1 patients upstaged to pT3a RCC received PN(PN group),while 394 non-upstaged pT3a RCC patients underwent radical nephrectomy(RN,RN group).Propensity score matching was performed at a 1∶1 ratio based on baseline characteristics.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess overall survival(OS),cancer-specific survival(CSS),and disease-free survival(DFS),with Log-rank tests and Cox regression models for multivariate analysis.Results:Before matching,the PN group(n=33)had significantly higher rates of perirenal fat invasion(PFI,45.5％vs.15.2％)and segmental renal vein involvement(42.4％vs.20.8％),but lower rates of renal sinus invasion(RSI,21.2％vs.73.6％)and renal vein tumor thrombus(0％vs.15.2％)compared with the RN group(n=394,all P＜0.05).After matching,baseline characteristics were comparable between the PN group(n=33)and RN group(n=33).No significant differences were observed in operative time,blood loss,mean hospital stay,complication rate,positive margin rate,or conversion to open surgery between the two groups(P＞0.05).However,the PN group showed significantly higher estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)postoperatively[76.9(55.4,87.3)mL/(min·1.73 m2)vs.61.7(56.8,73.5)mL/(min·1.73 m2),P＜0.05],indicating better renal function preserva-tion.No significant differences were found in OS,CSS,or DFS between the groups(P＞0.05).Multi-variate ana-lysis identified renal vein invasion(RVI),higher Fuhrman grades(Ⅲ-Ⅳ),and sarcoma-toid differentiation as independent risk factors for DFS and CSS in the pT3a RCC patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion:For cT1 RCC patients upstaged to pT3a,PN preserves renal function more effectively while achieving com-parable oncological outcomes to RN.RVI,higher Fuhrmann grade,and sarcomatoid differentiation are independent risk factors for pT3N0M0 RCC patients.

Objective:To evaluate the long-term oncological outcomes of partial nephrectomy(PN)in patients with renal cell carcinoma(RCC)who were clinically staged as clinical T1(cT1)preoperatively but upstaged to pathological T3a(pT3a)after surgery.Methods:A total of 427 RCC patients postopera-tively diagnosed as pT3aN0M0 at Peking University Third Hospital from February 2013 to December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed.Among them,33 cT1 patients upstaged to pT3a RCC received PN(PN group),while 394 non-upstaged pT3a RCC patients underwent radical nephrectomy(RN,RN group).Propensity score matching was performed at a 1∶1 ratio based on baseline characteristics.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess overall survival(OS),cancer-specific survival(CSS),and disease-free survival(DFS),with Log-rank tests and Cox regression models for multivariate analysis.Results:Before matching,the PN group(n=33)had significantly higher rates of perirenal fat invasion(PFI,45.5％vs.15.2％)and segmental renal vein involvement(42.4％vs.20.8％),but lower rates of renal sinus invasion(RSI,21.2％vs.73.6％)and renal vein tumor thrombus(0％vs.15.2％)compared with the RN group(n=394,all P＜0.05).After matching,baseline characteristics were comparable between the PN group(n=33)and RN group(n=33).No significant differences were observed in operative time,blood loss,mean hospital stay,complication rate,positive margin rate,or conversion to open surgery between the two groups(P＞0.05).However,the PN group showed significantly higher estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)postoperatively[76.9(55.4,87.3)mL/(min·1.73 m2)vs.61.7(56.8,73.5)mL/(min·1.73 m2),P＜0.05],indicating better renal function preserva-tion.No significant differences were found in OS,CSS,or DFS between the groups(P＞0.05).Multi-variate ana-lysis identified renal vein invasion(RVI),higher Fuhrman grades(Ⅲ-Ⅳ),and sarcoma-toid differentiation as independent risk factors for DFS and CSS in the pT3a RCC patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion:For cT1 RCC patients upstaged to pT3a,PN preserves renal function more effectively while achieving com-parable oncological outcomes to RN.RVI,higher Fuhrmann grade,and sarcomatoid differentiation are independent risk factors for pT3N0M0 RCC patients.