BACKGROUND:Mitochondrial autophagy is closely related to the occurrence and development of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head(SONFH),but specific biomarkers and regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. OBJECTIVE:To identify the key biomarkers of mitochondrial autophagy in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head using machine learning algorithms and to conduct an immune infiltration analysis. METHODS:The SONFH datasets GSE123568 and GSE74089 were downloaded from the GEO database,serving as the training and validation sets,respectively.Differentially expressed genes between SONFH and control groups were selected,and weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed.Mitochondrial autophagy-related genes were obtained from MitoCarta3.0 and intersected with differentially expressed genes and module genes.Two machine learning algorithms were utilized to identify key genes of SONFH mitochondrial autophagy,and validated using an external validation set.CIBERSORT and immune infiltration analysis were employed to assess the proportion of immune cells,and ssGSEA was used to analyze the correlation between mitochondrial autophagy genes and immune cells. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Differential analysis identified a total of 1 163 differentially expressed genes,including 663 upregulated genes and 500 downregulated genes.Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified 4 key modules,comprising 1 412 module genes.Intersection with mitochondrial autophagy genes yielded 39 intersecting genes as disease-related mitochondrial autophagy genes.Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that the biological processes were mainly related to heme metabolism,mitochondrial transport,nucleotide bisphosphate metabolism and thioester metabolism,and the cellular components were mainly related to mitochondrial matrix,mitochondrial outer membrane,organelle outer membrane and mitochondrial inner membrane,and the molecular functions were mainly related to fatty acid ligase activity,iron-sulfur cluster binding,and cofactor A ligase activity.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis mapped out a total of six pathways,which were mainly related to fatty acid degradation,mitochondrial autophagy,butyric acid metabolism,fatty acid biosynthesis and cofactor biosynthesis.Through LASSO regression and RFE-SVM algorithm analysis,four intersecting genes(ALDH5A1,FBXL4,MCL1,and STOM)were identified.The receiver operating characteristic curves of the four core genes and the diagnostic column chart validation set were all greater than 0.9.The occurrence and development of SONFH were related to immune cells such as dendritic cells,bone marrow-derived suppressor cells,regulatory T cells,and central memory CD8 T cells.To conclude,the four key mitochondrial autophagy genes ALDH5A1,FBXL4,MCL1,and STOM play a crucial role in the progression of SONFH through osteoclast differentiation and immune mechanisms.Additionally,all four genes have good disease prediction efficacy and can serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of SONFH.

Osteoporosis （OP） is a metabolic disorder characterized by microstructural deterioration of bone and increased bone fragility due to reduced bone mass， which can cause the development of bone-related diseases. This condition imposes significant economic and psychological burdens on patients. While modern medicine has extensively researched the pathogenesis of OP， it remains incompletely understood. Current clinical management primarily relies on anti-resorptive drugs and synthetic metabolic agents. However， long-term use of some medications may yield suboptimal therapeutic outcomes and lead to severe adverse reactions. Given the necessity for prolonged or lifelong treatment for OP， there is a critical need to identify highly effective， safe， and cost-effective pharmaceutical interventions. In light of evolving disease management paradigms and recent advancements in OP research， traditional Chinese medicine has demonstrated emerging advantages in addressing this condition. Through literature review， this study delves into the pathogenesis of OP from five perspectives： hormonal dysregulation， autophagy， ferroptosis， oxidative stress， and intestinal flora alteration. Furthermore， it summarizes the therapeutic efficacy and specific mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine monomers and compound formulas against OP through regulating hormone levels， interfering with autophagy， inhibiting ferroptosis， counteract oxidative stress，and maintain intestinal flora balance. These multifaceted insights are expected to provide theoretical reference and guide future clinical traditional Chinese medicine approaches for preventing and managing OP.

Ovulatory dysfunction (OD) is one of the main causes of infertility in women of childbearing age, which not only affects their reproductive ability, but also physical and mental health. Traditional treatment strategies have limited efficacies, and the emergence of biomedicines provides a promising alternative solution via the strategies of combining engineered design with modern advanced technology. This review explores the pathophysiological characteristics and related induction mechanisms of OD, and evaluates the current cutting-edge advances in its treatments. It emphasizes the potentials of biomedicines strategies such as hydrogels, nanoparticles and extracellular vesicles in improving therapeutic precision and efficacy. By mimicking natural physiological processes, and achieving controlled drug release, these advanced drug carriers are expected to address the challenges in ovarian microenvironment reprogramming, tissue repair, and metabolic and immune regulation. Despite the promising progress, there are still challenges in terms of biomedical complexity, differences between animal models and human physiology, and the demand for intelligent drug carriers in the therapy of OD. Future researches are mainly dedicated to developing precise personalized biomedicines in OD therapy through interdisciplinary collaboration, promoting the development of reproductive regenerative medicine.

The aim of this paper is to present the basic principles of the mesh basket-like six-electrode renal denervation (RDN) system, research progress in anti-hypertensive therapy and modulation of autonomic nerves for the treatment of diseases. It discusses the advances in system design, operational optimization and expansion of clinical applications, as well as the challenges faced. The future prospects of personalized autonomic nerves modulation for the treatment of diseases are also discussed.

Objectives:To assess the prognostic impact of the neoadjuvant rectal (NAR) score following neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), as well as its value in guiding decisions for adjuvant chemotherapy.Methods:Between August 2015 and August 2018, patients were eligible from the STELLAR phase III trial (NCT02533271) who received short-course radiotherapy plus consolidation chemotherapy and for whom the NAR score could be calculated. Based on the NAR score, patients were categorized into low (＜8), intermediate (8-16), and high (＞16) groups. The Kaplan-Meier method, log rank tests, and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to evaluate the impact of the NAR score on disease-free survival (DFS).Results:Out of the 232 patients, 24.1%, 48.7%, and 27.2% had low (56 cases), intermediate (113 cases), and high NAR scores (63 cases), respectively. The median follow-up period was 37 months, with 3-year DFS rates of 87.3%, 68.3%, and 53.4% ( P＜0.001) for the low, intermediate, and high NAR score groups. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the NAR score (intermediate NAR score: HR, 3.10, 95% CI, 1.30-7.37, P=0.011; high NAR scores: HR=5.44, 95% CI, 2.26-13.09, P＜0.001), resection status ( HR, 3.00, 95% CI, 1.64-5.52, P＜0.001), and adjuvant chemotherapy ( HR, 3.25, 95% CI, 2.01-5.27, P＜0.001) were independent prognostic factors for DFS. In patients with R0 resection, the 3-year DFS rates were 97.8% and 78.0% for those with low and intermediate NAR scores who received adjuvant chemotherapy, significantly higher than the 43.2% and 50.6% for those who did not ( P＜0.001, P=0.002). There was no significant difference in the 3-year DFS rate (54.2% vs 53.3%, P=0.214) among high NAR score patients, regardless of adjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusions:The NAR score is a robust prognostic indicator in LARC following neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy, with potential implications for subsequent decisions regarding adjuvant chemotherapy. These findings warrant further validation in studies with larger sample sizes.

With the increasing proportion of human papilloma virus(HPV)infection in the pathogenic factors of oro-pharyngeal cancer,a series of changes have occurred in the surgical treatment.While the treatment mode has been im-proved,there are still many problems,including the inconsistency between diagnosis and treatment modes,the lack of popularization of reconstruction technology,the imperfect post-treatment rehabilitation system,and the lack of effective preventive measures.Especially in terms of treatment mode for early oropharyngeal cancer,there is no unified conclu-sion whether it is surgery alone or radiotherapy alone,and whether robotic minimally invasive surgery has better func-tional protection than radiotherapy.For advanced oropharyngeal cancer,there is greater controversy over the treatment mode.It is still unclear whether to adopt a non-surgical treatment mode of synchronous chemoradiotherapy or induction chemotherapy combined with synchronous chemoradiotherapy,or a treatment mode of surgery combined with postopera-tive chemoradiotherapy.In order to standardize the surgical treatment of oropharyngeal cancer in China and clarify the indications for surgical treatment of oropharyngeal cancer,this expert consensus,based on the characteristics and treat-ment status of oropharyngeal cancer in China and combined with the international latest theories and practices,forms consensus opinions in multiple aspects of preoperative evaluation,surgical indication determination,primary tumor re-section,neck lymph node dissection,postoperative defect repair,postoperative complication management prognosis and follow-up of oropharyngeal cancer patients.The key points include:① Before the treatment of oropharyngeal cancer,the expression of P16 protein should be detected to clarify HPV status;② Perform enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the maxillofacial region before surgery to evaluate the invasion of oropharyngeal cancer and guide precise surgical resec-tion of oropharyngeal cancer.Evaluating mouth opening and airway status is crucial for surgical approach decisions and postoperative risk prediction;③ For oropharyngeal cancer patients who have to undergo major surgery and cannot eat for one to two months,it is recommended to undergo percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy before surgery to effectively improve their nutritional intake during treatment;④ Early-stage oropharyngeal cancer patients may opt for either sur-gery alone or radiation therapy alone.For intermediate and advanced stages,HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer general-ly prioritizes radiation therapy,with concurrent chemotherapy considered based on tumor staging.Surgical treatment is recommended as the first choice for HPV unrelated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma(including primary and re-current)and recurrent HPV related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma after radiotherapy and chemotherapy;⑤ For primary exogenous T1-2 oropharyngeal cancer,direct surgery through the oral approach or da Vinci robotic sur-gery is preferred.For T3-4 patients with advanced oropharyngeal cancer,it is recommended to use temporary mandibu-lectomy approach and lateral pharyngotomy approach for surgery as appropriate;⑥ For cT1-2N0 oropharyngeal cancer patients with tumor invasion depth＞3 mm and cT3-4N0 HPV unrelated oropharyngeal cancer patients,selective neck dissection of levels ⅠB to Ⅳ is recommended.For cN+HPV unrelated oropharyngeal cancer patients,therapeutic neck dissection in regions Ⅰ-Ⅴ is advised;⑦ If PET-CT scan at 12 or more weeks after completion of radiation shows intense FDG uptake in any node,or imaging suggests continuous enlargement of lymph nodes,the patient should undergo neck dissection;⑧ For patients with suspected extracapsular invasion preoperatively,lymph node dissection should include removal of surrounding muscle and adipose connective tissue;⑨ The reconstruction of oropharyngeal cancer defects should follow the principle of reconstruction steps,with priority given to adjacent flaps,followed by distal pedicled flaps,and finally free flaps.The anterolateral thigh flap with abundant tissue can be used as the preferred flap for large-scale postoperative defects.

Objectives:To assess the prognostic impact of the neoadjuvant rectal (NAR) score following neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), as well as its value in guiding decisions for adjuvant chemotherapy.Methods:Between August 2015 and August 2018, patients were eligible from the STELLAR phase III trial (NCT02533271) who received short-course radiotherapy plus consolidation chemotherapy and for whom the NAR score could be calculated. Based on the NAR score, patients were categorized into low (＜8), intermediate (8-16), and high (＞16) groups. The Kaplan-Meier method, log rank tests, and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to evaluate the impact of the NAR score on disease-free survival (DFS).Results:Out of the 232 patients, 24.1%, 48.7%, and 27.2% had low (56 cases), intermediate (113 cases), and high NAR scores (63 cases), respectively. The median follow-up period was 37 months, with 3-year DFS rates of 87.3%, 68.3%, and 53.4% ( P＜0.001) for the low, intermediate, and high NAR score groups. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the NAR score (intermediate NAR score: HR, 3.10, 95% CI, 1.30-7.37, P=0.011; high NAR scores: HR=5.44, 95% CI, 2.26-13.09, P＜0.001), resection status ( HR, 3.00, 95% CI, 1.64-5.52, P＜0.001), and adjuvant chemotherapy ( HR, 3.25, 95% CI, 2.01-5.27, P＜0.001) were independent prognostic factors for DFS. In patients with R0 resection, the 3-year DFS rates were 97.8% and 78.0% for those with low and intermediate NAR scores who received adjuvant chemotherapy, significantly higher than the 43.2% and 50.6% for those who did not ( P＜0.001, P=0.002). There was no significant difference in the 3-year DFS rate (54.2% vs 53.3%, P=0.214) among high NAR score patients, regardless of adjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusions:The NAR score is a robust prognostic indicator in LARC following neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy, with potential implications for subsequent decisions regarding adjuvant chemotherapy. These findings warrant further validation in studies with larger sample sizes.

Objective To clarify the changes in CXCL5 in serum and gastric tissues of patients with chronic atrophic gastritis(CAG)and precancerous lesions of gastric cancer(PLGC)and to investigate the predictive value of CXCL5 for the diagnosis of CAG and PLGC.Methods This study enrolled 72 participants of CAG admitted to the Department of Splenology and Gastroenterology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from June 2022 to June 2023,with gastroscopy and pathologically confirmed diagnosis,as well as 68 healthy participants who underwent gastroscopy in the same period at our department.We collected clinical information and laboratory results from all participants.The logistic regression analysis methods were used to identify the diagnostic value of serum CXCL5.Furthermore,in order to clarify the role of CXCL5 in the developent of CAG,a total of 15 patients each with CAG,intestinal metaplasia,and dysplasia treated at our hospital from June 2023 to December 2023,and 15 healthy participants were selected.The relationship between the expression of CXCL5 and the degree of clinicopathology was analysed in each group using ELISA,PCR,and immunohistochemistry staining to validate and assess the diagnostic efficacy of CXCL5.Results The study found that several factors were associated with CAG,including family history of tumours,smoking and alcohol consumption history,dietary regularity,Helicobacter pylori infection,the number of lesions,gastric function scores and CXCL5(P<0.05).The ROC curve had an AUC of 1.00 and a Youden index of 0.986,indicating excellent predictive ability.The ELISA results indicated a significantly higher serum CXCL5 expression level in the CAG,intestinal metaplasia,and dysplasia groups compared to the normal group.There was a positive correlation between the serum CXCL5 expression level and the degree of pathology.The PCR and immunohistochemistry staining results indicate that the mRNA and pro-tein expression levels of CXCL5 in gastric tissues of patient groups were significantly higher compared to the nor-mal group.Furthermore,the mRNA and protein expression levels of CXCL5 in gastric tissues were positively correlated with the degree of pathology.Conclusions The results indicate that CXCL5 is highly expressed in the serum and gastric tissues of patients with CAG and PLGC,and its expression level is positively correlated with the degree of pathology.Therefore,CXCL5 could serve as a predictive indicator and a potential therapeutic target for the diagnosis of CAG and PLGC.

Objective:To explore the patterns of failure after postoperative intensity-modulated radiotherapy for gastric cancer.Methods:Clinical data of patients diagnosed with gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction carcinoma with pathological stages T 3-4N 0 or T xN 1-3 admitted to Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from May 2009 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received postoperative radiotherapy. During the follow-up, tumor recurrence was confirmed by imaging or endoscopic or pathological data, etc. According to the location of tumor recurrence, recurrence patterns were divided into local, regional and distant recurrence. Differences in recurrence patterns among different groups were compared using t-test and Chi-square test. Patient survival was assessed through Kaplan-Meier method. Results:A total of 76 patients were enrolled, with a median age of 49 years old (27-67 years old), 34 cases (45%) were classified as T 3 stage, 40 cases (53%) of T 4 stage, and 75 cases (99%) of N 1-3 stage, respectively. Seventy-three patients (92%) were classified as stage Ⅲ, and 38 patients (50%) underwent D2 dissection. The median follow-up time was 32.8 months (7.1-138.5 months). The median time of recurrence was 17.6 months (2.9-113.6 months). The median survival time after recurrence was 8.19 months (0.6-91.9 months). There were 13 cases (17%) of local recurrence, 6 cases (8%) of regional recurrence, and 72 cases (95%) of distant metastasis in patients. Peritoneal metastasis (33 cases, 43%) and distant lymph node metastasis (12 cases, 16%) were the main patterns of distant recurrence. Conclusions:By intensity-modulated radiotherapy technology, adjuvant radiotherapy yields favorable local and regional control for gastric cancer. Distant metastasis is still the main pattern of recurrence.

Objective:To analyze clinical features, short-term efficacy and side effects of salvage re-irradiation therapy for patients with locally recurrent esophageal cancer after definitive chemoradiotherapy, to investigate the prognostic factors of re-irradiation with precise radiotherapy techniques.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on patients with locally recurrent esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after definitive chemoradiotherapy treated in the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2008 to December 2016. The patients underwent re-irradiation therapy (re-RT) or re-irradiation therapy concurrent chemotherapy (re-CCRT). The main observation index was after-recurrence survival (ARS), which was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method for survival analysis. Univariate analysis was conducted by log-rank test, and multivariate analysis was performed by Cox regression model.Results:A total of 109 patients were included, with a median age of 66 years (43-89 years), and a median follow-up time of 120.8 months (79.0-176.5 months). The objective response rates (ORR) and dysphagia improvement rates (DIR) in all patients were 64.2% and 63.0%, respectively. The median ARS and 1-, 3-, 5-, 8-year survival rates in all patients were 7.8 months and 32.1%, 9.2%, 7.3% and 2.3%, respectively. The median ARS and 1-, 3-, 5-years survival rates were 10.8 months and 45.9%, 13.5%, 10.8% for patients with time to recurrence (TTR) ≥24 months, significantly longer than those of 5.7 months and 25.0%, 6.9%, 5.6% for patients with TTR<24 months ( χ2=7.99, P=0.005). The median ARS in groups with re-irradiation dose of ≤50 Gy,>50-54 Gy, and>54 Gy groups were 5.7, 10.0 and 8.1 months, respectively ( χ2=6.94, P=0.031). The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 30.4%, 5.1%, and 3.8% for re-RT versus 36.7%, 20.0%, and 16.7% for re-CCRT ( χ2=2.12, P=0.145). Multivariate analysis showed that TTR ( HR=0.607, 95% CI=0.372-0.991, P=0.046) and lesion length ( HR=0.603, 95% CI=0.371-0.982, P=0.042) were the independent factors for ARS. There was no significant difference in ≥2 grade pneumonitis and 2-3 grade radiation esophagitis between the re-RT and re-CCRT groups ( χ2=0.25, P=0.619; χ2=0.51, P=0.808). The morbidity of ≥2 grade myelosuppression in the re-RT group was significantly lower than that in the re-CCRT group (3.7% vs. 36.7%, χ2=18.15, P<0.001). Conclusions:Precise re-irradiation therapy for patients with locally recurrent esophageal cancer after definitive chemoradiotherapy can alleviate dysphagia, but ARS remains poor. Re-irradiation dose range from>50-54 Gy may be suitable for locally relapse patients as salvage treatment. Patients with TTR≥24 months and lesion length ≤5 cm obtain favorable prognosis.