Objective:To explore the efficacy and its related factors of rituximab (RTX) in the treatment of children with frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome/steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (FRNS/SDNS).Methods:It was a single-center retrospective study. The clinical data of FRNS/SDNS children first treated with RTX in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from November 1, 2016 to September 1, 2023 were collected. The number of relapse within 1 year before and after RTX treatment, the time to first relapse after RTX treatment, and the time to B-cell reconstitution were analyzed. At the first treatment, a single dose of RTX was given at 375 mg/m 2, with a maximum dose of 500 mg, once a week, for 1 to 4 doses. The count of CD19 + lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of the children was continuously monitored. If B-cell reconstruction was performed, the decision on whether to proceed to the next course of RTX treatment was made based on clinical manifestations. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze relapse-free survival rate after receiving RTX. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the related factors of relapse after RTX treatment. Results:A total of 98 FRNS/SDNS children receiving RTX treatment were enrolled, including 75 males (76.5%). The age at onset was 4.0 (1.9, 7.1) years and age of receiving RTX was 11.3 (8.5, 13.5) years. There were 90 children (91.8%) achieving complete remission, while 8 patients (8.2%) did not respond to RTX treatment, and 3 patients (3.1%) progressed to end-stage kidney disease after receiving RTX. The relapse-free survival rates at 6 months and 1 year after RTX treatment were 83.3% (75/90) and 57.9% (22/38), respectively. The frequency of relapse 1 year after RTX treatment decreased compared to 1 year before RTX treatment ( Z=-7.398, P<0.001). Compared with children without relapse during the period of B-cell depletion, relapsed children had a higher number of relapse within one year after RTX treatment ( Z=5.246, P<0.001). The time to first relapse after RTX treatment was 8.3 (4.6, 13.9) months in 51 relapse patients. Compared with children receiving 1 dose of RTX in the first course, those receiving 2 or more doses had a longer time to the first relapse ( Z=2.983, P=0.003). There was no statistically significant difference in time to the first relapse between children who received mycophenolate mofetil therapy after RTX treatment and those who didn't ( P>0.05). The reconstruction time of B cells after the first course of RTX was 6.9 (5.3, 9.0) months. Compared to children receiving one dose of RTX in the first course, those receiving two or more doses had a longer B-cell reconstitution time ( Z=2.739, P=0.006). There was no statistically significant difference in B-cell reconstitution time between children who received mycophenolate mofetil therapy after RTX treatment and those who didn't ( P>0.05). Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that recurrence after calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) treatment before RTX treatment and the number of recurrence in one year before RTX treatment were correlated factors of recurrence after RTX treatment (both P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that recurrence after CNI treatment before RTX treatment was an independent correlated factor of relapse after RTX therapy ( HR=3.496, 95% CI 1.245-9.818, P=0.018). Infusion reactions occurred in 10 patients (10.2%) and infections were observed in 24 patients (24.5%) during B cell depletion. No serious adverse events occurred. Conclusions:RTX is well tolerated and effective in treating FRNS/SDNS. Recurrence after CNI treatment before RTX treatment may be an independent related factor of relapse after RTX treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of difference between hematocrit (HCT) and albumin (Alb) in predicting the prognosis of patients with sepsis. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on the septic patients hospitalized at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from January to October in 2024. Clinical data including gender, age, body mass index (BMI), history of hypertension or diabetes, vital signs on admission, and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, blood lactic acid (Lac), oxygenation index (PaO₂/FiO₂), hemoglobin (Hb), white blood cell count (WBC), platelet count (PLT), lymphocyte count (LYM), HCT, Alb, difference between HCT and Alb, bilirubin, scrum creatinine (SCr), and fibrinogen (Fib) within 48 hours of admission were collected. The 28-day prognosis of patients was also recorded. Binary multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for 28-day death in patients with sepsis. The predictive efficacy of the difference between HCT and Alb on 28-day death was evaluated using the receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve). RESULTS: Among 180 enrolled septic patients, 140 survived and 40 died on 28 days. Compared with the survival group, the patients in the death group was significantly older (years old: 64±16 vs. 55±15, P < 0.05), and had higher SOFA score, APACHE II score, and SCr [SOFA score: 6 (4, 9) vs. 3 (2, 5), APACHE II score: 13 (10, 18) vs. 8 (6, 11), SCr (μmol/L): 136 (70, 416) vs. 77 (58, 126), all P < 0.05] as well as lower Hb, PLT, HCT, difference between HCT and Alb, and Fib within 48 hours of admission [Hb (g/L): 90±30 vs. 106±79, PLT (×10⁹/L): 158 (57, 240) vs. 215 (110, 315), HCT: 0.258±0.081 vs. 0.333±0.077, difference between HCT and Alb: -6.52±7.40 vs. 1.07±7.63, Fib (g/L): 3.72±1.57 vs. 4.59±1.55, all P < 0.05]. No significant difference in gender, BMI, history of hypertension or diabetes, vital signs on admission, or other laboratory indicators was found between the two groups. Binary multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that age [odds ratio (OR) = 1.040, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.004-1.078, P = 0.030], APACHE II score (OR = 1.218, 95%CI was 1.038-1.430, P = 0.016), Hb (OR = 1.040, 95%CI was 1.014-1.068, P = 0.003), and difference between HCT and Alb (OR = 0.804, 95%CI was 0.727-0.889, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for 28-day death of septic patients. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of difference between HCT and Alb for predicting 28-day death of septic patients was 0.764 (95%CI was 0.679-0.849, P < 0.001). A cut-off value of difference between HCT and Alb ≤ -5.35 yielded a sensitivity of 80.7% and specificity of 65.0%. CONCLUSIONS The difference between HCT and Alb at early admission is a valuable predictor of prognosis in septic patients. A difference ≤ -5.35 indicates an increased death risk of septic patients.
Humans ; Prognosis ; Sepsis/blood* ; Retrospective Studies ; Hematocrit ; Serum Albumin/analysis* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; APACHE

Background and Aims:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)is a highly malignant digestive system tumor with an inferior prognosis,and its early diagnosis and treatment remain significant challenges.In recent years,RNA methylation modifications(such as m6A and m5C)have attracted considerable attention for their roles in tumor development;however,their regulatory mechanisms and clinical significance in PDAC remain unclear.This study was conducted to identify prognosis-related long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs)associated with m6A and m5C in PDAC,construct a reliable prognostic prediction model,and explore their relationship with the tumor immune microenvironment.Methods:Based on RNA-seq data from the TCGA-PDAC cohort,differentially expressed lncRNAs(DElncRNAs)related to m6A and m5C were identified through differential expression analysis and Pearson correlation analysis.The samples were randomly divided into a training set(n=89)and a validation set(n=89).Key DElncRNAs were selected using LASSO-Cox regression to construct a prognostic model,and patients were categorized into high-and low-risk groups based on risk scores.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis,ROC curves,and multivariate Cox regression were used to evaluate the model's predictive performance.Furthermore,CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE scores were used to analyze immune cell infiltration characteristics and tumor microenvironment(TME)differences between the high-and low-risk groups.Results:To construct the prognostic model,four m6A-and m5C-related DElncRNAs(LINC00857,LINC02038,TSPOAP1-AS1,and TRPC7-AS1)were identified.Patients in the high-risk group had significantly lower overall survival than those in the low-risk group(P<0.05),and the risk score was an independent prognostic factor for PDAC(HR=1.551,95%CI=1.297-1.854,P<0.001).ROC curve analysis showed that the risk score model exhibited high predictive efficiency in both the training and validation sets(AUC values for 1,3,and 5 years:0.766,0.875,0.879;0.685,0.711,0.792,respectively).Immune analysis revealed increased infiltration of M0 macrophages with lower TME scores in the high-risk group(all P<0.05),suggesting an immunosuppressive microenvironment.Conclusion:This study successfully established a PDAC prognostic model based on m6A-and m5C-related DElncRNAs and confirmed its independent predictive value.High-risk patients exhibited M0 macrophage enrichment and immunosuppressive microenvironment characteristics,possibly contributing to poor prognosis.

Objective:To clarify the safety, repair rate, durability, and risk factors for recurrent mitral regurgitation(MR) in patients with Barlow disease(BD) who total thoracoscopic minimally invasive mitral valvuloplasty(TMVP).Methods:Clinical data, mid-term and long-term outcomes of BD patients who underwent TMVP at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital from January 2009 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into a group with no MR recurrence(group A) and a group with MR recurrence(group B) according to whether recurrent MR appeared in the postoperative period, and the data of the two groups of patients were compared with each other for the risk factor analysis.Results:The repair rate of TMVP was 98.4%, and no patient died perioperatively. The median follow-up time was 3.1(1.7, 5.2) years, the follow-up rate was 95.8%, and there was no patient died. As of March 2023, 112 patients developed no recurrent MR(group A), 11 patients developed recurrent MR(group B), and 2 patients in group B underwent repeated mitral valve surgery. The left atrial diameter(LAD) and left ventricular end-systolic diameter(LVESD) were higher in group B than in group A patients[LAD: (50.9±7.7)mm vs.(43.7±8.7)mm, P=0.009; LVESD: (37.1±5.5)mm vs.(33.2±4.7)mm, P=0.011], and the percentage of tendon cord rupture was higher in group B than in group A( P=0.022), while the rest of the baseline data were not statistically significant. There was no statistically significant difference between two groups in terms of the use of different surgical techniques, aortic cross-clamp time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, and operative time. Postoperative LAD, postoperative LVESD, and postoperative left ventricular end-diastolic diameter of group B patients were higher than those of group A( P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in perioperative and long-term complication rates between the two groups. Multifactorial Cox regression analysis revealed that advanced age( HR=1.049, 95% CI: 0.997-1.103, P=0.066) and large preoperative LVESD( HR=1.168, 95% CI: 1.053-1.295, P=0.003) were the risk factors for postoperative recurrence MR. Conclusion:Total thoracoscopic minimally invasive BD repair is safe, which has a high success rate and good long-term results. Advanced age and large preoperative LVESD are risk factors for recurrent MR in the long term.

Objective:To explore the characteristics of social skills and problem behaviors of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as the association with core symptoms.Methods:A total of 409 patients aged 5-18 years old with ASD or ADHD in the outpatient department of Nanjing Brain Hospital from 2023 to 2024, and 344 children and adolescents with typical development(TD) were recruited.All participants were matched in a ratio of 1∶1∶1 (ASD∶ADHD∶TD) according to gender and age, and 97 participants were included in each group for analysis.The Chinese version of the social skills improvement system rating scales(SSIS-RS-C) was used to evaluate social skills and problem behaviors, and autistic child behavior checklist(ABC), childhood autism rating scale(CARS), the Chinese version of the social communication questionnaire(SCQ) and the Chinese version of Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham, version Ⅳ scale-parent form(SNAP-Ⅳ) were used to evaluate the core symptoms of ASD and ADHD, respectively. SPSS 26.0 software was used to perform variance, Chi-square test, Spearman correlation analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis.Results:The social skills score of ASD group was lower than ADHD group ((61.53±24.26) vs (80.89±15.19), P<0.05), while the problem behavior score of ASD group was higher than ADHD group ((38.82±11.92) vs (34.00±12.45), P<0.05). In ASD group, the scores of ABC, CARS and SCQ were negatively correlated with the score of social skills ( r=-0.26--0.55, P<0.05). In ADHD group, the total score and each subscale of SNAP-Ⅳ were positively correlated with the score of problem behavior ( r=0.25-0.65, P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that empathy was a negative influencing factor of ASD ( B=-0.246, OR=0.782, P<0.05), and hyperactivity/inattention was a positive influencing factor of ASD ( B=0.589, OR=1.802, P<0.01), while only hyperactivity/inattention was a positive influencing factor of ADHD( B=0.779, OR=2.180, P<0.01). Conclusion:Children and adolescents with ASD and ADHD both have defects in social skills and problem behaviors, and these defects are associated with the core characteristics of their respective diseases.

Objective:To explore the characteristics of social skills and problem behaviors of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as the association with core symptoms.Methods:A total of 409 patients aged 5-18 years old with ASD or ADHD in the outpatient department of Nanjing Brain Hospital from 2023 to 2024, and 344 children and adolescents with typical development(TD) were recruited.All participants were matched in a ratio of 1∶1∶1 (ASD∶ADHD∶TD) according to gender and age, and 97 participants were included in each group for analysis.The Chinese version of the social skills improvement system rating scales(SSIS-RS-C) was used to evaluate social skills and problem behaviors, and autistic child behavior checklist(ABC), childhood autism rating scale(CARS), the Chinese version of the social communication questionnaire(SCQ) and the Chinese version of Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham, version Ⅳ scale-parent form(SNAP-Ⅳ) were used to evaluate the core symptoms of ASD and ADHD, respectively. SPSS 26.0 software was used to perform variance, Chi-square test, Spearman correlation analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis.Results:The social skills score of ASD group was lower than ADHD group ((61.53±24.26) vs (80.89±15.19), P<0.05), while the problem behavior score of ASD group was higher than ADHD group ((38.82±11.92) vs (34.00±12.45), P<0.05). In ASD group, the scores of ABC, CARS and SCQ were negatively correlated with the score of social skills ( r=-0.26--0.55, P<0.05). In ADHD group, the total score and each subscale of SNAP-Ⅳ were positively correlated with the score of problem behavior ( r=0.25-0.65, P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that empathy was a negative influencing factor of ASD ( B=-0.246, OR=0.782, P<0.05), and hyperactivity/inattention was a positive influencing factor of ASD ( B=0.589, OR=1.802, P<0.01), while only hyperactivity/inattention was a positive influencing factor of ADHD( B=0.779, OR=2.180, P<0.01). Conclusion:Children and adolescents with ASD and ADHD both have defects in social skills and problem behaviors, and these defects are associated with the core characteristics of their respective diseases.

Background and Aims:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)is a highly malignant digestive system tumor with an inferior prognosis,and its early diagnosis and treatment remain significant challenges.In recent years,RNA methylation modifications(such as m6A and m5C)have attracted considerable attention for their roles in tumor development;however,their regulatory mechanisms and clinical significance in PDAC remain unclear.This study was conducted to identify prognosis-related long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs)associated with m6A and m5C in PDAC,construct a reliable prognostic prediction model,and explore their relationship with the tumor immune microenvironment.Methods:Based on RNA-seq data from the TCGA-PDAC cohort,differentially expressed lncRNAs(DElncRNAs)related to m6A and m5C were identified through differential expression analysis and Pearson correlation analysis.The samples were randomly divided into a training set(n=89)and a validation set(n=89).Key DElncRNAs were selected using LASSO-Cox regression to construct a prognostic model,and patients were categorized into high-and low-risk groups based on risk scores.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis,ROC curves,and multivariate Cox regression were used to evaluate the model's predictive performance.Furthermore,CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE scores were used to analyze immune cell infiltration characteristics and tumor microenvironment(TME)differences between the high-and low-risk groups.Results:To construct the prognostic model,four m6A-and m5C-related DElncRNAs(LINC00857,LINC02038,TSPOAP1-AS1,and TRPC7-AS1)were identified.Patients in the high-risk group had significantly lower overall survival than those in the low-risk group(P<0.05),and the risk score was an independent prognostic factor for PDAC(HR=1.551,95%CI=1.297-1.854,P<0.001).ROC curve analysis showed that the risk score model exhibited high predictive efficiency in both the training and validation sets(AUC values for 1,3,and 5 years:0.766,0.875,0.879;0.685,0.711,0.792,respectively).Immune analysis revealed increased infiltration of M0 macrophages with lower TME scores in the high-risk group(all P<0.05),suggesting an immunosuppressive microenvironment.Conclusion:This study successfully established a PDAC prognostic model based on m6A-and m5C-related DElncRNAs and confirmed its independent predictive value.High-risk patients exhibited M0 macrophage enrichment and immunosuppressive microenvironment characteristics,possibly contributing to poor prognosis.

Objective:To explore the efficacy and its related factors of rituximab (RTX) in the treatment of children with frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome/steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (FRNS/SDNS).Methods:It was a single-center retrospective study. The clinical data of FRNS/SDNS children first treated with RTX in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from November 1, 2016 to September 1, 2023 were collected. The number of relapse within 1 year before and after RTX treatment, the time to first relapse after RTX treatment, and the time to B-cell reconstitution were analyzed. At the first treatment, a single dose of RTX was given at 375 mg/m 2, with a maximum dose of 500 mg, once a week, for 1 to 4 doses. The count of CD19 + lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of the children was continuously monitored. If B-cell reconstruction was performed, the decision on whether to proceed to the next course of RTX treatment was made based on clinical manifestations. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze relapse-free survival rate after receiving RTX. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the related factors of relapse after RTX treatment. Results:A total of 98 FRNS/SDNS children receiving RTX treatment were enrolled, including 75 males (76.5%). The age at onset was 4.0 (1.9, 7.1) years and age of receiving RTX was 11.3 (8.5, 13.5) years. There were 90 children (91.8%) achieving complete remission, while 8 patients (8.2%) did not respond to RTX treatment, and 3 patients (3.1%) progressed to end-stage kidney disease after receiving RTX. The relapse-free survival rates at 6 months and 1 year after RTX treatment were 83.3% (75/90) and 57.9% (22/38), respectively. The frequency of relapse 1 year after RTX treatment decreased compared to 1 year before RTX treatment ( Z=-7.398, P<0.001). Compared with children without relapse during the period of B-cell depletion, relapsed children had a higher number of relapse within one year after RTX treatment ( Z=5.246, P<0.001). The time to first relapse after RTX treatment was 8.3 (4.6, 13.9) months in 51 relapse patients. Compared with children receiving 1 dose of RTX in the first course, those receiving 2 or more doses had a longer time to the first relapse ( Z=2.983, P=0.003). There was no statistically significant difference in time to the first relapse between children who received mycophenolate mofetil therapy after RTX treatment and those who didn't ( P>0.05). The reconstruction time of B cells after the first course of RTX was 6.9 (5.3, 9.0) months. Compared to children receiving one dose of RTX in the first course, those receiving two or more doses had a longer B-cell reconstitution time ( Z=2.739, P=0.006). There was no statistically significant difference in B-cell reconstitution time between children who received mycophenolate mofetil therapy after RTX treatment and those who didn't ( P>0.05). Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that recurrence after calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) treatment before RTX treatment and the number of recurrence in one year before RTX treatment were correlated factors of recurrence after RTX treatment (both P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that recurrence after CNI treatment before RTX treatment was an independent correlated factor of relapse after RTX therapy ( HR=3.496, 95% CI 1.245-9.818, P=0.018). Infusion reactions occurred in 10 patients (10.2%) and infections were observed in 24 patients (24.5%) during B cell depletion. No serious adverse events occurred. Conclusions:RTX is well tolerated and effective in treating FRNS/SDNS. Recurrence after CNI treatment before RTX treatment may be an independent related factor of relapse after RTX treatment.

Objective:To clarify the safety, repair rate, durability, and risk factors for recurrent mitral regurgitation(MR) in patients with Barlow disease(BD) who total thoracoscopic minimally invasive mitral valvuloplasty(TMVP).Methods:Clinical data, mid-term and long-term outcomes of BD patients who underwent TMVP at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital from January 2009 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into a group with no MR recurrence(group A) and a group with MR recurrence(group B) according to whether recurrent MR appeared in the postoperative period, and the data of the two groups of patients were compared with each other for the risk factor analysis.Results:The repair rate of TMVP was 98.4%, and no patient died perioperatively. The median follow-up time was 3.1(1.7, 5.2) years, the follow-up rate was 95.8%, and there was no patient died. As of March 2023, 112 patients developed no recurrent MR(group A), 11 patients developed recurrent MR(group B), and 2 patients in group B underwent repeated mitral valve surgery. The left atrial diameter(LAD) and left ventricular end-systolic diameter(LVESD) were higher in group B than in group A patients[LAD: (50.9±7.7)mm vs.(43.7±8.7)mm, P=0.009; LVESD: (37.1±5.5)mm vs.(33.2±4.7)mm, P=0.011], and the percentage of tendon cord rupture was higher in group B than in group A( P=0.022), while the rest of the baseline data were not statistically significant. There was no statistically significant difference between two groups in terms of the use of different surgical techniques, aortic cross-clamp time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, and operative time. Postoperative LAD, postoperative LVESD, and postoperative left ventricular end-diastolic diameter of group B patients were higher than those of group A( P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in perioperative and long-term complication rates between the two groups. Multifactorial Cox regression analysis revealed that advanced age( HR=1.049, 95% CI: 0.997-1.103, P=0.066) and large preoperative LVESD( HR=1.168, 95% CI: 1.053-1.295, P=0.003) were the risk factors for postoperative recurrence MR. Conclusion:Total thoracoscopic minimally invasive BD repair is safe, which has a high success rate and good long-term results. Advanced age and large preoperative LVESD are risk factors for recurrent MR in the long term.

Objective To develop a novel transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement device and test its performance. Methods The transcatheter tricuspid valve stent consisted of double-layer self-expanding nitinol stent, biotissue-derived bovine pericardial leaflets, and PTFE woven. The delivery system, mainly consisting of a handle control unit and a delivery sheath, was sent to the correct position via right atrium or jugular vein. The sheath had a visualization feature, and the handle control unit could realize the functions of stable release and partial recovery of the interventional valve. In addition, this study performed animal survival experiments on the basis of in vitro experiments. A large-white pig was used as the experimental animal. Cardiopulmonary bypass was established through median thoracotomy, then the right atrium was opened, and the interventional valve was released under direct vision without cardiac arrest. Approximately 1 month after interventional valve implantation, the maneuverability and stability of the interventional tricuspid device were evaluated by autopsy. Results Through the animal experiment, the interventional valve was successfully released, and the anchoring was satisfactory. Postoperative transthoracic echocardiography showed that the interventional valve opened and closed well, the flow rate of tricuspid valve was 0.6 m/s, and there was no obvious tricuspid regurgitation. One month after the operation, we dissected the large-white pig and found the interventional valve was not deformed or displaced, the leaflets were well aligned, and there was thrombus attachment in the groove between the inner and outer layers of the interventional valve. Conclusion Animal experiment shows that the novel device can stably and firmly attach to the tricuspid annulus, with good anchoring effect, and effectively reduce paravalvular leakage.