Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of self-help inflatable balloon in the treatment of refractory benign upper digestive tract stricture.Methods From November 2022 to February 2024,10 patients with refractory benign upper digestive tract stricture underwent self-help inflatable balloon were retrospectively analyzed.Preoperative treatment,intraoperative and postoperative complications,dysphagia score before and after surgery,wearing time of external self-help inflatable balloon,and the clinical efficacy were evaluated.Results All the 10 patients received self-help inflatable balloon treatment.No complications such as bleeding and perforation occurred in all patients during the wearing of the balloon.The placement time of the balloon was 60～180 d,and the average wearing time was 104.9 d.Before surgery,nine cases had a stricture segment length less than 2 cm,and one case had a stricture segment length of 6 cm.The dysphagia score before surgery was(3.60±0.52),and the dysphagia score after removal of the self-help inflatable balloon was(0.60±0.52),and there was statistical significance in preoperative and postoperative comparison(P＜0.05).The dysphagia score 3 months after removal of the external self-help inflatable balloon was(0.70±0.48),there was no significant difference in dysphagia score between the day after surgery and 3 months after surgery(P＞0.05).The diameter of the stricture before and after operation was(5.09±2.02)mm and(10.35±0.73)mm respectively,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Sore throat,wing of nose pain and balloon displacement were the most common adverse events,with 30.0％(3/10),50.0％(5/10)and 70.0％(7/10),respectively.Conclusion It is safe,effective and feasible to treat refractory benign upper digestive tract stricture with self-help inflatable balloon in vitro.It is worthy for clinical application.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of self-help inflatable balloon in the treatment of refractory benign upper digestive tract stricture.Methods From November 2022 to February 2024,10 patients with refractory benign upper digestive tract stricture underwent self-help inflatable balloon were retrospectively analyzed.Preoperative treatment,intraoperative and postoperative complications,dysphagia score before and after surgery,wearing time of external self-help inflatable balloon,and the clinical efficacy were evaluated.Results All the 10 patients received self-help inflatable balloon treatment.No complications such as bleeding and perforation occurred in all patients during the wearing of the balloon.The placement time of the balloon was 60～180 d,and the average wearing time was 104.9 d.Before surgery,nine cases had a stricture segment length less than 2 cm,and one case had a stricture segment length of 6 cm.The dysphagia score before surgery was(3.60±0.52),and the dysphagia score after removal of the self-help inflatable balloon was(0.60±0.52),and there was statistical significance in preoperative and postoperative comparison(P＜0.05).The dysphagia score 3 months after removal of the external self-help inflatable balloon was(0.70±0.48),there was no significant difference in dysphagia score between the day after surgery and 3 months after surgery(P＞0.05).The diameter of the stricture before and after operation was(5.09±2.02)mm and(10.35±0.73)mm respectively,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Sore throat,wing of nose pain and balloon displacement were the most common adverse events,with 30.0％(3/10),50.0％(5/10)and 70.0％(7/10),respectively.Conclusion It is safe,effective and feasible to treat refractory benign upper digestive tract stricture with self-help inflatable balloon in vitro.It is worthy for clinical application.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic dilatation in treatment of esophageal stenosis after esophageal varices sclerotherapy.Methods Clinical data of 17 patients with esophageal stenosis after sclerotherapy for esophageal varices from January 2014 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed,and they were divided into balloon expansion group and bougie expansion group.The remission rate and recurrence rate of esophageal stenosis after endoscopic dilation were analyzed,as well as the incidence of intraoperative complications such as intraoperative bleeding,perforation,infection and chest pain.Results 50 endoscopic dilation treatments were performed in 17 patients.The stenosis remission rate after the first dilation was 76.47％,and the recurrence rate was 53.85％.The total number of dilation required for complete remission of esophageal stenosis ranged from 1 to 15 times,and the median required dilation was 2 times,and 35.29％ (6/17)only needed 1 dilation to complete remission.Intraoperative laceration bleeding occurred in 4.00％ (2/50) requiring endoscopic hemostasis.Fever occurred in 6.00％ (3/50),chest pain occurred in 2.00％ (1/50),and no other complications such as perforation and mediastinal infection occurred.The relief rate of balloon dilatation was higher than that of bougiate dilatation,and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).There were no significant differences in recurrence rate and complication rate between the two groups (P>0.05).Conclusion Endoscopic dilatation is generally safe and effective in the treatment of esophageal stenosis after sclerotherapy for esophageal varices,and balloon dilatation is superior to bougiate dilatation in the relief of stenosis.

Objective:To investigate the incidence and prothrombotic risk factors of postoperative venous thromboembolism(VTE) in Cushing′s disease and to further develop an assessment model to identify those at high risk of postoperative VTE events.Methods:A retrospective study was performed in 82 patients who were admitted to Huashan Hospital, Fudan University during January 2019 and January 2020 and diagnosed with Cushing′s disease. These patients underwent the evaluation about their clinical, hormonal, and coagulation parameters, as well as ultrasonography and pulmonary angio-CT when necessary. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO) regression analysis was used to screen independent risk factors, and a nomogram model for postsurgical VTE risk assessment in Cushing′s disease was initially established, and Bootstrap method was used for internal verification. Finally, the predictive model was evaluated for calibration and clinical applicability in the study cohort.Results:Nineteen patients(23.17%) developed VTE events, with 14 cases occurring after endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery. Compared to patients without VTE, those in the VTE group were older( P<0.001), had longer postoperative bed rest, higher rates of current infection, higher HbA 1C levels, and more severe glucose tolerance impairment(all P<0.05). Through LASSO regression analysis, two independent risk factors for postoperative VTE were identified: Age and current infection. Then a VTE risk assessment nomogram model was established to predict the patients at high risk of VTE. In the nomogram model for VTE risk assessment, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.868(95% CI 0.787-0.949), with the calibration curve closely aligning with the ideal diagonal line and the clinical decision curve exceeding the two extreme curves. Conclusions:Advanced perioperative assessment needs to be taken to screen those with high VTE risks in patients diagnosed with Cushing′s disease. Additionally, during the perioperative period, patients with Cushing′s disease should undergo mandatory physical activity or prophylactic anticoagulant therapy.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic dilatation in treatment of esophageal stenosis after esophageal varices sclerotherapy.Methods Clinical data of 17 patients with esophageal stenosis after sclerotherapy for esophageal varices from January 2014 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed,and they were divided into balloon expansion group and bougie expansion group.The remission rate and recurrence rate of esophageal stenosis after endoscopic dilation were analyzed,as well as the incidence of intraoperative complications such as intraoperative bleeding,perforation,infection and chest pain.Results 50 endoscopic dilation treatments were performed in 17 patients.The stenosis remission rate after the first dilation was 76.47％,and the recurrence rate was 53.85％.The total number of dilation required for complete remission of esophageal stenosis ranged from 1 to 15 times,and the median required dilation was 2 times,and 35.29％ (6/17)only needed 1 dilation to complete remission.Intraoperative laceration bleeding occurred in 4.00％ (2/50) requiring endoscopic hemostasis.Fever occurred in 6.00％ (3/50),chest pain occurred in 2.00％ (1/50),and no other complications such as perforation and mediastinal infection occurred.The relief rate of balloon dilatation was higher than that of bougiate dilatation,and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).There were no significant differences in recurrence rate and complication rate between the two groups (P>0.05).Conclusion Endoscopic dilatation is generally safe and effective in the treatment of esophageal stenosis after sclerotherapy for esophageal varices,and balloon dilatation is superior to bougiate dilatation in the relief of stenosis.

Apoptosis ; Autophagy ; Ferroptosis ; Iron/metabolism* ; Sequestosome-1 Protein/metabolism* ; Ubiquitin-Specific Proteases/metabolism*

Chronic kidney disease （CKD） is a global health problem， and its incidence increases year by year. Studies have revealed that the progression of CKD into end-stage renal disease （ESRD） is related to its inability to effectively eliminate toxins due to decreased renal function. Additionally， intestinal microflora produces a large amount of gut-derived uremic toxins （GDUTs） during protein fermentation. The theory of gut-kidney axis holds that gut and kidney interact with each other， and CKD reduces the ability to remove uremic toxins （UTs）， resulting in the accumulation of UTs in the blood. The accumulation of UTs also accelerates the deterioration of renal function， leading to a vicious circle. This paper focused on the sources of indoxyl sulfate and p-cresol sulfate in GDUTs and their mechanisms against CKD （such as inducing renal tubular cell death， oxidative stress and endothelial injury， promoting renal fibrosis and down-regulating renal protective protein） as well as the sources of trimethylamine oxide and its mechanisms against CKD （such as promoting renal fibrosis and inflammation）. Moreover， starting from gut-kidney axis， this paper summarized the ways of diet and nutrition regulation， toxin adsorption， enhanced dialysis to increase the clearance， inhibiting the sources of gut-derived toxins and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） therapy （TCM preparations and TCM active ingredients） to regulate intestinal microecology and reduce the generation of GDUTs， aiming to provide new therapeutic ideas for delaying the progression of CKD.

Tumor-associated tertiary lymphoid structures(TLSs)are ectopic lymphoid formations within tumor tissue,with mainly B and T cell populations forming the organic aggregates.The presence of TLSs in tumors has been strongly associated with patient responsiveness to immunotherapy regimens and improving tumor prognosis.Researchers have been motivated to actively explore TLSs due to their bright clinical application prospects.Various studies have attempted to decipher TLSs regarding their formation mechanism,structural composition,induction generation,predictive markers,and clinical utilization.Meanwhile,the scientific approaches to qualitative and quantitative descriptions are crucial for TLS studies.In terms of detection,hematoxylin and eosin(H&E),multiplex immunohistochemistry(mIHC),multiplex immunofluorescence(mIF),and 12-chemokine gene signature have been the top approved methods.However,no standard methods exist for the quantitative analysis of TLSs,such as absolute TLS count,analysis of TLS constituent cells,structural features,TLS spatial location,density,and maturity.This study reviews the latest research progress on TLS detection and quantification,proposes new directions for TLS assessment,and addresses issues for the quantitative application of TLSs in the clinic.

Objective To summarize the clinical phenotype profiles and mitochondrial DNA mutation in maternally inherited diabetes and deafness ( MIDD ) , and to improve the diagnosis and treatment of this disease in clinical practice. Methods Sixteen patients with MIDD in six families from Peking Union Medical College from 2007 to Dec 2014 were confirmed as carrying the mitochondrial ( mt) DNA 3243 A to G mutation. Sanger sequencing was used to detect the mt DNA 3243 A to G mutation. The peak height G/A ratio was used to determine mutation heteroplasmy levels. Results The patients with early onset of diabetes (35. 0 ± 14. 6 years), deafness, normal or lower body mass index ( BMI) , and maternal hereditary tendency suggested the diagnosis of MIDD. The peak height G/A ratio was significantly different according to the onset age of MIDD [≤25 years (61. 6 ± 20. 17)%;25-45 years (16.59±8.64)%;>45 years(6.37±0.59)%;P<0.01]. The peak height G/A ratio was negatively correlated with the onset age of MIDD(r=-0. 785,P=0. 001). Conclusion Early onset of diabetes with deafness, normal/lower BMI, and maternal hereditary tendency strongly suggests the diagnosis of MIDD. The peak height G/A ratio might provide a simple prediction regarding the onset age and severity of MIDD.

Objective To explore the effects of recombinant human growth hormone(rh-GH) on immune function in children with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) after radical operation. Methods Thirty children with TOF were divided into two groups: conventional (n=20) and rh-GH (n=10, 0.2U/kg rhGH, sc., three times per week for 4 weeks). The immunoglobulin, complement fraction, lymphocyte subsets, and interleukins were determined. Results After treatment, the abnormal elevation of IgG, IgM, C_3, C_4, CD8~+ and CD19~+ in rhGH group decreased significantly at 1 week to 3 weeks; moreover, the abnormal descend of IgA, CD3~+, CD4~+, CD4~+/CD8~+, CD3~+/HLA-DR~+, and CD3~+/CD~ (16+56) in rh-GH group increased significantly at 1 week to 2 weeks compared to those of conventional group; and all recovered to the levels of control at 4 weeks. The interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-? levels in the plasma and supernatant of peripheral blood mononuclearcytes decreased gradually at 1 week to 2 weeks after treatment compared to those of conventional group, and also recovered to the levels of control at 4 weeks. Conclusion rh-GH therapy could significantly improve immune function of children with TOF after radical operation.