The recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone (rhTSH) can be used for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) preparation before ¹³¹I therapy, and follow-up. Since its approval by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998, rhTSH has been clinically used in European countries, the United States, and other countries for nearly 30 years. In April 2024, China’s first independently developed rhTSH agent was approved. Based on clinical experience and evidence from domestic and international studies, an expert consensus on the application of rhTSH has been developed following thorough consultations among experts. The consensus offers evidence-based recommendations to guide the appropriate use of rhTSH in clinical practice.

Objective:To develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based automatic scoring model for magnetic resonance imaging-detected extramural vascular invasion (AI-mrEMVI) and evaluate its performance and prognostic value in patients with rectal cancer.Methods:In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, a total of 2 501 rectal cancer patients from seven centers between November 2012 and December 2020 were included and divided into completely independent training ( n=1 830) and validation ( n=671) cohorts. A nnUNet-based AI-mrEMVI scoring model was constructed. Manual mrEMVI scores assigned by two radiologists served as the reference standard for accessing the accuracy of the AI-mrEMVI scoring. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression were used to evaluate the prognostic stratification ability of the AI-mrEMVI scores. The concordance index (C-index) was calculated to evaluate prognostic performance. Results:In the validation cohort, the manual mrEMVI scores were 0-2 in 425 patients (63.3%), 3 in 89 (13.4%), and 4 in 157 (23.4%). The AI-mrEMVI model identified 0-2 in 375 patients (55.9%), 3 in 95 (14.2%), and 4 in 201 (30.0%), with an overall accuracy of 81.1% (544/671, 95% CI 77.9%-84.0%). The 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates for patients with AI-mrEMVI scores of 0-2, 3, and 4 were 85.2%, 70.0%, and 58.2%, respectively, and the 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 87.2%, 81.6%, and 62.6%, respectively (DFS: χ2=48.74, P<0.001; OS: χ2=30.04, P<0.001). Multivariable Cox regression showed that for DFS, AI-mrEMVI scores of 3 and 4 were associated with hazard ratios ( HR) of 1.75 (95% CI 1.11-2.77, P=0.016) and 2.65 (95% CI 1.86-3.78, P<0.001), respectively. For OS, an AI-mrEMVI score of 4 was associated with an HR of 2.56 (95% CI 1.62-4.03, P<0.001). The C-index values of the AI-mrEMVI scoring model for predicting DFS and OS were 0.647 (95% CI 0.608-0.686) and 0.650 (95% CI 0.598-0.702), respectively. Conclusion:The proposed AI-mrEMVI automatic scoring model demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy and performed favorably in predicting DFS and OS prognostic risk in patients with rectal cancer.

Objective:To evaluate the long-term outcomes and predictors of coronary atherosclerotic lesions deemed functionally non-ischemic (quantitative flow ratio(QFR)>0.80) and deferred from intervention.Methods:This study is a post-hoc analysis of the FAVOR Ⅲ China trial, which enrolled 3 825 patients with stable or unstable angina pectoris or with myocardial infarction occurring at least 72 hours prior to screening, between December 5, 2018 and January 9, 2020 from 26 research centers in China. Coronary vessels with QFR>0.80 and without interventional treatment were analyzed in this study. The primary endpoint was 3-year target vessel revascularization. Vessels with revascularization (revascularized group) during follow-up were matched 1∶1 using propensity score matching to comparable vessels without revascularization (non-revascularized group). Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for target vessel revascularization (TVR).Results:A total of 6 212 functionally negative vessels with deferred intervention were included in the final analysis, among which 153 vessels (2.5%) underwent TVR during a 3-year follow-up. Prior to propensity score matching, 6 059 vessels comprised the non-revascularized group. At the vessel level, compared to the non-revascularized group, the revascularized group exhibited a significantly higher proportion of males (79.1% (121/153) vs. 70.2% (4 253/6 059), P=0.018), higher body mass index ((25.6±4.0) kg/m2 vs. (24.3±5.2) kg/m2, P=0.003), and a higher prevalence of hypertension (73.9% (113/153) vs. 65.1% (3 944/6 059), P=0.025). And 152 pairs of vessels were successfully matched. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified in-stent restenosis lesions ( HR=2.59, 95% CI 1.28-5.23, P=0.008) as an independent risk factor for target vessel revascularization. Conclusions:Coronary lesions classified as functionally non-ischemic at baseline are not entirely stable and may progress to lesions that requiring revascularization over time. In-stent restenosis emerges as a critical independent predictor of revascularization.

Objective:Investigate the impact of calcification on the long-term outcomes of patients with coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Patients who underwent PCI and had at least one CTO lesion at Fuwai Hospital between January 2010 and December 2013 were consecutively enrolled. Calcification was evaluated by coronary angiography, and patients were divided into two groups: moderate/severe calcification group and non/mild calcification group. Clinical follow-up was completed up to 5 years. Incidence of PCI-related complications and immediate procedural outcomes were compared between two groups, and the primary endpoint was the target lesion failure (TLF) at 5 years after PCI. Clinical follow-up endpoint events were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with log-rank test, and Cox multivariate regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between calcification and TLF.Results:The study included 2 659 CTO patients with an age of (57.2±10.5) years, of whom 442 (16.6%) were female, and among whom 13.5% (360/2 659) had moderate/severe calcification. Compared with the non/mild calcification group, the moderate/severe calcification group had a higher incidence of PCI-related complications (43.2% (156/361) vs. 32.5% (772/2 374), P<0.001) and procedural failure (34.3% (124/361) vs. 24.3% (577/2 374), P<0.001). Additionally, the moderate/severe calcification group showed a higher risk of the primary endpoint event (TLF) during the 5-year follow-up (19.8% vs. 15.3%, log-rank P=0.028). Higher incidence of cardiac death was observed in moderate/severe calcification group (5.7% vs. 2.7%, log-rank P=0.003). Cox multivariate regression analysis revealed that moderate/severe calcified plaques remained an independent risk factor for 5-year TLF after CTO-PCI ( HR=1.34, 95% CI: 1.01-1.79, P=0.043). Conclusion:Compared with CTO patients with non/mild calcification, those with moderate/severe calcification have higher procedural failure and complication rates, as well as poorer long-term prognosis, mainly due to an increase in cardiac death.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors associated with 90-day mortality in critically ill patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), with a particular focus on the association between hypotension within the first hour of CRRT initiation and 90-day mortality after hospital admission.Methods:This study was a post hoc analysis of a prospective cohort study investigating the impact of colloid versus crystalloid priming solutions on early hemodynamics in critically ill patients undergoing CRRT. The study enrolled intensive care unit patients who received CRRT at West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2024 to May 2024. The data were collected including demographic characteristics, laboratory tests, CRRT-related parameters, blood pressure, heart rate, sequential organ failure assessment scores, and vasoactive-inotropic score, etc. The 90-day survival outcome after hospital admission of critically ill patients aged 18-80 years who received continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration was used as the primary outcome indicator. A Cox proportional hazards model analysis was conducted, and the predictive ability of the model was evaluated along with the test of the proportional hazards assumption. The risk factors associated with the 90-day mortality after hospital admission of critically ill patients receiving CRRT were explored, with a particular focus on whether hypotension occurring within the first hour of CRRT initiation was one of these risk factors.Results:A total of 208 patients were included in this study. Within 90 days after hospital admission, 141 patients (67.8%) died, among whom 102 were male (72.3%) and the median age was 61.0 (50.0, 71.5) years; 67 patients (32.2%) survived, among whom 53 were males (79.1%) and the median age was 56.0 (47.0, 68.0) years. The incidence of hypotension within the first hour of CRRT initiation was significantly higher in the death group than in the survival group [29.8% (42/141) vs. 16.4% (11/67), χ2=4.275, P=0.039]. Moreover, The mortality rate of the group with hypotension within the first hour of CRRT initiation was higher than that of the group without hypotension [79.2% (42/53) vs. 63.9% (99/155), χ2=4.275, P=0.039]. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the median survival time of patients without hypotension within the first hour of CRRT initiation [39.0 d (95% CI 23.2-54.8)] was longer than that of patients with hypotension [26.0 d (95% CI 18.9-33.1)], and the 90-day cumulative survival rate after hospital admission of patients without hypotension was significantly higher than that of patients with hypotension (Log-rank test, χ2=5.100, P=0.024). Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses demonstrated that serum albumin ( HR=0.964, 95% CI 0.933-0.997, P=0.030), sequential organ failure assessment score ( HR=1.064, 95% CI 1.012-1.118, P=0.015), and the use of mechanical ventilation ( HR=8.272, 95% CI 1.145-59.743, P=0.036) were significantly associated with 90-day mortality in critically ill patients undergoing CRRT. In contrast, the vasoactive-inotropic score ( HR=1.004, 95% CI 0.999-1.008, P=0.079) and the presence of hypotension within the first hour of CRRT initiation ( HR=1.236, 95% CI 0.833-1.835, P=0.293) were not significantly associated with 90-day mortality in critically ill patients undergoing CRRT. The consistency index of this model was 0.654 (95% CI 0.617-0.691), the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.724 (95% CI 0.658-0.800), and the calibration curve showed that the predicted values of the model were well fitted to the actual observations, suggesting that the predictive effect of this model was relatively ideal. Conclusions:In critically ill patients undergoing CRRT, the occurrence of hypotension within the first hour of CRRT initiation was not significantly associated with 90-day mortality after hospital admission. Lower serum albumin levels, higher sequential organ failure assessment scores, and the use of mechanical ventilation may be the risk factors for 90-day mortality in this population.

Objective:To develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based automatic scoring model for magnetic resonance imaging-detected extramural vascular invasion (AI-mrEMVI) and evaluate its performance and prognostic value in patients with rectal cancer.Methods:In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, a total of 2 501 rectal cancer patients from seven centers between November 2012 and December 2020 were included and divided into completely independent training ( n=1 830) and validation ( n=671) cohorts. A nnUNet-based AI-mrEMVI scoring model was constructed. Manual mrEMVI scores assigned by two radiologists served as the reference standard for accessing the accuracy of the AI-mrEMVI scoring. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression were used to evaluate the prognostic stratification ability of the AI-mrEMVI scores. The concordance index (C-index) was calculated to evaluate prognostic performance. Results:In the validation cohort, the manual mrEMVI scores were 0-2 in 425 patients (63.3%), 3 in 89 (13.4%), and 4 in 157 (23.4%). The AI-mrEMVI model identified 0-2 in 375 patients (55.9%), 3 in 95 (14.2%), and 4 in 201 (30.0%), with an overall accuracy of 81.1% (544/671, 95% CI 77.9%-84.0%). The 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates for patients with AI-mrEMVI scores of 0-2, 3, and 4 were 85.2%, 70.0%, and 58.2%, respectively, and the 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 87.2%, 81.6%, and 62.6%, respectively (DFS: χ2=48.74, P<0.001; OS: χ2=30.04, P<0.001). Multivariable Cox regression showed that for DFS, AI-mrEMVI scores of 3 and 4 were associated with hazard ratios ( HR) of 1.75 (95% CI 1.11-2.77, P=0.016) and 2.65 (95% CI 1.86-3.78, P<0.001), respectively. For OS, an AI-mrEMVI score of 4 was associated with an HR of 2.56 (95% CI 1.62-4.03, P<0.001). The C-index values of the AI-mrEMVI scoring model for predicting DFS and OS were 0.647 (95% CI 0.608-0.686) and 0.650 (95% CI 0.598-0.702), respectively. Conclusion:The proposed AI-mrEMVI automatic scoring model demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy and performed favorably in predicting DFS and OS prognostic risk in patients with rectal cancer.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors associated with 90-day mortality in critically ill patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), with a particular focus on the association between hypotension within the first hour of CRRT initiation and 90-day mortality after hospital admission.Methods:This study was a post hoc analysis of a prospective cohort study investigating the impact of colloid versus crystalloid priming solutions on early hemodynamics in critically ill patients undergoing CRRT. The study enrolled intensive care unit patients who received CRRT at West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2024 to May 2024. The data were collected including demographic characteristics, laboratory tests, CRRT-related parameters, blood pressure, heart rate, sequential organ failure assessment scores, and vasoactive-inotropic score, etc. The 90-day survival outcome after hospital admission of critically ill patients aged 18-80 years who received continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration was used as the primary outcome indicator. A Cox proportional hazards model analysis was conducted, and the predictive ability of the model was evaluated along with the test of the proportional hazards assumption. The risk factors associated with the 90-day mortality after hospital admission of critically ill patients receiving CRRT were explored, with a particular focus on whether hypotension occurring within the first hour of CRRT initiation was one of these risk factors.Results:A total of 208 patients were included in this study. Within 90 days after hospital admission, 141 patients (67.8%) died, among whom 102 were male (72.3%) and the median age was 61.0 (50.0, 71.5) years; 67 patients (32.2%) survived, among whom 53 were males (79.1%) and the median age was 56.0 (47.0, 68.0) years. The incidence of hypotension within the first hour of CRRT initiation was significantly higher in the death group than in the survival group [29.8% (42/141) vs. 16.4% (11/67), χ2=4.275, P=0.039]. Moreover, The mortality rate of the group with hypotension within the first hour of CRRT initiation was higher than that of the group without hypotension [79.2% (42/53) vs. 63.9% (99/155), χ2=4.275, P=0.039]. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the median survival time of patients without hypotension within the first hour of CRRT initiation [39.0 d (95% CI 23.2-54.8)] was longer than that of patients with hypotension [26.0 d (95% CI 18.9-33.1)], and the 90-day cumulative survival rate after hospital admission of patients without hypotension was significantly higher than that of patients with hypotension (Log-rank test, χ2=5.100, P=0.024). Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses demonstrated that serum albumin ( HR=0.964, 95% CI 0.933-0.997, P=0.030), sequential organ failure assessment score ( HR=1.064, 95% CI 1.012-1.118, P=0.015), and the use of mechanical ventilation ( HR=8.272, 95% CI 1.145-59.743, P=0.036) were significantly associated with 90-day mortality in critically ill patients undergoing CRRT. In contrast, the vasoactive-inotropic score ( HR=1.004, 95% CI 0.999-1.008, P=0.079) and the presence of hypotension within the first hour of CRRT initiation ( HR=1.236, 95% CI 0.833-1.835, P=0.293) were not significantly associated with 90-day mortality in critically ill patients undergoing CRRT. The consistency index of this model was 0.654 (95% CI 0.617-0.691), the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.724 (95% CI 0.658-0.800), and the calibration curve showed that the predicted values of the model were well fitted to the actual observations, suggesting that the predictive effect of this model was relatively ideal. Conclusions:In critically ill patients undergoing CRRT, the occurrence of hypotension within the first hour of CRRT initiation was not significantly associated with 90-day mortality after hospital admission. Lower serum albumin levels, higher sequential organ failure assessment scores, and the use of mechanical ventilation may be the risk factors for 90-day mortality in this population.

Objective:To evaluate the long-term outcomes and predictors of coronary atherosclerotic lesions deemed functionally non-ischemic (quantitative flow ratio(QFR)>0.80) and deferred from intervention.Methods:This study is a post-hoc analysis of the FAVOR Ⅲ China trial, which enrolled 3 825 patients with stable or unstable angina pectoris or with myocardial infarction occurring at least 72 hours prior to screening, between December 5, 2018 and January 9, 2020 from 26 research centers in China. Coronary vessels with QFR>0.80 and without interventional treatment were analyzed in this study. The primary endpoint was 3-year target vessel revascularization. Vessels with revascularization (revascularized group) during follow-up were matched 1∶1 using propensity score matching to comparable vessels without revascularization (non-revascularized group). Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for target vessel revascularization (TVR).Results:A total of 6 212 functionally negative vessels with deferred intervention were included in the final analysis, among which 153 vessels (2.5%) underwent TVR during a 3-year follow-up. Prior to propensity score matching, 6 059 vessels comprised the non-revascularized group. At the vessel level, compared to the non-revascularized group, the revascularized group exhibited a significantly higher proportion of males (79.1% (121/153) vs. 70.2% (4 253/6 059), P=0.018), higher body mass index ((25.6±4.0) kg/m2 vs. (24.3±5.2) kg/m2, P=0.003), and a higher prevalence of hypertension (73.9% (113/153) vs. 65.1% (3 944/6 059), P=0.025). And 152 pairs of vessels were successfully matched. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified in-stent restenosis lesions ( HR=2.59, 95% CI 1.28-5.23, P=0.008) as an independent risk factor for target vessel revascularization. Conclusions:Coronary lesions classified as functionally non-ischemic at baseline are not entirely stable and may progress to lesions that requiring revascularization over time. In-stent restenosis emerges as a critical independent predictor of revascularization.

Objective:Investigate the impact of calcification on the long-term outcomes of patients with coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Patients who underwent PCI and had at least one CTO lesion at Fuwai Hospital between January 2010 and December 2013 were consecutively enrolled. Calcification was evaluated by coronary angiography, and patients were divided into two groups: moderate/severe calcification group and non/mild calcification group. Clinical follow-up was completed up to 5 years. Incidence of PCI-related complications and immediate procedural outcomes were compared between two groups, and the primary endpoint was the target lesion failure (TLF) at 5 years after PCI. Clinical follow-up endpoint events were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with log-rank test, and Cox multivariate regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between calcification and TLF.Results:The study included 2 659 CTO patients with an age of (57.2±10.5) years, of whom 442 (16.6%) were female, and among whom 13.5% (360/2 659) had moderate/severe calcification. Compared with the non/mild calcification group, the moderate/severe calcification group had a higher incidence of PCI-related complications (43.2% (156/361) vs. 32.5% (772/2 374), P<0.001) and procedural failure (34.3% (124/361) vs. 24.3% (577/2 374), P<0.001). Additionally, the moderate/severe calcification group showed a higher risk of the primary endpoint event (TLF) during the 5-year follow-up (19.8% vs. 15.3%, log-rank P=0.028). Higher incidence of cardiac death was observed in moderate/severe calcification group (5.7% vs. 2.7%, log-rank P=0.003). Cox multivariate regression analysis revealed that moderate/severe calcified plaques remained an independent risk factor for 5-year TLF after CTO-PCI ( HR=1.34, 95% CI: 1.01-1.79, P=0.043). Conclusion:Compared with CTO patients with non/mild calcification, those with moderate/severe calcification have higher procedural failure and complication rates, as well as poorer long-term prognosis, mainly due to an increase in cardiac death.

This study aims to optimize the process for preparing chitosan-based ultrasound-coupled hydrogel pads and investigate their application potential in ultrasonography. Chitosan, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, and N-isopropylacrylamide were used as the main materials to prepare chitosan-based ultrasound-coupled hydrogel pads. The free-radical polymerization conditions were optimized by a three-factor, three-level orthogonal test with the tensile strength and ultrasound image quality of the hydrogel pads as evaluation indicators. The optimal prescription was selected by optimizing three factors of raw material ratio, polymerization temperature, and freeze-drying time. The structure and performance of the hydrogel pads were characterized by a scanning electron microscope, a universal testing machine, and an ultrasonic diagnostic instrument. The results showed that the optimal prescription was as follows: the chitosan: 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid: N-isopropylacrylamide ratio of 2:0.55:17.27, the polymerization temperature of 25 ℃, and the freeze-drying time of 48 h. The ultrasonically-coupled hydrogel pads prepared under these conditions were transparent, with a porous structure, good adhesion, and high tensile strength. The hydrogel pads had good swelling properties and the swelling degree decreased slowly on day 10. The quality of the ultrasound images obtained via chitosan-based hydrogel pads was not significantly different from that obtained via medical ultrasound coupling agent. In this study, we analyzed the effects of different preparation processes on the gel formation of chitosan-based ultrasound-coupled hydrogel pads. The hydrogel pads were transparent and mild and non-irritating to the human body, serving as an ultrasound transmission material for ultrasonography.
Chitosan/chemistry* ; Hydrogels/chemistry* ; Acrylamides/chemistry* ; Ultrasonography ; Polymerization ; Sulfonic Acids/chemistry* ; Alkanesulfonates/chemistry* ; Tensile Strength ; Freeze Drying ; Temperature