Objective:To investigate the efficacy of radiotherapy in patients with advanced esophageal cancer receiving first-line chemoimmunotherapy.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 137 patients with Stage Ⅳ esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated at our hospital from January 2018 to May 2023. These patients were divided into two groups: a group treated with first-line chemoimmunotherapy combined with radiotherapy (chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group, n = 43) and a group treated with only chemoimmunotherapy ( n = 94). Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was applied to balance baseline characteristics between the groups. With overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) as study endpoints, the survival data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test, and the Cox regression method. Results:Before calibration, the chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group significantly outperformed the sole chemoimmunotherapy group in median PFS (13.6 months vs. 7.0 months; HR: 0.501, 95% CI: 0.309-0.811, P = 0.005). After calibration using the COX proportional-hazards model for age, gender, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, smoking history, T/N/M stage, and tumor location, the chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group still had significant advantages in PFS (14.7 months vs. 7.0 months; HR: 0.441, 95% CI: 0.261-0.745, P = 0.002). IPTW analysis further confirmed this trend (13.9 months vs. 7.0 months; HR: 0.492, 95% CI: 0.304-0.795, P < 0.001). Specifically, the median OS of the chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group demonstrated significant improvement in all analyses: pre-calibration (29.5 months vs. 18.0 months; HR: 0.507, 95% CI: 0.297-0.867, P = 0.013), after calibration using the Cox model (27.5 months vs. 16.7 months; HR: 0.470, 95% CI: 0.266-0.830, P = 0.009), and after calibration using IPTW (29.5 months vs. 16.9 months; HR: 0.448, 95% CI: 0.262-0.764, P < 0.001). Conclusions:The combination of radiotherapy and first-line chemoimmunotherapy can significantly improve survival outcomes of patients with advanced ESCC, suggesting its potential as a standard treatment strategy.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of radiotherapy in patients with advanced esophageal cancer receiving first-line chemoimmunotherapy.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 137 patients with Stage Ⅳ esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated at our hospital from January 2018 to May 2023. These patients were divided into two groups: a group treated with first-line chemoimmunotherapy combined with radiotherapy (chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group, n = 43) and a group treated with only chemoimmunotherapy ( n = 94). Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was applied to balance baseline characteristics between the groups. With overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) as study endpoints, the survival data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test, and the Cox regression method. Results:Before calibration, the chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group significantly outperformed the sole chemoimmunotherapy group in median PFS (13.6 months vs. 7.0 months; HR: 0.501, 95% CI: 0.309-0.811, P = 0.005). After calibration using the COX proportional-hazards model for age, gender, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, smoking history, T/N/M stage, and tumor location, the chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group still had significant advantages in PFS (14.7 months vs. 7.0 months; HR: 0.441, 95% CI: 0.261-0.745, P = 0.002). IPTW analysis further confirmed this trend (13.9 months vs. 7.0 months; HR: 0.492, 95% CI: 0.304-0.795, P < 0.001). Specifically, the median OS of the chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group demonstrated significant improvement in all analyses: pre-calibration (29.5 months vs. 18.0 months; HR: 0.507, 95% CI: 0.297-0.867, P = 0.013), after calibration using the Cox model (27.5 months vs. 16.7 months; HR: 0.470, 95% CI: 0.266-0.830, P = 0.009), and after calibration using IPTW (29.5 months vs. 16.9 months; HR: 0.448, 95% CI: 0.262-0.764, P < 0.001). Conclusions:The combination of radiotherapy and first-line chemoimmunotherapy can significantly improve survival outcomes of patients with advanced ESCC, suggesting its potential as a standard treatment strategy.

Objective To analyze the imaging features of pulmonary artery sarcoma(PAS)on CT and MRI.Methods The clini-cal features,CT and MRI findings of 21 patients with pathologically confirmed PAS were analyzed retrospectively.Results All PAS lesions involved the central pulmonary artery,of which 15 cases involved the main pulmonary artery and bilateral pulmonary artery trunks,4 cases involved the main pulmonary artery and right pulmonary artery trunk,1 case involved the main pulmonary artery and left pulmonary artery trunk,and 1 case involved the right pulmonary artery trunk.Five cases involved the pulmonary artery valve and right ventricular outflow tract as well.Nineteen cases of PAS showed complete filling defects in the central pulmonary artery,and the other 2 cases presented with nodular or lobulated filling defects attached to the pulmonary artery wall.The proximal margin of 19 PAS lesions was bulging or lobulated,and the distal pulmonary artery of 9 PAS lesions showed aneurysm-like dilatation.On MRI,all 13 cases of PAS were hyperintense on fat-suppressed T2WI,of which 11 cases were hyperintense on diffusion weighted imaging(DWI),and all lesions demonstrated significantly heterogeneous enhancement or delayed enhancement.Conclusion On computed tomography pul-monary angiography(CTPA),filling defects which grow expansively in the central pulmonary artery,and which have proximal bul-ging shape or distal aneurysm-like dilatation are highly suggestive of PAS.On contrast-enhanced MRI,the significantly heterogene-ous enhancement mass in the central pulmonary artery should be highly suspected of PAS.

OBJECTIVE： To establish the fingerprint of Mahai zhitan capsule， to determine the contents of main components， and to provide scientific basis for the stability and quality control of the preparation technology. METHODS： The determination was performed on Inertsil ODS-3 column with acetonitrile-0.1％ phosphoric acid as mobile phase （gradient elution） at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detection wavelength was set at 250 nm （0-23 min and 31-120 min） and 230 nm （23-31 min）. The column temperature was set at 30 ℃. HPLC fingerprint for 10 batches of Mahai zhitan capsule was established by using “similarity evaluation software for chromatographic fingerprint of traditional chinese medicine” （2012 edition） and the similarity was evaluated. The chromatographic peaks were assigned and identified with reference substance， negative samples without ingredient and substance control respectively， and the identified main components were quantitatively analyzed. RESULTS： The similarity of 10 batches of sample was more than 0.99； 20 common peaks were found， and 10 common peaks were identified. Among them， No. 1，13，14，15，16，17，18，19，20 chromatographic peaks originated from Rheum palmatum； No. 3，4，6，7 chromatographic peaks originated from processed Strychnos nuxvomica； No. 8 chromatographic peaks originated from Angelica sinensis； the corresponding source of medicinal materials was not found in No. 2，5，9，10，11，12 chromatographic peaks. By comparing the reference substances， No. 1，4，6，7，8，16，17，18，19 and 20 chromatographic peaks were identified as gallic acid， loganin acid， strychnine， brucine， ferulic acid， aloe-emodin， rhein， emodin， chrysophanol and emodin methyl ether， respectively. In the determination of identified five main components （loganin， strychnine， brucine， emodin and chrysophanol）， the methodological investigation met the relevant standards. In 10 batches of samples， the contents of loganin， strychnine， brucine， emodin and chrysophanol were 2.477 1-2.785 9， 1.746 1-1.946 0， 1.374 6-1.505 8， 1.573 2-1.824 1 and 0.232 1-0.261 7 mg/g， respectively. CONCLUSIONS： The established method is reliable， accurate， stable and simple， which could provide reference for the preparation technology and quality control of Mahai zhitan capsule.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of ATP-binding cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1) in endothelial dysfunction induced by high glucose.

METHODSHuman aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) were incubated in the presence of 5.6 or 30 mmol/L glucose for 24-72 h with or without a 2-h pretreatment with the LXR agonist 22(R)-hydroxycholesterol. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to measure the mRNA and protein expressions of ABCG1; the intracellular cholesterol efflux and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity were measured by scintillation counting.

RESULTSHigh glucose time-dependently suppressed ABCG1 expression and cholesterol efflux to HDL in HAECs. High glucose also decreased eNOS activity. ABCG1 down-regulation induced by high glucose, along with decreased cholesterol efflux and eNOS activity, was abolished by treatment of the cells with the LXR agonist.

CONCLUSIONEndothelial dysfunction induced by high glucose is associated with decreased ABCG1 expression.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Sub-Family G, Member 1 ; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters ; genetics ; metabolism ; Aorta ; cytology ; Cell Line ; Down-Regulation ; drug effects ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; physiology ; Glucose ; pharmacology ; Humans