Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a relatively common malignant tumor, and the serum carbohydrate antigen (CA)19-9 is the most commonly used tumor marker in the diagnosis and treatment of PDAC. Elevated levels of CA19-9 in the serum are of significant importance in the diagnosis of most PDAC; however, some PDAC cases may exhibit negative expression of this serum antigen during the disease course. This article reviews recent clinical studies related to PDAC with negative CA19-9 expression, aiming to explore more diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for patients with CA19-9 negative PDAC.

Objective To establish a stable liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS)method for detecting gamma-aminobutyric acid(GABA)in plasma,and to evaluate the value of GABA detection in the diagnosis of sleep disorders.Methods GABA was detected using a UPLC Xevo TQs system.The method was pre-validated and its performance was verified to establish a reference range for healthy individuals.The difference in plasma GABA levels between apparently healthy individuals and patients with sleep disorders was compared.Results We employed deuterated compounds as isotopic internal standards and utilized an Amide chromatographic column for separation.The mobile phase was 0.050%formic acid in water and 90%acetonitrile in water containing 0.175%formic acid and 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate with gradient elution in the column temperature of 35℃.The linear range for the detection of GABA by LC-MS/MS was 0.05-10.00 μmol/L,with a lower limit of quantification of 0.02 μmol/L,the inter-day CV<3.00%and intra assay CV<4.00%,respectively,and the recovery rate was 101.06%-109.02%.The reference ranges for plasma GABA were established by analyzing 300 healthy controls stratified by age:18-34 years(0.08-0.15 μmol/L),35-49 years(0.10-0.20 μmol/L),and≥50 years(0.12-0.23 μmol/L).Then plasma GABA was used as a biomarker for auxiliary diagnosis of sleep disorders in analyzing 221 patients and 300 healthy controls,which revealed that AUC values were 0.510(P=0.850),0.686(P=0.002),and 0.890(P<0.001)in the groups of 18-34 years,35-49 years,and≥50 years,respectively,with optimal cut-off values of 0.09,0.10 and 0.11 μmol/L.Conclusion A reliable LC-MS/MS method for detecting GABA has been established,which can detect plasma GABA levels sensitively and accurately and can be used in assisting the clinical diagnosis of sleep disorders.

Objective To investigate the oral health status of second-grade primary school students in Suzhou,provide baseline data for evaluating Suzhou's"Bright Eyes and Healthy Teeth"public health project,and offer reference for formulating oral health policies for students in Suzhou.Methods A multi-stage,stratified,random sampling method was used to select 1 640 second-grade primary school students from 10 districts(county-level cities)across Suzhou.The oral health survey of primary school students in Suzhou was designedbased on WHO"Basic Methods for Oral Health Surveys"(5th edition).A survey on the students' oral health status was con-ducted.Results The caries prevalence,mean DMFT(Decayed,Missing,Filled Teeth),and caries filling rate for primary teeth among second-grade students in Suzhou were 80.73％,4.25,and 24.48％,respectively.For permanent teeth,the caries prevalence,mean DMFT(Decayed,Missing,Filled Teeth),and caries filling rate were 30.30％,0.62,and 16.96％,respectively.Specifically,the caries prevalence,mean DMFT,and filling rate for the first permanent molar were 29.88％,0.59,and 16.94％,respectively.The pit and fissure sealing rate for the first permanent molar was 13.74％.Additionally,the detection rate for gingival bleeding was 58.05％,and for dental calculus,49.15％.Conclusion The oral health status of second-grade primary school students in Suzhou is concerning.The caries prevalence rate for both primary and permanent teeth is high,while the filling rate is relatively low.Prior to the implementation of oral health programs,the pit and fissure sealing rate for the first permanent molars was low,with significant differ-ences observed between urban and rural areas,as well as among different districts(or county-level cities).

Objective:To analyze the factors influencing the achievement of "textbook outcome" (TO) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and explore the relationship of postoperative prognoses with TO.Methods:The clinical and pathological data of 169 patients treated by PD between January 2021 and December 2023 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into the TO group ( n=91) and the non-TO group ( n=78) based on whether they met the TO criteria after sugery. According to the benignity or malignancy of the tumor, patients in the two groups above were futher divided into a non-malignant tumor subgroup (benign and junctional) and a malignant tumor subgroup, of which there were 10 cases of non-malignant tumor subgroup and 81 cases of malignant tumor subgroup in the TO group, and 9 cases of non-malignant tumor subgroup and 69 cases of malignant tumor subgroup in the non-TO group. Data collected included general patient information, laboratory indices on postoperative day 3, pathological findings, intraoperative blood loss, operative duration, and the like. Patients with malignant tumors were followed up until December 2024. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the optimal cut-off values for clinical data. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to identify independent risk factors affecting TO achievement. Survival curves for patients with malignant tumors in the TO and non-TO groups were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the Log-rank test. Results:Among the 169 patients, 91 patients (53.8%) achieved TO. There were 150 patients (88.76%) with malignant tumors, all of whom achieved R0 resection. Univariate analysis showed that a history of cardiovascular/cerebrovascular disease, main pancreatic duct diameter, white blood cell count on postoperative day 3, aspartate aminotransferase level, total bilirubin level, serum urea nitrogen level, pancreatic texture, and operative duration were factors influencing TO achievement (all P value <0.05). Multivariate analysis identified that a postoperative white blood cell count greater than 16.35×10 9/L ( OR=3.558, 95% CI 1.319-9.596), a postoperative serum urea nitrogen levels exceeding 5.42 mmol/L ( OR=2.154, 95% CI 1.070-4.334), soft pancreatic texture ( OR=2.321, 95% CI 1.035-5.203), and an operative duration exceeding 312.50 min ( OR=2.043, 95% CI 1.005-4.154) were independent risk factors that prevented the achievement of TO (all P value <0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that the 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates for patients with malignant tumors in the TO group were 67.90%, 47.73%, and 36.84%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the non-TO group (57.90%, 32.00%, and 31.58%, respectively; all P value <0.05). The median survival time was 28 months in the TO group and 16 months in the non-TO group, with a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Postoperative white blood cell count, serum urea nitrogen level, pancreatic texture, and operative duration are independent risk factors affecting the achievement of TO. For patients with malignant tumors, achieving TO is beneficial for prolonging survival time and improving survival rates.

Objective Network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques were used to predict the potential mechanisms by which the active components of Piper nigrum(PN)regulate depressive-like behaviors in chronic restraint stress(CRS)mice.Methods The major chemical components and targets of PN were screened using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database.Targets related to ferroptosis and depression were obtained from the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man,GeneCards,and FerrDB databases.The intersecting targets were then subjected to Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Gnomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analyses,and molecular docking was performed to validate the binding capacities between the core targets and their corresponding active components.Finally,we established a CRS mouse model.Mice were treated with PN 75,150,and 300 mg/kg for 4 weeks,followed by behavioral assessments and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)to verify the expression of core genes.Results Nine active components were screened from PN,corresponding to 27 targets,and 8377 targets related to depression and 547 targets associated with ferroptosis were screened from the databases.The intersection of these three sets resulted in 25 target genes.KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that these core targets were predominantly enriched in signaling pathways,including cholinergic synapses,serotonergic synapses,and neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions.Molecular docking result showed that the main active components of PN had strong binding affinities for the targets CHRM2,SLC6A4,PTGS2,and SLC6A2.Behavioral assessments demonstrated that PN significantly increased the sucrose preference index(P＜0.01,P＜0.001),reduced immobility time in the tail suspension and forced swimming tests(P＜0.01,P＜0.001),and enhanced exploratory behavior in the open field test(P＜0.05.P＜0.01,P＜0.001).PN significantly reduced the serum levels of inflammation markers(P＜0.05.P＜0.01,P＜0.001),as shown by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and neurotransmitter analysis revealed that PN significantly increased the levels of serotonin and acetylcholine in the mouse hippocampus(P＜0.05).RT-qPCR showed that PN demonstrated the mRNA expression of SLC6A4(P＜0.05.P＜0.01,P＜0.001).Conclusions PN may improve depressive-like behavior in mice by modulating serotonin and acetylcholine levels,inhibiting inflammatory responses,participating in immune regulation,and exerting neuroprotective effects.

Objective:To analyze the factors influencing the achievement of "textbook outcome" (TO) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and explore the relationship of postoperative prognoses with TO.Methods:The clinical and pathological data of 169 patients treated by PD between January 2021 and December 2023 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into the TO group ( n=91) and the non-TO group ( n=78) based on whether they met the TO criteria after sugery. According to the benignity or malignancy of the tumor, patients in the two groups above were futher divided into a non-malignant tumor subgroup (benign and junctional) and a malignant tumor subgroup, of which there were 10 cases of non-malignant tumor subgroup and 81 cases of malignant tumor subgroup in the TO group, and 9 cases of non-malignant tumor subgroup and 69 cases of malignant tumor subgroup in the non-TO group. Data collected included general patient information, laboratory indices on postoperative day 3, pathological findings, intraoperative blood loss, operative duration, and the like. Patients with malignant tumors were followed up until December 2024. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the optimal cut-off values for clinical data. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to identify independent risk factors affecting TO achievement. Survival curves for patients with malignant tumors in the TO and non-TO groups were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the Log-rank test. Results:Among the 169 patients, 91 patients (53.8%) achieved TO. There were 150 patients (88.76%) with malignant tumors, all of whom achieved R0 resection. Univariate analysis showed that a history of cardiovascular/cerebrovascular disease, main pancreatic duct diameter, white blood cell count on postoperative day 3, aspartate aminotransferase level, total bilirubin level, serum urea nitrogen level, pancreatic texture, and operative duration were factors influencing TO achievement (all P value <0.05). Multivariate analysis identified that a postoperative white blood cell count greater than 16.35×10 9/L ( OR=3.558, 95% CI 1.319-9.596), a postoperative serum urea nitrogen levels exceeding 5.42 mmol/L ( OR=2.154, 95% CI 1.070-4.334), soft pancreatic texture ( OR=2.321, 95% CI 1.035-5.203), and an operative duration exceeding 312.50 min ( OR=2.043, 95% CI 1.005-4.154) were independent risk factors that prevented the achievement of TO (all P value <0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that the 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates for patients with malignant tumors in the TO group were 67.90%, 47.73%, and 36.84%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the non-TO group (57.90%, 32.00%, and 31.58%, respectively; all P value <0.05). The median survival time was 28 months in the TO group and 16 months in the non-TO group, with a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Postoperative white blood cell count, serum urea nitrogen level, pancreatic texture, and operative duration are independent risk factors affecting the achievement of TO. For patients with malignant tumors, achieving TO is beneficial for prolonging survival time and improving survival rates.

Objective To investigate the oral health status of second-grade primary school students in Suzhou,provide baseline data for evaluating Suzhou's"Bright Eyes and Healthy Teeth"public health project,and offer reference for formulating oral health policies for students in Suzhou.Methods A multi-stage,stratified,random sampling method was used to select 1 640 second-grade primary school students from 10 districts(county-level cities)across Suzhou.The oral health survey of primary school students in Suzhou was designedbased on WHO"Basic Methods for Oral Health Surveys"(5th edition).A survey on the students' oral health status was con-ducted.Results The caries prevalence,mean DMFT(Decayed,Missing,Filled Teeth),and caries filling rate for primary teeth among second-grade students in Suzhou were 80.73％,4.25,and 24.48％,respectively.For permanent teeth,the caries prevalence,mean DMFT(Decayed,Missing,Filled Teeth),and caries filling rate were 30.30％,0.62,and 16.96％,respectively.Specifically,the caries prevalence,mean DMFT,and filling rate for the first permanent molar were 29.88％,0.59,and 16.94％,respectively.The pit and fissure sealing rate for the first permanent molar was 13.74％.Additionally,the detection rate for gingival bleeding was 58.05％,and for dental calculus,49.15％.Conclusion The oral health status of second-grade primary school students in Suzhou is concerning.The caries prevalence rate for both primary and permanent teeth is high,while the filling rate is relatively low.Prior to the implementation of oral health programs,the pit and fissure sealing rate for the first permanent molars was low,with significant differ-ences observed between urban and rural areas,as well as among different districts(or county-level cities).

Objective Network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques were used to predict the potential mechanisms by which the active components of Piper nigrum(PN)regulate depressive-like behaviors in chronic restraint stress(CRS)mice.Methods The major chemical components and targets of PN were screened using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database.Targets related to ferroptosis and depression were obtained from the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man,GeneCards,and FerrDB databases.The intersecting targets were then subjected to Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Gnomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analyses,and molecular docking was performed to validate the binding capacities between the core targets and their corresponding active components.Finally,we established a CRS mouse model.Mice were treated with PN 75,150,and 300 mg/kg for 4 weeks,followed by behavioral assessments and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)to verify the expression of core genes.Results Nine active components were screened from PN,corresponding to 27 targets,and 8377 targets related to depression and 547 targets associated with ferroptosis were screened from the databases.The intersection of these three sets resulted in 25 target genes.KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that these core targets were predominantly enriched in signaling pathways,including cholinergic synapses,serotonergic synapses,and neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions.Molecular docking result showed that the main active components of PN had strong binding affinities for the targets CHRM2,SLC6A4,PTGS2,and SLC6A2.Behavioral assessments demonstrated that PN significantly increased the sucrose preference index(P＜0.01,P＜0.001),reduced immobility time in the tail suspension and forced swimming tests(P＜0.01,P＜0.001),and enhanced exploratory behavior in the open field test(P＜0.05.P＜0.01,P＜0.001).PN significantly reduced the serum levels of inflammation markers(P＜0.05.P＜0.01,P＜0.001),as shown by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and neurotransmitter analysis revealed that PN significantly increased the levels of serotonin and acetylcholine in the mouse hippocampus(P＜0.05).RT-qPCR showed that PN demonstrated the mRNA expression of SLC6A4(P＜0.05.P＜0.01,P＜0.001).Conclusions PN may improve depressive-like behavior in mice by modulating serotonin and acetylcholine levels,inhibiting inflammatory responses,participating in immune regulation,and exerting neuroprotective effects.

Objective To establish a stable liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS)method for detecting gamma-aminobutyric acid(GABA)in plasma,and to evaluate the value of GABA detection in the diagnosis of sleep disorders.Methods GABA was detected using a UPLC Xevo TQs system.The method was pre-validated and its performance was verified to establish a reference range for healthy individuals.The difference in plasma GABA levels between apparently healthy individuals and patients with sleep disorders was compared.Results We employed deuterated compounds as isotopic internal standards and utilized an Amide chromatographic column for separation.The mobile phase was 0.050%formic acid in water and 90%acetonitrile in water containing 0.175%formic acid and 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate with gradient elution in the column temperature of 35℃.The linear range for the detection of GABA by LC-MS/MS was 0.05-10.00 μmol/L,with a lower limit of quantification of 0.02 μmol/L,the inter-day CV<3.00%and intra assay CV<4.00%,respectively,and the recovery rate was 101.06%-109.02%.The reference ranges for plasma GABA were established by analyzing 300 healthy controls stratified by age:18-34 years(0.08-0.15 μmol/L),35-49 years(0.10-0.20 μmol/L),and≥50 years(0.12-0.23 μmol/L).Then plasma GABA was used as a biomarker for auxiliary diagnosis of sleep disorders in analyzing 221 patients and 300 healthy controls,which revealed that AUC values were 0.510(P=0.850),0.686(P=0.002),and 0.890(P<0.001)in the groups of 18-34 years,35-49 years,and≥50 years,respectively,with optimal cut-off values of 0.09,0.10 and 0.11 μmol/L.Conclusion A reliable LC-MS/MS method for detecting GABA has been established,which can detect plasma GABA levels sensitively and accurately and can be used in assisting the clinical diagnosis of sleep disorders.

Objective To explore the association between nocturnal blood pressure decline rate and chronic heart failure(CHF).Methods In this study,a total of 711 individuals who underwent 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were divided into control group(n=433)and CHF group(n=278).The characteristics of the study population and nocturnal blood pressure decline rate were compared between CHF group and control group.Restricted spline analysis was utilized to examine the linear or non-linear association between nocturnal blood pressure decline rate and the prevalence of CHF.The relationship between nocturnal blood pressure decline rate and CHF was further investigated based on multivariable Logistic regression model.Results Nocturnal systolic blood pressure decline rate was significantly different in CHF group and control group[(3.3±7.1)mmHg vs.(5.0+6.7)mmHg,P=0.001].No significant difference in nocturnal diastolic blood pressure was found between the two groups[(5.7±7.6)mmHg vs.(6.8±7.2)mmHg,P=0.061].Restricted spline analysis showed a significant linear association between nocturnal systolic blood pressure decline rate and CHF risk.After adjusting for age,sex,smoking,body mass index,24-hour systolic blood pressure,24-hour diastolic blood pressure,type 2 diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia,multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that nocturnal systolic blood pressure decline rate was negatively associated with the prevalence of CHF(OR=0.97,95％CI:0.95-0.99;P=0.010).However,no significant association was found between nocturnal diastolic blood pressure decline rate and CHF risk.Conclusion Nocturnal systolic blood pressure decline rate is associated with the prevalence of CHF.Individuals with decreased nocturnal systolic blood pressure decline have a significantly increased risk of CHF.