OBJECTIVES: To explore the status and risk factors of neuropsychological development in small for gestational age (SGA) infants at corrected 12-24 months of age. METHODS: Clinical data were retrospectively collected for 754 SGA infants at corrected ages 12-24 months in Shenzhen Bao'an Women and Children's Hospital between April 2018 and December 2023. Developmental quotient (DQ) levels were analyzed. According to the presence of global developmental delay (GDD), participants were divided into a GDD group (71 cases) and a control group (683 cases), and the incidence and influencing factors of GDD were investigated. RESULTS: In the high-risk preterm SGA group, the total DQ and DQ in all domains were lower than in the full-term SGA group (P<0.017). The overall incidence of GDD was 9.4% (71/754) and increased with decreasing gestational age (P<0.017). Compared with the control group, the GDD group had higher proportions of males; low-risk and high-risk preterm birth; mothers with less than a bachelor's degree; multiple birth; neonatal hypoglycemia; neonatal pneumonia; neonatal respiratory distress syndrome; bronchopulmonary dysplasia; and, at corrected 12-24 months, low body weight, growth retardation, and microcephaly. The length of neonatal hospital stay was longer in the GDD group than in the control group (P<0.05). The weight-for-age Z score, length-for-age Z score, and head circumference-for-age Z score at birth and at corrected 12-24 months were lower in the GDD group than in the control group (P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression showed that male sex and maternal education below a bachelor's degree were independent risk factors for GDD in SGA infants (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Neuropsychological development in preterm SGA infants is comparatively delayed; male SGA infants born to mothers with less than a bachelor's degree should receive priority attention.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Infant, Small for Gestational Age/psychology* ; Risk Factors ; Infant ; Retrospective Studies ; Child Development ; Developmental Disabilities/epidemiology* ; Infant, Newborn ; Child, Preschool

Objective:To explore the short-term clinical effects of deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomosis in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).Methods:A prospective exploratory study was conducted on the treatment of AD patients using the cervical deep lymph node-venous anastomosis technique in Scar and Wound Treatment Department, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from September to October 2024. The patients underwent high-frequency ultrasound to locate deep cervical lymph nodes and the external jugular vein. Under general anesthesia, bilateral deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomoses were performed. Indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography was conducted via subcutaneous injection behind the ear to visualize lymph nodes in levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ. After making a skin incision along the posterior margin of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the external jugular vein, internal jugular veins, and associated lymph nodes were exposed. Adjacent veins were selected for anastomosis of lymph node. Using microsurgical techniques, end-to-side or end-to-end anastomosis was completed for lymph nodes in levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ. Preoperative assessments included the mini-mental state examination (MMSE, a higher score indicates better cognitive function), Alzheimer’s disease assessment scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog, a higher score indicates greater impairment of cognitive function), Alzheimer’s disease cooperative study scale for activities of daily living (ADCS-ADL, a higher score indicates better ability to perform daily activity), and neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI, a higher score indicates more severe behavioral and emotional symptom). Postoperative follow-up included the same scales to observe changes in cognitive function, activities of daily living, and emotional communication.Results:Four patients (1 male, 3 females, aged 58-79 years) with AD were included. All were diagnosed based on cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. All patients successfully underwent bilateral deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomoses. On average, 4.3 (2-7 per person) anastomoses were performed per patient. Surgical procedures lasted an average of 6.5 h (5.5-8.5 h) with minimal blood loss (less than 50 ml). Patients resumed normal activity within 6 hours postoperatively and were discharged after an average of 4.1 d (3.5-5.0 d). Postoperative complications included one case each of aspiration pneumonia, lower limb venous thrombosis, and transient delirium, all of whom resolved without long-term effects. Clinical symptoms, including memory decline, mood swings, and anxiety, showed varying degrees of improvement. Patients reported enhanced quality of life, emotional stability, and social engagement, confirming the procedure’s safety and potential cognitive benefits. At one month postoperatively, the MMSE scores of the four patients increased by an average of 0.8 points compared to preoperative levels. Additionally, the two patients who completed the ADAS-Cog assessments showed a decrease in their scores (reduced by 1.0 points and 11.3 points, respectively, compared to preoperative scores), indicating a certain degree of improvement in cognitive function during this period. The ADCS-ADL and NPI scores of four patients varied significantly, without showing any clear pattern.Conclusion:Lymphovenous anastomosis of the deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomosis may provide a new surgical intervention approach for AD, but further large-scale studies and long-term follow-up are needed to validate its safety and effectiveness.

Objective:To explore the short-term clinical effects of deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomosis in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).Methods:A prospective exploratory study was conducted on the treatment of AD patients using the cervical deep lymph node-venous anastomosis technique in Scar and Wound Treatment Department, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from September to October 2024. The patients underwent high-frequency ultrasound to locate deep cervical lymph nodes and the external jugular vein. Under general anesthesia, bilateral deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomoses were performed. Indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography was conducted via subcutaneous injection behind the ear to visualize lymph nodes in levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ. After making a skin incision along the posterior margin of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the external jugular vein, internal jugular veins, and associated lymph nodes were exposed. Adjacent veins were selected for anastomosis of lymph node. Using microsurgical techniques, end-to-side or end-to-end anastomosis was completed for lymph nodes in levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ. Preoperative assessments included the mini-mental state examination (MMSE, a higher score indicates better cognitive function), Alzheimer’s disease assessment scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog, a higher score indicates greater impairment of cognitive function), Alzheimer’s disease cooperative study scale for activities of daily living (ADCS-ADL, a higher score indicates better ability to perform daily activity), and neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI, a higher score indicates more severe behavioral and emotional symptom). Postoperative follow-up included the same scales to observe changes in cognitive function, activities of daily living, and emotional communication.Results:Four patients (1 male, 3 females, aged 58-79 years) with AD were included. All were diagnosed based on cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. All patients successfully underwent bilateral deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomoses. On average, 4.3 (2-7 per person) anastomoses were performed per patient. Surgical procedures lasted an average of 6.5 h (5.5-8.5 h) with minimal blood loss (less than 50 ml). Patients resumed normal activity within 6 hours postoperatively and were discharged after an average of 4.1 d (3.5-5.0 d). Postoperative complications included one case each of aspiration pneumonia, lower limb venous thrombosis, and transient delirium, all of whom resolved without long-term effects. Clinical symptoms, including memory decline, mood swings, and anxiety, showed varying degrees of improvement. Patients reported enhanced quality of life, emotional stability, and social engagement, confirming the procedure’s safety and potential cognitive benefits. At one month postoperatively, the MMSE scores of the four patients increased by an average of 0.8 points compared to preoperative levels. Additionally, the two patients who completed the ADAS-Cog assessments showed a decrease in their scores (reduced by 1.0 points and 11.3 points, respectively, compared to preoperative scores), indicating a certain degree of improvement in cognitive function during this period. The ADCS-ADL and NPI scores of four patients varied significantly, without showing any clear pattern.Conclusion:Lymphovenous anastomosis of the deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomosis may provide a new surgical intervention approach for AD, but further large-scale studies and long-term follow-up are needed to validate its safety and effectiveness.

Objective:To establishing a clinical prediction model can assist clinicians in identifying at-risk patients early and intervening promptly to decrease AUR incidence.Methods:A retrospective collection of 313 elderly patients with hip fracture treated between 1st July and 31st August 2023 at the Emergency Department of our hospital. Patients were categorised into two groups: The AUR group (45 patients) and the non-AUR group (268 patients) based on the presence or absence of AUR. Basic characteristics, laboratory indicators and bladder volume were compared between the two groups. Factors independently associated with the incidence of AUR were analysed using Logistic regression. Analysis of the independent risk factors impacting the occurrence of AUR, development of a clinical prediction model for the risk of AUR in elderly patients with hip fractures, and internal validation of the model.Results:Comorbid psycho-behavioural symptoms of dementia ( OR=3.334, 95% CI 1.258-8.839, P=0.015), use of hypnotic sedatives ( OR=6.758, 95% CI 2.184-20.912, P=0. 001), increased heart rate ( OR=1.041, 95% CI 1.013-1.070, P=0.004), and increased bladder volume ( OR=1.005, 95% CI 1.004-1.007, P<0.01) were all identified as risk factors. The study identified independent risk factors for AUR in elderly patients who suffered a hip fracture. Based on these factors, the research team developed a prediction model which underwent internal validation using the Bootstrap method. The analysis indicated that the model’s prediction curves aligned closely with the standard model curves. The average absolute error was 0.021. The study's ROC results showed an AUC of 0.083 and a 95% CI of 0.767-0.909. Conclusions:Comorbid psycho-behavioural symptoms of dementia, the use of hypnotic sedative drugs, an increased heart rate, and an increased bladder volume are independent risk factors for the occurrence of AUR in elderly patients who have suffered a hip fracture. The creation of a chart prediction model using columns allows for a visual evaluation of the likelihood of AUR in elderly patients with hip fractures. This model provides important reference material for emergency physicians.

BACKGROUND: Reports on the prevalence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) among Chinese patients with psoriasis are very limited. This study, conducted by rheumatologists, estimated the prevalence of PsA in a large number of Chinese patients with psoriasis. METHODS: Consecutive patients with a confirmed diagnosis of psoriasis attending nine dermatology clinics in five hospitals were recruited. All psoriasis patients were asked to complete a questionnaire comprising 16 questions to identify possible cases of PsA. All patients with one or more positive answers to the questionnaire were evaluated by two experienced rheumatologists. RESULTS: A total of 2434 psoriasis patients, including 1561 males and 873 females, were enrolled. Both the questionnaire and rheumatologists' examinations were completed in the dermatology clinics. The results identified 252 patients with PsA, comprising 168 males and 84 females. The overall prevalence of PsA among psoriasis patients was 10.4% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 9.1%-11.7%). By sex, the prevalence was 10.8% (95% CI, 9.2%-12.5%) for males and 9.6% (95% CI, 7.7%-11.9%) for females and there was no significant sex difference in the prevalence of PsA (P = 0.38). Of the 252 PsA patients, 125 (49.6%, 95% CI, 41.3%-59.1%) were newly diagnosed by rheumatologists. Consequently, the prevalence of undiagnosed PsA among psoriasis patients was 5.2% (95% CI, 4.4%-6.2%). CONCLUSION The prevalence of PsA in the Chinese population with psoriasis is about 10.4%, which is almost double that of previous reports in the Chinese population, but lower than that in Caucasians.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Arthritis, Psoriatic/epidemiology* ; Rheumatologists ; Prevalence ; East Asian People ; Psoriasis/epidemiology*

Mitosis is important for cell proliferation in eukaryotes, and chromosome replication and accurate separation are essential for cell division. Supervillin is a membrane and microfilament actin binding protein. Previous studies have found that it regulates the dynamic changes of the cortical distribution of F-actin and myosin II in cytokinesis, thus ensuring the correct distribution of the contraction ring and participating in the final completion of cytoplasm divisions. But it is not clear whether it functions during metaphase. Supervillin has several splicing isomers, among which supervillin isoform 4 (SV4) is the largest splicing isomer. In this study, the expression of SV4 in cells was reduced by the RNA interference method, and the dynamic process of mitosis and the morphology of astral spindles were detected and observed by real-time microscopy and immunofluorescence staining, and the potential molecular mechanism of SV4 in mitosis was analyzed. The results showed abnormal cell divisions after SV4 reduction: delayed transition from metaphase to anaphase (P<0.001), abnormal assembly of microtubules, a twofold-increase of the number of cells with multipolar spindles, and decreased γ-tubulin signaling in the centrosome (P<0.001). Through GST pull-down and mass spectrometry experiments, we found that SV4 and Aurora A bind to each other, and SV4 regulates the localization and activation of Aurora A in the centrosome during mitosis. In summary, supervillin plays an important role in mitosis. The isomer SV4 regulates spindle integrity and γ-tubulin recruitment by interacting with Aurora A and recruiting it for proper localization and activation in the centrosome during the metaphase, thus promoting the correct assembly of bipolar spindles and ensuring the accurate separation of chromosomes and the smooth progress of mitosis.

Adult ; Age Factors ; China ; Famine ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Sex Factors

Pulmonary fibrosis(PF)is an irreversible lung disease that is characterized by excessive scar tissue with a poor median survival rate of 2-3 years.The inhibition of transforming growth factor-β receptor type-Ⅰ(TGF-β RI)by an appropriate drug may provide a promising strategy for the treatment of this disease.Polygonum cuspidatum(PC)is a well-known traditional Chinese herbal medicine which has an anti-PF effect.Accordingly,a combination of high resolution mass spectrometry with an in silico strategy was developed as a new method to search for potential chemical ingredients of PC that target the TGF-β RI.Based on this strategy,a total of 24 ingredients were identified.Then,absorption,distribution,meta-bolism,and excretion(ADME)-related properties were subsequently predicted to exclude compounds with potentially undesirable pharmacokinetics behaviour.Molecular docking studies on TGF-β RI were adopted to discover new PF inhibitors.Eventually,a compound that exists in PC known as resveratrol was proven to have excellent biological activity on TGF-β RI,with an ICso of 2.211 μM in vitro.Furthermore,the complex formed through molecular docking was tested via molecular dynamics simulations,which revealed that resveratrol had strong interactions with residues of TGF-β RI.This study revealed that resveratrol has significant potential as a treatment for PF due to its ability to target TGF-β RI.In addition,this research demonstrated the exploration of natural products with excellent biological activities toward specific targets via high resolution mass spectrometry in combination with in silico technology is a promising strategy for the discovery of novel drugs.

BACKGROUND: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) actin filament-associated protein 1 antisense RNA 1 (AFAP1-AS1) functions as a competing endogenous RNA to regulate target genes expression by sponging microRNAs (miRs) to play cancer-promoting roles in cancer stem cells. However, the regulatory mechanism of AFAP1-AS1 in cervical cancer (CC) stem cells is unknown. The present study aimed to provide a new therapeutic target for the clinical treatment of CC. METHODS: Hyaluronic acid receptor cluster of differentiation 44 variant exon 6 (CD44v6)(+) CC cells were isolated by flow cytometry (FCM). Small interfering RNAs of AFAP1-AS1 (siAFAP1-AS1) were transfected into the (CD44v6)(+) cells. The levels of AFAP1-AS1 were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Sphere formation assay, cell cycle analysis, and Western blotting were used to detect the effect of siAFAP1-AS1. RNA pull-down and luciferase reporter assay were used to verify the relationship between miR-27b-3p and AFAP1-AS1 or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C. RESULTS: CD44v6(+) CC cells had remarkable stemness and a high level of AFAP1-AS1. However, AFAP1-AS1 knockdown with siAFAP1-AS1 suppressed the cell cycle transition of G(1)/S phase and inhibited self-renewal of CD44v6(+) CC cells, the levels of the stemness markers octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4), osteopontin (OPN), and cluster of differentiation 133 (CD133), and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins Twist1, matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-9, and VEGF-C. In the mechanism study, miR-27b-3p/VEGF-C signaling was demonstrated to be a key downstream of AFAP1-AS1 in the CD44v6(+) CC cells. CONCLUSIONS LncRNA AFAP1-AS1 knockdown inhibits the CC cell stemness by upregulating miR-27b-3p to suppress VEGF-C.
Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation/genetics* ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/genetics* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/genetics* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C

Radix Astragali (RA), a traditional Chinese medicine from the dried root of Astragalus species, is widely distributed throughout the temperate regions of the world. The major bioactive constituents of RA are triterpene glycosides, flavonoids, saponins, and alkaloids, and these compounds mostly exert pharmacological activities on the cardiovascular, immune, respiratory, and hepatic systems. This review summarizes the recent studies on RA and provides a comprehensive summary regarding the status of resources, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, clinical application, and patent release of RA. We hope this review can provide a guidance for further development of therapeutic agents from RA.