1.Research progress of urea-containing PET tracers targeting prostate specific membrane antigen
Hong ZHU ; Hui WANG ; Hongwei SI ; Dan ZHANG ; Dengyun CHEN ; Pengfei DAI
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(2):369-375
Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors of male genitourinary system. Prostate cancer has the following characteristics: insidious onset, early asymptomatic or not obvious symptoms, complex etiology and pathogenesis, long incubation period and so on. Therefore, the realization of its early diagnosis and treatment is of great significance to the prognosis of patients. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a type 2 transmembrane glycoprotein that is highly expressed on the membrane of almost all primary and metastatic prostate cancer cells, and is an ideal target for prostate cancer imaging and treatment. In recent years, with the approval of urea-containing small molecule PET (positron emission computed tomography) radiopharmaceutical based on PSMA (68Ga-PSMA-11, 18F-PSMA-1007), PET-CT (positron emission computed tomography/computed tomography) has shown new potential for early diagnosis and accurate staging of prostate cancer patients. This review mainly summarizes the research progress of urea-containing PSMA PET imaging agents and finds that they have defects such as uptake in non-target tissues like the kidneys, lacrimal glands, and salivary glands. Thus, further optimizing their structure to reduce the uptake in non-target tissues, providing provide convenience for the labeling of therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, thereby achieving the goal of integrated diagnosis and treatment, is an important development direction in this field.
2.The Prospect of Trimethylamine N-oxide Combined With Short-chain Fatty Acids in Atherosclerosis Risk Prediction
Zhi-Chao SHI ; Xu-Ping TIAN ; Si-Yi CHEN ; Shi-Guo LIU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):404-417
Atherosclerosis (AS), the primary pathological contributor to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), has increasingly affected younger populations due to modern dietary habits and sedentary lifestyles. Current diagnostic modalities, including ultrasound, MRI, and CT, primarily identify advanced lesions and inadequately evaluate plaque vulnerability, thereby hindering early detection. Conventional treatments, which involve long-term medications associated with side effects such as hepatic injury and surgical interventions that carry risks of restenosis and hemorrhage, underscore the urgent need for non-invasive, cost-effective early diagnostic methods and targeted therapies. Gut microbiota metabolites are pivotal in AS pathogenesis, with trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) serving as functionally opposing biomarkers. TMAO is produced when gut bacteria, specifically Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, metabolize dietary choline and carnitine into trimethylamine (TMA), which the liver subsequently converts to TMAO via flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3); TMAO is then excreted in urine. Variability in TMAO levels is influenced by marine food consumption and FMO3 modulation, which can be affected by genetics, age, and diet. Mechanistically, TMAO exacerbates AS by disrupting cholesterol metabolism, inducing endothelial dysfunction through the elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, and reducing nitric oxide levels. Additionally, TMAO activates NF-κB and NLRP3 pathways while enhancing platelet reactivity. Clinically, elevated TMAO levels correlate with early AS and serve as predictors of mortality in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS), as well as major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in stroke patients. Conversely, SCFAs—namely acetate, propionate, and butyrate—are produced by gut bacteria such as Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii through the fermentation of dietary fiber. These metabolites exert anti-AS effects: acetate aids in maintaining metabolic homeostasis; propionate protects endothelial function and reduces plaque area; and butyrate fortifies intestinal barriers while suppressing inflammation. Furthermore, SCFAs cross-regulate bile acid metabolism, thereby influencing TMAO levels, and antagonize the pro-inflammatory and lipid-disrupting effects of TMAO. The use of TMAO and SCFAs as standalone biomarkers is constrained by limitations. TMAO lacks specificity, while SCFA levels fluctuate based on gut microbiota and dietary intake. Traditional AS risk assessment tools, which include clinical indicators, imaging techniques, and single biomarkers such as CRP, LDL-C, and ASCVD scores, overlook gut metabolism and demonstrate inadequate performance in younger populations. This review advocates for an “antagonistic-complementary” combined strategy: utilizing acetate and TMAO for early AS, propionate and TMAO for progressive AS, and butyrate and TMAO for advanced AS, addressing endothelial dysfunction, lipid deposition, and plaque stability/thrombosis risk, respectively. For clinical application, standardization of detection methods is crucial; liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is the gold standard, necessitating a unified sample pretreatment protocol, such as extraction with 1% formic acid in methanol. Additionally, dried blood spots (DBS) facilitate non-invasive testing, provided that dietary controls are implemented prior to detection, including a 12-hour fast and avoidance of high-choline and high-fiber foods. Existing challenges encompass the absence of standardized systems, limited large-scale validation, and ambiguous interactions with conditions such as hypertension. The authors’ team has previously established connections between gut metabolites and AS, including the reduction of TMAO as a preventive measure for AS, thereby reinforcing this proposed strategy. Future research should prioritize standardization, the development of machine learning-optimized models, validation of interventions, and the exploration of multi-omics-based “gut microbiota-metabolite-vascular” networks. In conclusion, the combined detection of TMAO and SCFAs offers a novel framework for AS risk assessment, facilitating early diagnosis and targeted interventions while enhancing the integration of gut metabolism into cardiovascular disease management.
3.The Prospect of Trimethylamine N-oxide Combined With Short-chain Fatty Acids in Atherosclerosis Risk Prediction
Zhi-Chao SHI ; Xu-Ping TIAN ; Si-Yi CHEN ; Shi-Guo LIU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):404-417
Atherosclerosis (AS), the primary pathological contributor to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), has increasingly affected younger populations due to modern dietary habits and sedentary lifestyles. Current diagnostic modalities, including ultrasound, MRI, and CT, primarily identify advanced lesions and inadequately evaluate plaque vulnerability, thereby hindering early detection. Conventional treatments, which involve long-term medications associated with side effects such as hepatic injury and surgical interventions that carry risks of restenosis and hemorrhage, underscore the urgent need for non-invasive, cost-effective early diagnostic methods and targeted therapies. Gut microbiota metabolites are pivotal in AS pathogenesis, with trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) serving as functionally opposing biomarkers. TMAO is produced when gut bacteria, specifically Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, metabolize dietary choline and carnitine into trimethylamine (TMA), which the liver subsequently converts to TMAO via flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3); TMAO is then excreted in urine. Variability in TMAO levels is influenced by marine food consumption and FMO3 modulation, which can be affected by genetics, age, and diet. Mechanistically, TMAO exacerbates AS by disrupting cholesterol metabolism, inducing endothelial dysfunction through the elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, and reducing nitric oxide levels. Additionally, TMAO activates NF-κB and NLRP3 pathways while enhancing platelet reactivity. Clinically, elevated TMAO levels correlate with early AS and serve as predictors of mortality in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS), as well as major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in stroke patients. Conversely, SCFAs—namely acetate, propionate, and butyrate—are produced by gut bacteria such as Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii through the fermentation of dietary fiber. These metabolites exert anti-AS effects: acetate aids in maintaining metabolic homeostasis; propionate protects endothelial function and reduces plaque area; and butyrate fortifies intestinal barriers while suppressing inflammation. Furthermore, SCFAs cross-regulate bile acid metabolism, thereby influencing TMAO levels, and antagonize the pro-inflammatory and lipid-disrupting effects of TMAO. The use of TMAO and SCFAs as standalone biomarkers is constrained by limitations. TMAO lacks specificity, while SCFA levels fluctuate based on gut microbiota and dietary intake. Traditional AS risk assessment tools, which include clinical indicators, imaging techniques, and single biomarkers such as CRP, LDL-C, and ASCVD scores, overlook gut metabolism and demonstrate inadequate performance in younger populations. This review advocates for an “antagonistic-complementary” combined strategy: utilizing acetate and TMAO for early AS, propionate and TMAO for progressive AS, and butyrate and TMAO for advanced AS, addressing endothelial dysfunction, lipid deposition, and plaque stability/thrombosis risk, respectively. For clinical application, standardization of detection methods is crucial; liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is the gold standard, necessitating a unified sample pretreatment protocol, such as extraction with 1% formic acid in methanol. Additionally, dried blood spots (DBS) facilitate non-invasive testing, provided that dietary controls are implemented prior to detection, including a 12-hour fast and avoidance of high-choline and high-fiber foods. Existing challenges encompass the absence of standardized systems, limited large-scale validation, and ambiguous interactions with conditions such as hypertension. The authors’ team has previously established connections between gut metabolites and AS, including the reduction of TMAO as a preventive measure for AS, thereby reinforcing this proposed strategy. Future research should prioritize standardization, the development of machine learning-optimized models, validation of interventions, and the exploration of multi-omics-based “gut microbiota-metabolite-vascular” networks. In conclusion, the combined detection of TMAO and SCFAs offers a novel framework for AS risk assessment, facilitating early diagnosis and targeted interventions while enhancing the integration of gut metabolism into cardiovascular disease management.
4.From blood transfusion to blood use
Zonglong LI ; Chen HOU ; Yu SI ; Delong QIN ; Xiaoliang ZHOU ; Zhaohui TANG
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2026;39(1):8-15
The promulgation of the Technical Specifications for Clinical Use of Blood (2025 Edition) signifies that China's clinical blood transfusion management has transitioned from mere technical operations to a new stage centered on patient blood management (PBM). Through an in-depth comparison of the new and old specifications, this paper analyzes the core transformations regarding conceptual reconstruction, legal alignment, technological upgrades, and closed-loop management. The new specifications establish PBM principles, reinforce legal safeguards for informed consent and emergency treatment, and construct a comprehensive, refined quality control system by specifying compatibility testing standards and introducing a post-transfusion evaluation system. Medical institutions should seize this opportunity to update management protocols and information systems, deepen multidisciplinary collaboration, and drive the profound transformation of clinical blood use from focusing solely on safety assurance to placing equal emphasis on science and value.
5.Study on non-invasive diagnosis of rejection after kidney transplantation using hyperspectral imaging technology
Zhe YANG ; Qilong DUAN ; Yi CHEN ; Tao LIAO ; Xiaoqing SI ; Jianning WANG
Organ Transplantation 2026;17(1):116-123
Objective To explore a method for rapid and differential diagnosis of rejection after kidney transplantation through urine hyperspectral imaging technology. Methods Hyperspectral data information from urine samples of 118 recipients after kidney transplantation was collected, and a deep learning model was constructed to diagnose and classify the types of rejection. Results A deep learning diagnostic model based on the 34-layer residual network (ResNet-34) was constructed, and 118 patients were included and divided into the training set and the test set. Based on the pathological results of the transplanted kidney puncture, the urine samples of the patients were classified into five groups: the non-rejection group, the T-cell-mediated rejection group, the antibody-mediated rejection group, the mixed rejection group and the nephropathy recurrence group. The results showed that the diagnostic sensitivities of the model for the above five groups were 0.960, 0.980, 0.930, 0.940 and 0.943 respectively, and the diagnostic specificities were 0.983, 0.993, 0.997, 0.989 and 0.989 respectively. The overall diagnostic accuracy rate reached 95.7%. Conclusions The study provides a non-invasive, rapid and accurate auxiliary diagnostic method for the differential diagnosis of rejection after kidney transplantation.
6.Construction of a medication strategy integrating staged modifications of Bushen huoxue decoction with HRT for premature ovarian insufficiency based on the “state-target differentiation and treatment”theory
Lingli WANG ; Qiuwei CHEN ; Xi XIAO ; Tong CHU ; Yue CHEN ; Si CHEN
China Pharmacy 2026;37(10):1329-1334
OBJECTIVE To explore a synergistic medication strategy integrating stage-specific modifications of Bushen huoxue decoction with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). METHODS The connotation of Academician Tong Xiaolin’s “state-target differentiation and treatment” theory and the disease stage characteristics of POI were summarized. The latent stage, subclinical stage, clinical stage and exhaustion stage of POI were classified into corresponding core pathogenesis “states” and key objective indicator “targets”. Taking Bushen huoxue decoction as the basic prescription, its staged modification scheme and its sequential combination with HRT were analyzed. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS The four stages of POI correspond to four pathogenic states respectively: kidney yin deficiency, kidney deficiency and blood stasis, heart-kidney disharmony, and deficiency of both yin and yang. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), antral follicle count (AFC) and Kupperman score were taken as the evaluation targets of staging. Combined with the “state-target” characteristics of each stage, a medication principle based on Bushen huoxue decoction with syndrome differentiation modification and stage-adjusted administration was established: traditional Chinese medicine dominates in the latent stage, a sequential collaborative regimen is adopted in the subclinical stage, HRT is dominant supplemented by traditional Chinese medicine in the clinical stage, and integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine is applied to consolidate the root cause in the exhaustion stage.
7.International experience and implications of competence evaluation for clinical teaching managers
Kaiyan CHEN ; Xueyan JIA ; Gechong RUAN ; Hang LI ; Li HUANG ; Yizhen WEI ; Shaoting SI ; Linzhi LUO
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research 2025;24(4):479-484
Clinical teaching managers are the designers, implementers, and supervisors of clinical medical education. Their competence level directly affects the quality of hospital teaching management and clinical medical education. The competence evaluation systems for medical education managers in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom are well-established, which provides a reference for the competence evaluation of clinical teaching managers in China. This research systematically reviews the construction process and current situation of the competence evaluation systems for medical education managers in the world, and summarizes the basis, methods, and dimensions of competence evaluation. According to the actual situation of clinical teaching management, suggestions were put forward, including developing systematic scientific evaluation tools, carrying out competence-oriented training and assessment, focusing on student-centered education, and creating a career path of sustainable development.
8.Application value of risk prediction model for acute kidney injury after donation of cardiac death liver transplantation based on machine learning algorithm
Guanrong CHEN ; Jinyan CHEN ; Xin HU ; Ronggao CHEN ; Yingchen HUANG ; Yao JIANG ; Zhongzhou SI ; Jiayin YANG ; Jinzhen CAI ; Li ZHUANG ; Zhicheng ZHOU ; Shusen ZHENG ; Xiao XU
Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery 2025;24(2):236-248
Objective:To investigate the application value of risk prediction model for acute kidney injury (AKI) after donation of cardiac death (DCD) liver transplantation based on machine learning algorithm.Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 1 001 pairs of DCD liver transplant donors and recipients at five hospitals, including The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine et al, in the Chinese Liver Transplan-tation Registry from January 2015 to December 2023 were collected. Of the donors, there were 825 males and 176 females. Of the recipients, there were 806 males and 195 females, aged 52 (range, 18-75)years. There were 281 recipients included using oversampling technique, and all 1 282 recipients were divided to the training set of 897 recipients and the validation set of 385 recipients by a ratio of 7∶3 using computer-generated random numbers. Seven prediction models, including Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Logistic Regression (LR), Decision Tree (DT), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), and Categorical Boosting (CatBoost), were constructed for AKI after liver transplantation based on machine learning algorithm. Observation indicators: (1) comparison of clinicopathological characteristics between recipients with and without AKI and donors; (2) follow-up and survival of recipients with and without AKI; (3) construction and validation of nomogram prediction model of AKI after liver transplantation; (4) construction and validation of machine learning prediction model of AKI after liver transplantation. Comparison of measurement data with normal distribution between groups was conducted using the independent sample t test. Comparison of measurement data with skewed distribution between groups was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test, and comparison among groups was conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis H test. Comparison of count data between groups was conducted using the chi-square test or corrected chi-square test. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rates and plot survival curves. Logistic regression model was performed for univariate and multivariate analyses. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to calculate area under curve (AUC) and 95% confidence interval ( CI). The performance of prediction model was evaluated using DeLong test, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity. The calibration curve was plotted to evaluate the performance of predicted probability and actual probability. The interpretability analysis of machine learning algorithm and SHapley Additive exPlanations was used to explain the model decision separately. Results:(1) Comparison of clinicopathological characteristics between recipients with and without AKI and donors. Of 1 001 recipients, there were 360 cases with AKI and 641 cases without AKI after liver transplantation. There were significant differences in body mass index (BMI), hepatic encepha-lopathy, hepatitis B surfact antigen (HBsAg), hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) and donor diabetes, donor blood urea nitrogen, donor alanine aminotransferase, donor aspartate aminotransferase, mass of graft, volume of blood loss during liver transplantation, warm ischema time of donor liver, and operation time between recipients with and without AKI ( Z=-4.337, χ2=9.751, 9.088, H=11.142, χ2=5.286, Z=-3.360, -2.539, -3.084, -1.730, -3.497, -1.996, -2.644, P<0.05). (2) Follow-up and survival of recipients with and without AKI. All the 1 001 recipients received follow-up. The recipients with AKI after liver transplantation were followed up for 18.6(range, 0-102.3)months, and recipients without AKI after liver transplantation were followed up for 31.9(range, 0.1-105.5)months. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 72.1%, 63.5%, and 59.3% of recipients with AKI, versus 86.7%, 76.7%, and 72.5% of recipients without AKI, respectively, showing a significant difference in overall survival between them ( χ2=26.028, P<0.05). (3) Construction and validation of nomogram predic-tion model of AKI after liver transplantation. Results of multivariate analysis showed that recipient BMI, recipient creatinine, recipient HBsAg, recipient HRS, donor blood urea nitrogen, donor crea-tinine, anhepatic phase and volume of blood loss during liver transplantation were independent risk factors for AKI of recipients after liver transplantation ( odds ratio=1.113, 0.998, 0.605, 1.580, 1.047, 0.998, 1.006, 1.157, 95% CI as 1.070-1.157, 0.996-1.000, 0.450-0.812, 1.021-2.070, 1.021-1.074, 0.996-0.999, 1.000-1.012, 1.045-1.281, P<0.05). The nomogram prediction model of AKI after liver transplantation was constructed based on the results of multivariate analysis. Results of ROC curve showed that the AUC of 0.666 (95% CI as 0.637-0.696). (4) Construction and validation of machine learning prediction model of AKI after liver transplantation. Based on the Lasso regression analysis, seven machine learning algorithm prediction models, including RF, XGBoost, SVM, LR, DT, KNN, and CatBoost, were constructed, with ROC curves of the validation set plotted. The AUC of above models were 0.863, 0.841, 0.721, 0.637, 0.620, 0.708, 0.731, accuracies were 0.764, 0.782, 0.701, 0.592, 0.605, 0.605, 0.681, sensitivities were 0.764, 0.789, 0.719, 0.588, 0.694, 0.694, 0.704, specificities were 0.763, 0.774, 0.683, 0.597, 0.511, 0.511, 0.656, respectively. Delong test showed that the RF model with the highest AUC of 0.863(95% CI as 0.828-0.899). Calibration curve analysis showed the predicted probability closest to the actual probability of RF model, indicating the model with a good validation value. Further sorting of SHAP of different clinical factors based on RF model showed that recipient BMI, donor blood urea nitrogen, volume of blood loss during liver transplantation, donor age had large effects on the output outcomes. Conclusion:The nomogram prediction model and seven machine learning algorithm prediction models for AKI after DCD liver transplantation are constructed, and the RF model based on machine learning has a better predictive performance.
9.Articular cartilage injury repaired with microRNA-140 exosomes/sodium alginate/collagen hydrogel
Mingwei CHEN ; Wenli YU ; Suhang XIA ; Bin CHEN ; Wenzhong CHEN ; Fengzhen LI ; Yu ZHOU ; Wenteng SI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(16):3326-3334
BACKGROUND:Studies have confirmed that up-regulation of microRNA-140 expression can partially inhibit osteoarthritis-like changes in knee cartilage tissues and cells and delay the progression of osteoarthritis,suggesting that microRNA-140 is involved in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis.OBJECTIVE:To further analyze the mechanism of microRNA-140 involvement in osteoarthritis by loading exosomes overexpressing microRNA-140 with sodium alginate/collagen hydrogel.METHODS:Lentivirus was used to infect rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to overexpress microRNA-140,then exosomes were isolated and exosomes overexpressing microRNA-140 were obtained.Sodium alginate/collagen hydrogels loaded with exosomes were prepared.Thirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into four groups,with 8 rats in each group.Normal control group did not receive any treatment.The osteoarthritis model was established by injecting sodium iodoacetate into the knee cavity in the osteoarthritis group,the non-transfected exosome group and the transfected exosome group.Two weeks later,PBS was injected into the knee cavity in the osteoarthritis group.Sodium alginate/collagen hydrogel carrying non-overexpressing microRNA-140 and overexpressing microRNA-140 exosomes were injected into the knee cavity of the non-transfected exosome group and transfected exosome group.At 6 weeks after modeling,the threshold of mechanical foot withdrawal response,the concentration of inflammatory factors in synovial fluid,the expression of chondrogen-related genes,the histological changes of knee cartilage and the expression of pyroptosis related proteins were detected in rats.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with normal control group,the threshold value of mechanical stimulation foot contraction response,type Ⅱ collagen,SOX9 mRNA expression levels,and Type Ⅱ collagen immunofluorescence intensity were decreased in the osteoarthritis group(P<0.05),and proinflammatory cytokine levels were increased in synovial fluid(P<0.05).The mRNA expressions of matrix metalloproteinase 13 and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs-5(ADAMTS-5)were increased(P<0.05),and the protein expression levels of NLRP3,ASC,GSDMD p30,caspase-1 p20,interleukin-1β,and interleukin-18 were increased(P<0.05).Immunofluorescence intensity of GSDMD and cleaved caspase-1 was increased(P<0.05),and cartilage tissue was severely damaged.(2)Compared with osteoarthritis group,the threshold value of mechanical stimulation foot contraction response,type Ⅱ collagen,SOX9 mRNA expression levels,and type Ⅱ collagen immunofluorescence intensity in the non-transfected and transfected exosome groups were increased(P<0.05);proinflammatory cytokine levels were decreased in synovial fluid(P<0.05).The mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 was decreased(P<0.05),and the protein expression levels of NLRP3,ASC,GSDMD p30,caspase-1 p20,interleukin-1β,and interleukin-18 were decreased(P<0.05).The immunofluorescence intensity of GSDMD and cleaved caspase-1 decreased(P<0.05),and the cartilage tissue damage was reduced(P<0.05),and the effect was stronger in the transfected exosome group.(3)These results conclude that microRNA-140 can reduce the pain response of rats with osteoarthritis by inhibiting inflammation,maintaining cartilage homeostasis,and inhibiting cartilaginous pyroptosis,thereby reducing cartilage damage and playing a therapeutic role in osteoarthritis.
10.Preliminary efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant therapy for advanced temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma
Yu SI ; Yan HUANG ; Dian LIU ; Maojin LIANG ; Wenting DENG ; Yuexin CAI ; Yuebo CHEN ; Yanfang YE ; Li LING ; Zhigang ZHANG ; Suijun CHEN
Chinese Journal of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;60(11):1399-1406
Objective:To evaluate the safety of neoadjuvant therapy with pembrolizumab combined with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin in patients with advanced temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma (TBSCC), and its impact on tumor response rate and disease-free survival (DFS).Methods:This prospective, single-arm, open-label clinical study enrolled patients with advanced (Stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ) TBSCC from Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital. Patients received 2-3 cycles of neoadjuvant therapy with pembrolizumab, 5-FU, and cisplatin, followed by definitive surgery. Postoperatively, patients received 6 cycles of pembrolizumab combined with radiotherapy. The primary endpoint was the 2-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate. Secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR) and safety indicators. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Adverse events (AE) were assessed using the National Cancer Institute′s Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), version 5.0. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS software, version 22.0.Results:From August 2021 to April 2024, 16 patients with advanced TBSCC were enrolled (13 males and 3 females), with a median age of 54 years and a median follow-up time of 2.32 years. Following neoadjuvant therapy, the objective response rate (ORR) was 64.3% (9/14), and the disease control rate (DCR) was 92.9% (13/14). The 2-year DFS rate was 86.6%. Common treatment-related adverse events (TRAE) included leukopenia (56.3%, 9/16), nausea and vomiting (50.0%, 8/16), diarrhea, oral mucositis, and elevated liver function tests (25.0%, 4/16). One patient (6.25%) experienced a grade 3 adverse event.Conclusion:Neoadjuvant pembrolizumab-chemotherapy significantly enhances objective response rate and disease-free survival in advanced TBSCC.

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