A 42-year-old male with chest tightness and dyspnea was admitted to the hospital. Chest CT indicated diffuse interstitial lung infiltration. Despite receiving anti-infective therapy, glucocorticoid therapy, and immunosuppressive agents, the patient developed refractory hypoxaemia. Endotracheal intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation failed to improve oxygenation. Therefore the patient was diagnosed with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) accompanied by type Ⅰ respiratory failure. Veno-venous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was initiated, and oxygenation improved in this patient. The patient subsequently underwent bilateral lung transplantation with veno-arterio-venous (VAV) ECMO support. ECMO machine was withdrawn on day 1, and extubation was achieved on day 9 after surgery. Histopathology revealed fibrotic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) with hyaline membrane formation. The patient developed ICU-acquired myasthenia and received early rehabilitation, with gradual recovery of muscle strength. During follow-up, graft lung function remained stable. This case demonstrates that ECMO can serve as a bridge to lung transplantation in RP-ILD patients.

With the rapid development of minimally invasive techniques in surgery, arti-ficial intelligence (AI), particularly deep learning, is playing an increasingly important role in mini-mally invasive surgery. By automated analysis of surgical videos, AI can efficiently perform key tasks such as instrument recognition, surgical phase identification, action analysis, anatomical structure recognition, intraoperative diagnosis, adverse event monitoring and smart desmoking. These appli-cations provide essential support for real-time monitoring, surgical navigation and skill assessment during surgery. The authors summarize the current research progress of AI in minimally invasive surgery, including its applications in the fields of hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, as well as gastrointestinal surgery. It also explores the potential of AI in enhancing surgical safety, efficiency and skill assessment. By synthesizing the latest research achievements of AI technology in the field of surgery, as well as analyzing its technical challenges and risks, it aims to provide guidance for future innovations and clinical applications, promoting the advancement and implementation of AI in minimally invasive surgery.

BACKGROUND:The cryopreservation technology enables tissues/cells to be stored for a long time in a low-temperature environment while maintaining the integrity of their activity and function,which is of great significance for the construction of cell therapy,tissue engineering and biological sample banks.Cryoprotective agents often contain dimethyl sulfoxide and serum.To avoid the toxic side effects of dimethyl sulfoxide,the complexity of serum components and immune responses,although some finished cryoprotective agents have been marketed,they are faced with many difficulties such as high cost and limited application.Therefore,there is an urgent need to develop a cryoprotective agent with clear components and the ability to solve the above problems.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effects of a novel cryoprotectant on cryopreservation efficiency of different tissue and cell sources.METHODS:By applying the novel cryoprotectant as an experimental group with the commercially available and widely used cryoprotectant(control group)to umbilical cord Wharton's jelly tissue,umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells,umbilical cord blood/peripheral blood mononuclear cells,NK and CIK cells,comparative analyses were conducted in terms of cell morphology,number,viability,surface markers,differentiation potential,and cell-killing toxicity assay before cryopreservation and after resuscitation thawing.We confirmed the cryopreservation effect of the new cryoprotectant and its potential application value.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The novel cryoprotectant facilitated the normal growth of cryopreserved Wharton's jelly tissue upon recovery,exhibiting mesenchymal stem cell morphology.No significant differences were observed between the experimental and control groups in terms of cell recovery rate,surface markers,and differentiation potential.(2)There was no significant difference in the number and viability of cells between the experimental group and the control group after cryopreservation of cord blood/peripheral blood mononuclear cells,and the cryo-resuscitated cell numbers and viability of derived NK cells/CIK cells did not show significant difference between the experimental and control groups.(3)For NK cells derived and differentiated from cord blood/peripheral blood mononuclear cells,there was no significant difference in the proportion of CD56+CD16+cell subpopulations between the experimental group and the control group.For CIK cells derived and differentiated from cord blood/peripheral blood mononuclear cells,there was no significant difference in the proportions of CD3+CD8+and CD3+CD56+cell subpopulations between the experimental group and the control group.(4)In terms of cytotoxicity testing,when the effective-target ratio of immune cells and melanoma cell line Mel624 was 20:1,whether it was NK cells/CIK cells derived from cord blood or peripheral blood mononuclear cells,there was no significant difference in the tumoricidal activity of cells between the experimental group and the control group.These findings suggest that the novel cryoprotectant can replace existing commercially available and widely used cryoprotectants,and is applicable to Wharton's jelly tissue,umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells,umbilical cord blood/peripheral blood mononuclear cells,as well as NK and CIK cells,providing a solid technical foundation for the scaling,standardization,and commercialization of universal cryoprotectants.

Three evaluation methods were recommended for the key properties of the intravascular catheter lubricating coating such as stability,lubricity and integrity,including insoluble particle test method,friction test procedure and appearance detection method.Fifteen batches of microcatheters produced by different manufacturers were selected for testing to clarify the three methods in test principle,step,result,characteristic.References were provided for the design,production,evaluation and regulation of intravascular catheters with lubricant coatings.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(1):66-72]

With the rapid development of minimally invasive techniques in surgery, arti-ficial intelligence (AI), particularly deep learning, is playing an increasingly important role in mini-mally invasive surgery. By automated analysis of surgical videos, AI can efficiently perform key tasks such as instrument recognition, surgical phase identification, action analysis, anatomical structure recognition, intraoperative diagnosis, adverse event monitoring and smart desmoking. These appli-cations provide essential support for real-time monitoring, surgical navigation and skill assessment during surgery. The authors summarize the current research progress of AI in minimally invasive surgery, including its applications in the fields of hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, as well as gastrointestinal surgery. It also explores the potential of AI in enhancing surgical safety, efficiency and skill assessment. By synthesizing the latest research achievements of AI technology in the field of surgery, as well as analyzing its technical challenges and risks, it aims to provide guidance for future innovations and clinical applications, promoting the advancement and implementation of AI in minimally invasive surgery.

Objective To measure and analyze anatomic parameters of resected distal femurs and proximal tibias in Kaschin-Beck disease(KBD)and osteoarthritic(OA)knees which fit for total knee arthroplasty(TKA),so as to provide basis for designing suitable knee prosthesis for KBD patients.Methods A total of 154 knees(75 KBD and 79 OA)fitting for TKA underwent three-dimensional reconstruction;resection of distal femurs and proximal tibias was simulated during TKA.We measured the distal femoral mediolateral(fML),lateral anteroposterior(fLAP),medial anteroposterior(fMAP),medial condylar width(fMCW),lateral condylar width(fLCW)and fML/fLAP aspect ratio,proximal tibial mediolateral(tML),middle anteroposterior(tAP),medial anteroposterior(tMAP),lateral anteroposterior(tLAP)dimension,and tML/tAP aspect ratio to compare the morphometric differences between KBD and OA knees.Results The measured anatomic parameters of resected distal femurs and proximal tibias in both male and female patients of KBD group were smaller than those of OA knees(P＜0.01).We also found that KBD group had larger distal femur fML/fLAP and proximal tibia tML/tAP aspect ratios than those of OA knees(P＜0.01).This indicated that under a given AP dimension,KBD knees need an oval-shaped prosthesis with a wider ML length and more spherical-shaped prosthesis with relatively narrow ML dimensions in OA knees.Conclusion The anatomy of distal femurs and proximal tibias shows significant differences in size and shape between KBD and OA knees,which provides theoretical basis for designing proper knee prosthesis for KBD patients.

Aim To investigate the role and mecha-nism of allopurinol(ALLO)in restoring the abnormal metabolism of kynurenine(Kyn)mediated by trypto-phan-2,3-dioxygenase 2(TDO2)to ameliorate ulcera-tive colitis(UC)in mice,and to provide experimental basis for the treatment of UC by ALLO.Methods A dextran sodium sulfate(DSS)-induced mouse UC mod-el was established,and the mice were randomly divided into the control group,the model group,the ALLO low,medium and high-dose groups(10,20,and 40 mg·kg-1),and the positive-significant salazosulfapyridine(SASP)(200 mg·kg-1)group.The body mass and disease activity index(DAI)scores of mice were re-corded;HE staining was performed to observe the de-gree of pathological damage in colon tissue;Western blot was performed to detect TDO2 protein expression in colon tissue;flow cytometry was performed to detect changes in the proportion of macrophages in spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes;ELISA was employed to de-tect the levels of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 pro-inflamma-tory cytokines in the supernatant of colon tissue homog-enate;high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)was used to detect the levels of tryptophan(Trp)and Kyn in the supernatant of colon tissue ho-mogenate.Results Compared with the model group,ALLO administration significantly ameliorated colonic histopathological injury in UC mice,decreased the pro-portion of macrophages in spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes,down-regulated the levels of TNF-α,IL-1 β,and IL-6 pro-inflammatory factors in serum of homogenate of colonic tissues,and inhibited the activity(Kyn/Trp ratio)and expression of TDO2 in colonic tissues.Con-clusion ALLO improves disease manifestations in mice with ulcerative colitis,which may be related to its restoration of abnormal Kyn metabolism.

Purpose: Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a rare, aggressive lymphoma that is characterized by terminal B-cell differ‑ entiation. In the West, PBL usually occurs in patients with immunodeficiencies, particularly those induced by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We investigated the clinicopathological features of PBL at a single institute in Taiwan, where HIV infection is rare. Methods: This retrospective chart review identified PBL cases that were treated at a single institute in southern Tai‑ wan between 2008 and 2024. Results: We identified nine patients (four males and five females; median age 71 years). Of the eight patients tested for HIV, only one tested positive. Pathologically, the tumors showed plasmablastic morphology and immunopheno‑ type, and three (33%) cases tested positive for Epstein–Barr virus. Six (67%) patients presented with Stage IV disease, including five (56%) with malignant effusion. Six patients were treated with chemotherapy and the remaining three received only supportive care. During a median follow-up of 10 months, five patients died of progressive disease, two died of unrelated diseases, and two were alive with PBL relapse. Conclusion In Taiwan, PBL constitutes a rare and aggressive clinical condition and is frequently associated with malignant effusion. In contrast to Western patients, the PBL in most patients from Taiwan was unrelated to HIV infection.

Purpose: Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a rare, aggressive lymphoma that is characterized by terminal B-cell differ‑ entiation. In the West, PBL usually occurs in patients with immunodeficiencies, particularly those induced by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We investigated the clinicopathological features of PBL at a single institute in Taiwan, where HIV infection is rare. Methods: This retrospective chart review identified PBL cases that were treated at a single institute in southern Tai‑ wan between 2008 and 2024. Results: We identified nine patients (four males and five females; median age 71 years). Of the eight patients tested for HIV, only one tested positive. Pathologically, the tumors showed plasmablastic morphology and immunopheno‑ type, and three (33%) cases tested positive for Epstein–Barr virus. Six (67%) patients presented with Stage IV disease, including five (56%) with malignant effusion. Six patients were treated with chemotherapy and the remaining three received only supportive care. During a median follow-up of 10 months, five patients died of progressive disease, two died of unrelated diseases, and two were alive with PBL relapse. Conclusion In Taiwan, PBL constitutes a rare and aggressive clinical condition and is frequently associated with malignant effusion. In contrast to Western patients, the PBL in most patients from Taiwan was unrelated to HIV infection.

Purpose: Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a rare, aggressive lymphoma that is characterized by terminal B-cell differ‑ entiation. In the West, PBL usually occurs in patients with immunodeficiencies, particularly those induced by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We investigated the clinicopathological features of PBL at a single institute in Taiwan, where HIV infection is rare. Methods: This retrospective chart review identified PBL cases that were treated at a single institute in southern Tai‑ wan between 2008 and 2024. Results: We identified nine patients (four males and five females; median age 71 years). Of the eight patients tested for HIV, only one tested positive. Pathologically, the tumors showed plasmablastic morphology and immunopheno‑ type, and three (33%) cases tested positive for Epstein–Barr virus. Six (67%) patients presented with Stage IV disease, including five (56%) with malignant effusion. Six patients were treated with chemotherapy and the remaining three received only supportive care. During a median follow-up of 10 months, five patients died of progressive disease, two died of unrelated diseases, and two were alive with PBL relapse. Conclusion In Taiwan, PBL constitutes a rare and aggressive clinical condition and is frequently associated with malignant effusion. In contrast to Western patients, the PBL in most patients from Taiwan was unrelated to HIV infection.