BACKGROUND: Biomarkers-based prediction of long-term risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is scarce. We aim to develop a risk score integrating clinical routine information (C) and plasma biomarkers (B) for predicting long-term risk of ACS patients. METHODS: We included 2729 ACS patients from the OCEA (Observation of cardiovascular events in ACS patients). The earlier admitted 1910 patients were enrolled as development cohort; and the subsequently admitted 819 subjects were treated as validation cohort. We investigated 10-year risk of cardiovascular (CV) death, myocardial infarction (MI) and all cause death in these patients. Potential variables contributing to risk of clinical events were assessed using Cox regression models and a score was derived using main part of these variables. RESULTS: During 16,110 person-years of follow-up, there were 238 CV death/MI in the development cohort. The 7 most important predictors including in the final model were NT-proBNP, D-dimer, GDF-15, peripheral artery disease (PAD), Fibrinogen, ST-segment elevated MI (STEMI), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), termed as CB-ACS score. C-index of the score for predication of cardiovascular events was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.76-0.82) in development cohort and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.76-0.78) in the validation cohort (5832 person-years of follow-up), which outperformed GRACE 2.0 and ABC-ACS risk score. The CB-ACS score was also well calibrated in development and validation cohort (Greenwood-Nam-D'Agostino: P = 0.70 and P = 0.07, respectively). CONCLUSIONS CB-ACS risk score provides a useful tool for long-term prediction of CV events in patients with ACS. This model outperforms GRACE 2.0 and ABC-ACS ischemic risk score.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To compare the effects of main artery clamping(MAC)and selective artery clamping(SAC)strategies on postoperative renal function in patients with chronic renal insufficiency undergoing robot-assisted partial nephrectomy.Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 231 patients with preoperative chronic renal insufficiency[eGFR<90 mL/(min·1.73 m2)with renal injury markers or eGFR<60 mL/(min·1.73 m2)]who underwent robot-assisted partial nephrectomy in the Department of Urology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from February 2018 to February 2024.According to intraoperative renal artery clamping strategy,they were divided into a MAC group(n=129)and a SAC group(n=102).Preoperatively,individualized renal artery clamping strategies were developed using a machine learning-based multimodal holographic 3-D reconstruction technique.Serum creatinine(Scr)level was measured at 3 d and 3 months after surgery,and estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)was calculated using the chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration equation(CKD-EPI)formula.Renal dynamic imaging with 99mTc-DTPA or 99mTc-MAG3 was used to assess the GFR of the affected kidney.Results At 3 d after surgery,the decrease in GFR of the affected kidney was significantly lower[(8.3±7.7)vs(16.0±10.2)mL/(min·1.73 m2),95%CI:-10.2～-5.2,P<0.001]in the SAC group than the MAC group.Scr increment analysis showed that the SAC group exhibited notably lower Scr increase[8.2(2.5,18.7)vs 15.5(5.8,28.3)μmol/L,95%CI:-12.3～-1.8,P=0.027],and milder eGFR decline[3.0(0.5,7.8)vs 7.5(2.0,14.3)mL/(min·1.73 m2),95%CI:-6.2～-0.8,P=0.015].And,in 3 months after surgery,the SAC group had lower Scr level[(89.2±23.1)vs(95.3±22.1)μmol/L,95%CI:-11.9～-0.3,P=0.042],and higher GFR of the affected kidney[(33.5±10.5)vs(26.1±10.9)mL/(min·1.73 m2),95%CI:4.6～10.2,P<0.001].Conclusion For patients with chronic renal insufficiency undergoing robot-assisted partial nephrectomy,SAC strategy is superior to MAC strategy in protecting postoperative renal function without increasing surgical risk.

Objective:To analyze the efficacy and safety of a fully biodegradable occluder for the treatment of ventricular septal defects through percutaneous and transthoracic strategies.Methods:A case series study was conducted.The clinical data of 38 pediatric patients with a ventricular septal defect treated with a fully biodegradable occluder at Central China Fuwai Hospital from January 2023 to July 2024 were retrospectively analyzed.Among these patients, 15 received the percutaneous approach(percutaneous approach group) and the other 23 adopted the transthoracic approach(transthoracic approach group).The diagnosis was confirmed by transthoracic echocardiography before operation in all patients.The percutaneous approach was defined as establishing a venous-arterial track through X-ray and then placing an occluder under the guidance of transthoracic echocardiograph.The transthoracic approach was achieved by establishing a delivery track with a special hollow bougie through a small right subaxillary incision under the real-time guidance of esophageal ultrasound and then delivery and put an occluder.The clinical data of the patients, including general characteristics, electrocardiograms, echocardiograms and the biodegradable occluder system were collected and analyzed.Categorical variables were tested using the chi-square or Fisher′s exact test.Continuous variables were verified using the t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Results:The patients were aged (5.7±3.9) years on average, with an average weight of 19.5(14.9, 25.9) kg.There were 39.5%(15 cases) of males among the patients included.The average size of the ventricular septal defect was 4.1(4.0, 5.0) mm.A simple perimembrane ventricular septal defect was detected in 29 patients (76.3%), concomitant membranous aneurysm in 4 patients (10.5%), an intracristal ventricular septal defect in 3 patients (7.9%), and a muscular ventricular septal defect in 2 patients (5.3%).Preoperative aortic and tricuspid valve regurgitations accounted for 5.3%(2/38) and 81.6%(31/38), respectively.The average age was (9.0±3.9) years in the percutaneous approach group and (3.6±1.9) years in the transthoracic approach group.In terms of the cardiac structure, the percutaneous approach group had smaller Z values of the left atrial anterior-to-posterior diameter (-0.5±0.6 vs.0.5±1.0, P<0.01) and the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (-0.5±1.1 vs.0.8±0.8, P<0.01), and a smaller ventricular septal defect [4.0(3.9, 4.2) mm vs.4.5(4.0, 5.5) mm, P=0.01] than the transthoracic approach group.Regarding the operation, the percutaneous approach group had a larger difference between the waist diameter of the selected occluder and the diameter of the ventricular septal defect [2.8(2.0, 3.0) mm vs.2.0(1.5, 2.5) mm, P=0.02], shorter operative time [(61.5±27.3) minutes vs.(91.5±31.4) minutes, P=0.01], and a shorter hospital stay [8(5, 9) days vs.12(9, 15) days, P<0.01] than the transthoracic approach group.Both groups achieved immediate occlusion postoperatively, with no residual shunts and no grade Ⅲ atrioventricular conduction block.Five new cases of bundle branch blocks and 1 case of trivial aortic valve regurgitation occurred in the transthoracic approach group. Conclusions:Both percutaneous and transthoracic approaches are safe and effective in interventional closure of ventricular septal defects, but the former is more applicable to slightly older or heavier patients with a smaller ventricular septal defect, who need a larger occluder.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical utility of an intelligent endoscope transportation system in the digestive endoscopy center.Methods:A parallel-group controlled trial was conducted at Digestive Endoscopy Center of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from June 1st to December 31st 2024, comparing robotic intelligent endoscope transport (experimental group) versus manual transport (control group). Performance metrics, including response time, transportation speed, labor efficiency, contamination prevention, closed-loop traceability, and nursing staff satisfaction, were statistically analyzed. Full-time equivalent (FTE) was introduced to quantify the operational efficiency of the experimental group.Results:The study included a total of 60 206 instances of intelligent endoscope transportation and 60 485 instances of manual transportation data. The robotic group demonstrated significantly shorter response times versus manual group for initial dispatch (51.08±14.97 seconds VS 54.44±13.61 seconds, t=35.8, P<0.001) and recovery response time (32.52±11.26 seconds VS 40.20±11.40 seconds, t=103.93, P<0.001). During the 148 days operational period, the success rate was 99.83% (60 104/60 206) and the failure rate was 0.17% (102/60 206) for robotic transports. Primary failure causes were wireless disconnection, pathfinding errors, and mechanical faults, averaging 1.05 malfunctions/month with no adverse events. The success and failure rate was 99.26% (60 043/60 485) and 0.74% (442/60 485) respectively for manual transports. Staff satisfaction was significantly higher for robotic transport in endoscopic transportation (4.65±0.55 scores VS 3.97±0.98 scores, t=96.5, P<0.001) and delivery process (4.71±0.59 scores VS 3.90±1.04 scores, t=210.3, P<0.001). and workload intensity was significantly lower (4.06±0.77 scores VS 4.48±0.63 scores, t=59.9, P=0.025). The system reduced labor requirements by 3.68 FTE, yielding annual savings of ￥657 000. Conclusion:The robotic intelligent endoscope transport system improves work efficiency, reduces nursing labor costs and physical workload, enhances job experience and satisfaction, and enables full-process smart traceability, providing a validated solution for endoscopy center logistics.

Objective:To analyze the efficacy and safety of a fully biodegradable occluder for the treatment of ventricular septal defects through percutaneous and transthoracic strategies.Methods:A case series study was conducted.The clinical data of 38 pediatric patients with a ventricular septal defect treated with a fully biodegradable occluder at Central China Fuwai Hospital from January 2023 to July 2024 were retrospectively analyzed.Among these patients, 15 received the percutaneous approach(percutaneous approach group) and the other 23 adopted the transthoracic approach(transthoracic approach group).The diagnosis was confirmed by transthoracic echocardiography before operation in all patients.The percutaneous approach was defined as establishing a venous-arterial track through X-ray and then placing an occluder under the guidance of transthoracic echocardiograph.The transthoracic approach was achieved by establishing a delivery track with a special hollow bougie through a small right subaxillary incision under the real-time guidance of esophageal ultrasound and then delivery and put an occluder.The clinical data of the patients, including general characteristics, electrocardiograms, echocardiograms and the biodegradable occluder system were collected and analyzed.Categorical variables were tested using the chi-square or Fisher′s exact test.Continuous variables were verified using the t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Results:The patients were aged (5.7±3.9) years on average, with an average weight of 19.5(14.9, 25.9) kg.There were 39.5%(15 cases) of males among the patients included.The average size of the ventricular septal defect was 4.1(4.0, 5.0) mm.A simple perimembrane ventricular septal defect was detected in 29 patients (76.3%), concomitant membranous aneurysm in 4 patients (10.5%), an intracristal ventricular septal defect in 3 patients (7.9%), and a muscular ventricular septal defect in 2 patients (5.3%).Preoperative aortic and tricuspid valve regurgitations accounted for 5.3%(2/38) and 81.6%(31/38), respectively.The average age was (9.0±3.9) years in the percutaneous approach group and (3.6±1.9) years in the transthoracic approach group.In terms of the cardiac structure, the percutaneous approach group had smaller Z values of the left atrial anterior-to-posterior diameter (-0.5±0.6 vs.0.5±1.0, P<0.01) and the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (-0.5±1.1 vs.0.8±0.8, P<0.01), and a smaller ventricular septal defect [4.0(3.9, 4.2) mm vs.4.5(4.0, 5.5) mm, P=0.01] than the transthoracic approach group.Regarding the operation, the percutaneous approach group had a larger difference between the waist diameter of the selected occluder and the diameter of the ventricular septal defect [2.8(2.0, 3.0) mm vs.2.0(1.5, 2.5) mm, P=0.02], shorter operative time [(61.5±27.3) minutes vs.(91.5±31.4) minutes, P=0.01], and a shorter hospital stay [8(5, 9) days vs.12(9, 15) days, P<0.01] than the transthoracic approach group.Both groups achieved immediate occlusion postoperatively, with no residual shunts and no grade Ⅲ atrioventricular conduction block.Five new cases of bundle branch blocks and 1 case of trivial aortic valve regurgitation occurred in the transthoracic approach group. Conclusions:Both percutaneous and transthoracic approaches are safe and effective in interventional closure of ventricular septal defects, but the former is more applicable to slightly older or heavier patients with a smaller ventricular septal defect, who need a larger occluder.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical utility of an intelligent endoscope transportation system in the digestive endoscopy center.Methods:A parallel-group controlled trial was conducted at Digestive Endoscopy Center of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from June 1st to December 31st 2024, comparing robotic intelligent endoscope transport (experimental group) versus manual transport (control group). Performance metrics, including response time, transportation speed, labor efficiency, contamination prevention, closed-loop traceability, and nursing staff satisfaction, were statistically analyzed. Full-time equivalent (FTE) was introduced to quantify the operational efficiency of the experimental group.Results:The study included a total of 60 206 instances of intelligent endoscope transportation and 60 485 instances of manual transportation data. The robotic group demonstrated significantly shorter response times versus manual group for initial dispatch (51.08±14.97 seconds VS 54.44±13.61 seconds, t=35.8, P<0.001) and recovery response time (32.52±11.26 seconds VS 40.20±11.40 seconds, t=103.93, P<0.001). During the 148 days operational period, the success rate was 99.83% (60 104/60 206) and the failure rate was 0.17% (102/60 206) for robotic transports. Primary failure causes were wireless disconnection, pathfinding errors, and mechanical faults, averaging 1.05 malfunctions/month with no adverse events. The success and failure rate was 99.26% (60 043/60 485) and 0.74% (442/60 485) respectively for manual transports. Staff satisfaction was significantly higher for robotic transport in endoscopic transportation (4.65±0.55 scores VS 3.97±0.98 scores, t=96.5, P<0.001) and delivery process (4.71±0.59 scores VS 3.90±1.04 scores, t=210.3, P<0.001). and workload intensity was significantly lower (4.06±0.77 scores VS 4.48±0.63 scores, t=59.9, P=0.025). The system reduced labor requirements by 3.68 FTE, yielding annual savings of ￥657 000. Conclusion:The robotic intelligent endoscope transport system improves work efficiency, reduces nursing labor costs and physical workload, enhances job experience and satisfaction, and enables full-process smart traceability, providing a validated solution for endoscopy center logistics.

Objective:Chronic urticaria presents a chronic process of recurrent attacks,and its first-line treatment is second-generation antihistamine with limited treatment options.The efficacy of antihistamine varies among individuals and cannot meet the needs of all patients.This study aims to explore the clinical efficacy and safety of Zhiyang Xiaozhen granules combined with antihistamine in the treatment of chronic urticaria patients. Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with chronic urticaria who visited the Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from April 2020 to March 2021.The patients who received conventional second-generation antihistamine treatment were selected as a control group,while the patients who received combined treatment with Zhiyang Xiaozhen granules on the basis of conventional second-generation antihistamine treatment were selected as an observation group.The differences in the Weekly Urticaria Activity Score(UAS7)and Dermatology Life Quality Index(DLQI)between the 2 groups before and 4 weeks after treatment were compared.The Symptom Score Reduce Index(SSRI)was used to evaluate and compare the efficacy of the 2 treatment regimens. Results:After 4 weeks of treatment,the UAS7 levels in both groups were significantly reduced(P=0.001 and P<0.001,respectively).The effective rates of the control group and the observation group were 61.11%and 59.38%,respectively when converting UAS7 to SSRI for efficacy evaluation,and there was no statistically significant difference in efficacy between the 2 groups(P>0.05);however,when converting DLQI to SSRI for efficacy evaluation,the effective rates of the control group and the observation group were 33.33%and 46.88%,respectively,and the difference in efficacy between the 2 groups was statistically significant(P<0.001).There were 3 patients with adverse drug reactions related to drowsiness in both groups. Conclusion:The combination of Zhiyang Xiaozhen granules and second-generation antihistamine can effectively improve disease activity in patients with chronic urticaria,and the improvement in quality of life is better than that with the second-generation antihistamine alone.

Objective To study the diagnostic value of miR-571 for liver fibrosis by detecting miR-571 expression in the peripheral blood of patients with liver fibrosis.Methods From December 2022 to September 2023,40 patients with liver fibrosis,40 patients with chronic hepatitis,and 40 healthy controls were chosen as research subjects.The expression level of miR-571 in peripheral blood was detected using a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction,and the relative expression of miR-571 in each group was evaluated.The Spearman correlation method was utilized to examine the relationship between miR-571 and clinical detection indices.To assess the capacity of miR-571 and the multivariate diagnostic model to identify liver fibrosis,binary logistic regression was used to create a multivariate diagnostic model,and ROC curves were generated.Results The expression of miR-571 was significantly higher in the liver fibrosis group than in the healthy control and hepatitis groups,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.001).The expression level of miR-571 was positively connected with ALT,APRI score,and FIB-4 index(r = 0.23,0.30,0.22,P<0.05)and negatively correlated with PLT(r =-0.19,P<0.05)according to Spearman correlation analysis.Logistic regression research revealed that miR-571 and the FIB-4 index were independent risk factors for liver fibrosis.The AUC for miR-571 to diagnose fibrosis was 0.91(95%CI:0.85～0.96),while the AUC for miR-571 paired with the FIB-4 index was 0.94(95%CI:0.90～0.98).Conclusion MiR-571 expression was shown to be considerably higher in the peripheral blood of hepatic fibrosis patients,and the combined FIB-4 index offers some clinical diagnostic value for hepatic fibrosis.

italic>Candida albicans (C. albicans) stands as the primary opportunistic fungal pathogen responsible for fungal infections. The formation of biofilms constitutes a key virulence trait of C. albicans and a pivotal factor in drug resistance. Consequently, the development of antifungal drugs possessing biofilm inhibitory properties holds importance in the treatment of fungal infectious diseases. This study conducted in-depth research of the novel biofilm inhibitor named 1-(cyclopentylamino)-3-(4-(2,4,4-trimethylpentan-2-yl)phenoxy)propan-2-ol (IMB-H12). IMB-H12 showed good inhibitory activity on the formation of biofilms and a certain scavenging effect on mature biofilms. Preliminary research on the mechanism of action has found that IMB-H12 can inhibit the transformation from yeast to hyphal phase, inhibit the formation of mycelium, and reduce the adhesion activity and hydrophobicity of Candida albicans. IMB-H12 could also induce changes in the content of cell wall components, downregulate the expression of multiple genes related to adhesion and hyphal formation. Therefore, further research on this compound is expected to discover new lead compounds with antifungal activity.