Objective:To explore the correlation between quantitative parameters based on SUV acquired by dynamic SPECT/CT imaging of parotid glands and pathological grading of labial gland in patients with primary Sj?gren syndrome (pSS).Methods:Seventy-two patients (6 males, 66 females, age (51.5±13.8) years) with confirmed pSS diagnosed at Hebei General Hospital between August 2022 and March 2024 were prospectively included. The clinical data and pathological grading information from labial gland biopsies were analyzed. Dynamic SPECT/CT imaging of the parotid glands was performed, and quantitative parameters based on SUV were obtained using Q-metrix software: SUV max, SUV mean, uptake volume of parotid glands (UVP) and total parotid uptake (TPU) pre/post-acid stimulation, as well as the differences in quantitative parameters before and after acid stimulation (ΔSUV max, ΔSUV mean, ΔUVP, and ΔTPU). The independent-sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test was performed to evaluate the differences in parameters between patients with pathological grade 1-2 and those with pathological grade 3-4. Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the correlation between quantitative parameters and pathological grading. The performance of quantitative parameters in distinguishing pathological grade 1-2 from grade 3-4 was assessed using ROC curve analysis with Delong test. Results:The SUV max pre/post-acid stimulation in patients with pathological grade 1-2 ( n=30) were higher than those in patients with grade 3-4 ( n=42) (36.38(27.81, 44.17) vs 15.45(10.77, 24.51), Z=-5.51, P<0.001(pre-acid stimulation); 21.53(16.93, 26.21) vs 11.33(7.32, 15.89), Z=-5.27, P<0.001 (post-acid stimulation)). SUV mean, UVP and TPU pre/post-acid stimulation in patients with pathological grade 1-2, as well as ΔSUV max, ΔSUV mean and ΔTPU, were all significantly higher ( Z values: from -4.73 to -3.04, t values: 6.39, 4.50, all P<0.01). Moreover, these parameters were negatively correlated with the pathological grading ( rs values: from -0.66 to -0.36, all P<0.05). No significant difference in ΔUVP was observed between patients with pathological grade 1-2 and those with grade 3-4 ( Z=-1.05, P=0.293), and ΔUVP showed no correlation with pathological grading ( rs=-0.13, P=0.297). Among all parameters, SUV max pre/post-acid stimulation and TPU pre-acid stimulation exhibited better diagnostic performance in differentiating pathological grade 1-2 from grade 3-4, with AUC values of 0.883, 0.866, and 0.888, respectively. Delong test showed that those 3 AUC values were all higher than AUC values of SUV mean, UVP post-acid stimulation and ΔUVP (all AUC<0.800; Z values: 2.09-4.65, all P<0.05). Conclusion:The quantitative parameters of parotid glands based on SUV acquired by dynamic SPECT/CT can reflect the damage degree of parotid glands in patients with pSS, providing novel quantitative analytical tools for the functional diagnosis and assessment of pSS.

Objective:To explore the correlation between quantitative parameters based on SUV acquired by dynamic SPECT/CT imaging of parotid glands and pathological grading of labial gland in patients with primary Sj?gren syndrome (pSS).Methods:Seventy-two patients (6 males, 66 females, age (51.5±13.8) years) with confirmed pSS diagnosed at Hebei General Hospital between August 2022 and March 2024 were prospectively included. The clinical data and pathological grading information from labial gland biopsies were analyzed. Dynamic SPECT/CT imaging of the parotid glands was performed, and quantitative parameters based on SUV were obtained using Q-metrix software: SUV max, SUV mean, uptake volume of parotid glands (UVP) and total parotid uptake (TPU) pre/post-acid stimulation, as well as the differences in quantitative parameters before and after acid stimulation (ΔSUV max, ΔSUV mean, ΔUVP, and ΔTPU). The independent-sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test was performed to evaluate the differences in parameters between patients with pathological grade 1-2 and those with pathological grade 3-4. Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the correlation between quantitative parameters and pathological grading. The performance of quantitative parameters in distinguishing pathological grade 1-2 from grade 3-4 was assessed using ROC curve analysis with Delong test. Results:The SUV max pre/post-acid stimulation in patients with pathological grade 1-2 ( n=30) were higher than those in patients with grade 3-4 ( n=42) (36.38(27.81, 44.17) vs 15.45(10.77, 24.51), Z=-5.51, P<0.001(pre-acid stimulation); 21.53(16.93, 26.21) vs 11.33(7.32, 15.89), Z=-5.27, P<0.001 (post-acid stimulation)). SUV mean, UVP and TPU pre/post-acid stimulation in patients with pathological grade 1-2, as well as ΔSUV max, ΔSUV mean and ΔTPU, were all significantly higher ( Z values: from -4.73 to -3.04, t values: 6.39, 4.50, all P<0.01). Moreover, these parameters were negatively correlated with the pathological grading ( rs values: from -0.66 to -0.36, all P<0.05). No significant difference in ΔUVP was observed between patients with pathological grade 1-2 and those with grade 3-4 ( Z=-1.05, P=0.293), and ΔUVP showed no correlation with pathological grading ( rs=-0.13, P=0.297). Among all parameters, SUV max pre/post-acid stimulation and TPU pre-acid stimulation exhibited better diagnostic performance in differentiating pathological grade 1-2 from grade 3-4, with AUC values of 0.883, 0.866, and 0.888, respectively. Delong test showed that those 3 AUC values were all higher than AUC values of SUV mean, UVP post-acid stimulation and ΔUVP (all AUC<0.800; Z values: 2.09-4.65, all P<0.05). Conclusion:The quantitative parameters of parotid glands based on SUV acquired by dynamic SPECT/CT can reflect the damage degree of parotid glands in patients with pSS, providing novel quantitative analytical tools for the functional diagnosis and assessment of pSS.

Objective To investigate the effect of acacetin(ACE)on the apoptosis of dental pulp cells induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS)by regulating the high mobility histone 1(HMGB1)/Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)signaling pathway.Methods Third generation dental pulp cells were isolated,cloned and purified from pulp of five patients with healthy teeth extracted from orthodontics and impaction.Cell morphology was observed and identification of stromal cell surface antigen1(STRO1)by immunofluorescence,and epidermal antigens CD90,CD105,CD34 and CD45 were identified by flow cytometry.MTT was applied to identify the effect of ACE on the activity of primary dental pulp cells(DPSCs).DPSCs were divided into the control group(0 μmol/L ACE culture),the LPS group(1 ng/L LPS treatment),the L-ACE group(added 20 μmol/L ACE on the basis of LPS group),the H-ACE group(added 40 μmol/L ACE on the basis of LPS group),the pcDNA-NC group(transfected pcDNA-NC plasmid on the basis of H-ACE group)and the HMGB group(transfected pcDNA-HMGB on the basis of H-ACE group).Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8.Clone formation number was detected by clone formation assay.Western blot experiments were applied to detect the expression of HMGB1/TLR4 pathway,apoptosis and inflammation related proteins.ELISA assay was applied to detect levels of interleukin(IL-)-1β,IL-4 and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in cell supernatant.Results DPSCs were successfully isolated and identified based on cell morphology,positive expression of STRO1,positive expression of CD90 and CD105,and negative identification of CD34 and CD45.Compared with the control group,cell proliferation activity,clonal cell count,B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2)and IL-4 levels were decreased in the LPS group,while apoptosis rate,the pathway related proteins HMGB1,TLR4,apoptosis related proteins aspartate-specific cysteine protease(Caspase)-3,Caspase-7,Bcl-2 associated X protein(Bax),and inflammatory factors IL-1β,TNF-α were increased in the LPS group(P＜0.05).Compared with the LPS group,cell proliferation activity,Bcl-2 and IL-4 were increased successively in the L-ACE group and the H-ACE group,and apoptosis rate,pathway-related proteins HMGB1,TLR4,Caspase-3,Caspase-7 and Bax,and inflammatory factors IL-1β,TNF-α were reduced successively(P＜0.05).Overexpression of HMGB reversed the effects of H-ACE on cell proliferation,apoptosis,expression of related proteins and inflammatory factors(P＜0.05).Conclusion ACE inhibits LPS induced apoptosis of dental pulp cells,and it may be achieved by inhibiting the HMGB1/TLR4 signaling pathway.

Objective: To assess the impact of viable myocardium in left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) and ventricular arrhythmia on prognosis of LVA patients.
Methods: A total of one hundred and sixty LVA patients who received99Tcm-MIBI SPECT and18F-FDG PET were enrolled, including 139 male and 21 female with the mean age of (58 ± 10) years.There were 42 (26.3%) patients combining ventricular arrhythmia. LVEDV, LVESV and LVEF were detected. Semi-quantitative analysis of myocardium perfusion imaging was conducted, viable myocardium in aneurysm was deifned as the perfusion-metabolism mismatch score (MMS) ≥ 2.0. According to myocardium viability, the patients were divided into 2 groups: No viability group,n=97 and With viability group,n=63;based on ventricular arrhythmia, the patients were divided into another 4 groups: Group①, viability-, ventricular arrhythmia-, n=68, Group②, viability-, ventricular arrhythmias+,n=29, Group③, viability+, ventricular arrhythmias-,n=50 and Group④, viability+,ventricular arrhythmias+,n=13. The average follow-up time was (50 ± 7) months, the end point was cardiac death. The survival curve was obtained by Kaplan-Meier method and survival rates were compared by Log-rank analysis.
Results: The mean LVEF in 160 patients was (34 ± 11) %, cardiac death occurred in 19 (11.9%) patients. Long-term survival rates in Groups①,② and③ were 94.1%, 89.7% and 86.0%, respectively,P>0.05; while in Group④, the survival rate was 61.5%, which was lower than the other 3 groups,P=0.004. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that female (HR=5.101, 95% CI 1.853-14.044, P=0.002), GPET-ESV (HR=1.009, 95% CI 1.002-1.015,P=0.013), interaction between MMS and ventricular arrhythmia (HR=1.368, 95%CI 1.113-1.681,P=0.003) were independent risk factors for cardiac death;while surgical treatment (HR=0.199, 95% CI 0.054-0.742,P=0.016) could decrease the risk of cardiac death.
Conclusion: Patients with viable aneurysm and ventricular arrhythmia had poor long-term prognosis; while early and active treatment is needed for them (surgery with anti-arrhythmic therapy).