AIM:To observe the clinical efficacy of intravitreal injection of conbercept in the treatment of macular edema secondary to non-ischemic retinal vein occlusion(RVO).METHODS: Single center retrospective study. ME patients secondary to non-ischemic RVO admitted to the hospital from January 2023 to March 2024 were selected, and were divided into central retinal vein occlusion(CRVO)group and branch retinal vein occlusion(BRVO)group according to the location of obstruction. All patients were treated with intravitreal injection of conbercept once a month for 3 mo. The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), macular foveal thickness(CMT), superficial capillary density(SVD), deep capillary density(DVD), and foveal avascular zone(FAZ)area were recorded before and after treatment(with 3 injections per course)at 1, 3, and 6 mo.RESULTS:This study included a total of 120 ME secondary to non-ischemic RVO patients(128 eyes), who were divided into CRVO group(51 cases, 56 eyes, 31 males, 20 females, mean age 61.39±10.32 y)and BRVO group(69 cases, 72 eyes, 41 males, 28 females, mean age 61.48±10.41 y)based on the location of obstruction. There was no significant difference in general data between the two groups before treatment(both P>0.05). After 1, 3, and 6 mo of treatment, both groups showed improvement in BCVA, CMT, SVD, and DVD compared to before treatment(all P<0.05). BCVA in the BRVO group was better than that in the CRVO group at all time points after treatment(all P<0.05), while there was no difference in CMT, SVD, and DVD between the two groups(all P>0.05); There was no significant difference in FAZ area between the two groups before and after treatment(both P>0.05). Follow up for 6 mo showed no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups of patients(both P>0.05), but there was a significant difference in the recurrence rate(P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The first intravitreal injection of conbercept is effective in treating macular edema caused by non-ischemic CRVO and BRVO, improving visual function, reducing macular edema, and repairing retinal structure and blood flow perfusion. Notably, the recovery of visual function and improvement of capillary density are more significant in BRVO patients.

Objective:To express,purify,prepare antibodies,and analyze the subcellular localization of Toxoplasma gondii thioredoxin 20(Trx20),and to provide the reference for the development of Toxoplasma gondii vaccine.Methods:Bioinformatics-related websites and software were used to perform bioinformatics analysis of the Trx20 protein;specific primers were designed to amplify the target fragment and construct the prokaryotic expression vector;the protein was expressed in vitro and purified;experimental animals were immunized to prepare antibodies;enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)method was used to detect the titer of the polyclonal antibodies;Western blotting method was used to verify the specificity and sensitivity of the antibodies and to determine the natural expression of the protein;immunofluorescence assay(IFA)was used to analyze the subcellular localization of the protein.Results:The bioinformatics analysis results showed that Trx20 protein was a relatively stable hydrophilic protein with a molecular formula of C2172H3412N548O616S20,containing 424 amino acids,a predicted relative molecular mass of 47 700,and a theoretical isoelectric point of 8.55;it was predicted that the protein had one signal peptide,no transmembrane region,contained one domain named"Thioredoxin like Superfamily",and had 35 phosphorylation sites,one N-glycosylation site,and 17 antigenic determinants;in the secondary structure,alpha-helices accounted for 41.51％of the total amino acids,and random coils accounted for 39.86％;the recombinant plasmids pET-28a-Trx20 and pGEX-4T-1-Trx20 were successfully constructed,and the soluble recombinant protein was expressed and purified;polyclonal antibodies were successfully prepared with a titer as high as 1:64 000,and they specifically recognized the endogenous Trx20 protein in Toxoplasma gondii;the subcellular localization results showed that Trx20 protein was widely distributed in the cytoplasm of the parasite.Conclusion:Toxoplasma gondii Trx20 protein is a secretory protein containing phosphorylation/glycosylation modification sites and a thioredoxin domain,and it is localized in the cytoplasm of the parasite.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics, treatments and prognoses of carotid artery dissection (CAD).Methods:Nine patients with CAD, admitted to Department of Neurology, Air Force Medical Center of PLA from May 2010 to April 2024, were chosen; the clinical and imaging data, treatments and prognoses (mRS score≤2: good prognosis) of the patients were retrospectively analyzed.Results:(1) Among the 9 patients with CAD, histories of hypertension, diabetes, head and neck trauma, and radiotherapy were noted 3, 2, 4 and 1 patients, respectively; and unclear past history was noted in 1 patient. Carotid ultrasound was performed in 9 patients: slow blood flow of the internal carotid artery with stenosis or occlusion in 7 patients and normal blood flow of the internal carotid artery in 2 patients were noted. MRA in 5 patients showed severe stenosis or subtotal occlusion in the internal carotid artery. DSA in 8 patients showed CAD plus severe stenosis or subtotal occlusion. (2) After ineffective antiplatelet therapy in 3 patients and ineffective anticoagulant therapy in 2 patients, carotid artery stenting (CAS) was performed; direct CAS was given in one patient, and anticoagulant therapy was given in 3 patients. (3) After 3 months of treatment, 9 patients had a good prognosis; carotid ultrasound in 4 patients showed vascular recanalization; MRA re-examination in 3 patients showed vascular recanalization. DSA re-examination in 1 patient showed vascular recanalization; CTA re-examination in 1 patient showed moderate stenosis of the right internal carotid artery.Conclusion:CAD causes are various; CAD should be considered in patients with neck trauma combined with stroke; endovascular treatment should be considered when antiplatelet/anticoagulant therapy are not effective.

Objective To establish and validate a machine learning model integrating abdominal contrast-enhanced CT radiomics features and clinical characteristics,and to construct a predictive model for the efficacy of anticoagulant treatment in portal vein thrombosis(PVT).Methods A retrospective selection was conducted on 94 PVT patients who received anticoagulant treatment.Patients were divided into effective and ineffective treatment groups based on the follow-up results.Clinical information was collected,and imaging features were evaluated.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were performed to select clinical information and imaging fea-tures for constructing a clinical-imaging model.On CT venous phase images,the PVT mask was delineated and radiomics features were extracted,and the radiomics model was screened and established.A combined model was further developed using features from both the clinical-imaging and radiomics models.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of different models.Results The area under the curve(AUC)for the clinical-imaging model,radiomics model,and com-bined model were 0.594,0.794,and 0.776,respectively.The radiomics and combined models demonstrated superior predictive efficacy for anticoagulant treatment in PVT compared to the clinical-imaging model.No significant difference in performance was observed between radiomics and combined models.Conclusion The radiomics model and combined model based on abdominal contrast-enhanced CT can effectively predict the efficacy of anticoagulant treatment for PVT.

Objective To establish a predictive model for hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome(HSOS)and Budd-Chiari syn-drome(BCS),and to evaluate the performance of the model.Methods From April 2016 to February 2024,20 patients with HSOS and 40 patients with BCS who were first discharged from the Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University hospital infor-mation system(HIS)system were retrospectively collected.The clinical data of all patients were extracted,and the independent risk fac-tors for HSOS were screened by multi-factor Logistic regression method,and the differential diagnosis model was established accordingly,and then the efficacy was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that hepatic vein stenosis or unclear display(OR=39.441,95％CI:5.928-262.429)was an independent risk factor for HSOS,and paravertebral vein opening was an independent protective factor for HSOS(OR=0.026,95％CI:0.002-0.285).Based on the above two parameters,a prediction model for HSOS in patients with hepatic venous outlet tract obstruction was established.The ROC curve showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of the model was 0.922(95％CI:0.864-0.991),with the sensitivity of 85.0％and the specificity of 92.5％.Conclusion Hepatic vein stenosis or unclear display is an independent risk factor for HSOS in patients with hepatic vein outflow tract obstruction during hospitalization,and the model constructed can predict the risk of HSOS.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of baricitinib combined with ruxolitinib cream in the treatment of progressive nonsegmental vitiligo.Methods:Clinical data were retrospectively collected from patients with progressive nonsegmental vitiligo in Boao Super Hospital. All the patients were treated with oral baricitinib daily (2 mg/day for patients weighing ≤ 50 kg; 4 mg/day for those > 50 kg) in combination with topical application of ruxolitinib cream twice daily for 24 consecutive weeks. Disease severity was assessed using the facial vitiligo area scoring index (F-VASI) and total body VASI (T-VASI) at baseline, week 12, and week 24. Adverse reactions were monitored throughout the treatment course.Results:Six patients with progressive nonsegmental vitiligo were collected, including 3 males and 3 females, aged 26 - 42 years, with the disease duration ranging from 0.5 to 25 years. At week 12, 3 patients achieved a 50% ~ < 75% improvement in facial vitiligo lesions (F-VASI 50), 1 patient achieved F-VASI 75 (75% ~ < 90% improvement), and 1 patient achieved T-VASI 50; at week 24, 4 patients achieved F-VASI 50, 1 patient achieved F-VASI 75, 1 patient achieved F-VASI 90 (≥ 90% improvement), and 3 patients achieved T-VASI 50. During the treatment, upper respiratory infection occurred in 1 patient, acne in 1 patient, pruritus in 2 patients, elevation of total cholesterol levels in 2 patients, and increase of high-density lipoprotein levels in 2 patients. No severe adverse events were observed during the treatment.Conclusion:The combination therapy with baricitinib and ruxolitinib cream may have potential efficacy and safety in the treatment of progressive nonsegmental vitiligo.

Objective:To investigate the clinical diagnosis and treatment of granulomatous prostatitis（GP）in patients with Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System（PI-RADS）scores ≥ 4 on magnetic resonance imaging（MRI）.Methods:The data of 12 GP patients with PI-RADS score ≥ 4 who were admitted to Beijing Chaoyang Hospital，Capital Medical University，from February 2015 to February 2025，were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were aged 51?73 years（mean 66 years）. Presenting complaints included elevated prostate-specific antigen（PSA）levels in 6 cases，prostatic mass in 2 cases，urinary retention in 3 cases，and gross hematuria in 1 case. All 12 patients had concomitant lower urinary tract symptoms. Medical history revealed pulmonary tuberculosis in 2 cases，testicular tuberculosis in 1 case，close contact with tuberculosis in 1 case（spouse diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis 5 years earlier），allergic granulomatous vasculitis in 1 case，and intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin（BCG）instillation in 1 case. Digital rectal examination（DRE）showed gradeⅠprostatic hyperplasia in 2 cases，grade Ⅱ in 9 cases，and grade Ⅲ in 1 case. Nodules were palpable in 6 patients. The median PSA was 7.20 ng/ml（ranging 1.11?21.90 ng/ml），with 2 cases < 4 ng/ml. Transrectal ultrasound was performed in 10 patients，and prostate volumes were ranging from 29.48 to 109.78 cm3，with 6 cases > 45 cm3. All 12 patients underwent MRI，and all demonstrated PI-RADS scores ≥ 4，typically presenting as low signal intensity on T2-weighted imaging，high signal on diffusion-weighted imaging（DWI），and low apparent diffusion coefficient（ADC）values. Contrast-enhanced MRI in 8 cases revealed heterogeneous enhancement. One patient underwent 68Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography-computed tomography（ 68Ga-PSMA PET-CT），which showed band-like increased uptake in the central zone. All 12 patients were preoperatively suspected of prostate cancer，of whom 10 underwent transrectal biopsy and 2 underwent transperineal biopsy. Pathological characteristics and follow-up results were analyzed. Treatment outcomes were analyzed，The International Prostate Symptom Score（IPSS），quality of life（QOL）score，maximum urinary flow rate（Q max），and post-void residual urine（PVR）volume were compared before and 1 month after treatment. Results:Histopathology confirmed GP in all cases，with chronic inflammation in 11 cases and acute inflammation in 1 case. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated positivity for CD68（macrophage marker），high-molecular weight cytokeratin（HCK），and reticulin staining；periodic acid-Schiff（PAS）and acid-fast staining were positive in 2 cases，corresponding to 1 patient with a prior history of pulmonary tuberculosis and 1 with testicular tuberculosis. Two patients underwent thulium laser enucleation of the prostate，while 10 received conservative treatment，including 2 patients with tuberculosis infection who were referred for anti-tuberculosis therapy and 8 patients treated with oral tamsulosin 0.2 mg once daily. Follow-up was completed in 10 patients：9 were followed for 1 ? 3 months（mean 2.4 months），and 1 patient was followed for 9 years before being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Two additional patients，whose pathological findings suggested a possible diagnosis of tuberculous granulomatous prostatitis，were advised to undergo anti-tuberculosis treatment at another hospital and were subsequently lost to follow-up. Among the 2 patients who underwent thulium laser enucleation，IPSS decreased from 26 and 25 to 6 and 5 respectively，QOL scores decreased from 6 and 5 to 1 and 0 respectively，Q max increased from 4.5 and 4.3 ml/s to 23.0 and 21.9 ml/s respectively. In the 8 patients treated conservatively，IPSS decreased from 18.45±7.17 to 14.45±5.03，and QOL score decreased from 5.09±1.04 to 4.09±0.70 at 1 month after treatment，showing significant improvement（ P < 0.05）. Additionally，one patient initially diagnosed with GP and managed conservatively remained stable for 9 years，but subsequently developed urinary retention and underwent thulium laser enucleation，with postoperative pathology confirming prostate cancer. Conclusions:Clinical manifestations of GP are nonspecific，and the condition can easily be mistaken for prostate cancer due to elevated PSA levels and PI-RADS scores ≥4. Some patients may present with acute urinary retention，but definitive diagnosis still relies on prostate biopsy and immunohistochemistry. Treatment should be individualized according to the underlying etiology，with medication as the mainstay，while transurethral surgical intervention may be considered in cases with obstruction. Although GP is a benign lesion，its potential association with prostate cancer warrants vigilance and emphasizes the importance of long-term follow-up.

Objective:To dynamically assess liver fibrosis using magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) and explore factors associated with fibrosis reversal in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).Methods:This study included data from patients diagnosed with MASH by liver biopsy who underwent at least two MRE examinations. Patients were divided into a fibrosis reversal group and a non-reversal group according to whether MRE values decreased by 20% during follow-up. Differences in clinical data between the groups were compared using analysis of variance, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and the chi-square test. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to explore independent risk factors for fibrosis reversal in MASH.Results:A total of 46 cases were included in this study (mean age 50.1±12.3 years, BMI 26.1±3.1 kg/m2). Among them, the reversal group accounted for 26.1%. The rate of decrease in MRI proton density fat fraction (PDFF) was significantly higher in the reversal group (-50.0% vs. -8.1%, P=0.001) than in the non-reversal group between the two MRE examinations. The reversal group showed a more significant change rate of decreases in fasting insulin (-37.3% vs. -3.6%, P=0.011), insulin resistance index (-38.6% vs. -6.5%, P=0.044), and ALP (-24.9% vs. 0, P=0.004). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the rate of change in MRI PDFF was an independent predictor of fibrosis reversal ( OR=0.96, 95% CI: 0.92-1.00, P=0.046). Conclusion:A decrease in MRI proton density fat fraction levels is independently associated with liver fibrosis reversal in MASH, suggesting that intervention targeting liver fat content may be an effective treatment strategy.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a hemorrhagic autoimmune disease characterized by antibody-mediated platelet injury. ITP has complicated immunopathological mechanisms that need further elucidation. It is well known that the costimulatory molecules OX40 ligand (OX40L) and OX40 play essential roles in the immunological mechanisms of autoimmune diseases. Previously, we discovered that the expression of OX40L and OX40 is significantly increased in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of ITP patients. In our present study, OX40L-induced follicular helper T (Tfh) cells exhibited an activated phenotype with elevated expression of inducible T-cell costimulator (ICOS), programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1), and cluster of differentiation 40 ligand (CD40L) in vitro. Moreover, aberrant OX40L‒OX40 expression might promote the Tfh1-to-Tfh2 shift in vivo, inducing the generation of autoantibodies by enhancing the helper function of Tfh cells for B lymphocytes in a mouse model, which might accelerate the progression of ITP. Additionally, signal transduction through the OX40L‒OX40 axis might be related to the activation of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor (TRAF)‒nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and Janus kinase (JAK)‒signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathways. Overall, OX40L‒OX40 signaling is proposed as a potential novel therapeutic target for ITP.
Animals ; OX40 Ligand/physiology* ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic/immunology* ; Cell Differentiation ; Mice ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer/cytology* ; T Follicular Helper Cells/cytology* ; Signal Transduction ; Receptors, OX40 ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Humans ; Female

Objective To investigate the predictive value of combined radiomic features derived from chest CT scans with clinical characteristics for epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)gene mutations in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods A multi-center case-control study was conducted on the clinical data and CT images of 1 070 NSCLC patients from the radiology departments of the 3 medical institutions between January 2013 and October 2023.The 719 NSCLC patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University were randomly divided into a training set and an internal validation set in a ratio of 7∶3;The 173 patients in the Eastern Theatre General Hospital and the 178 patients in Army Medical Centre of PLA were assigned into the external validation set 1 and 2,respectively.Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)regression was employed to identify the optimal radiomic features,which were subsequently used to construct a radiomics model.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to identify clinical features associated with EGFR mutation,thereby developing a clinical model.The radiomic and clinical features were subsequently combined to develop a comprehensive model.All the 3 classification models were built using random forest(RF)machine learning.The area under curve(AUC),accuracy,sensitivity and specificity were utilized to evaluate the predictive performance of the models.Calibration curve was plotted to assess the goodness of fit of the comprehensive model,while decision curve analysis was performed to assess the clinical utility of the model.Results The AUC value of the radiomics model was 0.762 4(95%CI:0.692 4～0.825 1),0.745 4(95%CI:0.671 1～0.814 3),and 0.724 7(95%CI:0.639 7～0.801 6),respectively,in the internal validation set,external validation set 1,and external validation set 2;The AUC value of the clinical prediction model was 0.691 7(95%CI:0.627 9～0.757 6),0.652 5(95%CI:0.576 7～0.729 1),and 0.779 2(95%CI:0.712 5～0.847 3),respectively in the above sets in turn;The comprehensive model constructed based on clinical features and radiomic features showed the best predictive efficacy,with an AUC value of 0.818 0(95%CI:0.757 7～0.874 3),0.782 4(95%CI:0.703 1～0.848 2),and 0.796 6(95%CI:0.718 1～0.868 6),respectively in the above sets.Calibration curve analysis indicated that the comprehensive model had a good fit,while decision curve analysis revealed that the model provided a favorable net benefit.Conclusion Our comprehensive model constructed based on chest CT radiomic features and clinical characteristics shows superior predictive performance for EGFR gene mutations in NSCLC across multiple center datasets,which may be helpful for clinical decision-making for treatment strategies.