Objective:To investigate the important clinical features and prognosis of febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome(FIRES).Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed for the data of 15 children with FIRES who were hospitalized and treated in Peking University First Hospital from March 2022 to June 2024,including clinical features,treatment regimens,and prognosis,and follow-up was performed by telephone.Results:The median duration of status epilepticus was 15 days for all children.Of all 15 children,14(93.3%)were comorbid with disturbance of consciousness,8(53.3%)were comorbid with respiratory failure and underwent endotra-cheal incubation,and 13(86.7%)had been admitted to the intensive care unit.In the acute stage,7 children underwent the examination of various inflammatory factors in blood and cerebrospinal fluid,including interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-2,IL-4,IL-5,IL-6,IL-8,IL-10,and tumor necrosis factor-α,and all 7 children had significant increases in the levels of inflammatory factors in cerebrospinal fluid,which were significantly higher than the levels of inflammatory factors in serum.Of all 15 children,12(80%)had diffuse slow wave changes on electroencephalography,and migrating focal seizures were detected in 7 children(46.7%).Cranial magnetic resonance im-aging(MRI)manifestations in the acute stage included temporal and insular cortical edema(60%),abnormal white matter signal(33.3%),and claustrum sign(13.3%),and MRI features in the chronic stage included the deepening of cerebral sulci(75%)and ventricular dilatation(33.3%).The treatment in the acute stage in-cluded intravenous drip of gamma-globulin and high-dose methyl-prednisolone in 15 children(effective in 2 children),ketogenic diet in 4 children(effective in 1 child),tocilizumab in 5 children(effective in 3 children),and anakinra in 2 children(effective in 1 child).As of the last follow-up,the median duration of disease was 14.0 months(4-65 months)for all patients,and only 2 children achieved complete seizure control,while the remaining 13 children had refractory epilepsy.Cognitive impairment was observed in 93.3%of the children.Conclusion:FIRES often has acute and severe conditions,and first-line immunotherapies often have a poor therapeutic ef-fect.Tocilizumab and anakinra may be effective in some patients with seizures in the acute stage.

Objective:To investigate the cranial magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)characteristics of children with febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome(FIRES).Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed for the imaging characteristics of children with FIRES who were admitted to Department of Pediatrics,Peking University First Hospital,from November 2020 to August 2024,includ-ing the characteristic manifestation of claustrum sign on cranial MRI.Results:A total of 86 children with a confirmed diagnosis of FIRES were included,among whom there were 65 boys(75.6%)and 21 girls(24.4%),with a median age of onset of 6.35(4.4,8.32)years.Among these children,14(16.3%)had normal cranial MRI findings in the acute stage,with T2 FLAIR changes as the most common abnormal manifestation(39.5%),and 30 children(34.9%)experienced brain atrophy,with a median time of 44(34,72)days for the onset of brain atrophy for the first time.There were 22 children(25.6%)with positive bilateral claustrum sign on cranial MRI,which manifested as symmetrical T2 FLAIR hyperintensity with limited diffusion in the bilateral claustrum,and the median time to the first appearance of claustrum sign was 11(7,15)days,while the median time to negative conversion of claustrum sign was 33(24,50)days.The claustrum sign disappeared after the relief of status epilepticus in the acute stage in most children.Among the children in this study,71 entered the chronic stage during follow-up,3 had normal cranial MRI results during the course of the disease,and 34 had brain atrophy for the first time in the chronic stage,with a median time of 186(115,429)days to the first appearance of brain atrophy on cranial MRI,while of all 86 children,64(80.0%)experienced brain atrophy on cranial MRI in the acute stage and the chronic stage.Conclusion:Children with FIRES have diverse cranial MRI characteristics.There might be normal MRI manifestations at the beginning of the disease,and positive bilateral claustrum sign might be the specific manifestation in the acute stage.Changes in the claustrum disappear after the relief of status epilepticus in most cases,and most patients may progress to brain atrophy in the chronic stage.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of ketogenic diet,anakinra,and tocilizumab in the treatment of febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome(FIRES)through a meta-analysis.Methods:With FIRES,ketogenic diet,anakinra,and tocili-zumab as search terms,the databases of PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,the Cochrane Library,Clinicalttrials.gov,CNKI,Wanfang Data,and VIP were searched for related articles published up to December 13,2024.Two reviewers independently screened the ar-ticles according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and assessed the risk of bias of the studies included.Review Manager was used to perform the meta-analysis.Results:Among the 549 studies,45 case reports and case series met the inclusion criteria,and there were 45 retrospective studies in total,among which 25,8,and 17 were included in the ketogenic diet group,the tocilizumab group,and the anakinra group,respectively,with 66 patients in the ketogenic diet group,8 in the the tocilizumab group,and 54 in the anakinra group.There were 3 case reports,in which all 3 patients were treated with tocilizumab and anakinra.The meta-analysis showed that in the treatment of FIRES in the acute stage,ketogenic diet,anakinra,and tocilizumab showed a response raet of 68%(95%CI=51%-85%,I 2=71%,P<0.01),57%(95%CI=35%-80%,I 2=71%,P<0.01),and 100%(95%CI=79%-100%,I 2=0%,P=1.00),respec-tively,with no statistical differences between studies.The survival rate was 96%(95%CI=89%-100%,I 2=0%,P=1.00)in the keto-genic diet group,96%(95%CI=89%-100%,I 2=0%,P=1.00)in the FIRES,and ketogenic diet and anakinra treatment have a relatively high incidence rate of adverse reactions.Hypoglycemia and infec-tion are adverse reactions commonly observed during treatment.

As a physical treatment technique, modified electro-convulsive therapy (MECT) is used to treat mental and certain neurological disorders by causing seizures with short, suitable electrical currents applied to the brain while the patient is under general anesthesia and muscle relaxants. MECT is recognized for its therapeutic efficacy and clinical safety, rendering it one of the most prevalent interventions in psychiatric care. To enhance clinical outcomes and minimize adverse effects, this consensus document delineates the indications, therapeutic parameters, therapeutic procedures, potential adverse effects, and associated management strategies for MECT. These guidelines are informed by the latest clinical research and expert consensus, integrating evidence-based medicine methodologies. The objective is to furnish clinicians with precise operational guidelines and to advance the standardization of MECT practices in clinical settings.

Objective:To explore the differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics between pa-tients with unipolar depression bipolar depression and to establish a nomogram for identifying bipolar depression.Methods:Using data from the China Mental Disorders Cohort Study,the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of 2 643 patients with unipolar depression and 250 patients with bipolar depression diagnosed accord-ing to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,Fifth Edition(DSM-5)were includ-ed to compare their sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.These characteristics included general demograph-ic information,disease-related information,clinical examination results,and the severity of the disease assessed with the Global Assessment of Functioning(GAF)and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors influencing bipolar depression,and a nomogram was constructed for its identifica-tion.Results:The risk factors for bipolar depression included being male(OR=1.48),being employed(OR=1.38),having non-melancholic features during episodes(OR=2.33),a Body Mass Index ranging from normal to obese(OR=2.48,2.49,4.65),psychotic features(OR=2.14),mixed episode(OR=9.36),comorbid physical diseases(OR=2.47),four or more depressive episodes(OR=1.67),earlier age of onset(OR=0.95),longer ill-ness duration(OR=1.03),and higher GAF scores(OR=1.02).The nomogram model achieved an AUC of 0.81(95％CI:0.78-0.84).The Hosmer-Lemeshow test result was x2=6.96(P＞0.05),indicating good model fit.The calibration curve showed good performance.The decision curve analysis revealed that the nomogram pro-vides significant clinical benefit when the risk of bipolar depression was within the range of 0 to 0.9.Conclusion:The nomogram established based on the identified sociodemographic and clinical factors can accurately assess the risk of bipolar depression,providing a useful tool for early identification and intervention.

Objective:To apply statistical process control (SPC) techniques to the quality assurance of non-normal radiotherapy plans through Johnson transformation, establishing patient-specific tolerance and action limits based on treatment sites and dose/distance assessment criteria, thereby enhancing the intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) verification accuracy and dose delivery precision.Methods:In this study, 951 gamma analysis data of patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA) executed on the Halcyon accelerator platform were selected and categorized into six groups based on treatment sites, including brain (102 cases), head and neck (100 cases), breast (229 cases), lung (154 cases), esophagus (223 cases), and pelvic (143 cases) groups. The six groups of data were statistically analyzed through Anderson-Darling normality tests ( α = 0.05) using Minitab 21 software. Non-normal data were transformed into normal data through Johnson transformation and then were used to establish treatment site-specific tolerance and action limits, which were compared with the Shewhart control charts based on normal distributions. Results:The PSQA result of the six groups all exhibited non-normal distributions ( P < 0.05). Through Johnson transformation, the tolerance and action limits for the head and neck, breast, lung, esophagus, and pelvic areas under the 3%/2 mm criterion ranged from 95.13% to 96.16% and 94.19% to 95.91%, respectively. In contrast, the tolerance and action limits ranged from 91.15% to 94.86% and 89.94% to 94.78% under the 2%/2 mm criterion. Directly applying Shewhart control charts without normality assumptions yielded higher tolerance limits compared to the application of Johnson transformation, increasing the false positive rate in the non-normal PSQA process. Conclusions:Applying the SPC techniques directly to a non-normal process can lead to an increased false alarm rate and wrong process interpretation. The SPC techniques combined with Johnson transformation enable more effective monitoring of a non-normal PSQA process, facilitating timely identification of potential factors that may lead to an out-of-control process based on the treatment site-specific limits.

Objective To investigate the effects of extracellular vesicles(EVs)derived from synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis(RA)patients on angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells,and to preliminarily explore the underlying mechanisms.Methods Synovial fluid samples of knee joint were collected from 20 patients with RA and 20 patients with osteoarthritis(OA)in this study.EVs were purified using ultracentrifugation.The morphology and size of EVs were observed by transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis.CD9,CD63,cytochrome c(Cyt-c),vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),lysyl oxidase(LOX),matrix metalloproteinase 2(MMP2),tumour necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α),transforming growth factor beta1(TGF-β1)in EVs were detected using Western blot.Human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)were treated with the EVs.The growth,migration and angiogenesis of HUVEC were observed by CCK8 assay,TranswellTM chamber assay,scratch test and matrigel angiogenesis assay,respectively.The effect of EVs on the PI3K/AKT pathway in HUVEC was assessed using Western blot.Results Both EVs from RA synovial fluid(RA-EVs)and OA synovial fluid(OA-EVs)were cup-shaped,mainly between 30-400 nm in diameter,expressing CD63 and CD9,but not Cyt-c.RA-EVs carried more VEGF,LOX,MMP2,TNF-α and TGF-β1 than OA-EVs.Compared with the OA-EVs intervention,RA-EVs significantly promoted the proliferation,migration,and angiogenesis of HUVECs,as well as upregulated PI3K/AKT phosphorylation.The inhibitor of PI3K suppressed angiogenesis induced by EVs.Conclusion EVs in synovial fluid of RA carried more cytokines and enzymes that related angiogenesis and inflammation.These EVs exert their pro-angiogenic effects by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway,then contributing to the pathological progression of RA.

Objective To explore the effect of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)on gut microbiota and blood ammonia level in patients with decompensated cirrhosis,and to analyze the correlation between the gut microbiota and blood ammonia level.Methods From July 2021 to December 2023,the patients with decompensated cirrhosis and portal hypertension complicated by esophagogastric variceal bleeding and/or refractory ascites,who received TIPS at Zhuhai Hospital of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine,were collected.The blood and stool samples were collected before and after TIPS.The changes in blood routine,prothrombin time,liver function,and blood ammonia level were determined.The change of gut microbiota was detected using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing,and Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between the gut microbiota and blood ammonia level.Results In 20 patients,the post-TIPS one-month levels of AST,TBil,DBiL,PT,and blood ammonia were higher than their pre-TIPS values(P＜0.05),and the albumin(Alb)level was lower than the pre-TIPS value(P＜0.05).The post-TIPS 3-month levels of TBil,DBil,PT,and blood ammonia were higher than their pre-TIPS values(P＜0.05).One month after TIPS,the beta diversity of the gut microbiota became significantly different from the pre-TIPS pattern(P＜0.05).After TIPS,the harmful bacteria such as Veillonella,Streptococcus and Haemophilus were significantly reduced,the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The correlation analysis of gut microbiota and blood ammonia level showed that in T0 group Colidextribacter was positively correlated with blood ammonia level,while Roxobella was negatively correlated with blood ammonia level;and in T1 group,Colidextribacter and Streptococcus were positively correlated with blood ammonia level,while Coprococcus,Bifidobacterium and Parasutterella were negatively correlated with blood ammonia level,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion In patients with decompensated cirrhosis after receiving TIPS,significant changes in the pattern of gut microbiota occur.Certain correlations exist between the changes of some microbiota and blood ammonia levels.Regulating the intestinal microecology may contribute to reducing blood ammonia level after TIPS.

Metastasis serves as an indicator of malignancy and is a biological characteristic of carcinomas. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a key role in the promotion of tumor invasion and metastasis and in the enhancement of tumor cell aggressiveness. Prostaglandin E synthase 3 (p23) is a cochaperone for heat shock protein 90 (HSP90). Our previous study showed that p23 is an HSP90-independent transcription factor in cancer-associated inflammation. The effect and mechanism of action of p23 on lung cancer metastasis are tested in this study. By utilizing cell models in vitro and mouse tail vein metastasis models in vivo, the results provide solid evidence that p23 is critical for promoting lung cancer metastases by regulating downstream CXCL1 expression. Rather than acting independently, p23 forms a complex with RNA-binding motif protein 14 (RBM14) to facilitate EMT progression in lung cancer. Therefore, our study provides evidence for the potential role of the RBM14-p23-CXCL1-EMT axis in the metastasis of lung cancer.

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction syndrome caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Septic acute kidney injury (SAKI) is one of the most common complications of sepsis, and the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI) indicates that the patient's condition is critical with a poor prognosis. The traditional view holds that the main mechanism of SAKI is the reduction of renal blood flow, inadequate renal perfusion, inflammatory response, and microcirculatory dysfunction caused by sepsis, which subsequently leads to ischemia and necrosis of renal tubular cells. Recent research findings indicate that processes such as autophagy and other forms of programmed cell death play an increasingly important role. Autophagy is a programmed intracellular degradation process and is a form of programmed cell death. Cells degrade their cytoplasmic components via lysosomes, breaking down and recycling intracellular constituents to meet their metabolic needs, maintain intracellular homeostasis, and renew organelles. During SAKI, autophagy plays a crucial protective role through various mechanisms, including regulating inflammation and immune responses, clearing damaged organelles, and maintaining stability in the intracellular environment. In recent years, the role of autophagy in the pathogenesis and treatment of SAKI has received widespread attention. Research has confirmed that various intracellular signaling pathways and signaling molecules targeting autophagy [such as mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway, and Sirtuins (SIRT), autophagy associated factor Beclin-1, and Toll-like receptor (TLR)] are involved in the development of SAKI. Due to the complex pathogenesis of SAKI, current treatment strategies include fluid management, infection control, maintenance of internal environment balance, and renal replacement therapy; however, the mortality remains high. In recent years, it has been found that autophagy plays a critical protective role in sepsis-mediated AKI. As a result, an increasing number of drugs are being developed to alleviate SAKI by regulating autophagy. This article reviews the latest advances in the role of autophagy in the pathogenesis and treatment of SAKI, with the aim of providing insights for the development of new drugs for SAKI patients.
Humans ; Acute Kidney Injury/etiology* ; Autophagy ; Sepsis/complications* ; Signal Transduction