Objective To explore the clinical value of inflammatory prognostic index combined with dual-source CT perfusion imaging in predicting early response of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)after transcatheter hepatic artery chemoembolization(TACE).Methods A total of 25 patients with HCC,who met the inclusion criteria and received initial TACE at the First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University of China from November 2022 to November 2023,were prospectively collected.CT perfusion scan was performed before TACE as well as in 30-40 days after TACE,and blood routine and blood biochemical data were collected.The modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors(mRECIST)was used to evaluate postoperative enhanced CT manifestations.Patients obtaining complete remission(CR)or partial remission(PR)were classified as effective group(n=14),and patients obtaining stable disease(SD)or progression disease(PD)were classified as ineffective group(n=11).The differences in CT perfusion imaging parameters and inflammatory parameters between the two groups were analyzed,and the predictive values of preoperative CT perfusion imaging parameters and inflammatory parameters for postoperative early response of HCC were evaluated.The cutoff value was taken at the maximum Youden index.Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were used to analyze the effect of CT perfusion imaging parameters,inflammatory parameters and clinical features on the prognosis.The nomogram prediction model was constructed by using R software.Results The post-TACE arterial liver perfusion(ALP),hepatic perfusion index(HPI),blood flow(BF)and blood volume(BV)were significantly lower than their pre-TACE values(all P＜0.05).Afer TACE portal vein perfusion(PVP)was obviously higher than that before operation(P＜0.05).No statistically significant differences in the mean transit time(MTT),flow extraction product(FED),C-reactive protein(CRP),albumin(ALB),neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio(NLR)and inflammatory prognosis index(IPI)existed between the pre-TACE values and post-TACE values(all P＞0.05).The pre-TACE ALP,BF and FED in the effective group were significantly higher than those in the ineffective group,while the pre-TACE CRP and IPI in the effective group were remarkably lower than those in the ineffective group(P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in pre-TACE PVP,HPI,MTT,BV,ALB and NLR between the effective group and the ineffective group before(all P＞0.05).In the effective group,the pre-TACE ALP,HPI,BF,BV and FED were obviously higher than their post-TACE values(all P＜0.05)preoperative PVP was significantly lower than postoperation(P＜0.05),while no statistically significant differences in MTT,CRP,ALB,NLR and IPI existed between the pre-TACE values and the post-TACE values(all P＞0.05).In the ineffective group,the pre-TACE HPI was prominently higher than the post-TACE value(P＜0.05),while no statistically significant differences in ALP,PVP,BF,BV,MTT,FED,ALB,CRP,NLR and IPI existed between the pre-TACE values and the post-TACE values(all P＞0.05).The pre-TACE ALP,BF,BV,FED,CRP and IPI had high predictive values in judging early response of HCC after TACE(all P＜0.05),the AUC values were 0.831,0.779,0.740,0.753,0.779 and 0.805 respectively,and the optimal cutoffs were 33.280 mL/100 mL min,61.860 mL/100 mL min,5.885 mL/100 mL,29.725 mL/100 mL min,30.465 mg/L,1.885 respectively.ALP combined with CRP had the highest predictive value for post-TACE early response of HCC,with an AUC of 0.968(95％CI:0.906-1.000,P＜0.05),ALP combined with IPI could significantly improve the predictive value,with an AUC of 0.961(95％CI:0.894-1.000,P＜0.05),with the sensitivity and specificity being 0.929 and 0.909 respectively.Multivariate analysis showed that pre-TACE ALP and CRP were the independent influencing factors for post-TACE early response of HCC(P＜0.05).The nomogram prediction model constructed based on the pre-TACE ALP and CRP could effectively predict the post-TACE early response of HCC,and the AUC value was 0.968(95％CI:0.908-1.000).Conclusion ALP and CRP can be used to predict the post-TACE early response of HCC,and the combination use of ALP and CRP can significantly improve the predictive value.

Objective To explore the value of radiomics in differential diagnosis of small cell lung cancer(SCLC)and non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods Literature on the differential diagnosis of SCLC and NSCLC using radiomics was searched in Chinese and English databases.After literature screening and data extraction,Meta-DiSc1.4 and State16.0 SE software were used for analysis.Results A total of 910 patients were included in 8 studies.Meta-analysis results showed that the radiomics differential diag-nosis of SCLC and NSCLC had high co-sensitivity(Sen)and specificity(Spe),0.87[95%confidence interval(CI)0.83-0.91]and 0.88(95%CI 0.85-0.90),respectively.Meta-regression analysis showed that heterogeneity was not caused by feature extraction software type,joint machine learning,image pattern,brain metastasis,and sample size.Publication bias results didn't show any sig-nificant publication bias.Conclusion The radiomics method can differentiate and diagnose SCLC from NSCLC more accurately.When Matlab software is used to extract MRI image features combined with machine learning,and the sample size is large enough,the radiomics can differentiate and diagnose SCLC from NSCLC more accurately.

Objective To study the role of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 9(UBC9)in the pyroptosis of homocysteine-induced macrophages mediated by small ubiquitin-like modifier(SUMO)modification.Methods First,the effects of homocysteine at different concentrations(0 μmol/L,50 μ.mol/L,100 μmol/L,150 μmol/L and 200 μmol/L)on the viability and pyrodeath of mouse macrophages(RAW264.7)were detected by CCK-8 and Western blot.Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of UBC9,SUMO-1,and the inflammatory cytokine IL-1β in different groups of cells.qRT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of UBC9 before and after RNA interference and the expression of UBC9,pyrogen-related protein,and SUMO-1 after RNA interference.Results After stimulation with 100 μmol/L homocysteine,the effect of macrophage activity was minimal,and NLRP3 and Caspase-1 were the proteins with the most obvious increase in expression(P＜0.05).Compared with the Control group,the Hcy group's expression of IL-1β and SUMO-1 was increased(P＜0.01).Compared with the Control group,the Hcy group's UBC9 protein and mRNA levels were increased(P＜0.05).The expression of NLRP3,Caspase-1,IL-1β,UBC9,and SUMO-1 was decreased in the si-UBC9+Hcy group compared with the si-NC+Hcy group(P＜0.01).Conclusions Homocysteine induces pyroptosis in macrophages,and its mechanism of action is related to the up-regulation of UBC9 to induce SUMO modification.

Objective To investigate the protective effect of human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells(hAMSCs)on pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell(PMVECs)through observing the effects of prolifer-ation,apoptosis and inflammatory response after PMVECs injury induced by pine sawdust smoke solution.Methods HAMSCs and rat PMVECs were isolated and cultured.The flow cytometry and immunofluores-cence were used to identify hAMSCs and PMVECs respectively.The experimental grouping:control group(normal cultured PMVECs),smoke group(PMVECs injury induced by pine sawdust smoke solution),smoke+hAMSCs group(after PMVECs was injured by smoke solution,hAMSCs and PMVECs were co-cul-tured in Transwell culture system).The proliferative activity of PMVECs after co-culture for 12,24 h was measured by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8),the apoptosis of PMVECs was measured by flow cytometry,and the ex-pression levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results hAMSCs and PMVECs were successfully isolated and cultured,and the hAMSCs surface markers CD105(95.4％),CD73(99.8％)and CD90(99.8％)were identified as strongly positive expression,while CD34,CD45,CD14,CD19 and HLA-DR were weakly expressed(1.96％in total).The vascular endothelial cell mark-er CD34 in PMVECs was positively expressed,moreover its combination with aggulutinin BSI was also posi-tive.At the observation time point of 12,24 h co-culture,compared with the Control group,the proliferation activity of PMVECs in the Smoke group was inhibited(P＜0.05),and the cellular apoptosis was increased(P＜0.05),the TNF-α and IL-6 expression levels were up-regulated(P＜0.05);the phenomena of PMVECs proliferation activity inhibition,apoptosis increase and inflammatory factor expression level up-regulation in the Smoke+hAMSCs group were reversed compared with the Smoke group(P＜0.05).Conclusion After PMVECs are injured by smoke solution,hAMSCs could decrease the PMVECs inflammatory factors expres-sion,promote its proliferation activity and inhibit its apoptosis,thus play the protective effect on PMVECs.

Purpose: Whether COVID-19 reduces male fertility remains requires further investigation. This meta-analysis and systematic review evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on male fertility. Materials and Methods: The literature in PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library up to January 01, 2022 was systematically searched, and a meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effect of COVID-19 on male fertility. Totally 17 studies with a total of 1,627 patients and 1,535 control subjects were included in our meta-analysis. Results: Regarding sperm quality, COVID-19 decreased the total sperm count (p=0.012), sperm concentration (p=0.001), total motility (p=0.001), progressive sperm motility (p=0.048), and viability (p=0.031). Subgroup analyses showed that different control group populations did not change the results. It was found that during the illness stage of COVID-19, semen volume decreased, and during the recovery stage of COVID-19, sperm concentration and total motility decreased <90 days. We found that sperm concentration and total motility decreased during recovery for ≥90 days. Fever because of COVID-19 significantly reduced sperm concentration and progressive sperm motility, and COVID-19 without fever ≥90 days, the sperm total motility and progressive sperm motility decreased. Regarding disease severity, the moderate type of COVID-19 significantly reduced sperm total motility, but not the mild type. Regarding sex hormones, COVID-19 increased prolactin and estradiol. Subgroup analyses showed that during the illness stage, COVID-19 decreased testosterone (T) levels and increased luteinizing hormone levels. A potential publication bias may have existed in our meta-analysis. Conclusions COVID-19 in men significantly reduced sperm quality and caused sex hormone disruption. COVID-19 had long-term effects on sperm quality, especially on sperm concentration and total motility. It is critical to conduct larger multicenter studies to determine the consequences of COVID-19 on male fertility.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness and outcomes of percutaneous ablation guided by ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) in colorectal liver oligometastases (CLOM). Methods: This study included patients with CLOM treated with percutaneous ablation from January 2008 to January 2021 in this observational study. Only lesions visualized on both CT and US images were further analyzed according to whether patients’ initial ablation treatments utilized US guidance or CT guidance. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate local tumor progression (LTP)–free survival after propensity score matching (PSM). The LTP-free survival and treatment-related outcomes were compared between these two groups. Results: PSM identified 116 patients from each group, with 269 and 238 lesions in the USguided and CT-guided groups, respectively. US-guided ablation had a shorter average procedure time and lower cost than CT-guided ablation (27.54±12.06 minutes vs. 32.70±13.88 minutes, P=0.003; $2,175.13±618.17 vs. $2,455.49±710.25, P=0.002). For patients >60 years of age, the cumulative LTP rate at 1 year was lower in the US-guided group than in the CT-guided group (17.8% vs. 25.1%, P=0.038). For patients with perivascular liver lesions, the cumulative LTP rate at 1 year was lower in the US-guided group (14.4% vs. 28.2%, P=0.040). Conclusion For patients whose age is >60 years or who have perivascular liver lesions, USguided ablation is better than CT-guided ablation, with a shorter treatment time and lower costs when both ablation methods are feasible for patients.

Objective:Through the investigation of the pathogenicity of COL4A4 heterozygous splicing mutations and the genotype-phenotype correlation in autosomal dominant Alport syndrome (ADAS), to better understand the impact of COL4A4 heterozygous splicing mutations on ADAS. Methods:The study was a case series analysis. Patients from 5 ADAS families with COL4A4 heterozygous splicing mutations detected by whole exome sequencing were recruited by three hospitals. In vivo transcriptional analysis and/or in vitro minigene splicing assay were conducted to determine the splicing patterns and assess the pathogenicity of COL4A4 heterozygous splicing mutations. Results:In the five ADAS pedigrees carrying COL4A4 heterozygous splicing mutations, four novel ADAS splicing patterns were described. In pedigree 1-4, most patients presented with continuous hematuria or/and microalbuminuria. Otherwise,the proband in pedigree 4 presented with macroalbuminuria and the proband in pedigree 1 had progressed to chronic kidney disease stage 2 at the age of 70 years old. In pedigree 5, all patients developed end-stage renal disease between 28 and 41 years old. c.735+3A>G detected in pedigree 1 and pedigree 2 and c.694-1G>C detected in pedigree 3 both led to exon 12 skipping in COL4A4, resulting in 42 nucleotides in-frame deletion (c.694_735del). c.2056+3A>G detected in pedigree 4 led to COL4A4 exon 26 skipping, which caused in-frame deletion of 69 nucleotides (c.1988_2056del). c.2716+5G>T detected in pedigree 5 led to a 360 nucleotides large in-frame deletion, including 100 bp sequence at the 3'end of exon 29,the whole sequence of exon 30 and 89 bp sequence at the 5'end of exon 31 (c.2446_2805del). Conclusions:Renal prognosis differs significantly for patients with small in-frame deletions versus large in-frame deletion splicing abnormalities. Determination of the pathogenicity and the splicing patterns of COL4A4 heterozygous splicing mutations using in vivo and in vitro transcriptional analysis may provide renal prognostic information.

Alzheimer’s disease （AD）is a common latent neurodegenerative disease ，which is characterized by cognitive impairment，loss of learning and memory function ，abnormal behavior and dementia. At present ，there is no specific drug to effectively prevent or reverse AD. Gardenia jasminoides is the dried and mature fruit of G. jasminoides J. Ellis ，a gardenia plant in Rubiaceae. Its chemical components mainly include iridoids ，triterpenoids，organic acids and volatile oils ，among which iridoids are the main active components of G. jasminoides . This paper summarizes the researches on the mechanism of iridoids from G. jasminoides against AD at home and abroad in recent years ，in order to provide reference for the development of new drugs against AD.

BACKGROUND: SMARCA2 (SWI/SNF Related, Matrix Associated, Actin Dependent Regulator of Chromatin, Subfamily A, Member 2) is an important ATPase catalytic subunit in the switch-sucrose nonfermenting (SWI/SNF) complex. However, its relationship with the pathological features of NSCLC and its prognosis remain unclear. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 2390 patients with surgically resected NSCLC, constructed tissue microarrays (TMAs) and performed immunohistochemical assays. We analyzed the correlation of SAMRCA2 with clinicopathological features and evaluated its prognostic value. RESULTS: Among 2390 NSCLC cases, the negative expression ratios of SAMRCA2, SMARCA4, ARID1A, ARID1B and INI1 were 9.3%, 1.8%, 1.2%, 0.4% and 0%, respectively. In NSCLC, male sex, T3 and T4 stage, moderate and poor differentiation, tumor ≥ 2 cm, Ki67 ≥ 15%, SOX-2 negative expression, middle lobe lesion and adenocarcinoma were relative risk factors affecting SMARCA2-negative expression. In lung adenocarcinomas, high-grade nuclei, histological morphology of acinar and papillary, solid and micropapillary and TTF-1-negative expression were relative risk factors affecting SMARCA2-negative expression. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the OS was shorter in the SMARCA2-negative group. Multivariate survival analysis revealed that SMARCA2-negative expression was an independent factor correlated with a poor prognosis in NSCLC. CONCLUSION In conclusion, SMARCA2-negative expression is an independent predictor of a poor outcome of NSCLC and is a potential target for NSCLC treatment.
Adenosine Triphosphatases/metabolism* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/genetics* ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Transcription Factors/genetics*

Objective:To explore the sex-based heterogeneity in demographic and pathological trends of lung cancer during the past 30 years.Methods:Patients with primary lung cancer who received surgical treatment in the Department of thoracic surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital Tongji University from 1989 to 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The differences between male and female patients in age, smoking history, pathological stage and type were compared. Mann- Kendall trend test was performed for trend analysis. Results:A total of 58 433 patients were included in this study, encompassing 30 729(52.6%) men and 27 , 704(47.4%) women. Compared with male patients, female patients were younger(56.0 years old vs. 59.7 years old), and had a higher proportion of non-smokers(98.3% vs. 52.3%), stage Ⅰ lung cancers(60.6% vs. 49.3%), and adenocarcinoma(93.7% vs. 56.1%, all P-values <0.001). Trend analyses revealed that the proportion of female patients increased year by year, and surpassed males in 2015, with the current ratio of male to female being 1∶1.5. After 2013, the age of onset in females was getting younger, and the average age decreased from 58.7 years old to 54.7 years old( P=0.02). The decrease in the proportion of smoking patients was mainly reflected by male patients(from 68.5% to 31.1%, P<0.01). Stage Ⅰ lung cancers in male and females outnumbered advanced stage in 2012 and 2010, respectively, with a much higher proportion in female patients. Among male patients, adenocarcinoma has replaced squamous cell carcinoma as the most common pathological type since 2012, while in female patients adenocarcinoma remained the most common pathological type of lung cancer, and its proportion continued to increase reaching over 98%. Conclusion:A dramatic change in gender distribution was noticed during the past 30 years. Female patients became the primary population in surgically-treated lung cancers, with a trend of getting younger. The proportion of smokers and squamous cell carcinoma decreased significantly in male patients, and adenocarcinoma has become the most common pathological type of lung cancer. The proportion of stage Ⅰ lung cancers was on a dramatic rise, with the popularization of CT screening for lung cancer.