Mass spectrometry imaging （MSI） is an emerging molecular imaging technique that combines high spatial resolution and the ability to acquire molecular information. This technology can directly obtain spatial distribution maps of metabolites, proteins, lipids and other molecules in tumor tissues, reveal the abnormal molecular changes during the occurrence and development of liver cancer, and make up for the deficiency of information at the molecular level in traditional imaging （such as CT, MRI）. In liver cancer research, MSI has demonstrated unique advantages and application potential in early diagnosis and screening, precise classification, tumor heterogeneity analysis, and exploration of molecular mechanisms. The principle characteristics of MSI technology and its latest progress in the early diagnosis, classification and molecular mechanism research of liver cancer were reviewed, and the current challenges and future development directions were discussed, which aimed to provide a new perspective and theoretical basis for an in-depth understanding of the pathological mechanism of liver cancer and promoted its precise diagnosis and treatment.

ObjectiveTo investigate the influencing factors for traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes of primary liver cancer， and to provide a theoretical basis for the TCM syndrome differentiation and standardized treatment of liver cancer. MethodsTCM syndrome differentiation was performed for 415 patients who were admitted to Shanxi Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and were diagnosed with primary liver cancer based on pathological or clinical examinations from January 2019 to December 2023. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups， and the unordered polytomous logistic regression model was used to investigate the influencing factors for TCM syndromes of liver cancer. ResultsThe common initial symptoms of the 415 patients with primary liver cancer included pain in the liver area （31.81%）， abdominal distension （25.30%）， abdominal pain （15.18%）， and weakness （13.98%）， and the main clinical symptoms included poor appetite （70.84%）， fatigue （69.16%）， pain in the liver area （67.47%）， poor sleep （59.04%）， abdominal distension （53.01%）， and constipation （52.53%）. There were significant differences in TCM syndromes between patients with different sexes， courses of the disease， clinical stages， Child-Pugh classes， presence or absence of intrahepatic and extrahepatic metastasis， and presence or absence of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization （TACE） and radiofrequency ablation （all P<0.05）. The logistic regression analysis showed that male sex was a risk factor for damp-heat accumulation （odds ratio ［OR］=2.036， P=0.048） and the syndrome of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency （OR=5.240， P<0.001）； a course of disease of<1 year was a risk factor for damp-heat accumulation （OR=2.837， P=0.004） and syndrome of Qi stagnation and blood stasis （OR=2.317， P=0.021）， but it was a protective factor against syndrome of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency （OR=0.385， P=0.005）； Child-Pugh class A/B was a protective factor against liver-kidney Yin deficiency （OR=0.079， P<0.001）； intrahepatic metastasis was a risk factor for liver-kidney Yin deficiency （OR=5.117， P=0.003） and syndrome of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency （OR=3.303， P=0.010）； TACE was a protective factor against liver-kidney Yin deficiency （OR=0.171， P<0.001） and syndrome of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency （OR=0.138， P<0.001）； radiofrequency ablation was a risk factor for damp-heat accumulation （OR=4.408， P<0.001） and liver-kidney Yin deficiency （OR=32.036， P<0.001）. ConclusionSex， course of disease， Child-Pugh class， intrahepatic metastasis， TACE， and radiofrequency ablation are the main influencing factors for TCM syndromes of liver cancer.

Objectives:To assess the impact of intravascular ultrasound(IVUS)guidance for drug-eluting stent(DES)implantation on the long-term outcomes in coronary artery disease(CAD)patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 1 800 CAD and CKD patients who underwent coronary DES implantation at Nanjing First Hospital from January 2018 to December 2022.Patients were divided into IVUS-guided group(IVUS group,n=333)and angiography-guided group(angiography group,n=1 467).Propensity score matching(PSM)was performed at a 1:2 ratio to adjust for differences in baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics between the two groups.Major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE),including cardiac death,target vessel myocardial infarction,and clinically driven target vessel revascularization,were evaluated over a 2-year follow-up.Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to identify independent predictors of MACE.Results:After propensity score matching,333 patients in the IVUS group were matched with 666 patients in the angiography group.Following matching,there were no significant differences in clinical characteristics and angiographic data between the two groups(all P>0.05).Regarding procedural data,IVUS group had a higher number of stents implanted,longer total stent length,larger average stent diameter,more frequent use of post-dilation balloons,larger post-dilation balloon diameter,and greater contrast agent usage(all P<0.05).MACE rate was significantly higher in the angiography group than that in the IVUS group(23.9%vs.18.0%,P=0.037).The difference was mainly attributed to a higher rate of cardiac death in the angiography group(16.1%vs.10.8%,P=0.013).Additionally,patients in angiography group had a significantly higher all-cause mortality rate compared to IVUS group(19.7%vs.13.8%,P=0.022).Multivariate cox regression analysis showed that IVUS guidance(HR=0.73,95%CI:0.55-0.99,P=0.042)was an independent protective factor,while hypertension(HR=1.60,95%CI:1.13-2.26,P=0.008),type 2 diabetes(HR=1.56,95%CI:1.19-2.05,P=0.001),acute coronary syndrome(HR=1.92,95%CI:1.12-3.30,P=0.018),and moderate to severe calcification(HR=1.55,95%CI:1.18-2.04,P=0.002)were independent risk factors for MACE at 2 years after DES implantation in CKD patients.Conclusions:Patients with CAD and CKD,IVUS-guided DES implantation is associated with a reduced risk of MACE and all-cause mortality at 2 years post-procedure compared to coronary angiography-guided implantation.

[Purpose]To analyze the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer in Zhejiang can-cer registration areas in 2021 and its temporal trends from 2000 to 2021.[Methods]Data from 22 cancer registries in Zhejiang Province in 2021 that met the quality standards were included.The crude incidence/mortality rate,age-standardized incidence/mortality rates by Chinese standard population(ASIRC/ASMRC)and by world standard population(ASIRW/ASMRW),and cumulative incidence(mortality)rate for 0～74 years old were calculated.Trends from 2000 to 2021 were ana-lyzed using the Joinpoint regression model by calculating the annual percentage change(APC)and average annual percentage change(AAPC).[Results]In 2021,the number of new colorectal cancer cases in Zhejiang cancer registration areas was 12 265,with 4 323 deaths.ASIRC and ASMRC were significantly higher in men(32.74/105 and 10.11/105)than those in women(20.78/105 and 5.99/105).Urban areas showed higher ASIRC and ASMRC(28.27/105 and 8.06/105)than rural areas(24.12/105 and 7.85/105).The age-specific incidence and mortality rates of colorectal cancer in Zhejiang Province showed an increasing trend with age,with a peak of 219.63/105 in the age group of 80～84 years old.The age-specific mortality rate peaked in the age group of 85 years old and above,with a peak of 199.65/105.From 2000 to 2021,ASIRC in Zhejiang Province showed an upward trend(AAPC=2.23％,P＜0.001),ASMRC showed a marginal increase(AAPC=0.78％,P=0.067).[Conclusion]The incidence of colorectal cancer in Zhejiang Province had been on a continuous rise in the past 22 years,and health education and early screening should be empha-sized.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis(CIP)is a relatively common immune-related adverse event.The current treatment for CIP mainly relies on glucocorticoids,with 70％～80％of patients being controlled by conventional glucocorticoid therapy.However,steroid-unresponsive CIP is often se-vere and can be life-threatening.There is no standard treatment protocol for steroid-unresponsive CIP,highlighting a significant unmet clinical need.This paper reviews the diagnosis,treatment progress,and exploratory research of steroid-unresponsive CIP to provide evidence-based guidelines and directions for clinical and translational research.

AIM:This study aims to investigate the protective effect of Buyang-Huanwu decoction(BYHWD)on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury(CIRI)in rats,focusing on its role in regulating the autophagy of cerebral micro-vascular endothelial cells(BMECs).METHODS:(1)We established a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion/re-perfusion(MCAO/R)and divided the subjects into four groups:sham group,model(MCAO/R)group,BYHWD group,and 3-n-butylphthalide(NBP)group.Neurological deficits were assessed using the Zea Longa score,while the volume of cerebral infarction was measured through 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TTC)staining.Pathological damage in the ischemic penumbra was evaluated using HE staining,and blood-brain barrier(BBB)permeability was assessed by Evans blue(EB)staining.The ultrastructure of BMECs was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy,and the co-expres-sion and positive cell rate of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3)in BMECs were determined through im-munofluorescence double staining.Additionally,the protein expression levels of ZO-1,claudin-5 and occludin in the cor-tical region of the ischemic penumbra in rats were examined using Western blot analysis.(2)A rat BMEC model of oxy-gen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R)was also established.Rat BMECs were categorized into normal control(CON),OGD/R,dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO),rapamycin and 3-methyladenine groups to observe autophagy levels by monodansylcadaverine(MDC)staining.Furthermore,rat BMECs were divided into CON,OGD/R,BYHWD-containing serum(BHDS)and NBP groups.The cell autophagy was assessed by MDC staining and Western blot,while cell viability was measured by CCK-8 assay.RESULTS:(1)The rats in MCAO/R group exhibited significantly higher neurological scores(P＜0.01)and increased cerebral infarction volumes(P＜0.01)compared with sham group.Severe damage in the ischemic penumbra was observed,characterized by disordered tissue structure,widened intercellular spaces,and compro-mised cellular integrity.The EB dye permeability was notably elevated(P＜0.01),and BMECs showed structural destruc-tion,including damaged cell membranes,swollen Golgi apparatus,dilated endoplasmic reticulum vesicles,and damaged mitochondria.The ratio of LC3+CD31+/CD31+and the protein levels of ZO-1,claudin-5 and occludin were significantly el-evated(P＜0.01).In contrast,the rats in BYHWD and NBP groups demonstrated lower neurological scores(P＜0.01)and reduced cerebral infarction volumes(P＜0.01).Furthermore,EB permeability decreased(P＜0.01),BMEC morphol-ogy improved,and the protein expression levels of ZO-1,claudin-5 and occludin increased(P＜0.05).(2)Rat BMECs in OGD/R group had a significantly elevated autophagy level compared with CON group(P＜0.01),with increased expres-sion of LC3 and beclin-1 proteins and decreased level of P62 protein(P＜0.05).Notably,the cells in BHDS and NBP groups displayed decreased autophagy level compared with OGD/R group,with increased cell viability(P＜0.01),re-duced LC3 and beclin-1 protein expression,and increased P62 protein expression(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION:Buyang-Huanwu decoction alleviates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats by inhibiting the autophagy of cerebral microvas-cular endothelial cells.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis(CIP)is a relatively common immune-related adverse event.The current treatment for CIP mainly relies on glucocorticoids,with 70％～80％of patients being controlled by conventional glucocorticoid therapy.However,steroid-unresponsive CIP is often se-vere and can be life-threatening.There is no standard treatment protocol for steroid-unresponsive CIP,highlighting a significant unmet clinical need.This paper reviews the diagnosis,treatment progress,and exploratory research of steroid-unresponsive CIP to provide evidence-based guidelines and directions for clinical and translational research.

Objective:To investigate the association between the triglyceride-glucose(TyG)index and the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular disease(CVD)in a large population-based cohort.Methods:Participants aged 40-79 years without a history of CVD at baseline were drawn from the CHi-nese Electronic health Records Research in Yinzhou(CHERRY)study between January 1,2010,and May 31,2020.The TyG index was calculated using baseline triglyceride and fasting blood glucose.Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between the TyG index and the composite outcome of CVD(incidence and mortality),adjusting for age,gender,education,region,smoking sta-tus,body mass index,systolic blood pressure,and total cholesterol.Hazard ratios(HR)and 95％confi-dence intervals(CI)were calculated.Nonlinear associations between the TyG index and CVD were fur-ther evaluated using restricted cubic splines,and subgroup analyses by gender and age were conducted to explore potential differences.Results:A total of 226 406 individuals were included,with a mean age of(55.0±9.7)years at baseline,46.8％of whom were men,and a median TyG index of 8.68.Over a median follow-up of 7.99 years,9 815(4.34％)participants experienced CVD incidence or mortality.After adjusting for age,gender,education,region,smoking status,body mass index,systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol,the risk of CVD increased with higher TyG index levels(P＜0.001).The risk in the highest TyG quartile(TyG＞9.10)was 42％higher than in the lowest quartile(TyG ≤8.32)(HR=1.42,95％CI:1.34-1.51).Individuals under 60 years had a higher HR for CVD compared with those aged 60 years and above(HR:1.71 vs.1.27,P＜0.05).Restricted cubic spline analysis revealed a reverse L-shaped association between the TyG index and CVD risk in the overall population(P＜0.001 for nonlinear trend),with risk increasing after the TyG index exceeded 8.67.However,the threshold varied by gender,with a lower threshold in women(8.51)than in men(8.67).Conclusion:A significant nonlinear relationship was revealed between the TyG index and CVD risk,with a threshold effect.The risk of CVD increased once the TyG index surpassed a certain threshold,with a lower threshold in women than in men.These findings suggest that cardiovascular risk prediction and interven-tions based on the TyG index should be gender-stratified,and early intervention for individuals under 60 years old might have important public health implications.

Objective:To investigate the role of ezrin-radixin-moesin-binding phosphoprotein 50 (EBP50) in renal tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in diabetic nephropathy (DN).Methods:Renal tissue specimens from 24 DN patients (DN group) confirmed by medical history, clinical laboratory tests, and pathological diagnosis at the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University and 15 adjacent normal renal tissues (control group) from 2018 to 2023 were collected. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression of EBP50, E-cadherin, and Vimentin proteins. Additionally, 10 healthy volunteers were enrolled as a normal group, and fasting blood glucose, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and 24 h urinary protein levels were compared between DN patients and the normal group.Results:Fasting blood glucose, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and 24 h urinary protein levels were significantly higher in the DN group than in the normal group (all P<0.01). Periodic acid-schiff (PAS) staining revealed significant thickening of the glomerular basement membrane, increased extracellular matrix, vacuolar degeneration of renal tubules, and elevated extracellular matrix in the renal interstitium in the DN group. Immunohistochemistry showed higher expression of EBP50 and E-cadherin proteins in the control group than in the DN group (all P<0.01), while Vimentin expression was lower in the control group ( P<0.01). Conclusions:EBP50 is involved in the EMT process of renal tubules in DN and is associated with tubular injury.

Objectives:To describe the use of antihypertensive, antidiabetic and lipid-lowering drugs, and evaluate the effects on blood pressure, blood glucose and blood lipids controls required by Chinese Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases (the guideline) in a community-based cohort of individuals at high risk for cardiovascular disease. To analyze the association of the uses of antihypertensive, antidiabetic and lipid-lowering drugs, and the comprehensive control of blood pressure, blood glucose and blood lipids with cardiovascular disease. Methods:From the CHinese Electronic health Records Research in Yinzhou (CHERRY), those who were at high risk for cardiovascular disease and aged 40-75 years as of January 1, 2013 in in Yinzhou District of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province were selected as study subjects. The information about their antihypertensive, antidiabetic, and lipid-lowering drug uses between 2013 and 2015 was collected, and blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood lipid measurements were conducted during the follow-up. The study constructed two kinds of comprehensive scores: the comprehensive medication score based on the guideline requirement for the treatment of hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia, dividing the study participants into the compliancy group and non-compliancy group; and the comprehensive control score based on the guideline requirement for blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood lipids control, dividing the study participants into better control group, moderate control group, and poor control group. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the association of the comprehensive medication score and comprehensive control score with cardiovascular disease. The incidence data of cardiovascular disease were collected from January 1, 2015 (baseline time) to August 31, 2020 (follow up end time).Results:A total of 79 734 participants at high risk for cardiovascular disease were included in the study, in whom 68.4%, 27.4%, and 4.2% had 1, 2, or 3 cardiometabolic conditions (hypertension, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia), respectively. In the participants with hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia from 2013 to 2015, the proportions of those who had two years of medication compliancy records were 66.0%, 67.4%, and 13.9%, respectively. In the hypertension patients, 59.2% had better blood pressure control, in the diabetes patients, 28.7% had better blood glucose control, and in the patients with hyperlipidemia, 27.4% had better blood lipid control. After a median follow-up of 5.66 years, 4 088 cardiovascular disease cases or deaths occurred. After multivariate adjustment, compared with the non-compliancy group, the compliancy group had lower risk for cardiovascular disease ( HR=0.91, 95% CI: 0.85-0.96). Compared with the better control group, the poor control group had an increased risk for cardiovascular disease ( HR=1.67, 95% CI: 1.53-1.81). In the moderate control group, the risk increased significantly in the diabetes patients ( HR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.07-1.56), while no additional risk for cardiovascular disease was observed in non-diabetes patients ( HR=1.06, 95% CI: 0.97-1.16). Conclusions:Compliancy to the medication required by the guideline is associated with lower risk for cardiovascular disease. However, it is still necessary to improve the medication compliancy in people at high risk in primary prevention, especially in the patients with hyperlipidemia, due to their low taking rate of lipid-lowering drugs. Additionally, as the requirement of the guideline becomes more stringent, the management of disease has met more challenges. Notably, diabetes patients who have not met the guideline requirement are at high risk for cardiovascular disease, to whom the disease management should be strengthened.