OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic efficacy of ^99mTc-MDP three-phase bone scintigraphy (TPBS) combined with C-reactive protein (CRP) for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). METHODS: The clinical data of 198 patients who underwent revision surgery of artificial joint between January 2017 and January 2024 and received TPBS examination before surgery were retrospectively analyzed. There were 77 males and 121 females with an average age of 63.74 years ranging from 24 to 92 years. There were 90 cases of hip arthroplasty and 108 cases of knee arthroplasty. PJI was diagnosed according to the 2013 American Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS) standard diagnostic criteria. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predict value (PPV) were calculated. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to compare the diagnostic performance of the three methods, and the area under curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance. RESULTS: According to the 2013 MSIS criteria, 116 cases were diagnosed as PJI, and the remaining 82 cases were aseptic loosening. The cases of PJI diagnosed by TPBS, CRP, and TPBS-CRP were 125, 109, and 137 respectively, and the cases of aseptic loosening were 73, 89, and 61 respectively. The sensitivity, accuracy, NPV, and PPV of TPBS-CRP combination in the diagnosis of PJI were higher than those of TPBS and CRP, but the specificity was lower than that of TPBS and CRP. ROC curve analysis further showed that the AUC value of TPBS-CRP combination was better than that of TPBS and CRP. The severity of bone defect and the duration of symptoms in patients with false positive TPBS diagnosis were worse than those in patients with true negative TPBS diagnosis (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the survival time of prosthesis between the two groups (P>0.05). Among the patients diagnosed with PJI by TPBS, CRP, and TPBS-CRP, 49, 35, and 54 patients had received antibiotic treatment 2 weeks before diagnosis, respectively. There was no significant difference in the diagnostic accuracy of TPBS and TPBS-CRP before diagnosis between patients treated with and without antibiotics and those not treated (P>0.05). The diagnostic accuracy of antibiotic therapy before CRP diagnosis was significantly lower than that of untreated patients (P<0.05). CONCLUSION TPBS and CRP have limited specificity in differentiating PJI from aseptic loosening. The TPBS-CRP combination diagnostic method can synergize the local bone metabolic characteristics and systemic inflammatory response to achieve higher diagnostic accuracy, but caution should be exercised in patients with severe bone defects and longer symptom duration.
Humans ; Prosthesis-Related Infections/blood* ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; C-Reactive Protein/metabolism* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Radionuclide Imaging/methods* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/adverse effects* ; Aged, 80 and over ; Technetium Tc 99m Medronate ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip/adverse effects* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Knee Prosthesis/adverse effects* ; ROC Curve ; Reoperation ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) in atherosclerotic plaques for regulating inflammatory responses during atherosclerosis (AS) progression. METHODS: Human coronary artery specimens from autopsy cases were examined for ATF3 protein expression and localization using immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting. Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE^-/-) mouse models of AS induced by high-fat diet (HFD) feeding for 12 weeks were subjected to tail vein injection of adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) to knock down ATF3 expression. After an additional 5 weeks of HFD feeding, the mice were euthanized for analyzing structural changes of the aortic plaques, and the expression levels of ATF3, inflammatory factors (CD45, CD68, IL-1β, and TNF-α), and NF-κB pathway proteins (P-IKKα/β and P-NF-κB p65) were detected. In the cell experiment, THP-1-derived foam cells were transfected with an ATF3-overexpressing plasmid or an ATF3-specific siRNA to validate the relationship between ATF3 and NF‑κB signaling. RESULTS: In human atherosclerotic plaques, ATF3 expression was significantly elevated and partially co-localized with CD68. ATF3 knockout in ApoE^-/- mice significantly increased aortic plaque volume, upregulated the inflammatory factors, enhanced phosphorylation of the NF‑κB pathway proteins, and increased the expressions of VCAM1, MMP9, and MMP2 in the plaques. In THP-1-derived foam cells, ATF3 silencing caused activation of the NF‑κB pathway, while ATF3 overexpression suppressed the activity of the NF-κB pathway. CONCLUSIONS AS promotes ATF3 expression, and ATF3 deficiency exacerbates AS progression by enhancing plaque inflammation via activating the NF-κB pathway, suggesting the potential of ATF3 as a therapeutic target for AS.
Animals ; Activating Transcription Factor 3/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Humans ; Mice ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic/metabolism* ; Inflammation/metabolism* ; Apolipoproteins E ; Atherosclerosis/metabolism* ; Diet, High-Fat

Objective To provide experimental evidence for selecting acupuncture timing in clinical practice,the optimal time for enhancing the brain effects of electroacupuncture at the Hegu acupoint(LI4)by observing brain imaging data,hemodynamic changes and differences in brain functional connectivity across the twelve traditional Chinese time periods were determined.Methods Thirty-six C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 12 groups corresponding to each of the twelve time periods(Zi,Chou,Yin,Mao,Chen,Si,Wu,Wei,Shen,You,Xu,Hai),with 3 mice per group.Each mouse received electroacupuncture stimulation using the same protocol.Brain imaging data and dynamic hemodynamic changes were collected using functional ultrasound imaging(FUS)ultrasound imaging technology every 0.4 s over a total duration of 420 s,covering pre-acupuncture(resting state),during acupuncture(task state),and post-acupuncture(post-task state)phases.The hippocampal region(HIP)was used as the observation point to analyze changes in functional connectivity between HIP and other brain regions before and after acupuncture.Results Compared to other time periods,the Mao group exhibited the largest whole-brain activation area and the highest average activation signal intensity.The hemodynamic signal increase in the hippocampal region was more pronounced,and the post-acupuncture blood flow signal intensity remained significantly higher than the pre-acupuncture resting state.Functional connectivity data revealed that,using 0.2 as the standard value,the Mao group showed the greatest number of altered brain regions before and after acupuncture.Notably,only in the Mao group was there a significant enhancement in connectivity between the bilateral hippocampal regions.Conclusion The immediate effects of electroacupuncture at the Hegu acupoint(LI4)and brain functional connectivity vary significantly across different time periods,aligning with the traditional Chinese medicine theory of meridian qi and blood flow.Mao time is identified as the optimal period.

AIM:To explore the mechanism of doxorubicin/copper(DOX/Cu)complex induced copper death in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.METHODS:Human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Huh7 was treated with DOX/Cu 0,2.5,4,7.5,10 and 12.5 μmol/L.The cell viability was detected by CCK-8 method.The cell proliferation level was observed by laser microscopy and proliferation kit.The cell invasion ability was determined by cell scratch assay.The flow cytometry was used to de-tect intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)and copper ion levels.And the western blot was used to detect intracellular iron-sulfur cluster proteins expression levels.RESULTS:With the increase of DOX/Cu concentration,cell viability,cell prolifera-tion and invasion ability decreased gradually.The copper ion chelating agent(TTM)can significantly restore the effects of DOX/Cu on cell viability.After DOX/Cu treatment,intracellular copper ion and ROS levels related to coproptosis were significantly increased,accompanied by the loss of iron-sulfur cluster proteins.CONCLUSION:DOX/Cu can inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma cells through cuproptosis.

Objective:To identify the key individual factors influencing intertemporal health decision-making and construct an interpretive structural model to analyze the logical relationships between these factors, providing intervention targets for making health-related intertemporal decisions.Methods:Through literature review and expert discussion, individual factors influencing health intertemporal decision-making were identified. The interpretive structural model and cross-impact matrix multiplication method were used to analyze the hierarchical relationships and category distribution among these factors.Results:A hierarchical structural model consisting of three levels and eight elements was established, with category distribution including independent, associated, and dependent groups. Education level and economic status were identified as fundamental factors at the bottom level, influencing each other and belonging to the independent group. Health cognition, health status, self-control, and emotional state were middle-level indirect factors. Self-control was influenced by health status and also affected emotional state and health cognition, while health cognition, in turn, influenced health status, placing these factors in the associated group. Future time perception and future situational expectations were direct factors at the top level, influencing each other and belonging to the dependent group.Conclusions:Education level, economic status, health cognition, health status, self-control, emotional state, future time perception, and future situational expectations are individual factors influencing intertemporal health decision-making, with an inherent relationship from bottom to top. Clarifying the pathways between these factors will help to provide targeted interventions based on individual conditions, promoting correct health intertemporal decision-making.

Objective:To investigate the association between dietary diversity and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) .Methods:A total of 553 patients diagnosed with CHD and undergoing PCI in the Department of Cardiology at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between May and November 2023 were enrolled using a convenience sampling method. A Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to assess patients' dietary intake after PCI, and the Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) was calculated. Patients were followed up for one year to determine the incidence of MACE.Results:History of hypertension, history of hyperlipidemia, body mass index, use of antiplatelet agents, use of diuretics, triglycerides, smoking index and DDS were identified as factors influencing the occurrence of MACE after PCI ( P<0.05) . Among these, higher dietary diversity had a protective effect against MACE. Conclusions:After PCI, patients with lower DDS experienced MACE more frequently than those with higher scores. Increased dietary diversity can effectively help prevent MACE in patients after PCI.

Objective To provide experimental evidence for selecting acupuncture timing in clinical practice,the optimal time for enhancing the brain effects of electroacupuncture at the Hegu acupoint(LI4)by observing brain imaging data,hemodynamic changes and differences in brain functional connectivity across the twelve traditional Chinese time periods were determined.Methods Thirty-six C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 12 groups corresponding to each of the twelve time periods(Zi,Chou,Yin,Mao,Chen,Si,Wu,Wei,Shen,You,Xu,Hai),with 3 mice per group.Each mouse received electroacupuncture stimulation using the same protocol.Brain imaging data and dynamic hemodynamic changes were collected using functional ultrasound imaging(FUS)ultrasound imaging technology every 0.4 s over a total duration of 420 s,covering pre-acupuncture(resting state),during acupuncture(task state),and post-acupuncture(post-task state)phases.The hippocampal region(HIP)was used as the observation point to analyze changes in functional connectivity between HIP and other brain regions before and after acupuncture.Results Compared to other time periods,the Mao group exhibited the largest whole-brain activation area and the highest average activation signal intensity.The hemodynamic signal increase in the hippocampal region was more pronounced,and the post-acupuncture blood flow signal intensity remained significantly higher than the pre-acupuncture resting state.Functional connectivity data revealed that,using 0.2 as the standard value,the Mao group showed the greatest number of altered brain regions before and after acupuncture.Notably,only in the Mao group was there a significant enhancement in connectivity between the bilateral hippocampal regions.Conclusion The immediate effects of electroacupuncture at the Hegu acupoint(LI4)and brain functional connectivity vary significantly across different time periods,aligning with the traditional Chinese medicine theory of meridian qi and blood flow.Mao time is identified as the optimal period.

AIM:To explore the mechanism of doxorubicin/copper(DOX/Cu)complex induced copper death in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.METHODS:Human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Huh7 was treated with DOX/Cu 0,2.5,4,7.5,10 and 12.5 μmol/L.The cell viability was detected by CCK-8 method.The cell proliferation level was observed by laser microscopy and proliferation kit.The cell invasion ability was determined by cell scratch assay.The flow cytometry was used to de-tect intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)and copper ion levels.And the western blot was used to detect intracellular iron-sulfur cluster proteins expression levels.RESULTS:With the increase of DOX/Cu concentration,cell viability,cell prolifera-tion and invasion ability decreased gradually.The copper ion chelating agent(TTM)can significantly restore the effects of DOX/Cu on cell viability.After DOX/Cu treatment,intracellular copper ion and ROS levels related to coproptosis were significantly increased,accompanied by the loss of iron-sulfur cluster proteins.CONCLUSION:DOX/Cu can inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma cells through cuproptosis.

Objective:To identify the key individual factors influencing intertemporal health decision-making and construct an interpretive structural model to analyze the logical relationships between these factors, providing intervention targets for making health-related intertemporal decisions.Methods:Through literature review and expert discussion, individual factors influencing health intertemporal decision-making were identified. The interpretive structural model and cross-impact matrix multiplication method were used to analyze the hierarchical relationships and category distribution among these factors.Results:A hierarchical structural model consisting of three levels and eight elements was established, with category distribution including independent, associated, and dependent groups. Education level and economic status were identified as fundamental factors at the bottom level, influencing each other and belonging to the independent group. Health cognition, health status, self-control, and emotional state were middle-level indirect factors. Self-control was influenced by health status and also affected emotional state and health cognition, while health cognition, in turn, influenced health status, placing these factors in the associated group. Future time perception and future situational expectations were direct factors at the top level, influencing each other and belonging to the dependent group.Conclusions:Education level, economic status, health cognition, health status, self-control, emotional state, future time perception, and future situational expectations are individual factors influencing intertemporal health decision-making, with an inherent relationship from bottom to top. Clarifying the pathways between these factors will help to provide targeted interventions based on individual conditions, promoting correct health intertemporal decision-making.

Objective:To investigate the association between dietary diversity and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) .Methods:A total of 553 patients diagnosed with CHD and undergoing PCI in the Department of Cardiology at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between May and November 2023 were enrolled using a convenience sampling method. A Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to assess patients' dietary intake after PCI, and the Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) was calculated. Patients were followed up for one year to determine the incidence of MACE.Results:History of hypertension, history of hyperlipidemia, body mass index, use of antiplatelet agents, use of diuretics, triglycerides, smoking index and DDS were identified as factors influencing the occurrence of MACE after PCI ( P<0.05) . Among these, higher dietary diversity had a protective effect against MACE. Conclusions:After PCI, patients with lower DDS experienced MACE more frequently than those with higher scores. Increased dietary diversity can effectively help prevent MACE in patients after PCI.