Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of plasma exchange (PE) in thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis (MG), thereby to provide theoretical support for its application in the treatment of thymoma-associated MG. Methods: A total of 133 patients with thymoma-associated MG admitted from January 2018 to September 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were matched using propensity score to reduce selection bias, yielding 22 matched pairs for both PE group (n=22) and non-PE group (n=22). Patient characteristics including gender, age of disease onset, course of disease, history of thymoma resection, clinical absolute scores [clinical absolute scores (CAS) and clinical relative scores (CRS)], and synchronized immunotherapy regimen of the two groups were analyzed. The CAS scores before and after treatment were compared between the two groups, and the CRS was used to assess the treatment efficiency. Safety of the two treatment regimens were also compared. Continuous variables were compared using the t-test or ANOVA, while categorical data were compared by the chi-square test. Results: A total of 133 patients were included and divided into two groups according to whether they underwent plasma exchange treatment: the PE group (n=22) and the non-PE group (n=111). To exclude bias caused by large difference in the number of cases between the two groups, we performed propensity score matching. After matching, the number of cases in both groups was 22. There was no significant difference in baseline clinical characteristics between the two groups (P>0.05), including gender, age of onset, duration of disease course, history of thymectomy and baseline CAS score before treatment. Compared to the non-PE group, patients in the PE group showed more significant improvement in CAS score (5.09±1.95 vs 3.59±1.50, P<0.05) and a higher CRS score (75.00% vs 50.00%, P<0.001). Compared to the non-PE group, PE group had significantly longer ICU stay, longer hospital stay and higher hospitalization cost (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in adverse events between the two groups during treatment (P>0.05). During long-term follow-up, both the PE and non-PE groups showed relatively low 1-, 3-, and 5-year recurrence rate, with no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: This study indicates that plasma exchange has clear value in the treatment of patients with thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis. It can not only significantly improve patients' muscle strength to alleviate motor dysfunction and enhance quality of life, but also does not significantly increase the incidence of adverse reactions. Therefore, it can be regarded as one of the preferred treatment options that achieve a "balance between efficacy and safety" for such patients, and provides an important basis for optimizing treatment strategies, improving prognosis, and promoting the application of subsequent treatment regimens.

Lung transplantation is the ultimate therapeutic option for end-stage pulmonary diseases such as interstitial pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumoconiosis. Currently, the shortage of allogeneic lung donors significantly limits the opportunity for end-stage lung disease patients to receive lung transplantation. In recent years, with the rapid development of biomedical engineering technologies, especially the major breakthroughs in genetic modification and cloning, xenogeneic lung transplantation has shown important potential for clinical translation. Among them, genetically modified pigs have become the most promising xenogeneic lung source due to the close similarity of organ size and physiological characteristics to humans, and the ability to perform targeted gene knockouts (such as α-Gal antigen knockout) to reduce the occurrence of hyperacute rejection. This article focuses on the research progress of porcine xenogeneic lung transplantation, systematically reviews the latest achievements and challenges in animal experiments and human trials, and introduces the technical experience accumulated by Shenzhen Third People's Hospital in the porcine-to-monkey xenogeneic lung transplantation model, in the hope of providing practical references for future research in this field.

PURPOSE: We carried out the study aiming to explore and analyze the risk factors, the distribution of pathogenic bacteria, and their antibiotic-resistance characteristics influencing the occurrence of surgical site infection (SSI), to provide valuable assistance for reducing the incidence of SSI after traumatic fracture surgery. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study enrolling 3978 participants from January 2015 to December 2019 receiving surgical treatment for traumatic fractures was conducted at Tangdu Hospital of Air Force Medical University. Baseline data, demographic characteristics, lifestyles, variables related to surgical treatment, and pathogen culture were harvested and analyzed. Univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to reveal the independent risk factors of SSI. A bacterial distribution histogram and drug-sensitive heat map were drawn to describe the pathogenic characteristics. RESULTS: Included 3978 patients 138 of them developed SSI with an incidence rate of 3.47% postoperatively. By logistic regression analysis, we found that variables such as gender (males) (odds ratio (OR) = 2.012, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.235 - 3.278, p = 0.005), diabetes mellitus (OR = 5.848, 95% CI: 3.513 - 9.736, p < 0.001), hypoproteinemia (OR = 3.400, 95% CI: 1.280 - 9.031, p = 0.014), underlying disease (OR = 5.398, 95% CI: 2.343 - 12.438, p < 0.001), hormonotherapy (OR = 11.718, 95% CI: 6.269 - 21.903, p < 0.001), open fracture (OR = 29.377, 95% CI: 9.944 - 86.784, p < 0.001), and intraoperative transfusion (OR = 2.664, 95% CI: 1.572 - 4.515, p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for SSI, while, aged over 59 years (OR = 0.132, 95% CI: 0.059 - 0.296, p < 0.001), prophylactic antibiotics use (OR = 0.082, 95% CI: 0.042 - 0.164, p < 0.001) and vacuum sealing drainage use (OR = 0.036, 95% CI: 0.010 - 0.129, p < 0.001) were protective factors. Pathogens results showed that 301 strains of 38 species of bacteria were harvested, among which 178 (59.1%) strains were Gram-positive bacteria, and 123 (40.9%) strains were Gram-negative bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus (108, 60.7%) and Enterobacter cloacae (38, 30.9%) accounted for the largest proportion. The susceptibility of Gram-positive bacteria to Vancomycin and Linezolid was almost 100%. The susceptibility of Gram-negative bacteria to Imipenem, Amikacin, and Meropenem exceeded 73%. CONCLUSION Orthopedic surgeons need to develop appropriate surgical plans based on the risk factors and protective factors associated with postoperative SSI to reduce its occurrence. Meanwhile, it is recommended to strengthen blood glucose control in the early stage of admission and for surgeons to be cautious and scientific when choosing antibiotic therapy in clinical practice.
Humans ; Surgical Wound Infection/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Risk Factors ; Retrospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Fractures, Bone/surgery* ; Aged ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Logistic Models ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use* ; Incidence ; Bacteria/drug effects*

Debates persist regarding the efficacy and safety of azvudine, particularly its real-world outcomes. This study involved patients aged ≥60 years who were admitted to 25 hospitals in mainland China with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between December 1, 2022, and February 28, 2023. Efficacy outcomes were all-cause mortality during hospitalization, the proportion of patients discharged with recovery, time to nucleic acid-negative conversion (T _NANC), time to symptom improvement (T _SI), and time of hospital stay (T _HS). Safety was also assessed. Among the 5884 participants identified, 1999 received azvudine, and 1999 matched controls were included after exclusion and propensity score matching. Azvudine recipients exhibited lower all-cause mortality compared with controls in the overall population (13.3% vs. 17.1%, RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.90; P = 0.001) and in the severe subgroup (25.7% vs. 33.7%; RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66-0.88; P < 0.001). A higher proportion of patients discharged with recovery, and a shorter T _NANC were associated with azvudine recipients, especially in the severe subgroup. The incidence of adverse events in azvudine recipients was comparable to that in the control group (2.3% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.170). In conclusion, azvudine showed efficacy and safety in older patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the SARS-CoV-2 omicron wave in China.

Perimenopausal syndrome （MPS）， a common endocrine system disease， is one of the diseases responding specifically to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. The China Association of Chinese Medicine organized experts in endocrinology， gynecology， and interdisciplinary fields of both Western and Chinese medicine to discuss the advantages and challenges of diagnosing and treating MPS with Western medicine， TCM， and integrative medicine. Experts at the conference believe that MPS is initiated by estrogen decline and rooted in deficiency， with the pathogenesis being imbalance between Yin and Yang in the kidney. The hormone replacement therapy in Western medicine for menopause can rapidly alleviate related symptoms by quickly restoring the estrogen level and timely detect and delay complications of menopause， whereas such a therapy has certain risks， necessitating close monitoring of adverse reactions. Moreover， the various contraindications and precautions limit the clinical application of the hormone replacement therapy. TCM has advantages in synergistically alleviating symptoms such as hot flashes， sweating， sleep disorders， and emotional abnormalities of MPS without causing obvious adverse reactions. However， its efficacy is slower than the hormone replacement therapy， and the TCM evidence for preventing and treating complications of menopause remains unclear. Three suggestions were proposed for the future development of both Western and TCM for ameliorating MPS. First， an integrated diagnosis and treatment system for MPS with both Western and Chinese medicine should be established. Second， high-quality evidence-based interventions for MPS should be developed with TCM alone or in combination with Western medicine. Third， efforts should be made to promote the new TCM drug development and the interdisciplinary cooperation for treating MPS.

The current status of exoskeletons was introduced in enhancing individual soldier's battlefield rescue capabilities,promoting the integrated use of battlefield rescue equipment,protecting medical personnel on the battlefield and assisting injured soldiers in rehabilitation training.The challenges of exoskeletons faced in human-machine interaction,power supply endurance,heavy overall structure,restricted movement and high cost were analyzed when applied to medical service support,and some suggestions were proposed accordingly including enhancing technology research and development,integrated application,communication and cooperation and personnel training.References were provided for the application of exoskeletons in China's medical service support.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(3):71-75]

Objective:To evaluate the screw placement assisted by robotic navigation in cannulated screw fixation for treatment of fracture of scapular coracoid process.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the data of 24 patients with fracture of scapular coracoid process who had been treated by cannulated screw fixation at Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma, Red Cross Hospital Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2020 to December 2023. According to whether the intraoperative screw placement was assisted by robotic navigation or not, the patients were divided into 2 groups. In group A of 11 cases, there were 6 males and 5 females with an age of (47.4±3.4) years whose screw placement was assisted by robotic navigation during the internal fixation with cannulated screws. In group B of 13 cases, there were 10 males and 3 females with an age of (43.5±4.9) years whose screw placement was assisted by conventional C-arm X-ray fluoroscopy during the internal fixation with cannulated screws. The operative time, intraoperative blood loss, fracture healing time, intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, intraoperative adjustments of guide wire, Constant-Murley score of shoulder function at the last follow-up and postoperative complications were compared between the 2 groups.Results:There was no significant difference in the preoperative general data between the 2 groups, indicating comparability ( P>0.05). The follow-up time was (25.3±9.1) months for group A and (27.6±10.8) months for group B, showing no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05). The intraoperative blood loss [(51.8±35.7) mL], intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency [(5.7±1.0) times] and intraoperative adjustments of guide wire [(1.6±0.7) times] in group A were significantly less than those in group B [(123.8±73.9) mL, (12.5±2.7) times, and (5.3±1.0) times] ( P<0.05). There were no significant differences in operative time [(88.2±21.3) min versus (80.4±31.1) min], fracture healing time [(10.0±1.3) weeks versus (11.5±2.7) weeks] or Constant Murley score of shoulder function at the last follow-up [(86.7±6.1) points versus (91.1±10.0) points] between group A and group B ( P>0.05). No patient reported such complications as wound infection, fracture nonunion, or failure of internal fixation during the follow-up period. Conclusions:In the treatment of fracture of scapular coracoid process by cannulated screw fixation, robotic navigation can be used to assist screw placemen to achieve good efficacy comparable to conventional C-arm X-ray fluoroscopy. Moreover, assistance by robotic navigation can help reduce intraoperative blood loss and radiation, and improve surgical accuracy.

Objective: To analyze the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients with small bowel tumors. Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study. We collected clinicopathological data of patients with primary jejunal or ileal tumors who had undergone small bowel resection in the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University between January 2012 and September 2017. The inclusion criteria included: (1) older than 18 years; (2) had undergone small bowel resection; (3) primary location at jejunum or ileum; (4) postoperative pathological examination confirmed malignancy or malignant potential; and (5) complete clinicopathological and follow-up data. Patients with a history of previous or other concomitant malignancies and those who had undergone exploratory laparotomy with biopsy but no resection were excluded. The clinicopathological characteristics and prognoses of included patients were analyzed. Results: The study cohort comprised 220 patients with small bowel tumors, 136 of which were classified as gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), 47 as adenocarcinomas, and 35 as lymphomas. The median follow-up for all patient was 81.0 months (75.9-86.1). GISTs frequently manifested as gastrointestinal bleeding (61.0%, 83/136) and abdominal pain (38.2%, 52/136). In the patients with GISTs, the rates of lymph node and distant metastasis were 0.7% (1/136) and 11.8% (16/136), respectively. The median follow-up time was 81.0 (75.9-86.1) months. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was 96.3%. Multivariate Cox regression-analysis results showed that distant metastasis was the only factor associated with OS of patients with GISTs (HR=23.639, 95% CI: 4.564-122.430, P<0.001). The main clinical manifestations of small bowel adenocarcinoma were abdominal pain (85.1%, 40/47), constipation/diarrhea (61.7%, 29/47), and weight loss (61.7%, 29/47). Rates of lymph node and distant metastasis in patients with small bowel adenocarcinoma were 53.2% (25/47) and 23.4% (11/47), respectively. The 3-year OS rate of patients with small bowel adenocarcinoma was 44.7%. Multivariate Cox regression-analysis results showed that distant metastasis (HR=4.018, 95%CI: 2.108-10.331, P<0.001) and adjuvant chemotherapy (HR=0.291, 95% CI: 0.140-0.609, P=0.001) were independently associated with OS of patients with small bowel adenocarcinoma. Small bowel lymphoma frequently manifested as abdominal pain (68.6%, 24/35) and constipation/diarrhea (31.4%, 11/35); 77.1% (27/35) of small bowel lymphomas were of B-cell origin. The 3-year OS rate of patients with small bowel lymphomas was 60.0%. T/NK cell lymphomas (HR= 6.598, 95% CI: 2.172-20.041, P<0.001) and adjuvant chemotherapy (HR=0.119, 95% CI: 0.015-0.925, P=0.042) were independently associated with OS of patients with small bowel lymphoma. Small bowel GISTs have a better prognosis than small intestinal adenocarcinomas (P<0.001) or lymphomas (P<0.001), and small bowel lymphomas have a better prognosis than small bowel adenocarcinomas (P=0.035). Conclusions: The clinical manifestations of small intestinal tumor are non-specific. Small bowel GISTs are relatively indolent and have a good prognosis, whereas adenocarcinomas and lymphomas (especially T/NK-cell lymphomas) are highly malignant and have a poor prognosis. Adjuvant chemotherapy would likely improve the prognosis of patients with small bowel adenocarcinomas or lymphomas.
Humans ; Prognosis ; Intestinal Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Duodenal Neoplasms ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; Lymphoma ; Adenocarcinoma/surgery* ; Constipation ; Abdominal Pain ; Retrospective Studies

objectiveTo explore the specific molecular mechanism of neuronal apoptosis induced by ATM inactivation. MethodsCGNs matured 7 days in vitro were cultured 8 h with 25 K， 5 K or 25 K medium containing ATM-specific inhibitors （Ku55933， 10 µmol/L； Ku60019， 15 µmol/L） for Hoechst stain and apoptosis analysis， or cultured for different lengths of time （2， 4， 8 h） to detect the protein expression levels of ATM， caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3 by Western blotting. ATM and GADD45α specific siRNA was transfected into C6 cells and CGNs， and its interference efficiency was verified by q-PCR and Western blotting. CGNs matured for 5 days in vitro were transfected with ATM specific siRNA and pCMV-EGFP by calcium phosphate for 48 h， Hoechst staining and apoptosis analysis were performed. CGNs matured for 7 days in vitro were treated with 25 K medium containing ATM specific inhibitors for 8 h， transcriptome sequencing， differential expression gene identification and pathway enrichment analysis were performed. CGNs matured for 5 days in vitro were co-transfected with GADD45α specific siRNA and pCMV-EGFP by calcium phosphate for 48 h， then treated with 5 K or 25 K medium containing 15 µmol/L Ku6 for 8 h. Hoechst staining and apoptosis analysis were performed. ResultsCompared with the 25 K， CGNs nuclear pyknosis rate， cleaved Caspase-3 and ATM protein expression level were increased in the 5 K and ATM-specific inhibitor groups. The mRNA and protein expression levels of ATM and GADD45α were effectively reduced after transfection of ATM and GADD45α specific siRNA in C6 cells and CGNs. Compared with control， CGNs transfected with ATM specific siRNA showed a higher nuclear pyknosis rate. Totally 835 genes were identified to be up-regulated and 848 genes to be down-regulated in the Ku55933 treatment group； 454 genes were identified to be up-regulated and 314 genes to be down-regulated in the Ku6 treatment group； 274 genes were co-up regulated in the Ku5 and Ku60019 treatment groups， while 179 genes were co-down-regulated in the Ku5 and Ku6 treatment groups and the expression of ATM downstream target GADD45α was upregulated. The enrichment results showed that TNF signaling pathway， NF-κB signaling pathway and Apoptosis signaling pathway were significantly enriched. Compared with control， mRNA and protein expression levels of GADD45α were increased in inhibitor treatment and 5 K， while knocking down GADD45α resulted in a decrease in nuclear pyknosis rate in the Ku60019 and 5 K treatment group. ConclusionLoss of ATM activity induces GADD45α-dependent cerebellar granular neuronal apoptosis.

Anxiety is a major mood disorder, and the high morbidity, co-morbidity and disability of anxiety disorders seriously affect people's quality of life, so the importance and urgency of research on anxiety cannot be overstated. Animal models are the main carriers for studying the mechanism of disease occurrence and development, drug efficacy evaluation and drug development.Unconditioned anxiety model is a common anxiety model.Elevated plus maze test, open field test and light-dark box test are widely accepted paradigms for the detection of unconditioned anxiety.This kind of behavioral paradigm based on environmental exposure takes advantage of the conflict between curiosity and fear of the unfamiliar environment to simulate and detect the anxiety of animals.However, the validity of these behavioral paradigms for evaluating anxiety in animals is questionable.In this paper, we discuss the concept of anxiety, the definition of anxiety behavior in the behavioral test of unconditioned anxiety, and the factors to be considered in the test of unconditioned anxiety behavior.On this basis, new solutions were proposed to the contradictions and blind spots in order to improve the test paradigm of anxiety behavior and provide a more reliable animal model for the evaluation of anxiety.This paper presents a new approach to address the contradictions and blind spots of this paradigm.