Objective To investigate the necessity of further surgery for patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma following treatment with the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor combined with chemotherapy, and to assess its impact on survival. Methods Patients with stage ⅡA to ⅢB esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who received immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy at our hospital from January 2020 to June 2022 were selected for this study. Based on whether they underwent surgery after receiving PD-1 inhibitor combined with chemotherapy, patients were divided into a surgery group and a non-surgery group. We compared the general clinical data, side effects, clinical complete response rates, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) between the two groups. Results A total of 58 patients were included in the study, comprising 45 males and 13 females, with an average age of (65.5±6.9) years. There were no statistical differences in general clinical data or adverse reactions between the two groups. Univariate analysis revealed that the objective response rate and surgery were significantly associated with PFS (P<0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that surgery was the only independent risk factor for PFS (P=0.003). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the PFS and OS in the surgery group were significantly higher than those in the non-surgery group (HR=0.13, 95%CI 0.036 to 0.520, P＜0.001; HR=0.17, 95%CI 0.045 to 0.680, P=0.004). Conclusion After treatment with the PD-1 inhibitor combined with chemotherapy, patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma still require surgical intervention to achieve improved PFS and OS.

Anterior segment optical coherence tomography angiography(AS-OCTA), as an emerging imaging technology for the anterior segment of the eye, has been increasingly applied in vascular imaging of the conjunctiva, sclera, cornea, and iris in recent years. This article focuses on the capability of AS-OCTA in providing morphological information of the anterior segment vasculature and quantitative measurements of vascular density, including key parameters such as vessel density, vessel diameter, and branching patterns. Compared to traditional imaging techniques(fuorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography), AS-OCTA demonstrates significant potential in ophthalmic diagnosis and treatment due to its high resolution and richness of information, suggesting that it will become an indispensable tool in the future ophthalmic clinical practice. The purpose of this study is to explore the application value of AS-OCTA in the diagnosis and treatment of anterior segment diseases, as well as its importance in enhancing the accuracy of clinical decision-making.

Esophageal cancer is one of the malignant tumors that poses a threat to human health, with both high incidence and malignancy. Currently, surgery following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is the standard treatment for locally advanced esophageal cancer; however, the long-term prognosis remains unsatisfactory. In recent years, inhibitors of programmed death protein-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (programmed death ligand-1, PD-L1) have achieved breakthrough progress in other solid tumors, and research on esophageal cancer is gradually being conducted. With the demonstration of good efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in the first-line and second-line treatment of advanced unresectable esophageal cancer, their incorporation into neoadjuvant treatment regimens has become a hot topic. Therefore, this article reviews the mechanism of action of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and their application in the neoadjuvant treatment of esophageal cancer.

Surgery is the preferred treatment for resectable esophageal cancer, but in locally advanced esophageal cancer, the effect of surgery alone is not ideal, so surgery-based comprehensive treatment is the best option. Neoadjuvant therapy has become a standard treatment in the treatment of locally advanced resectable esophageal cancer. Neoadjuvant therapy includes neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radiochemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, etc. With the significant efficacy and acceptable toxicity of immunotherapy in the first-line and second-line treatment of advanced esophageal cancer, neoadjuvant immunotherapy has become a research hotspot of locally advanced resectable esophageal cancer. This article reviews the latest research progress and some limitations of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in locally advanced resectable esophageal cancer.

Objective To investigate T cell subtypes and their functions in liver immune microenvironments among patients with alveolar echinococcosis (AE) using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Methods Four AE patients that were admitted to Qinghai Provincial People’s Hospital in 2023 for hepatic surgery for the first time were enrolled, and liver specimens were sampled 1 cm (peri-lesion, PL group) and > 5 cm from AE lesions (distal lesion, DL group) among each patient. Finally, a total of eight liver specimens were sampled from four AE patients for scRNA-seq analysis. Genome and transcriptome data of liver specimens were processed using the software Cell Ranger and R package. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and their biological functions were analyzed using gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and the primary intercellular communication patterns and interaction mechanisms were identified among T cell subtypes in liver specimens using the CellChat package. In addition, the developmental stages of T cells were subjected to trajectory analysis with the monocle package to investigate the expression of genes associated with cell growth and tumor transformation, and to predict the developmental trajectories of T cells. Results All four AE patients were female, with a mean age of (25.00 ± 9.06) years, and there were three cases from Jiuzhi County, Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and one case from Chengduo County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. The viability of single-cell samples from eight liver specimens was 90.41% to 96.33%, and a total of 81 763 cells were analyzed, with 19 cell types annotated. Of these cell types, 13 were immune cells (87.60%), and T cells (33.13%), neutrophils (15.40%), and natural killer cells (11.92%) were the three most common cell types. Re-clustering of 27 752 T cells and proliferative T cells identified 10 distinct T cell subtypes, with CD8⁺ cytotoxic T cells (23.43%), CD8⁺ naive T cells (12.80%), and CD4⁺ effector memory T cells (17.73%) as dominant cell types. The proportions of T helper 2 (Th2) cells (5.19% vs. 3.63%; χ² = 38.35, P < 0.01) and CD4⁺ effector memory T cells (21.59% vs. 13.67%; χ² = 244.70, P < 0.01) were significantly higher in liver specimens in the PL group than in the DL group, and the proportion of CD4⁺ helper T cells was significantly lower in the PL group than in the DL group (7.50% vs. 14.75%; χ² = 330.52, P < 0.01). KEGG pathway analysis revealed that Th2 cells were significantly enriched in cell apoptosis and multiple cancer-associated pathways, and CD4⁺ effector memory T cells were significantly enriched in the regulation of cytokines and chronic inflammation, while CD4⁺ helper T cells were significantly enriched in immune responses regulation. Trajectory analysis of T cells showed that CD4⁺ helper T cells were at an earlier developmental stage relative to Th2 cells and CD4⁺ effector memory T cells, and the expression of inhibitor of DNA binding 3 (ID3), thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP), Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) and heat shock protein family B (small) member 1 (HSPB1) genes appeared a tendency towards a decline over time. Conclusions CD4⁺ effector memory T cells and CD8⁺ cytotoxic T cells are primary interacting cells in the liver specimens of AE patients. Reduced expression of Th2 cells and CD4⁺ helper T cells contributes to an inhibitory immune microenvironment, which promotes immune evasion by Echinococcus multilocularis, and Th2 cells are significantly enriched in multiple cancer-associated pathways, which may be linked to the invasive growth of E. multilocularis.

In situ and real-time monitoring of responsive drug release is critical for the assessment of pharmacodynamics in chemotherapy. In this study, a novel pH-responsive nanosystem is proposed for real-time monitoring of drug release and chemo-phototherapy by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The Fe₃O₄@Au@Ag nanoparticles (NPs) deposited graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites with a high SERS activity and stability are synthesized and labeled with a Raman reporter 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid (4-MPBA) to form SERS probes (GO-Fe₃O₄@Au@Ag-MPBA). Furthermore, doxorubicin (DOX) is attached to SERS probes through a pH-responsive linker boronic ester (GO-Fe₃O₄@Au@Ag-MPBA-DOX), accompanying the 4-MPBA signal change in SERS. After the entry into tumor, the breakage of boronic ester in the acidic environment gives rise to the release of DOX and the recovery of 4-MPBA SERS signal. Thus, the DOX dynamic release can be monitored by the real-time changes of 4-MPBA SERS spectra. Additionally, the strong T₂ magnetic resonance (MR) signal and NIR photothermal transduction efficiency of the nanocomposites make it available for MR imaging and photothermal therapy (PTT). Altogether, this GO-Fe₃O₄@Au@Ag-MPBA-DOX can simultaneously fulfill the synergistic combination of cancer cell targeting, pH-sensitive drug release, SERS-traceable detection and MR imaging, endowing it great potential for SERS/MR imaging-guided efficient chemo-phototherapy on cancer treatment.

Objective:To explore the difference of clinical characteristics between senile Parkinson's disease(PD)with depression and unipolar depression.Methods:From March 2019 to March 2020, 53 patients with Parkinson's disease depression and 57 patients with unipolar depression who were admitted to the neurology department of Beijing Hospital were continuously collected.The gender, age and education level of the patients were recorded.The course of disease and other general data of the patients with Parkinson's disease were also recorded.Depression and anxiety of the patients were evaluated by Beck Depression Inventory(BDI)and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale(GAD-7). Quality of life of patients with Parkinson's disease was evaluated by 8-item Parkinson's disease questionnaire(PDQ-8). Differences in the assessment results and quality of life scores between the two groups were analyzed.Results:The incidence of depression comorbid with anxiety in elderly PD patients was 52.8%(28/53), lower than that in elderly unipolar depression patients comorbid with anxiety [84.2%(48/57)]( χ2=12.664, P<0.001). The scores of activity inhibition [(1.8±0.8)points]and hyposexuality [(0.4±1.0)points]in elderly PD patients with comorbid depression were higher than that in patients with unipolar depression [(1.1±0.8)points, (0.0±0.0)points]( t=4.399, 2.942, P<0.001, =0.005). Moreover, the incidence of activity inhibition(98.1%)and hyposexuality(15.1%)in PD patients with comorbid depression was higher than that in patients with unipolar depression(78.9%, 0.0%)( χ2=9.680, 9.279, both P=0.002). The scores of self-blame [(1.0±0.8)points]and pain [(1.0±0.8)points]in elderly patients with unipolar depression were higher than those in PD patients with comorbid depression [(0.5±0.7)points, (0.9±0.7)points]( t=-3.902, -2.486, P<0.001, =0.014). Moreover, the incidence of self-blame(66.7%), irritability(78.9%)and image distortion(56.1%)in elderly patients with unipolar depression was higher than that in PD patients(35.8%, 56.6%, 35.8%)( χ2=10.447, 6.320, 4.547, P=0.001, 0.012, 0.033). The scores of PDQ-8 in PD patients with comorbid depression and anxiety [14.8(10.8, 19.0)points]( Z=-3.544, P<0.001)were higher than those in PD patients with depression only [7.0(4.8, 11.0)points]. Conclusions:The focus of depression in elderly PD patients is different from that in elderly unipolar depression patients.Elderly patients with unipolar depression are more likely to be comorbid with anxiety.Depression reduces the quality of life in PD patients, and the comorbidity of anxiety further reduces the overall quality of life in PD patients with depression.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.08.024.].

Targeted therapy is one of the conventional treatments for advanced hepato-cellular carcinoma (HCC). In recent years, immunotherapy has created a new era of HCC treatment. The combination of targeted therapy and immunotherapy has synergistic effects, which taking survival benefits to patients with advanced HCC. Local therapy, represented by interventional treatment, can rapidly control the development of tumor and promote the expression and releasing of tumor antigen. On the basis of local therapy and combination of immunotherapy plus targeted therapy, it can offer the possibility to prolong the survival of patients, and even obtain the chance of cure. The authors introduce the diagnosis and treatment of an advanced HCC patient with inter-ventional treatment combined with immunotherapy plus anti-angiogenesis targeted therapy. Results show that patient achieving pathological complete response and undergoing resection after conver-sion therapy. The patient has a good prognosis with a better quality of live.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic etiology of Vici syndrome in a Chinese family. METHODS: Whole exome sequencing (WES) technology was used to detect gene variants in a fetus of abnormal ultrasonic structure without abnormalities in routine chromosome karyotype analysis and SNP-array. Sanger sequencing and bioinformatics prediction were performed for the suspected variants of the fetus and parents. RESULTS: The fetus and the elder sister have carried c. 2427delC (p.T809fs) and c.1886A>T (p.E629V) compound heterozygous variants of the EPG5 gene, which were respectively inherited from their mother and father. Neither variant was reported previously. According to ACMG guidelines, the c.2427delC variant was predicted as pathogenic, while the c.1886A>T variant was of uncertain significance. PolyPhen-2 and PROVEAN software indicated that c.1886A>T variant was probably damaging. CONCLUSION The c.2427delC and c.1886A>T variants of the EPG5 gene probably underlie the pathogenesis of the Vici syndrome in this family. Above finding has enriched the variational spectrum of EPG5 gene and provided a basis for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for the family.
Aged ; Agenesis of Corpus Callosum ; Autophagy-Related Proteins ; Cataract ; Female ; Humans ; Mutation ; Pregnancy ; Vesicular Transport Proteins/genetics* ; Whole Exome Sequencing