Background: s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated. Methods: In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs. Results: Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment. Conclusions We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression.

Background: s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated. Methods: In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs. Results: Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment. Conclusions We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression.

Background: s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated. Methods: In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs. Results: Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment. Conclusions We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression.

The assessment of adverse drug events is an important basis for clinical safety evaluation and post-marketing risk control of drugs,and its causality assessment is gaining increasing attention.The existing methods for assessing the causal relationship between drugs and the occurrence of adverse reactions can be broadly classified into three categories:global introspective methods,standardized methods,and probabilistic methods.At present,there is no systematic introduction of the operational details of the various methods in the domestic literature.This paper compares representative causality assessment methods in terms of definition and concept,methodological steps,industry evaluation and advantages and disadvantages,clarifies the basic process of determining the causality of adverse drug reactions,and discusses how to further improve the adverse drug reaction monitoring and evaluation system,with a view to providing a reference for drug development and pharmacovigilance work in China.

It has become an industry consensus that self-assembled nanoparticles (SAN) are formed by molecular recognition of chemical components in traditional Chinese medicine during the decoction process. The insoluble components in the decoction are mostly in the form of nanoparticles, which can improve the problem of poor water solubility. However, the transfer rate of these insoluble components in the decoction is still very low, which limits the efficacy of the drug. This study aimed to refine the traditional decoction self-assembly phenomenon. The self-assembled nanoparticles were constructed by micro-precipitation method (MP-SAN), and characterized by particle size, zeta potential, stability index and morphology. The formation of MP-SAN and alterations in related physicochemical properties were evaluated using modern spectroscopic and thermal analysis techniques. The quality value transmitting pattern of lignan components within the MP-SAN was assessed via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The MP-SAN showed sphere-like structure with uniform morphology, particle size of (245.3 ± 3.2) nm, polydispersity index (PDI) of (0.13 ± 0.03), zeta potential of (-48.9 ± 5.9) mV and stability index (SI) of (86.05% ± 2.27%). Comprehensive analyses using ultraviolet visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and other techniques confirmed molecular recognition between the decoction and ethanol extraction, leading to electron rearrangement under the influence of non-covalent bonding. This resulted in the formation of nanoparticles possessing superior thermal stability. As determined by HPLC, the encapsulation rates of the index components in the MP-SAN were all greater than 75% (dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol: 77.00%; herpetolide A: 78.57%; herpetrione: 94.53%), and the transfer rates were all higher than 65% (dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol: 96.01%; herpetolide A: 67.86%; herpetrione: 65.55%), which were 1.34, 1.38 and 4.81 times compared with those of the traditional decoction. In summary, this study successfully constructed the MP-SAN based on micro-precipitation method to achieve high transfer rate and high encapsulation rate of insoluble components in docoction, which provides a pharmaceutics idea for the efficient utilization of pharmacodynamic substance basis of traditional Chinese medicine.

Objective To discuss the methods,efficacy,and safety of endovascular treatment for ruptured pseudoaneurysm hemorrhage of internal carotid artery(ICA)after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC).Methods The clinical data of 21 patients with ruptured pseudoaneurysm hemorrhage of ICA after radiotherapy for NPC,who were admitted to the Affiliated Union Hospital,Fujian Medical University of China,were retrospectively analyzed.The patient's surgical strategies were analyzed,the therapeutic results and the clinical and imaging follow-up results were summarized.Of the 21 patients,covered stent implantation was carried out in 8,stent-assisted coil embolization was employed in 6,and direct occlusion of parent artery was adopted in 7.Results Successful endovascular treatment was accomplished in all the 21 patients.Excellent hemostatic effect was obtained immediately after surgery.Aneurysm neck residue was observed in 2 patients,and aneurysm body residue was seen in one patients.Postoperative bleeding recurred in 5 patients,in 4 of them the bleeding stopped after once more occlusion of the parent artery,and one patient developed internal leakage after covered stent implantation and the bleeding stopped after balloon dilation,and this patient died of unknown cause one month later.One patient developed coma after covered stent implantation,CT scan demonstrated subarachnoid hemorrhage and brain swelling,and this patient showed no improvement after treatment and was self-discharged from hospital.ICA occlusion was seen in 3 patients during follow-up period,and 2 patients did not receive a postoperative follow-up visit.In the 19 patients who were followed up,the mRS score was 0 point(n=9),1 point(n=6),2 points(n=2),5 points(n=1),and 6 points(n=1).Conclusion For the ruptured pseudoaneurysm hemorrhage of ICA after radiotherapy for NPC,endovascular treatment is highly safe with reliable efficacy.The covered stent implantation carries good short-term efficacy,but there are also problems such as aneurysm recurrence,internal endoleak,etc.The direct occlusion of parent artery may have more reliable long-term efficacy.(J Intervent Radiol,2024,33:304-308)

Objective:Farfarae Flos has the effect of cough suppression and phlegm elimination,with cough suppression as the main function.Studies have revealed that certain components of Farfarae Flos may be related to its cough suppressant effect,and some components have been confirmed to have cough suppressant activity.However,the antitussive material basis of Farfarae Flos has not been systematically elucidated.This study aims to elucidate the group of active ingredients in Farfarae Flos with cough suppressant activity by correlating the high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)fingerprint of Farfarae Flos extract with its cough suppressant activity. Methods:HPLC was used to establish the fingerprint profiles of 10 batches of Farfarae Flos extract and obtain their chemical composition data.Guinea pigs were selected as experimental animals and the citric acid-induced cough model was used to evaluate the antitussive efficacy data of 10 batches of Farfarae Flos extract.SPF-grade healthy male Hartley guinea pigs were randomly divided into the S1 to S10 groups,a positive control group,and a blank control group(12 groups in total),with 10 guinea pigs in each group.The S1 to S10 groups were respectively administered Farfarae Flos extract S1 to S10(4 g/kg),the positive control group was administered pentoverine citrate(10 mg/kg),and the blank control group was administered purified water.Each group received continuous oral administration for 5 days.The guinea pigs were placed in 5 L closed wide-mouth bottles,and 17.5%citric acid was sprayed into the bottle with an ultrasonic atomizer at the maximum spray intensity for 0.5 minutes.The cough latency period and cough frequency in 5 minutes were recorded for each guinea pig.Grey relational analysis(GRA)and partial least squares regression(PLSR)were used to conduct spectral-effect correlation analysis of the chemical composition data of Farfarae Flos extract and the antitussive efficacy data,and predict the group of active ingredients in Farfarae Flos with antitussive activity.The bioequivalence verification was conducted to verify the predicted group of active ingredients in Farfarae Flos with antitussive activity:SPF-grade healthy male Hartley guinea pigs were randomly divided into a S9 group,an active ingredient group,a positive control group,and a blank control group(4 groups in total),with 10 guinea pigs in each group.The S9 group was administered Farfarae Flos extract S9(4 g/kg),the active ingredient group was administered the predicted combination of antitussive active ingredients(dose equivalent to 4 g/kg of Farfarae Flos extract S9),the positive control group was administered pentoverine citrate(10 mg/kg),and the blank control group was administered purified water.Each group received continuous oral administration for 5 days,and animal modeling and observation of efficacy indicators were the same as above. Results:The HPLC fingerprint of 10 batches of Farfarae Flos extract was established,and the peak area data of 14 main common peaks were obtained.The antitussive effect data of 10 batches of Farfarae Flos extract were obtained.Compared with the blank control group,the cough latence in the positive control group and S1,S2,S3,S4,S6,S7,S8,S9,S10 groups was prolonged(all P<0.01),while the cough frequency in 5 minutes in the positive control group and S1,S2,S4,S6,S8,S9,S10 groups was decreased(all P<0.05).The analysis of spectrum-effect relationship revealed that isochlorogenic acid C,isochlorogenic acid A,chlorogenic acid,isochlorogenic acid B,isoquercitrin,and rutin had high contribution to the antitussive effect of Farfarae Flos,and the 6 components were predicted to be the antitussive component group of Farfarae Flos.The verification of bioequivalence showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the antitussive effect between the S9 group and the antitussive component composition group(all P>0.05),which confirmed that isochlorogenic acid C,isochlorogenic acid A,chlorogenic acid,isochlorogenic acid B,isoquercetin,and rutin were the antitussive component group of Farfarae Flos. Conclusion:The analysis of spectrum-effect relationship combined with the verification of bioequivalence could be used to study the antitussive material basis of Farfarae Flos.The antitussive effect of Farfarae Flos is the result of the joint action of many components.

Purpose::Although traditional craniotomy (TC) surgery has failed to show benefits for the functional outcome of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). However, a minimally invasive hematoma removal plan to avoid white matter fiber damage may be a safer and more feasible surgical approach, which may improve the prognosis of ICH. We conducted a historical cohort study on the use of multimodal image fusion-assisted neuroendoscopic surgery (MINS) for the treatment of ICH, and compared its safety and effectiveness with traditional methods.Methods::This is a historical cohort study involving 241 patients with cerebral hemorrhage. Divided into MINS group and TC group based on surgical methods. Multimodal images (CT skull, CT angiography, and white matter fiber of MRI diffusion-tensor imaging) were fused into 3 dimensional images for preoperative planning and intraoperative guidance of endoscopic hematoma removal in the MINS group. Clinical features, operative efficiency, perioperative complications, and prognoses between 2 groups were compared. Normally distributed data were analyzed using t-test of 2 independent samples, Nonnormally distributed data were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Meanwhile categorical data were analyzed via the Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test. All statistical tests were two-sided, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results::A total of 42 patients with ICH were enrolled, who underwent TC surgery or MINS. Patients who underwent MINS had shorter operative time ( p < 0.001), less blood loss ( p < 0.001), better hematoma evacuation ( p =0.003), and a shorter stay in the intensive care unit ( p =0.002) than patients who underwent TC. Based on clinical characteristics and analysis of perioperative complications, there is no significant difference between the 2 surgical methods. Modified Rankin scale scores at 180 days were better in the MINS than in the TC group ( p =0.014). Conclusions::Compared with TC for the treatment of ICH, MINS is safer and more efficient in cleaning ICH, which improved the prognosis of the patients. In the future, a larger sample size clinical trial will be needed to evaluate its efficacy.

Abstract: Objective　To monitor and analyze the avian influenza virus contamination in the environment outside the poultry-related places in Guangxi, and to assess the risk of human infection with avian influenza viruses, so as to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of avian influenza in Guangxi. Methods　From 2021 to 2022, environmental samples from 5 kinds of poultry-related sites were collected monthly in 14 cities of Guangxi. The real-time fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR method was used to detect the nucleic acids of generic influenza A viruses, and H5, H7, and H9 subtypes of avian influenza virus. The detection results of avian influenza virus in the environment of the poultry-related sites in Guangxi were collected for retrospective analysis. SPSS 22.0 was used for data analysis, and the chi-square test was used to compare the rates. Results　From 2021 to 2022, a total of 5 960 environmental samples were collected in 14 cities, of which 3 918 were positive for influenza A virus nucleic acid, with a positive rate of 65.74%; Among the positive samples, 281 were positive for H5 subtype (7.17%), 2 508 were positive for H9 subtype (64.01%), 552 were positive for H5+H9 subtype (14.09%), 577 were positive for type A but not H5/H7/H9 (14.73%), and no subtype H7 was detected. The positive rate of influenza A in poultry-related environment samples was higher throughout the year in Guangxi; except for Wuzhou, which had a similar number of H5, H9, and A non-H5/H7/H9 subtypes, the H9 subtype was predominantly detected in other cities. There was significant variability in positive rates among different regions, with the highest being in Hezhou City (90.32%, 653/723) and the lowest in Yulin City (28.96%, 75/259). The positive rate of different specimen types ranged from 50.32% to 74.94%. There were statistically significant differences in the positive rates of samples from different types of samples (χ2=163.08, P<0.001), different months (χ2=172.69, P<0.001), different regions (χ2=498.86, P<0.001), different monitoring sites (χ2=370.01, P<0.001). Conclusions　There is severe contamination of avian influenza virus in the poultry-related environment in Guangxi, predominantly with the H9 and H5 subtypes. Therefore, the relevant authorities in Guangxi should strengthen the monitoring, management, and disinfection of poultry-related premises.

Background: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a highly desmoplastic tumor with poor prognosis even after curative resection. We investigated the associations between the composition of the ICC stroma and immune cell infiltration and aimed to develop a stromal-immune signature to predict prognosis in surgically treated ICC. Patients and methods: We recruited 359 ICC patients and performed immunohistochemistry to detect α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), CD3, CD4, CD8, Foxp3, CD68, and CD66b. Aniline was used to stain collagen deposition. Survival analyses were performed to detect prognostic values of these markers. Recursive partitioning for a discrete-time survival tree was applied to define a stromal-immune signature with distinct prognostic value. We delineated an integrated stromal-immune signature based on immune cell subpopulations and stromal composition to distinguish subgroups with different recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) time. Results: We defined four major patterns of ICC stroma composition according to the distributions of α-SMA and collagen: dormant (α-SMAlow/collagenhigh), fibrogenic (α-SMAhigh/collagenhigh), inert (α-SMAlow/collagenlow), and fibrolytic (α-SMAhigh/collagenlow). The stroma types were characterized by distinct patterns of infiltration by immune cells. We divided patients into six classes. Class I, characterized by high CD8 expression and dormant stroma, displayed the longest RFS and OS, whereas Class VI, characterized by low CD8 expression and high CD66b expression, displayed the shortest RFS and OS. The integrated stromal-immune signature was consolidated in a validation cohort. Conclusion We developed and validated a stromal-immune signature to predict prognosis in surgically treated ICC. These findings provide new insights into the stromal-immune response to ICC.