1.Setup Error and Its Influencing Factors in Radiotherapy for Spinal Metastasis
Wenhua QIN ; Xin FENG ; Zengzhou WANG ; Shangnan CHU ; Hong WANG ; Shiyu WU ; Cheng CHEN ; Fukui HUAN ; Bin LIANG ; Tao ZHANG
Cancer Research on Prevention and Treatment 2025;52(5):400-404
Objective To investigate the setup error in patients with spinal bone metastasis who underwent radiotherapy under the guidance of kilovoltage cone-beam CT (KV-CBCT). Methods A total of 118 patients with spinal metastasis who underwent radiotherapy, including 17 cases of cervical spine, 62 cases of thoracic spine, and 39 cases of lumbar spine, were collected. KV-CBCT scans were performed using the linear accelerators from Elekta and Varian’s EDGE system. CBCT images were registered with reference CT images in the bone window mode. A total of 973 data were collected, and 3D linear errors were recorded. Results The patients with spinal bone metastasis were grouped by site, height, weight, and BMI. The P value of the patients grouped only by site was P<0.05, which was statistically significant. Conclusion When grouped by site in the 3D direction, the positioning effect of cervical spine is better than that of thoracic and lumbar spine. The positioning effect of the thoracic spine is better in the head and foot direction but worse in the left and right direction compared with that of the lumbar spine. Instead of extending or narrowing the margin according to the BMI of patients with spinal metastasis, the margin must be changed according to the site of spinal bone metastasis.
2.The Role and Mechanism of Aerobic Exercise in Enhancing Insulin Sensitivity by Reducing Circulating Glutamate
Xiao-Rui XING ; Qin SUN ; Huan-Yu WANG ; Ruo-Bing FAN ; Ru WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(6):1373-1385
ObjectiveTo explore the role and potential mechanism of circulating glutamate in enhancing insulin sensitivity by aerobic exercise. This research may provide a novel strategy for preventing metabolic diseases through precise exercise interventions. MethodsTo investigate the effects of elevated circulating glutamate on insulin sensitivity and its potential mechanisms, 18 male C57BL/6 mice aged 6 to 8 weeks were randomly divided into 3 groups: a control group (C), a group receiving 500 mg/kg glutamate supplementation (M), and a group receiving 1 000 mg/kg glutamate supplementation (H). The intervention lasted for 12 weeks, with treatments administered 6 d per week. Following the intervention, an insulin tolerance test (ITT) and a glucose tolerance test (GTT) were conducted. Circulating glutamate levels were measured using a commercial kit, and the activity of the skeletal muscle InsR/IRS1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was analyzed via Western blot. To further investigate the role of circulating glutamate in enhancing insulin sensitivity through aerobic exercise, 30 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to 3 groups: a control group (CS), an exercise intervention group (ES), and an exercise combined with glutamate supplementation group (EG). The ES group underwent treadmill-based aerobic exercise, while the EG group received glutamate supplementation at a dosage of 1 000 mg/kg in addition to aerobic exercise. The intervention lasted for 10 weeks, with sessions occurring 6 d per week, and the same procedures were followed afterward. To further elucidate the mechanism by which glutamate modulates the InsR/IRS1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, C2C12 myotubes were initially subjected to graded glutamate treatment (0, 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10 mmol/L) to determine the optimal concentration for cellular intervention. Subsequently, the cells were divided into 3 groups: a control group (C), a glutamate intervention group (G), and a glutamate combined with MK801 (an NMDA receptor antagonist) intervention group (GK). The G group was treated with 5 mmol/L glutamate, while the GK group received 50 μmol/L MK801 in addition to 5 mmol/L glutamate. After 24 h of intervention, the activity of the InsR/IRS1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was analyzed using Western blot. ResultsCompared to the mice in group C, the circulating glutamate levels, the area under curve (AUC) of ITT, and the AUC of GTT in the mice of group H were significantly increased. Additionally, the expression levels of p-InsRβ, IRS1, p-AKT, and p-mTOR proteins in skeletal muscle were significantly downregulated. Compared to the mice in group CS, the circulating glutamate levels, the AUC of ITT, and the AUC of GTT in the mice of group ES were significantly reduced. Additionally, the expression levels of p-InsRβ, IRS1, p-AKT, and p-mTOR proteins in skeletal muscle of group ES mice were significantly upregulated. There were no significant changes observed in the mice of group EG. Compared to the cells in group 0 mmol/L, the expression levels of p-InsRβ, p-IRS1, p-PI3K, and p-AKT proteins in cells of group 5 mmol/L were significantly downregulated. Compared to the cells in group C, the expression levels of p-InsRβ, p-IRS1, p-PI3K, and p-AKT proteins in the cells of group G were significantly downregulated. No significant changes were observed in the cells of group GK. ConclusionLong-term aerobic exercise can improve insulin sensitivity by lowering circulating levels of glutamate. This effect may be associated with the upregulation of the InsR/IRS1/AKT signaling pathway activity in skeletal muscle. Furthermore, glutamate can weaken the activity of the InsR/IRS1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in skeletal muscle, potentially by binding to NMDAR expressed in skeletal muscle.
3.Incremental effectiveness of two-dose of mumps-containing vaccine in chidren
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(6):883-887
Objective:
To evaluate the incremental vaccine effectiveness (VE) of two dose of the mumps containing vaccine (MuCV) in chidren, so as to provide a basis for optimizing mumps immunization strategies.
Methods:
A 1∶2 frequency matched case-control study was conducted by using reported mumps cases in childcare centers or schools from Lu an, Hefei, Ma anshan and Huainan cities of Anhui Province from September 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, as a case group(383 cases). And healthy children in the same classroom were selected as a control group(766 cases). The MuCV immunization histories of participants were collected to estimate the incremental VE of the second dose of MuCV against mumps. Group comparisons were performed using the Chi square test or t-test. For matched case-control pairs, the Cox regression model was employed to calculate the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for two dose MuCV vaccination and to estimate the incremental vaccine effectiveness (VE).
Results:
There were no statistically significant differences between the case and control groups regarding gender, age, dosage of MuCV vaccination and the time interval since the last dose vaccination( χ 2/t=0.05, 0.20, 0.94, -0.02, P >0.05). The proportions of the case and control groups vaccinated with two doses of MuCV were 26.63% and 29.37%, respectively, and the overall incremental VE of the second dose of MuCV was 40.73% (95% CI=3.03%-63.77%, P <0.05). Subgroup analyses revealed that the incremental VE for children with a period of ≥1 year between the two doses of MuCV was 54.13% (95% CI=1.90%-78.56%, P <0.05), while for children with a period of <1 year, it was 30.63% (95% CI=-28.59%-62.58%, P >0.05). The incremental VE of the second dose of MuCV was 30.36% (95% CI=-25.95%-61.50%, P >0.05) in kindergarten children and 66.73% (95% CI=14.92%-86.99%, P <0.05) in elementary and secondary school students. The incremental VE was 28.78% (95% CI=-27.46%-60.21%, P >0.05) within five years of the last dose of MuCV vaccination and 66.07% (95% CI=-41.56%-91.87%, P >0.05) for vaccinations administered beyond five years.
Conclusions
The second dose of MuCV may offer additional protection for children; however, extending the interval between two dose of MuCV (<1 year) has shown limited incremental protective effects. Therefore, it is crucial to consider optimizing current immunization strategies for mumps.
4.Efficacy and safety of coblopasvir hydrochloride capsules/sofosbuvir tablets with or without ribavirin tablets in treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection
Chunyan MOU ; Danqing XU ; Huan MU ; Jiangyan ZHANG ; Lixian CHANG ; Yuanqiang HE ; Yingyuan ZHANG ; Weikun LI ; Xiuling ZHANG ; Xiliang HE ; Qin PENG ; Li LIU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(9):1779-1787
ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic efficacy, influencing factors, and safety of a treatment regimen based on coblopasvir hydrochloride capsules/sofosbuvir tablets in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a real-world setting. MethodsA total of 253 patients who attended The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from September 1, 2021 to May 31, 2024 were enrolled, among whom there were 86 patients with compensated liver cirrhosis (CLC group) and 167 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC group). The patients were treated with coblopasvir hydrochloride capsules (60 mg)/sofosbuvir tablets (400 mg) with or without ribavirin tablets for 12 weeks, and they were followed up for 12 weeks after drug withdrawal. The primary outcome measures were the rate of sustained virologic response at week 12 after treatment (SVR12) and safety, and the secondary outcome measures were the changes in liver function, renal function, blood routine, and liver stiffness measurements (LSM) after 4 weeks of treatment, after 12 weeks of treatment, and at 12 weeks after drug withdrawal. The independent-samples t test and the Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the Friedman test was used for comparison between multiple groups, while the Bonferroni method was used for paired comparison within each group; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The Logistic analysis was used to investigate related influencing factors. ResultsThe 253 patients with chronic HCV infection had a mean age of 49.38±8.65 years, and there were 151 male patients (59.7%). Of all patients, 33.99% (86/253) had liver cirrhosis, 25.69% (65/253) had hypertension, 10.67% (27/253) had HIV infection, 8.70% (22/253) had diabetes, 3.95% (10/253) had liver cancer, 1.98% (5/253) had chronic hepatitis B, and 7.91% (20/253) were treatment-experienced patients. As for genotype distribution, 2.77% (7/253) had genotype 1, 12.65% (32/253) had genotype 2, 66.01% (167/253) had genotype 3, 16.60% (42/253) had genotype 6, and 1.98% (5/253) had unknown genotype. The patients had an overall SVR12 rate of 92.09%, with an SVR12 rate of 93.02% in the CLC group and 91.02% in the CHC group. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (odds ratio [OR]=1.086, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.007 — 1.170, P=0.032) and HCC (OR=9.178, 95%CI: 1.722 — 48.912, P=0.009) were independent influencing factors for sustained virologic response. Compared with baseline data, the CLC group had significant reductions in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (χ2=107.103, P0.05), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (χ2=90.602, P0.05), and LSM (χ2=42.235, P0.05) after 12 weeks of treatment, while the CHC group had significant reductions in total bilirubin (χ2=15.113, P0.05), ALT (χ2=202.237, P0.05), AST (χ2=161.193, P0.05), and LSM (χ2=37.606, P0.05). The incidence rate of serious adverse events was 1.58%, and none of the patients withdrew from drug therapy; the patients with such events were relieved after active symptomatic treatment. The incidence rate of all adverse events was 23.72%, among which fatigue (17.39%) and nausea (2.37%) were the most common adverse events, and these events often disappeared within 2 weeks or were gradually relieved after symptomatic treatment. ConclusionCoblopasvir hydrochloride capsules/sofosbuvir tablets with or without ribavirin tablets has good efficacy and safety in the treatment of chronic HCV infection.
5.Health risk assessment of heavy metals and metalloids in atmospheric PM2.5 from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2023
Jiake ZHU ; Shengmei YANG ; Yuhan QIN ; Nana WEI ; Wenqian ZHANG ; Xinrui JIA ; Wenyu ZHANG ; Xuanhao BAI ; Minghui YIN ; Li ZHANG ; Huan LI ; Duoduo WU ; Xuanzhi YUE ; Yaochun FAN
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(10):1201-1208
Background The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is a vast area with a wide array of ecological environments, resulting in considerable regional variations in air pollution characteristics. Current research is limited by a scarcity of systematic, region-wide studies and risk assessments. Objective To assess the health risks associated with inhalation exposure to nine heavy metal and metalloid elements in atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5) for the population of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Methods From the 10th to the 16th of each month throughout 2023, atmospheric PM2.5 samples were collected at designated monitoring sites in 12 leagues (cities) across the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to analyze the characteristics and trends in concentration. The health risk assessment model developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency was employed to evaluate both the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks associated with the heavy metal elements beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), hydrargyrum (Hg), plumbum (Pb), manganese (Mn), and nickel (Ni) and the metalloid elements stibium (Sb) and arsenic (As). Results In 2023, a total of
6.Epidemiological characteristics and spatiotemporal clustering analysis of varicella in Lu'an City in 2005 - 2023
Huan ZHANG ; Bingxin MA ; Yafei CHEN ; Yao WANG ; Fan PAN ; Lei ZHANG ; Kai CHENG ; Ling SHAO ; Wei QIN
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2025;36(6):58-61
Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and spatiotemporal clustering of varicella in Lu'an City from 2005 to 2023, and to provide a scientific basis for optimizing varicella prevention and control strategies. Methods Data on varicella cases were collected through the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention Information System. Descriptive epidemiology, temporal trend analysis, seasonal analysis, spatiotemporal clustering analysis, and spatial autocorrelation analysis were conducted using QGIS, JoinPoint, SaTScan and GeoDa software. Results The average annual reported incidence rate of varicella in Lu'an City from 2005 to 2023 was 34.55/100,000, showing a trend of initial increase followed by a decrease. The peak incidence occurred from October to January of the following year (RR=1.97, LLR=1743.95, P=0.001). Students aged 0 to 19 was the primary affected group. Spatiotemporal scan analysis revealed four types of spatiotemporal clusters, with the cluster in Jin'an District from October 2017 to December 2023 being particularly prominent (RR=2.87,LLR=1734.15,P<0.001). Spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated significant clustering of varicella cases in the main urban area (Moran's I=0.216,Z=4.786,P=0.003). Conclusion The incidence of varicella in Lu'an City exhibits distinct seasonal and spatial clustering, and schools and kindergartens in the main urban area are the key to varicella prevention and control. It is necessary to enhance the monitoring of disease outbreaks during peak periods and in key areas, and to increase the two-dose vaccination rate for varicella in areas with case aggregation and among key populations.
7.Hospitalization expenses of adult leukemia patients with relapse based on quantile regression
Qin SHEN ; Huan KOU ; Xianwei NING
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2024;35(1):93-95
Objective Based on quantile regression analysis, the influencing factors of relapse hospitalization expenses of adult leukemia patients were analyzed. Methods Analyze the composition and influencing factors of hospitalization expenses for leukemia recurrence patients in our hospital. Results From 2017 to 2022 , the per capita hospitalization cost for leukemia patients with recurrence showed an increasing trend year by year. The results of quantile regression model showed that age, payment method , length of stay, times of stay, operation and complications had an impact on the hospitalization expenses of patients at different quantiles, and the difference between different quantiles was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions The quantile regression method can more clearly reflect the distribution of the variables of each factor , we can reduce the hospitalization expenses of patients by improving the coverage rate of medical insurance and controlling the length of stay.
8.Role of Ferroptosis in Osteoarthritis and Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention: A Review
Xiaojing GUO ; Huan QIN ; Dongliang XIANG ; Yan WANG ; Li ZHANG ; Bo ZHANG ; Shujin WANG ; Xiaotong LI ; Mingyue ZHAO ; Shanhong WU ; Fei PEI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(19):263-272
Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by articular cartilage degeneration, synovial hyperplasia, hyperosteogeny, and narrowing of joint space, which can be caused by trauma, inflammation, and other factors. With the increasing global population aging, the incidence of OA is rising year by year, making it a major public health problem that urgently needs to be addressed. Exploring effective treatment schemes is particularly important. The pathogenesis of OA is complex, including oxidative stress, autophagy, and apoptosis. Recent studies have found that ferroptosis, a new type of cell death, is also an important pathogenic factor in OA, characterized by a series of complex changes such as iron ion accumulation, glutathione (GSH) depletion, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Research shows that inhibiting ferroptosis in chondrocytes can promote chondrocyte proliferation, delay extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, and reduce synovial hyperplasia and inflammation. Targeting ferroptosis is a new direction in the treatment of OA. OA treatment includes intra-articular injections of steroids or hyaluronic acid and artificial joint replacement, but there are limitations. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used in the treatment of various diseases because of its low cost, low drug resistance, and few side effects. Cell and animal experiments have further confirmed that TCM can intervene in the treatment of OA with ferroptosis from multiple targets, multiple levels, and aspects, but the mechanism of its treatment of OA based on ferroptosis has not been clarified. This paper discussed iron metabolism, lipid peroxidation, cysteine/glutamate transporter system Xc- (system Xc-)/GSH/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) pathway, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate(NADPH)/ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1)/coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) pathway, tumor protein p53 in OA, and related molecular targets of Chinese medicine monomers and compounds on ferroptosis inhibition. Their potential therapeutic mechanisms were further analyzed to provide theoretical guidance for the treatment of OA by TCM and useful reference for the research and development of related drugs.
9.Repeatability of wavefront aberration measured by adaptive optics visual simulator and agreement of OPD-Scan Ⅲ
Yan WANG ; Xuan LIAO ; Changjun LAN ; Biao LI ; Zhuang MIAO ; Qingqing TAN ; Suyun QIN ; Huan HUANG
International Eye Science 2024;24(5):810-815
AIM: To assess the repeatability and agreement of higher-order aberration obtained by adaptive optics visual simulator(VAO)compared with OPD-Scan Ⅲ.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from August to September 2023, including a total of 204 patients(204 eyes)with myopia whose right eyes were measured. The examinations were performed by the same skilled examiner using both devices separately. The VAO device was used to measure higher order aberrations of orders 3 to 6 at a pupil diameter of 4.5 mm, while both the VAO and OPD-Scan Ⅲ devices were utilized to measure total higher-order aberration(tHOA), spherical aberration(SA), coma aberration(Coma), and trefoil aberration(Trefoil)of the entire eye at pupil diameters ranging from 3 to 6 mm. Furthermore, the repeatability of whole eye aberration measurements obtained with the VAO device was evaluated and the agreement of the two devices was assessed.RESULTS: The whole-eye higher-order aberrations measured by VAO demonstrated excellent repeatability(0.767≤ICC≤0.941, Sw<0.01 μm, TRT<0.1 μm). There was no statistically significant difference in Coma measured by VAO or OPD-Scan Ⅲ for pupil diameters ranging from 4 to 6 mm(P>0.05), while a statistically significant difference was observed in whole-eye tHOA of other pupil diameters(all P<0.05). The agreement of aberration measurements for each order between VAO and OPD-Scan Ⅲ for 3 mm pupil diameters, SA at 4 and 5 mm pupil diameter and Coma at 4 mm pupil diameter showed a 95% limit of agreement(LoA)<0.1, indicating good agreement; however, poor agreement was found for the remaining aberration measurements at different pupil diameters, with a 95%LoA>0.1, and there were significant differences in higher-order aberrations measured by two devices under a pupil diameter of 3 mm(r=0.218-0.317, P<0.01), 4 mm(r=0.406-0.672, P<0.01), 5 mm(r=0.538-0.839, P<0.01 and r=0.030-0.109, P>0.01)and 6 mm(r=0.369-0.766, P<0.01).CONCLUSION: The VAO demonstrates favorable repeatability when assessing whole-eye higher order aberration under pupil diameters of 3-6 mm. However, there is inadequate agreement and interchangeability in whole-eye higher order aberration at 3-6 mm pupil diameter between VAO and OPD-Scan Ⅲ for clinical purposes.
10.The role of age and body mass index on cancer occurrence in a hypertensive population:a retrospective cohort study
Xin-Yue GUO ; Jia-Huan PENG ; Hui-Lin XU ; Yong-Fu YU ; Guo-You QIN
Fudan University Journal of Medical Sciences 2024;51(1):12-18
Objective To analyze the combined effect of body mass index(BMI)and age with cancer occurrence among a hypertensive population in Minhang District,Shanghai.Methods Participants of this study were 212 394 hypertensive patients without cancer in Minhang District,Shanghai,registered in the electronic health information system from 2007 to 2015.Age and BMI were included as smoothing functions in the generalized additive Cox proportional risk model.The bivariate response model was constructed to visualize results using surface plots and to comprehensively analyze the association of BMI and age with the risk of cancer occurrence.Results A total of 22 141 participants developed cancer by Dec 31,2018.The association between age and the risk of cancer incidence showed an overall linear trend while the association between BMI and the risk of cancer incidence showed an overall"U"shape.BMI at about 26 kg/m2 showed the lowest risk of cancer incidence.The risk of cancer occurrence increased with increasing age in people with different BMIs.The associations between BMI and the risk of cancer incidence were different at different age groups:there was no significant association between BMI and the risk of cancer incidence in the young people(20-44 years).While in the middle-aged and older people aged over 45 years,BMI was associated with the risk of cancer incidence in a"U"shape.The lowest risk of cancer incidence was around the BMI of 26 kg/m2.Conclusion BMI among the population with hypertension should be controlled in a reasonable range,especially in the middle-aged and older population,to prevent cancer occurrence.


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