ObjectiveTo analyze the expression level of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 （TREM-1） in serum and ascites of patients with cirrhotic ascites， and to investigate its correlation with clinical features and inflammatory markers and its role in the diagnosis of infection and prognostic evaluation. MethodsA total of 110 patients with cirrhotic ascites who were hospitalized in The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang from January 2019 to December 2020 were enrolled， and according to the presence or absence of intra-abdominal infection， they were divided into infection group with 72 patients and non-infection group with 38 patients. The patients with infection were further divided into improvement group with 38 patients and non-improvement group with 34 patients. Clinical data and laboratory markers were collected from all patients. Serum and ascites samples were collected， and ELISA was used to measure the level of TREM-1. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between multiple groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. A Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between indicators. A multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the influencing factors for the prognosis of patients with cirrhotic ascites and infection. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic efficacy of each indicator， and the Delong test was used for comparison of the area under the ROC curve （AUC）. ResultsThe level of TREM-1 in ascites was significantly positively correlated with that in serum （r=0.50， P<0.001）. Compared with the improvement group， the non-improvement group had a significantly higher level of TREM-1 in ascites （Z=-2.391， P=0.017） and serum （Z=-2.544， P=0.011）， and compared with the non-infection group， the infection group had a significantly higher level of TREM-1 in ascites （Z=-3.420， P<0.001）， while there was no significant difference in the level of TREM-1 in serum between the two groups （P>0.05）. The level of TREM-1 in serum and ascites were significantly positively correlated with C-reactive protein （CRP）， procalcitonin （PCT）， white blood cell count， and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio （r=0.288， 0.344， 0.530， 0.510， 0.534， 0.454， 0.330， and 0.404， all P<0.05）. The ROC curve analysis showed that when PCT， CRP， and serum or ascitic TREM-1 were used in combination for the diagnosis of cirrhotic ascites with infection， the AUCs were 0.715 and 0.740， respectively. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CRP （odds ratio ［OR］=1.019， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.001‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.038， P=0.043） and serum TREM-1 （OR=1.002， 95%CI： 1.000‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.003， P=0.016） were independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with cirrhotic ascites and infection， and the combination of these two indicators had an AUC of 0.728 in predicting poor prognosis. ConclusionThe level of TREM-1 is closely associated with the severity of infection and prognosis in patients with cirrhotic ascites， and combined measurement of TREM-1 and CRP/PCT can improve the diagnostic accuracy of infection and provide support for prognostic evaluation.

Kounis syndrome is an acute coronary syndrome triggered by an allergic reaction, which is clinically rare and frequently subject to misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis. This article presents a case report of a 70-year-old male patient who developed a rash, pruritus, and chest pain following colon polyp resection. Coronary angiography revealed occlusion of the left anterior descending artery, and blood flow was restored after stent implantation. However, the patient experienced recurrent symptoms accompanied by loss of consciousness. Drug skin tests confirmed positive reactions to chlorhexidine and fondaparinux sodium, leading to a diagnosis of type Ⅱ Kounis syndrome. By avoiding allergenic drugs and combining antihistamines with symptomatic treatment to correct myocardial ischemia, the patient′s clinical symptoms significantly improved, and he eventually recovered and was discharged from the hospital. This case underscores the importance of maintaining vigilance for this syndrome in patients with allergies accompanied by chest pain and promptly identifying and avoiding allergens.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of Yiqi Huoxue Prescription(derived from Shengyu Decoction)in the treatment of mild cervical spondylotic myelopathy(CSM)with qi deficiency and blood stasis type.Methods A total of 128 patients with mild CSM of qi deficiency and blood stasis type who admitted to Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine from January 2022 to January 2024 were randomly divided into the control group and the trial group according to the random number table method,with 64 cases in each group.The control group was treated with oral administration of Mecobalamin Tablets,and the trial group was treated with Yiqi Huoxue Prescription orally on the basis of treatment for the control group.The two groups were all treated for four weeks,and then were followed up for three months after the completion of treatment.The CSM scores of the Japanese Orthopedic Association(JOA)and the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores in the two groups were observed before treatment,after two weeks of treatment,after four weeks of treatment,and three months after the completion of treatment.And then the clinical efficacy,progression of CSM and the incidence of adverse reactions of the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)During the trial,two cases in the control group and three cases in the trial group fell off,and eventually a total of 123 cases were included,62 cases in the control group and 61 cases in the trial group.(2)Three months after the completion of treatment,the total effective rate of the trial group was 93.44%(57/61)and that of the control group was 82.26%(51/62),and the intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the efficacy of the trial group was significantly superior to that of the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(3)After two and four weeks of treatment as well as three months after the completion of treatment,JOA scores in the two groups were increased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and JOA scores of the trial group at various time points mentioned above were higher than those of the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(4)After two and four weeks of treatment as well as three months after the completion of treatment,TCM syndrome scores in the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and TCM syndrome scores of the trial group at various time points mentioned above were lower than those of the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(5)During the follow-up period,there was none case of significant aggravation or progression to moderate-severe illness in the two groups,and there were no adverse events such as allergies and gastrointestinal reactions.Conclusion Yiqi Huoxue Prescription exerts certain efficacy in treating patients with mild CSM of the qi deficiency and blood stasis type,and the treatment method is effective on improving the spinal cord function and symptoms of qi deficiency and blood stasis type,and slowing down the progression of disease in the patients,with high safety.

Objective To identify clinicopathological parameters that differentiate between very high-risk and ordinary high-risk gas-trointestinal stromal tumors(GISTs)to provide guidance for clinical treatment and follow-up monitoring.Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted,collecting 174 cases of high-risk GISTs initially diagnosed and surgically resected at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital between January 1st,2011,and December 31st,2019.Based on long-term follow-up data,the X-tile software was used to identify key parameters for screening very high-risk GISTs from ordinary high-risk GISTs,and the results were validated by using high-risk GIST cases from the cBioPortal database.Results Among the 174 high-risk GIST cases,the X-tile software indicat-ed that the maximum tumor diameter of 14 cm,the mitotic count of 14/5 mm2,and the Ki-67 proliferation index of 10%were the optimal cutoff values for distinguishing very high-risk GISTs from ordinary high-risk GISTs.Univariate survival analysis confirmed that these cutoff values were associated with progression free survival(PFS,all P<0.05).Multivariate survival analysis confirmed that the maximum tumor diameter≥14 cm(HR=5.727,P<0.01),mitotic count≥14/5 mm2(HR=2.454,P=0.047),and Ki-67 proliferation index≥10%(HR=2.275,P=0.047)were independent risk factors for tumor progression in high-risk GIST patients.High-risk GISTs with any one of the three parameters more than or equal to its optimal cutoff value were defined as very high-risk GISTs,and the other GISTs were defined as ordinary high-risk GISTs.Compared to very high-risk GIST patients,the ordinary high-risk GIST patients had superior PFS(P<0.01),and a trend toward better overall survival(OS,P=0.082).Stratified analysis showed that,in subgroups of patients with gastric or non-gas-tric primary tumors,those receiving or not receiving adjuvant therapy,and those with KIT proto-oncogene,receptor tyrosine kinase(KIT)gene mutations,ordinary high-risk GIST patients all exhibited superior PFS compared to very high-risk GIST patients(all P<0.05).Both PFS and OS of ordinary high-risk GIST patients in the cBioPortal database were better than those of very high-risk GIST patients(both P=0.001).Stratified analysis of the cBioPortal database data showed that,in subgroups of patients with gastric or non-gastric primary tu-mors,those who received adjuvant therapy,and those with KIT gene mutations,ordinary high-risk GIST patients all exhibited superior PFS compared to very high-risk GIST patients(all P<0.05);conversely,among patients who did not receive adjuvant therapy,very high-risk GIST patients showed a trend toward poorer PFS(P=0.366).Conclusions This study has established a method utilizing commonly used clinical parameters to distinguish very high-risk GISTs in clinical practice.However,further validation through multicenter studies with larger sample sizes is still required.

Objective:To achieve the conversion from dual-energy cone-beam CT (DECBCT) at the kilovolt (KV) level to projections at the megavolt (MV) level using an improved CycleGAN network, in order to provide a potential reference benchmark and real-time monitoring of in vivo doses delivered by exit beams for the safe implementation of advanced techniques such as online adaptive radiotherapy. Methods:Simulated patient data were generated using a 4D extended cardiac torso (XCAT) model, and projections were generated based on the geometric parameters of Varian′s onboard cone-beam CT. Furthermore, relative electron density (RED) images were derived from DECBCT images using an iterative dual-energy decomposition algorithm. The SE-CycleGAN and CycleGAN networks were trained to generate MV projection images using DECBCT projections and RED images, respectively. The performance of both methods was evaluated using metrics including structural similarity index (SSIM), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), and root mean square error (RMSE).Results:SE-CycleGAN significantly outperformed CycleGAN in all evaluation metrics ( Z = -23.92, -26.17, -25.54, -26.80, -11.54, -11.21, P<0.05), particularly in learning global information. Besides, although both methods generated satisfactory MV projections, training using DECBCT projections as input yielded better effects than training using RED images. For all the 3 636 sets of projections in the test set, the SE-CycleGAN and CycleGAN networks using DECBCT projections as input respectively yielded SSIMs of 0.997 7±0.000 7 and 0.997 1±0.001 6, PSNRs of 39.625 0±4.684 4 and 36.272 2±5.566 3, and RMSEs of 0.004 1±0.002 7 and 0.006 3±0.0043, respectively. In contrast, the SE-CycleGAN and CycleGAN networks using RED projections as input respectively yielded SSIMs of 0.996 8±0.001 0 and 0.996 2±0.001 5, PSNRs of 38.548 7±3.637 4 and 36.007 3±4.437 8, and RMSEs of 0.004 3±0.002 2 and 0.006 1±0.0037, respectively. Conclusions:This study proposed a new method to establish reference benchmarks for in vivo dose monitoring based on DECBCT and deep learning technologies. This method is accurate and effective according to the preliminary validation using virtual simulation experiments.

Objective To explore the correlation between the expression level of serum fibrinogen-like protein 1(FGL1)and the indexes of metabolism and renal function in patients with diabetic nephropathy(DN)and diabetes mellitus(DM),and provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods From January 2017 to April 2023,30 patients with DM and treated in Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine were selected as the DM group,68 patients with DN were selected as the DN group,and 36 healthy subjects were selected as the control group.The DN group was further divided into the early DN(DN-E)group(n=38)and the late DN(DN-A)group(n=30)according to whether there was a large amount of proteinuria and the severity.Clinical data such as serum albumin(ALB),estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)and albumin-to-creatinine ratio(ACR)were collected.Serum FGL1 level was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Pearson linear correlation was used for correlation,the diagnostic value was analyzed by ROC curve.Results Compared with the control group,the levels of ACR,FGL1 in patients with DM group increased,the levels of eGFR decreased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=5.686,4.336,-4.683,all P<0.05).Compated with the DM group,the levels of ACR,FGL1 in patients with DN-E group was increased,and the level of eGFR was decreased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=5.275,3.454,-4.969,all P<0.05).Compared with the DN-E group,the levels of ACR,FGL1 in the DN-A group were increased,the levels of eGFR were decreased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=7.881,7.051,-5.596,all P<0.05).Serum FGL1 level was negatively correlated with ALB and eGFR(r=-0.638,-0.547,all P<0.05),and positively correlated with ACR(r=0.691,P<0.05).The AUC(95%CI),specificity and sensitivity of serum FGL1 level in the diagnosis of DN were 0.947(0.908～0.987),100%and 82.4%,respectively.Conclusion The level of serum FGL1 in DN and DM patients is high,and the level of serum FGL1 is closely related to the common metabolic indexes such as ALB,eGFR and ACR in the diagnosis of DN,which may have certain clinical diagnostic value.

Tianxiangdan (TXD), a traditional Chinese herbal remedy, demonstrates efficacy in mitigating myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced damage. This study employed network pharmacology to evaluate the therapeutic targets and mechanisms of TXD in treating I/R. High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) identified 86 compounds in TXD. Network pharmacological analysis predicted potential target genes and their modes of action. Cardiac function, ischaemic ST changes, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, myocardial fiber, and infarct size were assessed using in vivo and in vitro I/R injury models. Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) protein expression and estradiol (E2) levels were measured to confirm TXD's impact on estrogen levels and ERα expression. To examine if TXD reduces I/R injury through ERα, an AZD group (300 nmol·L^-1 AZD9496 and 15% TXD serum) was compared to a TXD group (15% TXD serum). The study hypothesized that TXD upregulates the ERα-mediated iron metamorphosis pathway. I/R injury-induced ferroptosis was identified using a Fer-1 group (1.0 μmol·L^-1 Fer-1 and 15% TXD serum) to elucidate the potential association between ferroptosis and ERα proteins. A DCFH-DA probe detected reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Fe²⁺, while Western blotting assessed target protein expression. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that TXD attenuated I/R injury by reducing elevated ST-segment levels, improving cardiac injury biomarkers (LDH, MDA, and SOD), alleviating pathological features, and preventing I/R-induced loss of cell viability in vitro. The effects and mechanisms of TXD on I/R injury-associated ferroptosis were investigated using I/R-induced H9c2 cells. The TXD group showed significantly decreased ROS and Fe²⁺ levels, while the AZ group (treated with AZD9496) exhibited increased levels. The TXD group demonstrated enhanced expression of ERα and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), with reduced levels of P53 protein and ferritin-heavy polypeptide 1 (FTH1). The AZ group exhibited contrasting effects on these expression levels. The literature indicated a novel connection between ERα and ferroptosis. TXD activates the ERα signaling pathway, promoting protection against I/R-induced myocardial cell ferroptosis. This study provides evidence supporting TXD use for myocardial ischemia treatment, particularly in older female patients who may benefit from its therapeutic outcomes.
Animals ; Ferroptosis/drug effects* ; Estrogen Receptor alpha/genetics* ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Male ; Mice ; Humans ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Estradiol/metabolism*

Objective This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial resistance profiles of bacterial strains isolated from pediatric intensive care units(PICU)in China for better antimicrobial therapy.Methods Clinical isolates were collected from 17 institutions,including tertiary care children's hospitals and pediatric department of tertiary general hospitals in China from January 1,2020 to December 31,2022.Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out according to a unified protocol using Kirby-Bauer method or automated systems.Results were interpreted according to the breakpoints released by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)in 2020.Results A total of 10 688 isolates were collected,including gram-positive organisms(39.2％)and gram-negative organisms(60.8％).The top three organisms were S.aureus(13.6％,1 453/10 688),A.baumannii(10.0％,1 067/10 688),and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus(9.9％,1 058/10 688).Multi-drug resistant organisms(MDROs)were very common in children.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA),carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales(CRE),carbapenem-resistant E.coli,carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae(CRKP),carbapenem-resistant A.baumannii(CRAB),and carbapenem-resistant P.aeruginosa(CRPA)was 41.1％,19.4％,8.8％,30.9％,67.4％,and 28.8％,respectively.Overall,more than 50％of Enterobacteriales isolates were resistant to cephalosporins,while nearly 25％of Enterobacteriales isolates were resistant to carbapenems.MDROs were highly resistant to commonly used antibiotics.More than 80％of CRE and CRAB strains were resistant to all beta-lactam antibiotics.CRE and CRAB showed low resistance rates to tigecycline and polymyxin.CRPA showed lower resistance rates to piperacillin,beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations than the resistance rates to third and fourth generation cephalosporins.All of the Staphylococcus and Enterococcus isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and tigecycline.None of PRSP strains isolated from meningitis and nonmeningitis samples were resistant to rifampicin,vancomycin,or linezolid.The prevalence of β-lactamase-negative ampicillin-resistant(BLNAR)strains was 43.3％in Haemophilus influenzae.Conclusions MDROs were prevalent in PICU.It is necessary to establish an effective multidisciplinary team(MDT)to control the antimicrobial resistance.

Objective To analyze the expression level of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1(TREM-1)in serum and ascites of patients with cirrhotic ascites,and to investigate its correlation with clinical features and inflammatory markers and its role in the diagnosis of infection and prognostic evaluation.Methods A total of 110 patients with cirrhotic ascites who were hospitalized in The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang from January 2019 to December 2020 were enrolled,and according to the presence or absence of intra-abdominal infection,they were divided into infection group with 72 patients and non-infection group with 38 patients.The patients with infection were further divided into improvement group with 38 patients and non-improvement group with 34 patients.Clinical data and laboratory markers were collected from all patients.Serum and ascites samples were collected,and ELISA was used to measure the level of TREM-1.The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups;the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups,and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between multiple groups;the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups.A Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between indicators.A multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the influencing factors for the prognosis of patients with cirrhotic ascites and infection.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic efficacy of each indicator,and the Delong test was used for comparison of the area under the ROC curve(AUC).Results The level of TREM-1 in ascites was significantly positively correlated with that in serum(r=0.50,P<0.001).Compared with the improvement group,the non-improvement group had a significantly higher level of TREM-1 in ascites(Z=-2.391,P=0.017)and serum(Z=-2.544,P=0.011),and compared with the non-infection group,the infection group had a significantly higher level of TREM-1 in ascites(Z=-3.420,P<0.001),while there was no significant difference in the level of TREM-1 in serum between the two groups(P>0.05).The level of TREM-1 in serum and ascites were significantly positively correlated with C-reactive protein(CRP),procalcitonin(PCT),white blood cell count,and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio(r=0.288,0.344,0.530,0.510,0.534,0.454,0.330,and 0.404,all P<0.05).The ROC curve analysis showed that when PCT,CRP,and serum or ascitic TREM-1 were used in combination for the diagnosis of cirrhotic ascites with infection,the AUCs were 0.715 and 0.740,respectively.The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CRP(odds ratio[OR]=1.019,95%confidence interval[CI]:1.001-1.038,P=0.043)and serum TREM-1(OR=1.002,95%CI:1.000-1.003,P=0.016)were independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with cirrhotic ascites and infection,and the combination of these two indicators had an AUC of 0.728 in predicting poor prognosis.Conclusion The level of TREM-1 is closely associated with the severity of infection and prognosis in patients with cirrhotic ascites,and combined measurement of TREM-1 and CRP/PCT can improve the diagnostic accuracy of infection and provide support for prognostic evaluation.

Objective:To explore the gait and eye movement parameters in early Parkinson's disease(PD)with sleep disorders, and analyze their association with underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional single-center design that included 82 early PD patients with Hoehn-Yahr(H-Y)staging ≤2.5 who visited Beijing Hospital from October 2023 to May 2025.Patients were divided into two groups according to the PDSS-2 score(total score ≤15 for the no sleep disorder group and total score >15 for the sleep disorder group). Gait and eye movement parameters were collected respectively through the ReadyGo system and the EyeKnow eye movement system, and analyzed in combination with clinical scales.Multivariate logistic regression was employed to identify independent characteristic parameters associated with sleep disorders.Results:In terms of gait, the sleep disorder group had significantly lower step speed, left-right stride speed, and left-right swing speed(all P<0.05), and significantly higher variability of left-right stride time( P=0.017, 0.026). Regarding eye movements, the sleep disorder group had significantly more vertical smooth pursuit offsets[(56.24±2.87)times vs.(45.98±18.18)times, P=0.040], significantly higher maximum real-time variability of the right eye in response to light stimuli(90.75 vs.67.95%, P=0.006), and a longer latency to error responses in the counter-scanning task(337.06 vs.286.63 ms, P=0.005). To precisely control for confounding factors, key covariates such as mood and disease severity were included in the multivariate logistic regression model.After comprehensive adjustment, higher anxiety levels(Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, HAMA)( OR=1.32, P<0.001)and an increased number of vertical smooth pursuit offsets( OR=1.06, P=0.010)were independent factors associated with sleep disorders in early PD patients. Conclusions:In early PD patients, sleep disorders are closely associated with specific abnormalities in gait and eye movement parameters.In particular, vertical smooth pursuit offsets may serve as an objective biomarker independent of emotional status, reflecting the dysfunction of shared neural circuits.However, further mechanism studies are needed to verify whether they reflect the dysfunction of shared neural circuits.