Objective:To evaluate the relationship between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) during the perioperative period and early postoperative recurrence in patients with advanced gastric cancer.Methods:In this prospective study, 188 American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ or Ⅱ patients, aged 18-75 yr, with a body mass index of 20-30 kg/m 2, with radiological staging of T 2-4N xM 0, underwent elective gastric cancer radical surgery under general anesthesia at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2018 to April 2022, were selected. The NLR was measured at 1 day before operation and postoperative days 1, 3 and 5. The difference between postoperative and preoperative NLR (ΔNLR) was calculated. Based on the presence or absence of tumor recurrence and/or metastasis within 2 yr after surgery, the patients were divided into recurrence group and non-recurrence group. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was employed to evaluate the early postoperative recurrence and perioperative NLR in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Results:A total of 171 patients ultimately completed the follow-up. There were 77 cases in recurrence group and 94 in non-recurrence group. Compared to non-recurrence group, NLR and ΔNLR were significantly increased on the 5th day after operation in recurrence group ( P<0.05). The elevated NLR and ΔNLR at postoperative day 5 were independent risk factors for recurrence within 2 yr in patients with advanced gastric cancer ( HR=1.026, P<0.05). Conclusions:NLR may not be associated with the risk of early postoperative recurrence in the patients with advanced gastric cancer, and further evaluation with large-scale studies is needed.

MicroRNA(miRNA)serves as a novel regulatory factor in viral and bacterial co-infections,exhibiting dual regulatory roles during pathogen infections.On the one hand,it exerts protective effects by modulating viral replication cycles and host anti-infection immune responses.On the other hand,it can be exploited by pathogens to promote infection progression,including influencing viral replication,antiviral immune responses,and regulating bacterial adhesion and proliferation.Mixed viral and bacterial infections lead to high mortality rates.By binding to specific target gene mRNA,miRNA degrades or inhibits its translation,thereby regulating target gene expres-sion,which may ultimately serve as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.This paper reviews recent ad-vances in research on the role of miRNA in viral and bacterial infections,particularly its mechanisms in co-infec-tions,aiming to provide theoretical reference for further research on the infection mechanisms.

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) during the perioperative period and early postoperative recurrence in patients with advanced gastric cancer.Methods:In this prospective study, 188 American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ or Ⅱ patients, aged 18-75 yr, with a body mass index of 20-30 kg/m 2, with radiological staging of T 2-4N xM 0, underwent elective gastric cancer radical surgery under general anesthesia at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2018 to April 2022, were selected. The NLR was measured at 1 day before operation and postoperative days 1, 3 and 5. The difference between postoperative and preoperative NLR (ΔNLR) was calculated. Based on the presence or absence of tumor recurrence and/or metastasis within 2 yr after surgery, the patients were divided into recurrence group and non-recurrence group. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was employed to evaluate the early postoperative recurrence and perioperative NLR in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Results:A total of 171 patients ultimately completed the follow-up. There were 77 cases in recurrence group and 94 in non-recurrence group. Compared to non-recurrence group, NLR and ΔNLR were significantly increased on the 5th day after operation in recurrence group ( P<0.05). The elevated NLR and ΔNLR at postoperative day 5 were independent risk factors for recurrence within 2 yr in patients with advanced gastric cancer ( HR=1.026, P<0.05). Conclusions:NLR may not be associated with the risk of early postoperative recurrence in the patients with advanced gastric cancer, and further evaluation with large-scale studies is needed.

MicroRNA(miRNA)serves as a novel regulatory factor in viral and bacterial co-infections,exhibiting dual regulatory roles during pathogen infections.On the one hand,it exerts protective effects by modulating viral replication cycles and host anti-infection immune responses.On the other hand,it can be exploited by pathogens to promote infection progression,including influencing viral replication,antiviral immune responses,and regulating bacterial adhesion and proliferation.Mixed viral and bacterial infections lead to high mortality rates.By binding to specific target gene mRNA,miRNA degrades or inhibits its translation,thereby regulating target gene expres-sion,which may ultimately serve as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.This paper reviews recent ad-vances in research on the role of miRNA in viral and bacterial infections,particularly its mechanisms in co-infec-tions,aiming to provide theoretical reference for further research on the infection mechanisms.

Objective: To explore the factors affecting the prevalence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) among HIV/AIDS patients, so as to provide insights into developing HAND prevention measures. Methods: HIV/AIDS patients aged 18 years and above in the Infection Department of Nanjing Second Hospital were selected.Demographic data, treatment regimen and blood biochemical indicators were collected. Depression was evaluated using Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale, frailty was evaluated using Chinese version of Tilburg Frailty Indicator, and HAND was evaluated by Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale. Factors affecting HAND were analyzed using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: Totally 440 questionnaires were allocated and 426 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective rate of 96.82%. The median age of patients investigated was 33.00 (interquartile range, 10.00) year. There were 407 males, accounting for 95.54%; 232 patients with bachelor degree or above, accounting for 54.46%; 171 patients with HAND, accounting for 40.14%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that educational level (bachelor degree or above, OR=0.291, 95%CI: 0.157-0.541), depression (OR=2.499, 95%CI: 1.530-4.083), frailty (OR=2.121, 95%CI: 1.307-3.441) and treatment regimen including efavirenz (OR=2.223, 95%CI: 1.367-3.615) were the influencing factors for HAND among HIV/AIDS patients. Conclusion Educational level, depression, frailty and use of efavirenz may be associated with HAND risk.

Postoperative pulmonary complications are common in thoracic surgery, which are the main influencing factors of poor prognosis, prolonged hospital stay, increased medical burden and increased postoperative mortality. Therefore, effective early diagnosis, early diagnosis and timely treatment of postoperative pulmonary complications after thoracic surgery is of great significance to improve the prognosis of patients. This article will review the definition, mechanism, risk factors and preventive measures of pulmonary complications after thoracic surgery.

Objective:To compare the efficacy and safety of endoscopic sclerotherapy with polycinnamol solution and foam in the treatment of grade II hemorrhagic internal hemorrhoids.Methods:From September 2020 to June 2021, 81 patients with grade II hemorrhagic internal hemorrhoids were collected from the Department of Gastroenterology, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China. They were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group. The observation group was injected with polycinnamol solution, and the control group was injected with polycinnamol foam. All of them were treated with endoscopic sclerotherapy. The clinical data of the two groups were compared and analyzed. The operation time, immediate hemostasis rate, incidence of postoperative complications (such as fever, pain, bleeding and Urinary retention), recurrence and rebleeding rate of the two groups were observed, and the efficacy and safety of the two groups in the treatment of grade II hemorrhagic internal hemorrhoids were compared.Results:There was no statistically significant difference in basic data between the two groups of patients (all P>0.05), indicating comparability. The surgical operation time of the observation group patients [(7.40±1.18)min] was shorter than that of the control group [(13.88±0.95)min] ( P<0.05); The injection dose of polycinnamol [(5.79±1.61)ml] in the observation group was higher than that in the control group [(4.38±1.92)ml] ( P<0.05). The immediate postoperative hemostasis rate in the observation group was the same as that in the control group (100%). The incidence of postoperative fever (7.32%), perianal pain (4.88%), bleeding (7.32%), and urinary retention (4.88%) complications in the observation group had no significant difference from that in the control group [postoperative fever (5.00%), anal pain (7.50%), bleeding (7.50%), and urinary retention (2.50%)] (all P>0.05). Two months after surgery, the rebleeding rate in the observation group (4.88%) was not significantly different from that in the control group (7.50%) ( P>0.05), but the rebleeding score in the observation group (1.21±0.63) was lower than that in the control group (2.62±0.71), with a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05). The rebleeding rate (2.44%) and the rebleeding score (2.33±1.51) in the observation group were lower than those in the control group [the rebleeding rate (12.50%) and the rebleeding score (5.54±2.42)] at 12 months after follow-up, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Endoscopic sclerotherapy is effective in the treatment of grade II hemorrhagic internal hemorrhoids. There is no significant difference in the immediate and short-term hemostasis rate and the incidence of complications between two different dosage forms of sclerotherapy, namely, polycinnamol solution and foam, but the operation of the solution injection is more time-saving and the long-term recurrence rate is lower, which is worthy of clinical application.

In order to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of endoscopic hemorrhoids treatment, a retrospective analysis was conducted on data of 166 patients with grade I to Ⅲ hemorrhoids who underwent endoscopic treatment in the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from January 2018 to June 2020 with complete follow-up data. There were 35 cases in the simple sclerotherapy group, 104 cases in the simple ligation group, and 27 cases in the ligation combined sclerotherapy group. The results showed that, no serious complications occurred in the 3 groups after surgery. In the simple ligation group and the ligation combined with sclerotherapy group, the incidence of postoperative anal pain [35.6% (37/104) and 33.3% (9/27), respectively,] and anal pendant distension [70.2% (73/104) and 70.4% (19/27), respectively] were higher, but symptoms could be tolerated or relieved after simple treatment. The satisfaction of patients in the 3 groups was all more than 90% before discharge, and the degree of operation acceptance was more than 95%. The effective rate of the 3 groups was above 90.0% at 3 months after surgery, At 12 months after surgery, the effective rate of the simple sclerotherapy group was the lowest [74.3% (26/35)], and the effective rate of the other two groups was still above 85.0%. In conclusion, minimally invasive treatment for internal hemorrhoids under endoscopy is safe and effective with effective improvement of symptoms, high postoperative satisfaction of patients and high degree of acceptance.

BACKGROUND: Post-operative pneumonia (POP) is a common complication of lung cancer surgery, and muscular tissue oxygenation is a root cause of post-operative complications. However, the association between muscular tissue desaturation and POP in patients receiving lung cancer surgery has not been specifically studied. This study aimed to investigate the potential use of intra-operative muscular tissue desaturation as a predictor of POP in patients undergoing lung cancer surgery. METHODS: This cohort study enrolled patients (≥55 years) who had undergone lobectomy with one-lung ventilation. Muscular tissue oxygen saturation (SmtO 2 ) was monitored in the forearm (over the brachioradialis muscle) and upper thigh (over the quadriceps) using a tissue oximeter. The minimum SmtO 2 was the lowest intra-operative measurement at any time point. Muscular tissue desaturation was defined as a minimum baseline SmtO 2 of <80% for >15 s. The area under or above the threshold was the product of the magnitude and time of desaturation. The primary outcome was the association between intra-operative muscular tissue desaturation and POP within seven post-operative days using multivariable logistic regression. The secondary outcome was the correlation between SmtO 2 in the forearm and that in the thigh. RESULTS: We enrolled 174 patients. The overall incidence of muscular desaturation (defined as SmtO 2 < 80% in the forearm at baseline) was approximately 47.1% (82/174). The patients with muscular desaturation had a higher incidence of pneumonia than those without desaturation (28.0% [23/82] vs. 12.0% [11/92]; P  = 0.008). The multivariable analysis revealed that muscular desaturation was associated with an increased risk of pneumonia (odds ratio: 2.995, 95% confidence interval: 1.080-8.310, P  = 0.035) after adjusting for age, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia score, smoking, use of peripheral nerve block, propofol, and study center. CONCLUSION: Muscular tissue desaturation, defined as a baseline SmtO 2 < 80% in the forearm, may be associated with an increased risk of POP. TRIAL REGISTRATION No. ChiCTR-ROC-17012627.
Humans ; Cohort Studies ; Pneumonia/epidemiology* ; Postoperative Complications/epidemiology* ; Oxygen ; Muscles ; Lung Neoplasms/surgery*

BACKGROUND: Red-cell transfusion is critical for surgery during the peri-operative period; however, the transfusion threshold remains controversial mainly owing to the diversity among patients. The patient's medical status should be evaluated before making a transfusion decision. Herein, we developed an individualized transfusion strategy using the West-China-Liu's Score based on the physiology of oxygen delivery/consumption balance and designed an open-label, multicenter, randomized clinical trial to verify whether it reduced red cell requirement as compared with that associated with restrictive and liberal strategies safely and effectively, providing valid evidence for peri-operative transfusion. METHODS: Patients aged >14 years undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery with estimated blood loss > 1000 mL or 20% blood volume and hemoglobin concentration <10 g/dL were randomly assigned to an individualized strategy, a restrictive strategy following China's guideline or a liberal strategy with a transfusion threshold of hemoglobin concentration <9.5 g/dL. We evaluated two primary outcomes: the proportion of patients who received red blood cells (superiority test) and a composite of in-hospital complications and all-cause mortality by day 30 (non-inferiority test). RESULTS: We enrolled 1182 patients: 379, 419, and 384 received individualized, restrictive, and liberal strategies, respectively. Approximately 30.6% (116/379) of patients in the individualized strategy received a red-cell transfusion, less than 62.5% (262/419) in the restrictive strategy (absolute risk difference, 31.92%; 97.5% confidence interval [CI]: 24.42-39.42%; odds ratio, 3.78%; 97.5% CI: 2.70-5.30%; P <0.001), and 89.8% (345/384) in the liberal strategy (absolute risk difference, 59.24%; 97.5% CI: 52.91-65.57%; odds ratio, 20.06; 97.5% CI: 12.74-31.57; P <0.001). No statistically significant differences were found in the composite of in-hospital complications and mortality by day 30 among the three strategies. CONCLUSION: The individualized red-cell transfusion strategy using the West-China-Liu's Score reduced red-cell transfusion without increasing in-hospital complications and mortality by day 30 when compared with restrictive and liberal strategies in elective non-cardiac surgeries. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01597232.
Humans ; Adult ; Postoperative Complications ; Erythrocyte Transfusion/adverse effects* ; Blood Transfusion ; Hospitals ; Hemoglobins/analysis*