Objective To observe the value of 80 kVp combined with artificial intelligence iterative reconstruction(AIIR)in lower extremity CT angiography(CTA)of diabetic foot.Methods Sixty patients with diabetic foot were prospectively enrolled and divided into experimental group and control group(each n=30).Lower extremity CTA was performed using 80 kVp combined with AIIR in experimental group,while using 120 kVp combined with hybrid iterative reconstruction(HIR)in control group.The subjective and objective evaluation results of imaging quality,as well as the radiation dose of scanning were compared between groups.Results Compared with control group,images in experimental group showed higher subjective scores(5[5,5]vs.4[4,4]),displayed more branches of lower limb arteries(both P＜0.05),while the radiation dose decreased by 59.76％ ([8.29±0.53]mSv vs.[20.60±2.42]mSv).CT values,signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)of each lower extremity artery segments were higher,while the noise of each lower extremity artery segments in experimental group were lower than those in control group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion 80 kVp combined with AIIR could reduce radiation dose and improve imaging quality of lower extremity CTA of diabetic foot,hence being helpful to displaying small arteries of lower extremity,such as dorsalis pedis arteries and common plantar metatarsal arteries.

Objective:To analyze the characteristics of adverse reactions of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), and provide a basis for the rational clinical application.Methods:The adverse drug reaction (ADR) cases of SGLT2i reported by Beijing from January 1, 2019 to June 30, 2024 were collected through searching the National Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring System of China. The Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) terminology set was used to standardize the description of ADR, and the involving system organ class (SOC) and preferred term (PT) was extracted. Data of ADR were analyzed descriptively and statistically. Results:A total of 409 SGLT2i-related adverse reaction reports involving 409 patients were included. Among these patients, there were 232 females and 177 males; the median age was 62(52, 70) years, and 231 cases (56.48%) were under the age of 65 years; 5 types of SGLT2i (dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, canagliflozin, ertugliflozin, and henagliflozin proline) were involved, and reports of dapagliflozin was the most (279 cases, 68.22%). The primary indication for medication was diabetes (404 cases, 98.78%). The majority of ADRs did not reach the severe level (395 cases, 96.58%). The 14 cases (3.42%) of severe ADR were primarily about diabetic ketoacidosis (11 cases, 11/14), of which 7 cases presented with normal blood glucose levels and 5 cases occurred after medical stress events. The outcomes of patients were improvement in 241 cases (58.92%) and recovery in 127 cases (31.05%). In total, 476 ADR occurrences were recorded among the 409 patients, involving 82 PTs, 24 of which were not listed in the drug labels. The top 2 SOCs were the infections and infestations [26.26% (125/476)] and renal and urinary disorders [13.87% (66/476)]; the top 3 PTs were urinary tract infection [23.32% (111/476)], urinary ketone detection [6.51% (31/476)], and vulvovaginal pruritus [5.88% (28/476)]; the top 3 newly identified possible ADRs (PTs) were dizziness [2.31% (11/476)], palpitations [1.89% (9/476)], and decreased appetite [1.05% (5/476)].Conclusions:Based on the ADR monitoring data in Beijing in the past 5 and a half years, SGLT2i-associated adverse reactions primarily involved the infections and infestations, and renal and urinary disorders. ADRs identified in the study such as dizziness and palpitations are not documented in the drug labels, euglycaemic ketoacidosis accounts for a high proportion of severe reactions, and most of them occur after acute stress events.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2024.09.010.].

Objective To investigate the role and related mechanisms of exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in radiation-induced lung injury (RILI). Methods Human umbilical cord-derived MSCs were isolated and cultured for the extraction and identification of exosomes. Eighteen male SD rats were randomly divided into Control group, RILI group and RILI + exosomes group (EXO group), with 6 rats in each group. Except for Control group, the other groups received a single X-ray dose of 30 Gy to the right lung. Immediately after irradiation, the EXO group was administered 2 × 10⁹ exosomes/kg via tail vein injection. Control group and RILI group were given the same volume of normal saline. Eight weeks post-irradiation, the rats were sacrificed, lung tissue and peripheral venous blood were collected. HE and Masson staining were employed to observe the pathological and fibrotic changes of lung tissue. The levels of serum inflammatory factors IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-10 were detected by ELISA. RT-qPCR was used to assess the mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6, Cdh1, and Col1a1 in lung tissue. The expression levels of Vimentin and TGF-β1 in lung tissue were measured by immunohistochemical staining. The expression levels of AMPK, p-AMPK, and TGF-β1 in lung tissue were detected by Western blot. Results MSC-derived exosomes were successfully extracted and identified. Compared with RILI group, EXO group showed significantly reduced pathological changes of lung inflammation and collagen deposition. The levels of serum inflammatory factors IL-6, INF-γ, and TNF-α were significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and the level of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 was significantly increased (P < 0.05). The mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and Col1a1 in lung tissue were significantly decreased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and the mRNA level of Cdh1 was significantly increased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The levels of Vimentin and TGF-β1 in lung tissue were significantly reduced, while p-AMPK level was significantly up-regulated (P < 0.05). Conclusion Exosomes derived from MSCs may alleviate RILI by inhibiting inflammatory responses and regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition mediated by AMPK/TGF-β1 signaling pathway.

Objective:To evaluate the changes of right atrial volume and function in patients with atrial septal defect（ASD）by four-dimensional ultrasound automatic quantitative technology，and to explore the predictive value and clinical significance for ASD with pulmonary arterial hypertension（PAH）.Methods:Sixty-one patients with ASD and 32 healthy volunteers（control group）who attended Central China Fuwai Hospital of Zhengzhou University，Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital from March 2023 to April 2024 were prospectively collected，and classified ASD patients into ASD without PAH group（non-PAH group， n=30）and ASD with PAH group（PAH group， n=31）according to whether or not they had PAH，and obtained right atrial reserve，ductal，systolic longitudinal and circumferential strains（RASr，RAScd，RASct，RASr-c，RAScd-c，RASct-c），right atrial minimal，maximal，and presystolic volumes（RAVmin，RAVmax，and RAVpreA），and calculated right atrial total，passive，and active ejection fraction（RAEF，RAPEF，RAAEF）. The ultrasound parameters and clinical data were compared between groups. Pearson's linear correlation was applied to analyse the correlation between the parameters（RASr，RAA，PASP，NT-proBNP）and mean pulmonary artery pressure（mPAP）. ROC curves were plotted and the area under the curve（AUC）was calculated to analyse the value of the four-dimensional strain parameters of the right atrium in independently and jointly predicting the combination of ASD with PAH. Results:①Compared with the control group，RAVmin，RAVmax，and RAVpreA were elevated in the non-PAH and PAH groups，and the absolute values of RAPEF and RAScd were decreased，whereas the absolute values of RAEF，RAAEF，RASr，RASct，RASr-c，and RASct-c were elevated in the non-PAH group，and decreased in the PAH group（all P<0.05）；compared with the non-PAH group，only RAVmin，RAVmax，and RAVpreA were elevated in the PAH group，and the rest of the above parameters were reduced，with statistically significant differences（all P<0.05）. ②The right atrial four-dimensional strain parameter RASr had the highest predictive value for ASD combined with PAH，with an AUC of 0.876，a specificity of 83.3%，and a sensitivity of 77.4%，respectively. ③RASr was negatively correlated with mPAP（ r=-0.591， P<0.001）and RAA，PASP and NT-proBNP were positively correlated with mPAP（ r=0.539，0.697，0.616；all P<0.001）. ④The predictive value of RASr combined with RAA，PASP，and NT-proBNP was superior for ASD combined with PAH（AUC=0.933）. Conclusions:Four-dimensional ultrasound automatic quantitative technology can effectively evaluate the changes of right atrial volume and function in patients with ASD. ASD patients without PAH have increased right atrial reserve and pump function，and decreased right atrial pipeline function. The right atrial function of ASD patients with PAH is significantly reduced，and the impairment is more severe. Among the right atrial four-dimensional strain parameters，RASr has the highest efficacy in predicting ASD combined with PAH. Moreover，the combination of RASr with RAA，PASP，and NT-proBNP has the best predictive efficacy for ASD combined with PAH，which holds significant clinical value.

Objective:To identify and validate secreted effector proteins of Chlamydia psittaci ( C. psittaci) through bioinformatic prediction and experimental verification, and to characterize their subcellular localization in host cells. Methods:Potential effector proteins were predicted using bioinformatics tools. Candidate effectors were fused to β-lactamase through the constructed expression vectors, and these vectors were transformed into C. psittaci. The secretion of these candidate effectors was evaluated by β-lactamase translocation assays. Eukaryotic expression vectors of confirmed effectors were transfected into host cells to determine their intracellular localization patterns. Results:Bioinformatic analysis identified 29 candidate effector proteins. Experimental validation confirmed the secretion of five effectors, with four exhibiting cytoplasmic localization and one displaying nuclear localization in host cells.Conclusion:This study characterizes five novel C. psittaci secreted effector proteins, providing critical insights for investigating the molecular pathogenesis of psittacosis.

Objective:To investigates the efficacy and safety of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT)in treating older patients(≥60 years old)with hematologic malignancies.Methods:We conducted a retrospective study involving 67 patients aged 60 years and above, diagnosed with malignant hematological diseases, who received allo-HSCT at the Clinical Research Centrer for Haematologic Diseases of the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between June 2015 and March 2023.We collected pre-transplant data, including the patients' age, gender, pre-transplantation disease risk stratification, disease status, and the haematopoietic cell transplantation comorbidity index(HCT-CI). We retrospectively analyzed clinical data regarding treatment-related toxicity, infections, acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease(a/cGVHD), as well as recurrent and non-recurrent deaths, to estimate the overall survival(OS)rate and event-free survival (EFS)rate.Results:Sixty-seven patients were included in the study, comprising 55 males(82.1%)and 12 females(17.9%), with a median age of 63(61, 65) years .The cohort consisted of 42 cases of acute myeloid leukaemia, 22 cases of myelodysplastic syndromes, and 3 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the 1-year OS and EFS rates were 62.9% and 59.2%, respectively, while the 2-year OS and EFS rates were 55.3% and 51.8%, respectively.The cumulative incidence of 1-year non-relapse mortality and relapse was 25.4% and 21.2%, respectively.A total of 13 patients developed grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD, with a 1-year cumulative incidence of 22.0%, and 7 patients developed cGVHD requiring treatment.When stratified by age group, the OS rate was higher in patients aged 60~64 years compared to those aged ≥65 years; however, this difference was not statistically significant(Log-rank χ2=0.99, P=0.317). In contrast, when stratified by disease load, the OS rate was significantly higher in the complete remission(CR)group than in the non-CR group, with a statistically significant difference(Log-rank χ2=15.04, P<0.001). When stratified by donor type, the OS rate was higher in the human leukocyte antigens (HLA) allogeneic group compared to the haploinsufficiency group; however, the difference was not statistically significant(Log-rank χ2=2.71, P=0.100). Twenty-seven patients died at an average of 125 days (range 3-1 054 days) after HSCT.The causes of death included leukemia recurrence in 9 cases (33.3%), infection in 8 cases (29.6%), GVHD in 5 cases (18.5%), poor implantation in 3 cases (11.1%), multi-organ failure in 1 case (3.7%), and cerebrovascular accident in 1 case (3.7%). The results of multifactorial analysis indicated that a pre-transplant tumor load greater than 5% was an independent risk factor for OS after transplantation ( HR=4.59, 95% CI: 2.01-10.42, P<0.001)as well as for disease recurrence ( OR=13.11, 95% CI: 1.96-87.87, P=0.008). Additionally, the occurrence of infection was identified as an independent risk factor for non-recurrent death after transplantation( OR=3.95, 95% CI: 1.13 to 13.71, P=0.031). Conclusions:For patients aged 60 years or older with hematologic malignancies, HSCT can serve as a viable treatment option, particularly for those with refractory recurrence and high cytogenetic risk, as it has the potential to significantly enhance prognosis and increase both EFS and OS rates.

Objective To observe the value of 80 kVp combined with artificial intelligence iterative reconstruction(AIIR)in lower extremity CT angiography(CTA)of diabetic foot.Methods Sixty patients with diabetic foot were prospectively enrolled and divided into experimental group and control group(each n=30).Lower extremity CTA was performed using 80 kVp combined with AIIR in experimental group,while using 120 kVp combined with hybrid iterative reconstruction(HIR)in control group.The subjective and objective evaluation results of imaging quality,as well as the radiation dose of scanning were compared between groups.Results Compared with control group,images in experimental group showed higher subjective scores(5[5,5]vs.4[4,4]),displayed more branches of lower limb arteries(both P＜0.05),while the radiation dose decreased by 59.76％ ([8.29±0.53]mSv vs.[20.60±2.42]mSv).CT values,signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)of each lower extremity artery segments were higher,while the noise of each lower extremity artery segments in experimental group were lower than those in control group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion 80 kVp combined with AIIR could reduce radiation dose and improve imaging quality of lower extremity CTA of diabetic foot,hence being helpful to displaying small arteries of lower extremity,such as dorsalis pedis arteries and common plantar metatarsal arteries.

Objective:To analyze the characteristics of adverse reactions of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), and provide a basis for the rational clinical application.Methods:The adverse drug reaction (ADR) cases of SGLT2i reported by Beijing from January 1, 2019 to June 30, 2024 were collected through searching the National Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring System of China. The Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) terminology set was used to standardize the description of ADR, and the involving system organ class (SOC) and preferred term (PT) was extracted. Data of ADR were analyzed descriptively and statistically. Results:A total of 409 SGLT2i-related adverse reaction reports involving 409 patients were included. Among these patients, there were 232 females and 177 males; the median age was 62(52, 70) years, and 231 cases (56.48%) were under the age of 65 years; 5 types of SGLT2i (dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, canagliflozin, ertugliflozin, and henagliflozin proline) were involved, and reports of dapagliflozin was the most (279 cases, 68.22%). The primary indication for medication was diabetes (404 cases, 98.78%). The majority of ADRs did not reach the severe level (395 cases, 96.58%). The 14 cases (3.42%) of severe ADR were primarily about diabetic ketoacidosis (11 cases, 11/14), of which 7 cases presented with normal blood glucose levels and 5 cases occurred after medical stress events. The outcomes of patients were improvement in 241 cases (58.92%) and recovery in 127 cases (31.05%). In total, 476 ADR occurrences were recorded among the 409 patients, involving 82 PTs, 24 of which were not listed in the drug labels. The top 2 SOCs were the infections and infestations [26.26% (125/476)] and renal and urinary disorders [13.87% (66/476)]; the top 3 PTs were urinary tract infection [23.32% (111/476)], urinary ketone detection [6.51% (31/476)], and vulvovaginal pruritus [5.88% (28/476)]; the top 3 newly identified possible ADRs (PTs) were dizziness [2.31% (11/476)], palpitations [1.89% (9/476)], and decreased appetite [1.05% (5/476)].Conclusions:Based on the ADR monitoring data in Beijing in the past 5 and a half years, SGLT2i-associated adverse reactions primarily involved the infections and infestations, and renal and urinary disorders. ADRs identified in the study such as dizziness and palpitations are not documented in the drug labels, euglycaemic ketoacidosis accounts for a high proportion of severe reactions, and most of them occur after acute stress events.

Objective:To identify and validate secreted effector proteins of Chlamydia psittaci ( C. psittaci) through bioinformatic prediction and experimental verification, and to characterize their subcellular localization in host cells. Methods:Potential effector proteins were predicted using bioinformatics tools. Candidate effectors were fused to β-lactamase through the constructed expression vectors, and these vectors were transformed into C. psittaci. The secretion of these candidate effectors was evaluated by β-lactamase translocation assays. Eukaryotic expression vectors of confirmed effectors were transfected into host cells to determine their intracellular localization patterns. Results:Bioinformatic analysis identified 29 candidate effector proteins. Experimental validation confirmed the secretion of five effectors, with four exhibiting cytoplasmic localization and one displaying nuclear localization in host cells.Conclusion:This study characterizes five novel C. psittaci secreted effector proteins, providing critical insights for investigating the molecular pathogenesis of psittacosis.