The tumor microenvironment is a crucial factor in tumor occurrence and progression. The hypoxic microenvironment is widely present in tumor tissue and is a key endogenous factor accelerating tumor deterioration. The "blood stasis toxin" theory, as an emerging perspective in tumor research, is regarded as the unique "soil" in tumor progression from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) due to its dynamic evolution mechanism, which closely resembles the formation of the hypoxic microenvironment. Scientifically integrating TCM theories with the biological characteristics of tumors and exploring precise syndrome differentiation and treatment strategies are key to achieving comprehensive tumor prevention and control. This article focused on the hypoxic microenvironment of the tumor, elucidating its formation mechanisms and evolutionary processes and carefully analyzing the internal relationship between the "blood stasis toxin" theory and the hypoxic microenvironment. Additionally, it explored the interaction among blood stasis, toxic pathogens, and hypoxic environment and proposed micro-level prevention and treatment strategies targeting the hypoxic microenvironment based on the "blood stasis toxin" theory, aiming to provide TCM-based theoretical support and therapeutic approaches for precise regulation of the hypoxic microenvironment.
Humans ; Tumor Microenvironment/drug effects* ; Neoplasms/therapy* ; Animals ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Disease Progression ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of DCAG (decitabine, cytarabine, anthracyclines, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor) regimen in the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: The clinical data of 64 R/R AML patients received treatment at Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 1st, 2012 to December 31st, 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Primary endpoints included efficacy measured by overall response rate (ORR) and safety. Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS) and duration of response (DOR). The patients were followed from enrollment until death, or the end of last follow-up (June 1st, 2023), whichever occurred first. RESULTS: Sixty-four patients who failed prior therapy were enrolled and completed 1 cycle, and 26 and 5 patients completed 2 and 3 cycles, respectively. Objective response rate was 67.2% ［39: complete remission (CR)/CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi), 4: partial remission (PR)］. With a median follow-up of 62.0 months (1.0-120.9), the median overall survival (OS) was 23.3 and event-free survival was 10.6 months. The median OS was 51.7 months (3.4-100.0) in responders (CR/CRi/PR) while it was 8.4 months (6.1-10.7) in nonresponders ( P <0.001). Grade 3-4 hematologic toxicities were observed in all patients. Four patients died from rapid disease progression within 8 weeks after chemotherapy. CONCLUSION The DCAG regimen represents a feasible and effective treatment for R/R AML.
Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy* ; Cytarabine/administration & dosage* ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor/administration & dosage* ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Female ; Decitabine ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Anthracyclines/administration & dosage* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Aged ; Recurrence

The traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in pediatric care has a long history，proven efficacy，and distinctive characteristics.The China Association of Chinese Medicine has organized a series of youth salons to discuss the clinical advantages of treating diseases.Experts at this seminar proposed that the superior disease categories in pediatric TCM are significant for showcasing the unique strengths and advantages of TCM in the treatment of pediatric diseases，enhancing diagnostic and treatment levels，inheriting TCM knowledge，promoting the integration of TCM and Western medicine，and meeting patients' needs.The strengths of pediatric TCM are summed up as "having what others do not，excelling at what others have，being special in what others excel at，and ensuring safety in what others specialize in." The scope of superiority in pediatric TCM covers multiple systems，including respiratory，digestive，endocrine，psychological，and dermatological systems.This article summarized the advantages of TCM in treating 13 diseases discussed in the salon，such as upper respiratory tract infections，coughs，pneumonia，allergic rhinitis，bronchial asthma，atopic dermatitis，functional dyspepsia，functional constipation，enuresis，marginal short stature，simple obesity，attention deficit hyperactivity disorder，and tic disorders.The overall advantages were reflected in three aspects：First，the holistic concept and treatment based on syndrome differentiation in TCM highlight the advantage of treating the root causes of diseases，making the treatment methodical and precise.Second，most traditional Chinese herbs are natural and have strong safety profiles.Third，TCM treatment methods are abundant，especially the external treatment methods，which are widely used in pediatrics，highly accepted by parents，and have definite efficacy，as well as good safety and compliance.

Objective To investigate the diagnosis value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the differentiation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) of the liver with ≤3 cm of maximum diameter. Methods The image characteristics in 48 lesions of HCC with maximum diameter≤3 cm and 48 lesions of FNH with maximum diameter≤3 cm confirmed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed. The phase changes, enhancement patterns and enhancement characteristics of the lesions in the two groups were compared. Results All lesions in the two groups showed high-echo in the arterial phase. The contrast arrival time in HCC group and FNH group was 17(15, 19) s and 15(12, 18.75) s (P＝0.017); the peak time in the two groups was 21(17, 25) s and 22(19, 26) s (P＞0.05). The main enhancement patterns of HCC group and FNH group in arterial phase were homogeneous enhancement and centrifugal enhancement, respectively. All HCC lesions showed homogeneous enhancement, which was significantly higher than FNH (2.08%, P＜0.05); 97.91% of FHN lesions showed centrifugal enhancement, which was higher that of HCC lesions (0, P＜0.05). During the CEUS process, 87.5% of HCC lesions showed “rapid fill-in and rapid wash-out”, which was significantly higher than that of FNH lesions（8.33%，P＜0.05）; 91.67% of FNH lesions showed “rapid fill-in” and “synchronous/slow wash-out” which was significantly higher than that of HCC lesions （12.50%，P＜0.05）. Conclusion CEUS is helpful in the differential diagnosis of FNH and HCC with maximum diameter≤3 cm．

With the increasing proportion of human papilloma virus(HPV)infection in the pathogenic factors of oro-pharyngeal cancer,a series of changes have occurred in the surgical treatment.While the treatment mode has been im-proved,there are still many problems,including the inconsistency between diagnosis and treatment modes,the lack of popularization of reconstruction technology,the imperfect post-treatment rehabilitation system,and the lack of effective preventive measures.Especially in terms of treatment mode for early oropharyngeal cancer,there is no unified conclu-sion whether it is surgery alone or radiotherapy alone,and whether robotic minimally invasive surgery has better func-tional protection than radiotherapy.For advanced oropharyngeal cancer,there is greater controversy over the treatment mode.It is still unclear whether to adopt a non-surgical treatment mode of synchronous chemoradiotherapy or induction chemotherapy combined with synchronous chemoradiotherapy,or a treatment mode of surgery combined with postopera-tive chemoradiotherapy.In order to standardize the surgical treatment of oropharyngeal cancer in China and clarify the indications for surgical treatment of oropharyngeal cancer,this expert consensus,based on the characteristics and treat-ment status of oropharyngeal cancer in China and combined with the international latest theories and practices,forms consensus opinions in multiple aspects of preoperative evaluation,surgical indication determination,primary tumor re-section,neck lymph node dissection,postoperative defect repair,postoperative complication management prognosis and follow-up of oropharyngeal cancer patients.The key points include:① Before the treatment of oropharyngeal cancer,the expression of P16 protein should be detected to clarify HPV status;② Perform enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the maxillofacial region before surgery to evaluate the invasion of oropharyngeal cancer and guide precise surgical resec-tion of oropharyngeal cancer.Evaluating mouth opening and airway status is crucial for surgical approach decisions and postoperative risk prediction;③ For oropharyngeal cancer patients who have to undergo major surgery and cannot eat for one to two months,it is recommended to undergo percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy before surgery to effectively improve their nutritional intake during treatment;④ Early-stage oropharyngeal cancer patients may opt for either sur-gery alone or radiation therapy alone.For intermediate and advanced stages,HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer general-ly prioritizes radiation therapy,with concurrent chemotherapy considered based on tumor staging.Surgical treatment is recommended as the first choice for HPV unrelated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma(including primary and re-current)and recurrent HPV related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma after radiotherapy and chemotherapy;⑤ For primary exogenous T1-2 oropharyngeal cancer,direct surgery through the oral approach or da Vinci robotic sur-gery is preferred.For T3-4 patients with advanced oropharyngeal cancer,it is recommended to use temporary mandibu-lectomy approach and lateral pharyngotomy approach for surgery as appropriate;⑥ For cT1-2N0 oropharyngeal cancer patients with tumor invasion depth＞3 mm and cT3-4N0 HPV unrelated oropharyngeal cancer patients,selective neck dissection of levels ⅠB to Ⅳ is recommended.For cN+HPV unrelated oropharyngeal cancer patients,therapeutic neck dissection in regions Ⅰ-Ⅴ is advised;⑦ If PET-CT scan at 12 or more weeks after completion of radiation shows intense FDG uptake in any node,or imaging suggests continuous enlargement of lymph nodes,the patient should undergo neck dissection;⑧ For patients with suspected extracapsular invasion preoperatively,lymph node dissection should include removal of surrounding muscle and adipose connective tissue;⑨ The reconstruction of oropharyngeal cancer defects should follow the principle of reconstruction steps,with priority given to adjacent flaps,followed by distal pedicled flaps,and finally free flaps.The anterolateral thigh flap with abundant tissue can be used as the preferred flap for large-scale postoperative defects.

【Objective】 To explore the risk factors for the production of anti-HLA antibodies in patients with hematological diseases before hematopoietic stemcell transplantation. 【Methods】 The results and clinical data of 1 008 patients with hematological diseases in our hospital who underwent anti-HLA antibody testing were collected by using Luminex technology platform before transplantation from 2016 to 2018 for statistical analysis. 【Results】 The total positive rate of anti-HLA antibodies in 1 008 patients was 24.08%. Multivariate analysis showed that independent risk factors associated with the production of anti-HLA antibodies included age≥30 years old(P=0.046, OR1.467, 95%CI1.007-2.136), time from disease diagnosis to antibody testing≥41 days(P=0.000, OR1.830, 95%CI1.306-2.565), initial platelet count<20×10⁹/L(P=0.020, OR1.543, 95%CI1.072-2.220), prior pregnancy(P=0.000, OR5.187, 95%CI3.689-7.293), transfusions before admission(P=0.001, OR1.762, 95%CI1.257-2.470)and total platelet transfusion volumes after admission≥30 U(P=0.000, OR2.352, 95%CI1.638-3.376). Age ≥30 years old(P=0.023, OR=1.839, 95%CI1.088-3.108)and prior pregnancy(P=0.042, OR=5.258, 95%CI1.062-26.038)are associated with the production of anti-HLA class Ⅰ and class Ⅱ antibodies, respectively. The time from disease diagnosis to antibody testing≥41 days(P=0.000, OR=2.873, 95%CI1.612-5.119), initial platelet count<20×10⁹/L(P=0.008, OR=2.164, 95%CI1.225-3.822), prior pregnancy(P=0.002, OR=6.734, 95%CI1.993-22.751), transfusions before admission(P=0.001, OR=2.746, 95%CI1.531-4.925)and total platelet transfusion volumes after admission>30 U(P=0.006, OR=3.459, 95%CI1.416-8.451)are associated with the production of anti-HLA class Ⅰ and Ⅱ antibodies. 【Conclusion】 Older age, longer course of disease, lower PLT count, history of pregnancy and blood transfusion, and higher total amount of PLT transfusion are risk factors which affect the production of anti-HLA antibodies.Therefore, it is advisable to test for anti-HLA antibodies according to the situation before transplantation, which is of great value in guiding donor selection, monitoring antibody changes and improving transplant prognosis.

Objective To evaluate the dose distribution and execution accuracy of intensity-modulated radiation therapy(IMRT)plans with different minimum segment widths for patients with primary liver cancer,thereby providing reference for the radiotherapy planning.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 30 patients with primary liver cancer.With the other optimization condition unchanged,5 IMRT plans with minimum segment widths of 0.6,0.8,1.0,1.2 and 1.5 cm were made for each patient,and the dose distribution,execution efficiency and gamma passing rate of the 5 plans were compared.Results The monitor units and delivery time of the 5 plans decreased with increasing minimum segment width,while the gamma passing rates at 3 mm/3%and 2 mm/2%tended to increase,with statistical differences(P<0.05).Conclusion The 5 plans in the study can be used for clinical treatment.While meeting the clinical requirements,reasonably setting the minimum segment width in IMRT plan can reduce monitor units,shorten delivery time,and improve treatment accuracy.

Objective To investigate the role of sphingosine kinase-1(SPHK1)in regulating migration and invasion of gastric cancer(GC)cells.Methods TIMER2.0,GEPIA and HPA databases were used to investigate SPHK1 expression in GC,and its association with prognosis of the patients was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier Plotter database.In 40 clinical GC and adjacent tissue samples,SPHK1 and MKI67 expressions were detected with immunohistochemistry,Western blotting,and RT-qPCR.Gene enrichment pathway analysis was conducted to explore the biological functions of SPHK1.In HGC-27 and MGC-803 cells,the effects of lentivirus-mediated SPHK1 knockdown or overexpression on cell migration and invasion and expressions of key proteins in the nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)signaling were evaluated using cell scratch test,Transwell assays and Western blotting.The changes in tumorigenic capacity of the transfected GC cells were evaluated in nude mice.Results SPHK1 was highly expressed in GC tissues in negative correlation with overall survival,overall survival after progression,and relapse-free survival of the patients(all P<0.001).In clinical GC samples,SPHK1 and MKI67 expressions showed a positive correlation(P=0.00049)and were both significantly up-regulated(P<0.001).Gene enrichment pathway analysis suggested the involvement of SPHK1 in cell adhesion,migration,angiogenesis and the NF-κB pathway(P<0.05).In the cell experiment,SPHK1 knockdown significantly decreased while SPHK1 overexpression enhanced migration and invasion abilities of the GC cells.SPHK1 positively regulated the expressions of phosphorylated P65(P-P65),VEGFA and IL-17,and blocking the NF-κB pathway by PDTC significantly lowered migration and invasion ability of the cells.In nude mice,the GC cells with SPHK1 knockdown resulted in significantly reduced tumor size and mass,while the SPHK1-overexpressing cells showed enhanced tumorigenicity.Conclusion SPHK1 regulates migration and invasion of GC cells via the NF-κB signaling pathway and may serve as a potential diagnostic marker for GC progression.

Objective:This study analyzed the expression of CD24 antigen on bone marrow plasma cells (BMPC) of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and the predictive value of induction therapy.Methods:This clinical observational study utilized 258 MM patients samples treated at the Hematology Department of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital who met the inclusion criteria in the Department of Hematology, Capital Medical University, from August 12th, 2022 to February 1st, 2024. According to the different stages of the disease, patients were divided into three groups: 78 cases of Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma(NDMM) (42 males and 36 females, aged 62±11), 56 cases of the relapse refractory group (34 males and 22 females, aged 64±9), and 124 cases of the disease remission group (68 males and 56 females, aged 62±10). Multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) was used to detect the expression level of CD24 antigen on BMPC and the relationship between CD24 and MM disease status. The clinical data and test results of 78 NDMM patients at initial diagnosis were retrospectively analyzed, including gender, age, MFC detection of the positive expression rate of antigens (CD19, CD20, CD24, CD27, CD56), the results of efficacy evaluation after induction therapy, ISS staging, R-ISS staging, blood hemoglobin, β2-microglobulin, human serum albumin, serum creatinine, lactate dehydrogenas, correction of calcium, BMPC ratio, and the results of FISH. The patients were divided into a deep remission group [including complete remission (CR) and very good partial remission (VGPR)] with 43 cases and a non-deep remission group (non CR and VGPR) with 17 cases according to the difference of antigen positive expression rate after induction therapy. The differences of antigen expression on BMPC between the two groups were compared. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between the expression of each antigen and the efficacy after induction therapy in patients, and the results showed that CD24 was more correlated with the achievement of deep remission after induction therapy than other antigens. Therefore, taking the positive expression rate of CD24 in NDMM patients at the initial diagnosis and deep remission after induction therapy as the research objects, the predictive value of CD24 for NDMM patients reaching deep remission after induction therapy was analyzed by using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), and the optimal cutoff value was obtained. NDMM was divided into two groups according to the cut-off value, and the differences between the two groups in clinical baseline data and prognostic indicators were compared.Results:The positive rates of plasma cell CD24 expression in the NDMM group, the relapse refractory group and the disease remission group were 2.18 (95% CI 0.08-81.85)%, 3.81 (95% CI 0.10-64.56)%, 8.74 (95% CI 0.79-95.55)% respectively. Compared with the disease remission group, the NDMM and relapse refractory group was lower ( Z=-7.889, -5.282, respectively, P<0.001). Univariate analysis showed that there was a significant difference in the positive expression rate of CD24 at initial diagnosis between the deep remission group and the non-deep remission group ( Z=-3.265, P<0.001), while there was no significant difference in CD19 ( Z=-0.271, P=0.787), CD20 ( Z=-0.205, P=0.837), CD27 ( Z=-0.582, P=0.560), and CD56 ( Z=-0.328, P=0.743) between the two groups. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that compared with other antigens [CD19 ( OR=1.045, 95% CI 0.975-1.120, P=0.217), CD20 ( OR=1.000, 95% CI 0.971-1.030, P=0.976), CD27 ( OR=0.997, 95% CI 0.977-1.016, P=0.734), CD56 ( OR=1.006, 95% CI 0.990-1.006, P=0.449)], the expression of CD24 ( OR=0.423, 95% CI 0.990-1.006, P=0.449) on BMPC in NDMM patients was most closely related to the achievement of deep remission was achieved after induction therapy. The lower the proportion of CD24 at the initial diagnosis was, the lower the probability of achieving deep remission after induction therapy was. The area under the curve (AUC) of CD24 in predicting deep remission after induction therapy was 0.772 (95% CI 0.655-0.889, P=0.001), with a sensitivity of 60.50%, a specificity of 85.00%, and the optimal critical value was 2.21%. Compared with the group with plasma CD24 positive rate>2.21%, the group with plasma CD24 positive rate<2.21% had a higher proportion of male (39.47%vs 65.00%, χ2=5.092, P=0.024), ISS stagingⅢ (41.67% vs 58.33%, χ2=6.175, P=0.046), β2 microglobulin (3.19 mg/L vs 4.14 mg/L, Z=-2.257, P=0.024), and BMPC [(8.672±1.827)% vs (19.530±3.188)%, t=-2.963, P=0.004] detected by MFC, and the differences were statistically significant. Conclusions:The low positive rate of plasma cell CD24 is closely related to the higher tumor burden and the worse disease status of MM patients. In addition, the positive expression rate of CD24 is at initial diagnosis can predict the efficacy achieved after induction therapy, and the lower positive rate of CD24 is, the worse the efficacy achieved after induction therapy. At the same time, MFC detection of CD24 is convenient and efficient in the evaluation and prediction of MM.

Objective To monitor the susceptibility of clinical isolates to antimicrobial agents in tertiary hospitals in major regions of China in 2022.Methods Clinical isolates from 58 hospitals in China were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using a unified protocol based on disc diffusion method or automated testing systems.Results were interpreted using the 2022 Clinical &Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)breakpoints.Results A total of 318 013 clinical isolates were collected from January 1,2022 to December 31,2022,of which 29.5％were gram-positive and 70.5％were gram-negative.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains in Staphylococcus aureus,Staphylococcus epidermidis and other coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species(excluding Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Staphylococcus schleiferi)was 28.3％,76.7％and 77.9％,respectively.Overall,94.0％of MRSA strains were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 90.8％of MRSE strains were susceptible to rifampicin.No vancomycin-resistant strains were found.Enterococcus faecalis showed significantly lower resistance rates to most antimicrobial agents tested than Enterococcus faecium.A few vancomycin-resistant strains were identified in both E.faecalis and E.faecium.The prevalence of penicillin-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae was 94.2％in the isolates from children and 95.7％in the isolates from adults.The resistance rate to carbapenems was lower than 13.1％in most Enterobacterales species except for Klebsiella,21.7％-23.1％of which were resistant to carbapenems.Most Enterobacterales isolates were highly susceptible to tigecycline,colistin and polymyxin B,with resistance rates ranging from 0.1％to 13.3％.The prevalence of meropenem-resistant strains decreased from 23.5％in 2019 to 18.0％in 2022 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and decreased from 79.0％in 2019 to 72.5％in 2022 in Acinetobacter baumannii.Conclusions The resistance of clinical isolates to the commonly used antimicrobial agents is still increasing in tertiary hospitals.However,the prevalence of important carbapenem-resistant organisms such as carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa,and A.baumannii showed a downward trend in recent years.This finding suggests that the strategy of combining antimicrobial resistance surveillance with multidisciplinary concerted action works well in curbing the spread of resistant bacteria.