BACKGROUND: The available evidence regarding the benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on patients receiving dialysis with coronary artery disease (CAD) is limited and inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the association between PCI and clinical outcomes as compared with medical therapy alone in patients undergoing dialysis with CAD in China. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective study was conducted in 30 tertiary medical centers across 12 provinces in China from January 2015 to June 2021 to include patients on dialysis with CAD. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke. Secondary outcomes included all-cause death, the individual components of MACE, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria types 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between PCI and outcomes. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and propensity score matching (PSM) were performed to account for potential between-group differences. RESULTS: Of the 1146 patients on dialysis with significant CAD, 821 (71.6%) underwent PCI. After a median follow-up of 23.0 months, PCI was associated with a 43.0% significantly lower risk for MACE (33.9% [ n  = 278] vs . 43.7% [ n  = 142]; adjusted hazards ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.45-0.71), along with a slightly increased risk for bleeding outcomes that did not reach statistical significance (11.1% vs . 8.3%; adjusted hazards ratio 1.31, 95% confidence interval, 0.82-2.11). Furthermore, PCI was associated with a significant reduction in all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities. Subgroup analysis did not modify the association of PCI with patient outcomes. These primary findings were consistent across IPTW, PSM, and competing risk analyses. CONCLUSION This study indicated that PCI in patients on dialysis with CAD was significantly associated with lower MACE and mortality when comparing with those with medical therapy alone, albeit with a slightly increased risk for bleeding events that did not reach statistical significance.
Humans ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Coronary Artery Disease/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Renal Dialysis/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; China ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To explore the differences in the implantation safety and stability of a S ₁ alar-iliac screw (S1AIS) or S2AIS for sacroiliac joint fixation, providing reference for selecting appropriate internal fixation in clinical practice. METHODS: Patients who underwent pelvic CT examination between January 2024 and December 2024 were selected. CT data from 80 patients with normal pelvic structure who met the selection criteria were included in a 1∶1 male to female ratio. CT digital reconstruction technology was used to measure the transverse and longitudinal diameters of the S1AIS and S2AIS insertable ranges, as well as the length, width, and sacral side length of the screw trajectory. The pelvic CT data from 30 patients were randomly selected based on a 1∶1 male to female ratio for three-dimensional (3D) printing of pelvic samples. The S1AIS/S2AIS with a diameter of 6.5 mm and 8.0 mm were implanted at the optimal entry/exit points on the left and right sides, respectively, to observe the perforation of the screw trajectory. The pelvic CT data from 1 patient was randomly selected for 3D printing of 10 pelvic samples to simulate Tile C2 fracture. They were divided into S1AIS group ( n=5) and S2AIS group ( n=5), with one S1AIS and one S2AIS fixation used for posterior sacroiliac joint separation, and the specimen stiffness and maximum load were measured by using an electric tension torsion dual axis universal mechanical tester. RESULTS: The anatomical parameter measurement showed that there was no significant difference in the length and width of the screw trajectory between S1AIS and S2AIS ( P>0.05), but the transverse and longitudinal diameters of the insertable ranges, as well as the sacral side length of the screw trajectory, were all greater than those of S2AIS, with significant differences ( P<0.05). After simulating the implantation of S1AIS and S2AIS with a diameter of 6.5 mm in pelvic specimens, no screw penetration was observed. Both S1AIS and S2AIS with a diameter of 8.0 mm showed screw penetration, with S2AIS having a higher incidence of posterior lateral sacral cortical penetration (46.7%) than S1AIS (3.3%) ( P<0.05). The biomechanical test showed that the stiffness and maximum load of S2AIS were significantly lower than those of S1AIS ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION As a method to fix the sacroiliac joint, the S1AIS has a larger insertable range, a longer sacral side length of the screw trajectory, a lower incidence of posterior lateral cortical rupture of the sacrum, and a greater fixation strength than S2AIS. Therefore, the implantation safety and fixation stability of the S1AIS are superior to S2AIS, and a diameter less than 8.0 mm screws should be selected as S2AIS for Chinese people.
Humans ; Bone Screws ; Sacroiliac Joint/diagnostic imaging* ; Male ; Female ; Sacrum/diagnostic imaging* ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation* ; Ilium/diagnostic imaging* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Aged

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a hospital-made resuscitation pack, a Chinese medicinal herbal compound formula designed to enhance recovery in post-bronchoscopy patients. METHODS: In this randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, eligible patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to either the treatment or control groups. The patients in the treatment group applied the resuscitation pack, which contained aromatic compounded Chinese herbs. The patients in the control group applied a hospital-made, single herb placebo pack. Packs were placed on the Tiantu (CV 22) acupuncture point for 4 h as soon as the bronchoscopy finished. Efficacy indicators, such as recovery time, patients' symptoms including nausea and dizziness, and adverse events (AEs) were observed and compared. The outcome indices were evaluated at baseline, 1 and 24 h after the bronchoscopy. Subgroup analysis was further performed by patients' age and depth of sedation. RESULTS: When applying generalized estimating equations (GEE) to evaluate the intensity of post-bronchoscopy nausea and vomiting, the intensity was lower in the treatment group (163 cases) compared with the control group (162 cases; 95% CI: 0.004, 0.099, P=0.03]. Also, significantly lower intensity of nausea was observed in the 60-70 years of age subgroup (95% CI: 0.029, 0.169, P=0.006) and deep sedation subgroup (95% CI: 0.002, 0.124; P=0.04). There was no significant difference in dizziness between two groups by GEE (95% CI: -0.134, 0.297; P=0.459). In addition, no serious AEs were observed in either group. CONCLUSIONS Our study found that the resuscitation pack markedly improved patients' symptoms by reducing nausea and vomiting after bronchoscopy without AEs, compared with placebo in the perioperative period. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR2000038299).
Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Bronchoscopy/adverse effects* ; Single-Blind Method ; Aged ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Treatment Outcome ; Resuscitation ; Adult ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

HDAC7, a member of class IIa HDACs, plays a pivotal regulatory role in tumor, immune, fibrosis, and angiogenesis, rendering it a potential therapeutic target. Nevertheless, due to the high similarity in the enzyme active sites of class IIa HDACs, inhibitors encounter challenges in discerning differences among them. Furthermore, the substitution of key residue in the active pocket of class IIa HDACs renders them pseudo-enzymes, leading to a limited impact of enzymatic inhibitors on their function. In this study, proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology was employed to develop HDAC7 drugs. We developed an exceedingly selective HDAC7 PROTAC degrader B14 which showcased superior inhibitory effects on cell proliferation compared to TMP269 in various diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Subsequent investigations unveiled that B14 disrupts BCL6 forming a transcriptional inhibition complex by degrading HDAC7, thereby exerting proliferative inhibition in DLBCL. Our study broadened the understanding of the non-enzymatic functions of HDAC7 and underscored the importance of HDAC7 in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, particularly in DLBCL and AML.

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a highly aggressive hematologic malignancy with a poor prognosis, despite advancements in treatment. Many patients struggle with relapse or refractory disease. Investigating the role of the super-enhancer (SE) regulated gene ubiquitin-specific protease 20 (USP20) in T-ALL could enhance targeted therapies and improve clinical outcomes. Analysis of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) data from six T-ALL cell lines and seven pediatric samples identified USP20 as an SE-regulated driver gene. Utilizing the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and BloodSpot databases, it was found that USP20 is specifically highly expressed in T-ALL. Knocking down USP20 with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) increased apoptosis and inhibited proliferation in T-ALL cells. In vivo studies showed that USP20 knockdown reduced tumor growth and improved survival. The USP20 inhibitor GSK2643943A demonstrated similar anti-tumor effects. Mass spectrometry, RNA-Seq, and immunoprecipitation revealed that USP20 interacted with hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A) and stabilized it by deubiquitination. Cleavage under targets and tagmentation (CUT&Tag) results indicated that USP20 co-localized with HIF1A, jointly modulating target genes in T-ALL. This study identifies USP20 as a therapeutic target in T-ALL and suggests GSK2643943A as a potential treatment strategy.

BACKGROUND: The use of inserted sham acupuncture as a placebo in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is controversial, because it may produce specific effects that cause an underestimation of the effect of acupuncture treatment. OBJECTIVE: This systematic survey investigates the magnitude of insert-specific effects of sham acupuncture and whether they affect the estimation of acupuncture treatment effects. SEARCH STRATEGY: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched to identify acupuncture RCTs from their inception until December 2022. INCLUSION CRITERIA: RCTs that evaluated the effects of acupuncture compared to sham acupuncture and no treatment. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: The total effect measured for an acupuncture treatment group in RCTs were divided into three components, including the natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (controlled for no-treatment group), the placebo effect, and the specific effect of acupuncture. The first two constituted the contextual effect of acupuncture, which is mimicked by a sham acupuncture treatment group. The proportion of acupuncture total effect size was considered to be 1. The proportion of natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (PNE) and proportional contextual effect (PCE) of included RCTs were pooled using meta-analyses with a random-effect model. The proportion of acupuncture placebo effect was the difference between PCE and PNE in RCTs with non-inserted sham acupuncture. The proportion of insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture (PIES) was obtained by subtracting the proportion of acupuncture placebo effect and PNE from PCE in RCTs with inserted sham acupuncture. The impact of PIES on the estimation of acupuncture's treatment effect was evaluated by quantifying the percentage of RCTs that the effect of outcome changed from no statistical difference to statistical difference after removing PIES in the included studies, and the impact of PIES was externally validated in other acupuncture RCTs with an inserted sham acupuncture group that were not used to calculate PIES. RESULTS: This analysis included 32 studies with 5492 patients. The overall PNE was 0.335 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.255-0.415) and the PCE of acupuncture was 0.639 (95% CI, 0.567-0.710) of acupuncture's total effect. The proportional contribution of the placebo effect to acupuncture's total effect was 0.191, and the PIES was 0.189. When we modeled the exclusion of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, the acupuncture treatment effect changed from no difference to a significant difference in 45.45% of the included RCTs, and in 40.91% of the external validated RCTs. CONCLUSION The insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture in RCTs represents 18.90% of acupuncture's total effect and significantly affects the evaluation of the acupuncture treatment effect. More than 40% of RCTs that used inserted sham acupuncture would draw different conclusions if the PIES had been controlled for. Considering the impact of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, caution should be taken when using inserted sham acupuncture placebos in RCTs. Please cite this article as: Luo XC, Liu JL, Yao MH, Chen YM, Fan AY, Liang FR, Zhao JP, Zhao L, Zhou X, Zhong XY, Yang JH, Li B, Zhang Y, Sun X, Li L. Specific effect of inserted sham acupuncture and its impact on the estimation of acupuncture treatment effect in randomized controlled trials: A systematic survey. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):630-640.
Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Placebo Effect ; Placebos ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To construct and evaluate the nomogram prediction model of spontaneous rupture of primary liver cancer (STRPLC), and make the web-based dynamic online nomogram.Methods:Clinical data of 346 patients with PLC treated in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University were retrospectively analyzed, including 87 males and 15 females, aged 58.15±10.32 years. Single factor and multiple factor logistic regression analysis were used to screen the influencing factors of STRPLC, and the prediction model was constructed based on the nomogram. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve and clinical decision analysis were used to evaluate the model. The web-based dynamic online nomogram was developed using the DynNom package in R4.3.1 software.Results:Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the independent risk factors for spontaneous rupture and hemorrhage of tumor were no history of systematic anti-tumor therapy, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, tumor protrusion on liver surface, tumor length, invasion of major blood vessels, and moderate to large amount of ascites (all P<0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the prediction model constructed by this nomogram is 0.913 (95% CI: 0.884-0.943), the best cutoff value is 0.254, with a sensitivity of 0.892, and a specificity of 0.803. The calibration curve shows a good agreement between the predicted probability and the actual probability. The decision curve of the model is above the two invalid lines of " none" and " all" in the horizontal range of 0.07-0.98, and the clinical net benefit of the model is >0. Then user-friendly web-based dynamic online nomogram is constructed. Conclusion:Large tumor size, superficial location, no history of systematic anti-tumor therapy, high AFP level, invasion of major blood vessels, and moderate to large amount of ascites are independent risk factors for STRPLC. The prediction model and dynamic online nanogram constructed by this method can effectively assess the risk of STRPLC.

Objective:To investigate the value of the five-sectional screening method of the central nervous system（CNS）in early detection of fetal CNS abnormalities during the first trimester.Methods:The data of pregnant women who underwent nuchal translucency（NT）screening at the Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from September 2018 to September 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. And a five-sectional screening method of CNS was performed in all fetuses at the meantime. The five-sectional screening protocol in the first trimester consists of the mid-sagittal plane of the fetal head，trans-ventricular plane，trans-thalamus plane，axial plane of the fetal head at the posterior fossa level，and the sagittal plane of the fetal spine. All fetuses underwent ultrasound screening during the second trimester and the third trimester sequentially after NT screening. All the ultrasound findings were tracked，and all fetuses were followed up until delivery or after induction. Fetuses with CNS abnormalities found or suspected in the first trimester were reviewed by at least one senior physician，and follow-up examinations were routinely performed after 2 weeks to further confirm the diagnosis or find other abnormalities that may be present.Results:A total of 13 679 fetuses were screened，included 11 415 singleton pregnancies and 1 132 twin pregnancies. Among them，there were 289 cases of missed follow-up and unexplained fetal death，included 263 singleton pregnancies and 13 twin pregnancies. A total of 13 390 fetuses were finally included，among which，35 cases developed CNS abnormalities with 34 cases detected by prenatal ultrasound and 1 case of closed spina bifida missed in prenatal diagnosis，and the detection rate of CNS malformation by prenatal ultrasound was 97.14%（34/35）. Of the 35 fetuses with CNS abnormalities，24 were detected by the CNS five-sectional screening method in the first trimester，with a sensitivity of 68.57%，a specificity of 100%，a positive predictive value of 100%，and a negative predictive value of 99.92%. Among them，there were 2 cases of anencephaly，3 cases of exencephaly and 6 cases of encephalocele were all detected in the first trimester. In addition，6 cases of holoprosencephaly，3 cases of severe ventriculomegaly，2 cases of open spina bifida，and 2 cases of Dandy-Walker malformation were detected in the first trimester. In this study，1 case of agenesis of corpus callosum（ACC），1 case of arachnoid cyst，1 case of lissencephaly，1 case of schizencephaly，and 1 case of mega cisterna magna were not detected in early pregnancy.Conclusions:The fetal five-sectional screening method of CNS in the first trimester has high specificity，positive predictive value and negative predictive value for the detection of fetal CNS abnormalities，but the sensitivity is moderate. The five-sectional screening method for CNS in early pregnancy may be an effective method for early detection of fetal CNS abnormalities.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of fetal cardiac ultrasound view visualization in the first trimester for congenital heart disease（CHD）.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 13 323 singleton fetuses who underwent first-trimester（11-13 +6 weeks）ultrasound screening at the Ultrasound Medicine Center，the Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2018 to June 2024. Cardiac views including the four-chamber view（4CV），left ventricular outflow tract view（LVOT），and Results:The study group showed significantly higher rates of "poorly visualized" 4CV，LVOT，and 3VT than the control group（2.70% vs. 0.14%， P=0.005；36.49% vs. 4.76%， P<0.001；36.49% vs.2.46%， P<0.001）. The efficacies of combination 1（any view abnormal）and combination 2（any view "poorly visualized" or "abnormal"）were comparable，with AUCs of 0.86 and 0.85（ P=0.424）. The AUCs of combination 3（3VT "poorly visualized" or any view "abnormal"）and combination 4（4CV "poorly visualized" or any view "abnormal"）were 0.88 and 0.86（ P=0.424），all significantly higher than combination 5（LVOT "poorly visualized" or any view "abnormal"，AUC=0.84，all P<0.05）. Conclusions:"Poorly visualized" cardiac views in the first trimester demonstrate good diagnostic efficacy for CHD，particularly when 3VT or 4CV are affected，warranting heightened clinical vigilance for fetal cardiac anomalies.