BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Hypertension (HT) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are highly prevalent cardiovascular conditions that frequently coexist. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major global cause of mortality. The co-occurrence of HT, AF, and CAD presents significant management challenges. This study aims to explore the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with CAD in patients with HT and persistent AF (HT-AF). METHODS: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, data were collected from 384 hospitalized HT-AF patients at the People's Liberation Army General Hospital between January 2010 and December 2019. CAD diagnosis was confirmed by coronary angiography or computed tomography angiography. Clinical characteristics and comorbidities were compared between patients with and without CAD. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors associated with CAD development. RESULTS: The prevalence of CAD among HT-AF patients was 66.41% (255/384). Cardiovascular complications, particularly heart failure (44.7% vs 25.6%, P < 0.05), were significantly more prevalent in the CAD group than in the non-CAD group. Only age was identified as an independent risk factor for CAD (adjusted OR: 1.047; 95% CI: 1.022-1.073; P = 0.000). Of all HT-AF patients, 54.7% had a CHA₂DS₂-VASc score of ≥4, indicating high stroke risk. There was a slightly higher anticoagulant usage rate in the CAD group than those without CAD (8.6% vs 4.7%, P = 0.157), and the overall anticoagulant usage remained low. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of CAD among hospitalized HT-AF patients, among whom age is the sole independent risk factor for CAD. Despite a high stroke risk, the utilization of oral anticoagulants is alarmingly low.
Humans ; Atrial Fibrillation/epidemiology* ; Coronary Artery Disease/etiology* ; Hypertension/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Risk Factors ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Aged ; Prevalence

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between serum levels of fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23), heparanase (HPSE) and early renal impairment (RI) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 125 MM patients who were initially diagnosed in the Department of Hematology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology from June 2020 to June 2023. The patients were divided into RI group (>176.80 μmol/L) and non-RI group (≤176.80 μmol/L) based on their serum creatinine levels when diagnosed. The baseline data and laboratory indexes of the two groups were compared. The relationship between serum FGF-23, HPSE and early RI in MM patients was analyzed. RESULTS: Among 125 newly diagnosed MM patients, 33 cases developed early RI, accounting for 26.40%. The proportion of light chain type, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), blood uric acid, lactate dehydrogenase, FGF-23, and HPSE levels in RI group were higher than those in non-RI group (all P <0.05). There was no statistical significant difference in other data between the two groups (P >0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that BUN, FGF-23 and HPSE were associated with early RI in MM patients (all P <0.05). The serum FGF-23 level was divided into Q1-Q4 groups by quartile, and the serum HPSE level was divided into q1-q4 groups. The correlation analysis showed that with the increase of serum FGF-23 and HPSE levels, the incidence of early RI increased (r =0.668, 0.592). Furthermore, logistic regression analysis showed that after controlling for confounding factors, elevated levels of serum FGF-23 and HPSE were still influencing factors for early RI in MM patients (OR>1, P <0.05). According to Pearson's linear correlation test, there was a positive correlation between serum FGF-23 level and HPSE level (r =0.373). CONCLUSION There is a certain correlation between serum levels of FGF-23, HPSE and early RI in MM patients, and the incidence of early RI is higher in patients with abnormally high levels of both.
Humans ; Multiple Myeloma/complications* ; Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 ; Retrospective Studies ; Fibroblast Growth Factors/blood* ; Glucuronidase/blood* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Renal Insufficiency/blood* ; Aged

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignant tumor originating from cholangiocytes. However, it remains unclear about the pathogenesis of this carcinoma, which may be related to multiple factors. Currently, CCA is mainly treated by surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Among them, surgery is the only potentially curative option for CCA. Nevertheless, the high malignancy and asymptomatic nature of CCA may lead to poor treatment outcomes. It has been demonstrated that Chinese medicine (CM) plays a significant role in various antitumor applications. Meanwhile, CM exhibits fewer side effects and high availability. Moreover, the in vitro application of CM monomers has been explored in many domestic and foreign studies. This article mainly reviews the signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms of CM monomers in the treatment of CCA in recent years. These findings are expected to provide new insights into the treatment of CCA.
Cholangiocarcinoma/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Bile Duct Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Animals ; Signal Transduction/drug effects*

Objective To evaluate the clinical application value of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF MS)in analyzing the homology of Acinetobacter baumannii(AB).Methods After excluding repetitive strains from multiple specimens of the same patient or environment,a total of 46 AB strains isolated from patients'sputum and environmental specimens of neurological intensive care unit(ICU)in a tertiary first-class general hospital from May 2020 to February 2021 were collected.Strains were detected by VITEK-MS mass spectrometer.Cluster analysis was performed by SARAMIS Premium software,and verified by multilocus sequence typing(MLST).Results Cluster analysis and comparison of MALDI-TOF MS and MLST found that among the 46 AB strains,39 were the type MS-a of MALDI-TOF MS,of which 22 strains were the clus-ter MT-A of MLST,including ST208(n=3),ST540(n=3),ST195(n=8),ST369(n=5),ST136(n=1),ST436(n=1)and ST1893(n=1);16 strains were MT-B,including type ST381(n=4),type ST469(n=11),and type ST938(n=1);one strain was cluster MT-C(ST1821);one strain of type MS-b was ST381;two strains of type MS-c were ST369;one strain of type MS-d was ST195;two strains of type MS-e were ST540 and ST369,respectively;one strain of type MS-f was STN1.Conclusion As a homology analysis method,MALDI-TOF MS still has certain limitations such as low consistency with MLST results,low resolution and specificity,thus cannot replace MLST technology.

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of unilateral percutaneous vertebroplasty(PVP)combined with 3D printing technology for the treatment of thoracolumbar osteoporotic compression fracture.Methods A total of 77 patients with thoracolumbar osteoporotic compression fractures from October 2020 to April 2022 were included in the study,all of which were vertebral body compression fractures caused by trauma.According to different treatment methods,they were di-vided into experimental group and control group.Thirty-two patients used 3D printing technology to improve unilateral transpedicle puncture vertebroplasty in the experimental group,there were 5 males and 27 females,aged from 63 to 91 years old with an average of(77.59±8.75)years old.Forty-five patients were treated with traditional bilateral pedicle puncture vertebroplasty,including 7 males and 38 females,aged from 60 to 88 years old with an average of(74.89±7.37)years old.Operation time,intraoperative C-arm X-ray times,anesthetic dosage,bone cement injection amount,bone cement diffusion good and good rate,complications,vertebral height,kyphotic angle(Cobb angle),visual analogue scale(VAS),Oswestry disability index(ODI)and other indicators were recorded before and after surgery,and statistically analyzed.Results All patients were followed up for 6 to 23 months,with preoperative imaging studies,confirmed for thoracolumbar osteoporosis com-pression fractures,two groups of patients with postoperative complications,no special two groups of patients'age,gender,body mass index(BMI),time were injured,the injured vertebral distribution had no statistical difference(P＞0.05),comparable data.Two groups of patients with bone cement injection,bone cement dispersion rate,preoperative and postoperative vertebral body height,protruding after spine angle(Cobb angle),VAS,ODI had no statistical difference(P＞0.05).The operative time,intra-operative fluoroscopy times and anesthetic dosage were statistically different between the two groups(P＜0.05).Compared with the traditional bilateral puncture group,the modified unilateral puncture group combined with 3D printing technology had shorter operation time,fewer intraoperative fluoroscopy times and less anesthetic dosage.The height of anterior vertebral edge,kyphosis angle(Cobb angle),VAS score and ODI of the affected vertebrae were statistically different between two groups at each time point after surgery(P＜0.05).Conclusion In the treatment of thoracolumbar osteoporotic compression fractures,3D printing technology is used to improve unilateral puncture PVP,which is convenient and simple,less trauma,short operation time,fewer fluoroscopy times,satisfactory distribution of bone cement,vertebral height recovery and kyphotic Angle correction,and good functional improvement.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of the horizontal plate plus raft screws above the acetabulum and fixation with screws only for acetabular fractures combined with dome impaction in the aged patients.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 20 aged patients with acetabular fractures combined with dome impaction, who were admitted to Tianjin hospital between May 2013 and January 2023, including 5 males and 15 females, aged 61-84 years [(72.2±7.3)years]. According to Letournel and Judet classification, 13 patients had anterior column fracture, 5 anterior column fracture combined with posterior transverse fracture and 2 two-column fracture. All the patients underwent open reduction and internal fixation through an anterior approach. Of them, 11 patients were treated with the fixation with the horizonal plate plus raft screws above the acetabulum (plate plus raft screw group) and 9 with the screws only (screw only group). The operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and intraoperative fluoroscopy times were compared between the two groups. The quality of fracture reduction was evaluated with the Matta′s radiographic criteria at 3 days after surgery and the function of the hip joint was assessed with Merle D′Aubigné and Postel scoring system at 3 months after surgery and at the last follow-up as well as the excellent and good rate at te last follow-up. The occurrence of postoperative complications was observed.Results:All the patients were followed up for 6-18 months [(13.1±3.1)months]. There were no significant differences in the operative time, intraoperative blood loss or intraoperative fluoroscopy times between the two groups ( P>0.05). According to the Matta′s radiographic criteria at 3 days after surgery, patients with anatomical reduction and satisfactory reduction accounted 6 and 5 in the plate plus raft screw group, compared to 5 and 4 respectively in the screw only group ( P>0.05). The values of Merle D′Aubigné and Postel score at 3 months after surgery and at the last follow-up were (14.0±2.4)points and (15.8±2.2)points in the plate plus raft screw group, which were higher than those in the screw only group [(11.0±2.6)points and (13.0±3.1)points] ( P<0.01). The values of Merle D′Aubigné and Postel score at the last follow-up of both groups were further enhanced from those at 3 months after surgery ( P<0.01). At the last follow-up, 3 patients were rated excellent, 6 good, 1 fair and 1 poor in the plate plus raft screw group, with an excellent and good rate of 81.8%, while in the screw only group, 3 were rated good, 2 fair and 4 poor, with an excellent and good rate of 33.3% ( P<0.05). One patient in the plate plus raft screw group and 5 in the screw only group had displacement of the dome impaction fragment combined with traumatic arthritis after surgery ( P<0.05). Conclusion:For acetabular fractures combined with dome impaction in the aged patients, the horizontal plate plus raft screw above the acetabulum can effectively improve the function restoration of the hip joint and reduce the occurrence of the displacement of the dome impaction fragment and traumatic arthritis after surgery compared to the fixation with screws only.

Aim To investigate the effect and role of neuronal restriction silencing factor(REST/NRSF)in epilepsy disorder.Methods Immunohistochemistry,immunofluorescence,Western blot and qPCR tech-niques were used to detect REST/NRSF expression levels in hippocampal tissues of mice induced by kainic acid and human brain tissue.Viral injections,EEG re-cordings and behavioral methods were used to test the effects on epileptic mice after knockdown and overex-pression of REST/NRSF in the hippocampal CA1 re-gion,respectively.Results The positive rate of REST/NRSF in the lesions of epileptic patients was significantly higher compared with that in the control group.The levels of REST/NRSF protein and mRNA in the CA1 region of the hippocampus of mice in the KA model group were significantly higher.Kv7.2 and Kv7.3 potassium channel mRNA expression levels were significantly down-regulated.Significant up-regu-lation of REST/NRSF expression levels was observed in mouse hippocampus after NMDA injection.Knock-down of REST/NRSF in the CA1 region of hippocam-pus significantly elevated the expression levels of Kv7.2 and Kv7.3 potassium channel mRNAs.The fre-quency of EEG spiking and sharp-wave issuance and epileptic seizure grade were significantly lower.Over-expression of REST/NRSF in the CA1 region of hippo-campus significantly reduced the mRNA expression lev-els of Kv7.2 and Kv7.3 potassium channels.The fre-quency of EEG spiking and sharp-wave issuance was significantly higher and epileptic symptoms were exac-erbated.Conclusion REST/NRSF in mouse hipp-ocampal brain regions is involved in epileptic disease development through transcriptional regulation of Kv7.2 and Kv7.3 potassium channels.

AIM To explore the clinical effects of Shuilu Erxian Pills combined with Modified Didang Decoction on patients with early and middle stage diabetic nephropathy.METHODS Eighty-three patients were randomly assigned into control group(42 cases)for 12-week administration of Irbesartan Tablets,and observation group(41 cases)for 12-week administration of Shuilu Erxian Pills,Modified Didang Decoction and Irbesartan Tablets.The changes in clinical effects,TCM syndrome scores,blood glucose indices(FBG,HbA1c),blood lipid indices(TC,TG),renal function indices(BUN,Scr,24 h UTP,eGFR),inflammatory factors(IL-1β,hs-CRP,IL-6,TNF-α,IL-18,TGF-β1),immune function indices(lymphocyte,neutrophil,CD8+,CD3+,CD4+,CD4+/CD8+)and incidence of adverse reactions were detected.RESULTS The observation group demonstrated higher total effective rate than the control group(P＜0.05).After the treatment,the observation group displayed decreased TCM syndrome scores,blood glucose indices,blood lipid indices,BUN,Scr,24 h UTP,inflammatory factors,CD8+(P＜0.05),reduced lymphocyte,neutrophil(P＜0.05),and increased eGFR,CD3+,CD4+,CD4+/CD8+(P＜0.05),which were more obvious than those in the control group(except for HbA1c,TG,SCr,24 h UTP,lymphocyte,neutrophil)(P＜0.05).No significant difference in incidence of adverse reactions was found between the two groups(P＞0.05).CONCLUSION For the patients with early and middle stage diabetic nephropathy,Shuilu Erxian Pills combined with Modified Didang Decoction can safely and effectively improve clinical symptoms,whose mechanism may contribute to the reduction of inflammatory levels and improvement of immune functions.

Objective To investigate the expression of CKS1B in endometrial carcinoma(EC)and its relationship with clinicopathological features and prognosis.Methods The expression profile data and clinical data of CKS1B from the TCGA and GTEx databases were downloaded to investigate the expression of CKS1B in EC and its relationship with clinicopathological features.The expression of CKS1B at the protein level was verified using the UALCAN database.The relationship between CKS1B expression and clinicopathological parameters was analyzed by Logistic regression.The r program perform enrichment analysis on CKS1B co-expressed genes in the TCGA database.Finally,CKS1B mRNA expression was discovered in the cell lines Ishikawa and HEC-1-A by quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR).CKS1B protein expression was detected in EC tissues and adjacent tissues by Western Bolt(WB).Results CKS1B mRNA and protein were remarkably higher in EC tissues than in normal endometrium,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The level of CKS1B mRNA expression was strongly correlated with FIGO stage(F=42.994),histological grade(F=70.350),histological type(F=87.341)and age(F=40.097)(all P<0.05).The results of the Kaplan-Meier method showed that patients with high CKS1B mRNA expression had a lower overall survival rate(Log-rank x2=1.175,P<0.01).Multifactorial COX analysis showed that FIGO stage(HR=3.065,95%CI:1.906～4.926)and CKS1B expression(HR=1.856,95%CI:1.154～2.985)were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with EC(P<0.05).GO analysis showed that CKS1B was mainly involved in nuclear division and chromosome separation.KEGG analysis showed it was mainly enriched in the cell cycle,spliceosome and DNA replication.Further verification showed that CKS1B mRNA was highly expressed in Ishikawa and HEC-1-A cell lines(F=44.560,P<0.001),CKS1B protein was highly expressed in EC tissues(t=14.900,P<0.001).Conclusion CKS1B is upregulated in EC and is linked to clinicopathological variables in the patients.It may play a role in the development of EC by regulating the cell cycle,and it is expected to be a new marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of EC.