Objective To analyze the clinical efficacy of valve surgeries for infective endocarditis and the affecting factors, and compare the early- and long-term postoperative outcomes of different surgery approaches. Methods The patients with infective endocarditis who underwent valve replacement/valvuloplasty in our hospital from 2010 to 2022 were retrospectively collected. The clinical data of the patients were analyzed. Results A total of 343 patients were enrolled, including 197 patients with mechanical valve replacement, 62 patients with bioprosthetic valve replacement, and 84 patients with valvuloplasty. There were 238 males and 105 females with an average age of (44.2±14.8) years. Single-valve endocarditis was present in 200 (58.3%) patients, and multivalve involvement was present in 143 (41.7%) patients. Sixty (17.5%) patients had suffered thrombosis before surgery, including cerebral embolisms in 32 patients. The mean follow-up time was (60.6±43.8) months. Early mortality within one month after the surgery occurred in 17 (5.0%) patients, while later mortality occurred in 19 (5.5%) patients. Eight (2.3%) patients underwent postoperative dialysis, 13 (3.8%) patients suffered postoperative stroke, 6 patients underwent reoperation, and 3 patients suffered recurrence of infective endocarditis. Smoking (P=0.002), preoperative embolisms (P=0.001), duration of surgery (P=0.001), and postoperative dialysis (P=0.001) were risk factors for early mortality, and left ventricular ejection fraction ≥60% (P=0.022) was protective factor for early mortality. New York Heart Association classification Ⅲ-Ⅳ (P=0.010) and ≥3 valve procedures (P=0.028) were risk factors for late mortality. The rate of composite endpoint events was significantly lower in the valvuloplasty group than that in the valve replacement group. Conclusion For patients with infective endocarditis, smoking and preoperative embolisms are associated with high postoperative mortality, multiple-valve surgery is associated with a poorer prognosis, and valvuloplasty has advantages over valve replacement and should be attempted in the surgical management of patients with infective endocarditis.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the efficacy and safety of luspatercept in the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes （MDS） anemia， and provide reference for clinical medication. METHODS The literature related to luspatercept for MDS anemia in PubMed， Cochrane Library， Embase and Web of Science were searched by computer， and the search time was from the establishment of the database to January 2024. The quality of literature was evaluated after they were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria， the single-group rate meta-analysis and sensitivity analysis were performed by using RevMan 5.4 software， and the subgroup analysis was conducted. RESULTS A total of 756 patients in 9 articles were included in this study. The results of meta-analysis showed that the proportion of MDS patients who reached ≥8 weeks of red blood cell transfusion independence （RBC-TI） was 46% after using luspatercept [95%CI （0.28， 0.64）， P＜0.000 01]. The proportion of MDS patients whose hematological improvement in erythrocyte （HI-E） was 59% [95%CI （0.43， 0.74）， P＜0.000 01]. Among them， 5 articles reported that the proportion of MDS patients with grade 3-4 adverse reactions was 14% [95%CI （0.07， 0.22）， P＝0.000 2]， and the poor general condition， infection， blood and lymphatic system disease were the common adverse reactions. Subgroup analysis showed that the source of heterogeneity was the blood transfusion burden in the proportion of MDS patients with RBC-TI≥8 weeks， and the source of heterogeneity was the 0931-8356251。revised international prognostic scoring system （IPSS-R） risk grade， SF3B1 mutation status and blood transfusion burden in the proportion of MDS patients with HI-E. Sensitivity analysis showed that the results of this study were stable. CONCLUSIONS Luspatercept can significantly improve blood transfusion dependence， reduce blood transfusion burden and promote hematology improvement in MDS patients. But attention should be paid to the occurrence of grade 3-4 adverse events； adverse events such as poor general condition， infection， blood and lymphatic system diseases are more common.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between sagittal position parameters and screw loosening after unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) combined with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation for single-segment lumbar spinal stenosis.Methods:A total of 180 patients with single-level lumbar spinal stenosis who received UBE combined with percutaneous pedicle screw internal fixation in our hospital from June 2020 to June 2023 were enrolled. According to the postoperative follow-up, they were divided into the non-loosening group (112 cases) and the loosening group (68 cases). The demographics, operative parameters and sagittal position [pelvic incidence (PI), pelvic tilt (PT), sacral slope (SS), lumbar lordosis (LL), thoracic kyphosis (TK), sagittal vertical axis (SVA)] before and after operation were compared between the two groups. The indicators with significant differences between the two groups were included in the multivariate logistic regression analysis to analyze the influencing factors of screw loosening. The dose-response relationship between sagittal position parameters and screw loosening was analyzed by restricted cubic spline model.Results:At 6 months and 1 year postoperatively, the fusion rates in the loosening group were 47.1% and 55.9%, respectively, which were significantly lower than the rates (85.7% and 100.0%) in the non-loosening group, respectively ( P<0.05). Postoperatively, the SS in the non-loosening group (36.16°±5.35°) and the loosening group (32.02°±5.54°) and the LL in the loosening group (51.26°±6.35°) were all significantly lower than preoperative values (40.51°±6.11°, 40.49°±6.08°, and 54.08°±6.21°) ( P<0.05). Meanwhile, the PT in the non-loosening group (15.24°±2.69°), TK in the non-loosening group (32.46°±7.29°), PI in the loosening group (56.82°±5.23°), PT in the loosening group (17.01°±3.64°), and TK in the loosening group (34.87°±7.21°) were all significantly higher than preoperative values (13.12°±3.19°, 30.25°±5.17°, 52.84°±5.12°, 13.15°±3.21°, and 30.26°±5.12°) ( P<0.05). Postoperatively, the loosening group had significantly lower SS (32.02°±5.54°), LL (51.26°±6.35°), and SVA (-0.87±1.06 cm) than the non-loosening group (36.16°±5.35°, 53.73°±6.27°, and -0.51±1.04 cm), respectively ( P<0.05). Conversely, the PI (56.82°±5.23°), PT (17.01°±3.64°), and TK (34.87°±7.21°) in the loosening group were significantly higher than those in the non-loosening group (53.48°±5.20°, 15.24°±2.69°, and 32.46°±7.29°), respectively ( P<0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis indicated that PT, SS, LL, and SVA were independent risk factors for screw loosening ( P<0.05). The restricted cubic spline model revealed a nonlinear dose-response relationship between sagittal parameters (PT, SS, LL, and SVA) and screw loosening ( P<0.05). With increasing PT, the odds ratio (OR) for screw loosening increased, whereas increasing SS, LL, and SVA reduced the OR for screw loosening. Conclusion:After UBE combined with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation in single-level lumbar spinal stenosis patients, sagittal position parameters PT were positively correlated with screw loosening, while SS, LL and SVA were negatively correlated with screw loosening.

The nucleophosmin 1(NPM1)muta-tion is one of the most frequent subtypes in acute myeloid leukemia(AML).Under the conditions of FLT3-internal tandem duplications(FLT3-ITD)and/or DNMT3A co-mutations or adverse cytogenetics,the originally favorable prognosis will deteriorate.In recent years,studies have found that multiple endocrine neoplasia protein(Menin)inhibitors tar-geting Menin-KMT2A complex can downregulate the overexpression of leukemia causing genes HOX(homeotic gene)and MEIS1(myeloid ecotropic vi-ral integration site 1)in NPM1-mutated AML,dem-onstrating remarkable anti-leukemia activity.This article aims to review the mechanism and clinical research of Menin inhibitors,novel small molecule targeted drugs in NPM1-mutated AML,as well as the resistance mechanism of Menin inhibitors,hop-ing to provide promising approaches for the subse-quent treatment of NPM1-mutated AML patients.

Objective:To investigate the neuroprotective effects of ginsenoside Rb1 in neonatal mice with Hypoxic Ischemia(HI)and analyze its potential molecular mechanisms.Methods:Seven-day-old C57BL/6 neonatal mice were randomly assigned to three groups:Sham group,hypoxic-ischemic(HI)model group,and HI model+ginsenoside Rb1 intervention group(HI+Rb1),with 10 mice per group.The modified Rice-Vannucci method was used to establish the HI model,and ginsenoside Rb1(20 mg/kg)was administered via intraperitoneal injection for 7 consecutive days post-surgery(once per day).Brain damage was assessed on days 7 and 14 post-surgery by evaluating cortical neurons and glial cell numbers,as well as the activation status of the ERK signaling pathway.Additionally,in utero electroporation(IUE)was used to overexpress the ERK signaling pathway in the cortical neurons,and the impact of ERK activation on glial cell development was observed.Further,IUE was used to overexpress ERK in the cortex of P0 neonatal mice,fol-lowed by the HI model on day 7 to analyze the effects of enhanced ERK signaling on oligodendrocyte development and myelin regeneration.Results:Compared to the HI group,the HI+Rb1 intervention group showed significant improve-ment in motor ability,reduction in brain injury area,less mature neuron loss,and increased newborn neurons.Addi-tionally,the number of oligodendrocytes in the cortex was increased,and the activation of the ERK signaling pathway was enhanced.In mice with overexpression of the ERK signaling pathway in the cortex,there was a significant increase in oligodendrocytes.In the HI model with ERK overexpression,an increased number of oligodendrocyte precursor cells were found around the brain injury area,consistent with the results of ginsenoside Rb1 intervention.Conclusion:Gin-senoside Rb1 exerts neuroprotective effects in neonatal mice with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury,potentially through the enhancement of ERK signaling,promoting oligodendrocyte proliferation and myelin regeneration.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation plays a critical role in severe cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) pathogenesis, but the benefits of anti-inflammatory therapies remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between steroid therapy combined with anticoagulation and the prognosis of acute/subacute severe CVT patients. METHODS: A prospective cohort study enrolled patients with acute/subacute severe CVT at Xuanwu Hospital (July 2020-January 2024). Patients were allocated into steroid and non-steroid groups based on the treatment they received. Functional outcomes (modified Rankin scale [mRS]) were evaluated at admission, discharge, and 6 months after discharge. Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) IL-6, and intracranial pressure were measured at admission and discharge in the steroid group. Fundoscopic Frisén grades were assessed at admission and 6 months after discharge. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to evaluat associations between steroid use and favorable outcomes (mRS ≤2) at the 6-month follow-up. Paired tests assessed changes in hs-CRP and other variables before and after treatment, and Spearman's correlations were used to analyze relationships between these changes and functional improvements. RESULTS: A total of 107 and 58 patients in the steroid and non-steroid groups, respectively, were included in the analysis. Compared with the non-steroid group, the steroid group had a higher likelihood of achieving an mRS score of 0-2 (93.5% vs . 82.5%, odds ratio [OR] = 2.98, P  = 0.037) at the 6-month follow-up. After adjusting for confounding factors, the result remained consistent. Pulsed steroid therapy did not increase mortality during hospitalization or follow-up, nor did it lead to severe steroid-related complications (all P  >0.05). Patients in the steroid group showed a significant reduction in serum hs-CRP, IL-6, CSF IL-6, and intracranial pressure at discharge compared to at admission, as well as a significant reduction in the fundoscopic Frisén grade at the 6-month follow-up compare to at admission (all P  <0.001). A reduction in serum inflammatory marker levels during hospitalization positively correlated with improvements in functional outcomes ( P  <0.05). CONCLUSION: Short-term steroid use may be an effective and safe adjuvant therapy for acute/subacute severe CVT when used alongside standard anticoagulant treatments, which are likely due to suppression of the inflammatory response. However, these findings require further validation in randomized controlled trials. TRAIL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT05990894.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Anticoagulants/therapeutic use* ; C-Reactive Protein/metabolism* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Intracranial Thrombosis/drug therapy* ; Prospective Studies ; Steroids/therapeutic use* ; Venous Thrombosis/drug therapy*

OBJECTIVES: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major public health concern that poses a significant threat to human health. Investigating its underlying mechanisms and identifying potential intervention targets has important clinical implications. This study aims to explore the association between serum gastric biomarkers and MetS and its components. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 24 635 individuals (aged 18 to 80 years) who underwent routine health examinations from May 2017 to June 2021 at the Health Management Medical Center, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. Demographic data, medical and medication history, height, weight, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and creatinine levels were collected. Serum levels of pepsinogen (PG) I, PGII, and gastrin-17 (G-17) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. MetS was diagnosed based on the International Diabetes Federation criteria. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between gastric biomarkers and MetS. RESULTS: Among the 24 635 participants, the overall prevalence of MetS was 35.72%, with a higher rate in males than in females (42.41% vs 24.31%). Compared with the non-MetS group, MetS group were older and had higher metabolic-related diseases rate, Helicobacter pylori infection rate, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and creatinine levels (all P<0.05). Serum G-17 levels were significantly elevated in the MetS group, and PGI levels decreased (both P<0.05). Males had higher G-17, PGI, PGII, and PGI/PGII ratios than females (all P<0.05). Subgroup analysis revealed that G-17 was consistently elevated in MetS patients regardless of sex, whereas PGI was decreased. PGII levels exhibited sex-specific differences. After adjusting for confounders, Logistic regression analysis revealed that high G-17 level was independently associated with MetS, with a stronger correlation observed in males. Moreover, G-17 level progressively increased with higher MetS scores (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Serum G-17 level is positively associated with both the presence and severity of MetS, with a more pronounced correlation in males, suggesting its potential involvement in MetS-related metabolic dysregulation.
Humans ; Metabolic Syndrome/epidemiology* ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Aged ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Gastrins/blood* ; Pepsinogen A/blood* ; Pepsinogen C/blood* ; Aged, 80 and over

OBJECTIVES: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) poses a major threat to global health. Evaluating atherosclerosis in asymptomatic individuals can help identify those at high risk of CVD. This study aims to establish an individualized nomogram prediction model to estimate the risk of vascular plaque formation in asymptomatic individuals. METHODS: A total of 5 655 participants who underwent CVD screening at the Health Management Center of The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, between January 2022 and June 2024 we retrospectively enrolled. Using simple random sampling, participants were divided into a training set (n=4 524) and a validation set (n=1 131) in an 8꞉2 ratio. Demographic and clinical data were collected and compared between groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent factors associated with vascular plaques and to construct a nomogram prediction model. The predictive performance and clinical utility of the model were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test, calibration plots, and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 52 years old. There were 3 400 males (60.12%). The overall detection rate of vascular plaque in the screening population was 49.87% (2 820/5 655). No statistically significant differences were observed in clinical indicators between the training and validation sets (all P>0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis identified age, systolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), lipoprotein(a), male sex, smoking history, hypertension history, and diabetes history as independent risk factors for vascular plaque in asymptomatic individuals (all P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of the nomogram model for predicting vascular plaque risk were 0.778 (95% CI 0.765 to 0.791, P<0.001) in the training set and 0.760 (95% CI 0.732 to 0.787, P<0.001) in the validation set. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test indicated good model calibration (training set: P=0.628; validation set: P=0.561). The calibration curve plotted using the Bootstrap method demonstrated good agreement between predicted probabilities and actual probabilities. DCA showed that the nomogram provided a clinical net benefit for predicting vascular plaque risk when the threshold probability ranged from 0.02 to 0.99. CONCLUSIONS The nomogram prediction model for vascular plaque risk, constructed using readily available and cost-effective physical examination indicators, exhibited good predictive performance. This model can assist in the early identification and intervention of asymptomatic individuals at high risk for cardiovascular disease.
Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Nomograms ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic/diagnosis* ; Aged ; Adult ; Physical Examination ; Logistic Models ; Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology* ; ROC Curve

Iron metabolism is a critical factor in tumorigenesis and development. Although TP53 mutations are prevalent in glioblastoma (GBM), the mechanisms by which TP53 regulates iron metabolism remain elusive. We reveal an imbalance iron homeostasis in GBM via TCGA database analysis. TP53 mutations disrupted iron homeostasis in GBM, characterized by elevated total iron levels and reduced ferritin (FTH). The gain-of-function effect triggered by TP53 mutations upregulates itchy E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase (ITCH) protein expression in astrocytes, leading to FTH degradation and an increase in free iron levels. TP53-mut astrocytes were more tolerant to the high iron environment induced by exogenous ferric ammonium citrate (FAC), but the increase in intracellular free iron made them more sensitive to Erastin-induced ferroptosis. Interestingly, we found that Erastin combined with FAC treatment significantly increased ferroptosis. These findings provide new insights for drug development and therapeutic modalities for GBM patients with TP53 mutations from iron metabolism perspectives.
Ferroptosis/drug effects* ; Humans ; Iron/metabolism* ; Glioblastoma/metabolism* ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism* ; Homeostasis/physiology* ; Ferritins/metabolism* ; Brain Neoplasms/genetics* ; Mutation ; Astrocytes/drug effects* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Piperazines/pharmacology* ; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds/pharmacology* ; Ferric Compounds

Objective To investigate the impact of nucleophosmin 1-mutated(NPM1m)subtypes,variant allele frequency(VAF)and co-mutations on the survival outcomes of patients with acute myeloid leukemia(AML).Methods Clinical data,mutation status,and outcomes of 86 NPM1m-AML patients admitted in Department of Hematology,First Hospital of Lanzhou University between June 2017 and September 2024 were collected and retrospectively analyzed.Spearman correlation analysis,Kaplan-Meier curve analysis,Log-rank test,and Cox regression analysis was applied for correlation analysis,survival analysis,and factors affecting survival.Results The overall survival(OS)was significantly shorter in the Rares subtype of NPM1m than the ABD subtype(median OS:164 d vs 416 d,P=0.043).The VAF of NPM1m was positively correlated with the initial peripheral blood white blood cell count and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)level(P<0.05).OS was reduced when VAF was≥0.37(median OS:164 d vs 730 d,P=0.003).The presence of myelodysplasia-related gene(MR)mutations was associated with a poorer prognosis when compared to the MR wild-type(median OS:45 d vs 395 d,P<0.001).The triple mutation of FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3-internal tandem duplication(FLT3-ITD)and DNMT3A also indicated a worse prognosis than the non-triple mutation(median OS:173 d vs 483 d,P=0.007).The presence of PTPN11 mutations was associated with improved OS(median OS:395 d vs 240 d,P=0.027),while the patients with coexistence of N/KRAS mutations trended toward better prognosis than the wild-type patients(median OS:662 d vs 189 d)though no statistical significance(P=0.070).Multivariate analysis revealed that LDH(HR=1.002,95%CI:1.000～1.003,P=0.005),NPM1m VAF(HR=2.415,95%CI:1.208～4.829,P=0.013),Rares subtype(HR=3.037,95%CI:1.134～8.136,P=0.027),and MR mutations(HR=5.283,95%CI:1.991～14.017,P<0.001)were independent risk factors associated with OS in the patients.Conclusion Molecular heterogeneity of NPM1m should be taken into account in prognostic stratification of NPM1m-AML.Factors including the Rares subtype,VAF≥0.37,coexistence of FLT3-ITD and DNMT3A mutations,and MR mutations are associated with poor prognosis of NPM1m-AML.The presence of PTPN11 mutations improves the prognosis,while the presence of N/KRAS mutations shows a trend toward better prognosis.LDH,NPM1m VAF,Rares subtype,and MR mutations are independent risk factors affecting OS of patients with NPM1m-AML.