BACKGROUND: Preclinical studies have indicated that Angong Niuhuang Pills (ANP) reduce cerebral infarct and edema volumes. This study aimed to investigate whether ANP safely reduces cerebral infarct and edema volumes in patients with moderate to severe acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial included patients with acute ischemic stroke with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores ranging from 10 to 20 in 17 centers in China between April 2021 and July 2022. Patients were allocated within 36 h after onset via block randomization to receive ANP or placebo (3 g/day for 5 days). The primary outcomes were changes in cerebral infarct and edema volumes after 14 days of treatment. The primary safety outcome was severe adverse events (SAEs) for 90 days. RESULTS: There were 57 and 60 patients finally included in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively for modified intention-to-treat analysis. The median age was 66.0 years, and the median NIHSS score at baseline was 12.0. The changes in cerebral infarct volume at day 14 were 0.3 mL and 0.4 mL in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively (median difference: -7.1 mL; interquartile range [IQR]: -18.3 to 2.3 mL, P = 0.30). The changes in cerebral edema volume of the ANP and placebo groups on day 14 were 11.4 mL and 4.0 mL, respectively ( median difference: 3.0 mL, IQR: -1.3 to 9.9 mL, P = 0.15). The rates of SAE within 90 days were similar in the ANP (3/57, 5%) and placebo (7/60, 12%) groups ( P = 0.36). Changes in serum mercury and arsenic concentrations were comparable. In patients with large artery atherosclerosis, ANP reduced the cerebral infarct volume at 14 days (median difference: -12.3 mL; IQR: -27.7 to -0.3 mL, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: ANP showed a similar safety profile to placebo and non-significant tendency to reduce cerebral infarct volume in patients with moderate-to-severe stroke. Further studies are warranted to assess the efficacy of ANP in reducing cerebral infarcts and improving clinical prognosis. TRAIL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov , No. NCT04475328.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Ischemic Stroke/drug therapy* ; Pilot Projects ; Stroke/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

Background and Aims:Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC)is a highly malignant liver tumor,with an increasing incidence worldwide,particularly in Asia.Although radical surgical resection is currently the only potentially curative treatment,the high recurrence rate and low postoperative overall survival(OS)rate of ICC remain major clinical challenges.Adjuvant therapy(AT)and neoadjuvant therapy(NAT)are important strategies to reduce postoperative recurrence and prolong OS.Several studies have shown certain efficacy of these treatments.However,the specific efficacy and safety of combined NAT and AT in ICC treatment require further validation.This study was conducted to evaluate the value of combining NAT and AT in improving the therapeutic outcomes of ICC patients through a multicenter retrospective analysis,so as to provide scientific evidence for optimizing treatment strategies.Methods:The clinicopathologic data of 576 patients with ICC who underwent radical resection and were pathologically confirmed from 13 hospitals in China between December 2011 and December 2017 were retrospectively collected.Patients were grouped based on their treatment modality:NAT+AT group,AT group,and non-NAT/AT group.The three patient groups were matched pairwise in a 1∶1 ratio using propensity score matching(PSM)to balance baseline data.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze OS and disease-free survival(DFS),and subgroup analyses were conducted according to the 8th edition of the AJCC TNM staging system.Results:A total of 395 ICC patients were included in the final analysis,with 42 patients(10.6%)in the NAT+AT group,62 patients(15.7%)in the AT group,and 291 patients(73.7%)in the non-NAT/AT group.Before PSM,significant differences were observed between groups in terms of CA19-9,liver function Child-Pugh classification,intraoperative blood loss,surgical margin,differentiation grade,vascular invasion,ECOG score,and lymph node dissection ratio(all P<0.05).After PSM,there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the groups(all P>0.05).After matching,the median OS and DFS in the NAT+AT group were significantly better than in the AT and non-NAT/AT groups(both P<0.05),while there were no significant differences in OS and DFS between the AT and non-NAT/AT groups(both P>0.05).Subgroup analysis showed that in TNM stage I patients,DFS in the NAT+AT group was significantly better than in the non-NAT/AT group(P<0.05),but OS was not significantly different(P>0.05).In TNM stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ patients,both OS and DFS in the NAT+AT and AT groups were significantly better than in the non-NAT/AT group(both P<0.05),and DFS in the NAT+AT group was significantly better than in the AT group in TNM stage Ⅲ patients(P<0.05).Conclusion:NAT combined with AT provides better survival benefits for patients with locally advanced ICC,but its benefit for early-stage ICC patients is limited.However,the retrospective design and sample size limitations of this study may affect the stability of the results,and future large-sample,multicenter,prospective studies are needed for further validation.

Background and purpose:The colorectal cancer screening program for community residents in Shanghai has been implemented for 12 years since 2013.This study aimed to analyze the impact of screening on the colorectal cancer incidence,stage and survival outcomes based on their screening participation status.Methods:This study used registry-based cohort study method.The registered residents in Shanghai from 2013 to 2017 who met the screening age range were divided into screening group and non-screening group.The data of colorectal cancer cases after being included in groups were obtained from the Population Based Cancer Registry.We calculated age-standardized cumulative incidence and age-group cumulative incidence,diagnosis stage and survival rate of colorectal cancer by gender,age and year of diagnosis.We used the Joinpoint regression method to calculate the annual change percentage for cumulative incidence trend analysis.The life table method and EdererⅡ method were used to calculate the 5-year observed survival rates and expected survival rates of colorectal cancer cases.Finally the 5-year relative survival rates were obtained.Results:The study included 1 687 689 participants aged 50-74 in screening group and 4 713 307 participants in non-screening group.During a 5-year follow-up period,there were 10 333 and 20 904 new cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed in the two groups,respectively.The age-standardized 5-year cumulative incidence in the screening group was 555.33/105,with an average annual increase of 33.32%(P＜0.05).The age-standardized 5-year cumulative incidence in the non-screening group was 529.85/105,with an average annual increase of 48.13%(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference between the screening group and the non-screening group in the age-standardized 5-year cumulative incidence(X=0.25,P=0.804).The lower the age group,the greater the difference between the screening group and the non-screening group in the annual average change percentage of the age-standardized cumulative incidence.The stages 0-Ⅰ of newly diagnosed colorectal cancer cases in the screening group and non-screening group accounted for 14.70%and 7.46%,respectively,with a statistically significant difference in composition between the two groups(P＜0.05).The 5-year relative survival rate of the screening group was 73.94%,while the non-screening group was 59.66%.The survival rate indicators of the former were significantly higher than those of the latter,and the difference was statistically significant.The survival rate of the former was significantly higher than that of the latter(73.94%vs 59.66%),and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The survival rate of females in both groups of cases was higher than that of males,and the survival rate decreased with increasing age-groups at diagnosis.Conclusion:With the implementation of the colorectal cancer screening program,the growth trend of the incidence rate of colorectal cancer among the screening participants has been curbed,and the early stages of colorectal cancer cases diagnosed and the 5-year survival rate were significantly improved.In order to reduce the incidence rate of colorectal cancer in the whole population,it is necessary to vigorously promote the screening coverage of the appropriate population,especially to increase the proportion of lower age groups participating in screening.We should also pay attention to the screening quality of the elderly groups and improve the compliance of colonoscopy in high-risk participants.At the same time,we should further optimize the refined management of screening for different genders,ages,and risk groups.

Objective To retrospectively analyze multicenter data from domestic sources, aiming to explore the link between intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) tumor size and prognosis, establishing a classification system based on tumor size. Methods Between December 2011 and September 2018, 280 ICC patients from 13 hospitals were included. The tumor size prognosis cutoff was identified by the minimum P-value method, and the classification's overall survival related effectiveness was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results All 280 patients were divided into the group of tumor maximum diameter ≤4 cm and >4 cm. Tumor size was confirmed as an independent prognosis factor by multivariate COX regression analysis (HR=2.110, 95% CI: 1.358-3.280). Conclusions The tumor size dichotomy classification system based on the Chinese patient group can expediently predict ICC prognosis and offers an important basis for selecting post-operative individualized adjuvant therapy and follow up plans.

Liver transplantation is the preferred treatment for cirrhosis, end-stage liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma, and is also the only effective curative method. Liver ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is one of the main adverse reactions of liver transplantation. During the operation, ischemia mediates the occurrence of liver IRI, promoting the cascade activation of reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory signals in Kupffer cells. With continued hepatocellular death during ischemia, damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) accumulate and are released into systemic circulation, triggering a cytokine and chemokine storm, resulting in poor prognosis, postoperative liver failure, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). In liver transplantation-related IRI, PANoptosis—including apoptosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and autophagy—participates in the process, but a comprehensive review is lacking. This article systematically elaborates on the roles of different types of cell death in liver IRI and the crosstalk among these pathways. It also discusses the protective effects of inhibiting different forms of cell death, aiming to provide direction for future basic research and offer new ideas and strategies for the clinical treatment of liver IRI.

Background and Aims:Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC)is a highly malignant liver tumor,with an increasing incidence worldwide,particularly in Asia.Although radical surgical resection is currently the only potentially curative treatment,the high recurrence rate and low postoperative overall survival(OS)rate of ICC remain major clinical challenges.Adjuvant therapy(AT)and neoadjuvant therapy(NAT)are important strategies to reduce postoperative recurrence and prolong OS.Several studies have shown certain efficacy of these treatments.However,the specific efficacy and safety of combined NAT and AT in ICC treatment require further validation.This study was conducted to evaluate the value of combining NAT and AT in improving the therapeutic outcomes of ICC patients through a multicenter retrospective analysis,so as to provide scientific evidence for optimizing treatment strategies.Methods:The clinicopathologic data of 576 patients with ICC who underwent radical resection and were pathologically confirmed from 13 hospitals in China between December 2011 and December 2017 were retrospectively collected.Patients were grouped based on their treatment modality:NAT+AT group,AT group,and non-NAT/AT group.The three patient groups were matched pairwise in a 1∶1 ratio using propensity score matching(PSM)to balance baseline data.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze OS and disease-free survival(DFS),and subgroup analyses were conducted according to the 8th edition of the AJCC TNM staging system.Results:A total of 395 ICC patients were included in the final analysis,with 42 patients(10.6%)in the NAT+AT group,62 patients(15.7%)in the AT group,and 291 patients(73.7%)in the non-NAT/AT group.Before PSM,significant differences were observed between groups in terms of CA19-9,liver function Child-Pugh classification,intraoperative blood loss,surgical margin,differentiation grade,vascular invasion,ECOG score,and lymph node dissection ratio(all P<0.05).After PSM,there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the groups(all P>0.05).After matching,the median OS and DFS in the NAT+AT group were significantly better than in the AT and non-NAT/AT groups(both P<0.05),while there were no significant differences in OS and DFS between the AT and non-NAT/AT groups(both P>0.05).Subgroup analysis showed that in TNM stage I patients,DFS in the NAT+AT group was significantly better than in the non-NAT/AT group(P<0.05),but OS was not significantly different(P>0.05).In TNM stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ patients,both OS and DFS in the NAT+AT and AT groups were significantly better than in the non-NAT/AT group(both P<0.05),and DFS in the NAT+AT group was significantly better than in the AT group in TNM stage Ⅲ patients(P<0.05).Conclusion:NAT combined with AT provides better survival benefits for patients with locally advanced ICC,but its benefit for early-stage ICC patients is limited.However,the retrospective design and sample size limitations of this study may affect the stability of the results,and future large-sample,multicenter,prospective studies are needed for further validation.

Background and purpose:The colorectal cancer screening program for community residents in Shanghai has been implemented for 12 years since 2013.This study aimed to analyze the impact of screening on the colorectal cancer incidence,stage and survival outcomes based on their screening participation status.Methods:This study used registry-based cohort study method.The registered residents in Shanghai from 2013 to 2017 who met the screening age range were divided into screening group and non-screening group.The data of colorectal cancer cases after being included in groups were obtained from the Population Based Cancer Registry.We calculated age-standardized cumulative incidence and age-group cumulative incidence,diagnosis stage and survival rate of colorectal cancer by gender,age and year of diagnosis.We used the Joinpoint regression method to calculate the annual change percentage for cumulative incidence trend analysis.The life table method and EdererⅡ method were used to calculate the 5-year observed survival rates and expected survival rates of colorectal cancer cases.Finally the 5-year relative survival rates were obtained.Results:The study included 1 687 689 participants aged 50-74 in screening group and 4 713 307 participants in non-screening group.During a 5-year follow-up period,there were 10 333 and 20 904 new cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed in the two groups,respectively.The age-standardized 5-year cumulative incidence in the screening group was 555.33/105,with an average annual increase of 33.32%(P＜0.05).The age-standardized 5-year cumulative incidence in the non-screening group was 529.85/105,with an average annual increase of 48.13%(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference between the screening group and the non-screening group in the age-standardized 5-year cumulative incidence(X=0.25,P=0.804).The lower the age group,the greater the difference between the screening group and the non-screening group in the annual average change percentage of the age-standardized cumulative incidence.The stages 0-Ⅰ of newly diagnosed colorectal cancer cases in the screening group and non-screening group accounted for 14.70%and 7.46%,respectively,with a statistically significant difference in composition between the two groups(P＜0.05).The 5-year relative survival rate of the screening group was 73.94%,while the non-screening group was 59.66%.The survival rate indicators of the former were significantly higher than those of the latter,and the difference was statistically significant.The survival rate of the former was significantly higher than that of the latter(73.94%vs 59.66%),and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The survival rate of females in both groups of cases was higher than that of males,and the survival rate decreased with increasing age-groups at diagnosis.Conclusion:With the implementation of the colorectal cancer screening program,the growth trend of the incidence rate of colorectal cancer among the screening participants has been curbed,and the early stages of colorectal cancer cases diagnosed and the 5-year survival rate were significantly improved.In order to reduce the incidence rate of colorectal cancer in the whole population,it is necessary to vigorously promote the screening coverage of the appropriate population,especially to increase the proportion of lower age groups participating in screening.We should also pay attention to the screening quality of the elderly groups and improve the compliance of colonoscopy in high-risk participants.At the same time,we should further optimize the refined management of screening for different genders,ages,and risk groups.

Liver transplantation is the preferred treatment for cirrhosis, end-stage liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma, and is also the only effective curative method. Liver ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is one of the main adverse reactions of liver transplantation. During the operation, ischemia mediates the occurrence of liver IRI, promoting the cascade activation of reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory signals in Kupffer cells. With continued hepatocellular death during ischemia, damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) accumulate and are released into systemic circulation, triggering a cytokine and chemokine storm, resulting in poor prognosis, postoperative liver failure, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). In liver transplantation-related IRI, PANoptosis—including apoptosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and autophagy—participates in the process, but a comprehensive review is lacking. This article systematically elaborates on the roles of different types of cell death in liver IRI and the crosstalk among these pathways. It also discusses the protective effects of inhibiting different forms of cell death, aiming to provide direction for future basic research and offer new ideas and strategies for the clinical treatment of liver IRI.

Objective:To seek a correlation between short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and skill in the activities of daily living (ADL) after an ischemic stroke.Methods:Ninety ischemic stroke survivors were assessed using the Barthel Index (BI). Fecal samples were collected and analyzed for the concentration of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid, valeric acid, and isovaleric acid using gas chromatography. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to identify SCFAs that correlated with the total BI score. Linear regressions were evaluated to explore the correlation between the total BI score and SCFAs.Results:The concentrations of propionic and butyric acids in the feces were found to correlate significantly with the total BI scores. Data including propionic acid and butyric acid levels, age, gender, body mass index, disease duration, any history of hypertension or diabetes, and other SCFAs were included in the regression models. Propionic and butyric acid levels were found to be potentially useful predictors of total BI scores.Conclusions:The concentration of propionic and butyric acids in the feces after an ischemic stroke can predict the survivor′s total BI score. Those concentrations could therefore be useful for predicting ADL ability.

Objective To identify clinical risk factors for early major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) following surgical correction of supravalvar aortic stenosis (SVAS). Methods Patients who underwent SVAS surgical correction between 2002 and 2019 in Beijing and Yunnan Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospitals were included. The patients were divided into a MACEs group and a non-MACEs group based on whether MACEs concurring during postoperative hospitalization or within 30 days following surgical correction for SVAS. Their preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative clinical data were collected for multivariate logistic regression. Results This study included 302 patients. There were 199 males and 103 females, with a median age of 63.0 (29.2, 131.2) months. The incidence of early postoperative MACEs was 7.0% (21/302). The multivariate logistic regression model identified independent risk factors for early postoperative MACEs, including ICU duration (OR=1.01, 95%CI 1.00-1.01, P=0.032), intraoperative cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (OR=1.02, 95%CI 1.01-1.04, P=0.014), aortic annulus diameter (OR=0.65, 95%CI 0.43-0.97, P=0.035), aortic sinus inner diameter (OR=0.75, 95%CI 0.57-0.98, P=0.037), and diameter of the stenosis (OR=0.56, 95%CI 0.35-0.90, P=0.016). Conclusion The independent risk factors for early postoperative MACEs include ICU duration, intraoperative CPB time, aortic annulus diameter, aortic sinus inner diameter, and diameter of the stenosis. Early identification of high-risk populations for MACEs is beneficial for the development of clinical treatment strategies.