Objective To study the correlation between Periostin, interleukin-33 (IL-33), and chronic cough after thoracoscopic lobectomy in patients with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) combined with lung cancer. Methods A total of 102 lung cancer and coronary heart disease patients at Tianjin Chest Hospital from January 2022 to January 2024 were prospectively enrolled, and they were divided into a chronic cough group (n=42) and a non-chronic cough group (n=60) based on whether chronic cough occurred after surgery. Serum levels of Periostin and IL-33 were measured on the 1st, 7th, and 14th days post-lobectomy. The Pearson method was employed to analyze the correlation between Periostin and IL-33 levels and the severity of cough. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors influencing the occurrence of chronic cough. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was utilized to assess the potential value of serum Periostin and IL-33 levels in predicting postoperative chronic cough. Results In patients with chronic cough, the peripheral blood Periostin and IL-33 levels measured on days 7 and 14 were significantly higher than those in patients with non-chronic cough, and the interactions between the two groups and at different time points were significant (P<0.001). The degree of cough was positively correlated with the levels of Periostin and IL-33 on days 7 and 14 (P<0.05), but had no significant correlation with the levels on day 1 (P>0.05). In patients with lung cancer, after thoracoscopic lobectomy, Periostin [OR=1.619, 95%CI (1.295, 2.025)] and IL-33 [OR=1.831, 95%CI (1.216, 2.758)] on day 7 and Periostin [OR=1.952, 95%CI (1.306, 2.918)] and IL-33 [OR=1.742, 95%CI (1.166, 2.603)] on day 14 were identified as risk factors for chronic cough. ROC curve analysis showed that the sensitivity of Periostin on day 7 was 69.05%, the specificity was 71.67%, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.756 [95%CI (0.616, 0.893)]. The sensitivity of Periostin on day 14 increased to 71.43% and the specificity was 76.67%, AUC was 0.762 [95%CI (0.633, 0.898)]. At the same time, the critical value of IL-33 on day 7 was 45.03 pg/mL, the sensitivity and specificity were both 83.33%, the AUC was 0.884 [95%CI (0.789, 0.980)], and the critical value of IL-33 on day 14 was 56.01 pg/mL, the sensitivity was 85.71%, the specificity was 80.00%, and the AUC was 0.899 [95%CI (0.799, 0.999)]. Joint logistic regression analysis of Periostin and IL-33 levels on days 7 and 14 showed showed that the sensitivity was 95.24%, the specificity was 95.00%, and the AUC reached 0.993 [95%CI (0.979, 1.000)]. Conclusion Periostin and IL-33 levels, measured at various time points, are abnormally elevated following thoracoscopic lobectomy in patients with combined CABG and lung cancer. These levels significantly correlate with cough severity. Given their predictive potential for chronic cough, these markers are deemed valuable biomarkers.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of subcutaneous flap and/or pedicled penile skin flap combined with advancement flap coverage technique in the treatment of urethrocutaneous fistula(UCF)secondary to failed repair and to improve the success rate. Methods The clinical data of 36 UCF patients after urethral repair admitted to our hospital during Jan. 2020 and Jan. 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the location and surrounding condition of the fistula, the fistula was closed without tension, the subcutaneous flap and/or pedicled penile skin flap was combined with advancement flap coverage technique. The effects of the treatment were followed up. Successful repair was defined as unobstructed urination, no recurrence of fistula and no urethral stricture. Results The patients' age was(25.7±11.6)years, and the diameter of fistula was(8.1±2.2)mm. UCF occurred in 24 cases after hypospadias repair, and in 12 cases after the repair of other urethral injuries, including 2 cases of urethral compression injury after improper indwelling catheterization, 2 cases of urethral stone removal, 2 cases of urethral diverticulum repair, 2 cases of circumcision repair, 1 case of congenital anal atresia repair, and 3 cases of other urethral repair. The primary repair success rate was 83.3%(30/36). Among the 6 patients with unsuccessful primary repair, 3 were cured with a secondary repair, 1 was cured after wound dressing, and 2 were lost to follow-up. The primary repair success rates of penile shape, penile scrotal junction, and perineal urethral skin fistulas were 82.1%(23/28), 83.3%(5/6), and 100%(2/2), respectively. The primary repair success rates for fistulas with diameter ≤1.0 cm and＞1.0 cm were 85.2%(23/27)and 77.8%(7/9), respectively; for single and two urethrocutaneous fistulas, the success rates were 84.8%(28/33)and 66.7%(2/3); for patients with 1 and ≥2 previous repair attempts, the success rates were 87.5%(14/16)and 80.0%(16/20). During the follow-up of(15.1±3.5)months, no recurrence of fistula occurred, and all patients experienced unobstructed urination with a maximum urinary flow rate of(19.5±4.2)mL/s. Conclusion The failure rate of UCF repair is still high. Based on the location of the fistulas and the condition of the surrounding tissue, the surgical success rate can be improved by utilizing subcutaneous flap and/or pedicled penile skin flap combined with advancement flap coverage technique. This approach allows for tension-free suturing and multi-layer closure of the fistula.

Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA), one of the most severe types of male infertility, etiology often remains unclear in most cases. Therefore, this study aimed to detect four biallelic detrimental variants (0.5%) in the minichromosome maintenance domain containing 2 ( MCMDC2 ) genes in 768 NOA patients by whole-exome sequencing (WES). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) demonstrated that MCMDC2 deleterious variants caused meiotic arrest in three patients (c.1360G>T, c.1956G>T, and c.685C>T) and hypospermatogenesis in one patient (c.94G>T), as further confirmed through immunofluorescence (IF) staining. The single-cell RNA sequencing data indicated that MCMDC2 was substantially expressed during spermatogenesis. The variants were confirmed as deleterious and responsible for patient infertility through bioinformatics and in vitro experimental analyses. The results revealed four MCMDC2 variants related to NOA, which contributes to the current perception of the function of MCMDC2 in male fertility and presents new perspectives on the genetic etiology of NOA.
Humans ; Male ; Azoospermia/genetics* ; Meiosis/genetics* ; Spermatogenesis/genetics* ; Adult ; Exome Sequencing ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins/genetics* ; Alleles ; Infertility, Male/genetics*

This paper comprehensively compares the Kawasaki disease (KD) guidelines from seven countries/regions, including China, Argentina, Europe, Italy, Japan, Spain, and the United States, as retrieved from the PubMed database. It analyzes the similarities and differences in KD diagnosis and treatment among these guidelines. The results show that all guidelines consistently recommend a single infusion of immunoglobulin at a dosage of 2 g/kg as the first-line treatment for KD, and none advocate for the routine use of methylprednisolone or prednisone as standalone first-line treatment options for KD. However, there are some differences among the guidelines regarding classification, diagnostic criteria, and specific treatment methods for KD. Therefore, it is essential to further strengthen international collaboration in guideline development and conduct multicenter clinical research in the future, aiming to achieve a higher level of expert consensus, thereby promoting the enhancement of KD diagnosis and treatment.
Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Practice Guidelines as Topic

Clinical management of Kawasaki disease faces several challenges, including difficulties in early diagnosis, insufficient personalized treatment, delayed access to information, and inefficient multidisciplinary collaboration. This paper explores the application of the DeepSeek AI model in the management of Kawasaki disease: (1) Enhancing early diagnosis accuracy through the integration and analysis of multimodal data (imaging, laboratory, and clinical data); (2) Dynamically adjusting treatment plans to achieve personalized medicine; (3) Integrating the latest global guidelines and research findings in real-time to optimize clinical processes; (4) Providing personalized health education content to enhance parental involvement; (5) Establishing a platform for sharing clinical data to support intelligent decision-making and multidisciplinary collaboration.
Humans ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome/diagnosis* ; Child ; Artificial Intelligence ; Precision Medicine ; East Asian People

Cardiovascular damage caused by cancer treatment has become an important cause of death for tumor survivors. With the recognition of cardiovascular diseases and cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity (CTR-CVT) in tumor patients, noninvasive imaging technologies play pivotal roles in the risk stratification, early diagnosis, monitoring and follow-up for CTR-CVT. In recent years, the field of cardio-oncology has witnessed continual updates in diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, with several pertinent guidelines and expert consensus documents issued in China and abroad. However, there remains a conspicuous absence of systematic guidance documents on the application of imaging techniques in the clinical practice of cardio-oncology. Therefore, the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association Society of Integrative Cardio-oncology, the Ultrasound Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and the Chinese Society of Echocardiography convened experts to formulate the "Chinese guideline for the clinical application of noninvasive imaging technology in accessing cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity". Building upon the systematic evaluation of guidelines and the latest evidence-based medical research in the field of cardio-oncology domestically and abroad, and in conjunction with data derived from evidence-based medical research in China, this guideline proposes noninvasive imaging examination methods and monitoring strategies for CTR-CVT, aiming to further standardize and guide the clinical practice of multidisciplinary physicians specializing in cardio-oncology in China.

Homo- or heterodimeric compounds that affect dimeric protein function through interaction between monomeric moieties and protein subunits can serve as valuable sources of potent and selective drug candidates. Here, we screened an in-house dimeric natural product collection, and panepocyclinol A (PecA) emerged as a selective and potent STAT3 inhibitor with profound anti-tumor efficacy. Through cross-linking C712/C718 residues in separate STAT3 monomers with two distinct Michael receptors, PecA inhibits STAT3 DNA binding affinity and transcription activity. Molecular dynamics simulation reveals the key conformation changes of STAT3 dimers upon the di-covalent binding with PecA that abolishes its DNA interactions. Furthermore, PecA exhibits high efficacy against anaplastic large T cell lymphoma in vitro and in vivo, especially those with constitutively activated STAT3 or STAT3^Y640F. In summary, our study describes a distinct and effective di-covalent modification for the dimeric compound PecA to disrupt STAT3 function.

Fifty whitespotted bamboo sharks (Chiloscyllium playgiosum) of both sexes were used to establish a large capacity variable domain of the new antigen receptor (VNAR) library with a total capacity of over 10⁹ colony-forming units (CFU). It was applied to screen VNARs against human serum albumin (HSA) and human transcription factor EB (TFEB), respectively. Meanwhile, VNAR libraries specific to HSA and TFEB with capacities above 10⁸ CFU were obtained following conventional immunization. These two approaches were systematically studied in terms of VNAR yield and composition. By comparing the VNAR sequences obtained from naïve and antigen-immunized libraries, we found that the complementary-determining region 3 (CDR3) of the former differs in composition from that of the latter. It shares a higher degree of homology with the naïve library. Meanwhile, the binding efficiency assessed by ELISA is also different between the naïve and antigen-immunized libraries. The binding of VNARs from the TFEB-immunized library appeared to surpass that observed with the naïve libraries, whereas the performance of VNARs from the HSA-immunized library indicated that both the immunized and naïve libraries for HSA had positive binding responses in polyclonal and monoclonal ELISA. The results are useful to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic products based on shark VNARs.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) can potentially induce immunogenic cell death in tumor cells, leading to the release of ATP, and facilitating the initiation of an immune response. Nevertheless, the enzymes CD39 and CD73 can swiftly convert ATP into immunosuppressive adenosine (ADO), resulting in an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). This study introduced a nanomedicine (QD/POM1@NP@M) engineered to reprogram TME by modulating the CD39/CD73/ADO pathway. The nanomedicine encapsulated sonosensitizers silver sulfide quantum dots, and the CD39 inhibitor POM1, while also incorporating homologous tumor cell membranes to enhance targeting capabilities. This integrated approach, on the one hand, stimulates the release of ATP via SDT, thereby initiating the immune response. In addition, it reduced the accumulation of ADO by inhibiting CD39 activity, which ameliorated the immunosuppressive TME. Upon administration, the nanomedicine demonstrated substantial anti-tumor efficacy by facilitating the infiltration of anti-tumor immune cells, while reducing the immunosuppressive cells. This modulation effectively transformed the TME from an immunologically "cold" state to a "hot" state. Furthermore, combined with the checkpoint inhibitor α-PDL1, the nanomedicine augmented systemic anti-tumor immunity and promoted the establishment of long-term immune memory. This study provides an innovative strategy for combining non-invasive SDT and ATP-driven immunotherapy, offering new ideas for future cancer treatment.

Hypoxemia is a common pathological state characterized by low oxygen saturation in the blood. This condition compromises mucosal barrier integrity particularly in the gut and oral cavity. However, the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. This study used periodontitis as a model to investigate the role of platelet activation in oral mucosal immunopathology under hypoxic conditions. Hypoxia upregulated methyltransferase-like protein 4 (METTL4) expression in platelets, resulting in N⁶-methyladenine modification of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). This modification impaired mitochondrial transcriptional factor A-dependent cytosolic mtDNA degradation, leading to cytosolic mtDNA accumulation. Excess cytosolic mt-DNA aberrantly activated the cGAS-STING pathway in platelets. This resulted in excessive platelet activation and neutrophil extracellular trap formation that ultimately exacerbated periodontitis. Targeting platelet METTL4 and its downstream pathways offers a potential strategy for managing oral mucosa immunopathology. Further research is needed to examine its broader implications for mucosal inflammation under hypoxic conditions.
DNA, Mitochondrial/metabolism* ; Mouth Mucosa/pathology* ; Hypoxia/immunology* ; Methyltransferases/metabolism* ; Blood Platelets/metabolism* ; Animals ; Periodontitis/immunology* ; Humans ; Platelet Activation ; Mice