OBJECTIVES: Patients with connective tissue diseases (CTD) have a high incidence of cardiac involvement, which often presents insidiously and can progress rapidly, making it one of the leading causes of death. Multiparametric cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) provides a comprehensive quantitative evaluation of myocardial injury and is emerging as a valuable tool for detecting cardiac involvement in CTD. This study aims to investigate the correlations between CMR features and serological biomarkers in CTD patients, assess their potential clinical value, and further explore the impact of pre-CMR immunotherapy intensity on CMR-specific parameters, thereby evaluating the role of CMR in the early diagnosis of CTD-related cardiac involvement. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 72 consecutive CTD patients who underwent CMR at Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between September 2019 and March 2024. Clinical data, serological markers, and CMR parameters were collected. Differences in CMR parameters were compared between CTD patients with positive and negative serological markers. Correlations between serological biomarkers and CMR parameters were analyzed, with subgroup analyses performed for different CTD subtypes. Logistic regression (univariate and multivariate) was applied to explore the effects of pre-CMR immunotherapy intensity on CMR parameters, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine cutoff values. RESULTS: In differential analyses, CTD patients with elevated interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 levels exhibited significantly higher myocardial T₂ values compared with those with normal levels (P=0.014, P=0.012). Elevated IL-10 was associated with a higher prevalence of microvascular lesions on CMR (P=0.038). Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive association between high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and T₂ values (r=0.371, P=0.009). ROC analysis indicated that when the hs-cTnT threshold was 0.01 ng/mL, the sensitivity and specificity for predicting elevated left ventricular T₂ values were 85.71% and 61.11%, respectively [area under the curve (AUC)=0.767, P=0.001]. hs-cTnT and creatine kinase (CK) were also positively correlated with native T₁ values (r=0.371, P=0.009; r=0.364, P=0.032). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) showed a positive correlation with the percentage of the late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) (r=0.236, P=0.047). Conversely, hs-cTnT correlated negatively with global radial strain (GRS) (r=-0.297, P=0.034), while CK correlated negatively with both GRS and global circumferential strain (GCS) (r=-0.292, P=0.022; r=-0.282, P=0.027). Among patients with elevated hs-cTnT, the cumulative glucocorticoid dose prior to CMR was negatively associated with elevated T₂ values (OR=0.997, P=0.018), and this correlation remained significant after adjusting for duration of steroid use (OR=0.997, P=0.044). ROC analysis showed that when the cumulative glucocorticoid dose did not exceed 613 mg/mL (prednisone equivalent), the sensitivity and specificity for predicting elevated T₂ values were 90.48% and 77.78%, respectively (AUC=0.862, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Several inflammatory biomarkers demonstrate correlations with specific CMR parameters, with hs-cTnT showing the strongest associations across multiple indices. Elevated hs-cTnT suggests a high likelihood of cardiac involvement in CTD patients. Furthermore, pre-CMR immunotherapy intensity significantly influences the specificity of T₂ mapping, indicating its importance in interpreting CMR results. These findings provide critical insights for clinicians in the early recognition, timely intervention, and disease evaluation. Future research should further explore the role of CMR in the assessment of CTD-related cardiac assessment of CTD-related cardiac involvement. Future studies should further explore the role of CMR in evaluating CTD cardiac manifestations and its integration with other clinical data to optimize patient management.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Female ; Connective Tissue Diseases/blood* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; ROC Curve ; Interleukin-6/blood* ; Troponin T/blood*

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

Objective:To analyze the clinicopathological features and differential diagnosis of large B-cell lymphoma with IRF4 rearrangement, aiming enhance its recognition and prevent misdiagnosis.Methods:The clinicopathological features, immunophenotype, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) results of six cases diagnosed with IRF4 rearrangement-positive B-cell lymphoma at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from 2015 to 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Additionally, a comprehensive review of the literature was conducted.Results:Six patients with IRF4 rearrangement-positive large B-cell lymphoma were included. Patients 1 to 5 included three males and two females with a median age of 19 years ranging from 11 to 34 years. Four patients presented with head and neck lesions, while the other one had a breast nodule; all were in clinical Ann Arbor stages I to Ⅱ. Morphologically, entirely diffuse pattern was present in two cases, purely follicular pattern in one case, and diffuse and follicular patterns in other two cases. The tumor cells, predominantly centroblasts mixed with some irregular centrocytes, were of medium to large size, with a starry sky appearance observed in two cases. Immunophenotyping revealed all cases were positive for bcl-6 and MUM1, with a Ki-67 index ranging from 70% to 90%, and CD10 was positive in two cases. IRF4 rearrangement was confirmed in all cases by FISH analysis, with dual IRF4/bcl-6 rearrangements identified in two cases, leading to a diagnosis of LBCL-IRF4. Case 6, a 39-year-old female with a tonsillar mass and classified as clinical Ann Arbor stage Ⅳ, displayed predominantly diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) morphology with 20% high-grade follicular lymphoma characteristics. Immunohistochemistry showed negative CD10 and positive bcl-6/MUM1, with a Ki-67 index of approximately 80%. Triple rearrangements of IRF4/bcl-2/bcl-6 were identified by FISH, leading to a diagnosis of DLBCL with 20% follicular lymphoma (FL). All six patients achieved complete remission after treatment, with no progression or relapse during a follow-up period of 31-100 months.Conclusions:Large B-cell lymphoma with IRF4 rearrangement is a rare entity with pathological features that overlap with those of FL and DLBCL. While IRF4 rearrangement is necessary for diagnosing LBCL-IRF4, it is not specific and requires differentiation from other aggressive B-cell lymphomas with IRF4 rearrangement.

Objective To predict fetal distress in oligohydramnios fetuses in mid-pregnancy by monitoring the blood flows in middle cerebral artery,renal artery and umbilical artery by means of ultrasound.Methods Totally 104 mid-pregnancy women with oligohydramnios in some hospital from January 2020 to May 2022 were selected retrospectively,and were divided into a distress group(n=43)and a non-distress group(n=48)based on the presence of fetal distress.Logistic multivariate regression was used to analyze the risk factors for the occurrence of fetal distress;the predictive value for fetal distress was assessed with ROC curves;a Bayesian network model was constructed and validated.Results The independent risk factors for fetal distress included abnormal findings in fetal movement,fetal cardiac monitoring,lipid levels and blood rheology indices and abnormal parameters of middle cerebral artery,renal artery,and umbilical artery(P＜0.05).Higher predictive efficiency could be obtained for fetal distress when the blood flow parameters of middle cerebral artery,renal artery and umbilical artery were combined than only the parameters of only one artery were involved in.The Bayesian network model predicted an increase in the incidence of fetal distress from 49.9％to 61.50％when the probability of abnormality in all the three artery parameters was 100％,which proved to gain a high net benefit.Conclusion For mid-pregnancy women combined monitoring of the blood flow parameters of middle cerebral artery,renal artery and umbilical artery may predict fetal distress effectively.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(5):60-66]

A 5-year-old girl was admitted due to one episode of melena and one episode of hematemesis.Upon admission,gastroscopy revealed esophageal and gastric varices.Abdominal CT scan,MRI,and color Doppler ultrasound suggested cirrhosis,intrahepatic bile duct dilation,and bilateral kidney enlargement.Genetic testing identified compound heterozygous mutations in the PKHD1 gene:c.2264C>T(p.Pro755Leu)and c.1886T>C(p.Val629Ala).The c.2264C>T(p.Pro755Leu)mutation is a known pathogenic variant with previous reports,while c.1886T>C(p.Val629Ala)is a novel mutation predicted to have pathogenic potential according to Mutation Taster and PolyPhen2.The child was diagnosed with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease.In children presenting with gastrointestinal bleeding without obvious causes,particularly those with liver or kidney disease,consideration should be given to the possibility of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease,and genetic testing should be conducted for definitive diagnosis when necessary.

A boy,aged 14 years,was admitted due to recurrent cough and expectoration for more than 1 month,with aggravation and fever for 2 days. After admission,he presented with tachypnea and a significant reduction in transcutaneous oxygen saturation,and emergency chest CT examination showed large patchy exudation and consolidation of both lungs. The boy was given tracheal intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation immediately,and his condition was improved after active symptomatic treatment. On the 10th day of hospitalization,the boy experienced fever again,and the laboratory tests showed positive results for Epstein-Barr virus and Mycoplasma antibody IgM,along with pancytopenia,elevated triglycerides,decreased fibrinogen,and increased levels of ferritin and soluble CD25. The boy was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Bone marrow biopsy showed the presence of atypical lymphocytes,and aggressive natural killer cell leukemia was considered according to clinical manifestations and flow cytometry immunophenotype. Therefore,the possibility of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis should be suspected in case of severe infection with pancytopenia and rapid disease progression,and hematological malignancies should also be ruled out. Bone marrow biopsy should be performed as early as possible to make a confirmed diagnosis and perform timely treatment.

Objective:This study aims to explore the survival advantages of different maintenance strategies for MCL.Methods:Clinical data of 693 newly diagnosed MCL patients in multi-centers admitted from April 1999 to December 2019 were collected. 309 cases received maintenance treatment. The characteristics of patients in different maintenance treatment groups were summarized and Kaplan-Meier survival and prognosis analysis were conducted.Results:The overall 3-year and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were (73.5±2.9) % and (53.6±4.3) %, respectively. The 3-year and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were (94.2±1.5) % and (82.7±3.2) %, respectively. The clinical features of different maintenance treatment groups were generally consistent. The 3-year PFS rates of rituximab maintenance, lenalidomide maintenance, BTK inhibitor maintenance and dual-drug maintenance were (70.4±4.1) %, (69.1±7.6) %, (86.9±5.0) %, and (80.4±5.1) %, respectively. Corresponding 3-year OS rates were (92.9±2.4) %, (97.3±2.7) %, (97.9±2.1) %, and (95.3±2.7) %, respectively. There were no significant difference in different groups ( P=0.632, 0.313). Survival analysis identified the MCL International Prognostic Index (MIPI) high-risk group and achieving complete remission before maintenance treatment as independent risk factors for PFS. The MIPI high-risk group, high-dose cytarabine application, treatment lines, and early disease progression (POD24) emerged as independent risk factors for OS. Conclusion:Comparing the different maintenance strategies of MCL, the result showed that BTK inhibitors (BTKi) maintenance demonstrated preliminary advantages in survival. Meanwhile, high-risk group according to MIPI and incomplete remission before maintenance treatment were significant factors related to disease progression.

Objective To explore the clinical features of the patients with prolactinoma and changes of pituitary function before and after surgery.Methods The clinical data of 72 patients with prolactinoma admit-ted and operatively treated in the neurosurgery department of the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University from June 2018 to January 2023 were analyzed retrospectively and their clinical characteristics and change character-istics of pituitary function before and after surgery were summarized.Results (1) Most of the patients with prolactinoma included in this study were macroadenomas,and its clinical manifestations were mainly tumor compression symptoms such as headache and vision diminution;(2) there was a statistically significant differ-ence in tumor invasiveness between the patients with preoperative PRL≥200.000 ng/mL and those with pre-operative PRL<200.000 ng/mL (P<0.05).(3) The PRL level of prolactinoma after surgical treatment in the patients with prolactinoma was significantly decreased compared to preoperative level,and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).(4) Among 72 patients,44 patients already had hypopituitarism before surgery,the pituitary function in 2 cases returned to normal,15 cases of hypopituitarism were newly increased and there were 57 cases of postoperative hypopituitarism.Preoperative hypopituitarism was positively correla-ted with postoperative hypopituitarism (r=0.433,P<0.05).By the logistic multifactorial regression analy-sis,the tumor maximal diameter was a risk factor for hypopituitarism occurrence before and after surgery (P<0.05),and the tumor invasiveness was a risk factor for postoperative hypopituitarism (P<0.05),where-as the BMI and PRL level,age,gender,and whether or not pituitary apoplexy occurring had no relationship with hypopituitarism (P>0.05).(5) The gonadal axis was the most common hypofunction in uniaxial sys-tem,and gonadal+thyroid axis was the most common biaxial involvement.Conclusion The surgical treat-ment in the patients with prolactinoma is effective for relieving tumor mass occupation and improving hyperp-rolactinemia.The pituitary function should be fully evaluated before and after surgery.For the patients with hypopituitarism occurrence,the hormone replacement therapy should be given in time,and at the same time the hormonal changes should be closely monitored.

Objective To explore the effect of protective ventilation strategies based on individualized positive end expiratory pressure(PEEP)regulated by driving pressure(Pd)in infants under OLV.Methods Sixty infants undergoing elective thoracoscopic surgery were randomly divided into the control group and driving pressure group,with 30 cases in each group.The two groups were compared in terms of MAP,HR,tidal volume(Vt),PEEP,Pd,airway peak pressure(Ppeak),and static lung compliance(Cs),and arterial blood gas during OLV before the artificial pneumothorax(T0),10 min(T1),30 min(T2),and 60 min(T3)after the artificial pneumothorax,and right at the end of the artificial pneumothorax(T4).Results There were no significant differences in MAP,HR,and Vt between the two groups at all the time points(P＞0.05).Both groups showed the increase in Pd and Ppeak and decresase in Cs at T1,T2,and T3(all P＜0.05).PaO2 and OI in both group were decreased and PaCO2 was increased at T2(all P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,the driving pressure group presented lower Pd and Ppeak,higher PEEP and Cs at T1,T2,and T3(P＜0.05),and higher PaO2 and OI(P＜0.05)and no significant differences in PaCO2 and FiO2 at T2(P＜0.05).The rate of rescue ventilation during OLV was lower in the driving pressure group(2 cases)than in the control group(9 cases)(6.9%versus 32.4%,P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the inci-dence of postoperative complications between the two groups(P＜0.05).Conclusion The individualized positive end expiratory pressure(PEEP)regulated by Pd can optimize the PEEP settings upon infant individuals under OLV and improve the compliance and oxygenation of ventilated lung.

The breakage pattern of unit particles during the production of oral solid dosage forms (OSD) is closely related to the quality of intermediate or final products. To accurately characterize the particles and study the evolution law of particle breakage, the Bonding model of the discrete element method (DEM) was used to investigate the breakage patterns of model parameters, particle shape and process conditions (loading mode and loading rate) on the dynamic breakage, force-time curve, breakage rate, maximum breakage size ratio and fracture strength of particles. The results showed that the particle breakage force was positively correlated with normal strength and bonded disk scale, negatively correlated with normal stiffness per unit area and tangential stiffness per unit area, and weakly correlated with tangential strength. The particle breakage rate was negatively correlated with the aspect ratio of the particles, and the maximum breakage size ratio was positively correlated with the aspect ratio of the particles; among the three loading modes, the breakage rate of compression breakage model was the largest, the breakage rate of shear breakage model was the second largest, and the breakage rate of wear breakage model was the smallest; the maximum breakage size ratio was positively correlated with the loading rate, the loading mode and the loading rate had no mutual influence on particle breakage rate, but had mutual influence on the maximum breakage size ratio. The research results will provide a theoretical basis for the shift of OSD from batch manufacturing to advanced manufacturing.