Objective:To observe the effects of sorafenib on the lesions and vascular growth factors in the mouse model of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis.Methods:One hundred healthy female Kunming mice weighing (20±4) g were used to establish a model of alveolar echinococcosis infection by intraperitoneal injection of alveolar echinococcosis protoscoleces. After 6 weeks of feeding, the rats were divided into 5 groups, 15 rats in each group, which were given warm saline, albendazole (100 mg/kg), and sorafenib at high-dose (100 mg/kg), middle-dose (50 mg/kg) and low-dose (30 mg/kg) by gavage for 6 weeks, respectively. Eyeball blood and hepatic alveolar echinococcosis tissue were collected from the mice after the last administration, and the body weight of the mice and the lesion weight were weighed. The concentrations and expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) in serum and lesion tissues were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting.Results:There was no statistically significant difference in the body weight of mice among the saline group, albendazole group and low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose sorafenib groups ( F=0.43, P=0.784). The ratios of lesion weight to body weight in the above groups were (0.057±0.009), (0.031±0.005), (0.033±0.005), (0.031±0.005), and (0.031±0.005), respectively. The saline group had a higher ratio than the other four groups, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The relative expression levels of HIF-1α, VEGF-A, VEGFR-2, CD31 and CD34 detected by Western blotting in the saline group were all higher than those in the albendazole group and the high-dose, medium-dose and low-dose sorafenib groups, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The relative expression levels of the above proteins in the medium-dose and high-dose sorafenib groups were lower than those in the albendazole group, and the relative expression levels of the above proteins in the high-dose sorafenib group were also lower than those in the medium-dose sorafenib group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The concentration levels of HIF-1α, VEGF-A and VEGFR-2 in serum of mice in each group detected by ELISA were consistent with those detected by Western blotting. Conclusion:Sorafenib inhibits the proliferation of alveolar echinococcosis in mice by suppressing the expression of angiogenic factors in alveolar echinococcosis lesions.

Objective:To assess the application value of one-hour post-load glucose (1hPG) for detecting prediabetes among individuals with high risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Methods:The study was conducted between August 2023 and January 2024, and individuals with a high risk of T2DM were invited to receive an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), structural questionnaires, physical measurements, and other biochemical examinations. The fasting, one-, and two-hour glucose and insulin were tested. According to the 1hPG cut point on hyperglycemia suggested by International Diabetes Federation (IDF), normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and prediabetes were further divided into two subgroups, respectively, i.e., NGT with 1hPG<8.6 mmol/L (NGT-1hPG-normal), NGT with 1hPG≥8.6 mmol/L (NGT-1hPG-high), prediabetes with 1hPG<8.6 mmol/L (PDM-1hPG-normal), and prediabetes with 1hPG≥8.6 mmol/L (PDM-1hPG-high). The insulin release curve was drawn by the groups as above. Insulin resistance was evaluated by homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and β-cell secretory function was evaluated by homeostasis model assessment for β cell function (HOMA-β)/HOMA-IR. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to calculate the correlation coefficients among 1hPG, 2hPG and HOMA indices, and Steiger′s Z test was used to compare the difference between two correlation coefficients. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC) were used to assess the accuracy of 1hPG for detecting prediabetes. Results:A total of 2 469 subjects consisting of 1 485 men (60.1%) and 984 (39.9%) women, with a mean age of (45.76±6.20) years, of which 1 844 (74.7%) had 1hPG≥8.6 mmol/L. The prevalence of 1hPG≥8.6 mmol/L was 46.8%, 93.0% and 99.8% in individuals with NGT, prediabetes and newly diagnosed T2DM, respectively ( χ 2=763.78, P<0.001). The insulin release curve showed that insulin secretion increased rapidly in subjects with NGT-1hPG-high, and peaked at one hour, then decreased rapidly, with a significantly higher level of one- and two-hour insulin than those with NGT-1hPG-normal ( P<0.001). Compared to individuals with NGT-1hPG-normal, the counterparts with NGT-1hPG-high exhibited higher HOMA-IR and lower adjusted HOMA-β ( P<0.001). Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficient of 1hPG with HOMA-IR was similar to the correlation coefficient of 2hPG with HOMA-IR (0.493 vs. 0.480, P=0.550), while the correlation of 1hPG with adjusted HOMA-β was significantly stronger than that of 2hPG (-0.692 vs. -0.587, P<0.001). Excluding patients with T2DM, according to the cut point recommended by IDF, the AUC of 1hPG≥8.6 mmol/L for detecting prediabetes was 0.731 (95% CI: 0.714-0.748), and the sensitivity and specificity were 0.930 and 0.532, respectively, with the kappa value of 0.45. Conclusion:1hPG is closely related to insulin resistance and islet function, and there′s substantial value for individuals with a high risk of T2DM to detect prediabetes by using the 1hPG cut points recommended by IDF.

Objective:To observe the effects of sorafenib on the lesions and vascular growth factors in the mouse model of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis.Methods:One hundred healthy female Kunming mice weighing (20±4) g were used to establish a model of alveolar echinococcosis infection by intraperitoneal injection of alveolar echinococcosis protoscoleces. After 6 weeks of feeding, the rats were divided into 5 groups, 15 rats in each group, which were given warm saline, albendazole (100 mg/kg), and sorafenib at high-dose (100 mg/kg), middle-dose (50 mg/kg) and low-dose (30 mg/kg) by gavage for 6 weeks, respectively. Eyeball blood and hepatic alveolar echinococcosis tissue were collected from the mice after the last administration, and the body weight of the mice and the lesion weight were weighed. The concentrations and expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) in serum and lesion tissues were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting.Results:There was no statistically significant difference in the body weight of mice among the saline group, albendazole group and low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose sorafenib groups ( F=0.43, P=0.784). The ratios of lesion weight to body weight in the above groups were (0.057±0.009), (0.031±0.005), (0.033±0.005), (0.031±0.005), and (0.031±0.005), respectively. The saline group had a higher ratio than the other four groups, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The relative expression levels of HIF-1α, VEGF-A, VEGFR-2, CD31 and CD34 detected by Western blotting in the saline group were all higher than those in the albendazole group and the high-dose, medium-dose and low-dose sorafenib groups, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The relative expression levels of the above proteins in the medium-dose and high-dose sorafenib groups were lower than those in the albendazole group, and the relative expression levels of the above proteins in the high-dose sorafenib group were also lower than those in the medium-dose sorafenib group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The concentration levels of HIF-1α, VEGF-A and VEGFR-2 in serum of mice in each group detected by ELISA were consistent with those detected by Western blotting. Conclusion:Sorafenib inhibits the proliferation of alveolar echinococcosis in mice by suppressing the expression of angiogenic factors in alveolar echinococcosis lesions.

Objective:To assess the application value of one-hour post-load glucose (1hPG) for detecting prediabetes among individuals with high risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Methods:The study was conducted between August 2023 and January 2024, and individuals with a high risk of T2DM were invited to receive an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), structural questionnaires, physical measurements, and other biochemical examinations. The fasting, one-, and two-hour glucose and insulin were tested. According to the 1hPG cut point on hyperglycemia suggested by International Diabetes Federation (IDF), normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and prediabetes were further divided into two subgroups, respectively, i.e., NGT with 1hPG<8.6 mmol/L (NGT-1hPG-normal), NGT with 1hPG≥8.6 mmol/L (NGT-1hPG-high), prediabetes with 1hPG<8.6 mmol/L (PDM-1hPG-normal), and prediabetes with 1hPG≥8.6 mmol/L (PDM-1hPG-high). The insulin release curve was drawn by the groups as above. Insulin resistance was evaluated by homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and β-cell secretory function was evaluated by homeostasis model assessment for β cell function (HOMA-β)/HOMA-IR. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to calculate the correlation coefficients among 1hPG, 2hPG and HOMA indices, and Steiger′s Z test was used to compare the difference between two correlation coefficients. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC) were used to assess the accuracy of 1hPG for detecting prediabetes. Results:A total of 2 469 subjects consisting of 1 485 men (60.1%) and 984 (39.9%) women, with a mean age of (45.76±6.20) years, of which 1 844 (74.7%) had 1hPG≥8.6 mmol/L. The prevalence of 1hPG≥8.6 mmol/L was 46.8%, 93.0% and 99.8% in individuals with NGT, prediabetes and newly diagnosed T2DM, respectively ( χ 2=763.78, P<0.001). The insulin release curve showed that insulin secretion increased rapidly in subjects with NGT-1hPG-high, and peaked at one hour, then decreased rapidly, with a significantly higher level of one- and two-hour insulin than those with NGT-1hPG-normal ( P<0.001). Compared to individuals with NGT-1hPG-normal, the counterparts with NGT-1hPG-high exhibited higher HOMA-IR and lower adjusted HOMA-β ( P<0.001). Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficient of 1hPG with HOMA-IR was similar to the correlation coefficient of 2hPG with HOMA-IR (0.493 vs. 0.480, P=0.550), while the correlation of 1hPG with adjusted HOMA-β was significantly stronger than that of 2hPG (-0.692 vs. -0.587, P<0.001). Excluding patients with T2DM, according to the cut point recommended by IDF, the AUC of 1hPG≥8.6 mmol/L for detecting prediabetes was 0.731 (95% CI: 0.714-0.748), and the sensitivity and specificity were 0.930 and 0.532, respectively, with the kappa value of 0.45. Conclusion:1hPG is closely related to insulin resistance and islet function, and there′s substantial value for individuals with a high risk of T2DM to detect prediabetes by using the 1hPG cut points recommended by IDF.

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors for total number, total volume, and total iron burden of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) and the relationship between CMBs with cognitive impairment in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) using semi-automatic quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM).Methods:The study was a cross-sectional study. Clinical and imaging data of 46 ESRD patients with≥1 CMBs who attended Tianjin First Central Hospital from November 2018 to August 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 26 males and 20 females, aged 42-75 years. All patients underwent susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) scanning, then SWI data was post-processed to obtain QSM. The semi-automatic dynamic programming algorithm was used to get the volume and mean susceptibility value of each CMB by sketching the boundary of CMBs. The CMBs iron load total volume were calculated. Stepwise linear regression analysis was used to explore independent influencing factors for the number, total volume, and total iron burden of CMBs in ESRD patients. Partial correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between CMBs and cognitive impairment with the other signs of cerebral small vessel diseases as covariates.Results:In patients with ESRD, CMBs were located in the frontal lobe in 19 cases, parietal lobe in 9 cases, temporal lobe in 19 cases, occipital lobe in 14 cases, basal ganglia in 27 cases, dorsal thalamus in 15 cases, centrum semiovale in 14 cases, cerebellum in 14 cases, and brainstem in 13 cases. C-reactive protein levels (95% CI 101.81-157.85, r=0.96, P=0.001) and creatinine levels (95% CI 5.32-29.61, r=0.71, P=0.010) were influencing factors for the total iron burden of CMBs. C-reactive protein levels (95% CI 0.72-1.15, r=0.99, P=0.001) and creatinine levels (95% CI 0.03-0.22, r=0.89, P=0.014) were influencing factors for the total volume of CMBs. C-reactive protein levels (95% CI 0.10-0.12, r=0.96, P=0.001) and alkaline phosphatase levels (95% CI 0.16-0.38, r=0.59, P=0.001) were influencing factors for the number of CMBs. The total volume ( r=-0.61, P=0.009) and total iron burden ( r=-0.71, P=0.002) of CMBs in the frontal lobe were negatively correlated with cognitive function. However, although the number of CMBs in the frontal lobe was negatively correlated with cognitive function, the statistics analysis was insignificant ( r=-0.53, P=0.063). Conclusions:C-reactive protein and creatinine are influencing factors for CMBs′ total volume and total iron burden; C-reactive protein levels and alkaline phosphatase are influencing factors for the number of CMBs. The total iron burden and total volume of CMBs in the frontal lobe may be the biomarkers of cognitive impairment in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Objective:To analyze the differences in clinical and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) findings between diffuse and focal IgG4-related autoimmune pancreatitis (IgG4-AIP).Methods:Data of patients diagnosed as having IgG4-AIP who underwent EUS at Chinese PLA General Hospital from September 2011 to April 2022 were retrospectively collected. General clinical data, EUS features, and postoperative pathology were analyzed for characteristic differences.Results:A total of 40 patients were included in the study, 60.03±10.87 years old, a higher proportion of males (85.0%, 34/40). All patients underwent EUS, and 28 underwent EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration. Among the 40 patients, 29 (72.5%) had diffuse type and 11 (27.5%) had focal type. Abdominal pain [65.5% (19/29) VS 18.2% (2/11), χ2=5.393, P=0.020] and thickening of the bile duct wall [51.7% (15/29) VS 9.1% (1/11), χ2=4.394, P=0.036] were more common in the diffuse type, while main pancreatic duct dilation [45.5% (5/11) VS 10.3% (3/29), χ2=4.146, P=0.042] was more common in the focal type, with the lesion most commonly located in the pancreatic head (90.9%, 10/11). There was no significant difference in the presence of chronic pancreatitis parenchymal changes between the two groups [34.5% (10/29) VS 27.3% (3/11), χ2=0.003, P=0.955]. Conclusion:There are certain differences in abdominal pain and biliary and pancreatic duct lesions between diffuse and focal AIP. The high expression of chronic pancreatitis characteristics is not observed in either group, which provides clues for the classification of AIP in clinical practice.

Objective:To compare the different methods of hepatic blood flow occlusion in hepatectomy for hepatic alveolar echinococcosis.Methods:A total of 49 patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis who underwent radical hepatectomy from January 2018 to January 2019 in Department of General Surgery, Qinghai Provincial People's Hospital were retrospectively studied. There were 22 males and 27 females, aged 10-62 years. The patients were divided into the Glisson group ( n=22) and the Pringle group ( n=27) according to the method used for hepatic blood flow occlusion during operation. For the Glisson group, intrahepatic blood flow was occluded at the Glisson pedicle. For the Pringle group, intrahepatic blood flow was occluded using the Pringle’s maneuvre. Intraoperative blood loss, operation time, postoperative liver function and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. Results:There were no significant differences between the two groups in operation time, intraoperative blood loss and intraoperative blood transfusion (all P>0.05). The vascular occlusion time of blood flow in the Pringle group was 35 (30, 45) min, which was significantly longer than that of 20 (15, 26) min in the Glisson group ( P<0.05). The drainage tube in the Pringle group was removed after 8 (7, 12) d, which was significantly longer than that of 7 (6, 9) d in the Glisson group ( P<0.05). After operation, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin and direct bilirubin in the Glisson group were significantly better than those in the Pringle group (all P<0.05). Postoperative complications occurred in 9 patients (40.9%, 9/22) in the Glisson group and 15 patients (55.6%, 15/27) in the Pringle group ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The liver function, and time of removal of abdominal drainage tube after Glisson pedicle hepatic blood flow occlusion in patients who underwent hepatectomy for hepatic alveolar echinococcosis were significantly better than the Pringle method.

Objective: To compare the changes in liver function in patients with different types of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis after radiofrequency ablation. Methods: The data of 32 patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis treated by radiofrequency ablation from December 2016 to December 2018 at the Qinghai Provincial People's Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 12 males and 20 females. The patients were divided into the single lesion group (n=17) and the multiple lesions group (n=15) according to the number of hydatid lesions. The lesions were further divided into the small lesion group (n=12) and the large or medium lesion group (n=20). The operation time, changes in AST and ALT were compared among these groups. Results: The operation time of the single lesion group was 1.5 (1.0, 1.8) hour, and that of the multiple lesions group was 3.0 (1.5, 3.5) hour. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). On the 1st and 3rd day after treatment, ALT in the multiple lesions group was significantly higher than that in the single lesion group (P<0.05). Compared with the 1st day after operation, ALT of the two groups decreased on the 5th day after treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The changes in AST in the two groups were basically the same as that of ALT. The operation time of the small lesion group was 1.0 (1.0, 1.9) hour, and of the large and medium lesion group was 2.5 (1.5, 3.0) hour. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). On the 1st, 3rd and 5th day after treatment, ALT in the small lesion group was significantly lower than the large or medium lesion group (P<0.05). Compared with the 1st day after treatment, ALT of the two groups decreased on the 5th day after treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). There was a significant difference in AST between the small lesion group and the large or medium lesion group only on the 1st day after operation (P<0.05). Conclusion Radiofrequency ablation for hepatic alveolar echinococcosis with a single lesion and a small lesion had shorter operation time with less changes in liver function after treatment.

Exfoliative cytology is a required course for medical diploma students majoring in pathological diagnosis and technology. However there exist no ready-made teaching materials to use or teaching models to follow.This paper discusses the attempts made to achieve preferable teaching result by formulating syllabus based on training scheme by carefully picking teaching content,combining case analysis with multimedia instruction and making new method of assessment.