BACKGROUND: Biomarkers-based prediction of long-term risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is scarce. We aim to develop a risk score integrating clinical routine information (C) and plasma biomarkers (B) for predicting long-term risk of ACS patients. METHODS: We included 2729 ACS patients from the OCEA (Observation of cardiovascular events in ACS patients). The earlier admitted 1910 patients were enrolled as development cohort; and the subsequently admitted 819 subjects were treated as validation cohort. We investigated 10-year risk of cardiovascular (CV) death, myocardial infarction (MI) and all cause death in these patients. Potential variables contributing to risk of clinical events were assessed using Cox regression models and a score was derived using main part of these variables. RESULTS: During 16,110 person-years of follow-up, there were 238 CV death/MI in the development cohort. The 7 most important predictors including in the final model were NT-proBNP, D-dimer, GDF-15, peripheral artery disease (PAD), Fibrinogen, ST-segment elevated MI (STEMI), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), termed as CB-ACS score. C-index of the score for predication of cardiovascular events was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.76-0.82) in development cohort and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.76-0.78) in the validation cohort (5832 person-years of follow-up), which outperformed GRACE 2.0 and ABC-ACS risk score. The CB-ACS score was also well calibrated in development and validation cohort (Greenwood-Nam-D'Agostino: P = 0.70 and P = 0.07, respectively). CONCLUSIONS CB-ACS risk score provides a useful tool for long-term prediction of CV events in patients with ACS. This model outperforms GRACE 2.0 and ABC-ACS ischemic risk score.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Triple-negative breast cancer is therapeutically challenging due to the low expression of tumor markers and 'cold' tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. Here, we present a dual-targeting peptide-drug conjugate (PDC) for tumor inhibition. Our PDC efficiently and selectively delivers cytotoxic Monomethyl Auristatin E (MMAE) into tumor cells via C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) and folate receptor 1 (FOLR1) for synergistic inhibition of growth and metastasis. Our results show that the dual-targeting PDC has potent antitumor activity in cultured human cells and several murine transplanted tumor models without apparent toxicity. The combination of dual-targeting PDC and radiotherapy modulates the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment by increasing CD8⁺ T cell infiltration and attenuating the proportion of myeloid-derived suppressor and regulatory T cells. Therefore, our dual-targeting PDC represents a promising new strategy for cancer therapy that rebalances the immune system and promotes tumor regression.

A recombinant adenovirus(rAd)for expression of Mycobacterium tuberculosis(M.tb)c-di-AMP phosphodiesterase CnpB was constructed,and its induced humoral immune response was detected.The codon-optimized gene of M.tb CnpB was cloned into the adenoviral plasmid pcADV.The recombinant plasmid pcADV-CnpB was transfected into HEK293T cells,and expression was detected with Western blot.The recombinant plasmid pcADV-CnpB and the backbone plasmid were co-transfected into HEK293T cells to obtain the recombinant adenovirus rAd-CnpB.rAd-CnpB was amplified in HEK293T cells,and the target protein expression of rAd-CnpB was detected with Western blot and immunofluorescence.Mice were immunized with rAd-CnpB intranasally,and their sera and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)were collected.ELISA was used to detect levels of antigen-specific antibodies.Restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing indicated that the recombinant plasmid pcADV-CnpB was successfully constructed and led to protein expression in eukaryotic cells.rAd-CnpB was packaged and produced in HEK293T cells.After amplification and purification,rAd-CnpB with a titer of 5.53×1010 PFU/mL was obtained.rAd-CnpB led to CnpB expression in HEK293T cells.Intranasal immunization with rAd-CnpB increased levels of IgG and secretory IgA in BALF and led to high levels of IgG in sera.rAd-CnpB,the recombinant adenovirus for expression of c-di-AMP phosphodiesterase CnpB was successfully constructed,and was found to induce antigen-specific humoral and mucosal immune responses through mucosal immunization.Thus,rAd-CnpB may be used in further research on new TB vaccine strategies.

Objective To compare the effects of main artery clamping(MAC)and selective artery clamping(SAC)strategies on postoperative renal function in patients with chronic renal insufficiency undergoing robot-assisted partial nephrectomy.Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 231 patients with preoperative chronic renal insufficiency[eGFR<90 mL/(min·1.73 m2)with renal injury markers or eGFR<60 mL/(min·1.73 m2)]who underwent robot-assisted partial nephrectomy in the Department of Urology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from February 2018 to February 2024.According to intraoperative renal artery clamping strategy,they were divided into a MAC group(n=129)and a SAC group(n=102).Preoperatively,individualized renal artery clamping strategies were developed using a machine learning-based multimodal holographic 3-D reconstruction technique.Serum creatinine(Scr)level was measured at 3 d and 3 months after surgery,and estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)was calculated using the chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration equation(CKD-EPI)formula.Renal dynamic imaging with 99mTc-DTPA or 99mTc-MAG3 was used to assess the GFR of the affected kidney.Results At 3 d after surgery,the decrease in GFR of the affected kidney was significantly lower[(8.3±7.7)vs(16.0±10.2)mL/(min·1.73 m2),95%CI:-10.2～-5.2,P<0.001]in the SAC group than the MAC group.Scr increment analysis showed that the SAC group exhibited notably lower Scr increase[8.2(2.5,18.7)vs 15.5(5.8,28.3)μmol/L,95%CI:-12.3～-1.8,P=0.027],and milder eGFR decline[3.0(0.5,7.8)vs 7.5(2.0,14.3)mL/(min·1.73 m2),95%CI:-6.2～-0.8,P=0.015].And,in 3 months after surgery,the SAC group had lower Scr level[(89.2±23.1)vs(95.3±22.1)μmol/L,95%CI:-11.9～-0.3,P=0.042],and higher GFR of the affected kidney[(33.5±10.5)vs(26.1±10.9)mL/(min·1.73 m2),95%CI:4.6～10.2,P<0.001].Conclusion For patients with chronic renal insufficiency undergoing robot-assisted partial nephrectomy,SAC strategy is superior to MAC strategy in protecting postoperative renal function without increasing surgical risk.

Objective To investigate the correlation between dual-energy computed tomography angiography(CTA)parameters of carotid plaques and acute stroke events.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and imaging data of patients who underwent dual-energy head and neck CTA and brain MRI scans.Utilizing the Siemens workstation(Syngo.Via VB40B),region of interest(ROI)were placed on the thickest slice of the carotid plaque in the axial plane to obtain parameters such as fat fraction(FF),virtual non-contrast(VNC)value,iodine concentration(IC),electron density(Rho),effective atomic number(Zeff),dual energy index(DEI),spectral curve,and corresponding CT values at 40 keV(40 keVHU)and 90 keV(90 keVHU).The slope of the energy spectrum curve(λ)was calculated within the 40 keV-90 keV range.Patients with acute cerebral infarction(ACI)in the ipsilateral anterior circulation territory were classified into the ACI group,while those without were classified into the non-acute cerebral infarction(NACI)(NACI group).Qualitative data were analyzed using the x2 test,and quantitative data were analyzed using the t-test.The predictive performance was assessed using the area under the curve(AUC)of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,and the differences between different ROC curves were compared using the DeLong test.Results A total of 72 patients were included,with 21 in the ACI group and 51 in the NACI group.The mean values of FF,Zeff,and 40 keVHU in the ACI group were greater than those in the NACI group.Statistically significant differences were observed between the groups for Zeff,DEI,40 keVHU,and λ(P＜0.05).40 keVHU demonstrated the highest predictive performance,and the AUC,sensitivity,and specificity was 0.789,81.0％,and 74.5％,respectively.A combined variable constructed through logistic regression analysis yielded an AUC,sensitivity,and specificity of 0.796,85.7％,and 70.6％,respectively,with no significant statistical differences compared to single factor variables.Conclusion Dual-energy CTA parameters of carotid plaques may aid in predicting intraplaque hemorrhage(IPH)and the occurrence of acute stroke events.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical utility of an intelligent endoscope transportation system in the digestive endoscopy center.Methods:A parallel-group controlled trial was conducted at Digestive Endoscopy Center of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from June 1st to December 31st 2024, comparing robotic intelligent endoscope transport (experimental group) versus manual transport (control group). Performance metrics, including response time, transportation speed, labor efficiency, contamination prevention, closed-loop traceability, and nursing staff satisfaction, were statistically analyzed. Full-time equivalent (FTE) was introduced to quantify the operational efficiency of the experimental group.Results:The study included a total of 60 206 instances of intelligent endoscope transportation and 60 485 instances of manual transportation data. The robotic group demonstrated significantly shorter response times versus manual group for initial dispatch (51.08±14.97 seconds VS 54.44±13.61 seconds, t=35.8, P<0.001) and recovery response time (32.52±11.26 seconds VS 40.20±11.40 seconds, t=103.93, P<0.001). During the 148 days operational period, the success rate was 99.83% (60 104/60 206) and the failure rate was 0.17% (102/60 206) for robotic transports. Primary failure causes were wireless disconnection, pathfinding errors, and mechanical faults, averaging 1.05 malfunctions/month with no adverse events. The success and failure rate was 99.26% (60 043/60 485) and 0.74% (442/60 485) respectively for manual transports. Staff satisfaction was significantly higher for robotic transport in endoscopic transportation (4.65±0.55 scores VS 3.97±0.98 scores, t=96.5, P<0.001) and delivery process (4.71±0.59 scores VS 3.90±1.04 scores, t=210.3, P<0.001). and workload intensity was significantly lower (4.06±0.77 scores VS 4.48±0.63 scores, t=59.9, P=0.025). The system reduced labor requirements by 3.68 FTE, yielding annual savings of ￥657 000. Conclusion:The robotic intelligent endoscope transport system improves work efficiency, reduces nursing labor costs and physical workload, enhances job experience and satisfaction, and enables full-process smart traceability, providing a validated solution for endoscopy center logistics.

Objective To observe the mid-and long-term effects of Kegel training combined with Pilates training on urinary conti-nence recovery in different body mass index(BMI)male patients with urinary incontinence after prostatectomy.Methods From May,2023 to June,2024,48 patients in Beijing Bo'ai Hospital were recruited and divided into group A(<25 kg/m2,n=15),group B(25 to 30 kg/m2,n=18)and group C(>30 kg/m2,n=15)according to their BMI.All the groups performed Kegel training combined with Pilates training for two months,and followed up at six months from baseline.They were evaluated with one hour pad test,the number of daily urinary incontinence,In-ternational Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form(ICIQ-SF)and modified Oxford Rating Scale before treatment,and four weeks,eight weeks and six months after treatment.Results The intra-group effect,the inter-group effect and interaction effect were significant in the results of one hour pad test and the daily number of urinary incontinence(F>2.955,P<0.05).Post Hoc test showed that they were worse in group C than in groups A and B(P<0.05),and the number of daily urinary incontinence was more in group B than in group A(P<0.05).There was significant difference in the scores of ICIQ-SF and modified Ox-ford Rating Scale among groups in different time points after treatment(Z>10.476,P<0.05)except the score of ICIQ-SF four weeks after treatment(P>0.05),and they were the worst in group C.BMI(group A=1,group B=2,group C=3)was correlated with the results of one hour pad test(r=0.79,P<0.001),the number of daily uri-nary incontinence(r=0.68,P<0.001),and the scores of ICIQ-SF(r=0.68,P<0.001)and modified Oxford Rating Scale(r=-0.47,P=0.001)six months after treatment.Conclusion Kegel training combined with Pilates training could improve the urinary control in patients with urinary in-continence after prostatectomy.The decrease of BMI can promote the recovery of urinary control,and improve the symptoms of later urinary incontinence in mid-and long-term.

Objective:To analyze the efficacy and safety of a fully biodegradable occluder for the treatment of ventricular septal defects through percutaneous and transthoracic strategies.Methods:A case series study was conducted.The clinical data of 38 pediatric patients with a ventricular septal defect treated with a fully biodegradable occluder at Central China Fuwai Hospital from January 2023 to July 2024 were retrospectively analyzed.Among these patients, 15 received the percutaneous approach(percutaneous approach group) and the other 23 adopted the transthoracic approach(transthoracic approach group).The diagnosis was confirmed by transthoracic echocardiography before operation in all patients.The percutaneous approach was defined as establishing a venous-arterial track through X-ray and then placing an occluder under the guidance of transthoracic echocardiograph.The transthoracic approach was achieved by establishing a delivery track with a special hollow bougie through a small right subaxillary incision under the real-time guidance of esophageal ultrasound and then delivery and put an occluder.The clinical data of the patients, including general characteristics, electrocardiograms, echocardiograms and the biodegradable occluder system were collected and analyzed.Categorical variables were tested using the chi-square or Fisher′s exact test.Continuous variables were verified using the t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Results:The patients were aged (5.7±3.9) years on average, with an average weight of 19.5(14.9, 25.9) kg.There were 39.5%(15 cases) of males among the patients included.The average size of the ventricular septal defect was 4.1(4.0, 5.0) mm.A simple perimembrane ventricular septal defect was detected in 29 patients (76.3%), concomitant membranous aneurysm in 4 patients (10.5%), an intracristal ventricular septal defect in 3 patients (7.9%), and a muscular ventricular septal defect in 2 patients (5.3%).Preoperative aortic and tricuspid valve regurgitations accounted for 5.3%(2/38) and 81.6%(31/38), respectively.The average age was (9.0±3.9) years in the percutaneous approach group and (3.6±1.9) years in the transthoracic approach group.In terms of the cardiac structure, the percutaneous approach group had smaller Z values of the left atrial anterior-to-posterior diameter (-0.5±0.6 vs.0.5±1.0, P<0.01) and the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (-0.5±1.1 vs.0.8±0.8, P<0.01), and a smaller ventricular septal defect [4.0(3.9, 4.2) mm vs.4.5(4.0, 5.5) mm, P=0.01] than the transthoracic approach group.Regarding the operation, the percutaneous approach group had a larger difference between the waist diameter of the selected occluder and the diameter of the ventricular septal defect [2.8(2.0, 3.0) mm vs.2.0(1.5, 2.5) mm, P=0.02], shorter operative time [(61.5±27.3) minutes vs.(91.5±31.4) minutes, P=0.01], and a shorter hospital stay [8(5, 9) days vs.12(9, 15) days, P<0.01] than the transthoracic approach group.Both groups achieved immediate occlusion postoperatively, with no residual shunts and no grade Ⅲ atrioventricular conduction block.Five new cases of bundle branch blocks and 1 case of trivial aortic valve regurgitation occurred in the transthoracic approach group. Conclusions:Both percutaneous and transthoracic approaches are safe and effective in interventional closure of ventricular septal defects, but the former is more applicable to slightly older or heavier patients with a smaller ventricular septal defect, who need a larger occluder.

Objective To observe the mid-and long-term effects of Kegel training combined with Pilates training on urinary conti-nence recovery in different body mass index(BMI)male patients with urinary incontinence after prostatectomy.Methods From May,2023 to June,2024,48 patients in Beijing Bo'ai Hospital were recruited and divided into group A(<25 kg/m2,n=15),group B(25 to 30 kg/m2,n=18)and group C(>30 kg/m2,n=15)according to their BMI.All the groups performed Kegel training combined with Pilates training for two months,and followed up at six months from baseline.They were evaluated with one hour pad test,the number of daily urinary incontinence,In-ternational Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form(ICIQ-SF)and modified Oxford Rating Scale before treatment,and four weeks,eight weeks and six months after treatment.Results The intra-group effect,the inter-group effect and interaction effect were significant in the results of one hour pad test and the daily number of urinary incontinence(F>2.955,P<0.05).Post Hoc test showed that they were worse in group C than in groups A and B(P<0.05),and the number of daily urinary incontinence was more in group B than in group A(P<0.05).There was significant difference in the scores of ICIQ-SF and modified Ox-ford Rating Scale among groups in different time points after treatment(Z>10.476,P<0.05)except the score of ICIQ-SF four weeks after treatment(P>0.05),and they were the worst in group C.BMI(group A=1,group B=2,group C=3)was correlated with the results of one hour pad test(r=0.79,P<0.001),the number of daily uri-nary incontinence(r=0.68,P<0.001),and the scores of ICIQ-SF(r=0.68,P<0.001)and modified Oxford Rating Scale(r=-0.47,P=0.001)six months after treatment.Conclusion Kegel training combined with Pilates training could improve the urinary control in patients with urinary in-continence after prostatectomy.The decrease of BMI can promote the recovery of urinary control,and improve the symptoms of later urinary incontinence in mid-and long-term.