Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant sintilimab combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with locally advanced resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods Clinical data were collected from patients with locally advanced resectable ESCC who received neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy followed by surgical treatment at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Jining No.1 People's Hospital from April 2020 to April 2022. The endpoints included major pathological response (MPR), pathological complete response (pCR), R0 resection rate, safety, and postoperative survival. Results A total of 43 patients with ESCC who received at least one cycle of neoadjuvant immunotherapy before surgery were included. Among them, there were 31 males and 12 females with a median age of 65 years (interquartile range: 58-69). All patients successfully completed the surgery without any surgical delays. The pCR rate was 14.0% (6/43), the MPR rate was 58.1% (25/43), and the R0 resection rate was 97.7% (42/43). Patients exhibited reliable safety during neoadjuvant therapy and postoperatively. The 2-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates were 90.7% and 81.4%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank test revealed lower recurrence rates and better survival in the MPR patients compared to the non-MPR patients. Conclusion The combination of neoadjuvant sintilimab and chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with locally advanced resectable ESCC has demonstrated significant clinical efficacy, while also being safe and reliable.

Objective To explore the metabolic characteristics and related factors in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods A retrospective study was conducted on the clinical data of 467 diabetic patients hospitalized at the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to September 2024. The patients were divided into the DR group (n＝150) and the non-DR group (n＝317). Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) were assessed using a transient elastography device, and graded into five levels. Basic data, LSM and CAP grading, and metabolic indicators were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to identify factors influencing DR. Results Patients in the DR group were older than those in the non-DR group (P＜0.001). Compared with the non-DR group, fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycated hemoglobin A_1C (HbA_1C), and triglyceride (TG) levels were higher, while low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was lower in the DR group (P＜0.05). Significant differences in LSM grading were observed between the two groups (P＝0.006). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that LSM grading (grade 2: OR＝2.127, P＝0.002; grade 3: OR＝2.344, P＝0.030; grade 4: OR＝2.960, P＝0.038), FBG (OR=1.233, P＜0.001), and serum creatinine (OR＝1.013, P＝0.006) were independent factors associated with DR. Conclusions FBG, serum creatinine, and LSM are related factors of DR. In clinical practice, attention should be paid to the coordinated management of blood glucose control, renal function monitoring, and liver fibrosis assessment, with early interventions to reduce the risk of DR.

To explore the inhibitory effect of ginkgolide B (GB) on MH7A human fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) and its potential mechanism. Firstly, 20 μg/L tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was pretreated with MH7A to establish a cell model of arthritis. After incubation of MH7A cells with various concentrations of GB, CCK-8 assay, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry (FCM) were separately used to detect cell viability, cell invasion, and cell apoptosis rate and cell cycle; Real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot assay were performed to detect the apoptosis- and cycle-related gene transcriptions and protein expressions, respectively. The results showed that compared with the control group, GB dose- and time-dependently suppressed cell viability to a greater extent; GB significantly reduced cell invasive ability and increased cell apoptosis rate and proportion of G0/G1 phase in MH7A cells, along with increased transcription levels of Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and p21 mRNA and decreased transcription levels of Bcl-2, myeloid cell leukemia 1(Mcl-1), protein kinase B (PKB; AKT), IP3K, Cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) mRNA; GB remarkably increased expression levels of Bax, p21, and cleaved-Caspase 3 protein and decreased expression levels of Bcl-2, Mcl-1, p-AKT, p-PI3K, Cyclin D1, and CDK4 protein, with decreased ratios of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, and Bcl-2/Bax. In conclusion, GB blocks the G1-to-S cell cycle transition, suppresses cell viability and cell invasion and induces cell apoptosis of MH7A human RA-FLS via suppressing the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Objective To analyze the effect of modified sitting Baduanjin based on the theory of"moving to generate Yang"in promoting the recovery of patients after lung cancer surgery.Methods A total of 92 patients with lung cancer who were admitted to Haian Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital between January 2022 and December 2024 were enrolled in this prospective study.The patients were assigned to control group(n=46,conventional nursing)or observation group(n=46,conventional nursing and modified sitting Baduanjin based on the theory of"moving to generate Yang")using random number table method.After one month of intervention,the incidence of complications was recorded.Chinese version of Anderson Symptom Assessment Scale(MDASI-C)and Perioperative Lung Symptom Scale(PSA-Lung)were used to assess the severity of symptoms.Pulmonary function indexes(forced expiratory volume in first second[FEV1],FEV1/FVC[forced vital capacity]),diaphragm thickness(DTei),peripheral blood indexes(interleukin[IL]-6,IL-8,vascular endothelial growth factor[VEGF],Apelin levels),quality of life(assessed by SF-36 questionnaire and Lung Cancer Therapeutic Function Assessment Scale[FACT-L])and metabolomic changes before and after intervention were analyzed.Results After intervention,MDASI-C score,PSA-Lung score,IL-6,IL-8,VEGF,and Apelin levels were decreased in both groups,while SF-36 score,FACT-L score,FVC,and FEV1/FVC were increased;the changes of these indexes were greater in the observation group as compared with the control group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the DTei between the two groups(P>0.05).Liquid Chromatogram-mass spectrometry showed that after intervention,α-glucose,creatinine and alanine increased,while alanine/glutamine,glycerol,threonine,isoleucine,low density lipoprotein,3-hydroxybutyric acid,very low density lipoprotein,and cholesterol decreased in both groups;the changes of these indexes were greater than those in the control group(P<0.05).The total incidence of adverse reactions in observation group was lower than that in control group(8.70%vs.26.09%,P<0.05).Conclusion The modified sitting Baduanjin based on the theory of"moving to generate Yang"can promote the alleviation of symptoms in patients with lung cancer after surgery,reduce the levels of IL-6,IL-8,VEGF and Apelin in peripheral blood,enhance metabolomics and lung function,improve quality of life,and is associated with a lower incidence of adverse reactions.

Objective To investigate the correlation between hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c)levels and excessive daytime sleepiness(EDS)in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods A total of 132 T2DM patients and 40 healthy people(NC group)who were treated in the outpatient department of Nanjing Meishan Hospital from December 2020 to December 2022 were selected.General clinical data of the subjects were collected,and their Epworth sleepiness scale(ESS)scores,Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI),and apnea-hypopnea index(AHI)were measured.Based on ESS scores,T2DM patients were divided into simple T2DM group(ESS score<9,n=99)and EDS group(ESS score≥9,n=33)according to ESS score.The baseline data were compared for each group.Spearman correlation analysis and multivariate logistic regression model were used to evaluate the correlation between HbA1c levels and EDS.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to calculate the area under the curve(AUC)to evaluate the predictive value of HbA1c levels for EDS.Results HbA1c,fasting plasma glucose,AHI index and PSQI score in EDS group were higher than those in T2DM and NC group(P<0.05).Spearman correlation analysis showed that ESS score was positively correlated with HbA1c in T2DM patients(P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that elevated HbA1c levels emerged as a significant and independent risk factor for the onset of EDS.The ROC curve indicated that the AUC of HbA1c for predicting EDS was 0.736.Conclusions There is an independent positive correlation between HbA1c levels and EDS in T2DM patients,which provides clues for early identification and treatment of EDS in clinical practice.

African swine fever(ASF)is an acute,febrile,and highly fatal disease caused by African swine fever virus(ASFV)in pigs.Given the current lack of commercial vaccines and the continu-ous evolution of ASFV in recent years,the emergence of moderately virulent genotype Ⅱ strains and the introduction of genotype Ⅰ attenuated strains have led to persistent and chronic infections in pigs.Therefore,the detection of specific antibodies against ASFV has become imperative.In this study,we established a competitive chemiluminescence immunoassay(p30-cCLIA)for detecting ASFV p30 antibodies using p30 monoclonal antibodies.By detecting sera with clear negative and positive backgrounds,we determined that the Cut-off value of this method was 50％,with both di-agnostic sensitivity(Dsn)and diagnostic specificity(Dsp)reaching 100％.Under optimal reaction conditions,we screened out an enzyme-labeled stabilizer suitable for p30 monoclonal antibody 16-5E7E8-HRP.Furthermore,the sensitivity of the established p30-cCLIA method was higher than that of the commercial blocking ELISA kit(1∶2 048 vs 1∶512)and exhibited good repeatability.Detection of sera positive for other porcine virus infections showed no cross-reactivity.The estab-lishment of this method provides a powerful tool for early diagnosis of ASF.

Thoracic aortic aneurysm(TAA)significantly endangers the lives of individuals with Marfan syndrome(MFS),yet the intricacies of their biomechanical origins remain elusive.Our investigation delves into the pivotal role of hemodynamic disturbance in the pathogenesis of TAA,with a particular emphasis on the mechanistic contributions of the mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)signaling cascade.We un-covered that activation of the mTOR complex 1(mTORC1)within smooth muscle cells,instigated by the oscillatory wall shear stress(OSS)that stems from disturbed flow(DF),is a catalyst for TAA progression.This revelation was corroborated through both an MFS mouse model(Fbn1+/C1039G)and clinical MFS specimens.Crucially,our research demonstrates a direct linkage between the activation of the mTORC1 pathway and the intensity in OSS.Therapeutic administration of rapamycin suppresses mTORC1 activity,leading to the attenuation of aberrant SMC behavior,reduced inflammatory infiltration,and restoration of extracellular matrix integrity—collectively decelerating TAA advancement in our mouse model.These insights posit the mTORC1 axis as a strategic target for intervention,offering a novel approach to manage TAAs in MFS and potentially pave insights for current treatment paradigms.

Objective:To compare the preliminary efficacy and adverse events of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with or without immunotherapy in bladder preservation therapy for localized muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) confined to the pelvis.Methods:Clinical data of 60 patients with MIBC who received CRT with or without immunotherapy for bladder preservation at the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2016 to June 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into CRT plus immunotherapy group and CRT-alone group. Survival outcomes, bladder function preservation, recurrence and metastasis, as well as early and late radiation toxicities were evaluated. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for between-group comparisons. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and survival rates were compared by the log-rank test. Results:In the CRT plus immunotherapy group ( n=23), the median follow-up was 20 months. The median OS and median PFS were not reached. The 2-year OS, PFS, LRFS, and DMFS rates were 95.7%, 70.7%, 70.7%, and 92.9%, respectively, and 22 patients (96%) preserved normal bladder function. Patients with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) combined positive score (CPS) ≥1 had significantly higher 1-year PFS rate than those with CPS <1 (100% vs. 66.7%, P=0.004). In the CRT-alone group ( n=37), the median follow-up was 37 months, with median OS and PFS of 68 and 19 months, respectively. The 2-year OS, PFS, LRFS, and DMFS rates were 92.0%, 41.1%, 60.9% and 81.5%, respectively, and 33 patients (89%) preserved normal bladder function. Compared with the CRT-alone group, the CRT plus immunotherapy group showed a significant improvement in PFS ( χ2=4.38, P=0.036), while no significant differences were observed in OS, LRFS, or DMFS (all P>0.05). The incidence of acute hematologic toxicity in the CRT plus immunotherapy group and CRT-alone group were 52% (12/23), 27% (10/37) respectively, and late genitourinary toxicity was 22% (5/23), 8% (3/37), respectively, with no significant differences in overall acute or late toxicities (all P>0.05). Conclusions:For localized MIBC, bladder preservation with CRT combined with immunotherapy significantly improves PFS compared with CRT alone, while maintaining comparable safety. The PD-L1 status may serve as a favorable predictor for immunotherapy efficacy.

African swine fever(ASF)caused by African swine fever virus(ASFV)is a febrile,hem-orrhage and highly fatal infectious disease in pigs,which poses a serious threat to the global pig in-dustry.Currently,no vaccine is available for the prevention and control of ASF,and several ASF vaccines,including gene deletion attenuated live vaccines,live vector vaccines,and subunit vaccines are under the development stage in the laboratory research.As one of the most promising vaccines,live vector vaccine has the characteristic of safety and simulation of the pathogen natural infection to effectively stimulate the innate and adaptive immune responses,which becomes one of the hotspots in the research and development of novel ASF vaccines.This review focuses on the pro-gress in using modified viruses as vectors for ASF live vector vaccines,and aims to provide valua-ble information for future development of safe and effective ASF vector vaccines.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological and etiological characteristics of hand,foot and mouth disease(HFMD)in Nanning City,Liangqing District from 2012 to 2023.Methods Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to describe the three distribution characteristics of HFMD,and to predict the incidence trend of HFMD.Results From 2012 to 2023,Liangqing District of Nanning City reported a total of 19 715 cases of HFMD.The incidence rates varied significantly across different years,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.01).The urban area reported the highest number of cases.The disease primarily occurred from April to October,with the highest incidence among children aged 6 months to 5 years,mainly among children in daycare and preschools.From 2012 to 2023,a total of 588 cases were diagnosed through laboratory tests,with the highest detection rate of other enteroviruses,and a relatively lower detection rate of EV71.Predictions indicate that the incidence of HFMD in Liangqing District of Nanning City will decrease in 2025 compared to 2023.Conclusion Incidence of HFMD in Liangqing District,Nanning is high,especially among children aged 6 months to 5 years.It is suggested to strengthen the epidemic surveillance,continue to carry out pathogen surveillance.