OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of chronic disseminated candidiasis (CDC) in children with acute leukemia (AL) following chemotherapy. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on children diagnosed with CDC (including confirmed, clinically diagnosed, and suspected cases) after AL chemotherapy from January 2015 to December 2023 at Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Zhangzhou Municipal Hospital, and Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University. Clinical characteristics and prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS: The incidence of CDC in children with AL following chemotherapy was 1.92% (32/1 668). Among the children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the incidence of CDC in the high-risk group was significantly higher than in the low-risk group (P=0.002). All patients presented with fever unresponsive to antibiotics during the neutropenic period, with 81% (26/32) involving the liver. C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were significantly elevated (≥50 mg/L) in 97% (31/32) of the patients. The efficacy of combined therapy with liposomal amphotericin B and caspofungin or posaconazole for CDC was 66% (19/29), higher than with caspofungin (9%, 2/22) or liposomal amphotericin B (18%, 2/11) monotherapy. The overall cure rate was 72% (23/32). The proportion of patients with CRP ≥50 mg/L and/or a positive β-D-glucan test for more than 2 weeks and breakthrough infections during caspofungin treatment was significantly higher in the treatment failure group compared to the successful treatment group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS CDC in children with AL after chemotherapy may be associated with prolonged neutropenia due to intensive chemotherapy. Combination antifungal regimens based on liposomal amphotericin B have a higher cure rate, while persistently high CRP levels and positive β-D-glucan tests may indicate poor prognosis.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use* ; Candidiasis/diagnosis* ; Chronic Disease ; Leukemia/complications* ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/complications* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of thiotepa (TT)-containing conditioning regimens for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in children with inborn errors of immunity (IEI). METHODS: Clinical data of 22 children with IEI who underwent HSCT were retrospectively reviewed. Survival after HSCT was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Nine patients received a traditional conditioning regimen (fludarabine + busulfan + cyclophosphamide/etoposide) and underwent peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). Thirteen patients received a TT-containing modified conditioning regimen (TT + fludarabine + busulfan + cyclophosphamide), including seven PBSCT and six umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) cases. Successful engraftment with complete donor chimerism was achieved in all patients. Acute graft-versus-host disease occurred in 12 patients (one with grade III and the remaining with grade I-II). Chronic graft-versus-host disease occurred in one patient. The incidence of EB viremia in UCBT patients was lower than that in PBSCT patients (P<0.05). Over a median follow-up of 36.0 months, one death occurred. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was 100% for the modified regimen and 88.9% ± 10.5% for the traditional regimen (P=0.229). When comparing transplantation types, the 3-year OS rates were 100% for UCBT and 93.8% ± 6.1% for PBSCT (P>0.05), and the 3-year event-free survival rates were 100% and 87.1% ± 8.6%, respectively (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS TT-containing conditioning for allogeneic HSCT in children with IEI is safe and effective. Both UCBT and PBSCT may achieve high success rates.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplantation Conditioning/methods* ; Thiotepa/therapeutic use* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Infant ; Child ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Adolescent

BACKGROUND: Medical informatics accumulated vast amounts of data for clinical diagnosis and treatment. However, limited access to follow-up data and the difficulty in integrating data across diverse platforms continue to pose significant barriers to clinical research progress. In response, our research team has embarked on the development of a specialized clinical research database for cardiology, thereby establishing a comprehensive digital platform that facilitates both clinical decision-making and research endeavors. METHODS: The database incorporated actual clinical data from patients who received treatment at the Cardiovascular Medicine Department of Chinese PLA General Hospital from 2012 to 2021. It included comprehensive data on patients' basic information, medical history, non-invasive imaging studies, laboratory test results, as well as peri-procedural information related to interventional surgeries, extracted from the Hospital Information System. Additionally, an innovative artificial intelligence (AI)-powered interactive follow-up system had been developed, ensuring that nearly all myocardial infarction patients received at least one post-discharge follow-up, thereby achieving comprehensive data management throughout the entire care continuum for high-risk patients. RESULTS: This database integrates extensive cross-sectional and longitudinal patient data, with a focus on higher-risk acute coronary syndrome patients. It achieves the integration of structured and unstructured clinical data, while innovatively incorporating AI and automatic speech recognition technologies to enhance data integration and workflow efficiency. It creates a comprehensive patient view, thereby improving diagnostic and follow-up quality, and provides high-quality data to support clinical research. Despite limitations in unstructured data standardization and biological sample integrity, the database's development is accompanied by ongoing optimization efforts. CONCLUSION The cardiovascular specialty clinical database is a comprehensive digital archive integrating clinical treatment and research, which facilitates the digital and intelligent transformation of clinical diagnosis and treatment processes. It supports clinical decision-making and offers data support and potential research directions for the specialized management of cardiovascular diseases.

OBJECTIVES: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a malignant renal tumor that poses a significant threat to patient health. Accurate preoperative pathological grading plays a crucial role in determining the appropriate treatment for this disease. Currently, deep learning technology has become an important method for pathological grading of RCC. However, existing methods primarily rely on single-phase computed tomography (CT) imaging for analysis and prediction, which has limitations such as missing small lesions, one-sided evaluation, and local focusing issues. Therefore, this study proposes a multi-modal deep learning algorithm that integrates multi-phase enhanced CT images with clinical variable data, aiming to provide a basis for predicting the pathological grading of RCC. METHODS: First, the algorithm took four-phase enhanced CT images from the plain scan, arterial phase, venous phase, and delayed phase, along with clinical variables, as inputs. Then, an embedding encoding module was used to extract heterogeneous information from the clinical variables, and a 3-dimensional (3D) ResNet50 model was employed to capture spatial information from the multi-phase enhanced CT image data. Finally, a Fusion module deeply integrated the feature information from clinical variables and each phase's CT image features, further utilizing a cross-self-attention mechanism to achieve multi-phase feature fusion. This approach comprehensively captures the deep semantic information from the patient data, fully leveraging the complementary advantages of multi-modal and multi-phase data. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, a total of 1 229 RCC patients were approved by ethics review were included to train the model. RESULTS: Experimental results demonstrated superior performance compared to traditional radiomics and state-of-the-art deep learning methods, achieving an accuracy of 83.87%, a recall rate of 95.04%, and an F1-score of 82.23%. CONCLUSIONS The proposed algorithm exhibits strong stability and sensitivity, significantly enhancing the predictive performance of RCC pathological grading. It offers a novel approach for accurate RCC diagnosis and personalized treatment planning.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell/pathology* ; Deep Learning ; Kidney Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods* ; Algorithms ; Neoplasm Grading ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged

Hearing loss is the most prevalent disabling disease. Cochlear implantation（CI） serves as the primary intervention for severe to profound hearing loss. This consensus systematically explores the value of genetic diagnosis in the pre-operative assessment and efficacy prognosis for CI. Drawing upon domestic and international research and clinical experience, it proposes an evidence-based medicine three-tiered prognostic classification system（Favorable, Marginal, Poor）. The consensus focuses on common hereditary non-syndromic hearing loss（such as that caused by mutations in genes like GJB2, SLC26A4, OTOF, LOXHD1） and syndromic hereditary hearing loss（such as Jervell & Lange-Nielsen syndrome and Waardenburg syndrome）, which are closely associated with congenital hearing loss, analyzing the impact of their pathological mechanisms on CI outcomes. The consensus provides recommendations based on multiple round of expert discussion and voting. It emphasizes that genetic diagnosis can optimize patient selection, predict prognosis, guide post-operative rehabilitation, offer stratified management strategies for patients with different genotypes, and advance the application of precision medicine in the field of CI.
Humans ; Cochlear Implantation ; Prognosis ; Hearing Loss/surgery* ; Consensus ; Connexin 26 ; Mutation ; Sulfate Transporters ; Connexins/genetics*

Objective:To investigate the association of urinary cadmium level with body mass index (BMI) and body circumferences among the older adults over 65 years old in 9 longevity areas of China.Methods:Subjects were older adults over 65 years old from the Healthy Aging and Biomarkers Cohort Study (HABCS) between 2017 and 2018 conducted in 9 longevity areas in China. A total of 1 968 older adults were included in this study. Information including socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyles, diet intake, and health status was collected by using questionnaires and physical examinations. Urine samples were collected to detect urinary cadmium and creatinine levels. Body circumferences included waist circumference, hip circumference and calf circumference. Subjects were divided into three groups (low:<0.77 μg/g·creatinine, middle:0.77-1.69 μg/g·creatinine, high:≥1.69 μg/g·creatinine) by tertiles of creatinine-adjusted urinary cadmium concentration. Multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the association of creatinine-adjusted urinary cadmium level with BMI and body circumferences. The dose-response relationship of creatinine-adjusted urinary cadmium concentration with BMI and body circumferences was analyzed by using restrictive cubic splines fitting multiple linear regression model.Results:The mean age of subjects was (83.34±11.14) years old. The median (Q1, Q3) concentration of creatinine-adjusted urinary cadmium was 1.13 (0.63, 2.09) μg/g·creatinine, and the BMI was (22.70±3.82) kg/m 2. The mean values of waist circumference, hip circumference, and calf circumference were (85.42±10.68) cm, (92.67±8.90) cm, and (31.08±4.76) cm, respectively. After controlling confounding factors, the results of the multiple linear regression model showed that for each increment of 1 μg/g·creatinine in creatinine-adjusted urinary cadmium, the change of BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, and calf circumference in the high-level group was -0.28 (-0.37, -0.19) kg/m 2, -0.74 (-0.96, -0.52) cm, -0.78 (-0.96, -0.61) cm, and -0.20 (-0.30, -0.11) cm, respectively. The restrictive cubic splines curve showed a negative nonlinear association of creatinine-adjusted urinary cadmium with BMI ( Pnonlinear<0.001) and negative linear associations of creatinine-adjusted urinary cadmium with waist circumference ( Plinear<0.001), hip circumference ( Plinear<0.001), and calf circumference ( Plinear<0.001). Conclusion:Urinary cadmium level is significantly associated with decreased BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference and calf circumference among older adults over 65 years old in 9 longevity areas of China.

Objective To explore the effects of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on airway inflammation in asthmatic mice and the potential mechanisms.Methods Twenty-four female BALB/c mice in SPF grade were randomly divided into three groups(n=8):control group,asthma group,and asthma+VD3 group.On the 1st,8th,and 15th day,asthma group and asthma+VD3 group were given 0.2 ml ovalbumin(OVA)suspension for sensitization,while control group received 0.2 ml normal saline.On the 22-28th day,asthma group and asthma+VD3 group were challenged with 1%OVA atomization inhalation,while control group received an equal amount of normal saline atomization,for 30 minutes each time,once a day,for a continuous 7 days.Asthma+VD3 group was given intraperitoneal injection of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 injection(4 μg/kg)30 minutes before each atomization,while control group and asthma group were given an equal dose of normal saline.After the last challenge,all mice were anesthetized,and serum,bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)and lung tissue samples were collected.HE staining and Periodic Acid Schiff(PAS)staining were used to observe the pathological changes in lung tissue and changes in airway mucus levels.ELISA was employed to detect serum IgE and inflammatory cytokines IL-4,IL-5 and IL-13 in BALF.Immunohistochemical technique and Western blotting were used to detect the expressions of SIRT1 and GATA-3 in mouse lung tissue.Results Compared with control group,asthma group had a significant increase in inflammatory cell infiltration around lung tissue,bronchia and accompanying perivascular,mainly characterized by eosinophils.Bronchial lumen stenosis,airway mucosal epithelial hyperplasia,and increased tracheal mucus secretion were also observed.The above changes in asthma+VD3 group were reduced compared with asthma group.Compared with control group,serum levels of IgE,and IL-4,IL-5,IL-13 inflammatory factors in BALF and GATA-3 in lung tissue were increased in asthma group(P<0.05),and SIRT1 level in lung tissue was significant decreased(P<0.05).Compared with asthma group,IgE level in serum,inflammatory factors of IL-4,IL-5 and IL-13 in BALF,and GATA-3 in lung tissue in asthma+VD3 group were decreased(P<0.05),and SIRT1 level in lung tissue was increased(P<0.05).Correlation analysis showed that the expression level of lung tissue SIRT1 was negatively correlated with the expression of GATA-3,serum IgG,and the levels of IL-4,IL-5,and IL-13 in BALF(P<0.05);the expression level of lung tissue GATA-3 was positively correlated with serum IgG and the levels of IL-4,IL-5,and IL-13 in BALF(P<0.05).Conclusion 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 can alleviate airway inflammation in asthmatic mice,possibly by upregulating the expression of SIRT1 in lung tissue and inhibiting the expression of GATA-3,thereby inhibiting inflammatory factors(IL-4,IL-5,IL-13).

Objective To investigate the application value of 3.0T MR apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)in prognosis and pathological types of endometrial carcinoma(EC).Methods A total of 114 EC patients were retrospectively selected,and the ADC values of different pathological types were compared.The correlation between ADC and EC prognosis was analyzed by dividing the ADC quintile(Q1-Q5).Results The ADC parameters of EC patients with different pathological types were significantly different(P＜0.05).With the increase of ADC value,the correlation effect size between ADC and EC prognosis also increased(Ptrend＜0.001).ADC had a better predictive effect on EC prognosis.International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics(FIGO)stage,myographic invasion and ADC value had interaction with EC prognosis(P interaction＜0.05).Conclusion ADC can be used to distinguish the patho-logical types of EC.Also,ADC is significantly associated with EC prognosis while its correlation effect size increases with the increase of ADC value.ADC value interacted with FIGO stage,as well as with the degree of myographic invasion in predicting EC prognosis.

Objective:To construct a special training program for oncology nurses on immunotherapy, and to lay the foundation for the promotion of standardized care of immunotherapy.Methods:The first draft of the immunotherapy training program for oncology nurses was initially constructed through literature review and semi-structured interviews; the final draft of the immunotherapy training program for oncology nurses was determined by using the Delphi expert correspondence method from October to December, 2023.Results:Two rounds of expert correspondence were conducted, and the effective recovery rates of the questionnaires were 15/15, with the expert authority coefficients of 0.847 and 0.867, and Kendall harmony coefficients of 0.207 and 0.212, respectively (both P<0.01). The final established special training program for immunotherapy for oncology nurses included 3 primary indicators, 17 secondary indicators, and 58 tertiary indicators. Conclusions:The construction process of the special training program for oncology nurses′immunotherapy is rigorous and scientific, with obvious speciality characteristics, which can provide a feasible program for the training of oncology nurses′immunotherapy nursing.

Objective:To understand the status, evaluation methods and risk factors of economic toxicity in patients with head and neck cancer, in order to provide reference for the construction of follow-up intervention programs.Methods:This scoping review was conducted under the Joanna Briggs Institute in Australia guidelines. Relevant studies were searched in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, CINAHL, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, VIP Database and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. Chinese and English literature was screened and summarized from inception to September 21, 2023.Results:A total of 14 articles were included, and the economic toxicity of patients with head and neck cancer was more serious.The evaluation methods were mainly divided into scale evaluation and database data calculation. The risk factors of economic toxicity in patients with head and neck cancer included three aspects: demographic factors such as young age, low education and low income; disease and treatment-related factors such as tumor location in larynx/hypopharynx, current/past use of tube feeding, advanced tumor/distant metastasis; social support factors such as insufficient social security, and so on.Conclusions:Future studies should pay more attention to economic toxicity in patients with head and neck cancer, standardize the selection of assessment tools to reduce heterogeneity, and develop individualized intervention measures for the risk factors of economic toxicity in patients with head and neck cancer, in order to reduce the occurrence of economic toxicity in patients with head and neck cancer.