1.Advances in detection techniques for congenital blood group chimerism
Shuo ZHANG ; Hongyan YANG ; Yuhan GAO ; Ranran QIN ; Xinrui WANG ; Ke ZHANG ; Yifan LI ; Ruiqin HOU
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2026;39(3):402-407
Congenital blood group chimerism refers to the coexistence of two or more distinct blood types within an individual, resulting from the presence of hematopoietic cell populations with different genotypes. Consequently, red blood cells in such individuals may express different blood group antigens. Based on the timing and mechanism of formation, blood group chimerism can be classified as either congenital or acquired. Although congenital blood group chimerism is rare and involves complex mechanisms, it holds significant implications in transfusion medicine, transplantation, and obstetrics. This article reviews the formation mechanisms, detection methods, and clinical significance of congenital blood group chimerism in transfusion medicine. Particular emphasis is placed on the principles, advantages, and limitations of various detection techniques. Furthermore, the potential applications of these technologies in clinical diagnosis are discussed, providing a technical foundation for the development of precise transfusion strategies.
2.Deep learning for accurate lung artery segmentation with shape-position priors
Chao GUO ; Xuehan GAO ; Qidi HU ; Jian LI ; Haixing ZHU ; Ke ZHAO ; Weipeng LIU ; Shanqing LI
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(03):332-338
Objective To propose a lung artery segmentation method that integrates shape and position prior knowledge, aiming to solve the issues of inaccurate segmentation caused by the high similarity and small size differences between the lung arteries and surrounding tissues in CT images. Methods Based on the three-dimensional U-Net network architecture and relying on the PARSE 2022 database image data, shape and position prior knowledge was introduced to design feature extraction and fusion strategies to enhance the ability of lung artery segmentation. The data of the patients were divided into three groups: a training set, a validation set, and a test set. The performance metrics for evaluating the model included Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), sensitivity, accuracy, and Hausdorff distance (HD95). Results The study included lung artery imaging data from 203 patients, including 100 patients in the training set, 30 patients in the validation set, and 73 patients in the test set. Through the backbone network, a rough segmentation of the lung arteries was performed to obtain a complete vascular structure; the branch network integrating shape and position information was used to extract features of small pulmonary arteries, reducing interference from the pulmonary artery trunk and left and right pulmonary arteries. Experimental results showed that the segmentation model based on shape and position prior knowledge had a higher DSC (82.81%±3.20% vs. 80.47%±3.17% vs. 80.36%±3.43%), sensitivity (85.30%±8.04% vs. 80.95%±6.89% vs. 82.82%±7.29%), and accuracy (81.63%±7.53% vs. 81.19%±8.35% vs. 79.36%±8.98%) compared to traditional three-dimensional U-Net and V-Net methods. HD95 could reach (9.52±4.29) mm, which was 6.05 mm shorter than traditional methods, showing excellent performance in segmentation boundaries. Conclusion The lung artery segmentation method based on shape and position prior knowledge can achieve precise segmentation of lung artery vessels and has potential application value in tasks such as bronchoscopy or percutaneous puncture surgery navigation.
3.Atlantodentoplasty using the anterior retropharyngeal approach for treating irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation with atlantodental bony obstruction: a retrospective study
Jia SHAO ; Yun Peng HAN ; Yan Zheng GAO ; Kun GAO ; Ke Zheng MAO ; Xiu Ru ZHANG
Asian Spine Journal 2025;19(1):54-63
Methods:
The clinical data of 26 patients diagnosed with irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation complicated by atlantodental bony obstruction were analyzed retrospectively. All patients underwent anterior retropharyngeal atlantodentoplasty, followed by posterior occipitocervical fusion. Details including surgical duration and blood loss volume were recorded. Radiographic data such as the anterior atlantodental interval, O–C2 angle, space available for the cord, clivus–canal angle, and cervical medullary angle, and clinical data including the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score were assessed. The fusion time of the grafted bone and the development of complications were examined.
Results:
In patients undergoing anterior retropharyngeal atlantodentoplasty, the surgical duration and blood loss volume were 120.1±16.4 minutes and 100.6±33.5 mL, respectively. The anterior atlantodental interval decreased significantly after the surgery (p <0.001). The O–C2 angle, space available for the cord, clivus–canal angle, and cervical medullary angle increased significantly after the surgery (p <0.001). The JOA score during the latest follow-up significantly increased compared with that before the surgery (p <0.001). The improvement rate of the JOA score was 80.8%±18.1%. The fusion time of the grafted bone was 3–8 months, with an average of 5.7±1.5 months. In total, 11 patients presented with postoperative dysphagia and three with irritating cough. However, none of them exhibited other major complications.
Conclusions
Anterior retropharyngeal atlantodentoplasty can anatomically reduce the atlantoaxial joint with a satisfactory clinical outcome in patients with irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation with atlantodental bony obstruction.
4.Isorhamnetin Alleviates Inflammation-Induced Crosstalk between Kynurenine Pathway and Gut Microbiota in Depressed Mice
Mengjie XU ; Wei HE ; Ke YAN ; Xinru GAO ; Jun LI ; Dongyue XU ; Jiao XIAO ; Tingxu YAN
Biomolecules & Therapeutics 2025;33(2):297-310
Depression is a widespread psychiatric disorder with complex pathogenesis and unsatisfactory therapeutic effects. As a native flavonoid, Isorhamnetin (ISO) has been deemed to exert neuroprotective effects by antioxidation and regulation of immunity. However, no reports of anti-depressed effect of ISO have yet been found. The present study was conducted to clarify the mechanism basis of anti-depressed effect of ISO utilizing behavioral, biochemical, molecular approaches in vitro and in vivo and bio-informatics analysis. The effects of ISO on depressed mice was investigated through the SPT and FST, and the lesions were examined by H&E staining. Besides, the inflammatory factor and indicator in kynurenine pathway were assessed through detection kits, and the microbiota were checked by 16sRNA. Molecular docking study was performed to investigate the target of ISO. Additionally, Western blot was used to test the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. The results indicated that ISO could enhance the sugar water preference of mice in SPT and reduce immobility time in FST. Further more, ISO suppressed peripheral and central inflammation, regulated the changes in kynurenine pathway and gut microbiota, inhibited activation of PI3K/AKT pathway, and presented good binding patterns with target proteins on PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that ISO alleviated depression-like behaviour by normalizing inflammation-induced dysregulation of the crosstalk between KP and gut microbiota disorder through regulated PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway.
5.Photon-counting detector CT with virtual monoenergetic imaging in enabling a quadruple low-dose aortic CT angiography protocol: a feasibility study
Ke QI ; Kehui NIE ; Dian YUAN ; Yicun ZHANG ; Mengyuan ZHANG ; Weiting ZHANG ; Yanbo GU ; Yan CHEN ; Jianbo GAO ; Jie LIU
Chinese Journal of Radiology 2025;59(10):1133-1141
Objective:To assess the viability of reducing radiation dose, contrast media volume, injection flow rate and contrast medium concentration (quadruple low-dose protocol) by utilizing virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) in photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) for aortic CT angiography (CTA), while maintaining image quality in comparison to images obtained from energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT).Methods:From April 2024 to June 2024, a total of 40 participants who underwent aortic CTA on PCD-CT were prospectively enrolled in the experimental group (PCD-CT group), while 40 patients with similar baseline characteristics who had previously undergone aortic CTA using EID-CT were retrospectively selected for the conventional group (EID-CT group). The EID-CT group used a tube voltage of 90 kVp, a contrast media volume of 60 ml of contrast, an injection flow rate of 3 ml/s, and a contrast concentration of 350 mgI/ml; the PCD-CT group used the QuantumPlus mode, with a tube voltage of 140 kVp, a total amount of iodine in the contrast media of 140 mgI/kg, and an injection flow rate=contrast media volume/(delay time+scan time), and a contrast media concentration of 320 mgI/ml. VMIs in PCD-CT group were reconstructed in 5-keV intervals ranging from 45 to 65 keV. The effective radiation dose and contrast injection protocols were recorded and compared between two groups. Objective image quality assessment was performed for each group. CT attenuation, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were measured at five anatomical locations (ascending aorta, aortic arch, descending aorta, abdominal aorta, and right common iliac artery), and image noise was recorded. Subjective image quality was independently evaluated by two readers using a 5-point Likert scale in a blinded manner. Based on data normality, the one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test was used for image quality assessment, with Bonferroni-corrected post-hoc analysis for multiple comparisons.Results:There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics between two groups (all P0.05). The PCD-CT group demonstrated significantly lower effective radiation dose [(3.88±0.65) mSv vs. (5.97±1.15)mSv], contrast media volume [(29.25±4.56) ml vs. 60 ml], and injection rate [(2.65±0.42) ml/s vs. 3 ml/s] than the EID-CT group, with reductions of 35%, 51%, and 12%, respectively (all P0.001). For objective image quality, except for the ascending aortic CT attenuation, the CT attenuation, SNR, and CNR of other vessels in the 55 keV PCD-CT group were comparable to those in the EID-CT group. Additionally, the difference in image noise between these two groups was not statistically significant ( P0.05). Concerning subjective image quality, at 55 keV, the PCD-CT group had similar image noise scores and vessel attenuation scores (both P0.05) and better visualization of renal artery branching ( P=0.001) compared to the EID-CT group. Conclusion:In comparison to EID-CT, the use of a 55 keV image in PCD-CT for aortic CTA has demonstrated reductions in radiation dose, contrast media volume, injection flow rate and contrast medium concentration, while maintaining image quality.
6.Feasibility study of photon counting CT combined with “quadruple lows” technology in head and neck vascular imaging
Mengyuan ZHANG ; Kehui NIE ; Dian YUAN ; Yicun ZHANG ; Ke QI ; Weiting ZHANG ; Yanbo GU ; Yan CHEN ; Jianbo GAO ; Jie LIU
Chinese Journal of Radiology 2025;59(8):942-948
Objective:To evaluate the feasibility of head and neck vascular imaging using photon-counting detector computed tomography (PCD-CT) combined with a “quadruple lows” protocol—characterized by low contrast media volume, low iodine concentration, low injection rate, and low radiation dose—and to compare the image quality with that obtained by energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT).Methods:A total of 105 patients with suspected cerebrovascular disease were prospectively enrolled at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between April and June 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to three groups ( n=35). Group A underwent conventional head and neck CTA using EID-CT. Group B underwent PCD-CT with a protocol involving ultra-low contrast media volume, low iodine concentration, and low injection rate. Group C underwent PCD-CT with the full “quadruple low” protocol. Objective image quality parameters—including CT attenuation, image noise (standard deviation, SD), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR)—were measured at the ascending aorta, common carotid artery, internal carotid artery, vertebral artery, basilar artery, posterior cerebral artery, and middle cerebral artery. Two radiologists independently rated subjective image quality using a 5-point Likert scale. Differences among groups were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results:Compared to Group A [contrast volume: (42.78±6.64)ml], contrast agent volume was significantly reduced in Groups B and C[ (26.26±4.45) ml and (26.54±3.83)ml, respectively], demonstrating reductions of 39% and 38% (both P<0.01). The iodine concentration was 320 mg/ml in Groups B and C, lower than 350 mg/ml in Group A (8.5%). The injection rate was also reduced in Groups B and C [(3.39±0.61) and (3.55±0.51)ml/s, respectively] compared to Group A [(4.28±0.66) ml/s], with reductions of 21% and 17% (both P<0.01). The effective dose (ED) was similar between Groups A and B [(1.40±0.15) vs. (1.40±0.19)mSv, P>0.05], while Group C demonstrated a significantly lower ED [(0.99±0.09) mSv], with a reduction of 30% compared to Group A and 29% compared to Group B (both P<0.01).In terms of objective image quality, significant differences in image noise (SD) were observed among the three groups at the vertebral artery, internal carotid artery, posterior cerebral artery, and middle cerebral artery (all P<0.05). Groups B and C showed significantly lower SD compared to Group A ( P<0.05), with no significant difference between B and C ( P>0.05). SNR was significantly higher in Groups B and C than in Group A at multiple vascular segments (all P<0.05). CNR differed only at the internal carotid artery, where Groups B and C demonstrated superior performance compared to Group A ( P<0.05).Subjective image quality scores showed no significant difference between Groups A and C ( P>0.05), while Group B had significantly higher scores than both A and C ( P<0.05). All images were deemed diagnostically acceptable. Conclusion:Compared with conventional EID-CT, PCD-CT combined with a “quadruple lows” protocol enables substantial reductions in contrast media and radiation dose while further improving image quality in head and neck CTA.
7.Photon-counting detector-CT combined with"four-lows"protocol for coronary CT angiography
Weiting ZHANG ; Kehui NIE ; Dian YUAN ; Yicun ZHANG ; Ke QI ; Mengyuan ZHANG ; Yanbo GU ; Yan CHEN ; Jianbo GAO ; Yonggao ZHANG ; Jie LIU
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging Technology 2025;41(6):976-980
Objective To observe the feasibility of photon-counting detector(PCD)-CT combined with"four-lows"protocol(low contrast agent concentration,low contrast dose,low contrast agent flow rate,low radiation dose)for coronary CT angiography(CCTA).Methods Totally 106 patients with suspected coronary artery disease were prospectively enrolled and randomized into energy-integrating detector(EID)-CCTA(group A,using conventional scanning protocol,n=52)or PCD-CCTA(group B,using"four-lows"scanning protocol,n=54)groups and underwent relative examinations.The radiation dose,subjective and objective evaluation results of imaging quality were compared between groups.Results The contrast agent dose and flow rate,volume CT dose index,dose length product and effective dose in group B were all lower than those in group A(all P<0.001).The subjective scores in group B were higher than in group A(5[4,5]vs.4[4,5],Z=-2.310,P=0.021).Compared with group A,CT value,signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio of aortic root and most of the main branches of coronary arteries increased in group B,while standard deviation of CT value decreased(all P<0.05).Conclusion PCD-CT combined with"four-lows"protocol could be used for CCTA,which could improve imaging quality and reduce contrast agent usage and radiation dose.
8.Current status and latent profile analysis of elderly stroke patients' medication literacy
Ying YAO ; Yuan SONG ; Haixu ZHAO ; Yunjing XING ; Hongbing LIU ; Ce ZONG ; Ke ZHANG ; Yuanli GUO ; Yuan GAO
China Modern Doctor 2025;63(11):45-49
Objective To explore current status and potential subtypes of elderly stroke patients' medication literacy among,and to analyze related influencing factors of different subtypes.Methods A total of 285 elderly stroke patients admitted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from November 2023 to June 2024 were selected as subjects.General Information questionnaire,medication literacy scale for elderly patients with chronic diseases,and perceived social support scale were conducted.Latent profile analysis(LPA)of elderly stroke patients' medication literacy was conducted,and Logistic regression analysis was used to explore influencing factors of different profiles.Results Score of medication literacy scale for elderly stroke patients was(48.26±12.51)points.Medication literacy among elderly stroke patients can be divided into 3 profiles,namely proactive-high literacy type(51.9%),balanced-medium literacy type(34.0%),and dependent-low literacy type(14.1%).Logistic regression analysis showed that recent medication types,current place of residence,educational level,diabetes,and social support were the influencing factors of elderly stroke patients' medication literacy(P<0.05).Conclusion The level of medication literacy among elderly stroke patients is medium,which is characterized by 3 categories.Medical staffs targeted intervention should be adopted according to different category characteristics,so as to accurately meet their nursing needs,finally improve the level of elderly stroke patients' medication literacy.
9.Visualization analysis of the application of external traditional Chinese medicine treatments in diabetic foot ulcer based on CiteSpace
Ke DAI ; Nannan ZHENG ; Wenjiao ZHU ; Xiang GAO ; Wei SHEN
China Modern Doctor 2025;63(24):44-49
Objective Based on CiteSpace,this study analyzes the current research status,hotspots,and trends in the field of external traditional Chinese medicine treatments for diabetic foot ulcer,aiming to support the optimization of clinical practice and guide future research directions.Methods Literature related to external traditional Chinese medicine treatments for diabetic foot ulcer was retrieved using CiteSpace software from China National Knowledge Infrastructure,Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform,VIP,and SinoMed databases.The analysis was conducted from multiple perspectives,including keywords,authors,and institutions.Results A total of 1807 articles were included.The annual publication volume showed a trend of initial increase followed by a decline,reaching a peak in 2014 with 137 articles,and then maintaining a relatively high level.Research institutions demonstrated limited collaboration,forming small-scale cooperative clusters.Research hotspots primarily focused on the development of external treatment techniques and the integration of Chinese and Western medicine.The research trend reveals a shift from single treatment approaches to comprehensive therapies,integrating with modern medical technologies and gradually moving toward precision medicine.Conclusion Visual analysis intuitively reveals research hotspots and frontiers in this field.In the future,the development of standardized protocols through evidence-based medicine and strengthened collaboration among institutions could promote the advancement of external traditional Chinese medicine treatments in the management of diabetic foot ulcer.
10.Single-cell analysis of immune-lineage features in T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia
Ke HUANG ; Lele ZHANG ; Chen QIU ; Ruonan LI ; Yucan SHEN ; Weiwang LI ; Hong PAN ; Zhen GAO ; Liwei FANG ; Yajing CHU ; Weiping YUAN ; Jun SHI
Chinese Journal of Hematology 2025;46(5):453-459
Objective:To investigate alterations in the immune lineage of T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia (T-LGLL) at the single-cell transcriptome level and to elucidate its pathogenic mechanisms.Methods:Peripheral blood samples were collected from 5 T-LGLL patients before and after treatment (from June 2019 to December 2020) and 3 healthy controls at the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, CAMS & PUMC. Single-cell transcriptome sequencing libraries were prepared and sequenced using 10× Genomics technology. Differentially expressed genes in immune cells were compared between patients and healthy donors, followed by pathway enrichment analyses.Results:Profiling 67,237 immune cells revealed that, in T-LGLL: 1) Effector CD8+ T cells exhibited increased numbers, enhanced cytotoxicity, and greater proliferative capacity. Following effective immunosuppressive therapy, both the proliferative capacity and effector functions of these cells significantly decreased ( P<0.05). 2) The proportion of regulatory T (Treg) cells was reduced, accompanied by increased apoptosis. After effective immunosuppressive therapy leading to remission, Treg cell proportions increased, and apoptotic pathways were downregulated ( P<0.05). 3) Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) showed enhanced functionality. Monocytes and dendritic cells were enriched in antigen synthesis and presentation pathways, while B cells displayed increased antigen-binding capacity and were enriched in pathways related to T-cell activation ( P<0.05). 4) Natural killer (NK) cells exhibited attenuated cytotoxic function but demonstrated an enhanced regulatory capacity over T cells ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:T-LGLL patients present a characteristic immunological profile marked by an imbalance in immune homeostasis. This profile includes abnormal activation and expansion of effector CD8 + T cells, and a reduction in Treg cell numbers accompanied by functional impairment. Furthermore, APCs and NK cells were found to positively regulate T-lymphocyte activation, differentiation, and proliferation.

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