AIM: To evaluate clinical efficacy of recombinant human epidermal growth factor(rhEGF)combined with adjuvant amniotic membrane transplantation in corneal alkaline burns. METHODS:In the prospective, randomized controlled study, patients with corneal alkaline burns treated in the hospital were enrolled between November 2022 and November 2024. After emergency treatment, patients were divided into combined treatment group and routine treatment group by random number table method. The routine treatment group was given basic treatment(rhEGF), while combined treatment group additionally underwent adjuvant amniotic membrane transplantation. The clinical efficacy, healing time of corneal epithelium, best corrected visual acuity, VAS scores, corneal neovascularization area, break-up time, score of corneal opacity, and levels of inflammatory factors(IL-6, hs-CRP, TNF-α)in the two groups were observed and compared. RESULTS:There were 110 patients(110 eyes)in this study, including 55 cases(55 eyes)in each group. The combination group had a mean age of 46.82±10.38 y, including 26 males and 29 females. The routine treatment group had a mean age of 45.13±11.57 y, with 31 males and 24 females. The total response rate of combined treatment group [94.5%(52/55)] was significantly higher than that of routine treatment group [81.8%(45/55), P<0.05]. The healing time of corneal epithelium in combined treatment group was significantly shorter than that in routine treatment group(P<0.001), and VAS score for pain severity after treatment was significantly lower than that in routine treatment group(P<0.001). The corneal neovascularization area in combined treatment group was significantly smaller than that in routine treatment group(P<0.001), break-up time was significantly longer than that in routine treatment group(P<0.001),and score of corneal opacity was significantly lower than that in routine treatment group(P<0.001). After treatment, levels of inflammatory factors in combined treatment group were significantly lower than those in routine treatment group(all P<0.05). CONCLUSION:Adjuvant amniotic membrane transplantation combined with rhEGF presents prominent clinical advantages in the treatment of alkaline corneal burns. It can enhance therapeutic efficacy, accelerate wound healing, relieve pain, reduce corneal neovascularization, prolong tear film break-up time, alleviate corneal opacification, and reduce the levels of inflammatory factors.

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of malignant tumor incidence and mortality in cancer registration areas of Zhejiang Province in 2021. Methods: Based on the 2021 cancer registration data from 22 national cancer registries in Zhejiang Province, the crude incidence, crude mortality, and cumulative rate for 0 to 74 years were calculated. Age standardized was performed using the age composition of the standard population from the Fifth National Population Census in 2000 and Segi's world standard population. The incidence and mortality characteristics of malignant tumor in different genders, urban/rural areas and ages were described. The order of crude incidence and mortality of malignant tumor were analyzed. Results: In 2021, there were 116 639 new malignant tumor cases in Zhejiang Province. The crude, Chinese population standardized, and world population-standardized incidences were 530.93/100 000, 304.83/100 000, and 288.20/100 000, respectively. The cumulative incidence for 0 to 74 years was 31.92%. There were 40 475 death cases. The crude, Chinese population-standardized, and world population-standardized mortalities were 184.24/100 000, 79.40/100 000, and 78.97/100 000, respectively. The cumulative mortality for 0 to 74 years was 8.37%. The Chinese population-standardized incidence for males and females were 286.34/100 000 and 323.45/100 000, respectively, and the Chinese population-standardized mortality were 106.25/100 000 and 54.17/100 000, respectively. The Chinese population-standardized incidence for urban and rural were 316.85/100 000 and 285.11/100 000, respectively, and the Chinese population-standardized mortality were 75.59/100 000 and 85.48/100 000, respectively. The crude incidence and crude mortality of malignant tumor both increased with age, peaking in the groups aged 80-<80 and ≥85 years at 1 845.06/100 000 and 1 656.88/100 000, respectively. The top ten malignant tumors with the highest crude incidence were, in descending order: lung cancer, thyroid cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, cervical cancer, lymphoma, and brain tumors. These accounted for 80.34% of all new malignant tumor cases. The top ten malignant tumors with the highest crude mortality were, in descending order: lung cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, lymphoma, and gallbladder cancer. These accounted for 82.26% of all malignant tumor deaths. Conclusions In 2021, the cancer registration areas of Zhejiang Province were characterized by a relatively high malignant tumor incidence and a comparatively low mortality compared to national data. Males and the elderly emerged as key populations for targeted prevention and control. It is recommended to enhance screening, early diagnosis, and early treatment for lung cancer, thyroid cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and gastric cancer malignancies.

Objective:To analyze the current status and trends of lung cancer incidence and mortality in China and selected global regions, providing evidence for lung cancer prevention strategies in China.Methods:We extracted data from the GLOBOCAN 2022 database. Age-standardized Incidence rate (ASIR) and Age-standardized Mortality rate (ASMR) were calculated using Segi's world standard population. Epidemiological patterns were analyzed by region, age, sex, and human development index (HDI). Simple linear regression and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were used to examine associations between HDI and ASIR/ASMR.Results:In 2022, global lung cancer incidence and mortality reached 2.48 million and 1.82 million cases respectively, with age-standardized rates of 23.6 per 100 000 (ASIR) and 16.8 per 100 000 (ASMR). Gender disparities were prominent, with male ASIR and ASMR being 2.0-fold and 2.5-fold higher than females. Elderly populations showed 11.6-fold higher ASIR and 14.4-fold higher ASMR compared to working-age adults. HDI demonstrated strong positive correlations with both ASIR ( r=0.79, P＜0.001) and ASMR ( r=0.74, P＜0.001). China accounted for 1.06 million new cases and 0.73 million deaths, with ASIR (40.8 per 100 000) and ASMR (26.7 per 100 000) exceeding global averages by 1.7-fold and 1.6-fold respectively. Chinese males showed 1.7-fold higher ASIR and 2.7-fold higher ASMR than females. Trend analysis revealed persistently high male incidence in China whereas rapidly increasing female rates, narrowing gender disparities. Projections estimate 1.80 million incident cases and 1.41 million deaths by 2050, representing 69.3% and 92.0% increases from 2022 levels. Conclusions:Significant heterogeneity exists in lung cancer burden across demographics and development levels, with strong HDI correlations. China bears disproportionate disease burden, necessitating intensified prevention efforts. These findings underscore the urgency of targeted interventions in high-risk populations.

Objective:To comprehensively evaluate the cost and cost-effectiveness of the colorectal cancer screening program for key populations in Zhejiang Province from 2020 to 2022, and provide reference for optimizing colorectal cancer screening strategies.Methods:Based on the colorectal cancer screening program for key populations in Zhejiang Province from 2020 to 2022, parameters such as initial screening positivity rates, colonoscopy compliance rates, and detection rates for colorectal-related lesions among residents aged 50-74 were obtained. Questionnaire surveys assessed program costs and direct medical costs associated with colorectal cancer-related lesions. From a health system perspective, the cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated using the Early Detection Cost Index (EDCI) and the cost per detected case, followed by sensitivity analysis.Results:A total of 5 881 364 screenings were completed from 2020 to 2022. The initial screening positive rate (positive for either questionnaire or fecal immunochemical testing ) was 16.83%, with a colonoscopy compliance rates of 33.96% ( n=336 150). Detection rates for non-advanced adenomas, advanced adenomas, and colorectal cancer were 24.83% ( n=83 453), 11.91% ( n=40 033), and 1.01% ( n=3 397), respectively. Initial screening positivity rates and detection rates increased with age, while colonoscopy compliance rates decreased with age. Cost analysis showed a total project investment of 378 730 457 yuan, with initial screening costing 146 633 103 yuan (38.72%) and diagnostic colonoscopy 232 097 354 yuan (61.28%). The average cost per initial screening and diagnostic colonoscopy was 24.93 and 690.46 yuan, respectively. Direct medical costs for non-advanced adenomas, advanced adenomas, and colorectal cancer at stages Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ were 4 921, 8 380, 42 547, 62 156, 66 720, and 72 334 yuan, respectively. Cost-effectiveness analysis indicated that screening needed to detect one case of colorectal cancer required 1 731 people and cost 111 490 yuan; the cost per detected advanced adenoma was 9 460 yuan, and the EDCI was 0.09. Costs decreased with increasing age per detected colorectal lesion. Sensitivity analysis showed that increasing colonoscopy compliance could reduce the cost-effectiveness ratio. Conclusions:The colorectal cancer screening program for key populations in Zhejiang Province demonstrates cost-effectiveness. Improving colonoscopy compliance can enhance overall screening effectiveness and economic benefits.

Objective To investigate the high-risk factors associated with acute postoperative hypertension (APH) following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy(LSG) in obese patients and to establish a predictive model. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data and laboratory parameters of obese patients who underwent LSG at Department of Metabolic Surgery in our hospital from August 2021 to December 2023. Logistic-LASSO regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for APH. A nomogram predictive model was developed based on these factors. The predictive performance and clinical utility of the model were assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, Bootstrap resampling, calibration curve, Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) test, decision curve analysis (DCA), and clinical impact curve (CIC). Results The incidence of APH was 55.90%. Body mass index (BMI), platelet count, globulin, uric acid, sodium, fibrinogen, fasting blood glucose, and preoperative diastolic pressure had potential predictive value. Among them, BMI (OR=1.066, 95% CI: 1.003-1.137, P=0.046), platelet count (OR=0.994, 95% CI: 0.998-0.999, P=0.027), fibrinogen (OR=1.943, 95% CI: 1.128-3.479, P=0.02), and preoperative diastolic blood pressure (OR=0.953, 95% CI: 0.918-0.985, P = 0.006) were identified as independent high-risk factors. The area under the curve (AUC) of the nomogram was 0.783 (95% CI: 0.711-0.855), with a sensitivity of 0.817 and a specificity of 0.689. The AUC based on Bootstrap resampling was 0.776 (95% CI: 0.702-0.849). The H-L test yielded P>0.05, and the calibration curve showed good model fit. Both DCA and CIC demonstrated favorable screening efficiency. Conclusions BMI, platelet count, fibrinogen, and preoperative diastolic blood pressure are independent high-risk factors for APH following LSG. The developed nomogram model exhibits good predictive performance and clinical applicability, providing a valuable tool for early screening and prevention of APH in LSG patients.

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae(MP)infection among pediatric inpatients with respiratory tract infections(RTIs)at Children's Hospital of Hebei Province,providing evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 79 546 children hospitalized for RTIs between January 2016 and February 2024.Nasopharyngeal aspirates or deep sputum samples were collected,and polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was used to detect nucleic acids of 13 respiratory pathogens,including MP and adenovirus.The epidemiological trends across different years,seasons,genders,and age groups were analyzed.Results Among the 79 546 enrolled cases(male:47 437,59.6%;female:32 109,40.4%),the MP-positive rate was 17.7%(14 106/79 546),peaking in 2023(28.8%)and reaching the lowest in 2021(7.0%).Except for the period from July 2020 to March 2021 with exceptionally low MP positivity,epidemic peaks consistently occurred between August and February or March of the following year.Seasonal analysis revealed significantly higher MP positivity in autumn and winter compared to spring(P<0.001).Female children exhibited a higher MP-positive rate(20.1%,6444/32 109)than males(16.2%,7662/47 437)(P<0.001).The MP-positive rate increased with age:infancy(3.2%,849/26 741),toddlerhood(9.3%,1935/20 763),preschool(21.2%,3918/18 448),and school-age(54.5%,7404/13 594)(P<0.001).Co-infections with other respiratory pathogens were observed in 37.3%(5264/14 106)of MP-positive cases,with human rhinovirus(HRV)being the most frequent co-pathogen(43.3%,2279/5264 of mixed infections).Conclusion MP is a major pathogen of RTIs in hospitalized children at Children's Hospital of Hebei Province.Infections occur year-round but predominantly in autumn,with higher susceptibility in females and school-age children.Targeted preventive measures should be implemented during peak seasons to mitigate transmission risks.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1(APE 1)is a multifunctional protein that plays important roles in DNA repair and regulation of gene expression.Because APE 1 is overexpressed in various cancers,it can serve as a cancer biomarker for aiding clinical diagnosis,guiding therapy,and monitoring prognosis.On this basis,a label-free fluorescent probe was designed based on the primer exchange reaction(PER)strategy for highly sensitive detection of APE 1 activity.In the absence of APE 1,the structure of catalytic hairpin(HP)was stable and could not form G-quadruplex.Therefore,the background fluorescence of this sensing system was very low due to the dissociation of thioflavin T(ThT).In the presence of APE 1,the apurinic/apyrimidinic(AP)site of HP was cleaved by APE 1 and a short nucleic acid fragment that acted as a primer to initiate PER was generated.After PER reaction,a large number of G-quadruplex were produced,which could specifically bind with ThT and resulted in significant increase of fluorescence signal.The combination of low background design of HP and PER amplification made this biosensor had high sensitivity with a detection limit(3σ)of 0.0008 U/mL.Furthermore,the primer sequence was directly generated by the cleavage of APE 1 without additional addition,which not only increased the specificity of the reaction,but also simplified the experiment procedure.Moreover,the use of label-free fluorescence signal reduced the cost of the experiment,and realized rapid detection of APE 1.Finally,this sensor was used to detect APE 1 in human serum samples with spiked recoveries of 91%-104%,proving great potential in study of biological enzyme.

T cell response plays an important role in anti-viral infection and anti-tumor immunity,and antigen-specific T cell detection is essential for study of T cell response.This article reviews progress of antigen-specific T cell detection technology,including enzyme-linked immunospot(ELISPOT)assay,intracellular cytokine staining(ICS)assay and activation-induced labeling(AIM)assay,which based on detection of cytokine secretion or activation phenotypes of specific T cells after stimulation and reactivation with antigen in vitro.Another class of methods include Tetramer technology based on known epitopes-human leukocyte antigen(HLA)restriction and recently developed single-cell transcriptomes and T-cell antigen receptor(TCR)sequencing technology.Application of the above methods has advanced our understanding of antigen specific T cell response:Strength and duration of the response,subpop-ulation information,epitopes and their associated HLA-restriction,TCR cloning information and transcriptome characteristic.

Objective:To analyze risk factors associated with false-positive results of quantitative fecal immunochemical testing (FIT), evaluate its performance for detecting advanced colorectal neoplasia across different subgroups, and explore the optimal positivity thresholds for each subgroup.Methods:Individuals who participated in the Zhejiang Colorectal Cancer Screening Program in 2020-2021, completed questionnaire-based risk assessment and quantitative FIT for initial screening, and undertook colonoscopy for confirmed diagnosis were included in this study. The information of individuals, including demographic characteristics, lifestyles, history of diseases, and family history of colorectal cancer (CRC), was collected by using questionnaires. The diagnostic outcomes of the individuals were obtained through colonoscopy and pathological examination. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with false-positive FIT results. The optimal threshold of FIT was determined based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and 10-fold cross-validation. The effectiveness of FIT screening in different subgroups was compared using the unified threshold of 100 ng/ml or optimal positivity thresholds.Results:There were 25 874 individuals included in the analysis, with 14 694 (56.79%) having fecal hemoglobin concentrations ≥100 ng/ml. A total of 3 830 advanced adenoma cases (14.80%) and 362 CRC cases (1.40%) were identified. Age below 60 years old, females, underweight, smoking, drinking, use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, no family history of CRC, no history of intestinal disease, no history of hypertension, and physical inactivity were associated with an elevated risk of false-positive results in FIT ( P<0.05). Compared to the predetermined threshold of 100 ng/ml, the false positive rate (FPR) of quantitative FIT decreased from 52.3% to 37.3% in all individuals, and decreased by more than 20% in females, individuals with normal weight, smokers, and those without a history of intestinal disease when adopting the optimal threshold (all P<0.001). Conclusion:The risk of false-positive results in quantitative FIT varies across different subgroups. Adopting the optimal thresholds could improve the specificity and reduce the FPR of quantitative FIT for CRC screening.