Objectives: . The prognostic value of the pretreatment albumin-to-alkaline phosphatase ratio (AAPR) in head and neck cancer (HNC) remains uncertain. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the predictive role of AAPR for survival outcomes in patients with HNC. Methods: . A comprehensive search of the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase databases was conducted to identify relevant studies published up to July 30, 2024. We included studies on AAPR and survival outcomes in HNC patients. Results: . Eight studies comprising 1,737 HNC patients were analyzed using random-effects models. Lower AAPR values were significantly correlated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 2.08), progression-free survival (HR, 2.00), and disease-free survival (HR, 2.18). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these results, with no significant publication bias detected. Conclusion . Our findings suggest that pretreatment AAPR could serve as a valuable and cost-effective prognostic indicator in HNC, potentially aiding clinicians in risk stratification and treatment decision-making. However, additional validation studies are warranted to confirm its clinical applicability.

Osteoarthritis(OA)is a common joint disease in clinical practice,and cartilage damage is a typical pathological change.The pathogenesis of OA is complex,and various adverse factors can lead to the occurrence of OA.Mitochondria are im-portant organelles within cells and play important roles in cellular physiological and pathological activ-ities.Mitochondrial quality control is an important regulatory mechanism in the body to maintain nor-mal mitochondrial structure and function,mainly including mitochondrial biogenesis,mitochondrial dynamics,mitochondrial autophagy,mitochondrial oxidative stress,and other forms.The imbalance of mitochondrial quality control in chondrocytes is closely related to the occurrence and development of osteoarthritis,and regulating the balance of mi-tochondrial quality control is a potential therapeu-tic point for osteoarthritis.The author reviewed rel-evant research literature in recent years to provide a review of the relationship between mitochondrial quality control and the occurrence and develop-ment of osteoarthritis,in order to provide new ideas and directions for the research and diagnosis and treatment strategies of osteoarthritis.

Cochlear implantation is the most effective method to restore hearing in patients with severe and profound hearing impairment.There are individual differences in rehabilitation after cochlear implantation.In order to better understand the underlying factors of rehabilitation,machine learning has been gradually applied to the reha-bilitation prediction of cochlear implant patients.Since related literature is still in its infancy,many problems still remain unresolved,such as insufficient sample size and lack of diversification of data features.We suggest that fu-ture research may expand the sample size,optimize machine learning models,and fully explore the predictive factors affecting the rehabilitation of cochlear implantation,and make machine learning a better tool in the area of cochlear implantation.

Objective:To compare the efficacy and safety of crisaborole ointment 2% versus pimecrolimus cream 1% in the treatment of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in children aged 2 years or older.Methods:A multicenter, randomized, open-label, controlled clinical trial was conducted. A total of 120 pediatric patients aged 2 - 17 years with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis were enrolled from departments of dermatology of 8 hospitals in China between March 2022 and February 2023. The participants were randomly assigned in a 1∶1 ratio to the crisaborole group and the pimecrolimus group, and received the treatment with crisaborole ointment 2% and pimecrolimus cream 1% respectively, twice a day for 4 weeks. Visits were scheduled at baseline/on day 1, as well as on days 8, 15, and 29. The primary efficacy outcome was the percentage of patients achieving the Investigator's Static Global Assessment (ISGA) success (defined as clear [0] or almost clear [1] on the ISGA scale, combined with ≥ 2‐grade improvement from baseline) on day 29. The secondary efficacy outcomes included changes in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) total scores from baseline to day 29, percentages of patients achieving ISGA improvement (defined as clear [0] or almost clear [1] on the ISGA scale), as well as changes in the Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scores, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) /Infants' Dermatology Life Quality Index (IDLQI) /Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) scores, and in the Dermatitis Family Impact (DFI) scores. Drug safety was evaluated according to the incidence of adverse events. Categorical data were compared using the chi-square test. Since measurement data did not follow a normal distribution, the rank sum test was used for comparisons of measurement data between groups.Results:A total of 106 children with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis were included in the per-protocol analysis set, with 52 in the crisaborole group (26 males and 26 females) and 54 in the pimecrolimus group (27 males and 27 females). There were no significant differences in age, disease duration, ISGA and EASI scores at baseline between the two groups (all P > 0.05). On day 29, 22 patients (42.31%) in the crisaborole group and 25 (46.30%) in the pimecrolimus group achieved ISGA success, with no significant difference between the two groups ( χ2 = 0.17, P = 0.68) ; 35 patients (67.31%) in the crisaborole group and 45 (83.33%) in the pimecrolimus group achieved ISGA improvement, also with no significant difference between the two groups ( χ2 = 3.68, P = 0.06) ; additionally, there were no significant differences in the EASI, pruritus NRS, DLQI/IDLQI/CDLQI, or DFI scores between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Adverse reactions to the two topical agents were mainly local reactions such as mild to moderate pain, itching, or worsening of itching, and no obvious systemic adverse reactions occurred. The incidence of drug-related adverse reactions was 46.15% (24 cases) in the crisaborole group and 37.04% (20 cases) in the pimecrolimus group, with no significant difference between the two groups ( χ2 = 0.91, P = 0.34) . Conclusion:The efficacy of crisaborole ointment 2% was comparable to that of pimecrolimus cream 1% in the treatment of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in children aged ≥ 2 years, and it yielded early and rapid improvement in the quality of life of patients and their families, with good safety and tolerability profiles.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of Xuanshen Yishen Decoction (XYD) in the treatment of hypertension. METHODS: Hospital electronic medical records from 2019-2023 were utilized to emulate a randomized pragmatic clinical trial. Hypertensive participants were eligible if they were aged ⩾40 years with baseline systolic blood pressure (BP) ⩾140 mm Hg. Patients treated with XYD plus antihypertensive regimen were assigned to the treatment group, whereas those who followed only antihypertensive regimen were assigned to the control group. The primary outcome assessed was the attainment rate of intensive BP control at discharge, with the secondary outcome focusing on the 6-month all-cause readmission rate. RESULTS: The study included 3,302 patients, comprising 2,943 individuals in the control group and 359 in the treatment group. Compared with the control group, a higher proportion in the treatment group achieved the target BP for intensive BP control [8.09% vs. 17.5%; odds ratio (OR)=2.29, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.68 to 3.13; P<0.001], particularly in individuals with high homocysteine levels (OR=3.13; 95% CI=1.72 to 5.71; P<0.001; P for interaction=0.041). Furthermore, the 6-month all-cause readmission rate in the treatment group was lower than in the control group (hazard ratio=0.58; 95% CI=0.36 to 0.91; P=0.019), and the robustness of the results was confirmed by sensitivity analyse. CONCLUSIONS XYD could be a complementary therapy for intensive BP control. Our study offers real-world evidence and guides the choice of complementary and alternative therapies. (Registration No. ChiCTR2400086589).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Antihypertensive Agents/pharmacology* ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Hypertension/physiopathology* ; Patient Readmission ; Treatment Outcome

Acute lung injury (ALI) has been a kind of acute and severe disease that is mainly characterized by systemic uncontrolled inflammatory response to the production of huge amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the lung tissue. Given the critical role of ROS in ALI, a Fe₃O₄ loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanocluster (BF) was developed to act as a nanomedicine for the treatment of ALI. Combining with NIR irradiation, it exhibited excellent ROS scavenging capacity. Significantly, it also displayed the excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions for lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induced macrophages (RAW264.7), and Sprague Dawley rats via lowering intracellular ROS levels, reducing inflammatory factors expression levels, inducing macrophage M2 polarization, inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway, increasing CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T cell ratios, as well as upregulating HSP70 and CD31 expression levels to reprogram redox homeostasis, reduce systemic inflammation, activate immunoregulation, and accelerate lung tissue repair, finally achieving the synergistic enhancement of ALI immunotherapy. It finally provides an effective therapeutic strategy of BF + NIR for the management of inflammation related diseases.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to elucidate the therapeutic potential of osthole for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), focusing on its ability to alleviate chronic pruritus (CP) and the underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of osthole in both a 2,4-dichloronitrobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD mouse model and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) stimulated huma immortalized epidermal (HaCaT) cells. The anti-itch effect of osthole was specifically assessed in the AD mouse model. Using methods such as hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blot (WB), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: Osthole improved skin damage and clinical dermatitis scores, reduced scratching bouts, and decreased epidermal thickness AD-like mice. It also reduced the levels of interleukin (IL)-31 and IL-31 receptor A (IL-31 RA) in both skin tissues and HaCaT cells. Furthermore, Osthole suppressed the protein expression levels of phosphor-p65 (p-p65) and phosphor-inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-Bα (p-IκBα). Meanwhile, it increased the protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) and PPARγ in HaCaT cells. CONCLUSION These findings indicated that osthole effectively inhibited CP in AD by activating PPARα, PPARγ, repressing the NF-κB signaling pathway, as well as the expression of IL-31 and IL-31 RA.

Objective·To investigate the spatial epigenetic characteristics of spontaneous colon tumors in Apcmin/+mice.Methods·A spatial assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing(ATAC-seq)technology platform was established using an eight-month-old male Apcmin/+mouse model with spontaneous colon tumors.One tumor from a mouse was harvested and embedded in OCT compound for serial cryosectioning;one tissue section was stained with hematoxylin-eosin(H-E)to observe its histological characteristics,while an adjacent section was processed using spatial ATAC-seq technology to generate spatially resolved DNA libraries,followed by sequencing to obtain spatial chromatin accessibility data.Another tumor from the same mouse was digested into a single-cell suspension,in which viable single cells were sorted by flow cytometry and processed for single-cell RNA sequencing.The results were integrated with spatial chromatin accessibility data to jointly analyze the epigenetic characteristics of the colon tumor microenvironment.Results·A stable spatial ATAC-seq platform was successfully established,dividing the tumor into malignant,non-malignant,and malignant-non-malignant boundary regions.Transcription factors enriched in malignant regions included NK2 homeobox 5(NKX2-5)and transcription factor 3(TCF3).Analysis of transcription factor enrichment in the 3 regions revealed two distinct expression trends:one showing a gradual decrease from malignant to boundary to non-malignant regions,and the other exhibiting high expression in malignant and boundary regions but low expression in non-malignant regions.Gene analysis across regions revealed significant upregulation of hypoxia response,transforming growth factor(TGF),and Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog(KRAS)signaling pathways in malignant regions,with cell cycle-related functions markedly enhanced.Analysis of cell-cell interactions in the tumor microenvironment revealed significant differences in interaction strength:strong interactions within non-malignant regions,moderate interactions between boundary and non-malignant regions,and weak interactions between malignant and boundary regions as well as between malignant and non-malignant regions.Conclusion·Colon tumors in Apcmin/+mice exhibit high spatial heterogeneity;malignant regions were enriched with transcription factors including TCF3,and cell interactions between malignant regions and boundary/non-malignant regions were relatively weak.

Objective:To explore the value of preoperative 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) metabolic heterogeneity parameters in predicting tumor deposits (TD) in colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 91 CRC patients who underwent surgical treatment at the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from February 2013 to March 2024. All patients underwent preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT examination. The LIFEx-7.5.15 software was used to delineate the primary lesion with 40% of maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max) as the relative threshold, and metabolic parameters were extracted. Intratumoral metabolic heterogeneity parameters included cumulative SUV histogram area under the curve (AUC-CSH), heterogeneity index (HI), heterogeneity factor (HF), and coefficient of variation (CV). The presence of TD was confirmed by postoperative pathological examination. Differences in data between the TD group and non-TD (NTD) group were compared. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for TD, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of each parameter for TD. Results:Postoperative pathological diagnosis showed that 27 patients were included in the TD group and 64 in the NTD group. There were statistically significant differences between the TD group and NTD group in CV ( Z=-3.145, P=0.002) and the proportion of patients with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) >10 ng/ml (χ 2=10.751, P=0.001), while no statistically significant differences were found in HI, HF, or AUC-CSH (all P>0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that CV was an independent risk factor for TD. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of CV for predicting TD was 0.709(95% CI: 0.593-0.826), which was higher than that of other metabolic heterogeneity parameters. Conclusions:The preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic heterogeneity parameter CV has value in predicting TD in CRC patients.

BACKGROUND:Traditional therapies for temporomandibular joint disorders are limited by the severity of the condition and individual differences.In contrast,tissue engineering,as an emerging therapeutic approach,offers personalized treatment options tailored to the specific needs of patients,reducing uncertainties during surgical procedures,and enhancing clinical outcomes.OBJECTIVE:To summarize the latest research achievements and advancements in tissue engineering for temporomandibular joint repair.METHODS:Literature searches were conducted on PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI)databases using the Chinese and English search terms"temporomandibular joint,tissue engineering,seed cell,scaffold,growth factor,animal model."The search period covered the inception of each database up to March 2024.Literature screening was performed by analyzing and reviewing relevant articles according to exclusion criteria,ultimately including 57 articles for review.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)With advancements in biology,materials science,and engineering,significant progress has been made in temporomandibular joint tissue engineering,including the selection of seed cells,development of novel scaffolds,exploration of growth factor mechanisms,and construction of various animal models.Most studies are still in the in vitro experimental stage,and in vivo studies such as animal experiments are not yet widely conducted.The clinical application of tissue engineering in repairing the temporomandibular joint requires more evidence.(2)Despite the remaining challenges and issues to be addressed in temporomandibular joint tissue engineering research,it still presents vast clinical application prospects and is poised to become an excellent and efficient treatment modality for temporomandibular joint disorders in the future.