ObjectiveTo investigate the optimal termination time for acupuncture in treating patients with acute peripheral facial paralysis and its cost-effectiveness. MethodsA total of 120 eligible patients with acute-stage peri-pheral facial paralysis were randomly assigned to either the mild dysfunction termination group and the complete recovery termination group， with 60 patients in each group. Both groups received the standard acupuncture treatment protocol. Treatment in the mild dysfunction termination group was terminated when the Sunnybrook facial grade scale （SFGS） score first reached or exceeded 83 points， while that in the complete recovery termination group was terminated when the SFGS score first reached or exceeded 95 points. Assessments were conducted before treatment， 6 and 12 months after onset. SFGS， facial disability index （FDI） including physical function （FDIp） and social function （FDIs）， self-rating anxiety scale （SAS）， and self-rating depression scale （SDS） scores were assessed before treatment， and 6 and 12 months after onset. Any acupuncture-related adverse events during treatment were recorded for safety evaluation. Treatment sessions and medical costs including direct costs， indirect costs， insurance coverage， total societal costs， and patient out-of-pocket expenses were also recorded， and an economic evaluation was conducted including cost-effectiveness ratio （CER） and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio （ICER）. ResultsUltimately， 56 patients in the mild dysfunction termination group and 55 in the complete recovery termination group completed the follow-up. At 6 and 12 months after onset， SFGS and FDIp scores in both groups improved significantly while FDIs， SAS and SDS scores decreased （P＜0.05）. Comparison of scores between groups 6 months and 12 months after onset showed no statistically significant differences （P＞0.05）. During the trial， the incidence of adverse events was 13.3% （8/60） in the mild dysfunction termination group and 18.3% （11/60） in the complete recovery termination group， with no statistically significant difference （P＞0.05）. The number of treatment sessions， total social costs， and out-of-pocket expenses in the mild dysfunction termination group were significantly lower than those in the complete recovery termination group （P＜0.05）. The CER of the mild dysfunction termination group in SFGS， FDIp， FDIs， SAS， and SDS scores was lower than that of the complete recovery termination group. The ICER analysis showed that continuing treatment until full recovery incurred an additional cost of 573.30 CNY/point in SFGS improvement， whereas 1-point improvement in FDIp， FDIs， SAS， and SDS required 21,355.25 CNY， 1779.60 CNY， 3713.96 CNY， and 2755.52 CNY， respectively. ConclusionFor acupuncture in treating acute peripheral facial palsy， terminating treatment when mild dysfunction is achieved yields long-term efficacy comparable to that of continuing treatment until complete recovery， while significantly reducing medical costs and socioeconomic burden.

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a myeloid tumor derived from the malignant clones of hematopoietic stem cells, has an annually increasing incidence. The contemporary research direction has shifted to analyzing the synergistic effect of immune surveillance collapse and abnormal bone marrow microenvironment in the pathological process of MDS. Against this backdrop, the immune checkpoint molecule TIM3 has emerged as a key target because of its persistently high expression on the surface of important immune cells such as T and NK cells. The abnormal activation of the TIM3 pathway is the mechanism by which solid tumors and hematological malignancies achieve immune escape and is a key hub in the formation of immune exhaustion phenotypes. This work integrates the original discoveries of our team with the latest international progress, systematically demonstrating the bidirectional regulatory network of TIM3 between the malignant clone proliferation of MDS and the immunosuppressive microenvironment. Integrating the evidence from emerging clinical trials allows us to consider the clinical significance of TIM3-targeted blocking for MDS, providing a transformative path to overcome the resistance of traditional treatments and marking a new chapter in the active immune reconstitution of MDS treatment.

AIM:To evaluate the characteristics of ocular biometric parameters and the distribution of corneal astigmatism(CA)in patients with high myopia before cataract surgery.METHODS:A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted, and 695 cataract patients(695 eyes)with high myopia [defined as an axial length(AL)≥26.00 mm] scheduled to undergo cataract surgery at our hospital from January 2022 to December 2024 were consecutively enrolled, another 695 cataract patients(695 eyes)with normal ALs(22.00 mm ≤AL≤25.00 mm)who underwent cataract surgery at our hospital during the same period were included in the control group. For patients with both eyes eligible, the right eye was used for analysis. Before cataract surgery, IOL Master 700 was used to measure the ocular biometric parameters of both eyes for each patient in the two groups. The medical records and ocular biometric data in the two groups were recorded and collected.RESULTS:There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in genger, age, corneal diameter, and central corneal thickness(all P>0.05). In the high myopia group, the mean AL was 29.20±2.61 mm, and 252 eyes(34.1%)had AL ≥30.00 mm(extremely high myopia). The mean anterior chamber depth(ACD), lens thickness, vitreous chamber depth(VCD), CA, AL/corneal radius of curvature and VCD/AL in the high myopia group were 3.45±0.40, 4.41±0.47, 21.34±2.60 mm, 1.18±0.78 D, 3.79±0.38, and 0.73±0.03, respectively, which were all greater than those in the control group(all P<0.01). In the high myopia group, 350 eyes(50.4%)had CA ≥1.00 D, 192 eyes(27.6%)had CA ≥1.50 D, and 94 eyes(13.5%)had CA ≥2.00 D, which were all higher than those in the control group(32.8%, 15.1%, and 6.6%, respectively; all P<0.001). In the high myopia group, 87 eyes(12.5%)had flat corneas, 424 eyes(61.0%)had moderate CA, and 40 eyes(5.8%)had high CA. These proportions were all higher than those in the control group(6.0%, 46.9%, and 2.9%, respectively; all P<0.001). In the high myopia group, ACD and ACD/AL were negatively correlated with AL(r=-0.162 and -0.661, respectively; all P<0.001), while both ACD and ACD/AL in the control group were positively correlated with AL(r=0.338 and 0.105, respectively; both P<0.01). In the high myopia group, CA increased with age when the patient's age was ≥50 years(r=0.197, P<0.001), which was consistent with the control group.CONCLUSION: The standardized ocular biometric data of cataract patients with high myopia before cataract surgery are helpful for ophthalmologists to accurately calculate the intraocular lens(IOLs)power and select the appropriate IOL type. The majority of high myopia patients need simultaneous correction of CA during cataract surgery.

Objective:To explore the correlation between the clinical manifestations and genetic variations in six Chinese Stargardt disease pedigrees.Methods:Six Stargardt disease pedigrees due to ABCA4 gene variants that visited Shanxi Eye Hospital from June 2021 June 2023 were selected as the study subjects. A retrospective study method was used to collect the clinical and family history data of all members of these pedigrees. Peripheral venous blood samples of the examinees were collected, and genomic DNA was extracted for trio-WES. Candidate variants the ABCA4 gene were verified by Sanger sequencing. According to the " Standards and Guidelines for the Classification of Sequence Variants" (hereinafter referred to as the " ACMG Guidelines" ) formulated by American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the variant sites of the ABCA4 gene were classified for pathogenicity. This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Shanxi Eye Hospital (Ethics No. SXYYLL-20200620). Results:From June 2021 to June 2023, 7 patients from families with Stargardt disease with ABCA4 variants were selected as the study subjects. The age of the patients was between 7 to 53 years old, and the age of onset was between 6 to 15 years old. All patients exhibited moderate-to-severe visual impairment with macular atrophy, and yellow white spots were seen in all patients except patient Ⅱ 2 in family 5. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) results showed that the in all patients the macular fovea was significantly thinner, and IS/OS or ellipsoid zone had disappeared. Autofluorescence showed low autofluorescence in the macula, with abnormal dot autofluorescence in the paramacular and periphery retina. ERG grouping classified three pedigrees as Group 3, two as Group 1, and one as Group 2. Pedigree analysis showed that all six pedigrees had autosomal recessive inheritance, family 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 had compound heterozygous variants of the ABCA4, and family 5 had homozygous variants. A total of 11 pathogenic mutations were detected in the ABCA4 gene, of which 3 were found for the first time, including p. Glu1704Gly, p. Gly1965Glu and p. Ser1531Phe. Those carrying nonsense or frameshift mutations include patient 1 (family 1, Ⅱ 1), patient 2 (family 1, Ⅱ 2), patient 4 (family 3, Ⅱ 1), patient 6 (family 5, Ⅱ 2), and patient 7 (family 6, Ⅱ 1), whose clinical manifestations were more severe than those of patient 3 (family 2, Ⅱ 2) and patient 5 (family 4, Ⅱ 1) carrying missense mutations in terms of best corrected visual acuity(BCVA) damage. Conclusion:The ABCA4 gene variation may be the genetic cause of the Stargardt disease in this study, and the discovery of the ABCA4 gene disease variants p. Glu1704Gly, p. Gly1965Glu, p. Ser1531Phe has enriched the mutational spectrum of of Stargardt disease.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between clinical manifestations and genetic variations in six Chinese Stargardt disease pedigrees. METHODS: Six Stargardt disease pedigrees due to ABCA4 gene variants that visited Shanxi Eye Hospital from June 2021 June 2023 were selected as the study subjects. A retrospective study method was used to collect the clinical and family history data of all members of these pedigrees. Peripheral venous blood samples of the examinees were collected, and genomic DNA was extracted for trio-WES. Candidate variants of the ABCA4 gene were verified by family Sanger sequencing. According to the "Standards and Guidelines for the Classification of Sequence Variants" (hereinafter referred to as the "ACMG Guidelines") formulated by American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the variant sites of the ABCA4 gene were classified for pathogenicity. This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Shanxi Eye Hospital (Ethics No. SXYYLL-20200620). RESULTS: From June 2021 to June 2023, 7 patients (patient 1 to 7) from families with Stargardt disease with ABCA4 variants were selected as the study subjects. The age of the patients was between 7 to 53 years old, and the age of onset was between their 6 to 15 years old. All patients had exhibited moderate-to-severe visual impairment with macular atrophy, and yellow white spots were seen in all patients except patient II2 in family 5. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) results showed that all patients' macular fovea was significantly thinner, with IS/OS or ellipsoid zone disappeared. Autofluorescence showed low autofluorescence in the macula, and abnormalities dot autofluorescence in the paramacular and periphery retina. ERG grouping classified three pedigrees as Group 3, two as Group 1, and one as Group 2. Genetic analysis results showed that all pedigrees had autosomal recessive inheritance, five had compound heterozygous variants in the ABCA4, and one had homozygous variants. In total 11 pathogenic mutations were detected in the ABCA4 gene, of which 3 were found for the first time, including p.Glu1704Gly, p.Gly1965Glu and p.Ser1531Phe. Patients carrying nonsense or frameshift mutations include patient 1 (family 1, II1), patient 2 (family 1, II2), patient 4 (family 3, II1), patient 6 (family 5, II2), and patient 7 (family 6, II1), whose clinical manifestations are more severe than those of patient 3 (family 2, II2) and patient 5 (family 4, II1), whom carried missense mutations in terms of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) damage. CONCLUSION The ABCA4 gene variations may be the genetic cause of the Stargardt disease in this study, and the discovery of the ABCA4 gene p.Glu1704Gly, p.Gly1965Glu, p.Ser1531Phe variants has enriched the mutational spectrum of Stargardt disease.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters/genetics* ; China ; Genetic Variation ; Macular Degeneration/congenital* ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Retrospective Studies ; Stargardt Disease/genetics* ; East Asian People/genetics*

Objective:To investigate the effect of CT-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) measurement sites on the values and the diagnostic performance, and to determine the optimal measurement site for CT-FFR using invasive FFR as the reference standard.Methods:This study was part of the CT-FFR CHINA clinical trial. Patients with suspected coronary artery disease who were scheduled for invasive coronary angiography (ICA) were prospectively recruited from five clinical centers across the country from November 2018 to March 2020. Each enrolled patient underwent coronary CT angiography (CCTA), CT-FFR, ICA, and invasive pressure wire-based FFR assessments sequentially within one week. Four groups of CT-FFR values were obtained on each enrolled target vessels according to different CT-FFR measurement locations: 1, 2, 3 cm distal to the target lesion, and terminal vessel groups. Spearman and Bland-Altman analyses were used to explore the correlation and consistency of CT-FFR values and FFR values at different measurement sites. The measurement deviation of CT-FFR was also compared. Diagnostic accuracy and performance of CT-FFR, including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), in discriminating myocardial ischemia were analyzed across all measurement site groups on a per-vessel level, using FFR as the reference standard.Results:A total of 289 patients with 345 target lesion vessels were included. According to CCTA, there were 51 target vessels (14.8%) with<50% stenosis, 106 vessels (30.7%) with 50%-69% stenosis, and 188 vessels (54.5%) with stenosis≥70%. At per-vessel level, CT-FFR and FFR values at each measurement position group were highly positively correlated: 1 cm distal to target lesion group, r=0.734 ( P<0.001); 2 cm distal to target lesion group, r=0.732 ( P<0.001); 3 cm distal to target lesion group, r=0.737 ( P<0.001); terminal vessel group was 0.719 ( P<0.001). At per-vessel level, CT-FFR and FFR values of all measurement sites were in good agreement (Bland-Altman analysis results): 1 cm distal to target lesion group, 0.014 (95% LoA 0.002-0.026); 2 cm distal to target lesion group, 0.026 (95% LoA 0.015-0.038); 3 cm distal to target lesion group, 0.040 (95% LoA 0.039-0.051); terminal vessel group, 0.075 (95% LoA 0.064-0.087). And at per-vessel level, the accuracy of diagnosing myocardial ischemia with CT-FFR at 1 cm was highest [84.6% (95% CI 80.4%-88.3%)], and the lowest accuracy in the terminal vessel group [67.0% (95% CI 61.7%-72.0%)]. However, there was no significant difference in the diagnostic accuracy of CT-FFR at 1 cm, 2 cm [80.6% (95% CI 76.1%-84.6%)] and 3 cm [77.5% (95% CI 72.6%-81.7%)]. AUC of CT-FFR at 1 cm distal to the lesion were both highest for global level and moderately stenosis (50%-69%) lesions [0.85 (95% CI 0.81-0.89), 0.84 (95% CI 0.77-0.90)]. And the differences were statistically significant among the four measurement location groups (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The deviation of CT-FFR increases with measurement site distance distal to target lesions. One centimeter distal to the target lesion is the optimal measurement site, and the CT-FFR value here shows the highest diagnostic performance for myocardial ischemic lesions, especially for moderate stenosis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the pathogenic spectrum and epidemiological characteristics of diarrheal disease in Fengxian District of Shanghai, and to provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of diarrheal diseases. MethodsBasic information of the initial adult cases visited diarrheal disease surveillance sentinel hospital in Fengxian District, Shanghai, was collected from August 2013 to 2023, and fecal samples were collected at 1∶5 sampling intervals to isolate and identify 5 kinds of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC), Salmonella (SAL), Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Campylobacter, Vibrio cholerae, Shigella and Yersinia enterocolitica (YE). Simultaneously, nucleic acid detection was performed for 3 kinds of rotavirus, 2 kinds of norovirus, intestinal adenovirus, astrovirus and sapovirus. ResultsA total of 1 861 cases of newly diagnosed diarrheal disease were reported, with the peak in July to August. Additionally, 704 surveillance samples were detected, with a total positive detection rate of 50.57%. The detection rates of bacterial, viral and mixed infection were 25.14%, 21.02% and 4.40%, respectively. Among the pathogens detected, DEC accounted for the highest (17.61%, 124/704), followed by norovirus (16.48%, 116/704), rotavirus (6.39%, 45/704), SAL (5.97%, 42/704) and Campylobacter (3.84%, 27/704). DEC detected were mainly enteroaggregative Escherichia coli and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, with no detection of Vibrio cholerae, Shigella and YE. The highest total pathogen detection rate was observed from June to September, and the detection peaks of norovirus were from March to June and from October to December, whereas that of DEC was from June to October. The detection rate of rotavirus peaked from January to February, but which was not detected between 2020‒2023. The SAL positive rate peak was in September, whereas that of Campylobacter was from July to September. ConclusionThe main pathogens detected in Fengxian District from 2013‒2019 are DEC, norovirus, rotavirus, SAL and Campylobacter. Different pathogens have different detection peaks, with bacteria predominating in summer and viruses in winter and spring. Prevention and control measures should be carried out according to the epidemiological characteristics of different seasons.

Acute liver injury (ALI) serves as a critical precursor and major etiological factor in the progression and ultimate manifestation of various hepatic disorders. The prevention and treatment of ALI is still a serious global challenge. Given the limited therapeutic options for ALI, exploring novel targeted therapeutic agents becomes imperative. The potential therapeutic efficacy of inhibiting RIPK2 is highlighted, as it may provide significant benefits by attenuating the MAPK pathway and NF-κB signaling. Herein, we propose a CMD-OPT model, a two-stage molecular optimization tool for the rapid discovery of RIPK2 inhibitors with optimal properties. Compound RP20, which targets the ATP binding site, demonstrated excellent kinase specificity, ideal oral pharmacokinetics, and superior therapeutic effects in a model of APAP-induced ALI, positioning RP20 as a promising preclinical candidate. This marks the first application of RIPK2 inhibitors in ALI treatment, opening a novel therapeutic pathway for clinical applications. These results highlight the efficacy of the CMD-OPT model in producing lead compounds from known active molecules, showcasing its significant potential in drug discovery.

Objective: For patients with elevated hematocrit (Hct), platelet-rich plasma (PRP) apheresis is prone to red blood cell contamination—commonly referred to as “flushing” or erythrocyte carryover—which compromises product quality and therapeutic efficacy. This study reports two clinicaly derived measures to mitigate this issue. Methods: For 21 patients with Hct ≥53%, intravenous 0.9% sodium chloride infusion before apheresis process (replacement method, n=13) or 0.9% sodium chloride fluids hemodilution within the centrifuge bowl during PRP apheresis process (dilution method, n=8) were given, respectively. The collection time, adverse reactions, and the celluar composition of PRP—including white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelet counts—were recorded and compared. Results: Neither method resulted in visible RBC contamination (“flushing”). The red blood cell counts [(0.021±0.014)×10 /L vs (0.019±0.011)×10 /L, P>0.05], white blood cell counts [(2.258±3.288) ×10 /L vs (0.557 5±1.203) ×10 /L, P>0.05], and platelet counts [(1 140±308.2)×10 /L vs (1 105±309.9)×10 /L, P>0.05] in the PRP products obtained by two methods all met the control standards of PRP. There was no significant difference [(2.268±0.927) vs (2.438±0.762) mL/min, P=0.669 2] between the two methods in terms of the speed of PRP collection. One case of adverse reaction occurred with the fluid replacement method, while no adverse reaction occurred with the dilution method. Conclusion: For patients with elevated Hct, both fluid replacement and dilution methods can effectively prevent RBC contamination during PRP collection, yielding products that meet clinical quality standards.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of modified Zhi Gancao Decoction combined with acupuncture in the treatment of ventricular arrhythmia with qi and yin deficiency type.Methods Sixty patients with ventricular arrhythmia of qi and yin deficiency type admitted to the wards and outpatient clinics of Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Qiqihar between January 2023 and January 2024 were selected,and the patients were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group according to the random number table method,with 30 patients in each group.The control group was treated with Mexiletine Hydrochloride Tablets,and the observation group was treated with modified Zhi Gancao Decoction combined with acupuncture on the basis of the treatment of the control group,the course of treatment covered two consecutive weeks.After two weeks of treatment,the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome and Lown grading were evaluated between the two groups,the changes of the number of ventricular premature beats,the total beat ratio,and TCM syndrome scores before and after treatment in the two groups were observed.The changes of QT interval and Tp-ec interval before and after treatment were compared between the two groups.Results(1)After treatment,the number of premature ventricular beats and the total beat ratio of the two groups were improved significantly(P<0.05),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(2)After treatment,the TCM syndrome scores of patients in the two groups were improved significantly(P<0.05),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(3)The total effective rate of TCM syndrome in the observation group was 90.00%(27/30),and 60.00%(18/30)in the control group.The efficacy of the observation group was superior to that of the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(4)The total effective rate of Lown grading efficacy was 93.33%(28/30)in the observation group and 76.67%(23/30)in the control group.The efficacy of the observation group was superior to that of the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(5)After treatment,the QT interval and Tp-ec interval of patients in the two groups were improved significantly(P<0.05),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,with a statistically significant difference(P<0.05).Conclusion Modified Zhi Gancao Decoction combined with acupuncture in the treatment of ventricular arrhythmia with qi and yin deficiency type can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of the patients.