Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) combined with lower cervical fracture is often categorized into unstable fracture, with a high incidence of neurological injury and a high rate of disability and morbidity. As factors such as shoulder occlusion may affect the accuracy of X-ray imaging diagnosis, it is often easily misdiagnosed at the primary diagnosis. Non-operative treatment has complications such as bone nonunion and the possibility of secondary neurological damage, while the timing, access and choice of surgical treatment are still controversial. Currently, there are no clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture with or without dislocation. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedics Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts to formulate Clinical guidelines for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis combined with lower cervical fracture in adults ( version 2024) in accordance with the principles of evidence-based medicine, scientificity and practicality, in which 11 recommendations were put forward in terms of the diagnosis, imaging evaluation, typing and treatment, etc, to provide guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture.

Objective To investigate the value of magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction(MRI-PDFF)in evaluating hepatic steatosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection.Methods The patients,aged>16 years,who visited the outpatient service or were hospitalized in Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital from January 2018 to December 2022 and were diagnosed with chronic HBV infection were enrolled,and all patients underwent MRI examination of the liver in our hospital.The patients were divided into groups based on the presence or absence of liver cirrhosis,and the consistency in PDFF between different hepatic segments was compared between groups.The Kappa consistency test and intraclass correlation coefficient(ICC)were used for consistency analysis.Results A total of 76 patients treated with nucleoside analogues were enrolled,among whom 23(30.26％)had liver cirrhosis.For all patients,the simple arithmetic average of PDFF fluctuated between 1.49％and 30.93％.According to MRI-PDFF≥5％as the diagnostic criterion for fatty liver disease,there were 29 patients(38.16％)with fatty liver disease among all patients.For all 76 patients,the simple arithmetic average of PDFF was lower than the weighted average of PDFF for the whole liver,and there was no significant difference between the simple arithmetic average of PDFF,the weighted average of PDFF,and the PDFF values of the left and right lobes of the liver(F=0.39,P=0.76).The consistency test showed that the PDFF values of each hepatic segment and the left and right lobes of the liver had strong consistency with the weighted average and simple arithmetic average of PDFF,with an ICC of>0.75,but the consistency between the PDFF value of the right lobe and the weighted average of PDFF was higher than that between the PDFF value of the left lobe and the weighted average of PDFF.In the consistency test of differentiating fatty liver disease in patients with liver cirrhosis,there was poor consistency between the PDFF value of segment Ⅶ and the weighted average of PDFF(Kappa=0.39),with moderate consistency for the left lobe and the Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅴ,Ⅵ,and Ⅷ segments.For the patients with liver cirrhosis,the lowest consistency was observed between the PDFF value of Ⅶ segment and the weighted average of PDFF for the whole liver,and the highest consistency was observed between the PDFF value of Ⅵ segment and the weighted average of PDFF for the whole liver.For the patients without liver cirrhosis,the lowest consistency was observed between the PDFF value of Ⅱ segment and the weighted average of PDFF for the whole liver,and the highest consistency was observed between the PDFF value of Ⅴ segment and the weighted average of PDFF for the whole liver.Conclusion MRI-PDFF is more comprehensive in evaluating hepatic steatosis in patients with chronic HBV infection,and for the patients with liver cirrhosis,there is poor consistency between the PDFF value of each segment and the weighted average of PDFF.

ObjectiveUltra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS） was used to investigate the metabolism and distribution of nardosinone in rats， then metabolic pathways were speculated. MethodRats were administered with 30 mg·kg^-1 of nardosinone suspension by gavage for 3 consecutive days， and plasma， urine， feces， and tissues of heart， liver， spleen， lung， kidney， brain， stomach， and intestine were collected at predetermined time points. After treatment， the samples were processed for UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS， and the MS data were analyzed using Xcalibur 2.2 software. The metabolites were searched by comparing the base peak chromatogram and extracted ion chromatogram between the treated group and blank group， and based on the relative retention time（t_R）， quasi-molecular ion peak， precise molecular mass， and fragment ions of MS/MS， the elemental composition were searched using databases such as SciFinder and PubChem， as well as referring to relevant literature， the possible metabolites were identified and the metabolic pathways were inferred. ResultA total of 30 metabolites of nardosinone were identified， including 15， 19， 12， 7， 4， 11， 8， 13， 13， 8 and 12 metabolites in urine， feces， plasma， brain， heart， liver， spleen， lung， kidney， stomach and intestine， respectively. The main metabolic pathways of nardosinone in rats were hydroxylation， dehydroxylation， reduction， dehydrogenation， hydration， dehydration， carboxylation， glucuronidation， and dehydroxy-isopropyl. ConclusionNardosinone can be metabolized by phase Ⅰ and phase Ⅱ metabolism in rats， and the metabolites are widely distributed in the major organs. The results of this study can provide a basis for further research on the pharmacodynamic material basis， pharmacological mechanism and clinical application of nardosinone.

Objective:To compare image quality and diagnostic parameters of whole-brain CT perfusion scans under different scanning conditions and assess the utility of deep learning image reconstruction algorithm (DLIR) in reducing tube current during low-dose scans.Methods:Method A total of 105 patients with suspected acute ischemic stroke (AIS) were prospectively enrolled in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March, 2022 to March, 203 and their baseline information was recorded. All patients underwent head non-contrast CT and CT perfusion (CTP) examinations. CTP scanning was performed at 80 kV in two groups with the tube current of 150 mA (regular dose) and 100 mA (low dose), respectively. The CTP images of 150 mA group were reconstructed using filtered back-projection algorithm as well as adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-V (ASIR-V) at 40% and 80% strength levels, which were denoted as groups A-C. The CTP images of 100 mA group were reconstructed using ASIR-V80%, DLIR-M, and DLIR-H, which were denoted as groups D-F. Clinical baseline characteristics and radiation doses were compared between the two groups under different scanning conditions. Furthermore, we assessed the subjective and objective image quality, conventional perfusion parameters, and abnormal perfusion parameters of AIS patients across the six groups of reconstructed CTP images.Results:Under the scanning conditions of 150 mA and 100 mA, 47 and 48 patients were diagnosed with AIS, respectively. There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics between the two groups. However, there was a significant difference in the mean effective radiation dose (5.71 mSv vs. 3.80 mSv, t = 2 768.30, P < 0.001). The standard deviation (SD) of noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) were significantly different among the six groups of reconstructed images ( F = 40.58-212.13, P < 0.001). In GM, the SD values in groups C, D, and F were lower than those in other groups ( P < 0.05), and the SNR values in groups C and F were higher than those in other groups ( P < 0.05). In WM, the SD and SNR values in groups C and F were significantly different from those in other groups ( P < 0.05). Additionally, CNR values in groups C and F were higher than those in other groups ( P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in subjective scores among groups B, C, and F ( P > 0.05). Regarding perfusion parameters in the brain GM, groups D and E had lower cerebral blood volume (CBV) values compared to groups A to C ( P < 0.05), and group F had lower CBV values than group B ( P < 0.05). In the brain WM, group D had consistently lower mean transit time (MTT) values compared to the other groups ( P < 0.05). Notably, there were no significant differences in AIS lesion detection rates and relevant diagnostic parameters across the six image groups. Conclusions:Low-tube current CTP scan combined with the DLIR-H algorithm can enhance image quality without affecting perfusion parameters such as CBV and MTT, while reducing radiation dose by 30%. This algorithm can be routinely applied in brain CTP examinations.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the prenatal and postnatal features and genetic characteristics of patients with Lymphedema-Distichiasis syndrome (LDS) due to variants of FOXC2 gene. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was carried out on the phenotypic information, fetal ultrasound image, and genetic testing of two Chinese pedigrees diagnosed at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. A literature review was also carried out by searching the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, and PubMed databases dated from January 2010 to June 2024 using keywords "Lymphedema-Distichiasis syndrome " and "FOXC2 ". This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Ethic No. 2021-046-01). RESULTS: Neither family was found to harbor chromosomal aneuploidy or pathogenic CNVs larger than 100 kb. The fetuses from pedigree 1 and pedigree 2 were respectively found to be heterozygous for a c.361C>T (p.R121C) variant and a c.168C>A (p.Y56*) variant of the FOXC2 gene. Both variants were paternally derived. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the variants were classified as pathogenic and likely pathogenic, respectively. Literature search has identified 20 articles, and combined with our cases, a total of 117 patients were identified. Among them, 13 had shown prenatal phenotypes, primarily with increased nuchal translucency (NT) (12/13), urinary abnormalities (5/12), and fetal edema (4/13). Postnatal phenotypes were observed in 110 cases, mainly as distichiasis (87/110) and lymphedema (73/110). Only 6 cases had both prenatal and postnatal phenotypes. A total of 32 genetic variants were identified. CONCLUSION The primary prenatal manifestations of LDS include increased NT, fetal edema, pleural and abdominal effusion, and separation of renal collecting system. Postnatal phenotypes are primarily characterized by lymphedema, distichiasis, and spinal extradural arachnoid cysts. Discovery of the c.168C>A variant has expanded the spectrum of FOXC2 gene mutations in China.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; China ; East Asian People/genetics* ; Eyelashes/abnormalities* ; Forkhead Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Genetic Testing ; Lymphedema/genetics* ; Pedigree ; Phenotype ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical phenotypes and genetic diagnosis of 2 sporadic cases for cleidocranial dysplasia. METHODS: The clinical data of two cases of CCD admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University on December 16, 2021 and December 9, 2021 were analyzed retrospectively, and the whole exome sequencing (WES), chromosome microarray analysis and copy number variation sequencing were performed. RESULTS: The main ultrasonographic findings of the fetus had included poorly calcified skull bones, budging of parieto-occipital area, compression and deformation of skull, and loss of nasal bone. The infant's clinical phenotypes included delayed closure of anterior fontanelle, recurrent respiratory tract infection, growth retardation, and clavicular hypoplasia. By WES analysis, the fetus was found to harbor a heterozygous c.911_914delinsTTT variant of the RUNX2 gene, whilst the infant was found to harbor a heterozygous c.1008delT variant of the RUNX2 gene. Both variants were verified by Sanger sequencing to have occurred de novo. CONCLUSION For sporadic cases featuring cleidocranial dysplasia, prenatal ultrasonography is particularly important. Hypoplastic clavicle, skull calcification and nasal bone absence are the main features. Diagnosis should also be suspected for infants featuring growth retardation, recurrent respiratory tract infections and clavicular dysplasia. The identification of the c.911_914delinsTTT and c.1008delT variants of the RUNX2 gene has facilitated genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis, and also expanded the mutational spectrum of the RUNX2 gene.
Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Cleidocranial Dysplasia/genetics* ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Growth Disorders ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: Patellofemoral joint (PFJ) degeneration has traditionally been regarded as a contraindication to unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). More recently, some researchers have proposed that PFJ degeneration can be ignored in medial UKA, and others have proposed that this change should be reviewed in PFJ degenerative facets and severity. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effect of PFJ degeneration on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and revision rates after medial UKA. METHODS: Electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, etc.) were searched for studies assessing the influence of PFJ degeneration on medial UKA. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted for the Oxford knee score (OKS), Knee society score (KSS), and revision rates and stratified by PFJ degenerative facets (medial/lateral/trochlear/unspecified), severe PFJ degeneration (bone exposed), and bearing type (mobile/fixed). Heterogeneity was assessed by the Cochran Q test statistic and chi-squared tests with the I-squared statistic. RESULTS: A total of 34 articles with 7007 knees (2267 with PFJ degeneration) were included (5762 mobile-bearing and 1145 fixed-bearing and 100 unspecified). Slight to moderate degenerative changes in the medial and trochlear facets did not decrease the OKS and KSS, and only lateral facets significantly decreased the OKS (mean difference [MD] = -2.18, P   <  0.01) and KSS (MD = -2.61, P   <  0.01). The severity degree of PFJ degeneration had no additional adverse effect on the OKS, KSS, or revision rates. For mobile-bearing UKA, only lateral PFJ degeneration significantly decreased the OKS (MD = -2.21, P  < 0.01) and KSS (MD = -2.44, P  < 0.01). For fixed-bearing UKA, no correlation was found between PROMs/revision rates and PFJ degeneration. CONCLUSION For medial mobile-bearing UKA, slight to moderate degenerative changes in the PFJ, except lateral facet, did not compromise PROMs or revision rates. For medial fixed-bearing UKA, although it might not be conclusive enough, PROMs or revision rates were not adversely affected by PFJ degeneration (regardless of the facet).
Humans ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Patellofemoral Joint/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/surgery* ; Knee Prosthesis ; Bone Diseases ; Knee Joint/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: Amygdala plays an important role in the neurobiological basis of panic disorder (PD), and the amygdala contains different subregions, which may play different roles in PD. The aim of the present study was to examine whether there are common or distinct patterns of functional connectivity of the amygdala subregions in PD using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and to explore the relationship between the abnormal spontaneous functional connectivity patterns of the regions of interest (ROIs) and the clinical symptoms of PD patients. METHODS: Fifty-three drug-naïve, non-comorbid PD patients and 70 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Seed-based resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) analyses were conducted using the bilateral amygdalae and its subregions as the ROI seed. Two samples t test was performed for the seed-based Fisher's z -transformed correlation maps. The relationship between the abnormal spontaneous functional connectivity patterns of the ROIs and the clinical symptoms of PD patients was investigated by Pearson correlation analysis. RESULTS: PD patients showed increased rsFC of the bilateral amygdalae and almost all the amygdala subregions with the precuneus/posterior cingulate gyrus compared with the HC group (left amygdala [lAMY]: t  = 4.84, P  <0.001; right amygdala [rAMY]: t  = 4.55, P  <0.001; left centromedial amygdala [lCMA]: t  = 3.87, P  <0.001; right centromedial amygdala [rCMA]: t  = 3.82, P  = 0.002; left laterobasal amygdala [lBLA]: t  = 4.33, P  <0.001; right laterobasal amygdala [rBLA]: t  = 4.97, P  <0.001; left superficial amygdala [lSFA]: t  = 3.26, P  = 0.006). The rsFC of the lBLA with the left angular gyrus/inferior parietal lobule remarkably increased in the PD group ( t  = 3.70, P  = 0.003). And most of the altered rsFCs were located in the default mode network (DMN). A significant positive correlation was observed between the severity of anxiety and the rsFC between the lSFA and the left precuneus in PD patients ( r  = 0.285, P  = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS Our research suggested that the increased rsFC of amygdala subregions with DMN plays an important role in the pathogenesis of PD. Future studies may further explore whether the rsFC of amygdala subregions, especially with the regions in DMN, can be used as a biological marker of PD.
Humans ; Panic Disorder ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Amygdala ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Comorbidity

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical phenotype and genetic variants of a fetus with Glutaracidemia type II C (GA II C). METHODS: Clinical data of a 32-year-old pregnant woman and her fetus with GA II C diagnosed at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in December 2021 due to the enlargement and enhanced echo of the kidneys and oligohydramnios fluid at 17 weeks were analyzed retrospectively. Amniotic fluid sample of the fetus and peripheral blood samples of the couple were collected for whole exome sequencing (WES). Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing. Copy number variation (CNV) was detected by using low-coverage whole genome sequencing (CNV-seq). RESULTS: At 18 weeks' gestation, ultrasound revealed that the fetus had enlargement and enhanced echo of the kidneys along with no echo of renal parenchymal tubular fissure and oligohydramnios. MRI at 22 weeks' gestation confirmed that both kidneys were enlarged with uniformly increased abnormal T2 signal and decreased DWI signal. The volume of both lungs was small, with slightly higher T2 signal. No CNV was detected in the fetus. WES revealed that the fetus has harbored compound heterozygous variants of the ETFDH gene, namely c.1285+1G＞A and c.343_344delTC, which were inherited from its father and mother, respectively. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), both variants were classified as pathogenic (PVS1+PM2_Supporting+PS3_Supporting; PVS1+PM2_Supporting+PM3). CONCLUSION The c.1285+1G＞A and c.343_344delTC compound heterozygous variants of the ETFDH gene probably underlay the disease in this fetus. Type II C glutaric acidemia may manifest as bilateral kidney enlargement with enhanced echo and oligohydramnios. Discovery of the c.343_344delTC has enriched the spectrum of ETFDH gene variants.
Pregnancy ; Humans ; Female ; Mutation ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Oligohydramnios/genetics* ; Retrospective Studies ; Phenotype ; Fetus/diagnostic imaging*

Objective:To evaluate the necessity, safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment for cerebral infarction caused by middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis with hypoperfusion in the blood supply area of the lenticulostriate artery.Methods:The clinical and surgical data of patients with MCA atherosclerotic disease who underwent endovascular treatment in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2014 to October 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 6 patients with cerebral infarction caused by MCA stenosis with hypoperfusion in the blood supply area of the lenticulostriate artery were selected. The preoperative and postoperative clinical imaging characteristics, perioperative complications and follow-up of these 6 patients were summarized and evaluated.Results:After the endovascular treatment, the imaging of the lenticulostriate artery in all the 6 patients was clearer than that before the operation, and the number of main trunks of the lenticulostriate artery shown by imaging in 2 patients was more than that before operation. The computer tomography perfusion of 6 patients after the endovascular treatment showed that perfusion in the supply area of the lenticulostriate artery was significantly improved compared with pre-operation. No stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA) and death occurred during the perioperative period. The time of clinical follow-up was 360 (322, 495) days, and there were no stroke, TIA or death occurring in the corresponding artery. All the 6 patients underwent imaging follow-up, of which 3 patients underwent digital subtraction angiography and 3 underwent CT angiography. The lumen of the target vessels showed patency in all patients.Conclusions:With rigorous imaging evaluation, endovascular treatment may be safe and effective for cerebral infarction caused by MCA stenosis with hypoperfusion in the blood supply area of the lenticulostriate artery.