OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of Chaiqi yigan granules （CQYG） against liver cancer through the ferroptosis pathway. METHODS Network pharmacology combined with ferroptosis-related database was used to screen key targets and main effective components of CQYG against liver cancer via regulating ferroptosis； molecular docking technology was employed to analyze the binding ability of main active components to key targets. Human liver Huh-7 cells were divided into blank serum control （CON） group， CQYG drug-containing serum （CQYGKL） group， ferroptosis inducer （RSL3） group， mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 （mTORC1） inhibitor （RMC-5552） group， mTORC1 agonist （CCT007093） group， and CCT007093+CQYGKL group. The levels of Fe 2+ ， malondialdehyde （MDA）， and glutathione （GSH） in the cells were detected in the former three groups； mRNA expressions of mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）， sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 （SREBP1）， and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 （SCD1）， protein expressions of SREBP1 and SCD1 as well as phosphorylation levels of mTOR and ribosomal S6 kinase （S6K） proteins were detected in all groups. RESULTS Key targets of CQYG for anti-liver cancer through the ferroptosis pathway were mTOR， SREBP1， SCD1，etc. The main active components included quercetin， tanshinone Ⅱ A ， baicalein， etc. The binding energies of main active components to key targets were all less than －5 kJ/mol. Compared with CON group， the levels of Fe 2+ and MDA in the cells in CQYGKL group and RSL3 group were significantly increased， while the levels of GSH were significantly decreased （ P ＜0.05）. mRNA expressions of mTOR， SREBP1 and SCD1， protein expressions of SREBP1 and SCD1， as well as the phosphorylation levels of mTOR and S6K proteins were significantly decreased in the CQYGKL group， RSL3 group， and RMC-5552 group， whereas all the above indicators were significantly increased in the CCT007093 group （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with CCT007093 group， the changes in all the above indicators were significantly suppressed in the CCT007093+CQYGKL group （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS CQYG may induce ferroptosis by inhibiting mTORC1/SREBP1/SCD1 axis， thereby exerting anti-liver cancer effects.

Objective:To discuss the relationship between the systolic blood pressure (SBP) circadian rhythm and blood pressure variability (BPV) and the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) among 178 patients with hypertension.Methods:This article was a retrospective study. Totally 178 patients with hypertension from January 2020 to January 2022 were selected based on incorporated basis. 24-hour dynamic blood pressure monitoring and echocardiography examination were performed. Data such as patients' SBP circadian rhythm, BPV, heart ultrasound heart dynamic maps were collected, and the relationship between SBP circadian rhythm and BPV and their LVEF was explored.Results:Among the 178 patients, the decreased proportion of SBP circadian rhythm>the proportion of existed SBP circadian rhythm>the proportion of inverted SBP circadian rhythm>the proportion of disappearance of SBP circadian rhythm; patients with disappearance of SBP circadian rhythm were the youngest (63.8 ± 14.5) years old, and patients with inverted SBP circadian rhythm were the oldest (71.5 ± 9.4) years old ( P<0.05); the 24-hour systolic blood pressure standard deviation of SBP circadian rhythm was observed in patients with (13.1 ± 2.8) mmHg

Background and aims:Despite growing evidence linking pretransplant exposure to immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)to increased allograft rejection risk after liver transplantation(LT),a lack of comparative studies to definitively establish the correlation between ICI exposure and adverse short-term outcomes after LT exists.This study aimed to analyze the impact of preoperative ICI exposure on short-term post-LT prognosis and allograft rejection risk.Methods:This retrospective cohort study included 121 recipients who underwent LT for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)between June 2019 and March 2023.The recipients were categorized into ICI(n=35)and non-ICI(n=86)exposure groups based on pretransplant ICI exposure.Demographics,clinical characteristics,and short-term outcomes were compared between the cohorts.Kaplan-Meier analysis evaluated the impact of ICI exposure on graft survival.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models assessed the impact of patient characteristics on allograft rejection.Results:Recipients with or without ICI exposure exhibited comparable demographic baseline charac-teristics.The incidences of early allograft dysfunction and biliary and vascular complications were similar between both groups.Post-transplant infection incidence was 37.1％and 20.9％in the ICI and non-ICI groups,respectively(P=0.064).Allograft rejection rates were significantly higher in the ICI group than in the non-ICI group(22.9％vs.5.8％,P=0.015).The ICI group exhibited a higher 90-day post-transplant mortality rate than that of the non-ICI group(14.3％vs.2.3％,P=0.034).Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that allograft rejection independently correlated with 90-day post-transplant mortality,with ICI exposure being an independent risk factor for allograft rejection.In recipients with ICI exposure,a shorter interval between ICIs and LT(washout period)was significantly associated with a higher allograft rejection risk,with the optimal washout period identified as 21 days for predicting 90-day rejection-free survival(P=0.0001).Moreover,in recipients with allograft rejection,the peripheral CD4+/CD8+T cell ratio was much lower in the ICI group than in the non-ICI group.Conclusions:Pretransplant ICI exposure was an independent risk factor for allograft rejection and was significantly associated with 90-day post-transplant mortality after LT for HCC.A ≤21-day washout period was significantly associated with allograft rejection.Future multicenter studies with larger cohorts and prospective designs are essential to validate these findings,confirm causality,and establish standardized clinical guidelines for ICI use before transplantation.Trail registration:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05913583.

Obesity presents significant challenges in spinal surgery, including higher rates of perioperative complications, prolonged operative times, and delayed recovery. Traditional open spine surgery often exacerbates these risks, particularly in patients with obesity, because of extensive tissue dissection and larger incisions. Endoscopic spine surgery (ESS) has emerged as a promising minimally invasive alternative, offering advantages such as reduced tissue trauma, minimal blood loss, lower infection rates, and faster recovery. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and outcomes of ESS techniques, including fully endoscopic and biportal endoscopic lumbar discectomy and decompression, in patients with obesity and lumbar spine pathologies. A comprehensive literature search of the PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Scopus databases yielded 2,975 studies published between 2000 and 2024, of which 10 met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis revealed significant improvements in pain relief (Visual Analog Scale) and functional outcomes (Oswestry Disability Index), with comparable results between patients with and without obesity. Patients who are obese experienced longer operative times and have a slightly higher risk of symptom recurrence; however, ESS demonstrated lower rates of wound infections, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery than traditional surgery. These findings position ESS as a viable and effective option for managing lumbar spine conditions in patients with obesity, addressing obesity-related surgical challenges while maintaining favorable clinical outcomes. However, limitations such as study heterogeneity and the lack of randomized controlled trials highlight the need for further high-quality research to refine ESS techniques and optimize patient care in this high-risk population.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of leaflet augmentation technique to repair the recurrent mitral valve (MV) regurgitation after mitral repair in children. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of children who underwent redo MV repair for recurrent regurgitation after initial MV repair, using a leaflet augmentation technique combined with a standardized repair strategy at Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from 2018 to 2022. The pathological features of the MV, key intraoperative procedures, and short- to mid-term follow-up outcomes were analyzed. Results A total of 24 patients (12 male, 12 female) were included, with a median age of 37.6 (range, 16.5–120.0) months. The mean interval from the initial surgery was (24.9±17.0) months. All children had severe mitral regurgitation preoperatively. The cardiopulmonary bypass time was (150.1±49.5) min, and the aortic cross-clamp time was (94.0±24.2) min. There were no early postoperative deaths. During a mean follow-up of (20.3±9.1) months, 3 (12.5%) patients developed moderate or severe mitral regurgitation (2 severe, 1 moderate). One (4.2%) patient died during follow-up, and one (4.2%) patient underwent a second MV reoperation. The left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was significantly reduced postoperatively compared to preoperatively [ (43.5±8.6) mm vs. (35.8±7.8)mm, P<0.001]. Conclusion The leaflet augmentation technique combined with a standardized repair strategy can achieve satisfactory short- to mid-term outcomes for the redo mitral repair after previous MV repair. It can be considered a safe and feasible technical option for cases with complex valvular lesions and severe pathological changes.

Obesity presents significant challenges in spinal surgery, including higher rates of perioperative complications, prolonged operative times, and delayed recovery. Traditional open spine surgery often exacerbates these risks, particularly in patients with obesity, because of extensive tissue dissection and larger incisions. Endoscopic spine surgery (ESS) has emerged as a promising minimally invasive alternative, offering advantages such as reduced tissue trauma, minimal blood loss, lower infection rates, and faster recovery. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and outcomes of ESS techniques, including fully endoscopic and biportal endoscopic lumbar discectomy and decompression, in patients with obesity and lumbar spine pathologies. A comprehensive literature search of the PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Scopus databases yielded 2,975 studies published between 2000 and 2024, of which 10 met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis revealed significant improvements in pain relief (Visual Analog Scale) and functional outcomes (Oswestry Disability Index), with comparable results between patients with and without obesity. Patients who are obese experienced longer operative times and have a slightly higher risk of symptom recurrence; however, ESS demonstrated lower rates of wound infections, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery than traditional surgery. These findings position ESS as a viable and effective option for managing lumbar spine conditions in patients with obesity, addressing obesity-related surgical challenges while maintaining favorable clinical outcomes. However, limitations such as study heterogeneity and the lack of randomized controlled trials highlight the need for further high-quality research to refine ESS techniques and optimize patient care in this high-risk population.

Obesity presents significant challenges in spinal surgery, including higher rates of perioperative complications, prolonged operative times, and delayed recovery. Traditional open spine surgery often exacerbates these risks, particularly in patients with obesity, because of extensive tissue dissection and larger incisions. Endoscopic spine surgery (ESS) has emerged as a promising minimally invasive alternative, offering advantages such as reduced tissue trauma, minimal blood loss, lower infection rates, and faster recovery. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and outcomes of ESS techniques, including fully endoscopic and biportal endoscopic lumbar discectomy and decompression, in patients with obesity and lumbar spine pathologies. A comprehensive literature search of the PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Scopus databases yielded 2,975 studies published between 2000 and 2024, of which 10 met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis revealed significant improvements in pain relief (Visual Analog Scale) and functional outcomes (Oswestry Disability Index), with comparable results between patients with and without obesity. Patients who are obese experienced longer operative times and have a slightly higher risk of symptom recurrence; however, ESS demonstrated lower rates of wound infections, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery than traditional surgery. These findings position ESS as a viable and effective option for managing lumbar spine conditions in patients with obesity, addressing obesity-related surgical challenges while maintaining favorable clinical outcomes. However, limitations such as study heterogeneity and the lack of randomized controlled trials highlight the need for further high-quality research to refine ESS techniques and optimize patient care in this high-risk population.

Objective To evaluate the reliability and validity and perform cost-consequence analysis of the brief version of the Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)for identifying cognitive impairment in a community-based population ≥50 years of age.Methods The internal consistency and retest reliability of the brief version of the MoCA were analyzed,and the area under the curve(AUC),sensitivity,and specificity were determined to discriminate mild cognitive impairment(MCI)and dementia with the clinical dementia rating(CDR)as the diagnostic criterion.The consistency between the brief version and the full version was analyzed by the Kappa test and the Bland-Altman method,and the number of individuals entering the diagnostic assessment and the overall assessment time were estimated and compared between the two versions.Results A total of 303 individuals were included in this study,of whom 192,94,and 17 had normal cognitive function,MCI,and dementia,respectively.The Cronbach's α and re-test coefficients of the brief version of MoCA were 0.754 and 0.711(P<0.001),respectively.The brief version showed the AUC,sensitivity,and specificity of 0.889,74.5%,and 93.8% for identifying MCI,and 0.994,100%,and 93.8% for identifying dementia,respectively.When the brief version of MoCA was used to identify 94 patients with MCI in 303 individuals,107 individuals required additional diagnostic assessment,with an overall assessment time of 142.4 h,which represented decreases of 21.3% and 32.7%,respectively,compared with those of the full version.When the brief version of MoCA was used to identify 17 patients with dementia in 303 individuals,35 individuals required additional diagnostic assessment,with an overall assessment time of 70.4 h,a decrease of 29.5% in the time cost compared with the full version.Conclusions The brief version of MoCA can identify cognitively impaired individuals in a community-based middle-aged and elderly population,with diagnostic validity comparable to that of the full version but less time cost and fewer individuals needing additional diagnostic assessment to detect true-positive cases.It could be expanded for use in the community-based primary screening setting.
Humans ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnosis* ; Male ; Female ; Mental Status and Dementia Tests ; Reproducibility of Results ; Dementia/diagnosis* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cost-Benefit Analysis

Objective : To investigate the therapeutic effects of a small interfering RNA(siRNA) vector targeting peptidyl arginine deaminase 4(PAD4) and splenocytes infected with a PAD4-siRNA virus, on collagen-induced arthritis(CIA) mice, and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Methods : The experiment mice were divided into four groups: control group, model group, therapy group 1 and therapy group 2, with 7 mice in each group. Control group mice were not treated. Initially, collagen-induced arthritis(CIA) mice model were established using bovine type II collagen. Model group mice were injected by PBS buffer Therapy group 1 mice were injected of PAD4-siRNA virus solution into the tail vein of the CIA mice, while therapy group 2 mice were injected of splenocytes infected with PAD4-siRNA virus via the same route. These injections were carried out once a week for a total of eight weeks. Subsequently, the alterations in T follicular helper(Tfh), T follicular regulatory(Tfr), T helper 1(Th1), and CD4+IL-10+T cells in the splenocytes of the mice were analyzed. Additionally, the pathological changes in the articular cartilage of the mice joints were detected. Results : Comparison with control group, mice of model group exhibited a significant increase in the proportions of Tfh and Th1 cells in the spleen(P<0.05), while the proportions of Tfr and CD4+IL-10+T cells remained unchanged. Comparison with model group, therapy group 1 and therapy group 2 demonstrated a significant decrease in the proportions of Tfh and Th1 cells(P<0.05), with no changes were observed in the proportions of Tfr and CD4+IL-10+T cells. Additionally, the articular surface in the mice of control group was smooth, whereas model group showed signs of inflammatory cell infiltration, rough articular surface, and cartilage destruction. Following treatment with PAD4-siRNA, the infiltration of inflammatory cells and cartilage destruction in the hind paws of CIA mice in therapy group 1 were reduced. However, no reduction was observed in the infiltration of inflammatory cells and cartilage destruction in the front paws of CIA mice. In contrast, therapy group 2 exhibited a reduction in the infiltration of inflammatory cells and cartilage destruction in both the front and hind paws of CIA mice. Conclusion Gene silencing of PAD4 expression can decrease the proportion of Tfh and Th1 cells, leading to an amelioration of pathological changes in joints and cartilage of hind paws. Furthermore, the therapeutic efficacy is observed in the front paws of CIA mice, and PAD4-siRNA plays a role on CIA mice by regulating T cells subpopulation of splenocytes.

PURPOSE: This study aims to identify the prevalence and risk factors of military training-related abdominal injuries and help plan and conduct training properly. METHODS: This questionnaire survey study was conducted from October 2021 to May 2022 among military personnel from 6 military units and 8 military medical centers and participants' medical records were consulted to identify the training-related abdominal injuries. All the military personnel who ever participated in military training were included. Those who refused to participate in this study or provided an incomplete questionnaire were excluded. The questionnaire collected demographic information, type of abdominal injury, frequency, training subjects, triggers, treatment, and training disturbance. Chi-square test and t-test were used to compare baseline information. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to explore the risk factors associated with military training-related abdominal injuries. RESULTS: A total of 3058 participants were involved in this study, among which 1797 (58.8%) had suffered training-related abdominal injuries (the mean age was 24.3 years and the service time was 5.6 years), while 1261 (41.2%) had no training-related abdominal injuries (the mean age was 23.1 years and the service time was 4.3 years). There were 546 injured patients (30.4%) suspended the training and 84 (4.6%) needed to be referred to higher-level hospitals. The most common triggers included inadequate warm-up, fatigue, and intense training. The training subjects with the most abdominal injuries were long-distance running (589, 32.8%). Civil servants had the highest rate of abdominal trauma (17.1%). Age ≥ 25 years, military service ≥ 3 years, poor sleep status, and previous abdominal history were independent risk factors for training-related abdominal injury. CONCLUSION More than half of the military personnel have suffered military training-related abdominal injuries. Inadequate warm-up, fatigue, and high training intensity are the most common inducing factors. Scientific and proper training should be conducted according to the factors causing abdominal injuries.
Humans ; Military Personnel ; Risk Factors ; Prevalence ; Male ; Abdominal Injuries/etiology* ; Female ; Adult ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult