AIM:This study aims to investigate the role and mechanism of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9(PCSK9)in ovarian cancer.METHODS:We compared the expression levels of PCSK9 between ovarian cancer specimens and their corresponding adjacent non-cancerous tissues,while also assessing its expression in various ovarian cancer cell lines.Using a shRNA strategy,we reduced the expression of PCSK9 in ovarian cancer cell lines cul-tured in vitro,with confirmation via Western blot.The effects of PCSK9 downregulation on the proliferation,migration,and invasion of ovarian cancer cells were evaluated through EdU,colony formation,and Transwell assays.Additionally,we analyzed the impact of PCSK9 down-regulation on the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway using Western blot analysis.RE-SULTS:PCSK9 was significantly upregulated in ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines(P＜0.01).Downregulation of PC-SK9 resulted in a significant decrease in cell proliferation,migration,and invasion(P＜0.01).Western blot analysis dem-onstrated that PCSK9 knockdown led to reduced expression levels of key molecules within the MAPK/ERK signaling path-way(P＜0.01).CONCLUSION:PCSK9 promotes the proliferation and invasion of ovarian cancer cells by activating MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.

Objective:To explore the real-life experiences of patients six months after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), aiming to provide a reference for developing intervention plans.Methods:This was a descriptive phenomenological study. Purposeful sampling and maximum variation sampling were used to select 24 patients who underwent LSG at the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University from February to August 2023. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted, and the Colaizzi 7-step analysis method was applied to inductively extract and refine the themes.Results:A total of six main themes and ten sub-themes were identified through analysis. The main themes were: desires to improve postoperative physical symptoms (gastrointestinal symptoms, hair loss, neurological symptoms, and general symptoms) ; perception of subjective emotions (anxiety, regret, fear, and confidence) ; decreased social adaptability (decline in work ability, impaired social skills) ; general low compliance; desire for professional guidance; and postoperative benefit finding.Conclusions:Six months after LSG, patients primarily experienced physical symptom disturbances, poor psychological states, decreased social adaptability, low compliance, and a desire for professional guidance. However, they also recognized various benefits of the surgery. Healthcare providers should strengthen dynamic symptom assessments and management, guide patients psychologically, enhance social support, and actively improve follow-up and continuous care to help patients improve self-coping abilities and weight loss outcomes.

Sarcopenia, a geriatric syndrome inherently linked to aging, is characterized by progressive decline in muscle mass, strength, and physical function.It has a hidden onset and a high prevalence rate, not only affecting the skeletal muscle system but also being significantly associated with adverse clinical outcomes such as falls, fractures, disability and death.In China, research and clinical practice on sarcopenia started relatively late, resulting in low patients’ awareness, insufficient attention from medical institutions, and inadequate diagnostic and therapeutic abilities of healthcare providers.Therefore, the diagnosis and intervention of sarcopenia in the elderly face numerous difficulties and challenges.Promoting the standardized construction of geriatric sarcopenia clinics to establish a patient-oriented platform for consultation, education, screening, diagnosis, intervention, and management of sarcopenia is of great significance for standardizing and popularizing the diagnosis and treatment of sarcopenia in the elderly in China, improving the level of diagnosis and treatment, and facilitating healthy aging.

The left maxilla of a patient was resected because of tumor,and the defect was reconstruted with fibular transplantation.The autonomous dental implant robot technology was used to achieve precise implantation of multiple implants and immediate denture restoration within the limited left maxilla.The surgery was minimally invasive and efficient,and significantly reducing patient post-operative discomfort.The final restoration was completed 6 months after surgery.

The left maxilla of a patient was resected because of tumor,and the defect was reconstruted with fibular transplantation.The autonomous dental implant robot technology was used to achieve precise implantation of multiple implants and immediate denture restoration within the limited left maxilla.The surgery was minimally invasive and efficient,and significantly reducing patient post-operative discomfort.The final restoration was completed 6 months after surgery.

AIM:This study aims to investigate the role and mechanism of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9(PCSK9)in ovarian cancer.METHODS:We compared the expression levels of PCSK9 between ovarian cancer specimens and their corresponding adjacent non-cancerous tissues,while also assessing its expression in various ovarian cancer cell lines.Using a shRNA strategy,we reduced the expression of PCSK9 in ovarian cancer cell lines cul-tured in vitro,with confirmation via Western blot.The effects of PCSK9 downregulation on the proliferation,migration,and invasion of ovarian cancer cells were evaluated through EdU,colony formation,and Transwell assays.Additionally,we analyzed the impact of PCSK9 down-regulation on the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway using Western blot analysis.RE-SULTS:PCSK9 was significantly upregulated in ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines(P＜0.01).Downregulation of PC-SK9 resulted in a significant decrease in cell proliferation,migration,and invasion(P＜0.01).Western blot analysis dem-onstrated that PCSK9 knockdown led to reduced expression levels of key molecules within the MAPK/ERK signaling path-way(P＜0.01).CONCLUSION:PCSK9 promotes the proliferation and invasion of ovarian cancer cells by activating MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.

Objective:To explore the real-life experiences of patients six months after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), aiming to provide a reference for developing intervention plans.Methods:This was a descriptive phenomenological study. Purposeful sampling and maximum variation sampling were used to select 24 patients who underwent LSG at the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University from February to August 2023. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted, and the Colaizzi 7-step analysis method was applied to inductively extract and refine the themes.Results:A total of six main themes and ten sub-themes were identified through analysis. The main themes were: desires to improve postoperative physical symptoms (gastrointestinal symptoms, hair loss, neurological symptoms, and general symptoms) ; perception of subjective emotions (anxiety, regret, fear, and confidence) ; decreased social adaptability (decline in work ability, impaired social skills) ; general low compliance; desire for professional guidance; and postoperative benefit finding.Conclusions:Six months after LSG, patients primarily experienced physical symptom disturbances, poor psychological states, decreased social adaptability, low compliance, and a desire for professional guidance. However, they also recognized various benefits of the surgery. Healthcare providers should strengthen dynamic symptom assessments and management, guide patients psychologically, enhance social support, and actively improve follow-up and continuous care to help patients improve self-coping abilities and weight loss outcomes.

Sarcopenia, a geriatric syndrome inherently linked to aging, is characterized by progressive decline in muscle mass, strength, and physical function.It has a hidden onset and a high prevalence rate, not only affecting the skeletal muscle system but also being significantly associated with adverse clinical outcomes such as falls, fractures, disability and death.In China, research and clinical practice on sarcopenia started relatively late, resulting in low patients’ awareness, insufficient attention from medical institutions, and inadequate diagnostic and therapeutic abilities of healthcare providers.Therefore, the diagnosis and intervention of sarcopenia in the elderly face numerous difficulties and challenges.Promoting the standardized construction of geriatric sarcopenia clinics to establish a patient-oriented platform for consultation, education, screening, diagnosis, intervention, and management of sarcopenia is of great significance for standardizing and popularizing the diagnosis and treatment of sarcopenia in the elderly in China, improving the level of diagnosis and treatment, and facilitating healthy aging.

Objective:This study aimed to explore the clinical value of myostatin(MST) and follistatin(FST) as biological biomarkers in evaluating sarcopenia in elderly women.Methods:This was a retrospective cross-sectional study that enrolled 350 females aged 20-89 years who underwent physical examinations in Shanghai Huadong Hospital in 2021. Demographic characteristics, muscle mass, fat mass, bone mineral density, hand grip strength, gait speed, and serum indices of MST and FST were collected.Results:The serum levels of MST did not change significantly with age. However, the serum levels of FST increased with age. In women aged≥60 years, MST was positively correlated with total lean mass and appendicular skeletal muscle index(ASMI; r=0.236, P=0.041; r=0.289, P=0.014), while FST was negatively correlated with ASMI( r=-0.265, P=0.030). In multivariate stepwise regression analysis, after adjusting for age, body mass index, hip bone mineral density, and total fat mass, only FST was independently correlated with ASMI( β=-0.238, P=0.006), while MST was not correlated with ASMI. The receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted using muscle mass reduction as the state variable and serum FST level as the test variable. The area under the curve was 0.753. And when the FST cutoff value was 17.49 ng/mL, the maximum Jordan index was 0.46, with a sensitivity of 77.3% and a specificity of 68.7%. Women aged ≥60 years were divided into three groups based on serum FST levels. Compared to the upper third of the serum FST level group, the low third of the FST level group had a significantly reduced risk of suffering from sarcopenia( OR=0.098, P =0.036). Conclusions:Serum FST lever has a better correlation with muscle mass among elderly women, making it a promising biomarker for evaluating muscle mass.

Objectives:Analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) progressing to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Explore the risk factors for the progression from PAPS to SLE.Methods:The clinical data of 262 patients with PAPS enrolled in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from February 2005 to September 2021 were evaluated. Assessments included demographic data, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests (serum levels of complement, anti-nuclear antibodies, anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies), treatment, and outcomes. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to calculate the prevalence of SLE in patients with PAPS. Univariate Cox regression analysis was employed to identify the risk factors for PAPS progressing to SLE.Results:Among 262 patients with PAPS, 249 had PAPS (PAPS group) and 13 progressed to SLE (5.0%) (PAPS-SLE group). Univariate Cox regression analysis indicated that cardiac valve disease ( HR=6.360), positive anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies ( HR=7.203), low level of complement C3 ( HR=25.715), and low level of complement C4 ( HR=10.466) were risk factors for the progression of PAPS to SLE, whereas arterial thrombotic events ( HR=0.109) were protective factors ( P<0.05 for all). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the prevalence of SLE in patients suffering from PAPS with a disease course>10 years was 9%-15%. Hydroxychloroquine treatment had no effect on the occurrence of SLE in patients with PAPS ( HR=0.753, 95% CI 0.231-2.450, P=0.638). Patients with≥2 risk factors had a significantly higher prevalence of SLE compared with those with no or one risk factor (13-year cumulative prevalence of SLE 48.7% vs. 0 vs. 6.2%, P<0.001 for both). Conclusions:PAPS may progress to SLE in some patients. Early onset, cardiac-valve disease, positive anti-dsDNA antibody, and low levels of complement are risk factors for the progression of PAPS to SLE (especially in patients with≥2 risk factors). Whether application of hydroxychloroquine can delay this transition has yet to be demonstrated.