OBJECTIVES: To investigate the expression of parathyroid hormone-like hormone (PTHLH) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and analyze its correlation with clinical prognosis, its regulatory effects on HCC cell behaviors, and the signaling pathways mediating its effects. METHODS: We analyzed the differential expression of PTHLH in HCC and adjacent tissues and its association with patient prognosis based on data from TCGA and GEO databases and from 70 HCC patients treated in our hospital. The effects of PTHLH knockdown and overexpression on proliferation, migration, and invasion of cultured HCC cells were investigated using CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, Transwell migration and invasion assays, and the signaling pathways activated by PTHLH were detected using Western blotting. RESULTS: TCGA and GEO database analysis showed significant overexpression of PTHLH mRNA in HCC tissues, which was associated with poor prognosis of the patients (P<0.05). High PTHLH mRNA expression was a probable independent prognostic risk factor for HCC (P<0.05). In the clinical samples, PTHLH mRNA and protein expressions were significantly higher in HCC tissues than in the adjacent tissues (P<0.001 or 0.01). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses suggested that high PTHLH mRNA expression was an independent risk factor to affect postoperative disease-free survival of HCC patients (P<0.05). The prognostic prediction model based on PTHLH mRNA expression showed an improved accuracy for predicting the risk of postoperative recurrence in HCC patients. In cultured HCC cells, PTHLH overexpression significantly promoted cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion, and caused activation of the ERK/JNK signaling pathway in Huh7 and Hep3B cells. CONCLUSIONS High PTHLH expression promotes HCC progression and is associated with poor patient prognosis. Its pro-tumor effects may be mediated by activation of the ERK/JNK signaling pathway.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism* ; Liver Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Prognosis ; Cell Proliferation ; Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein/genetics* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; Disease Progression ; Signal Transduction ; Male ; RNA, Messenger/genetics* ; Female

Objective:To explore the diagnostic key points, treatment strategies, and prognosis of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after liver transplantation.Methods:The clinical data of 5 recipients diagnosed with GVHD after liver transplantation at the Liver Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from May 1999 to October 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. The causes, onset, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of GVHD after liver transplantation were summarized and analyzed. Literature was searched in CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Chinese Medical Journal Full-text Database, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using the Chinese keywords "移植物抗宿主病+肝移植", and the English keywords "graft versus host disease + liver transplantation". The search time ranged from January 1988 to January 2025. Inclusion criteria for the literature: (1) meeting the clinical or pathological diagnostic criteria of GVHD after liver transplantation; (2) recipient age >18 years; (3) case number ≥2. Exclusion criteria: incomplete clinical data such as incidence, mortality, and clinical manifestations of GVHD after liver transplantation. The retrieved literature was reviewed.Results:All 5 recipients were male. Among them, 4 cases underwent liver transplantation at this center. The incidence of GVHD after liver transplantation in this center was 0.46% (4/872). All 5 cases developed symptoms such as fever, rash, diarrhea, oral ulcers, and pancytopenia on the 19th (5-21) day after liver transplantation. One case had gastrointestinal bleeding. Two cases were diagnosed by skin pathological biopsy, and three cases were diagnosed based on clinical manifestations such as fever, rash, diarrhea, and bone marrow suppression. One case discontinued immunosuppressants, and four cases reduced the dosage of immunosuppressants. Four cases were treated with high-dose glucocorticoids, four with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), three with ruxolitinib, and three with hematopoietic factors. All five cases received protective isolation, anti-infection, and symptomatic supportive treatment. Among the three recipients treated with ruxolitinib, body temperature returned to normal, rash gradually faded, oral ulcers gradually healed, blood cells returned to normal, and they were eventually discharged after recovery. The remaining two cases showed no symptom improvement and died of severe lung infection and multiple organ failure. Literature review A total of 34 articles were included. The incidence of GVHD after liver transplantation was 1.03% (279/27 018), and the onset time ranged from 7 to 1,865 days post-transplantation; 272 cases (97.49%) occurred within 1-8 weeks. The main clinical manifestations included fever (195 cases, 69.89%), rash (267 cases, 95.70%), diarrhea (173 cases, 62.01%), and bone marrow suppression (214 cases, 76.70%). Treatment mainly involved adjustment of immunosuppressants (201 cases, 72.04%), high-dose corticosteroids (215 cases, 77.06%), and IVIG pulse therapy (146 cases, 52.33%). In the end, 83 cases (29.75%) recovered and were discharged, while the mortality rate was 70.25% (196/279), with causes of death including infection, gastrointestinal bleeding, and multiple organ failure.Conclusions:GVHD after liver transplantation has a low incidence, high mortality, and poor prognosis. Diagnosis mainly relies on typical clinical manifestations and pathological results of tissue biopsy. Early administration of high-dose corticosteroids combined with IVIG pulse therapy, timely reduction or discontinuation of immunosuppressants, use of ruxolitinib, active infection management, and enhanced symptomatic and supportive care are effective strategies for treating GVHD after liver transplantation.

Objective:To investigate the clinical application of ultrasound-guided cervical plexus block combined with superior laryngeal nerve block in tracheotomy for burn patients.Methods:A total of 88 burn patients who underwent tracheotomy from January 2022 to December 2022 were divided into observation group(44 cases)and matched group(44 cases).The matched group received conventional general anesthesia,while the observation group underwent ultrasound-guided cervical plexus block combined with superior laryngeal nerve block.The operation time,anesthetic effect,intraoperative hemodynamic parameters,postoperative complications,and patient satisfaction were compared.Results:The surgery time in the observation group was shorter than that in the matched group(P＜0.05).The anesthetic effect in the observation group was superior to that in the matched group,with more stable intraoperative hemodynamics,and smaller fluctuations in heart rate and mean arterial pressure(P＜0.05).The incidence of postoperative cough reflex,hoarseness,postoperative pain score,and respiratory complications in the observation group were lower than those in the matched group(P＜0.05).Patient satisfaction in the observation group was higher than that in the matched group(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Ultrasound-guided cervical plexus block combined with superior laryngeal nerve block for tracheotomy in burn patients can effectively improve anesthetic effect,reduce operation time,stabilize intraoperative hemodynamics,reduce postoperative complications,and improve patient satisfaction,which is worthy of clinical application.

BACKGROUND: China is seeing a growing demand for rehabilitation treatments for post-stroke upper limb spastic paresis (PSSP-UL). Although acupuncture is known to be effective for PSSP-UL, there is room to enhance its efficacy. OBJECTIVE: This study explored a semi-personalized acupuncture approach for PSSP-UL that used three-dimensional kinematic analysis (3DKA) results to select additional acupoints, and investigated the feasibility, efficacy and safety of this approach. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: This single-blind, single-center, randomized, controlled trial involved 74 participants who experienced a first-ever ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke with spastic upper limb paresis. The participants were then randomly assigned to the intervention group or the control group in a 1:1 ratio. Both groups received conventional treatments and acupuncture treatment 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The main acupoints in both groups were the same, while participants in the intervention group received additional acupoints selected on the basis of 3DKA results. Follow-up assessments were conducted for 8 weeks after the treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) response rate (≥ 6-point change) at week 4. Secondary outcomes included changes in motor function (FMA-UE), Brunnstrom recovery stage (BRS), manual muscle test (MMT), spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale, MAS), and activities of daily life (Modified Barthel Index, MBI) at week 4 and week 12. RESULTS: Sixty-four participants completed the trial and underwent analyses. Compared with control group, the intervention group exhibited a significantly higher FMA-UE response rate at week 4 (χ² = 5.479, P = 0.019) and greater improvements in FMA-UE at both week 4 and week 12 (both P < 0.001). The intervention group also showed bigger improvements from baseline in the MMT grades for shoulder adduction and elbow flexion at weeks 4 and 12 as well as thumb adduction at week 4 (P = 0.007, P = 0.049, P = 0.019, P = 0.008, P = 0.029, respectively). The intervention group showed a better change in the MBI at both week 4 and week 12 (P = 0.004 and P = 0.010, respectively). Although the intervention group had a higher BRS for the hand at week 12 (P = 0.041), no intergroup differences were observed at week 4 (all P > 0.05). The two groups showed no differences in MAS grades as well as in BRS for the arm at weeks 4 and 12 (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Semi-personalized acupuncture prescription based on 3DKA results significantly improved motor function, muscle strength, and activities of daily living in patients with PSSP-UL. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2200056216. Please cite this article as: Huang XY, Liao OP, Jiang SY, Tao JM, Li Y, Lu XY, Li YY, Wang C, Li J, Ma XP. Three-dimensional kinematic analysis can improve the efficacy of acupoint selection for post-stroke patients with upper limb spastic paresis: A randomized controlled trial. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 15-24.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Points ; Upper Extremity/physiopathology* ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Single-Blind Method ; Aged ; Stroke/therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Stroke Rehabilitation/methods* ; Adult ; Muscle Spasticity/therapy* ; Paresis/physiopathology* ; Treatment Outcome

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) remains a major challenge in psychiatric clinical practice. However, there is still substantial controversy in the academic community regarding how to define and assess it, and treat and manage these patients effectively. This paper reviews the evolution of the concept of "treatment resistance"in depression with a particular focus on comparing the conventional concept of TRD with the recently proposed concept of "Difficult-to-Treat Depression (DTD)". It explores the underlying rationale and logic behind this conceptual shift, and discusses the practical challenges associated with implementing the "DTD" framework in clinical practice. Finally, the paper provides targeted recommendations to address these challenges, aiming to serve as a reference for psychiatric clinicians and researchers in China.

Anticipatory anxiety is a negative emotion that arises when individuals encounter potential threats or uncertainties in the future. It is the core symptom of a variety of anxiety disorders, and is closely associated with the occurrence, severity, treatment outcome, and prognosis of anxiety disorders, which has garnered a growing amount of focus in clinical practice. Nevertheless, scientific research on anticipatory anxiety continues to face obstacles such as unclear pathological mechanisms, the absence of simple and consistent self-assessment tools, and effective interventions. To improve understanding of the role of anticipatory anxiety in the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders, this study reviews pertinent domestic and international literature, and briefly introduces the concept, assessment and measurement, activation paradigm, pathological mechanisms, and interventions of anticipatory anxiety.

Objective To obtain tree shrew Vasorin(VASN)recombinant protein through prokaryotic expression and purification,prepare monoclonal antibody against tree shrew VASN by immunizing mice with this protein,and preliminarily evaluate its application value.Methods Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)was used to amplify the full-length sequence of tree shrew VASN gene in vitro.The tree shrew VASN gene fragment was inserted into pET-30a vector to construct pET-30a-VASN recombinant plasmid.The recombinant plasmid was subjected to double digestion with BamH Ⅰ and Sal Ⅰfor identification,and its correctness was further verified by sequencing.The recombinant plasmid with correct sequencing was transformed into BL21(DE3)competent cells,and isopropyl β-D-thiogalactoside(IPTG)was used to induce expression of VASN recombinant protein.Proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE),and the VASN recombinant protein was purified by KCI.Purified recombinant protein was used to immunize BALB/c mice for four times,and serum antibody titer was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Splenocytes from mice with serum antibody titer above 1:10 000 were used for cell fusion with myeloma cells.Hypoxanthine-aminopterin-thymidine(HAT)culture medium was first used to screen hybridoma cells.ELISA was used to screen positive hybridoma cell lines that could secrete specific antibodies,and monoclonal hybridoma cell lines were obtained by limiting dilution method.VASN monoclonal antibodies were prepared in large quantities by ascites induction method,purified using rProtein G,and the affinity and in vitro reaction specificity of the monoclonal antibodies were detected by ELISA and Western blotting.Results The full-length sequence of the tree shrew VASN gene was successfully amplified and the recombinant plasmid vector of tree shrew pET-30a-VASN was constructed.The sequence obtained by sequencing of the recombinant plasmid vector was identical to the tree shrew VASN target gene sequence.Recombinant protein VASN mainly existed in the form of inclusion bodies,and the purity after purification reached 90％,meeting the requirements of subsequent immunization experiments.After four immunizations with recombinant protein VASN,mouse serum antibody titer reached 1:729 000.Monoclonal positive hybridoma cell lines were obtained through ascites induction and purification,and the constant affinity value of monoclonal antibodies measured by ELISA reached 2.59x107 L/mol.Western blotting results showed that the tree shrew VASN monoclonal antibody could bind to tree shrew VASN recombinant protein,but it showed no binding reaction with porcine retinol-binding protein 4 recombinant protein,human VASN-leucine rich repeat recombinant protein,or bovine serum albumin.Anti-tree shrew VASN monoclonal antibody could specifically recognize VASN protein in tree shrew heart,liver,spleen,lung,kidney and muscle,with clear bands and clean background.Immunohistochemical detection results showed that this monoclonal antibody could recognize VASN protein in tree shrew spleen,lung,and tree shrew immortalized fibroblasts with high VASN mRNA expression levels,and the detection results were positive.Conclusion Monoclonal antibody against tree shrew VASN is successfully prepared.This antibody can be used for immunohistochemical detection of tree shrew immortalized fibroblasts,spleen tissue,and lung tissue,providing an important tool for further research on the function of VASN in tree shrew models.

Objective To obtain tree shrew Vasorin(VASN)recombinant protein through prokaryotic expression and purification,prepare monoclonal antibody against tree shrew VASN by immunizing mice with this protein,and preliminarily evaluate its application value.Methods Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)was used to amplify the full-length sequence of tree shrew VASN gene in vitro.The tree shrew VASN gene fragment was inserted into pET-30a vector to construct pET-30a-VASN recombinant plasmid.The recombinant plasmid was subjected to double digestion with BamH Ⅰ and Sal Ⅰfor identification,and its correctness was further verified by sequencing.The recombinant plasmid with correct sequencing was transformed into BL21(DE3)competent cells,and isopropyl β-D-thiogalactoside(IPTG)was used to induce expression of VASN recombinant protein.Proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE),and the VASN recombinant protein was purified by KCI.Purified recombinant protein was used to immunize BALB/c mice for four times,and serum antibody titer was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Splenocytes from mice with serum antibody titer above 1:10 000 were used for cell fusion with myeloma cells.Hypoxanthine-aminopterin-thymidine(HAT)culture medium was first used to screen hybridoma cells.ELISA was used to screen positive hybridoma cell lines that could secrete specific antibodies,and monoclonal hybridoma cell lines were obtained by limiting dilution method.VASN monoclonal antibodies were prepared in large quantities by ascites induction method,purified using rProtein G,and the affinity and in vitro reaction specificity of the monoclonal antibodies were detected by ELISA and Western blotting.Results The full-length sequence of the tree shrew VASN gene was successfully amplified and the recombinant plasmid vector of tree shrew pET-30a-VASN was constructed.The sequence obtained by sequencing of the recombinant plasmid vector was identical to the tree shrew VASN target gene sequence.Recombinant protein VASN mainly existed in the form of inclusion bodies,and the purity after purification reached 90％,meeting the requirements of subsequent immunization experiments.After four immunizations with recombinant protein VASN,mouse serum antibody titer reached 1:729 000.Monoclonal positive hybridoma cell lines were obtained through ascites induction and purification,and the constant affinity value of monoclonal antibodies measured by ELISA reached 2.59x107 L/mol.Western blotting results showed that the tree shrew VASN monoclonal antibody could bind to tree shrew VASN recombinant protein,but it showed no binding reaction with porcine retinol-binding protein 4 recombinant protein,human VASN-leucine rich repeat recombinant protein,or bovine serum albumin.Anti-tree shrew VASN monoclonal antibody could specifically recognize VASN protein in tree shrew heart,liver,spleen,lung,kidney and muscle,with clear bands and clean background.Immunohistochemical detection results showed that this monoclonal antibody could recognize VASN protein in tree shrew spleen,lung,and tree shrew immortalized fibroblasts with high VASN mRNA expression levels,and the detection results were positive.Conclusion Monoclonal antibody against tree shrew VASN is successfully prepared.This antibody can be used for immunohistochemical detection of tree shrew immortalized fibroblasts,spleen tissue,and lung tissue,providing an important tool for further research on the function of VASN in tree shrew models.

Objective To investigate the cerebro protective effect of pre-filled sivelestat sodium during cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB)in patients with valve replacement surgery.Methods From January 2022 to December 2023,104 patients were included and randomly divided into experimental group(n=54)and control group(n=50).The sivelestat sodium 4.8mg/kg was mixed to the pre-filled solutions for CPB in experimental group,while an equal amount of physiological saline solution was mixed in control group.Internal jugular venous blood was collected 5 minutes after anesthesia induction and 10 minutes,4 hours,24 hours,and 72 hours after the aortic cross-clamp was released to detect plasma S-100 protein and interleukin(IL)-6 concentrations.Data on operation time,CPB time,mean arterial pressure,and hematocrit were also recorded.Results There were no statistical differences in operation time,CPB time,assisted circulation time,mean arterial pressure,and hematocrit between two groups(P＞0.05).After anesthesia,there were no significant differences in S-100 protein and IL-6 between two groups(P＞0.05).After,the plasma concentrations of S-100 protein and IL-6 increased in both groups,but the concentrations of S-100 protein and IL-6 in experimental group were significantly lower than those in control group at early stages(10 minutes,4 hours,24 hours)after the aortic cross-clamp was released(P＜0.05).Conclusion Sivelestat sodium,as a cerebro protective drug in CPB heart surgery,can reduce the levels of S-100 protein and IL-6,demonstrating a protective effect on central nervous cells.