Background: Adrenocortical hormones, particularly 11-oxygenated androgens, are pivotal in female reproductive health and fertility. Standardized detection kits and population-specific reference intervals are lacking in China, hindering related clinical applications. Methods: A HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) pipeline was developed, rigorously validated, and applied to simultaneously quantify corticosterone, cortisone, cortisol, 18-OH cortisol, androstenedione (A4), 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione (11-OH A4), dehydroepiandrosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in serum samples from 455 reproductive-aged women (18–45 yrs) in Guangxi, China. Age-dependent concentration trends were analyzed, and reference intervals stratified by age (2.5th to 97.5th percentiles) were established. Correlations with body-composition metrics, ethnicity, and the menstrual cycle were investigated. Results: The HPLC-MS/MS method demonstrated high precision (intra- and inter-assay CVs < 15%), accuracy, and sensitivity. All eight hormones exhibited significant age-related declines (P < 0.001 for seven hormones; P = 0.001 for 11-OH A4). Notably, 11-OH A4 levels were significantly lower in the 35–45-yr (3.05 nmol/L) and 25–34-yr (3.09 nmol/L) age groups than in the 18–24-yr (3.57 nmol/L) age group, whereas no significant difference was observed between the 35–45-yr and 25–34-yr age groups. Weak negative correlations were observed between the body mass index and corticosterone and cortisone levels, whereas ethnicity and the menstrual cycle showed no significant associations with hormone levels. Conclusions We developed an HPLC-MS/MS-based method for simultaneously quantifying eight adrenocortical hormones, including 11-OH A4, and defined age-specific reference intervals for reproductive-aged Chinese women. These findings advance the clinical utility of adrenocortical hormones in diagnosing and managing reproductive disorders.

Objective To systematically evaluate the effects of total intravenous anesthesia and inhalational anesthesia on postoperative recovery in patients undergoing transsphenoidal pituitary tumor resection.Methods A comprehensive search was conducted in international biomedical databases including Ovid Medline,Embase,CINAHL(EBSCO),Cochrane Library,and Web of Science,from inception to July 4,2023.Additionally,ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched for ongoing and completed trials.The randomized controlled trials(RCT)comparing total intravenous anesthesia and inhalational anesthesia in patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary tumors were included.The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated by the Cochrane Collaboration tool.Relevant data were extracted and synthesized for analysis.Results A total of 327 records were identified,of which eight RCTs met the inclusion criteria.Four studies showed that the patients receiving desflurane or sevoflurane anesthesia experienced faster emergence from anesthesia than those receiving propofol.Two studies indicated that patients in the propofol group had lower levels of emergence agitation and a lower incidence of early postoperative nausea and vomiting.The results on postoperative cognitive function were inconsistent across studies.No differences were found between the groups in terms of postoperative complications or overall recovery quality during hospitalization.Conclusions Inhalational anesthesia appears to provide an advantage in promoting faster emergence following transsphenoidal pituitary surgery,whereas total intravenous anesthesia may contribute to smoother and more stable recovery.Further high-quality studies are needed to clarify the effects of different anesthetic techniques on both short- and long-term postoperative recovery.
Humans ; Anesthesia, Intravenous ; Pituitary Neoplasms/surgery* ; Anesthesia, Inhalation ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Anesthesia Recovery Period ; Pituitary Gland/surgery* ; Postoperative Period

RNA-binding protein human antigen R(HuR)is a protein product of the embryonic lethal abnormal vision gene(ELAVL).It is widely expressed in human cells and primarily regulates mRNA stability through post-transcriptional mecha-nisms,particularly by binding to AU-enriched elements(AR-Es).Recent studies have indicated that HuR interacts with non-coding RNAs to participate in the regulation of gene expression,including long non-coding RNAs,circular RNAs,microRNAs,and vault RNAs.The interactions between HuR and these ncR-NAs play a crucial role in the occurrence and development of va-rious diseases,including tumors.Since there are already reviews summarizing the research on tumors,this review mainly focuses on summarizing the role of HuR-ncRNA interactions in diseases other than tumors.

Traditional development of small protein scaffolds has relied on display technologies and mutation-based engineering, which limit sequence and functional diversity, thereby constraining their therapeutic and application potential. Protein design tools have significantly advanced the creation of novel protein sequences, structures, and functions. However, further improvements in design strategies are still needed to more efficiently optimize the functional performance of protein-based drugs and enhance their druggability. Here, we extended an evolution-based design protocol to create a novel minibinder, BindHer, against the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). It not only exhibits super stability and binding selectivity but also demonstrates remarkable properties in tissue specificity. Radiolabeling experiments with ^99mTc, ⁶⁸Ga, and ¹⁸F revealed that BindHer efficiently targets tumors in HER2-positive breast cancer mouse models, with minimal nonspecific liver absorption, outperforming scaffolds designed through traditional engineering. These findings highlight a new rational approach to automated protein design, offering significant potential for large-scale applications in therapeutic mini-protein development.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between physical activity and genetic risk and their combined effects on the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 318,085 biobank participants from the UK. Physical activity was assessed using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The participants were stratified into low-, intermediate-, and high-genetic-risk groups based on their polygenic risk scores. Multivariate Cox regression models and multiplicative interaction analyses were used. RESULTS: During a median follow-up period of 13 years, 9,209 participants were diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For low genetic risk, compared to low physical activity, the hazard ratios ( HRs) for moderate and high physical activity were 0.853 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: 0.748-0.972) and 0.831 (95% CI: 0.727-0.950), respectively. For intermediate genetic risk, the HRs were 0.829 (95% CI: 0.758-0.905) and 0.835 (95% CI: 0.764-0.914), respectively. For participants with high genetic risk, the HRs were 0.809 (95% CI: 0.746-0.877) and 0.818 (95% CI: 0.754-0.888), respectively. A significant interaction was observed between genetic risk and physical activity. CONCLUSION Moderate or high levels of physical activity were associated with a lower risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease across all genetic risk groups, highlighting the need to tailor activity interventions for genetically susceptible individuals.
Humans ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/epidemiology* ; Exercise ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Aged ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Risk Factors ; United Kingdom/epidemiology* ; Incidence ; Adult

ObjectiveTo analyze the expression level of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 （TREM-1） in serum and ascites of patients with cirrhotic ascites， and to investigate its correlation with clinical features and inflammatory markers and its role in the diagnosis of infection and prognostic evaluation. MethodsA total of 110 patients with cirrhotic ascites who were hospitalized in The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang from January 2019 to December 2020 were enrolled， and according to the presence or absence of intra-abdominal infection， they were divided into infection group with 72 patients and non-infection group with 38 patients. The patients with infection were further divided into improvement group with 38 patients and non-improvement group with 34 patients. Clinical data and laboratory markers were collected from all patients. Serum and ascites samples were collected， and ELISA was used to measure the level of TREM-1. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between multiple groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. A Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between indicators. A multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the influencing factors for the prognosis of patients with cirrhotic ascites and infection. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic efficacy of each indicator， and the Delong test was used for comparison of the area under the ROC curve （AUC）. ResultsThe level of TREM-1 in ascites was significantly positively correlated with that in serum （r=0.50， P<0.001）. Compared with the improvement group， the non-improvement group had a significantly higher level of TREM-1 in ascites （Z=-2.391， P=0.017） and serum （Z=-2.544， P=0.011）， and compared with the non-infection group， the infection group had a significantly higher level of TREM-1 in ascites （Z=-3.420， P<0.001）， while there was no significant difference in the level of TREM-1 in serum between the two groups （P>0.05）. The level of TREM-1 in serum and ascites were significantly positively correlated with C-reactive protein （CRP）， procalcitonin （PCT）， white blood cell count， and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio （r=0.288， 0.344， 0.530， 0.510， 0.534， 0.454， 0.330， and 0.404， all P<0.05）. The ROC curve analysis showed that when PCT， CRP， and serum or ascitic TREM-1 were used in combination for the diagnosis of cirrhotic ascites with infection， the AUCs were 0.715 and 0.740， respectively. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CRP （odds ratio ［OR］=1.019， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.001‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.038， P=0.043） and serum TREM-1 （OR=1.002， 95%CI： 1.000‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.003， P=0.016） were independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with cirrhotic ascites and infection， and the combination of these two indicators had an AUC of 0.728 in predicting poor prognosis. ConclusionThe level of TREM-1 is closely associated with the severity of infection and prognosis in patients with cirrhotic ascites， and combined measurement of TREM-1 and CRP/PCT can improve the diagnostic accuracy of infection and provide support for prognostic evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the potential causal relationship between intervertebral disc degeneration and certain autoimmune diseases. METHODS: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) data of 5 autoimmune diseases were obtained from large-scale GWAS databases. Data on internal vertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) were derived from the FinnGen consortium, which included 294, 770 controls and 41, 669 cases. A two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to investigate the potential causal relationship between the 5 autoimmune diseases and IVDD. Multiple analytical methods were adopted, including MR methods such as inverse variance weighting(IVW), MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and simple mode. Cochran's Q test, leave-one-out analysis, and MR-Egger intercept test were conducted to assess heterogeneity, robustness, and pleiotropy. For the robustness of the results, MR-PRESSO was used to detect outliers, and MR analysis was re-conducted after removing the outliers. RESULTS: The MR analysis results showed that there might be a bidirectional causal relationship between ankylosing spondylitis(AS) and IVDD:AS on IVDD, OR=1.038, 95%CI (1.024, 1.053), P=0.000;and IVDD on AS, OR=2.117, 95%CI(1.065, 4.207), P=0.032. There might be a positive correlation between IVDD and rheumatoid arthritis(RA) as well as systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE):IVDD on RA, OR=1.184, 95%CI(1.071, 1.309), P=0.001;and IVDD on SLE, OR=1.678, 95%CI(1.187, 2.372), P=0.003. There was no significant correlation between ulcerative colitis(UC), autoimmune thyroiditis(ATD) and IVDD. After removing outliers by MR-PRESSO and re-conducting MR analysis, the results did not change qualitatively. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the results were robust to potential sources of bias. CONCLUSION AS and IVDD may be risk factors for each other, and IVDD may be a potential risk factor for RA and SLE. These findings provide a basis for guiding the prevention and combined diagnosis and treatment of IVDD, AS, RA, and SLE, while the specific underlying mechanisms still require further experimental basic research.
Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration/etiology* ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Autoimmune Diseases/complications* ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing/genetics* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/genetics*

Objective To analyze the expression level of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1(TREM-1)in serum and ascites of patients with cirrhotic ascites,and to investigate its correlation with clinical features and inflammatory markers and its role in the diagnosis of infection and prognostic evaluation.Methods A total of 110 patients with cirrhotic ascites who were hospitalized in The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang from January 2019 to December 2020 were enrolled,and according to the presence or absence of intra-abdominal infection,they were divided into infection group with 72 patients and non-infection group with 38 patients.The patients with infection were further divided into improvement group with 38 patients and non-improvement group with 34 patients.Clinical data and laboratory markers were collected from all patients.Serum and ascites samples were collected,and ELISA was used to measure the level of TREM-1.The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups;the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups,and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between multiple groups;the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups.A Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between indicators.A multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the influencing factors for the prognosis of patients with cirrhotic ascites and infection.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic efficacy of each indicator,and the Delong test was used for comparison of the area under the ROC curve(AUC).Results The level of TREM-1 in ascites was significantly positively correlated with that in serum(r=0.50,P<0.001).Compared with the improvement group,the non-improvement group had a significantly higher level of TREM-1 in ascites(Z=-2.391,P=0.017)and serum(Z=-2.544,P=0.011),and compared with the non-infection group,the infection group had a significantly higher level of TREM-1 in ascites(Z=-3.420,P<0.001),while there was no significant difference in the level of TREM-1 in serum between the two groups(P>0.05).The level of TREM-1 in serum and ascites were significantly positively correlated with C-reactive protein(CRP),procalcitonin(PCT),white blood cell count,and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio(r=0.288,0.344,0.530,0.510,0.534,0.454,0.330,and 0.404,all P<0.05).The ROC curve analysis showed that when PCT,CRP,and serum or ascitic TREM-1 were used in combination for the diagnosis of cirrhotic ascites with infection,the AUCs were 0.715 and 0.740,respectively.The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CRP(odds ratio[OR]=1.019,95%confidence interval[CI]:1.001-1.038,P=0.043)and serum TREM-1(OR=1.002,95%CI:1.000-1.003,P=0.016)were independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with cirrhotic ascites and infection,and the combination of these two indicators had an AUC of 0.728 in predicting poor prognosis.Conclusion The level of TREM-1 is closely associated with the severity of infection and prognosis in patients with cirrhotic ascites,and combined measurement of TREM-1 and CRP/PCT can improve the diagnostic accuracy of infection and provide support for prognostic evaluation.

Paraplegia caused by spinal cord injury is a serious neurological complication, for which surgery is currently the main treatment method. Due to different surgical approaches, patients are usually expected to maintain a passive prone position for a long time or switch between the supine and prone positions. Affected by multiple factors such as neurogenic sensory disorders, pathological changes in muscle tone and operative duration, the risk of intraoperative acquired pressure injury (IAPI) is significantly increased. Current clinical prevention strategies for IAPI in these patients predominantly focus on localized pressure relief during positioning, lacking systematic, standardized comprehensive prevention protocols or evidence-based guidelines. To address it, Department of Nursing, Orthopedics Branch, China International Exchange and Promotive Association for Medical and Health Care, Spinal Trauma Professional Committee, Orthopedics Branch, Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Nursing Group of Spine and Spinal Cord Professional Committee of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine organized experts in relevant fields to formulate Guideline for the prevention of intraoperative acquired pressure injury in paraplegic patients with spinal cord injury ( version 2025), based on evidence-based medical evidence and latest research results and clinical practice at home and abroad. Eleven recommendations were put forward from the aspects of preoperative risk assessment, intraoperative prevention strategies, postoperative handover and monitoring, and supportive mechanisms for IAPI prevention, aiming to standardize the prevention measures and management strategies of IAPI in paraplegic patients with spinal cord injury and accelerate the recovery of patients and improve the therapeutic effect.

Objective:To analyze the short-term efficacy and safety of robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy（RAPN）for non-metastatic pathological stage T 3a renal cell carcinoma. Methods:The clinical and pathological data of 45 patients with pathologically confirmed non-metastatic T 3a renal cell carcinoma who underwent RAPN at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between January 2016 and December 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. There were 30 males and 15 females. The average age of the cohort was（54.3±10.7）years，and the average clinical tumor diameter was（4.9±1.8）cm. Of all the patients，35（77.8%）were asymptomatic，7（15.6%）presented with hematuria，and 3（6.7%）presented with lumbar pain. Preoperative imaging assessed 34 patients（75.6%）as having clinical stage T 3a，all suspected of involving the collecting system or perirenal fat invasion；the remaining 11 patients（24.4%）were assessed as having stage T 1-2 disease. The median R.E.N.A.L. nephrectomy score was 8.0（7.0，10.0）. A history of hypertension，diabetes，or chronic kidney disease was present in 18 patients（40.0%）. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival，and the secondary endpoints included postoperative complications and short-term renal function outcomes. Survival curve was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method，and renal function comparisons were made using the paired t-test. Results:The RAPN was performed through a transabdominal approach in 32 patients（71.1%），with a median estimated blood loss of 150.0（50.0，300.0）ml. Seven（15.6%）patients required intraoperative blood transfusion. The median length of postoperative hospital stay was 4.0（4.0，6.0）days. Postoperative complications occurred in 6 patients（13.3%），including 5（11.1%）with mild complications and 1（2.2%）with a severe complication. Renal function returned to baseline in 24 of 39 evaluable patients（61.5%），while 3 patients（7.7%）developed surgery-related chronic kidney disease 3 to 12 months postoperatively，but none required dialysis. The median follow-up time was 31.8（22.7，50.9）months，12（26.7%）patients received programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitor adjuvant therapy postoperatively. During follow-up，3 patients experienced tumor recurrence，the 3-year progression-free survival rate of the entire cohort was 95.4%.Conclusions:For some carefully selected patients with T 3a renal cell carcinoma，RAPN performed by experienced surgeons is a feasible and safe option，providing excellent short-term oncological outcomes，complication control，and renal function recovery. The long-term efficacy remains to be seen.