Genitourinary system tumors, as a major clinical challenge posing a serious threat to human health, urgently require breakthroughs in the construction of a precision diagnosis and treatment system. The innovative application of molecular imaging technologies, particularly the development of novel molecular probes, is revolutionizing the diagnostic and therapeutic paradigms for urinary tumors. The application of novel molecular probes in the early diagnosis and staging of genitourinary tumors, the role of multimodal molecular imaging probes in guiding precision surgery/radiotherapy, and the clinical translation challenges and strategies for theranostic-integrated probes are systematically reviewed in this article to provide valuable insights and references for related research and clinical practice.

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 systematically evaluate the incidence rate of low-level viremia(LLV)in chronic hepatitis B(CHB)patients and related influencing factors,and to provide evidence-based medicine evidence for effective intervention and prevention of LLV in clinical practice.Methods This study was conducted according to the PRISMA guideline,with a PROSPERO registration number of CRD42023455304.CNKI,Wanfang Data,VIP,SinoMed,PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,and the Cochrane library were searched for observational studies on LLV and related influencing factors in CHB patients published up to July 21,2023.Stata 16.0 software was used to perform the meta-analysis.Results A total of 12 articles were included,with a total sample size of 3408 cases,among whom there were 1181 patients with LLV.The meta-analysis showed that the incidence rate of LLV was 32.8%(95%confidence interval[CI]:27.6%—38.3%)in treatment-experienced CHB patients.High HBsAg quantification(odds ratio[OR]=2.107,95%CI:1.782—2.491,P<0.001),positive HBeAg(OR=3.258,95%CI:2.629—4.038,P<0.001),high HBV DNA level at baseline(OR=1.286,95%CI:1.157—1.430,P<0.001),and history of entecavir treatment(OR=3.089,95%CI:1.880—5.074,P<0.001)were risk factors for LLV;duration of antiviral therapy≥3 years(OR=0.175,95%CI:0.093—0.331,P<0.001)and high alanine aminotransferase level at baseline(OR=0.985,95%CI:0.978—0.992,P<0.001)were protective factors against LLV.The sensitivity analysis showed no significant change in effective value,suggesting that the results of the meta-analysis were relatively stable.The funnel plot of the studies included was basically symmetrical,and the results of the Egger's test and the Begg's test suggested that there was no obvious publication bias in the articles included.Conclusion Clinicians should guide decision making based on the influencing factors for LLV and related clinical evidence,so as to reduce long-term clinical risks and avoid adverse outcomes.

The incidence of osteoporotic thoracolumbar vertebral fracture (OTLVF) in the elderly is gradually increasing. The kyphotic deformity caused by various factors has become an important characteristic of OTLVF and has received increasing attention. Its clinical manifestations include pain, delayed nerve damage, sagittal imbalance, etc. Currently, the definition and diagnosis of OTLVF with kyphotic deformity in the elderly are still unclear. Although there are many treatment options, they are controversial. Existing guidelines or consensuses pay little attention to this type of fracture with kyphotic deformity. To this end, the Lumbar Education Working Group of the Spine Branch of the Chinese Medicine Education Association and Editorial Committee of Chinese Journal of Trauma organized the experts in the relevant fields to jointly develop Clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar vertebral fractures with kyphotic deformity in the elderly ( version 2024), based on evidence-based medical advancements and the principles of scientificity, practicality, and advanced nature, which provided 18 recommendations to standardize the clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of distal transradial access for cerebral angiography and neurointervention.Methods:The literature about distal transradial access for cerebral angiography and neurointervention were searched in PubMed, EMbase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang Data, and VIP database from January 2015 to September 2021. Two reviewers independently screened the literature and extracted data according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, evaluated the literature quality according to the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. The R 4.0.5 software was used for meta-analysis.Results:A total of 12 articles with 987 patients were enrolled. All the studies were retrospective design and did not compare with the results of proximal transradial access and transfemoral access. A meta-analysis of the operation success rate and complication rate using a fixed effect model showed that the operation success rate of distal transradial access was 96% (95% confidence interval 95%-97%), and the incidence of minor complications was 3% (95% confidence interval 2%-4%). One patient had serious complications.Conclusion:The distal transradial access is a safe and effective alternative approach for cerebral angiography and neurointervention.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of YKL-40 at admission on stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) and poor outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).Methods:Patients with AIS admitted to Taixing People’s Hospital from February 2020 to March 2021 were enrolled prospectively. The poor outcome was defined as 3-6 points on the modified Rankin Scale at 90 d after onset. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent predictors of SAP and poor outcome, and the predictive value of serum YKL-40 on SAP and poor outcome was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results:A total of 377 patients with AIS were enrolled. The median serum YKL-40 was 127.16 μg/L. One hundred and four patients (27.6%) had SAP, and 126 (33.4%) had poor outcomes at 90 d after onset. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, YKL-40 was the independent predictors of SAP (odds ratio [ OR] 1.005, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 1.003-1.008; P=0.001) and poor outcome at 90 d ( OR 1.009, 95% CI 1.006-1.011; P=0.001). The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of YKL-40 for predicting SAP was 0.769 (95% CI 0.713-0.824; P<0.001), the best cutoff value was 168.70 μg/L, and the sensitivity and specificity were 71.2% and 75.1% respectively; the area under the curve of YKL-40 for predicting poor outcome at 90 d was 0.787 (95% CI 0.735-0.840; P<0.001), the best cutoff value was 195.56 μg/L, and the sensitivity and specificity were 68.3% and 84.1% respectively. Conclusion:Higher serum YKL-40 at admission has a good predictive value for SAP and poor outcome at 90 d in patients with AIS.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between collateral circulation and infarct pattern and outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients with anterior circulation intracranial atherosclerosis.Methods:Acute ischemic stroke patients with anterior circulation intracranial atherosclerotic severe stenosis or occlusion admitted to the Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College from September 2018 to March 2020 were included prospectively. According to diffusion-weighted imaging, the infarct patterns were divided into perforator pattern, territorial pattern, watershed pattern, and mixed pattern. At 90 d after onset, the modified Rankin Scale was used to evaluate the outcome. 0-2 was defined as good outcome, and >2 was defined as poor outcome. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent influencing factors of clinical outcome. Results:A total of 89 patients were enrolled, 50 (56.2%) had good collateral circulation and 39 (43.8%) had poor collateral circulation. The distribution patterns of infarct: 22 patients (24.7%) were perforator pattern, 26 (29.2%) were territorial pattern, 17 (19.1%) were watershed pattern, and 24 (30.0%) were mixed pattern. The proportion of patients with good collateral circulation was 81.8%, 65.4%, 29.4% and 41.7%, respectively in the perforator pattern group, territorial pattern group, watershed pattern group, and mixed pattern group. Good collateral circulation was more common in the perforator pattern group, and poor collateral circulation was more common in the watershed pattern group. At 90 d after onset, 53 patients (59.6%) had a good outcome and 36 (40.4%) had a poor outcome. The baseline homocysteine level in the good outcome group was significantly lower than that in the poor outcome group (17.91±4.62 μmol/L vs. 20.35±4.67 μmol/L; t=2.436, P=0.017), and the proportion of patients with good collateral circulation was significantly higher than that of patients with poor outcome (73.6% vs. 30.6%; χ2=16.124, P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that higher homocysteine level was an independent risk factor for poor outcome (odds ratio 1.174, 95% confidence interval 1.061-1.298; P=0.002) and good collateral circulation was an independent protective factor for good outcome (odds ratio 0.095, 95% confidence interval 0.038-0.239; P<0.001). Conclusions:Good collateral circulation was more common in patients with perforator pattern, and poor collateral circulation was more common in patients with watershed pattern. Good collateral circulation was independently associated with the good clinical outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients with anterior circulation intracranial atherosclerosis.

Objective:To establish an air-pouch bladder cancer (APBCa) model and investigate whether it could be a new animal model to evaluate the efficacy of intravesical therapy through chemotherapeutics and BCG instillation.Methods:Filtered sterile air was injected subcutaneously into the backs of BALB/c Nude mice to create a 2.5 cm×3.5 cm air pouch. After 24 hours, human bladder cancer cells EJ were seeded on the inner face of the pouch wall to establish APBCa of human cancer (H-APBCa). Gemcitabine instillation was used to investigate whether chemotherapy could inhibit tumor growth in the H-APBCa model, and Tunel staining was used to verify the apoptosis of tumor cells 20-day treatment. Filtered sterile air was injected subcutaneously into the backs of C57BL/6 mice to create a 2.5 cm×3.5 cm air pouch. After 24 hours, mice bladder cancer cells MB49 were seeded on the inner face of the pouch wall to establish APBCa with intact immunity (I-APBCa). BCG instillation was used to investigate whether BCG could inhibit tumor growth in the APBCa model. Immunofluorescence was used to verify the infiltration of immune cells after 20-day treatment.Results:H-APBCa and I-APBCa mice models could be established by immune deficiency and intact mice. At day 20, chemotherapeutic instillation therapy could inhibit tumor growth (781.02±241.02 vs. 1213.88±214.02 mm 3, P<0.05) by inducing tumor cell apoptosis with statistically significant differences (77.33±4.63 vs. 14.67±2.60, P<0.05). BCG instillation was able to inhibit tumor growth (645.02±156.63 vs. 948.84±221.76, P<0.05) by increasing CD80 + macrophage (49.67±7.57 vs. 16.33±5.69, P<0.05) and T cells in the tumor with statistically significant differences (18.00±3.46 vs. 4.67±1.45, P<0.05). Conclusions:APBCa model could evaluate the efficacy of drug instillation and was expected to be a new animal model for studying drug for intravesical therapy.

Moyamoya disease ( MMD) is a progressive cerebrovascular disease with characteristics of ethnic susceptibility and familial aggregation. The pathological changes of slenosed vessels in MMD includc intima thickening,tunica media thinning,irregular undulation of the internal elastic laminae and lymphocytic infiltration The etiology and pathogenesis arc not completely clarified. It is presently thought that this disease is related to endothelial cells,smooth muscle cells,abnormal metabolism of extracellular matrix and inflammatory responses. This review will discuss,from genetic.cellular environmental and immunological perspectives,the specific roles of several genes in the development of MMD, including endothelial cell susceptibility gene ring finger protein 213,smooth muscle ccll susceptibility genes,extracellular matrix genes,angiogenesis factors and immune-related genes.

Objective: To compare the abdominal fat distribution in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) and essential hypertension (EH), and to analyze the correlation between abdominal fat area and indexes such as glycolipid metabolism and insulin resistance. Methods: Forty-five PA and 55 EH patients were collected from inpatients in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University for suspicious secondary hypertension, from September 2016 to February 2019. All patients received quantitative computed tomography to measure the total abdominal fat area (TFA), visceral fat area (VFA), and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) when receiving adrenal CT detection. Visceral obesity was defined as VFA≥130 cm². The percentage of visceral fat area in total abdominal fat area (V%=VFA/TFA), the ratio of visceral fat area to subcutaneous fat area (V/S=VFA/SFA) and the percentage of visceral obesity were calculated. Results: TFA and VFA in EH group were higher than those in PA group matched by age, gender, and body mass index (BMI, all P<0.01), and there were no statistically significant differences in SFA, V%, V/S, and the percentage of visceral obesity between the two groups. In PA group, TFA and VFA were positively correlated with homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index (P<0.01), TFA was positively correlated with triglycerides (TG) and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, while SFA was positively correlated with TG (all P<0.05). Conclusion Compared with EH patients matched by age, gender, and BMI, TFA and VFA in PA patients are lower. Abdominal fat area is associated with insulin resistance and blood lipids in PA patients, while VFA exerts a greater effect on insulin resistance than that of TFA and SFA.