ObjectiveThis study explored the risk factors for malignant risks of pulmonary nodules based on clinical data，constructed an integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine model for predicting malignant risks of pulmonary nodules， and visualized the prediction results by using a nomogram. MethodsBased on a cross-sectional survey study design，patients with pulmonary nodules who were hospitalized in the Department of Respiratory and Cardiothoracic Surgery of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from April 2023 to January 2024 were included. The dataset was randomly divided into a training set and a validation set according to 7∶3. In the training set，predictive factors were selected through univariate Logistic regression analysis and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator （LASSO） regression analysis，and Logistic regression models were built. The discriminative ability，calibration，and clinical decision-making curves of the Western medicine model and the integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine prediction model were compared to select the optimal model，which was then visualized in a nomogram. ResultsThis study included a total of 366 patients，and they were divided into a training set （258 cases） and a validation set （108 cases）. Seven predictive factors were considered including age，preference for fatty and greasy foods，history of environmental or occupational exposure，Qi deficiency，Yang deficiency，nodule density，and nodule diameter. A Logistic regression model was constructed. A Western medicine model，defined as model1，was created using only age，history of environmental or occupational exposure，nodule density，and nodule diameter as predictive factors. In addition，an integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine model，defined as model2，was created by adding preference for fatty and greasy foods， Qi deficiency，and Yang deficiency as predictive factors. Model2 demonstrated better predictive performance in both the training and validation sets. Its accuracy in training set was 0.740，with precision of 0.825， recall of 0.829， F1 score of 0.827， the area under the curve （AUC）of 0.865 （95% confidence interval （CI）：0.815-0.915）， and a Brier score of 0.122. The accuracy in validation set was 0.731， with precision of 0.776， recall of 0.831， F1 score of 0.803， AUC of 0.852 （95%CI：0.776-0.927）， and a Brier score of 0.149. The calibration curve and decision-making curve analysis showed that this model exhibited good consistency and clinical utility in prediction. The equation for the malignant probability of pulmonary nodules was defined as p=eY/(1+eY)，where Y=-4.187+0.022×（age）+1.079×（history of environmental or occupational exposure）+0.718×（preference for fatty and greasy foods）+ 1.403×（Qi deficiency）+0.732×（Yang deficiency）+0.349×（pure ground glass density nodules）+1.304×（partially solid density nodules）+0.148×（nodule diameter）. A nomogram was used for intuitive representation. ConclusionThis study develops a comprehensive assessment model for the malignant risk of pulmonary nodules， which integrates factors from traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Embedding traditional Chinese medicine elements in the prediction model allows for a multidimensional assessment of relevant risk factors for nodule malignancy. This demonstrates good diagnostic performance and provides a reference for early identification of lung cancer.

Objective To explore the diagnosis and treatment strategies for elderly patients with ground-glass opacity (GGO). Methods The imaging features and postoperative pathological findings of the elderly patients with pulmonary GGO receiving surgery in our hospital from 2017 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into an elderly patient group and a non-elderly patient group based on their age. Results Finally 575 patients were included in the study. There were 281 elderly patients, including 83 males and 198 females, with an average age of (67.0±5.3) years. There were 294 non-elderly patients, including 88 males and 206 females, with an average age of (49.1±7.3) years. Compared with the non-elderly patients, elderly GGO patients showed the following distinct clinical features: long observation time for lesions (P=0.001), high proportion of rough edges of GGO (P<0.001), significant pleural signs (P＜0.001) and bronchial signs (P＜0.001), and high proportion of type Ⅱ-Ⅳ GGO (P<0.001), lobectomy type (P=0.013), and invasive lesions reported in postoperative pathology (P<0.001). There was no statistical difference in the average hospital stay between the two groups (P=0.106). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that GGO diameter and GGO type were the main factors affecting the operation. Observation time, GGO diameter, GGO type and pleural signs were the main influencing factors for postoperative pathological infiltrative lesions. The cut-off value of GGO diameter in predicting infiltrating lesions was 10.5 mm in the elderly patients group. Conclusion The size and type of GGO are important factors in predicting invasive lesions and selecting surgical methods. Elderly patients with radiographic manifestations of type Ⅱ-Ⅳ GGO lesions with a diameter greater than 10.5 mm should be closely followed up.

Background/Aims: Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (ERFA) is a treatment option for superficial esophageal squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN), with a relatively low risk of stenosis; however, the long-term outcomes remain unclear. We aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of patients with widespread superficial ESCN who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or ERFA. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with superficial ESCN who underwent ESD or ERFA between January 2015 and December 2021. The primary outcome measure was recurrence-free survival. Results: Ninety-two and 33 patients with superficial ESCN underwent ESD and ERFA, respectively. The en bloc, R0, and curative resection rates for ESD were 100.0%, 90.2%, and 76.1%, respectively. At 12 months, the complete response rate was comparable between the two groups (94.6% vs 90.9%, p=0.748). During a median follow-up of 66 months, recurrence-free survival was significantly longer in the ESD group than in the ERFA group (p=0.004), while no significant differences in overall survival (p=0.845) and disease-specific survival (p=0.494) were observed.Preoperative diagnosis of intramucosal cancer (adjusted hazard ratio, 5.55; vs high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia) was an independent predictor of recurrence. Significantly fewer patients in the ERFA group experienced stenosis compare to ESD group (15.2% vs 38.0%, p=0.016). Conclusions The risk of recurrence was higher for ERFA than ESD for ESCN but overall survival was not affected. The risk of esophageal stenosis was significantly lower for patients who underwent ERFA.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the cost-effectiveness of penpulimab combined with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in first-line treatment of advanced squamous non-small-cell lung cancer （sq-NSCLC）. METHODS From the perspective of Chinese health system， cost-utility analysis was used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of penpulimab combined with chemotherapy （paclitaxel + carboplatin） versus chemotherapy （paclitaxel + carboplatin） in first-line treatment of sq-NSCLC. A three-health states Markov model was constructed with R packages， and clinical data used in the model were derived from the AK105-302 clinical trial. Costs and utilities were collected from the open-access database and published literature. The quality-adjusted life-years （QALY） was used as the utility index， and the willingness-to-pay （WTP） threshold was set at three times China’s per capita GDP in 2024， equivalent to 287 247 yuan/QALY. The cost-effectiveness of the schemes was evaluated by comparing the incremental cost- utility ratios （ICER） of the two schemes with the WTP threshold. One-way sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis （PSA） were used to verify the stability of the basic analysis results. RESULTS Compared with chemotherapy， penpulimab combined with chemotherapy increased 0.73 QALY with an incremental cost of 150 681.93 yuan， and the ICER was 206 413.60 yuan/QALY. One-way sensitivity analysis showed that the utility of progression-free survival was the most sensitive factor on ICERs. At the WTP threshold of 3 times China’s per capita GDP， the economic probability of this scheme was 98.80%. At the WTP threshold of 1 times China’s per capita GDP， the probability of ICER being cost-effective was less than 0.01%. CONCLUSIONS For patients with advanced sq-NSCLC， penpulimab combined with chemotherapy is a cost-effective first-line treatment option when WTP threshold is 3 times China’s per capita GDP.

Background Manganese is an essential trace element for the human body and maintains normal development of many organs including the brain. However, long-term exposure to a high manganese environment or excessive manganese intake will lead to manganese poisoning and result in neurological diseases, and currently no effective treatment plan is available. Objective To develop an animal model for subchronic manganese exposure and assess the impact of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. alkaloids (DNLA) on manganese associated behavioral and hippocampal effects in rats. Methods Fifty male SPF SD rats were randomly allocated into a control group (0.9% normal saline by intraperitoneal injection), two experimental groups [7.5 mg·kg⁻¹ (low) or 15 mg·kg⁻¹ (high) of MnCl₂·4H₂O by intraperitoneal injection], and two DNLA antagonistic groups [15 mg·kg⁻¹ MnCl₂·4H₂O by intraperitoneal injection then either 20 mg·kg⁻¹ (low) or 40 mg·kg⁻¹ (high) DNLA by oral administration]. All groups of rats were adminaistered 5 d per wek, once a day, for consecutive 13 weeks. Following modeling, neurobehavioral assessments were conducted using open field, Morris water maze, and Y maze. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was utilized to measure manganese levels in the blood and brain tissues of the rats, and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was employed to examine neuronal morphological changes in the hippocampal tissues of the rats. Results The neurobehavioral tests revealed that the manganese-exposed rats exhibited decreased total movement distance, prolonged central zone dwelling time, and reduced motor activity in the open field test, indicating tendencies toward depression and anxiety (P<0.05). In the Y-maze test, the mean exploration distance in the novel arm, the number of entries into the novel arm, and the time spent in the novel arm of the managanses-exposed rats were all reduced, while the latency period increased, suggesting impaired spatial exploration and learning-memory functions (P<0.05). In the Morris water maze navigation test, the escape latency was significantly longer in the manganese-exposed rats compared to the control group, and the number of platform crossings decreased in the spatial probe test, indicating a significant decline in spatial learning and memory (P<0.05). The ICP-MS analysis showed elevated manganese concentrations in the blood and hippocampus of the exposed rats (P<0.05), and the histopathological observation revealed hippocampal damage. Following the DNLA intervention, the manganese-exposed rats showed increased total movement distance and reduced central zone dwelling time in the open field test (P<0.05). In the Y-maze test, the mean exploration distance in the novel arm, the number of entries into the novel arm, and the time spent in the novel arm increased, while the latency period decreased, suggesting alleviation of anxiety and improved exploratory behavior (P<0.05). In the Morris water maze test, the escape latency gradually shortened, and both the number of platform crossings and the percentage of time spent in the target quadrant increased, indicating improved spatial learning and memory (P<0.05). Additionally, the manganese levels in the blood and hippocampus decreased (P<0.05), and the hippocampal pathological changes were partially restored. Conclusion DNLA demonstrates the ability to counteract multiple neurotoxic effects following the elevation of manganese levels in the blood and hippocampal tissues of rats induced by subchronic manganese exposure. Specifically, DNLA is shown to ameliorate the behavioral alterations observed in rats after manganese exposure, and mitigate the hippocampal damage in manganese-exposed rats.

Background: s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. Results: In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). Conclusions Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

Background/Aims: Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (ERFA) is a treatment option for superficial esophageal squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN), with a relatively low risk of stenosis; however, the long-term outcomes remain unclear. We aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of patients with widespread superficial ESCN who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or ERFA. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with superficial ESCN who underwent ESD or ERFA between January 2015 and December 2021. The primary outcome measure was recurrence-free survival. Results: Ninety-two and 33 patients with superficial ESCN underwent ESD and ERFA, respectively. The en bloc, R0, and curative resection rates for ESD were 100.0%, 90.2%, and 76.1%, respectively. At 12 months, the complete response rate was comparable between the two groups (94.6% vs 90.9%, p=0.748). During a median follow-up of 66 months, recurrence-free survival was significantly longer in the ESD group than in the ERFA group (p=0.004), while no significant differences in overall survival (p=0.845) and disease-specific survival (p=0.494) were observed.Preoperative diagnosis of intramucosal cancer (adjusted hazard ratio, 5.55; vs high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia) was an independent predictor of recurrence. Significantly fewer patients in the ERFA group experienced stenosis compare to ESD group (15.2% vs 38.0%, p=0.016). Conclusions The risk of recurrence was higher for ERFA than ESD for ESCN but overall survival was not affected. The risk of esophageal stenosis was significantly lower for patients who underwent ERFA.

Background/Aims: Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (ERFA) is a treatment option for superficial esophageal squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN), with a relatively low risk of stenosis; however, the long-term outcomes remain unclear. We aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of patients with widespread superficial ESCN who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or ERFA. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with superficial ESCN who underwent ESD or ERFA between January 2015 and December 2021. The primary outcome measure was recurrence-free survival. Results: Ninety-two and 33 patients with superficial ESCN underwent ESD and ERFA, respectively. The en bloc, R0, and curative resection rates for ESD were 100.0%, 90.2%, and 76.1%, respectively. At 12 months, the complete response rate was comparable between the two groups (94.6% vs 90.9%, p=0.748). During a median follow-up of 66 months, recurrence-free survival was significantly longer in the ESD group than in the ERFA group (p=0.004), while no significant differences in overall survival (p=0.845) and disease-specific survival (p=0.494) were observed.Preoperative diagnosis of intramucosal cancer (adjusted hazard ratio, 5.55; vs high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia) was an independent predictor of recurrence. Significantly fewer patients in the ERFA group experienced stenosis compare to ESD group (15.2% vs 38.0%, p=0.016). Conclusions The risk of recurrence was higher for ERFA than ESD for ESCN but overall survival was not affected. The risk of esophageal stenosis was significantly lower for patients who underwent ERFA.

Background: s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. Results: In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). Conclusions Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

Background/Aims: Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (ERFA) is a treatment option for superficial esophageal squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN), with a relatively low risk of stenosis; however, the long-term outcomes remain unclear. We aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of patients with widespread superficial ESCN who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or ERFA. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with superficial ESCN who underwent ESD or ERFA between January 2015 and December 2021. The primary outcome measure was recurrence-free survival. Results: Ninety-two and 33 patients with superficial ESCN underwent ESD and ERFA, respectively. The en bloc, R0, and curative resection rates for ESD were 100.0%, 90.2%, and 76.1%, respectively. At 12 months, the complete response rate was comparable between the two groups (94.6% vs 90.9%, p=0.748). During a median follow-up of 66 months, recurrence-free survival was significantly longer in the ESD group than in the ERFA group (p=0.004), while no significant differences in overall survival (p=0.845) and disease-specific survival (p=0.494) were observed.Preoperative diagnosis of intramucosal cancer (adjusted hazard ratio, 5.55; vs high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia) was an independent predictor of recurrence. Significantly fewer patients in the ERFA group experienced stenosis compare to ESD group (15.2% vs 38.0%, p=0.016). Conclusions The risk of recurrence was higher for ERFA than ESD for ESCN but overall survival was not affected. The risk of esophageal stenosis was significantly lower for patients who underwent ERFA.