Objective: To investigate the distribution patterns and risk factors for multidrug-resistant bacterial pulmonary infections in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) undergoing flap reconstruction surgery, and to provide evidence for infection prevention and treatment in this population. Methods: This study was approved by the institutional medical ethics committee. We retrospectively analyzed sputum culture results, antimicrobial susceptibility testing data, and clinical records of 109 OSCC patients undergoing flap reconstruction. Chi-square tests were employed to identify pathogens and risk factors for multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR) in postoperative pulmonary infections. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine MDR risk factors and establish a nomogram prediction model. The model’s discriminatory power, accuracy, and clinical utility were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: Among the 109 patients, 52 had negative sputum cultures and 57 tested positive, of whom 14 developed multidrug-resistant (MDR) pulmonary infections. Chi-square analysis revealed that blood transfusion, pre-existing pulmonary diseases, operation time ≥ 490 min, intraoperative blood loss ≥ 400 mL, and abnormal BMI were significant risk factors for postoperative MDR infections (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression identified pre-existing pulmonary diseases, intraoperative blood loss ≥ 400 mL, abnormal BMI, and operative duration ≥ 490 min as independent risk factors for MDR infections (P < 0.05). The nomogram prediction model for MDR infections demonstrated an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.874 (95% CI: 0.775-0.973). The calibration plot showed good agreement between predicted and observed outcomes. DCA indicated a net clinical benefit when the threshold probability for high-risk MDR infections ranged from 0.000 to 0.810. Common MDR pathogens included MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa, MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Conclusion Among OSCC patients undergoing flap reconstruction, MDR pulmonary infections were predominantly caused by gram-negative bacteria (including CRAB, MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae along with the gram-positive pathogen MRSA. Pre-existing pulmonary comorbidities, prolonged surgery duration (≥ 490 min), significant intraoperative blood loss (≥ 400 mL), and abnormal BMI were confirmed as independent risk factors for these MDR infections. The nomogram predictive model incorporating these four variables demonstrated clinically reliable accuracy in risk stratification for postoperative MDR pulmonary infections in this patient population.

This study investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of vanillic acid(VA) against cardiac fibrosis(CF) induced by isoproterenol(ISO) in mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group, VA group(100 mg·kg~(-1), ig), ISO group(10 mg·kg~(-1), sc), ISO + VA group(10 mg·kg~(-1), sc + 100 mg·kg~(-1), ig), ISO + dynamin-related protein 1(Drp1) inhibitor(Mdivi-1) group(10 mg·kg~(-1), sc + 50 mg·kg~(-1), ip), and ISO + VA + Mdivi-1 group(10 mg·kg~(-1), sc + 100 mg·kg~(-1), ig + 50 mg·kg~(-1), ip). The treatment groups received the corresponding medications once daily for 14 consecutive days. On the day after the last administration, cardiac functions were evaluated, and serum and cardiac tissue samples were collected. These samples were analyzed for serum aspartate aminotransferase(AST), lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), creatine kinase-MB(CK-MB), cardiac troponin I(cTnI), reactive oxygen species(ROS), interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) levels, as well as cardiac tissue catalase(CAT), glutathione(GSH), malondialdehyde(MDA), myeloperoxidase(MPO), superoxide dismutase(SOD), total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC) activities, and cytochrome C levels in mitochondria and cytoplasm. Hematoxylin-eosin, Masson, uranium acetate and lead citrate staining were used to observe morphological and mitochondrial ultrastructural changes in the cardiac tissues, and myocardial injury area and collagen volume fraction were calculated. Flow cytometry was applied to detect the relative content and M1/M2 polarization of cardiac macrophages. The mRNA expression levels of macrophage polarization markers [CD86, CD206, arginase 1(Arg-1), inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)], CF markers [type Ⅰ collagen(Coll Ⅰ), Coll Ⅲ, α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)], and cytokines(IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, TNF-α) in cardiac tissues were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of Coll Ⅰ, Coll Ⅲ, α-SMA, Drp1, p-Drp1, voltage-dependent anion channel(VDAC), hexokinase 1(HK1), NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein(ASC), caspase-1, cleaved-caspase-1, gasdermin D(GSDMD), cleaved N-terminal gasdermin D(GSDMD-N), IL-1β, IL-18, B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2), B-cell lymphoma-xl(Bcl-xl), Bcl-2-associated death promoter(Bad), Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), apoptotic protease activating factor-1(Apaf-1), pro-caspase-3, cleaved-caspase-3, pro-caspase-9, cleaved-caspase-9, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1(PARP-1), and cleaved-PARP-1 in cardiac tissues. The results showed that VA significantly improved cardiac function in mice with CF, reduced myocardial injury area and cardiac index, and decreased serum levels of AST, CK-MB, cTnI, LDH, ROS, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α. VA also lowered MDA and MPO levels, mRNA expressions of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α, and mRNA and protein expressions of Coll Ⅰ, Coll Ⅲ, and α-SMA in cardiac tissues, and increased serum levels of IL-4 and IL-10, cardiac tissue levels of CAT, GSH, SOD, and T-AOC, and mRNA expressions of IL-4 and IL-10. Additionally, VA ameliorated cardiac pathological damage, inhibited myocardial cell apoptosis, inflammatory infiltration, and collagen fiber deposition, reduced collagen volume fraction, and alleviated mitochondrial damage. VA decreased the ratio of F4/80~+CD86~+ M1 cells and the mRNA expressions of CD86 and iNOS in cardiac tissue, and increased the ratio of F4/80~+CD206~+ M2 cells and the mRNA expressions of CD206 and Arg-1. VA also reduced protein expressions of p-Drp1, VDAC, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, cleaved-caspase-1, GSDMD, GSDMD-N, IL-1β, IL-18, Bad, Bax, Apaf-1, cleaved-caspase-3, cleaved-caspase-9, cleaved-PARP-1, and cytoplasmic cytochrome C, and increased the expressions of HK1, Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, pro-caspase-3, pro-caspase-9 proteins, as well as the Bcl-2/Bax and Bcl-xl/Bad ratios and mitochondrial cytochrome C content. These results indicate that VA has a significant ameliorative effect on ISO-induced CF in mice, alleviates ISO-induced oxidative damage and inflammatory response, and its mechanism may be closely related to the inhibition of Drp1/HK1/NLRP3 and mitochondrial apoptosis signaling pathways, suppression of myocardial cell inflammatory infiltration and collagen fiber deposition, reduction of collagen volume fraction and CollⅠ, Coll Ⅲ, and α-SMA expressions, thus mitigating CF.
Animals ; Isoproterenol/adverse effects* ; Male ; Mice ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Vanillic Acid/administration & dosage* ; Dynamins/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Fibrosis/genetics* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics* ; Myocardium/metabolism* ; Humans

This study employed bioinformatics to screen the feature genes related to efferocytosis in diabetic kidney disease(DKD) and explores traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) regulating these feature genes. The GSE96804 and GSE30528 datasets were integrated as the training set, and the intersection of differentially expressed genes and efferocytosis-related genes(ERGs) was identified as DKD-ERGs. Subsequently, correlation analysis, protein-protein interaction(PPI) network construction, enrichment analysis, and immune infiltration analysis were performed. Consensus clustering was conducted on DKD patients based on the expression levels of DKD-ERGs, and the expression levels, immune infiltration characteristics, and gene set variations between different subtypes were explored. Eight machine learning models were constructed and their prediction performance was evaluated. The best-performing model was evaluated by nomograms, calibration curves, and external datasets, followed by the identification of efferocytosis-related feature genes associated with DKD. Finally, potential TCMs that can regulate these feature genes were predicted. The results showed that the training set contained 640 differentially expressed genes, and after intersecting with ERGs, 12 DKD-ERGs were obtained, which demonstrated mutual regulation and immune modulation effects. Consensus clustering divided DKD into two subtypes, C1 and C2. The support vector machine(SVM) model had the best performance, predicting that growth arrest-specific protein 6(GAS6), S100 calcium-binding protein A9(S100A9), C-X3-C motif chemokine ligand 1(CX3CL1), 5'-nucleotidase(NT5E), and interleukin 33(IL33) were the feature genes of DKD. Potential TCMs with therapeutic effects included Astragali Radix, Trionycis Carapax, Sargassum, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Curcumae Radix, and Alismatis Rhizoma, which mainly function to clear heat, replenish deficiency, activate blood, resolve stasis, and promote urination and drain dampness. Molecular docking revealed that the key components of these TCMs, including β-sitosterol, quercetin, and sitosterol, exhibited good binding activity with the five target genes. These results indicated that efferocytosis played a crucial role in the development and progression of DKD. The feature genes closely related to both DKD and efferocytosis, such as GAS6, S100A9, CX3CL1, NT5E, and IL33, were identified. TCMs such as Astragali Radix, Trionycis Carapa, Sargassum, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Curcumae Radix, and Alismatis Rhizoma may provide a new therapeutic strategy for DKD by regulating efferocytosis.
Humans ; Computational Biology ; Diabetic Nephropathies/physiopathology* ; Protein Interaction Maps ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Phagocytosis/genetics* ; Efferocytosis

BACKGROUND: Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) holds significant value in guiding drug-coated balloon (DCB) treatment and enhancing outcomes. However, the predictive capability of post-angioplasty QFR for long-term clinical events in patients with de novo lesions who receive DCB treatment remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to explore the potential significance of post-angioplasty QFR measurements in predicting clinical outcomes in patients underwent DCB treatment for de novo lesions. METHODS: Patients who underwent DCB-only intervention for de novo lesions were enrolled. QFR was conducted after DCB treatment. The patients were then categorized based on post-angioplasty QFR. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), encompassing all-cause death, cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and target vessel revascularization. RESULTS: A total of 553 patients with 561 lesions were included. The median follow-up period was 505 days, during which 66 (11.8%) MACEs occurred. Based on post-procedural QFR grouping, there were 259 cases in the high QFR group (QFR > 0.93) and 302 cases in the low QFR group (QFR ≤ 0.93). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significantly higher cumulative incidence of MACE in the low QFR group (log-rank P = 0.004). The multivariate Cox proportional hazards model demonstrated a significant inverse correlation between QFR and the occurrence of MACEs (HR = 0.522, 95%CI: 0.289-0.942, P = 0.031). Landmark analysis indicated that high QFR had a significant reducing effect on the cumulative incidence of MACEs within 1 year (log-rank P = 0.016) and 1-5 years (log-rank P = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS In patients who underwent DCB-only treatment for de novo lesions, higher post-procedural QFR values (> 0.93) were identified as an independent protective factor against adverse prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Tongmai Hypoglycemic Capsule (THC) on myocardium injury in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) rats. METHODS: A total of 24 Sprague Dawley rats were fed for 4 weeks with high-fat and high-sugar food and then injected with streptozotocin intraperitoneally for the establishment of the DCM model. In addition, 6 rats with normal diets were used as the control group. After modeling, 24 DCM rats were randomly divided into the model, L-THC, M-THC, and H-THC groups by computer generated random numbers, and 0, 0.16, 0.32, 0.64 g/kg of THC were adopted respectively by gavage, with 6 rats in each group. After 12 weeks of THC administration, echocardiography, histopathological staining, biochemical analysis, and Western blot were used to detect the changes in myocardial structure, oxidative stress (OS), biochemical indexes, protein expressions of myocardial fibrosis, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related faactor 2 (Nrf2) element, respectively. RESULTS: Treatment with THC significantly decreased cardiac markers such as creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase-MB, etc., (P<0.01); enhanced cardiac function indicators including heart rate, ejection fraction, cardiac output, interventricular septal thickness at diastole, and others (P<0.05 or P<0.01); decreased levels of biochemical indicators such as fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aspartate transaminase, (P<0.05 or P<0.01); and decreased the levels of myocardial fibrosis markers α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and collagen I (Col-1) protein (P<0.01), improved myocardial morphology and the status of myocardial interstitial fibrosis. THC significantly reduced malondialdehyde levels in model rats (P<0.01), increased levels of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione (P<0.01), and significantly increased the expression of Nrf2, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, heme oxygenase-1, and superoxide dismutase 2 proteins in the left ventricle of rats (P<0.01). CONCLUSION THC activates the Nrf2 signaling pathway and plays a protective role in reducing OS injury and cardiac fibrosis in DCM rats.
Animals ; Diabetic Cardiomyopathies/physiopathology* ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Myocardium/metabolism* ; Fibrosis ; Male ; Capsules ; Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; Rats ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/drug therapy*

Intestinal fibrosis is a significant clinical challenge in inflammatory bowel diseases, but no effective anti-fibrotic therapy is currently available. Glucagon receptor (GCGR) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP1R) are both peptide hormone receptors involved in energy metabolism of epithelial cells. However, their role in intestinal fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Herein GCGR and GLP1R were found to be reduced in the stenotic ileum of patients with Crohn's disease as well as in the fibrotic colon of mice with chronic colitis. The downregulation of GCGR and GLP1R led to the accumulation of the metabolic byproduct lactate, resulting in histone H3K9 lactylation and exacerbated intestinal fibrosis through epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Dual activating GCGR and GLP1R by peptide 1907B reduced the H3K9 lactylation in epithelial cells and ameliorated intestinal fibrosis in vivo. We uncovered the role of GCGR/GLP1R in regulating EMT involved in intestinal fibrosis via histone lactylation. Simultaneously activating GCGR/GLP1R with the novel dual agonist peptide 1907B holds promise as a treatment strategy for alleviating intestinal fibrosis.

Objective:To investigate the prognosis and the factors that influence it in patients with non-gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) who are at low risk of recurrence.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. Clinicopathologic and prognostic data from patients with non-gastric GISTs and at low risk of recurrence (i.e., very low-risk or low-risk according to the 2008 version of the Modified NIH Risk Classification), who attended 18 medical centers in China between January 2000 and June 2023, were collected. We excluded patients with a history of prior malignancy, concurrent primary malignancy, multiple GISTs, and those who had received preoperative imatinib. The study cohort comprised 1,571 patients with GISTs, 370 (23.6%) of whom were at very low-risk and 1,201 (76.4%) at low-risk of recurrence. The cohort included 799 (50.9%) men and 772 (49.1%) women of median age 57 (16–93) years. Patients were followed up to July 2024. The prognosis and its influencing factors were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curves for tumor diameter and Ki67 were established, and the sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC) and optimal cut-off value with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Propensity score matching was implemented using the 1:1 nearest neighbor matching method with a matching tolerance of 0.02.Results:With a median follow-up of 63 (12–267) months, the 5- and 10-year overall survival (OS) rates of the 1,571 patients were 99.5% and 98.0%, respectively, and the 5- and 10-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 96.3% and 94.4%, respectively. During postoperative follow-up, 3.8% (60/1,571) patients had disease recurrence or metastasis, comprising 0.8% (3/370) in the very low-risk group and 4.7% (57/1,201) in the low-risk group. In the low-risk group, recurrence or metastasis occurred in 5.5% (25/457) of patients with duodenal GISTs, 3.9% (25/645) of those with small intestinal GISTs, 9.2% (6/65) of those with rectal GISTs, and 10.0% (1/10) of those with colonic GISTs. Among the 60 patients with metastases, 56.7% (34/60) of the metastases were located in the abdominal cavity, 53.3% (32/60) in the liver, and 3.3% (2/60) in bone. During the follow-up period, 13 patients (0.8%) died of disease. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted for tumor diameter and Ki67 and assessed using the Jordon index. This showed that the difference in DFS between the two groups was statistically significant when the cutoff value for tumor diameter was 3.5 cm (AUC 0.731, 95% CI: 0.670–0.793, sensitivity 77.7%, specificity 64.1%). Furthermore, the difference in DFS between the two groups was statistically significant when the cutoff value for Ki67 was 5% (AUC 0.693, 95% CI: 0.624–0.762, sensitivity 60.7%, specificity 65.3%). Multifactorial analysis revealed that tumor diameter ≥3.5 cm, Ki67 ≥5%, and R1 resection were independent risk factors for DFS in patients with non-gastric GISTs at low risk of recurrence (all P<0.05). Furthermore, age >57 years, Ki67 ≥5%, and R1 resection were also independent risk factors for OS in patients with non-gastric GISTs at low risk of recurrence (all P<0.05). We also grouped the patients according to whether they had received postoperative adjuvant treatment with imatinib for 1 or 3 years. This yielded 137 patients in the less than 1-year group, 139 in the 1-year plus group; and 44 in both the less than 3 years and 3-years plus group. After propensity score matching for age, tumor diameter, Ki67, and resection status, the differences in survival between the two groups were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). The 10-year DFS and OS were 87.5% and 95.5%, respectively, in the group treated with imatinib for less than 1 year and 88.5% and 97.8%, respectively, in the group treated for more than 1 year. The 10-year DFS and OS were 89.6% and 92.6%, respectively, in the group treated with imatinib for less than 3 years and 88.0% and 100.0%, respectively, in the group treated with imatinib for more than 3 years. Conclusion:The overall prognosis of primary, non-gastric, low recurrence risk GISTs is relatively favorable; however, recurrences and metastases do occur. Age, tumor diameter, Ki67, and R1 resection may affect the prognosis. For some patients with low risk GISTs, administration of adjuvant therapy with imatinib for an appropriate duration may help prevent recurrence and improve survival.

A 5-year-old girl was admitted due to one episode of melena and one episode of hematemesis.Upon admission,gastroscopy revealed esophageal and gastric varices.Abdominal CT scan,MRI,and color Doppler ultrasound suggested cirrhosis,intrahepatic bile duct dilation,and bilateral kidney enlargement.Genetic testing identified compound heterozygous mutations in the PKHD1 gene:c.2264C>T(p.Pro755Leu)and c.1886T>C(p.Val629Ala).The c.2264C>T(p.Pro755Leu)mutation is a known pathogenic variant with previous reports,while c.1886T>C(p.Val629Ala)is a novel mutation predicted to have pathogenic potential according to Mutation Taster and PolyPhen2.The child was diagnosed with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease.In children presenting with gastrointestinal bleeding without obvious causes,particularly those with liver or kidney disease,consideration should be given to the possibility of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease,and genetic testing should be conducted for definitive diagnosis when necessary.

A boy,aged 14 years,was admitted due to recurrent cough and expectoration for more than 1 month,with aggravation and fever for 2 days. After admission,he presented with tachypnea and a significant reduction in transcutaneous oxygen saturation,and emergency chest CT examination showed large patchy exudation and consolidation of both lungs. The boy was given tracheal intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation immediately,and his condition was improved after active symptomatic treatment. On the 10th day of hospitalization,the boy experienced fever again,and the laboratory tests showed positive results for Epstein-Barr virus and Mycoplasma antibody IgM,along with pancytopenia,elevated triglycerides,decreased fibrinogen,and increased levels of ferritin and soluble CD25. The boy was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Bone marrow biopsy showed the presence of atypical lymphocytes,and aggressive natural killer cell leukemia was considered according to clinical manifestations and flow cytometry immunophenotype. Therefore,the possibility of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis should be suspected in case of severe infection with pancytopenia and rapid disease progression,and hematological malignancies should also be ruled out. Bone marrow biopsy should be performed as early as possible to make a confirmed diagnosis and perform timely treatment.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the treatment status of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in newly diagnosed patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in China.Methods:Data of chronic phase (CP) and accelerated phase (AP) CML patients diagnosed from January 2006 to December 2022 from 77 centers, ≥18 years old, and receiving initial imatinib, nilotinib, dasatinib or flumatinib-therapy within 6 months after diagnosis in China with complete data were retrospectively interrogated. The choice of initial TKI, current TKI medications, treatment switch and reasons, treatment responses and outcomes as well as the variables associated with them were analyzed.Results:6 893 patients in CP ( n=6 453, 93.6%) or AP ( n=440, 6.4%) receiving initial imatinib ( n=4 906, 71.2%), nilotinib ( n=1 157, 16.8%), dasatinib ( n=298, 4.3%) or flumatinib ( n=532, 7.2%) -therapy. With the median follow-up of 43 ( IQR 22-75) months, 1 581 (22.9%) patients switched TKI due to resistance ( n=1 055, 15.3%), intolerance ( n=248, 3.6%), pursuit of better efficacy ( n=168, 2.4%), economic or other reasons ( n=110, 1.6%). The frequency of switching TKI in AP patients was significantly-higher than that in CP patients (44.1% vs 21.5%, P<0.001), and more AP patients switched TKI due to resistance than CP patients (75.3% vs 66.1%, P=0.011). Multi-variable analyses showed that male, lower HGB concentration and ELTS intermediate/high-risk cohort were associated with lower cytogenetic and molecular responses rate and poor outcomes in CP patients; higher WBC count and initial the second-generation TKI treatment, the higher response rates; Ph + ACA at diagnosis, poor PFS. However, Sokal intermediate/high-risk cohort was only significantly-associated with lower CCyR and MMR rates and the poor PFS. Lower HGB concentration and larger spleen size were significantly-associated with the lower cytogenetic and molecular response rates in AP patients; initial the second-generation TKI treatment, the higher treatment response rates; lower PLT count, higher blasts and Ph + ACA, poorer TFS; Ph + ACA, poorer OS. Conclusion:At present, the vast majority of newly-diagnosed CML-CP or AP patients could benefit from TKI treatment in the long term with the good treatment responses and survival outcomes.