Extracellular vesicles (EVs), nanoscale lipid bilayer vesicles actively secreted by organisms into the extracellular environment, are rich in specific bioactive substances, such as proteins, genetic materials and lipids. These vesicles are involved in intercellular interactions and can pass through the blood-brain barrier, and may thus potentially serve as important biological substances for treatment of neurological diseases. In this review, we summarize the biological origin of EVs and their therapeutic potential in neurological diseases, expound the possibility of EV-based treatment of neurological diseases using traditional Chinese medicine, and discuss the challenges and prospects of researches of EVs for the treating neurological diseases.
Extracellular Vesicles ; Humans ; Nervous System Diseases/therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Objective To explore the impact of preoperative fibrinogen levels on the 1-year adverse outcomes after endovascular revascularization in patients with diabetes complicated with lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans(LEASO).Methods We collected the baseline clinical data of 289 patients with diabetes complicated with LEASO,who were admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from May 2020 to December 2022 for endovascular revascularization.All patients were followed up for 13 to 24 months after interventional therapy,with the follow-up information including major adverse cardiovascular events(MACEs)such as all-cause death,acute myocardial infarction and acute stroke,as well as major adverse lower extremity events(MALEs)such as rest pain in the lower extremities,ulcers or skin defects,gangrene,reocclusion and amputation.A multivariable Cox regression model was used to analyze the related risk factors for adverse outcomes 1 year after endovascular revascularization in patients with diabetes complicated with LEASO,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were constructed to evaluate the predictive efficacy and optimal cutoff value of fibrinogen levels for endpoint events,and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were drawn.Sensitivity analysis was made to assess the differences in the impact of fibrinogen on endpoint events across various subgroups.Results We recruited a total of 289 patients(55 patients in MACEs and 234 in non-MACEs;68 patients in MALEs and 221 in non-MALEs),with a mean age of 67.6±9.3 years,including 215 males.Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that elevated plasma fibrinogen was an independent risk factor for MACEs(HR=1.250,95％CI:1.053-1.484,P=0.011)and all-cause death(HR=1.297,95％CI:1.030-1.633,P=0.027)in the cohort followed up 1 year after interventional therapy,but had no significant impact on the occurrence of MALEs(P=0.625).Baseline plasma fibrinogen level 4.32 g/L was the optimal cutoff value for predicting MACEs(sensitivity=0.673,95％CI:0.582-0.767;specificity=0.688,95％CI:0.562-0.775)and all-cause death(sensitivity=0.679,95％CI:0.483-0.880;specificity=0.651,95％CI:0.465-0.755).The AUC for predicting MACEs and all-cause death after interventional therapy was 0.652(95％CI:0.564 2-0.739 1)and 0.619(95％CI:0.507-0.733),respectively.After a median follow-up of 14.03 months,patients with preoperative fibrinogen level ≥ 4.32 g/L had a significantly higher risk of MACEs and all-cause death compared to patients with preoperative fibrinogen＜4.32 g/L(P＜0.001),and there were no significant differences in different subgroups,including gender(male/female,interaction P=0.836),age(＜65 years/≥65 years,interaction P=0.211),smoking status(never smoked/current or former smoker,interaction P=0.779),chronic kidney disease(yes/no,interaction P=0.360),and heart failure(yes/no,interaction P=0.114).Conclusion Preoperative plasma fibrinogen≥4.32 g/L is an effective indicator for predicting MACEs and all-cause mortality following endovascular revascularization in patients with diabetes and LEASO.

Objective:To analyze the clinical and endoscopic features of elderly patients with early gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms(g-NEN)to provide insights for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:Seven cases of early-stage g-NEN in elderly patients admitted to Beijing Hospital from May 2020 to October 2024 were reported.Information including patient demographics, medical history, laboratory findings, endoscopic features, and pathological results was summarized an analyzed.Meanwhile, a literature review was conducted on g-NEN cases reported domestically and internationally from the establishment of databases to April 2025, with a comparative analysis of baseline characteristics, background mucosal conditions, and pathological diagnoses.Results:A total of 7 elderly patients with early g-NEN were included, including 3 males and 4 females, with an average age of 67 years at diagnosis.Endoscopic and pathological features: endoscopic lesions were mainly located on the greater curvature of the stomach, mostly slightly elevated, with 4/7(57.1%)being single lesions and the others accompanied by multiple polyps.The size of gastric neuroendocrine tumor(g-NET) lesions ranged from 1 mm to 19 mm, with a median Kyoto gastritis score of 3.In terms of pathological grading, there were 6 cases of G1 and 1 case of gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma(g-NEC). All 7 patients underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD). The follow-up period after surgery ranged from 3 months to 4 years, and no tumor was found at the vertical and horizontal margins of all lesions on pathology.A literature review of 32 reported cases showed that 40.6%(13/32)of cases exhibited background mucosal atrophy or intestinal metaplasia, with positive rates of chromogranin A(CgA) and synapsin(Syn)reaching 95.8%(23/24) and 100.0%(25/25), respectively.Notably, elderly patients with g-NEC demonstrated aggressive invasiveness, with a metastasis rate of 62.5%(5/8).Conclusions:Elderly patients with g-NEN exhibit high heterogeneity and significant differences in invasiveness, necessitating heightened clinical vigilance.Precise management should integrate background mucosal status, Kyoto gastritis score, pathological biomarkers, and imaging techniques.Blue laser imaging with magnifying endoscopy(BLI-ME)and endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS)can further analyze the characteristics of these tumors, and endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)remains the primary treatment modality for early-stage g-NEN.

Objective:To analyze the differences in endoscopic and pathological features in autoimmune gastritis (AIG) patients with and without Helicobacter pylori ( HP) infection, and to explore the effects of HP on the clinical manifestations and disease development in AIG patients. Methods:From January 2022 to April 2024, 174 AIG patients who visited Beijing Hospital and met the 2022 AIG diagnostic criteria established by Japanese Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society were enrolled and divided into the HP-infected group (including current and previous infection, 77 cases) and the HP-unifected group (97 cases). The general clinical data, laboratory examinations endoscopic findings, and pathological characteristics of the two groups were analyzed. Independent sample t-test and chi-square test were used for statistical analyses. Results:The vitamin B 12 level of HP-infected group was higher than that of HP-unifected group ((573.81±460.77) ng/L vs. (411.86±335.00) ng/L), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-2.57, P=0.011). The average red blood cell volume of HP-infected group was lower than that of HP-unifected group ((87.30±8.86) fL vs. (98.50±49.82) fL), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=2.16, P=0.033). The proportion of intestinal metaplasia in gastric fundus in HP-infected group was lower than that in HP-unifected group (50.6% (39/77) vs. 73.2% (71/97)), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=9.38, P=0.002). Conclusion:HP infection in AIG patients may delay the malabsorption of vitamin B 12 and the occurrence of intestinal metaplasia in gastric fundus.

Objective To explore the impact of preoperative fibrinogen levels on the 1-year adverse outcomes after endovascular revascularization in patients with diabetes complicated with lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans(LEASO).Methods We collected the baseline clinical data of 289 patients with diabetes complicated with LEASO,who were admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from May 2020 to December 2022 for endovascular revascularization.All patients were followed up for 13 to 24 months after interventional therapy,with the follow-up information including major adverse cardiovascular events(MACEs)such as all-cause death,acute myocardial infarction and acute stroke,as well as major adverse lower extremity events(MALEs)such as rest pain in the lower extremities,ulcers or skin defects,gangrene,reocclusion and amputation.A multivariable Cox regression model was used to analyze the related risk factors for adverse outcomes 1 year after endovascular revascularization in patients with diabetes complicated with LEASO,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were constructed to evaluate the predictive efficacy and optimal cutoff value of fibrinogen levels for endpoint events,and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were drawn.Sensitivity analysis was made to assess the differences in the impact of fibrinogen on endpoint events across various subgroups.Results We recruited a total of 289 patients(55 patients in MACEs and 234 in non-MACEs;68 patients in MALEs and 221 in non-MALEs),with a mean age of 67.6±9.3 years,including 215 males.Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that elevated plasma fibrinogen was an independent risk factor for MACEs(HR=1.250,95％CI:1.053-1.484,P=0.011)and all-cause death(HR=1.297,95％CI:1.030-1.633,P=0.027)in the cohort followed up 1 year after interventional therapy,but had no significant impact on the occurrence of MALEs(P=0.625).Baseline plasma fibrinogen level 4.32 g/L was the optimal cutoff value for predicting MACEs(sensitivity=0.673,95％CI:0.582-0.767;specificity=0.688,95％CI:0.562-0.775)and all-cause death(sensitivity=0.679,95％CI:0.483-0.880;specificity=0.651,95％CI:0.465-0.755).The AUC for predicting MACEs and all-cause death after interventional therapy was 0.652(95％CI:0.564 2-0.739 1)and 0.619(95％CI:0.507-0.733),respectively.After a median follow-up of 14.03 months,patients with preoperative fibrinogen level ≥ 4.32 g/L had a significantly higher risk of MACEs and all-cause death compared to patients with preoperative fibrinogen＜4.32 g/L(P＜0.001),and there were no significant differences in different subgroups,including gender(male/female,interaction P=0.836),age(＜65 years/≥65 years,interaction P=0.211),smoking status(never smoked/current or former smoker,interaction P=0.779),chronic kidney disease(yes/no,interaction P=0.360),and heart failure(yes/no,interaction P=0.114).Conclusion Preoperative plasma fibrinogen≥4.32 g/L is an effective indicator for predicting MACEs and all-cause mortality following endovascular revascularization in patients with diabetes and LEASO.

Objective:To analyze the clinical and endoscopic features of elderly patients with early gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms(g-NEN)to provide insights for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:Seven cases of early-stage g-NEN in elderly patients admitted to Beijing Hospital from May 2020 to October 2024 were reported.Information including patient demographics, medical history, laboratory findings, endoscopic features, and pathological results was summarized an analyzed.Meanwhile, a literature review was conducted on g-NEN cases reported domestically and internationally from the establishment of databases to April 2025, with a comparative analysis of baseline characteristics, background mucosal conditions, and pathological diagnoses.Results:A total of 7 elderly patients with early g-NEN were included, including 3 males and 4 females, with an average age of 67 years at diagnosis.Endoscopic and pathological features: endoscopic lesions were mainly located on the greater curvature of the stomach, mostly slightly elevated, with 4/7(57.1%)being single lesions and the others accompanied by multiple polyps.The size of gastric neuroendocrine tumor(g-NET) lesions ranged from 1 mm to 19 mm, with a median Kyoto gastritis score of 3.In terms of pathological grading, there were 6 cases of G1 and 1 case of gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma(g-NEC). All 7 patients underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD). The follow-up period after surgery ranged from 3 months to 4 years, and no tumor was found at the vertical and horizontal margins of all lesions on pathology.A literature review of 32 reported cases showed that 40.6%(13/32)of cases exhibited background mucosal atrophy or intestinal metaplasia, with positive rates of chromogranin A(CgA) and synapsin(Syn)reaching 95.8%(23/24) and 100.0%(25/25), respectively.Notably, elderly patients with g-NEC demonstrated aggressive invasiveness, with a metastasis rate of 62.5%(5/8).Conclusions:Elderly patients with g-NEN exhibit high heterogeneity and significant differences in invasiveness, necessitating heightened clinical vigilance.Precise management should integrate background mucosal status, Kyoto gastritis score, pathological biomarkers, and imaging techniques.Blue laser imaging with magnifying endoscopy(BLI-ME)and endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS)can further analyze the characteristics of these tumors, and endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)remains the primary treatment modality for early-stage g-NEN.

Objective:To analyze the differences in endoscopic and pathological features in autoimmune gastritis (AIG) patients with and without Helicobacter pylori ( HP) infection, and to explore the effects of HP on the clinical manifestations and disease development in AIG patients. Methods:From January 2022 to April 2024, 174 AIG patients who visited Beijing Hospital and met the 2022 AIG diagnostic criteria established by Japanese Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society were enrolled and divided into the HP-infected group (including current and previous infection, 77 cases) and the HP-unifected group (97 cases). The general clinical data, laboratory examinations endoscopic findings, and pathological characteristics of the two groups were analyzed. Independent sample t-test and chi-square test were used for statistical analyses. Results:The vitamin B 12 level of HP-infected group was higher than that of HP-unifected group ((573.81±460.77) ng/L vs. (411.86±335.00) ng/L), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-2.57, P=0.011). The average red blood cell volume of HP-infected group was lower than that of HP-unifected group ((87.30±8.86) fL vs. (98.50±49.82) fL), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=2.16, P=0.033). The proportion of intestinal metaplasia in gastric fundus in HP-infected group was lower than that in HP-unifected group (50.6% (39/77) vs. 73.2% (71/97)), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=9.38, P=0.002). Conclusion:HP infection in AIG patients may delay the malabsorption of vitamin B 12 and the occurrence of intestinal metaplasia in gastric fundus.

Objective:To investigate the factors contributing to in-hospital mortality among elderly patients aged 80 and above with gastrointestinal bleeding(GIB).Additionally, it seeks to assess the predictive ability of the electronic frailty index(eFI)in determining the risk of in-hospital mortality in GIB patients.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed among 624 patients aged 80 and above with GIB who were admitted to Beijing Hospital between July 2013 and September 2019.The patients were categorized into two groups based on their discharge outcomes: those who survived and those who did not.The eFI was developed using a cumulative deficit model utilizing data from the hospital's electronic medical records.The study examined the clinical features and risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality among these elderly patients.The effectiveness of eFI in predicting in-hospital mortality in elderly patients with gastrointestinal bleeding was evaluated by calculating the area under the curve(AUC)of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results:Among a total of 624 patients aged between 80 and 102 years, the average age was(83.0±6.4)years, with 339 being male.A majority of the patients, 581 cases(93.1%), had an eFI ≥ 0.15.A comparison between the survival group(380 cases)and the death group(244 cases)revealed that the latter had higher eFI values(0.39±0.09 vs.0.29±0.11, t=-11.452, P<0.001), along with higher rates of heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and malignant tumors, as well as lower body mass index, hemoglobin, albumin, and total cholesterol levels, and higher alanine aminotransferase and D-dimer levels(all P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis indicated that eFI( OR=2.322, 95% CI: 1.840-2.929, P<0.001), malignant tumor( OR=1.833, 95% CI: 1.141-2.860, P<0.001), and albumin<35 g/L( OR=1.826, 95% CI: 1.200-2.777, P<0.001)were independent risk factors for in-hospital death in elderly patients aged 80 and over with gastrointestinal bleeding.With every 0.1 increase in eFI, the risk of in-hospital death rose by 1.322 times.The AUC of eFI for predicting in-hospital mortality was 0.751(95% CI: 0.713-0.789, P<0.001).An eFI of ≥0.33 demonstrated a sensitivity of 77.9% and a specificity of 60.3% in predicting in-hospital mortality in elderly patients aged 80 and over with GIB. Conclusions:The eFI serves as an important independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality among patients aged 80 and above who experience GIB.It can effectively assess the prognosis of elderly individuals facing GIB.

Objective:To compare the characteristics of background mucosa, lesion features, and the efficiency of endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)between elderly and non-elderly patients with early gastric cancer(EGC).Methods:This study retrospectively collected data on patients with EGC who underwent ESD treatment at Beijing Hospital from April 2020 to December 2022.The clinical characteristics, background mucosa, lesion features, ESD outcomes, and pathological results of the patients were analyzed to compare the differences between elderly and non-elderly patients.Results:A total of 100 patients with EGC were selected, comprising 57 patients in the elderly group and 43 patients in the non-elderly group, with a total of 111 lesions identified(64 lesions in the elderly group and 47 lesions in the non-elderly group).The proportion of patients with a history of chronic atrophic gastritis was significantly higher in the elderly group(89.5%、51/57)compared to the non-elderly group(74.4%、32/43), with a statistically significant difference( P=0.047).Additionally, the difference in the extent of atrophy between elderly patients with EGC and their non-elderly counterparts was statistically significant( P=0.022).Among these patients, the proportion of those classified as Kimura-Takemoto C0 to C1 in the elderly group(15.6%、10/64)was lower than that in the non-elderly group(40.4%、19/47).In contrast, the proportion of patients classified as C2 to C3 in the elderly group(65.6%、42/64)was higher than that in the non-elderly group(51.1%、24/47), and the proportion of those classified as O1 to O3 in elderly patients(12.5%、8/64)was also higher than in the non-elderly group(4.3%、2/47).Furthermore, the difference in the extent of intestinal metaplasia between elderly and non-elderly patients with early gastric cancer was statistically significant( P=0.007).The overall proportion of total intestinal metaplasia in elderly patients(85.9%、55/64)was significantly higher than that in non-elderly patients(61.7%、29/47).Notably, the proportion of patients exhibiting extensive intestinal metaplasia(intestinal metaplasia present in both the gastric antrum and gastric body)was greater in the elderly group(43.8%、28/64)compared to the non-elderly group(23.4%、11/47).The Kyoto gastric cancer risk endoscopic score for elderly patients with EGC was(2.43±1.28)points, significantly higher than that of the non-elderly group(1.72±1.41)points, with a statistically significant difference observed( t=2.778, P=0.006).No statistically significant differences were observed in the proportions of total resection rates, R0 resections, curative resections, or postoperative complications following ESD when comparing elderly patients with EGC to their non-elderly counterparts. Conclusions:The proportion of extensive atrophy and intestinal metaplasia was higher in the background mucosa of elderly patients with EGC, and correspondingly, the Kyoto endoscopic gastric cancer risk score was elevated.Therefore, endoscopic examinations for elderly patients with chronic atrophic gastritis should be conducted with greater care and comprehensiveness.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility and advantages of unilateral primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) treated by transthyretal interosseous muscle approach surgery.Methods:Clinical data of 7 patients with unilateral PHPT treated by interstitial sternocleidomastoid muscle approach from Jan. 2021 to Feb. 2022 in the thyroid surgery of China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University were retrospectively analyzed, including preoperative blood calcium concentration, operation time, incision length, intraoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) , blood calcium concentration and PTH value in the first month after surgery, abnormal sensation of the skin in the anterior cervical area, etc. The feasibility and advantages of interstitial sternocleidomastoid muscle approach surgery for unilateral PHPT were analyzed.Results:All 7 patients with unilateral PHPT were operated successfully. The PTH was 17.2-63.3 pg/ml on recheck 1 month after surgery, which were all within the normal range. The time from skin opening to resection of the diseased parathyroid gland was 20-35 min, and the length of the surgical incision was 3-4 cm. all patients were given intravenous and oral calcium therapy after surgery, and the blood calcium and PTH levels were within the normal range at 3-12 months of follow-up; the incision recovered well, and there was no significant sensory and functional abnormalities in the anterior neck area.Conclusion:The treatment of unilateral PHPT through the sternocleidomastoid interosseous approach can ensure the safety and efficacy of the operation while better protecting the sensory and motor functions of the anterior cervical region and improving the aesthetics of the surgical incision.