1.Quantitative Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer MRI for Diagnosing Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy Activity: A Prospective Feasibility Study
YunMeng WANG ; WeiYi ZHOU ; YuanYuan CUI ; JianKun DAI ; YuXin CHENG ; QingQing WEN ; TianYi XING ; HongBiao SUN ; Song JIANG ; MeiLing XU ; ZhenHuan WANG ; Yan SONG ; Tuo LI ; Yi XIAO
Korean Journal of Radiology 2026;27(2):161-173
Objective:
This prospective study evaluated the feasibility of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI for assessing disease activity in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO).
Materials and Methods:
A total of 88 patients with active TAO, 76 with inactive TAO, and 30 healthy controls were enrolled. CEST MRI-derived magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) and MTR asymmetry (MTRasym) at 1 ppm, 2 ppm, and 3.5 ppm were calculated. Clinical data, MTR, and MTRasym values for the extraocular muscles (one representative muscle per eye, yielding two measurements per participant) were compared among the groups. Spearman’s correlation was used to examine associations between imaging parameters and the clinical activity score (CAS) in patients with TAO. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent associations between imaging parameters and disease activity in patients with TAO (active vs. inactive). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance for discriminating active from inactive TAO.
Results:
Patients with active TAO showed lower MTR values (P < 0.001) and higher MTRasym (1 ppm), MTRasym (2 ppm), and MTRasym (3.5 ppm) (all P < 0.001) compared with those with inactive TAO. MTR was negatively correlated with CAS (r = -0.402; P < 0.001), while MTRasym (1 ppm), MTRasym (2 ppm), and MTRasym (3.5 ppm) were positively correlated with CAS (r = 0.369, 0.350, and 0.349, respectively;all P < 0.001). MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) were independently associated with TAO activity. The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) for MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) in discriminating active from inactive TAO were 0.772 and 0.730, respectively. Combining MTR with MTRasym (1 ppm) significantly improved diagnostic performance compared with either parameter alone, achieving an AUC of 0.805 (P = 0.029 and 0.001).
Conclusion
MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) were independently associated with TAO activity. Their combination further enhanced diagnostic performance in distinguishing active from inactive TAO, suggesting their potential as quantitative imaging biomarkers to guide treatment in patients with TAO.
2.Mechanism of mesenchymal stromal cells reversing fibrosis of the uterine endometrium after injury
Shiqi LI ; Yue DANG ; Qingqing ZHOU ; Xin SHANG ; Jiali LIU
Journal of China Pharmaceutical University 2026;57(3):360-368
To investigate the effect of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) on the fibrosis progression and endometrial regeneration in mouse models of endometrial injury, a mouse endometrial injury model was established by physical scraping combined with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) chemical induction, and the endometrium morphology and collagen deposition were evaluated by HE and Masson staining after unilateral administration of MSCs. RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression of epithelial markers Epcam and collagen I (Col1). Primary endometrial epithelial cells were isolated to assess p21 expression. Fibrosis-related genes and signaling pathways were validated using transcriptome sequencing and RT-qPCR. The experimental results showed that MSCs increased endometrial thickness and number of glands (P<0.05), up-regulated the expression of Epcam (P<0.01), while significantly reducing uterine collagen fiber deposition (P<0.05) and the expression of p21 in primary epithelial cells (P<0.0001). Transcriptomic analysis revealed that MSCs attenuated collagen deposition by modulating genes involved in the TGF-β signaling pathway. This study elucidates that MSCs facilitate uterine repair by reversing endometrial fibrosis and promoting epithelial regeneration, and their role is related to the regulation of the TGF-β/SMAD pathway and suppression of aberrant collagen accumulation.
3.Development and validation of a multidisciplinary risk assessment scale for immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated myocarditis
Yanan DAI ; Yuan LIU ; Yuchen XU ; Qingqing CAI ; Yan WANG ; Yuhong ZHOU ; Leilei CHENG ; Junbo GE
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2025;32(4):561-567
Objective To develop a risk assessment scale for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-associated myocarditis based on multidisciplinary collaboration, and to evaluate its diagnostic performance. Methods Based on multidisciplinary cooperation, integrating clinical experience from oncology and cardiology, literature data, and patient conditions, a risk assessment scale for ICI-associated myocarditis was developed. A total of 101 patients with malignancies who received immunotherapy at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, from October 2020 to October 2024 were included as the validation cohort. Patients were stratified into low-risk (0-1 point), medium-risk (2-4 points), and high-risk (≥5 points) groups based on their scale scores. The association between pretictive risk stratifications and actual assessment results was assessed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The predictive value of the scale for ICI-associated myocarditis was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Agreement between the scale scores and actual assessment results was assessed using Cohen’s Kappa coefficient. Results Based on the scale pretictive results, 28(27.7%), 8(7.9%), 65(64.4%) patients were at low risk, medium risk, and high risk for ICI-related myocarditis, respectively; however, 46(45.5%), 8(7.9%), 47(46.5%) were at low risk, medium risk, and high risk actually. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the cumulative incidence of ICI-related myocarditis in the high-risk group was significantly higher than that in the medium- and low-risk groups (P<0.05). In the multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards model, the ICI-related myocarditis risk in high-risk group was about 4 times that in the low-risk group. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the average area under the curve (AUC) for predicting ICI-related myocarditis was 0.81, with an accuracy of 0.74. The Cohen’s Kappa coefficient was 0.55, indicating moderate agreement. In the actual high-risk group, no patient was predicted to be at low risk; in the actual low-risk group, 16 patients were predicted to be at high risk. Conclusions This risk assessment scale for ICI-associated myocarditis shows high predictive performance. It provides oncologists with a simple yet effective multidisciplinary diagnostic reference tool, potentially enhancing early identification of ICI-associated myocarditis.
4.Trend in disease burden of injuries among children and adolescents in China from 1990 to 2021
GUO Shihong ; HUANG Jingjing ; CHEN Yi ; LI Qingqing ; LIU Chunting ; HE Yunyan ; MENG Tingting ; ZHOU Jiali
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(10):1069-1074
Objective:
To investigate the trend in disease burden of injuries among children and adolescents in China from 1990 to 2021, so as to provide a basis for formulating prevention and control strategies and reducing this disease burden.
Methods:
Data on mortality, disability-adjusted life years (DALY) rate, incidence, and prevalence of injuries among children and adolescents aged <20 years in China from 1990 to 2021 were collected from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database. All rates were standardized using the GBD 2021 world standard population. The trend in incidence of disease burden of injuries among children and adolescents across differents genders and ages from 1990 to 2021 was evaluated using average annual percent change (AAPC).
Results:
From 1990 to 2021, the standardized mortality (AAPC=-5.435%), standardized DALY rate (AAPC=-5.311%), standardized incidence (AAPC=-0.466%), and standardized prevalence (AAPC=-0.810%) of injuries among children and adolescents in China showed downward trends (all P<0.05). Among these, the standardized mortality of animal contact (AAPC=-9.138%) and the standardized DALY rate of medical side effects (AAPC=-8.389%) decreased at a relatively fast pace, while the standardized incidence of falls (AAPC=0.083%) and the standardized prevalence of exposure to natural forces (AAPC=2.656%) showed upward trends (all P<0.05). The standardized mortality, standardized DALY rate, standardized incidence and standardized prevalence of injuries were higher in males than in females. The trend in males showed a downward trend (all P<0.05), consistent with the total population. The crude incidence of injuries in the group aged 15-<20 years showed an upward trend (AAPC=0.391%, P<0.05), while the trend in the group aged 10-<15 years was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The crude incidence of injuries in the groups aged 5-<10 years and <5 years showed downward trends (AAPC=-0.488% and -2.275%, both P<0.05). In 2021, the <5 years age group had the highest crude mortality and crude DALY rate of injuries, at 13.94/100 000 and 1 257.26/100 000, respectively. The 15-<20 years age group exhibited the highest crude incidence and crude prevalence, at 4 874.05/100 000and 4 050.35/100 000, respectively. Drowning and falls were major components of the disease burden across all age groups.
Conclusions
From 1990 to 2021, the disease burden of injuries among children and adolescents in China showed an overall downward trend. The disease burden was consistently higher in males than in females. Children aged <5 years face a high risk of fatality and disability, while adolescents aged 15-<20 years experience a high incidence and frequency of injuries. Drowning and falls were key priorities for prevention and control.
5.Exploration of the application of vehicle-mounted 5G remote mobile robotic surgical system in thyroid surgery
Meng WANG ; Wen TIAN ; Qingqing HE ; Guolou LI ; Jian ZHU ; Xiaodong MA ; Wei WEI ; Qiongqiong TAN ; Jinzhi HU ; Yingying WANG ; Peng ZHOU ; Gang WANG ; Yixin LIU ; Hejun WANG ; Yu LIU ; Lihu LIU
International Journal of Surgery 2025;52(1):28-32
Objective:To investigate the feasibility and safety of implementing a domestic vehicle-mounted remote mobile robotic surgical system in thyroid surgery applications, integrated with 5G communication technology.Methods:Using the main system located on the vehicle-mounted mobile robot operating platform of the 960th Hospital of PLA Joint Logistics Support Force and the slave system of Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, the remote radical thyroidectomy 5G communication technology, and analyze the clinical and information transmission data of two female patients who underwent remote mobile robot thyroid cancer surgery on October 21, 2024 at Weifang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.Results:The remote radical thyroidectomy was conducted by the robosurgeons utilizing a vehicle-mounted mobile robotic surgical system, and the procedure was successfully completed without necessitating intermediate open surgery. The operation durations for patient 1 and patient 2 were 135 minutes and 108 minutes, respectively, with 7 and 13 lymph nodes dissected, respectively. The average delay in surgical data transmission was recorded at 61.9 milliseconds, with no instances of signal interruption or frame loss. The procedure proceeded smoothly, without any jamming, and the audio and video transmissions were consistently clear. Follow up for 21 days after surgery showed no complications such as hoarseness, skin damage, or lymphatic fistula.Conclusion:The implementation of a vehicle-mounted remote mobile robotic surgery system for thyroid surgery has demonstrated safety and feasibility. Furthermore, the utilization of the 5G network offers rapid data transmission and minimal latency, closely approximating the therapeutic efficacy of traditional robotic thyroidectomy.
6.Clinicopathologic features and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitor usage of malignant hypertension patients with acute kidney injury
Lingyi XU ; Linger TANG ; Shuo XUE ; Qingqing ZHOU ; Lei JIANG ; Li YANG ; Xizi ZHENG
Chinese Journal of Nephrology 2025;41(4):250-257
Objective:To summarize the clinicopathologic characteristics of malignant hypertension (MHT) patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) and application of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitor (RAASi).Methods:It was a retrospective cohort study. The adult patients with MHT and AKI admitted to Peking University First Hospital from January 1, 2012 to July 14, 2022. The patients were categorized into RAASi group and non-RAASi group based on RAASi administration from AKI onset to discharge. The clinicopathological data between the two groups were compared, and application of RAASi was analyzed.Results:A total of 179 patients were enrolled with age of 31 (26, 37) years and 148 males (82.7%). Ninety-five patients (53.1%) received dialysis treatment. The common causes of MHT were essential hypertension (125 patients, 69.8%), renal hypertension (39 patients, 21.8%) and endocrine hypertension (7 patients, 3.9%). AKI severity distribution showed 41 patients (22.9%) in stage 1, 1 patient (0.5%) in stage 2 and 137 patients (76.5%) in stage 3. Among MHT patients, 94 patients (52.5%) had been treated with RAASi before AKI, and 13 patients (7.3%) discontinued RAASi after AKI. Among 85 patients (47.5%) without receiving RAASi treatment before AKI, 68 new patients (38.0%) received RAASi treatment after AKI, and 40 patients (22.3%) were treated with the support of dialysis. Compared with non-RAASI group ( n=30), proportions of chronic kidney disease ( χ2=6.324, P=0.012) and post-AKI hyperkalemia ( χ2=4.048, P=0.044) in RAASi group ( n=149) were lower, and the proportion of dialysis treatment ( χ2=5.638, P=0.018), admission diastolic blood pressure ( Z=-3.609, P<0.001) and maximum diastolic blood pressure during hospitalization ( Z=-1.978, P=0.048) were higher. There were no statistically significant differences in the rates of target blood pressure control and renal function recovery between the two groups during hospitalization (all P>0.05). During hospitalization, 64 patients received renal biopsies, of which 50 patients (78.1%) had typical MHT vascular lesions such as "onion skin" in renal arterioles. Twenty-seven patients (42.2%) were complicated with glomerular diseases, and IgA nephropathy was the most common type (85.2%, 23/27). The proportions of glomerular ischemia and sclerosis, endothelial cell proliferation and acute renal tubular injury in RAASi group ( n=54) were lower than those in non-RAASi group ( n=10), and proportions of thrombosis and "onion skin" change were higher than those in RAASi group ( n=10), but the differences were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). Renal function recovery occurred in 47 patients (26.3%) by discharge. Among 95 dialysis patients, 26 patients (27.4%) achieved dialysis independence at discharge. Conclusions:MHT patients with AKI exhibit severe renal pathology and short-term poor prognosis. RAASi is primarily prescribed to those with relatively better kidney function or those receiving dialysis support.
7.Spatial Allocation and Location Optimization of Medical Resources in Midwifery Institutions in Shenzhen
Bin ZHU ; Yifei HE ; Qingqing ZHOU
Chinese Health Economics 2025;44(2):64-68
Objective:To analyze the status quo of medical resources allocation of midwifery institutions in Shenzhen,to measure the spatial accessibility of the midwifery institutions,to give the optimal location of new midwifery institutions,and to optimize the allocation of midwifery medical resources.Methods:The spatial accessibility of midwifery institutions was accurately measured using the two-step moving search method,and the spatial layout optimization analysis was carried out using the model of maximum coverage site selection problem.Results:(1)There is obvious spatial heterogeneity in the accessibility of midwifery institutions in Shenzhen,with the accessibility of the western region higher than that of the eastern region,and that of the urban center higher than the peripheral region;(2)the accessibility of midwifery institutions in Shenzhen is obviously affected by factors such as demography,economy,topography,and road network;(3)after simulating the addition of new midwifery institutions by using the maximal-coverage siting model,the accessibility of midwifery institutions in various districts of Shenzhen rises significantly.Conclusion:(1)to formulate urban maternal and child health care resource plans based on accurate portraits of regional populations;(2)to use the advantages of digital intelligence technology to drive the optimization of the layout and radiation of high-quality maternal and child health care resources;(3)and to give priority to establish maternal and child medical institutions in low-accessibility areas and special medical bus lines.
8.Expression of ELAVL family in glioma and their clinicopathological significance
Qingqing YANG ; Wenjun LUO ; Cuiyun SUN ; Shizhu YU ; Xuexia ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology 2025;41(9):1149-1155
Purpose To investigate the expression and clinical significance of the embryonic lethal abnormal vi-sion-like(ELAVL)family in glioma.Methods Pan-cancer and glioma-specific analyses of mRNA expression profiles of the ELAVL family were analyzed using the TCGA and GTEx databases.The association between ELAVL family ex-pression and survival of glioma patients was evaluated via the gene expression profiling interactive analysis 2(GEPIA2)database.The expression level of ELAVL2 protein in human glioma tissues and non-tumor control brain tissues was ver-ified by immunohistochemistry,and the relationship between its expression and prognosis was analyzed based on the fol-low-up data of patients.Western blot was performed to assess ELAVL2 protein levels in human immortalized astrocytes of UC2 and seven glioma cell lines.Overexpression of ELAVL2 in glioma cells was achieved to evaluate its impact on cell proliferation using in vitro assays.Results Compared to normal tissues,the ELAVL family exhibited distinct ex-pression patterns across various cancers.In glioma,ELAVL1 was significantly upregulated,while ELAVL2,ELAVL3 and ELAVL4 were markedly downregulated.Survival analysis revealed that low ELAVL2 expression was an independent prognostic factor for poor survival in glioma patients(P<0.05).Immunohistochemistry confirmed that the expression of ELAVL2 decreased with the increase of glioma grade,and its low expression indicated a poor prognosis for patients(P<0.001).Overexpression of ELAVL2 inhibited glioma cell proliferation in vitro(P<0.001),suggesting its tumor-suppressive role.Conclusion The ELAVL family members play a critical role in glioma progression.ELAVL2 downregulation serves as a marker for adverse clinical outcomes and represents a potential therapeutic target for glioma therapy.
9.Study on Quantitative Evaluation Method of Balance Ability in Cancer Patients Based on Gait Features.
Junjie LIU ; Xu ZHOU ; Chao YU ; Qingqing CAO ; Zhiming YAO ; Wanqiu ZHANG ; Ling ZHANG ; Wanqing YAO ; Ning LIN
Chinese Journal of Medical Instrumentation 2025;49(4):369-374
The importance of gait assessment in the rehabilitation of cancer patients is gradually being recognized. However, quantitative analysis of balance ability in cancer patients is still limited. A total of 102 cancer patients meeting the inclusion criteria were recruited from Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Their balance ability was evaluated using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Gait data were collected by an electronic walkway and an IMU sensor system, including spatial-temporal and kinematic gait features such as step length, cadence, support time, and range of motion. Recursive feature elimination was used for feature selection. Ridge, Elastic Net, SVR, RF, and AdaBoost models were used to predict balance ability scores. Five-fold cross-validation was used to evaluate the performance of these models. Results show that the SVR model achieves the best performance with fifteen features (RMSE=3.22, R 2=0.91), followed by Ridge (RMSE=3.63, R 2=0.89). A method for evaluating balance ability based on gait features is proposed, providing a quantitative tool for personalized rehabilitation interventions in cancer patients.
Humans
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Postural Balance
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Neoplasms/rehabilitation*
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Gait
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Gait Analysis
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Biomechanical Phenomena
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Female
10.Research progress of label-free Raman spectroscopy in glioma surgery
Dou LU ; Lijun ZHU ; Qingqing ZHOU ; Qing XU ; Guangming LU
Chinese Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2025;45(11):700-704
Gliomas, with their infiltrative growth and malignant potential, present considerable therapeutic challenges. Maximal safe resection is essential for optimizing patient survival and quality of life. Despite this, existing intraoperative visualization techniques suffer from limited sensitivity and accuracy. Label-free Raman spectroscopy has emerged as a non-invasive, rapidly diagnostic, and highly accurate technique. It accurately diagnoses tumors, identifies infiltration margins, and classifies molecular subtypes, enhancing the precision of glioma surgery. This review summarizes the latest advances and applications of label-free Raman spectroscopy in glioma surgery.


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