OBJECTIVE: To investigate the accuracy and safety of pedicle screw placement using 3D-printed auxiliary guides in scoliosis correction surgery for adolescents. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 51 patients who underwent posterior scoliosis correction surgery from January 2020 to March 2023. Among them, there were 35 cases of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and 16 cases of congenital scoliosis. The patients were divided into two groups based on the auxiliary tool used:the 3D-printed auxiliary guide screw placement group (3D printing group) and the free-hand screw placement group (free-hand group, without auxiliary tools). The 3D printing group included 32 patients (12 males and 20 females) with an average age of (12.59±2.60) years;the free-hand group included 19 patients (7 males and 12 females) with an average age of (14.58±3.53) years. The two groups were compared in terms of screw placement accuracy and safety, spinal correction rate, intraoperative blood loss, number of intraoperative fluoroscopies, operation time, hospital stay, and preoperative and last follow-up scores of the Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 707 pedicle screws were placed in the two groups, with 441 screws in the 3D printing group and 266 screws in the free-hand group. All patients in both groups successfully completed the surgery. There was a statistically significant difference in operation time between the two groups (P<0.05). The screw placement accuracy rate of the 3D printing group was 95.46% (421/441), among which the Grade A placement rate was 89.34% (394/441);the screw placement accuracy rate of the free-hand group was 86.47% (230/266), with a Grade A placement rate of 73.31% (195/266). There were statistically significant differences in the accuracy of Grade A, B, and C screw placements between the two groups (P<0.05), while no statistically significant differences were observed in intraoperative blood loss, number of fluoroscopies, correction rate, or hospital stay (P>0.05). In the SRS-22 questionnaire scores, the scores of functional status and activity ability, self-image, mental status, and pain of patients in each group at the last follow-up were significantly improved compared with those before surgery (P<0.05), but there were no statistically significant differences in all scores between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION In scoliosis correction surgery, compared with traditional free-hand screw placement, the use of 3D-printed auxiliary guides for screw placement significantly improves the accuracy and safety of screw placement and shortens the operation time.
Humans ; Male ; Scoliosis/surgery* ; Female ; Adolescent ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Retrospective Studies ; Pedicle Screws ; Child

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of gut microbiota changes in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) undergoing induction chemotherapy and to explore the relationship between infectious complications and gut microbiota. METHODS: Fecal samples were collected from 37 newly diagnosed AML patients at four time points: before induction chemotherapy, during chemotherapy, during the neutropenic phase, and during the recovery phase. Metagenomic sequencing was used to analyze the dynamic changes in gut microbiota. Correlation analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between changes in gut microbiota and the occurrence of infectious complications. RESULTS: During chemotherapy, the gut microbiota α-diversity (Shannon index) of AML patients exhibited significant fluctuations. Specifically, the diversity decreased significantly during induction chemotherapy, further declined during the neutropenic phase (P < 0.05, compared to baseline), and gradually recovered during the recovery phase, though not fully returning to baseline levels.The abundances of beneficial bacteria, such as Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, gradually decreased during chemotherapy, whereas the abundances of opportunistic pathogens, including Enterococcus, Klebsiella, and Escherichia coli, progressively increased.Analysis of the dynamic changes in gut microbiota of seven patients with bloodstream infections revealed that the bloodstream infection pathogens could be detected in the gut microbiota of the corresponding patients, with their abundance gradually increasing during the course of infection. This finding suggests that bloodstream infections may be associated with opportunistic pathogens originating from the gut microbiota.Compared to non-infected patients, the baseline samples of infected patients showed a significantly lower relative abundance of Bacteroidetes (P < 0.05). Regression analysis indicated that Bacteroidetes abundance is an independent predictive factor for infectious complications (P < 0.05, OR =13.143). CONCLUSION During induction chemotherapy in AML patients, gut microbiota α-diversity fluctuates significantly, and the abundance of opportunistic pathogens increase, which may be associated with bloodstream infections. Patients with lower baseline Bacteroidetes abundance are more prone to infections, and its abundance can serve as an independent predictor of infectious complications.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/microbiology* ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Feces/microbiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged

Objective:To investigate the effects and related mechanisms of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) AC092295.2 expression on the proliferation and invasion abilities of endometrial cancer cells.Methods:The correlations between AC092295.2 expression level and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of endometrial cancer patients (180 cases) were analyzed by cBioPortal database (updated in 2022). The miRNA with complementary nucleotide sequences to AC092295.2 was predicted by DIANA Tools sequencing tool. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the relative expression of AC092295.2 in human immortalised endometrial epithelial cell line hEEC and human endometrial cancer cell lines (KLE, AN3CA, Ishikawa, HEC-1A). Ishikawa cells with the lowest expression level of AC092295.2 were selected and divided into AC092295.2 overexpression group and control group, which were transfected with pGEX-AC092295.2 plasmid and pGEX-NC plasmid, respectively. qRT-PCR was used to detect the relative expression levels of AC092295.2 and miRNA-200c-3p (miR-200c-3p) in the two groups of cells. Methyl thiazol tetrazolium (MTT) method was used to detect cell viability. Transwell assay was used to detect cell invasion ability. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of proteins related to PTEN-AKT pathway. The dual luciferase reporter gene assay was used to verify the targeting relationship between AC092295.2 and miR-200c-3p.Results:The analysis results of cBioPortal database showed that the OS and DFS of endometrial cancer patients with high expression of AC092295.2 were better than those of patients with low expression (both P < 0.001); the expression levels of AC092295.2 and miR-200c-3p in endometrial cancer tissues were negatively correlated ( r = -0.846, P < 0.001). The results of qRT-PCR detection showed that the relative expression levels of AC092295.2 in endometrial cancer cell lines KLE, AN3CA, Ishikawa, HEC-1A and immortalized endometrial epithelial cell line hEEC were 0.56±0.09, 0.68±0.06, 0.17±0.07, 0.49±0.12 and 0.99±0.11, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( F = 35.10, P < 0.001); the relative expression levels of AC092295.2 in Ishikawa cells in the AC092295.2 overexpression group and the control group were 8.92±1.78 and 1.06±0.39, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( t = 4.31, P = 0.005). MTT assay results showed that the cell viability of Ishikawa cells in the AC092295.2 overexpression group was lower than that in the control group on days 2, 3, 4, and 5 (all P < 0.05). Transwell assay results showed that the number of invasive Ishikawa cells in the AC092295.2 overexpression group and the control group were 73±4 and 135±14, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( t = 4.25, P = 0.005). Western blotting results showed that the relative expression level of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) protein in Ishikawa cells in the AC092295.2 overexpression group was higher than that in the control group, while the relative expression levels of phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT), Yes associated protein (YAP), murine double mimute 2 (MDM2), and bcl-2-associated death-promoting factor (BAD) proteins were lower than those in the control group. Dual luciferase reporter gene assay and qRT-PCR verified that AC092295.2 targeted negative regulation of miR-200c-3p expression. Conclusions:AC092295.2 is lowly expressed in endometrial cancer cells. Overexpression of AC092295.2 can inhibit the proliferation and invasion abilities of endometrial cancer cells, and its mechanism may be related to the expression of miR-200c-3p-PTEN-AKT signaling pathway.

Objective:To report the nationwide surveillance results of pathogenic profiles and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Gram-positive bloodstream infections in China in 2023.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-posttive bacteria from blood cultures were collected in member hospitals of National Bloodstream Infection Bacterial Resistant Investigation Collaborative System（BRICS）during January to December 2023. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the dilution method recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute（CLSI）. Statistical analyses were conducted using WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 software.Results:A total of 4 385 Gram-positive bacterial isolates were obtained from 60 participating center. The top five pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus（ n=1 544，35.2%），coagulase-negative Staphylococci（ n=1 441，32.9%）， Enterococcus faecium（ n=574，13.1%）， Enterococcus faecalis（ n=385，8.8%），and α-hemolytic Streptococci（ n=187，4.3%）. The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus（MRSA）and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci（MRCNS）was 26.2%（405/1 544）and 69.8%（1 006/1 441），respectively. Notably，all Staphylococci remained susceptible to glycopeptide or daptomycin. Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated excellent susceptibility（>97.0%）to cephalobiol，rifampicin，trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole，linezolid，minocycline，tigecycline，and eravacycline. No Enterococcus exhibiting resistance to linezolid were detected. Glycopeptide resistance was uncommon but more frequent in Enterococcus faecium（resistance to vancomycin and teicoplanin：both 1.7%）compared to Enterococcus faecalis（both 0.3%）. The detection rates of MRSA and MRCNS exhibited significant regional variations across the country（ χ2=17.674 and 148.650，respectively，both P<0.001）. No vancomycin-resistant Enterococci were detected in central China. Institutional comparison demonstrated higher prevalence of MRSA（ χ2=14.111， P<0.001）and MRCNS（ χ2=4.828， P=0.028）in provincial hospitals than that in municipal hospitals. Socioeconomic analysis identified elevated detection rates of both MRSA（ χ2=18.986， P<0.001）and MRCNS（ χ2=4.477， P=0.034）in less developed regions（per capita GDP

Objective:To report the results of bacterial resistant investigation collaborative system（BRICS）on the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical Gram-negative bacteria isolates from bloodstream infections in China in 2023，and provide reference for clinical tretment of bloodstream infections and prevention and control of bacterial resistance.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria from blood cultures in member hospitals of BRICS were collected during January 2023 to December 2023. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted by agar dilution or broth dilution methods recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute（CLSI）. WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 were used to analyze the data.Results:During the study period，11 492 strains of Gram-negative bacteria were collected from 60 hospitals，of which 10 098（87.9%）were Enterobacterales and 1 394（12.1%）were non-fermentative bacteria. The top 5 bacterial species were Escherichia coli（50.0%）， Klebsiella pneumoniae（26.1%）， Pseudomonas aeruginosa（5.1%）， Acinetobacter baumannii complex（5.0%）and Enterobacter cloacae complex（4.1%）. The ESBL-producing rates in Escherichia coli， Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirablilis were 46.8%（2 685/5 741），18.3%（549/2 999）and 44.0%（77/175），respectively. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli（CREC）and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae（CRKP）were 1.3%（76/5 741）and 15.0%（450/2 999）；32.9%（25/76）and 78.0%（351/450）of CREC and CRKP were sensitive to ceftazidime/avibactam combination，respectively. 94.7%（72/76）and 90.2%（406/450）of CREC and CRKP were sensitive to aztreonam/avibactam combination. Furthermore，57.9%（44/76）and 79.1%（356/450）were sensitive to imipenem/relebactam combination. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii（CRAB）complex was 64.6%（370/573），while more than 80.0% of CRAB complex was sensitive to tigecycline，eravacycline and polymyxin B. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa（CRPA）was 17.0%（99/581）. There were differences in the composition ratio of Gram-negative bacteria in bloodstream infections and the prevalence of important Gram-negative bacteria resistance among different regions in China，with statistically significant differences in the prevalence of CREC，CRKP，CRPA and CRAB complex（ χ2=10.6，28.6，10.8 and 19.3， P<0.05）. The prevalence of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli， CREC，CRAB complex and CRKP were higher in provincial hospitals than those in municipal hospitals（ χ2=12.5，9.8，12.7 and 57.8，all P<0.01）. Conclusions:Gram-negative bacteria are the main pathogens causing bloodstream infections in China，and Escherichia coli is ranked in the top，while the trend of Klebsiella pneumoniae increases continuously with time. CRKP infection shows a slow upward trend，CREC infecton maintains a low prevalence level，and CRAB complex infection continues to exhibit a high prevalence rate. The composition and resistance patterns of pathogens causing bloodstream infections vary to some extent across different regions and levels of hospitals in China.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are being widely applied in radiotherapy. However, the integration of AI into clinical workflows of radiotherapy faces a series of challenges, such as poor model interpretability, domain shifts between clinical application and training data, and the inherent model uncertainties. Therefore, case-specific quality assurance (QA) is essential before deploying AI models in clinical practice. This paper reviews and summarizes QA methodologies for the application of AI models in radiotherapy across four key areas: image registration, image generation, region of interest segmentation, and treatment planning.

Varicella is a common infectious disease caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV), with high transmissibility and pathogenicity, and vaccination is a better preventive measure. The clinical diagnosis of varicella, the clinical immunogenicity evaluation of varicella vaccine, the continuous monitoring of the immune effect after marketing and the epidemiological investigation all require the detection of the antibody level of VZV in patients. Fluorescent antibody to membrane antigen method (FAMA) is the gold standard for detection of VZV antibody in serum, possessing advantages of high sensitivity and good specificity, playing an important role in detection of VZV antibody. However, the defects of FAMA operation complexity and low throughput are also troubling the clinical testing personnels. This article reviews research progress both at home and abroad on the technology of VZV serum antibody detection. The advantages and limitations of the current detection methods are discussed and the future development direction are highlighted on the dectection of VZV serum antibody IgG.

Objective To systematically evaluate of the effect of autoimmune diseases(AIDs)on early spontaneous abortion(ESA).Methods Several databases such as Ovid and Web of Science were searched from January 2000 to May 2024 for retrospective analysis.Furthermore,subgroup analysis was conducted in terms of AIDs,continent and assisted reproduction.Results Total of 73 eligible studies were included in this study.There was a statistically significant difference in the risk of ESA between the population with AIDs and the population with normal pregnancy(OR=1.832,95％CI:1.619-2.073).When subgroup studies of AIDs were performed,the increased risk of ESA in patients with some AIDs was statistically significant:e.g.,thyroid autoimmunity,antiphospholipid syndrome,systemic lupus erythematosus,desiccation syndrome,antinuclear antibody positivity and rheumatoid arthritis.While the impact of some AIDs on ESA was still uncertain,e.g.inflammatory bowel disease,ulcerative colitis,Crohn's disease,autoimmune skin diseases,neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders.In addition,patients with antiphospholipid syndrome who had underwent assisted reproductive technologies were at higher risk of ESA.Furthermore,compared to other continents,there is a difference in the risk of ESA in patients with AIDs in Africa.Conclusion AIDs are associated with the risk of ESA.

Varicella is a common infectious disease caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV), with high transmissibility and pathogenicity, and vaccination is a better preventive measure. The clinical diagnosis of varicella, the clinical immunogenicity evaluation of varicella vaccine, the continuous monitoring of the immune effect after marketing and the epidemiological investigation all require the detection of the antibody level of VZV in patients. Fluorescent antibody to membrane antigen method (FAMA) is the gold standard for detection of VZV antibody in serum, possessing advantages of high sensitivity and good specificity, playing an important role in detection of VZV antibody. However, the defects of FAMA operation complexity and low throughput are also troubling the clinical testing personnels. This article reviews research progress both at home and abroad on the technology of VZV serum antibody detection. The advantages and limitations of the current detection methods are discussed and the future development direction are highlighted on the dectection of VZV serum antibody IgG.