Objective To validate the efficacy of the prediction model for difficulty of peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) through an independent cohort. Methods A total of 617 patients with achalasia who underwent POEM at the Endoscopy Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from January 2021 to December 2023 were included. The general data of patients were collected, and the predictive value of the prediction model for POEM difficulty in the validation cohort was estimated. The stratified analysis was undergone according to the difficulty risk scores. Results In 617 consecutive patients, technical difficulty was observed in 90 cases (14.6%). The predictive model demonstrated moderate discriminatory capacity with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.711 (95%CI 0.643-0.780). Patients were stratified into three risk categories according to the difficulty risk scores: low-risk (＜0.1), medium-risk (0.1-0.25), and high-risk (≥0.25). The corresponding technical difficulty rates were 7.3%, 16.9%, and 51.6%, respectively. Conclusion The prediction model for POEM difficulty built by our center shows good stability and discrimination, and has good clinical application value.

Objective To explore the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of transesophageal endoscopic surgery for mediastinal tumors. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 17 patients who underwent transesophageal endoscopic resection for benign mediastinal tumors at the Endoscopy Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2024. Epidemiological characteristics, surgical parameters, adverse events, and follow-up outcomes were analyzed. Results Among the 17 patients, there were 9 males and 8 females, with an average age of (42.4±14.5) years and an average tumor size of (2.6±1.6) cm. Pathological types included esophageal duplication cysts (6 cases, 35.3%), bronchogenic cysts (5 cases, 29.4%), gastroenteric cysts (3 cases, 17.6%), schwannomas (2 cases, 11.8%), and lymphangioma (1 case, 5.9%). Fourteen patients (82.4%) underwent submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER), 3 patients (17.6%) underwent natural orifice transluminal endoscopic mediastinal surgery. All surgeries were successfully completed without conversion to open surgery. En bloc resection was achieved in 11 patients (64.7%), with an average operative time of (60.9±32.6) min. No intraoperative bleeding or mucosal injury occurred, and 4 patients (23.5%) experienced minor complications (pneumothorax, fever, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury), all of which resolved with conservative treatment. The average postoperative hospital stay was (3.2±1.5) days, and no recurrence was observed during the follow-up period. Conclusions Transesophageal endoscopic resection of benign mediastinal tumors is a safe, effective, and minimally invasive treatment method. Further validation of its efficacy and safety through large-scale prospective studies is warranted.

Objective:To explore the influence of multidisciplinary treatment (MDT) on clinical staging and diagnosis and treatment strategies for rectal cancer.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted. The clinical data of 142 rectal cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment in Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital from March 2021 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. According to whether to implement MDT or not, all patients were divided into MDT group (68 cases) and non-MDT group (74 cases). Relevant clinical data including patients' basic information (gender, age, etc.), TNM staging, whether to receive neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy or not, surgical methods, R0 resection rate of both groups were compared. The implementation methods and the effects of MDT for patients were summarized.Results:There were statistically significant differences in the proportion of clinical N staging at initial diagnosis, whether to receive neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy or not of both groups (all P < 0.05). The overall agreement rate of clinical T staging at initial diagnosis and pathological T staging was 67.6% (46/68), 50.0% (37/74), respectively in the MDT group and the non-MDT group, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 4.54, P = 0.033). The overall agreement rate of N staging at initial diagnosis and pathological N staging was 50.0% (34/68), 54.1% (40/74), respectively in the MDT group and the non-MDT group, and the difference was not statistically significant ( χ2 = 0.23, P = 0.629). The treatment rate of neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy was 57.4% (39/68) and 4.1% (3/74), respectively in the MDT group and the non-MDT group, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 48.33, P < 0.001). The R0 resection rate in both the MDT group and non-MDT group was 100.0%, and no tumor tissue was found at the upper, lower, and circumferential margins. Conclusions:MDT could provide more accurate clinical staging and more effective diagnosis and treatment opinions for patients, and provide reliable guidance for the treatment selections.

Objective:To summarize the thoracic and abdominal CT presentations after endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFR) and to analyze its significance in the evaluation and management of postoperative complications.Methods:Data of 82 patients who underwent gastrointestinal EFR at the Endoscopy Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University and received a chest and/or abdominal CT within 1 week from September 2016 to September 2021 were collected retrospectively. The patients were divided into the intervention group ( n=38) and the control group ( n=44) according to the presence or absence of special postoperative interventions or prolonged hospital stays. The differences in the incidence of abnormal CT presentations between the two groups were analyzed. Risk factors for abnormal CT presentation were explored by multifactorial analysis. Results:Among the 82 patients, the main CT presentations were pneumoperitoneum in 51 patients (62.2%), abdominal and pelvic effusion in 30 patients (36.6%), pneumothorax in 5 (6.1%), pleural effusion in 43 (52.4%), and pulmonary inflammation in 16 (19.5%). The incidence of pelvic and abdominal effusions ( W=637.48, P=0.031) and pleural effusions ( W=622.06, P=0.031) in CT was higher in the intervention group than that in the control group. Age was an independent risk factor for air-related complications after EFR (>60 years old VS ≤60 years old: OR=0.17, 95% CI: 0.05-0.56, P=0.002). Conclusion:CT presentations of pelvic and abdominal effusion and pleural effusion after EFR is of great significance in suggesting complications, while patients with other CT presentations often do not require special intervention or prolonged hospital stay. Postoperative CT in elderly patients is less likely to detect air-related complications.

Objective    To review and analyze the clinical manifestations of common aortitis in cardiac surgery. Methods    We screened 41 552 patients who were hospitalized in the Department of Cardiac Surgery of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from 2010 to 2020, analyzed the patients' clinical data, and classified according to the type of diseases. Then we summarized all their clinical manifestations. Results    In our center 145 patients were operated for aortitis diseases, including 75 males and 70 females, with the age of 24-76 (45.6±11.3) years. There were 61 patients of Takayasu's arteritis, 51 patients of Behcet's disease, 8 patients of syphilitic aortitis, 8 patients of systemic lupus erythematosus, 2 patients of Kawasaki disease, 4 patients of ankylosing spondylitis, 10 patients of dry syndrome, and 1 patient of scleroderma. Conclusion    Aortitis is not uncommon in cardiac surgery, and awareness of the disease should be enhanced. So that we can distinguish various types of aortitis and to make proper management to improve patients' prognosis.

Background/Aims: Previous studies reveal that immune-mediated neuroinflammation plays a key role in the etiology of esophageal achalasia. However, the understanding of leucocyte phenotype and proportion is limited. This study aim to evaluate the phenotypes of leukocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells transcriptomes in esophageal achalasia. Methods: We performed high-dimensional flow cytometry to identified subsets of peripheral leukocytes, and further validated in lower esophageal sphincter histologically. RNA sequencing was applied to investigate the transcriptional changes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with achalasia. Cell-type Identification by Estimating Relative Subsets of RNA Transcripts (CIBERSORT) was used for estimating the immune cell types. A differential gene expression analysis was performed and the differential expressed genes were subjected to gene ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes network, protein-protein interaction network construction. Results: An imbalance between innate and adaptive immune cells occurred in achalasia. Specifically, neutrophils and CD8+ T cells increased both in peripheral blood and lower esophageal sphincter in achalasia. Eosinophils decreased in peripheral blood but massively infiltrated in lower esophageal sphincter. CIBERSORT analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells RNA sequencing displayed an increased prevalence of CD8+ T cells. 170 dysregulated genes were identified in achalasia, which were enriched in immune cells migration, immune response, etc. Proton pump inhibitor analysis revealed the intersections and gained 7 hub genes in achalasia, which were IL-6, Toll-like receptor 2, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor, complement C3, and complement C1q A chain. Conclusion Patients with achalasia exhibited an imbalance of systematic innate and adaptive immunity, which may play an important role in the development of achalasia.

To investigate the evaluation and management of gastrointestinal fistula after upper gastrointestinal tunnel endoscopic surgery, a retrospective analysis was performed on 15 patients with gastrointestinal fistula after upper gastrointestinal tunnel endoscopic surgery, who were treated at the Endoscopy Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from January 2012 to October 2022. All patients were treated successfully after comprehensive treatment. Three patients received metal clipping and gastric tube drainage; 10 patients received gastric tube drainage combined with jejunal nutritional tube placement, and 7 of them had gastric tube directly put into the fistula cavity; 2 patients received covered esophageal stent placement combined with jejunal nutritional tube placement. Five patients received wound tissue glue spraying; 2 patients underwent purse-string suture with nylon loops and metal clips after reduced fistula burned by hot biopsy forcep or argon plasma coagulation. The gastrointestinal fistula after tunnel endoscopic surgery is a complex postoperative complication, which needs early detection, careful evaluation and comprehensive treatment.

Drug resistance presents one of the major causes for the failure of cancer chemotherapy. Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs), a population of self-renewal cells with high tumorigenicity and innate chemoresistance, can survive conventional chemotherapy and generate increased resistance. Here, we develop a lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticle for co-delivery and cell-distinct release of the differentiation-inducing agent, all-trans retinoic acid and the chemotherapeutic drug, doxorubicin to overcome the CSC-associated chemoresistance. The hybrid nanoparticles achieve differential release of the combined drugs in the CSCs and bulk tumor cells by responding to their specific intracellular signal variation. In the hypoxic CSCs, ATRA is released to induce differentiation of the CSCs, and in the differentiating CSCs with decreased chemoresistance, DOX is released upon elevation of reactive oxygen species to cause subsequent cell death. In the bulk tumor cells, the drugs are released synchronously upon the hypoxic and oxidative conditions to exert potent anticancer effect. This cell-distinct drug release enhances the synergistic therapeutic efficacy of ATRA and DOX with different anticancer mechanism. We show that treatment with the hybrid nanoparticle efficiently inhibit the tumor growth and metastasis of the CSC-enriched triple negative breast cancer in the mouse models.

Objective:To explore the risk factors of early delayed recovery after right ventricular-extrapulmonary arterial(RV-PA)conduit reconstruction.Methods:From 2017 to 2021, the children with RV-PA conduit reconstruction, who were treated in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed.The demographic data and peri-operative clinical data of the patients were collected for statistical analysis.Results:Fifty-five patients were included in the study.The patients were sequenced by the length of ICU stay.The time at the 75th percentile was defined as the critical value for grouping.According to the ICU stay time of the children, they were divided into normal recovery group(ICU stay ≤7 days, n=40)and delayed recovery group(ICU stay>7 days, n=15).The mechanical ventilator time in the whole group was 24(0, 1 408)h, and the ICU stay time was 4(1, 67)d.Six cases required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support, and two cases died.In the multivariate Logistic regression analysis of two groups, long cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB) time( OR=1.034, 95% CI 1.009-1.061, P=0.009)and poor right ventricular function( OR=9.536, 95% CI 1.010-90.037, P=0.049)were independent risk factors for early delayed recovery. Conclusion:The risk of RV-PA conduit reconstruction is high.The proportion of ECMO support is increased.The mortality rate is higher.Right heart dysfunction and prolonged CPB time are risk factors for delayed postoperative recovery.

Objective:To explore the alteration of JAK2/STAT3 pathway after carbon ion ( 12C 6+) irradiation and the difference in the infiltration of CD8 + T cells in lung cancer regulated by downstream protein FOXP3. Methods:Significantly altered JAK2/STAT3 pathway and related differentially-expressed genes and proteins such as FOXP3 in lung cancer after carbon ion irradiation were screened based on RNA sequencing analysis in the Lewis tumor model of C57BL/6 mice. The correlation between FOXP3 and major immune cell infiltration in the immune microenvironment of lung cancer was analyzed using the ssGSEA immune infiltration algorithm in the R software "GSVA" and CD8 + T cell infiltration in the immune microenvironment of lung cancer was evaluated based on the carbon ion combined with STAT3 inhibition pathway (niclosamide). Results:The JAK2/STAT3 pathway was inhibited and the expression of related genes and proteins was downregulated in lung cancer after carbon ion irradiation. Immune scoring based on the ssGSEA algorithm showed that FOXP3 expression was significantly negatively correlated with CD8 + T cell infiltration in the immune microenvironment of lung cancer. The role of targeting the JAK2/STAT3 pathway in increasing CD8 + T cell infiltration in lung cancer was further clarified by carbon ion irradiation combined with STAT3 inhibition (niclosamide). Conclusion:Carbon ion irradiation ( 12C 6+) can play a synergistic role with immunotherapy by targeting the JAK2/STAT3 pathway.