Objective To compare the benefits and drawbacks of primary patch expansion versus pericardial tube right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection in patients diagnosed with pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (PA/VSD). Methods A retrospective study was conducted on patients diagnosed with PA/VSD who underwent primary right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection surgery at our center between 2010 and 2020. Patients were categorized into two groups based on the type of right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection: a pericardial tube group and a patch expansion group. Clinical data and imaging findings were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 51 patients were included in the study, comprising 31 males and 20 females, with a median age of 12.57 (4.57, 49.67) months. The pericardial tube group included 19 patients with a median age of 17.17 (7.33, 49.67) months, while the patch expansion group consisted of 32 patients with a median age of 8.58 (3.57, 52.72) months. In both groups, the diameter of pulmonary artery, McGoon index, and Nakata index significantly increased after treatment (P<0.001). However, the pericardial tube group exhibited a longer extracorporeal circulation time (P<0.001). The reoperation rate was notably high, with 74.51% of patients requiring further surgical intervention, including 26 (81.25%) patients in the patch expansion group and 12 (63.16%) patients in the pericardial tube group. No statistical differences were observed in long-term cure rates or mortality between the two groups (P＞0.005). Conclusion In patients with PA/VSD, both patch expansion and pericardial tube right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection serve as effective initial palliative treatment strategies that promote pulmonary vessel development and provide a favorable foundation for subsequent radical operations. However, compared to the pericardial tube approach, the patch expansion technique is simpler to perform and preserves some intrinsic potential for pulmonary artery development, making it the preferred procedure.

BACKGROUND: The available evidence regarding the benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on patients receiving dialysis with coronary artery disease (CAD) is limited and inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the association between PCI and clinical outcomes as compared with medical therapy alone in patients undergoing dialysis with CAD in China. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective study was conducted in 30 tertiary medical centers across 12 provinces in China from January 2015 to June 2021 to include patients on dialysis with CAD. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke. Secondary outcomes included all-cause death, the individual components of MACE, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria types 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between PCI and outcomes. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and propensity score matching (PSM) were performed to account for potential between-group differences. RESULTS: Of the 1146 patients on dialysis with significant CAD, 821 (71.6%) underwent PCI. After a median follow-up of 23.0 months, PCI was associated with a 43.0% significantly lower risk for MACE (33.9% [ n  = 278] vs . 43.7% [ n  = 142]; adjusted hazards ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.45-0.71), along with a slightly increased risk for bleeding outcomes that did not reach statistical significance (11.1% vs . 8.3%; adjusted hazards ratio 1.31, 95% confidence interval, 0.82-2.11). Furthermore, PCI was associated with a significant reduction in all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities. Subgroup analysis did not modify the association of PCI with patient outcomes. These primary findings were consistent across IPTW, PSM, and competing risk analyses. CONCLUSION This study indicated that PCI in patients on dialysis with CAD was significantly associated with lower MACE and mortality when comparing with those with medical therapy alone, albeit with a slightly increased risk for bleeding events that did not reach statistical significance.
Humans ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Coronary Artery Disease/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Renal Dialysis/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; China ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of percutaneous prying combined with modified rotary reduction with needle in the treatment of supracondylar fracture of humerus in Gartland type Ⅳ children, and to evaluate the postoperative elbow joint function, the incidence of elbow varus deformity and the application prospect of this technique. METHODS: A total of 98 children diagnosed with Gartland type Ⅳ supracondylar humeral fractures between June 2020 and January 2023 were included in this study, comprising of 57 males and 41 females. The age ranged from 2 to 14 years old with an average of (6.24±4.76) years old. There were 48 cases on the left side and 50 on the right side. The time interval from injury to surgery ranged from 2 hours to 2 days, and emergency operation was performed in 26 cases. During the operation, the Kirschner wire was inserted bluntly into the broken end of the fracture using the lever principle, and the reduction was performed by percutaneous prying. Then the modified rotary reduction method with kirschner wire was used to close and reset the Kirschner wire internal fixation, and zero incision was achieved in all cases. Flynn score was used to evaluatal the function and appearance of the elbow joint at 6 months after operation. RESULTS: The operation was successfully completed by all 98 children, and they were followed up for a duration from 6 to14 months with an average of (9.82±3.51) months. The fractures in all cases healed, the time ranged from 6 to 8 weeks with an average of (6.72±1.17) weeks. The Flynn function score of the elbow joint was rated as excellent in 95 cases and good in 3 cases at the 6-month postoperative evaluation. No related complications occurred, such as cubitus varus deformity, osteofascial compartment syndrome, Kirschner wire rupture or rejection, iatrogenic vascular and nerve injury, Volkmann's contracture or ossification myositis. CONCLUSION Percutaneous pry extraction combined with modified rotary reduction with needle in the treatment of humeral supracondylar fracture in extremely instability Gartland type Ⅳ children has the advantages of zero incision, little trauma, safety and good efficacy, and minimization of surgical trauma and scar formation. The postoperative elbow joint function recovery is good.
Humans ; Female ; Child ; Male ; Humeral Fractures/physiopathology* ; Child, Preschool ; Bone Wires ; Adolescent ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation*

Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA), one of the most severe types of male infertility, etiology often remains unclear in most cases. Therefore, this study aimed to detect four biallelic detrimental variants (0.5%) in the minichromosome maintenance domain containing 2 ( MCMDC2 ) genes in 768 NOA patients by whole-exome sequencing (WES). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) demonstrated that MCMDC2 deleterious variants caused meiotic arrest in three patients (c.1360G>T, c.1956G>T, and c.685C>T) and hypospermatogenesis in one patient (c.94G>T), as further confirmed through immunofluorescence (IF) staining. The single-cell RNA sequencing data indicated that MCMDC2 was substantially expressed during spermatogenesis. The variants were confirmed as deleterious and responsible for patient infertility through bioinformatics and in vitro experimental analyses. The results revealed four MCMDC2 variants related to NOA, which contributes to the current perception of the function of MCMDC2 in male fertility and presents new perspectives on the genetic etiology of NOA.
Humans ; Male ; Azoospermia/genetics* ; Meiosis/genetics* ; Spermatogenesis/genetics* ; Adult ; Exome Sequencing ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins/genetics* ; Alleles ; Infertility, Male/genetics*

OBJECTIVES: To explore the molecular mechanism of Jiangzhi Huaban Decoction (JZHBD) for improving atherosclerosis through the "qi meridian-blood channels" pathway. METHODS: ApoE^-/- mouse models of atherosclerosis were established by high-fat diet feeding for 8 weeks, with C57BL/6 mice on a normal diet as the controls. Forty ApoE^-/- mouse models were randomized into model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose JZHBD treatment groups, and atorvastatin treatment group (n=8) for their respective treatments for 8 weeks. The changes in body weight and overall condition of the mice were monitored weekly. After the treatments, serum levels of TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, TBA, ALT, and AST of the mice were measured, pathological changes in the liver and aortic root plaques were examined with HE staining, and lipid accumulation in the liver and aortic wall was assessed using Oil Red O staining. The core molecular mechanism was studied through transcriptomics, and the expressions of the key pathway proteins were confirmed using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Treatment with JZHBD significantly reduced blood lipid and total bile acid levels, improved liver function and hepatic steatosis, and decreased aortic lipid deposition and plaque area in the mouse models of atherosclerosis. Transcriptomic analysis suggested that the therapeutic mechanism of JZHBD involved reverse cholesterol transport, PPAR signaling, and the inflammatory pathways. In atherosclerotic mice, JZHBD treatment obviously up-regulated hepatic expressions of PPARγ, LXRα, ABCA1, ABCG1, and CYP7A1, down-regulated hepatic expressions of p-p65/p65, IL-6, IL1β in the liver, increased ABCG5 and ABCG8 expressions in the intestines, and decreased ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expressions in the aortic plaques. CONCLUSIONS JZHBD improves atherosclerotic vascular damage and plaque formation possibly by regulating hepatic reverse cholesterol transport and inflammation via modulating the hepatic PPARγ/LXRα/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic/metabolism* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Mice ; Atherosclerosis/metabolism* ; Cholesterol/metabolism* ; PPAR gamma/metabolism* ; Male ; Diet, High-Fat ; Biological Transport

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

Phosphatase and tensin-homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) is an important cancer suppressor gene. Its pathogenic mutation leads to PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS), a rare syndrome also known as Cowden syndrome, which is relevant to early-onset hereditary breast cancer (BC). In this paper, we report three patients with unilateral multicentric BC and synchronous and metachronous bilateral BC who harbored PTEN gene mutations, and summarize the clinical manifestations, pathological characteristics, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up outcomes to provide reference for management of PTEN gene mutation-related BC among the Cowden syndrome population.

Background and objective Cystic lung cancer,a special type of lung cancer,has been paid more and more attention.The most common pathological type of cystic lung cancer is adenocarcinoma.The invasiveness of cystic lung adenocarcinoma is vital for the selection of clinical treatment and prognosis.The aim of this study is to analyze the multiple clinical features of cystic lung adenocarcinoma,explore the independent risk factors of its invasiveness,and establish a risk pre-diction model.Methods A total of 129 cases of cystic lung adenocarcinoma admitted to the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2021 to July 2022 were retrospectively analyzed and divided into pre-invasive group[atypical adenomatous hyperplasia(AAH),adenocarcinoma in situ(AIS)and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma(MIA)]and invasive group[invasive adenocarcinoma(IAC)]according to pathological findings.There were 47 cases in the pre-invasive group,including 19 males and 28 females,with an average age of(51.23±14.96)years.There were 82 cases in the invasive group,including 60 males and 22 females,with an average age of(61.27±11.74)years.Mul-tiple clinical features of the two groups were collected,including baseline data,imaging data and tumor markers.Univariate analysis,LASSO regression and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to screen out the independent risk factors of the invasiveness of cystic lung adenocarcinoma,and the risk prediction model was established.Results In univariate analysis,age,gender,smoking history,history of emphysema,neuron-specific enolase(NSE),number of cystic airspaces,lesion di-ameter,cystic cavity diameter,nodule diameter,solid components diameter,cyst wall nodule,smoothness of cyst wall,shape of cystic airspace,lobulation,short burr sign,pleural retraction,vascular penetration and bronchial penetration were statisti-cally different between the pre-invasive group and invasive groups(P<0.05).The above variables were processed by LASSO regression dimensionality reduction and screened as follows:age,gender,smoking history,NSE,number of cystic airspaces,lesion diameter,cystic cavity diameter,cyst wall nodule,smoothness of cyst wall and lobulation.Then the above variables were included in multivariate Logistic regression analysis.Cyst wall nodule(P=0.035)and lobulation(P=0.001)were found to be independent risk factors for the invasiveness of cystic lung adenocarcinoma(P<0.05).The prediction model was established as follows:P=e^x/(1+e^x),x=-7.927+1.476* cyst wall nodule+2.407* lobulation,and area under the curve(AUC)was 0.950.Conclusion Cyst wall nodule and lobulation are independent risk factors for the invasiveness of cystic lung adenocarcinoma,which have certain guiding significance for the prediction of the invasiveness of cystic lung adenocarcinoma.

Objective:To analyze awareness, willingness, the status of using, and related factors of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Shaanxi Province to provide a reference for the next step of HIV prevention and control strategy.Methods:Using a cross-sectional study design from March to May 2022, with the assistance of MSM social organizations in Xi'an, relying on the network platform and MSM Social organizations, a convenient sampling method was used to recruit MSM with an estimated sample size of 900. The inclusion criteria were male aged ≥18, having had same-sex sexual intercourse in the last twelve months, HIV-negative or unknown status of infection. An electronic questionnaire was made with the help of questionnaire-star and an anonymous self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behavior, awareness and using of PrEP, etc. A logistic regression model was used to analyze related factors of PrEP awareness and use in MSM. SPSS 25.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results:Among 981 MSM subjects, 76.55% (751/981) had heard of PrEP, and 42.51% (417/981) were aware of PrEP. Among those who knew about PrEP, 74.34% (310/417) had homosexual sexual activity in the last six months, 99.03% (307/310) were willing to use PrEP, and 40.97% (127/310) were using PrEP. The multivariate logistic regression analysis model results showed that nationality (other ethnic groups:a OR=4.48,95% CI:1.28-15.68),education level (high school or technical secondary school: a OR=3.01,95% CI:1.49-6.07; universities or colleges: a OR=2.86,95% CI:1.47-5.57; master degree: a OR=5.10,95% CI:2.37-10.98), monthly income 5 000-10 000 yuan (a OR=1.70,95% CI: 1.00-2.88), tested for HIV in the past 12 months (a OR=1.87,95% CI:1.34-2.61) were related factors of PrEP knowledge awareness. Singlehood (a OR=0.46,95% CI:0.26-0.81) and consulted professionals about PrEP (a OR=9.56,95% CI:4.58-19.96) were related factors of PrEP use. Conclusions:The proportion of willingness to use PrEP was higher among MSM in Shaanxi Province, but the awareness rate and utilization rate of MSM for PrEP were low. The cognition of PrEP should be further improved to promote the correct use of PrEP among MSM.