ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence of muscle changes （including sarcopenia and myosteatosis） and related influencing factors in patients with porto-sinusoidal vascular disorder （PSVD）， and to provide a theoretical basis for the early identification， prevention， and intervention of muscle changes in PSVD patients. MethodsA total of 132 PSVD patients who were diagnosed in Nanjing Second Hospital from July 2017 to July 2024 were enrolled as case group， and the hospital staff who underwent physical examination in 2025 were enrolled as healthy control group. Propensity score matching was performed based on age and sex at a ratio of 1∶1. According to muscle status assessed by abdominal CT， the subjects were divided into non-muscle change group， mild muscle change group （myosteatosis alone）， and severe muscle change group （sarcopenia alone or sarcopenia comorbid with myosteatosis）， with the type and severity of muscle change as the exposure factors. General information， laboratory tests， L3-level CT images， and liver biopsy data were collected for the patients in the case group， and general information and CT images were collected for the individuals in the healthy control group. Sarcopenia was diagnosed by measuring skeletal muscle index at the L3 level （<44.77 cm²/m² for men and <32.50 cm²/m² for women）， and myosteatosis was defined by mean muscle attenuation combined with BMI （BMI <24.9 kg/m² with attenuation <41 HU or BMI ≥25 kg/m² with attenuation <33 HU）. Demographic， laboratory， and clinical parameters were compared between the case group and the healthy control group. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups； the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to identify the factors associated with sarcopenia in PSVD. ResultsAmong the 132 patients with PSVD， there were 83 patients with portal hypertension （PH） and 49 patients without PH， and there were significant differences between these two groups in age， albumin， albumin/globulin ratio， leukocyte count， neutrophil count， red blood cell count， platelet count， direct bilirubin， indirect bilirubin， hemoglobin， blood calcium， cholinesterase， total bile acid， triglyceride， total cholesterol， prothrombin time， international normalized ratio， activated partial thromboplastin time， decompensation， gastroesophageal or ectopic varices， bleeding and ascites （all P<0.05）. The analyses after matching showed that compared with the healthy control group， the case group had significantly higher prevalence rates of abnormal muscle structure （43.18% vs 18.94%， P<0.001）， mild muscle changes （22.73% vs 7.58%， P<0.001）， and severe muscle changes （20.45% vs 11.36%， P<0.001）. Further comparison showed that there was no significant difference in the proportion of patients with muscle changes between the PSVD patients with PH and those without PH （42.17% vs 44.90%， P=0.760）. The binary Logistic regression analysis with the presence or absence of muscle changes as the dependent variable showed that age （odds ratio ［OR］=1.05， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.02 — 1.09， P<0.05）， subcutaneous fat index （OR=1.03， 95%CI： 1.01 — 1.06， P<0.05）， hemoglobin （OR=0.97， 95%CI： 0.95 — 0.99， P<0.05）， and thrombin time （OR=1.26， 95%CI： 1.06 — 1.49， P<0.05） were independent influencing factors for muscle changes in PSVD patients. The multivariate ordinal Logistic regression analysis with the severity of muscle changes as the dependent variable showed that age （OR=1.04， 95%CI： 1.01 — 1.07， P<0.05） and thrombin time （OR=1.17， 95%CI： 1.01 — 1.36， P<0.05） were independent risk factors for the grading of muscle changes. ConclusionMuscle changes are common in PSVD patients， and these changes may be caused by PSVD itself rather than PH. Age， fat distribution， thrombin time， and hemoglobin are important influencing factors for muscle changes.

OBJECTIVE To provide a basis for aligning Chinese pharmacoeconomic research on heart failure （HF） with international standards. METHODS A qualitative comparison o f domestic and global HF pharmacoeconomic studies was conducted across four dimensions： research methods and model application， research perspectives and endpoints， data sources and parameter selection， and policy translation and practical impact. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS Global studies predominantly utilize long-term dynamic models， societal perspectives， real-world data integration， and directly inform reimbursement decisions. Conversely， domestic research often relies on short-term simplified models， a single healthcare system perspectives， literature-derived data， and individual medicine recommendations. Future domestic studies should transition to long-term dynamic modeling， develop localized disease-specific utility databases via big data， establish reimbursement-linked closed-loop mechanisms， and foster multidisciplinary collaboration to optimize healthcare resource allocation.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic efficacy of Danggui Shaoyaosan （DSS） on renal injury in db/db mice and its impact on endoplasmic reticulum stress （ERS） in renal tissues. MethodsThirty 8-week-old male db/db mice and six db/m mice were acclimated for one week， after which urinary microalbumin and blood glucose levels were monitored to establish a diabetic kidney disease （DKD） model. The model mice were randomly divided into a model group， an irbesartan group， and three DSS treatment groups with different doses （16.77， 33.54， and 67.08 g·kg^-1·d^-1）. A normal group was set as control. Each group was intragastrically administered with the corresponding drugs or saline for 8 weeks. After the intervention， general conditions were observed. Serum cystatin C （Cys-C）， 24-hour urinary total protein （24 h-UTP）， 24-hour urinary microalbumin （24 h-UMA）， urinary creatinine （Ucr）， and urea nitrogen （UUN） were measured. Transmission electron microscopy （TEM） was used to observe glomerular basement membrane （GBM） and ultrastructural changes of the endoplasmic reticulum （ER） in glomerular endothelial cells. Western blot， real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze renal tissue structure and the expression of GRP78， CHOP， and related markers. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the mice in the model group showed curled posture， sluggish response， poor fur condition， increased levels of Cys-C， 24 h-UTP， 24 h-UMA， and UUN （P<0.05）， while Ucr decreased （P<0.05）. The GBM was significantly thickened， with podocyte and foot process fusion. The protein expressions of GRP78， CHOP， and ATF6 were significantly upregulated （P<0.05）， the mRNA levels of GRP78 and CHOP increased （P<0.05）， and immunohistochemistry showed an enhanced GRP78 signal （P<0.05）. After treatment， the mice exhibited improved behavior， normalized GBM and podocyte structure， improved ER morphology and markedly better biochemical indicators. Western blot， Real-time PCR， and immunohistochemistry indicated that the ERS-related markers were downregulated in the DSS treatment groups （P<0.05）， suggesting alleviated ERS and improved renal function. ConclusionDSS can effectively ameliorate renal pathological damage in db/db mice， possibly by regulating ERS in glomerular endothelial cells， although the underlying signaling mechanisms require further investigation.

Objective:To evaluate the topological alterations of resting-state brain networks in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizure (IGE-GTCS) using minimum spanning tree (MST) based on graph theoretic analysis, and to further analyze the relationships between topological features, duration, and antiepileptic drug response.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. Retrospectively, 75 IGE-GTCS patients and 37 healthy controls (HC) who underwent brain MR imaging at the Affiliated of Nanjing University Medical School Drum Tower Hospital from January 2013 to December 2020 were enrolled. IGE-GTCS patients were grouped into well-controlled subgroup (WC; n=55) and drug-resistant subgroup (DR; n=20) according to their response to antiepileptic drugs. Firstly, the time series correlations between 116 regions of the whole brain of each subject were calculated to construct functional connectivity matrices. For each functional connectivity matrix, the Kruskal algorithm was used to MST, and the topological metrics of each MST were calculated, including leaf fraction, tree hierarchy, and diameter. The comparison of MST topological metrics between the two groups was performed using two-sample t-test. Pearson correlation analysis was used to calculate the correlation between disease duration and MST metrics in the WC subgroup and the DR subgroup. Results:Compared with the HC group, the MST leaf fraction ( t=2.27, P=0.025) increased in the IGE-GTCS patient group, and the diameter decreased ( t=-2.24, P=0.027), there was no statistically significant difference in tree hierarchy between IGE-GTCS patient group and HC group ( t=0.98, P=0.328). The MST leaf fraction ( t=-2.39, P=0.019) and tree hierarchy ( t=-2.24, P=0.027) in the WC subgroup was decreased compared with the DR subgroup, while there was no statistically significant difference in diameter between WC subgroup and DR subgroup ( P=0.093). The correlation analysis showed the MST diameter in WC subgroup was significantly correlated with disease duration ( r=0.452, P<0.001), while the MST diameter in DR subgroup was not significantly correlated with disease duration ( r=-0.062, P=0.847). Conclusions:Patients with IGE-GTCS exhibit specific alterations in the global topology of brain network, characterized by increased centralization and efficiency. The effective antiepileptic drug treatment is associated with a recovery of brain network abnormalities.

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of endoscopic total thyroidectomy performed via a combined transoral and submental approach in patients with thyroid cancer Methods This study enrolled 227 patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC)who underwent total thyroidectomy combined with unilateral central lymph node dissection at the Department of Thyroid and Hernia Surgery,the First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University,between October 2019 and March 2024.Of these patients,68 were treated using the fully endoscopic combined transoral and submental approach(endoscopic group),whereas 159 underwent the conventional open anterior cervical approach(open group).A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate and compare the therapeutic outcomes between the two groups.Results Surgical procedures were successfully completed in both groups without complications,and no additional incisions were required in the endoscopic group.Compared with the open surgery group,the endoscopic group had a longer operative duration,reduced intraoperative blood loss,and greater total postoperative drainage volume.Furthermore,on the first postoperative day,patients in the endoscopic surgery group exhibited lower levels of serum calcium and intact parathyroid hormone(iPTH).The incidence of temporary parathyroid dysfunction was significantly higher in the endoscopic group(51.47%)than in the open surgery group(30.82%),and this difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).No significant differences were found between the two groups regarding preoperative serum iPTH levels,preoperative serum calcium levels,number of dissected lymph nodes,incidence of temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve injury,postoperative hemorrhage,incision infection,or submental sensory loss(P>0.05).Conclusions Compared with traditional open surgery,total thyroidectomy via TOETSMVA under full endoscopy demonstrates comparable efficacy and favorable long-term safety.However,it is associated with a higher risk of transient hypoparathyroidism in the short term,highlighting the necessity for enhanced intraoperative protection of the parathyroid glands.

Objective To explore differentially expressed proteins in the serum exosomes of acute myeloid leukemia(AML)patients and healthy controls by using the proteomics method,and provide new biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of AML.Methods A total of 76 AML patients diagnosed and treated in the First People's Hospital of Honghe State from November 2022 to June 2024 were selected as the experimental group,and 60 healthy physical examination participants were selected as the control group.Tandem Mass Tag(TMT)labeled proteomics was used to identify the differences in protein expression in serum exosomes between the experimental and control groups,and the identified differentially expressed proteins were subjected to bioinformatics analysis.Western-Blot was used to verify the differentially expressed proteins.Results Comparedwith healthy controls,146 aberrantly expressed proteinswere detected in serum exosomes of AML patients,of which 89 were up-regulated and 57 were down-regulated.Among them,Alpha-1-antichymotrypsin(α1-ACT),Angiogenin(ANG),Vitronectin(VIT),Clusterin(Clu),Fibronectin(FN),Keratin type I cytoskeletal-18(KRT18),and actinin alpha4(ACTN4)showed changed significantly.Gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis indicated that differentially expresseproteins were involved in biological processes such as neutrophil immunity,neutrophil degranulation,neutrophil activation immune response,and protein activation cascade,significantly enriched in 25 biological pathways including complement and coagulation cascades,extracellular matrix(ECM)-receptor interaction,and hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1)signaling pathways.Western-blot validation results showed that compared with the control group,the expression levels of ANG,Clu and FN in the serum exosomes of AML patients were significantly increased,while the expression level of ACTN4 was significantly decreased,with statistically significant differences(t=-11.854～18.569,all P<0.05).The expression levels of ANG and FN were correlated with white blood cell count(F=8.888,7.818,all P<0.05)and cytogenetics(F=8.619,7.983,P<0.05).The expression level of Clu protein was correlated with white blood cell count(F=2.571,P<0.05),but not significantly associated with cytogenetics(F=1.886,P>0.05).ANG,FN and Clu showed no significant correlation with FAB classification(F=0.175,0.434,0.042,all P>0.05).Conclusion The expression of exosomal proteins in the serum of AML patients compared to healthy individuals are significant differences,which may serve as serological markers for the diagnosis and treatment of AML.

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of endoscopic total thyroidectomy performed via a combined transoral and submental approach in patients with thyroid cancer Methods This study enrolled 227 patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC)who underwent total thyroidectomy combined with unilateral central lymph node dissection at the Department of Thyroid and Hernia Surgery,the First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University,between October 2019 and March 2024.Of these patients,68 were treated using the fully endoscopic combined transoral and submental approach(endoscopic group),whereas 159 underwent the conventional open anterior cervical approach(open group).A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate and compare the therapeutic outcomes between the two groups.Results Surgical procedures were successfully completed in both groups without complications,and no additional incisions were required in the endoscopic group.Compared with the open surgery group,the endoscopic group had a longer operative duration,reduced intraoperative blood loss,and greater total postoperative drainage volume.Furthermore,on the first postoperative day,patients in the endoscopic surgery group exhibited lower levels of serum calcium and intact parathyroid hormone(iPTH).The incidence of temporary parathyroid dysfunction was significantly higher in the endoscopic group(51.47%)than in the open surgery group(30.82%),and this difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).No significant differences were found between the two groups regarding preoperative serum iPTH levels,preoperative serum calcium levels,number of dissected lymph nodes,incidence of temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve injury,postoperative hemorrhage,incision infection,or submental sensory loss(P>0.05).Conclusions Compared with traditional open surgery,total thyroidectomy via TOETSMVA under full endoscopy demonstrates comparable efficacy and favorable long-term safety.However,it is associated with a higher risk of transient hypoparathyroidism in the short term,highlighting the necessity for enhanced intraoperative protection of the parathyroid glands.

Objective To explore differentially expressed proteins in the serum exosomes of acute myeloid leukemia(AML)patients and healthy controls by using the proteomics method,and provide new biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of AML.Methods A total of 76 AML patients diagnosed and treated in the First People's Hospital of Honghe State from November 2022 to June 2024 were selected as the experimental group,and 60 healthy physical examination participants were selected as the control group.Tandem Mass Tag(TMT)labeled proteomics was used to identify the differences in protein expression in serum exosomes between the experimental and control groups,and the identified differentially expressed proteins were subjected to bioinformatics analysis.Western-Blot was used to verify the differentially expressed proteins.Results Comparedwith healthy controls,146 aberrantly expressed proteinswere detected in serum exosomes of AML patients,of which 89 were up-regulated and 57 were down-regulated.Among them,Alpha-1-antichymotrypsin(α1-ACT),Angiogenin(ANG),Vitronectin(VIT),Clusterin(Clu),Fibronectin(FN),Keratin type I cytoskeletal-18(KRT18),and actinin alpha4(ACTN4)showed changed significantly.Gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis indicated that differentially expresseproteins were involved in biological processes such as neutrophil immunity,neutrophil degranulation,neutrophil activation immune response,and protein activation cascade,significantly enriched in 25 biological pathways including complement and coagulation cascades,extracellular matrix(ECM)-receptor interaction,and hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1)signaling pathways.Western-blot validation results showed that compared with the control group,the expression levels of ANG,Clu and FN in the serum exosomes of AML patients were significantly increased,while the expression level of ACTN4 was significantly decreased,with statistically significant differences(t=-11.854～18.569,all P<0.05).The expression levels of ANG and FN were correlated with white blood cell count(F=8.888,7.818,all P<0.05)and cytogenetics(F=8.619,7.983,P<0.05).The expression level of Clu protein was correlated with white blood cell count(F=2.571,P<0.05),but not significantly associated with cytogenetics(F=1.886,P>0.05).ANG,FN and Clu showed no significant correlation with FAB classification(F=0.175,0.434,0.042,all P>0.05).Conclusion The expression of exosomal proteins in the serum of AML patients compared to healthy individuals are significant differences,which may serve as serological markers for the diagnosis and treatment of AML.

Objective:To evaluate the topological alterations of resting-state brain networks in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizure (IGE-GTCS) using minimum spanning tree (MST) based on graph theoretic analysis, and to further analyze the relationships between topological features, duration, and antiepileptic drug response.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. Retrospectively, 75 IGE-GTCS patients and 37 healthy controls (HC) who underwent brain MR imaging at the Affiliated of Nanjing University Medical School Drum Tower Hospital from January 2013 to December 2020 were enrolled. IGE-GTCS patients were grouped into well-controlled subgroup (WC; n=55) and drug-resistant subgroup (DR; n=20) according to their response to antiepileptic drugs. Firstly, the time series correlations between 116 regions of the whole brain of each subject were calculated to construct functional connectivity matrices. For each functional connectivity matrix, the Kruskal algorithm was used to MST, and the topological metrics of each MST were calculated, including leaf fraction, tree hierarchy, and diameter. The comparison of MST topological metrics between the two groups was performed using two-sample t-test. Pearson correlation analysis was used to calculate the correlation between disease duration and MST metrics in the WC subgroup and the DR subgroup. Results:Compared with the HC group, the MST leaf fraction ( t=2.27, P=0.025) increased in the IGE-GTCS patient group, and the diameter decreased ( t=-2.24, P=0.027), there was no statistically significant difference in tree hierarchy between IGE-GTCS patient group and HC group ( t=0.98, P=0.328). The MST leaf fraction ( t=-2.39, P=0.019) and tree hierarchy ( t=-2.24, P=0.027) in the WC subgroup was decreased compared with the DR subgroup, while there was no statistically significant difference in diameter between WC subgroup and DR subgroup ( P=0.093). The correlation analysis showed the MST diameter in WC subgroup was significantly correlated with disease duration ( r=0.452, P<0.001), while the MST diameter in DR subgroup was not significantly correlated with disease duration ( r=-0.062, P=0.847). Conclusions:Patients with IGE-GTCS exhibit specific alterations in the global topology of brain network, characterized by increased centralization and efficiency. The effective antiepileptic drug treatment is associated with a recovery of brain network abnormalities.

Objective:To explore the interaction between pediatric sleep-disordered breathing（SDB）, the intestinal microbiota, and pediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease（NAFLD）. Methods:A total of 63 non-obese children（47 children with SDB in the experimental group and 16 without SDB in the control group） were enrolled in this study. The liver function and degree of SDB were assessed in both groups. High-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing was conducted to detect the composition and functional variations of the intestinal microbiota in the two groups of children. Results:Compared with children in the experimental group, serum ALT and AST levels were higher in the control group. and the relative proteobacteria abundance of intestinal flora increased, and the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes decreased significantly. Function including membrane transport, carbohydrate metabolism and lipid metabolism, were enriched in the intestinal microbiota of children with SDB. Conclusion:The composition and functional annotation of the pediatric liver functional status and gut microbiota were significantly different between the two groups of children with and without SDB. Changes in SDB-associated intestinal bacterial abundance may be related to the pathogenesis of pediatric NAFLD.
Humans ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/microbiology* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Child ; Male ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes/microbiology* ; Female ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics* ; Bacteroidetes ; Proteobacteria/isolation & purification* ; Lipid Metabolism