ObjectiveTo investigate the role of DEAD-box helicase 3 X-linked （DDX3X） in immune-mediated liver injury （ILI）， and to clarify its mechanism by regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress （ERS）-dependent apoptotic pathway and its association with the clinical progression of hepatitis B. MethodsMice were given injection of concanavalin A （ConA） via the caudal vein to establish a model of ILI， PBS （control group） and different concentrations of ConA were injected into the tail vein of hepatocyte-specific DDX3X-knockout mice （DDX3X^ΔHep and DDX3X-flox mice （DDX3X^fl/fl）， respectively.. The log-rank survival analysis， measurement of the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST） and alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， and HE staining of liver tissue were performed to assess liver injury， and qRT-PCR and Western Blot were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression levels of glucose-regulated protein 78 （GRP78）， CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein （CHOP）， and DDX3X in liver tissue. Intraperitoneal injection of 4-phenylbutyric acid （4-PBA， 100 mg/kg） was performed to inhibit ERS. Serum samples （n=30） and liver tissue samples （n=6） were collected from healthy controls， chronic hepatitis B （CHB） patients， and hepatitis B virus-associated liver failure （HBV-LF） patients； ELISA was used to measure the serum level of DDX3X， and qRT-PCR/Western Blot was used to analyze the expression of targets in liver tissue. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsCompared with the control group of mice， the expression of DDX3X in the liver of mice induced by ConA was significantly increased after liver injury （P<0.05）， and hepatocyte-specific DDX3X knockout increased the 72-hour survival rate of mice by 55% （compared with 20% in the DDX3X^fl/fl group）， with significant reductions in the serum levels of ALT and AST （P<0.000 1） and the expression levels of the ERS markers GRP78 and CHOP （P<0.05）. After ERS was inhibited by 4-PBA， there was alleviation of liver injury （with reductions in ALT and AST， P <0.001） and a reduction in DDX3X expression （P<0.01）. The analysis of clinical samples showed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of liver DDX3X in CHB patients and HBV-LF patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls （all P<0.01）， and there was a significant increase in the serum level of DDX3X in HBV-LF patients （P<0.000 1）. ConclusionDDX3X exacerbates ILI by regulating the ERS-dependent apoptotic pathway （GRP78/CHOP）， and its expression is associated with the progression of hepatitis B. Therefore， it can be used as a potential therapeutic target.

Objective To explore the feasibility of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS)in the treatment of congenital pulmonary airway malformation(CPAM)or pulmonary isolation complicated with ipsilateral mediastinal bronchogenic cyst in children.Methods From July 2019 to July 2024,VATS was carried out to treat CPAM or pulmonary isolation with ipsilateral mediastinal bronchogenic cyst in 7 children.A three-hole thoracoscopic surgery via lateral thoracic approach was performed.The patients were placed in a healthy lateral position.The observation hole was located at the intersection of the subscapular line and the 5th intercostal space,and the operating hole was established according to the surgical requirements in combination with the lumboscopic diamond rule.A 5 mm trocar was used for all three holes.The pressure of CO2 pneumothorax was 4 mm Hg and the flow rate was 2 L/min,which was adjusted at any time according to the intraoperative conditions of the children.The operation was mainly designed for lung operation.The pulmonary operation was conducted firstly,and then the bronchogenic cyst was treated.If necessary,block resection was applied to avoid serious complications of trachea.Results All the operations were performed under thoracoscopy without conversion to open surgery.The operation time was 37-191 min(median,101 min).The intraoperative bleeding volume was 1-15 ml(median,5 ml).One case was not given a closed chest drainage tube placed,and the other 6 cases were placed a closed chest drainage for 1-5 d(median,3d).Postoperative pathology showed 5 cases of CPAM combined with bronchogenic cysts,including 4 cases of type 2(bronchiole type)and 1 case of type 3(bronchiole/alveolar type),and 2 cases of extralobular pulmonary isolation combined with bronchogenic cysts.All the 7 cases were followed up for 6-57 months(median,27 months),and chest CT showed no recurrence of lesions.Conclusions CPAM or pulmonary isolation may be accompanied by bronchogenic cysts.Preoperative imaging examination should correspond to surgical observation,and careful exploration should be conducted to avoid missed diagnosis.VATS is safe and feasible for treating CPAM or pulmonary isolation with ipsilateral mediastinal bronchogenic cysts.

Patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) often experience coagulation dysfunction. This article reports a case of a critical SFTS patient who developed secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and accompanied by significantly prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT)(111.0 s). APTT mixing test, coagulation factor activity assays, and antiphospholipid antibodies testing excluded coagulation factor deficiencies and classic antiphospholipid syndrome. Combined with elevated endothelial injury markers, it was hypothesized that the prolonged APTT was related to endothelial injury. The patient was treated with dexamethasone, ruxolitinib, and plasma transfusion, the patient′s APTT returned to normal (34.6 s), platelets increased, and levels of ferritin, inflammatory cytokines, and vascular endothelial injury markers decreased. This case suggests that prolonged APTT in SFTS patients may be associated with HLH, cytokine storms, and endothelial injury. Glucocorticoid and Janus kinase inhibitor, by controlling inflammatory responses and reducing endothelial damage, may have potential therapeutic value in correcting coagulation abnormalities.

Objective:Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), caused by the novel bunyavirus, is an emerging infectious disease with a high fatality rate. Co-infections with bacteria or fungi can exacerbate the disease. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of co-infections in SFTS patients.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 143 SFTS patients admitted to Qilu Hospital of Shandong University and Juxian People’s Hospital from April 2021 to October 2024.Results:The result showed that 35.7% (51/143) of patients had co-infections, with 85.5% diagnosed within 48 hours of hospitalization. The co-infection group exhibited higher incidences of neurological and respiratory symptoms, lower median platelet counts, and significantly elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), and ferritin ( P<0.01). Pathogen analysis revealed a predominance of lower respiratory tract Aspergillus infections. Co-infected patients had higher rates of ICU admission (31.4% vs 5.4%), mechanical ventilation (43.1% vs 6.5%), longer hospital stays, higher costs, and lower survival rates (74.5% vs 90.2%). The score within 6 days of disease onset (including age, neutrophil percentage, aspartate transaminase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and BUN) was a significant risk factor for co-infection. A predictive model combining CRP, BUN, and the composite score demonstrated superior performance (AUC=0.851). Conclusions:This study provides critical evidence for early diagnosis and identification of high-risk populations for co-infections in SFTS patients.

AIM:To investigate the effect and mechanism of panax notoginseng saponins(PNS)inhibiting the proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells(PASMCs)in rats under the ef-fect of monocrotaline(MCT).METHODS:PASMCs cultured in vitro were randomly divided into the normal control(Control)group,the monocrotaline(MCT)group,the panax notoginseng saponins(PNS)group,the knockdown(M+Si ADAM10)group,the knockdown postconditioning(M+P+Si ADAM10)group,the overexpression(M+OE AD-AM10)group,and the overexpression postcondi-tioning(M+P+OE ADAM10)group.After the model was constructed,the cell viability of each group was measured using the CCK-8 assay,along with Western blot utilized to detect the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA),disinteg-rin metalloproteinase 10(ADAM10),and notch ho-mology protein-3(Notch3)at the cellular neurogen-ic locus,respectively.RESULTS:Under the effect of MCT,the viability of PASMCs was significantly en-hanced(P<0.05 or P<0.01);0-400 mg/L PNS was not toxic to the viability of normal cells,and 100 mg/L PNS could significantly inhibit the MCT-in-duced viability(P<0.01).After the knockdown of ADAM10,the viability of PASMCs significantly de-clined(P<0.01),and the expression of PCNA protein was significantly decreased(P<0.05),evidently in the M+P+Si ADAM10 group.Meanwhile,the ex-pression of ADAM10 and Notch3 protein was signif-icantly decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01),evidently in the M+P+Si ADAM10 group.After overexpression of ADAM10,the viability of PASMCs was significant-ly enhanced(P<0.01),the expression of PCNA pro-tein was significantly increased(P<0.01),the PCNA value was slightly higher(P>0.05),and the expres-sion of ADAM10 and Notch3 protein was signifi-cantly elevated(P<0.05)in the M+P+OE ADAM10 group.Additionally,PASMCs overexpressing AD-AM10 with concomitant PNS exhibited a significant decrease in the expression of PCNA protein com-pared with PASMCs knocking down ADAM10(P<0.01),and the expression of ADAM10 and Notch3 protein declined to varying degrees(P>0.05).CON-CLUSION:Panax notoginseng saponins can mitigate MCT-induced PASMCs proliferation in rats by inhib-iting the ADAM10/Notch3 signaling pathway.

Aim Mouse model of myocardial hypertro-phy was established via intraperitoneal injection of iso-proterenol(ISO)in mice.This approach allows for an in-depth investigation into the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of action of emodin,offering novel in-sights and directions for the improvement of myocardial hypertrophy.Methods The mice were randomly di-vided into the following groups:control group(CON),emodin group(EMO),MAPK activator control group(EMO+Ani),model group(ISO),treatment group(ISO+EMO),and activator intervention group(ISO+EMO+Ani).After treatment with emodin and inter-vention with MAPK activator,the heart weight ratio and cardiac size of each group were observed.Hematoxy-lin-eosin(HE)staining was used to observe the patho-logical changes in cardiac tissue,and kits were utilized to measure the levels of GSH,LDH,and MDA in the serum.Western blot was employed to detect the protein expression levels of inflammatory and oxidative factors,as well as p-p38,p-ERK,p38,and ERK in cardiac tis-sue.Results Emodin can significantly inhibit the production of myocardial inflammatory and oxidative factors induced by ISO,thereby effectively alleviating the degree of myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis.Af-ter the p38/ERK signaling pathway was specifically ac-tivated by farnesol,the improvement effect of emodin on myocardial hypertrophy was weakened.Further comparison revealed that,compared with the myocardi-al hypertrophy pathological model group,the pathologi-cal protein expression levels in the farnesol-treated group showed no significant difference,and were even higher in some indicators.Conclusion Emodin can effectively inhibit the release of inflammatory factors and improve the state of oxidative stress by modulating the p38/ERK signaling pathway,thereby exerting an ameliorative effect on myocardial hypertrophy.

Objective To investigate the feasibility and safety of transradial approach(TRA)for carotid artery stenting(CAS)using single-layer braided carotid stents with a microporous dense mesh design.Methods A retrospective consecutive series of patients with carotid artery stenosis who underwent CAS via TRA using single-layer braided microporous dense mesh stents admitted to the Department of Neurology,Linyi People's Hospital,Shandong Second Medical University were included from December 2022 to April 2023.General and clinical data,lesion characteristics,procedural metrics,periprocedural conditions,and follow-up outcomes were collected from the patients.General and clinical data including sex,age,medical history(hypertension,diabetes,coronary artery disease),and preoperative modified Rankin scale(mRS)score.Lesion characteristics included stenosis location,normal lumen diameters distal and proximal to the stenosis,stenosis rate,lesion length,and aortic arch type.Procedural metrics included successfully guided catheter placement,stent deployment,retrieval of the embolic protection device and residual stenosis rate.Periprocedural conditions included periprocedural complications(within 72 hours included puncture site bleeding,symptomatic radial artery occlusion,new cerebral infarctions on diffusion-weighted imaging,and cardio-cerebrovascular events[angina,acute myocardial infarction,cerebral infarction,cerebral hemorrhage])and length of hospital stay.The mRS scores at 1 and 6 months after surgery were recorded via telephone follow-ups.At 12 months after surgery,outpatient carotid color Doppler ultrasound was performed to evaluate in-stent restenosis.Results(1)Ten patients(9 male,1 female)aged 57-72 years,with a median age of 70(62,71)years were included.Among them,9 had hypertension,2 had diabetes,and 1 had coronary artery disease.Four patients had symptomatic carotid stenosis:2 presented with hemiparesis,1 with mild dysarthria,and 1 with transient ischemic attack.Preoperative mRS scores among symptomatic patients were 0(1 patient),1(2 patients),and 2(1 patient).The remaining 6 patients had asymptomatic stenosis,all with preoperative mRS scores of 0.(2)Two patients had left internal carotid artery(ICA)stenosis,and 8 had right ICA stenosis.The mean stenosis degree was(79.9±7.1)％,and the mean lesion length was(16.8±5.7)mm.The mean normal distal and proximal lumen diameter of the stenosed blood vessel were(5.1±0.5)mm and(8.1±0.8)mm,respectively.One patient had a type Ⅰ aortic arch,8 patients had type Ⅱ,and 1 patient had type Ⅲ.Among the 8 patients with right ICA stenosis,4 underwent direct catheterization of the right common carotid artery using a glidewire,while the other 4 required exchange technique for guide catheter placement.Both left-sided lesions were treated using exchange technique.Guide catheter placement and stent deployment were successful in all cases.No difficulties were encountered in embolic protection device retrieval.The mean residual stenosis rate was(21.6±6.7)％.(3)The mean postoperative hospital stay was(1.8±0.9)days.No puncture site bleeding or symptomatic radial artery occlusion occurred.One patient experienced a cerebrovascular event due to a pontine perforator artery infarction,presenting with diplopia and impaired left eye adduction,likely caused by postoperative hypotension and hypoperfusion.This patient had an immediate postoperative mRS score of 2 at discharge,which improved to 0 at 6 months.The other 9 patients showed no change in mRS scores compared to preoperative assessments,and no new cerebral infarctions were detected within 72 hours after surgery.At 12-month follow-up,carotid color Doppler ultrasound revealed no in-stent restenosis in any patient.Conclusions CAS performed via TRA using single-layer braided microporous dense mesh stents appears to be feasible and safe.However,this study is a single-center,retrospective analysis with a small sample size.Larger prospective randomized controlled trials are needed to validate these findings.

Recent data suggest that vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor (VEGFRi) can enhance the anti-tumor activity of the anti-programmed cell death-1 (anti-PD-1) antibody in colorectal cancer (CRC) with microsatellite stability (MSS). However, the comparison between this combination and standard third-line VEGFRi treatment is not performed, and reliable biomarkers are still lacking. We retrospectively enrolled MSS CRC patients receiving anti-PD-1 antibody plus VEGFRi (combination group, n=54) or VEGFRi alone (VEGFRi group, n=32), and their efficacy and safety were evaluated. We additionally examined the immune characteristics of the MSS CRC tumor microenvironment (TME) through single-cell and spatial transcriptomic data, and an MSS CRC immune cell-related signature (MCICRS) that can be used to predict the clinical outcomes of MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy was developed and validated in our in-house cohort. Compared with VEGFRi alone, the combination of anti-PD-1 antibody and VEGFRi exhibited a prolonged survival benefit (median progression-free survival: 4.4 vs. 2.0 months, P=0.0024; median overall survival: 10.2 vs. 5.2 months, P=0.0038) and a similar adverse event incidence. Through single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analysis, we determined ten MSS CRC-enriched immune cell types and their spatial distribution, including naive CD4⁺ T, regulatory CD4⁺ T, CD4⁺ Th17, exhausted CD8⁺ T, cytotoxic CD8⁺ T, proliferated CD8⁺ T, natural killer (NK) cells, plasma, and classical and intermediate monocytes. Based on a systemic meta-analysis and ten machine learning algorithms, we obtained MCICRS, an independent risk factor for the prognosis of MSS CRC patients. Further analyses demonstrated that the low-MCICRS group presented a higher immune cell infiltration and immune-related pathway activation, and hence a significant relation with the superior efficacy of pan-cancer immunotherapy. More importantly, the predictive value of MCICRS in MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy was also validated with an in-house cohort. Anti-PD-1 antibody combined with VEGFRi presented an improved clinical benefit in MSS CRC with manageable toxicity. MCICRS could serve as a robust and promising tool to predict clinical outcomes for individual MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy.
Humans ; Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Male ; Female ; Immunotherapy ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Tumor Microenvironment/immunology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Microsatellite Instability ; Transcriptome ; Single-Cell Analysis ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/immunology* ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Adult ; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor/antagonists & inhibitors*

Objective:To summarized the clinical characteristics and surgical management of anterior cervical enterogenic in pediatric patients. Methods:Clinical data were retrospectively analyzed for 9 children with pathologically confirmed anterior cervical enterogenic cysts（including bronchogenic and esophagogenic subtypes） treated at the Children's Hospital of Shandong University（Jinan Children's Hospital） between January 1, 2020, and November 30, 2023. Results:Nine patients（6 males and 3 females） were involved in this study, aged 14 days to 10 years old. There were 4 cases on the left side, 4 on the right side, and 1 in the middle of the neck. All patients presented with neck masses. The patients were followed up from 3 months to 35 months after surgery and recovered well, with no recurrence or complications observed. Conclusion:①Anterior intestinal cysts in children are rare and easy to be misdiagnosed. ②Concurrent branchial cleft fistulas or associated anomalies may coexist, necessitating comprehensive evaluation. ③Preoperative diagnosis is not easy and mainly depends on pathological diagnosis. ④The treatment of anterior cervical enterogenic cysts in children is surgical resection of the lesion.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Retrospective Studies ; Child, Preschool ; Infant ; Neck ; Cysts/surgery*

Kupffer cells (KCs), as residents and sentinels of the liver, are involved in the formation of hepatic fibrosis (HF). However, the biological functions of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in KCs to HF have not been determined. In this study, the expression levels of circRNAs, microRNAs, and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in KCs from a mouse model of HF mice were investigated using microarray and circRNA-Seq analyses. circDcbld2 was identified as a candidate circRNA in HF, as evidenced by its up-regulation in KCs. Silver staining and mass spectrometry showed that Wtap and Igf2bp2 bind to cirDcbld2. The suppression of circDcbld2 expression decreased the KC inflammatory response and oxidative stress and inhibited hepatic stellate cell (HSCs) activation, attenuating mouse liver fibrogenesis. Mechanistically, Wtap mediated the N ⁶-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation of circDcbld2, and Igf2bp2 recognized m6A-modified circDcbld2 and increased its stability. circDcbld2 contributes to the occurrence of HF by binding miR-144-3p/Et-1 to regulate the inflammatory response and oxidative stress. These findings indicate that circDcbld2 functions via the m6A/circDcbld2/miR-144-3p/Et-1 axis and may act as a potential biomarker for HF treatment.