BACKGROUND: The combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy (ICI + Chemo) shows promise in treatment of recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (RM-NPC), but some patients received limited benefit and the prognostic factors of the treatments remain unclear. Furthermore, ICIs efficacy in subsequent treatments needs further evaluation. METHODS: A systematic search on PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and major conference proceedings was conducted to identify relevant studies for meta-analysis. The study was designed to compare ICI + Chemo with chemotherapy in first-line treatment and identify efficacy predictors, and to evaluate ICIs alone in subsequent-line treatment for RM-NPC, with a focus on progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and treatment-related adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: Fifteen trials involving 1928 patients were included. Three trials compared ICI + Chemo with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment, while 12 trials evaluated ICIs alone in subsequent-line treatment of RM-NPC patients. First-line ICI + Chemo showed superior PFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.52, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43-0.63; P <0.001) and ORR (risk ratio [RR] = 1.14, 95% CI, 1.05-1.24; P <0.001) compared to chemotherapy, without increased AEs (RR = 1.01, 95% CI, 0.99-1.03; P = 0.481). Neither programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) nor other factors predicted the efficacy of ICI + Chemo vs . chemotherapy. Subsequent-line ICIs alone had a median PFS of 4.12 months (95% CI, 2.93-5.31 months), an ORR of 24% (95% CI, 20-28%), with grade 1-5/grade 3-5 AEs at 79%/14%. However, ICIs alone were associated with significantly shorter PFS (HR = 1.31, 95% CI, 1.01-1.68; P = 0.040) than chemotherapy alone. CONCLUSIONS ICI + Chemo confers superior survival benefits compared to chemotherapy in first-line RM-NPC treatment, independent of PD-L1 expression or other factors. However, ICIs alone demonstrate a manageable safety profile but do not surpass chemotherapy in efficacy for subsequent-line treatment.
Humans ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/adverse effects* ; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma/drug therapy* ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy*

Based on the"You Gu Wu Yun"theory in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),this paper believes that"Gu"in"You Gu Wu Yun"is extended to"state"from the perspective of"TCM state".In order to avoid the adverse reactions of TCM,the macro,meso,and micro three views should be used together,and macro,meso,and micro parameters should be integrated.We should also carefully identify the physiological characteristics,pathological characteristics,constitution,syndrome,and disease of human body by combining qualitative and quantitative method,highlighting the relationship between the prescription and the"state".The correspondence between prescription and the"state"will reduce the risk of adverse reactions of TCM.In this paper,we hope to focus on the guiding role of the"You Gu Wu Yun"theory in TCM research,to give full play to the characteristics and advantages of TCM,and to dialectically treat the role of TCM.

Objective Previous studies on the association between lipid profiles and chronic kidney disease(CKD)have yielded inconsistent results and no defined thresholds for blood lipids. Methods A prospective cohort study including 32,351 subjects who completed baseline and follow-up surveys over 5 years was conducted.Restricted cubic splines and Cox models were used to examine the association between the lipid profiles and CKD.A regression discontinuity design was used to determine the cutoff value of lipid profiles that was significantly associated with increased the risk of CKD. Results Over a median follow-up time of 2.2(0.5,4.2)years,648(2.00%)subjects developed CKD.The lipid profiles that were significantly and linearly related to CKD included total cholesterol(TC),triglycerides(TG),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),TC/HDL-C,and TG/HDL-C,whereas low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)and LDL-C/HDL-C were nonlinearly correlated with CKD.TC,TG,TC/HDL-C,and TG/HDL-C showed an upward jump at the cutoff value,increasing the risk of CKD by 0.90%,1.50%,2.30%,and 1.60%,respectively,whereas HDL-C showed a downward jump at the cutoff value,reducing this risk by 1.0%.Female and participants with dyslipidemia had a higher risk of CKD,while the cutoff values for the different characteristics of the population were different. Conclusion There was a significant association between lipid profiles and CKD in a prospective cohort from Northwest China,while TG,TC/HDL-C,and TG/HDL-C showed a stronger risk association.The specific cutoff values of lipid profiles may provide a clinical reference for screening or diagnosing CKD risk.

Background::Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and diameter, stiffness, and wave reflections, are independent and important clinical biomarkers and risk predictors for cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the present study was to establish nationwide reference values of carotid properties for healthy Chinese adults and to explore potential clinical determinants.Methods::A total of 3053 healthy Han Chinese adults (1922 women) aged 18-79 years were enrolled at 28 collaborating tertiary centers throughout China between April 2021 and July 2022. The real-time tracking of common carotid artery walls was achieved by the radio frequency (RF) ultrasound system. The IMT, diameter, compliance coefficient, β stiffness, local pulse wave velocity (PWV), local systolic blood pressure, augmented pressure (AP), and augmentation index (AIx) were then automatically measured and reported. Data were stratified by age groups and sex. The relationships between age and carotid property parameters were analyzed by Jonckheere-Terpstra test and simple linear regressions. The major clinical determinants of carotid properties were identified by Pearson’s correlation, multiple linear regression, and analyses of covariance.Results::All the parameters of carotid properties demonstrated significantly age-related trajectories. Women showed thinner IMT, smaller carotid diameter, larger AP, and AIx than men. The β stiffness and PWV were significantly higher in men than women before forties, but the differences reversed after that. The increase rate of carotid IMT (5.5 μm/year in women and 5.8 μm/year in men) and diameter (0.03 mm/year in both men and women) were similar between men and women. For the stiffness and wave reflections, women showed significantly larger age-related variations than men as demonstrated by steeper regression slopes (all P for age by sex interaction <0.05). The blood pressures, body mass index (BMI), and triglyceride levels were identified as major clinical determinants of carotid properties with adjustment of age and sex. Conclusions::The age- and sex-specific reference values of carotid properties measured by RF ultrasound for healthy Chinese adults were established. The blood pressures, BMI, and triglyceride levels should be considered for clinical application of corresponding reference values.

Objective:To observe the effect of 3D-printed guide plate-assisted percutaneous bone cement-augmented sacroiliac screw fixation in the treatment of pelvic fragility fractures in the elderly.Methods:A total of 11 elderly patients with pelvic fragility fractures who underwent 3D-printed guide plate-assisted percutaneous cement-enhanced sacroiliac screw fixation (cemented group) in the Department of Traumatic Orthopaedics of the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from December 2022 to April 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 3 males and 8 females, aged 73.18±4.42 years (range, 67-80 years). There were 4 cases of typeⅡand 7 cases of typeⅢ. At the same time, 10 elderly patients with pelvic fragility fractures who underwent percutaneous sacroiliac screw fixation assisted by 3D-printed guide plate (cementless group) were selected as control group, including 5 males and 5 females, aged 73.90±6.51 years (range, 67-85 years). Pelvic fragility fractures were classified as typeⅡin 5 cases and typeⅢin 5 cases. The perioperative indicators, visual analogue scale (VAS), Barthel index and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups.Results:All patients successfully completed the operation and were followed up for 17.05±5.48 months (range, 9-27 months). The operation time and fluoroscopy frequency in the bone cement group were 72.09±3.95 min and 12.45±0.93 times, which were significantly higher than those in the non-bone cement group 57.00±4.24 min and 8.50±0.97 times, the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). All patients' fractures healed in one stage, the healing time was 97.09±7.15 d in the cemented group and 103.00±13.14 d in the uncemented group, the difference was not statistically significant ( t=1.297, P=0.210), and there was no case of delayed healing or non-healing. The postoperative weight-bearing time of the bone cement group was 44.73±3.72 d, which was shorter than that of the non-bone cement group 59.10±7.37 d, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The VAS scores of the bone cement group at 1 day, 1 week and 3 weeks after operation were 5.73±0.65, 4.64±0.51 and 3.27±0.65, respectively, which were lower than those of the non-bone cement group 6.80±0.42, 5.30±0.48 and 4.00±0.67. The difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The Barthel index of bone cement group was higher than that of non-bone cement group at 1 day, 1 week, 3 weeks, 6 weeks and 2 months after operation, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Bone cement leakage occurred in 2 patients in the bone cement group, and they did not complain of special discomfort and were not treated. In the non-cemented group, two cases showed screw withdrawal and the sacroiliac screws were removed in a second operation; one case showed sacral plexus nerve injury, and the screws were removed and treated with oral methylcobalamin symptomatic therapy one month after the operation, and the symptoms were relieved after three months. Conclusion:3D-printed guide plate-assisted percutaneous cement-augmented sacroiliac screw fixation for the treatment of elderly pelvic fragility fracture can alleviate postoperative pain, shorten the weight-bearing time, and help to promote early recovery and improve postoperative quality of life.

"Global cancer statistics 2022" based on the latest GLOBCAN data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) was recently released, providing a systematic analysis of the incidence and mortality of 36 types of cancer across 185 countries worldwide. The international burden of cancer is expected to continue to increase over the next 30 years, posing a severe public health and social challenge for many countries, including China. This article offers a key point interpretation of the "Global cancer statistics 2022", focusing on the evolution of cancer epidemiology and future development trends. The aim is to broaden the international perspective on cancer prevention and treatment, with the hope of providing reference and guidance for cancer prevention and treatment efforts in our country.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors and their warning effectiveness for postoperative intestinal barrier dysfunction (IBD) in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 101 patients with sTBI admitted to Wuxi Branch of Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University from May 2020 to February 2023, including 63 males and 38 females, aged 21-81 years [(53.4±14.2)years]. All the patients underwent emergency surgery. The patients were divided into IBD group ( n=67) and non-IBD group ( n=34) according to whether or not they had IBD after surgery. The gender, age, basic diseases (hypertension and diabetes), types of intracranial hematoma (subdural, epidural, and intracerebral hematoma), preoperative Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), cerebral hernia, intraoperative initial intracranial pressure (iICP), operation time, removal of bone flap, treatment time in ICU, initiation time of enteral nutrition, and use of broad-spectrum antibiotics were recorded in the two groups. Univariate and multivariate binary Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the correlations between above-mentioned indicators and incidence of postoperative IBD in sTBI patients and determine the independent risk factors for sTBI. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the warning effectiveness of each risk factor for IBD. Results:The results of the univariate analysis showed that preoperative GCS, cerebral hernia, intraoperative iICP, removal of bone flap, treatment time in ICU, initiation time of enteral nutrition, and use of broad-spectrum antibiotics were significantly correlated with the incidence of IBD in sTBI patients ( P<0.05 or 0.01), while there were no correlations of IBD with gender, age, basic diseases, types of intracranial hematoma and operation time ( P>0.05). The results of the multivariate binary Logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative GCS≤5 points ( OR=2.49, 95% CI 1.17, 5.32, P<0.05), intraoperative iICP>23 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa)( OR=1.20, 95% CI 1.03, 1.39, P<0.05), and initiation time of enteral nutrition>24 hours ( OR=10.03, 95% CI 1.26, 80.21, P<0.05) were highly correlated with postoperative IBD in sTBI patients. The results of the ROC curve analysis showed that intraoperative iICP had the highest warning value (AUC=0.91, 95% CI 0.85, 0.96), followed by preoperative GCS (AUC=0.88, 95% CI 0.82, 0.95), and initiation time of enteral nutrition had the lowest warning value (AUC=0.78, 95% CI 0.69, 0.87). Conclusions:Preoperative GCS≤5 points, intraoperative iICP>23 mmHg, and initiation time of enteral nutrition>24 hours are independent risk factors for postoperative IBD in sTBI patients. The warning value of intraoperative iICP ranks the highest for postoperative IBD in sTBI patients, followed by preoperative GCS, with initiation time of enteral nutrition having the lowest warning value.

The correspondence between prescription and syndrome is the advantage and characteristic of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)treatment.However,the pathogenesis of clinical diseases is complex and the condition is changeable,and the clinical application is difficult to achieve the maximum effect under the existing cognition of the correspondence between prescription and syndrome.In this paper,the five categories of physiological characteristics,pathological characteristics,constitution,syndrome,and disease of the longitudinal classification of"TCM state"are introduced into the correspondence of prescription and syndrome.Under the vertical perspective of"TCM state",the theoretical connotation of the correspondence between prescription and syndrome is interpreted as"correspondence between prescription and state",namely correspondence of"prescription-physiological characteristics",correspondence of"prescription-pathological characteristics",correspondence of"prescription-constitution",correspondence of"prescription-syndrome",and correspondence of"prescription-disease".It is hoped to accurately grasp the corresponding connotation of the correspondence between prescription and syndrome,in order to deepen the clinical thinking mode of TCM.

Objective:To analyze the relationship between CT attenuation value of pulmonary artery thrombi and the efficacy of interventional thrombolysis in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE).Methods:This was a single center cross-sectional study. The clinical and imaging data of 89 APE patients who underwent interventional thrombolysis in Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2018 to December 2022, were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) before and after thrombolysis, the CT attenuation value of pulmonary artery thrombi and ratio of CT attenuation value of thrombi to left subscapularis muscle CT value were obtained; and the difference of Qanadli embolism index (ΔQ) before and after thrombolysis was calculated. According to the median ΔQ, patients were classified as good efficacy group (ΔQ>50%) and poor efficacy group (ΔQ≤50%). The clinical characteristics and quantitative parameters of CT were compared between the two groups, and the factors associated with efficacy of thrombolysis were analyzed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The correlation between CT attenuation value of pulmonary artery thrombi and ΔQ was analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis.Results:The CT attenuation value of thrombi and ratio of attenuation value of thrombi to left subscapularis muscle CT value showed significant difference between the two groups ( P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that compared with CT attenuation value of emboli≤53.47 HU, the value>53.47 HU might be associated with the good efficacy of thrombosysis ( OR=9.175, 95% CI: 0.937-89.846, P=0.057). There was a positive correlation between CT value of pulmonary artery thrombi and ΔQ ( r=0.365, P<0.001). Conclusion:The CT attenuation value of thrombi can predict the efficacy of interventional thrombolysis in APE patients, and patients with higher CT attenuation value would have a better treatment response.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the transitional stage between healthy aging and dementia, enjoying high risk of progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therefore, MCI stage becomes the most important node for early identification, diagnosis and prevention of AD. At present, MCI clinical diagnosis lacks neuroimaging markers with non-invasive, timely and economic advantages. Recent studies suggest that microstructural and/or functional changes may occur in brain regions such as the hippocampus, amygdala, cingulate gyrus, thalamus, putamen, caudate nucleus and corpus callosum during MCI stage, and imaging features of these abnormal changes may serve as neuroimaging markers for early diagnosis of MCI. This article reviews the research progress on the abnormal changes of MCI related brain regions in neuroimaging.