Objective:To examine the mid - and long-term outcomes of surgical treatment of brachiocephalic Takayasu arteritis.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 39 patients,which had been diagnosed as brachiocephalic Takayasu arteritis (244 cases),who underwent surgical treatment,were analyzed between July 2012 to November 2022 at Department of Endoluminal Vascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. There were 5 males and 34 females, aged (37.9±14.0)years (range:13 to 71 years). Despite medical treatment, the patients suffered severe ischemic symptoms continually and then underwent surgical interventions. Among them, 20 patients underwent endovascular procedures, 11 underwent open surgical procedures, and 8 underwent hybrid procedures. Patients were followed up through outpatient visits at 1, 3, 6 months after surgery and once every year later. Follow-up was conducted until November 2022. Operation status, postoperative complications and re-intervention of patients were recorded and the Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to analyze postoperative vascular patency rates.Results:All 39 surgeries were successful, with no intraoperative death or serious complications. The follow-up period was (48.8±38.2) months(range:1 to 123 months). Thirty-three patients experienced symptom relief after surgery, and 6 patients required secondary surgical interventions. The patency rates for the endovascular treatment group at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year were 95.0%, 75.2%, 60.2%, and 60.2%, respectively, while the patency rates for open surgery were all 90.9%. In the hybrid surgery group, the patency rates at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 8-year were all 87.5%.Conclusion:For patients with brachiocephalic Takayasu arteritis, choice of an appropriate blood flow revascularization intervention should be based on the patient′s condition,and the mid-and long-term outcomes are satisfactory.

Objective:To observe the short-and mid-term efficacy of left subclavian artery(LSA) laser in situ fenestration combined with arch debranching surgery for aortic arch reconstruction in patients with Stanford type A aortic dissection aged 60 years and above. Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study. A total of 41 Stanford type A aortic dissection patients aged 60 years and above who received combined surgery in Department of Endovascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 25 males and 16 females, aged (67.3±5.9)years(range: 60 to 75 years). Among them, 19 patients underwent LSA laser in situ fenestration combined with arch debranching surgery(combined surgery group) and 22 patients underwent hybrid aortic arch debranching surgery(non-combined surgery group). Independent sample t test, χ2 test and Fisher exact probability method were used to compare the clinical characteristics of the two groups. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, and the 5-year survival rate of the two groups was compared by Log-rank test. Results:Body mass index in the combined operation group was significantly higher than that in the non-combined operation group ((27.1±1.6)kg/m 2vs.(26.9±1.9)kg/m 2; t=2.766, P=0.006), and the difference was statistically significant. There was no statistical significance in the comparison of other general data (all P>0.05). The operation time ((321.3±11.4) minutes vs. (329.6±7.3)minutes; t=-2.733, P=0.010) and LSA reconstruction time ((32.4±3.0)minutes vs. (42.4±6.0)minutes; t=-6.842, P<0.01) in the combined operation group were significantly shortened, and the difference was statistically significant. The rate of LSA reconstruction in the combined operation group (100% vs. 72.7%; P=0.023) was significantly higher than that in the non-combined operation group, and the difference was statistically significant. There were no significant differences in the incidence of pulmonary infection, unplanned second operation, continuous renal replacement therapy, neurological complications and the in-hospital mortality between the two groups. Compared with the non-combined surgery group, the total complication rate related to LSA reconstruction was significantly lower in the combined surgery group (0 vs. 27.3%; P=0.023). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that there was no difference in 5-year survival rate between the combined operation group and the non-combined operation group (84.2% vs. 77.3%; χ2=0.310, P=0.578). Conclusion:Laser in situ fenestration of the LSA combined with arch debranching surgery to reconstruct the aortic arch can significantly shorten the operation and LSA reconstruction time in patients aged 60 years and above with Stanford type A aortic dissection, improve the success rate of LSA reconstruction, and reduce the occurrence rate of LSA reconstruction complications.

Background::Few evidence is available in the early prediction models of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study aimed to develop and validate a novel genetic-clinical-radiological nomogram for evaluating BPSD in patients with AD and explore its underlying nutritional mechanism.Methods::This retrospective study included 165 patients with AD from the Chinese Imaging, Biomarkers, and Lifestyle (CIBL) cohort between June 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022. Data on demographics, neuropsychological assessments, single-nucleotide polymorphisms of AD risk genes, and regional brain volumes were collected. A multivariate logistic regression model identified BPSD-associated factors, for subsequently constructing a diagnostic nomogram. This nomogram was internally validated through 1000-bootstrap resampling and externally validated using a time-series split based on the CIBL cohort data between June 1, 2022, and February 1, 2023. Area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to assess the discrimination, calibration, and clinical applicability of the nomogram.Results::Factors independently associated with BPSD were: CETP rs1800775 (odds ratio [OR] = 4.137, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.276-13.415, P = 0.018), decreased Mini Nutritional Assessment score (OR = 0.187, 95% CI: 0.086-0.405, P <0.001), increased caregiver burden inventory score (OR = 8.993, 95% CI: 3.830-21.119, P <0.001), and decreased brain stem volume (OR = 0.006, 95% CI: 0.001-0.191, P = 0.004). These variables were incorporated into the nomogram. The area under the ROC curve was 0.925 (95% CI: 0.884-0.967, P <0.001) in the internal validation and 0.791 (95% CI: 0.686-0.895, P <0.001) in the external validation. The calibration plots showed favorable consistency between the prediction of nomogram and actual observations, and the DCA showed that the model was clinically useful in both validations. Conclusion::A novel nomogram was established and validated based on lipid metabolism-related genes, nutritional status, and brain stem volumes, which may allow patients with AD to benefit from early triage and more intensive monitoring of BPSD.Registration::Chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR2100049131.

Acute amnestic syndrome manifests as transient or persistent symptoms of single amnesia,which may also be accompanied by other neurological symptoms,eventually leading to irreversible brain damage.The typical symptoms of acute ischemic stroke include hemiplegia,aphasia,sensory disturbances,and so forth.Acute amnesia is not a typical symptom of acute ischemic stroke,and it is easy to misdiagnose or delay diagnosis in the emergency department.The authors retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of a patient with acute cerebral infarction who started with acute amnesia syndrome,and combined with relevant literature,to explore its clinical characteristics and pathogenesis.The purpose of this article is to provide reference for emergency physician and neurologist in the diagnosis and treatment of similar cases.

Objective:To examine the mid - and long-term outcomes of surgical treatment of brachiocephalic Takayasu arteritis.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 39 patients,which had been diagnosed as brachiocephalic Takayasu arteritis (244 cases),who underwent surgical treatment,were analyzed between July 2012 to November 2022 at Department of Endoluminal Vascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. There were 5 males and 34 females, aged (37.9±14.0)years (range:13 to 71 years). Despite medical treatment, the patients suffered severe ischemic symptoms continually and then underwent surgical interventions. Among them, 20 patients underwent endovascular procedures, 11 underwent open surgical procedures, and 8 underwent hybrid procedures. Patients were followed up through outpatient visits at 1, 3, 6 months after surgery and once every year later. Follow-up was conducted until November 2022. Operation status, postoperative complications and re-intervention of patients were recorded and the Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to analyze postoperative vascular patency rates.Results:All 39 surgeries were successful, with no intraoperative death or serious complications. The follow-up period was (48.8±38.2) months(range:1 to 123 months). Thirty-three patients experienced symptom relief after surgery, and 6 patients required secondary surgical interventions. The patency rates for the endovascular treatment group at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year were 95.0%, 75.2%, 60.2%, and 60.2%, respectively, while the patency rates for open surgery were all 90.9%. In the hybrid surgery group, the patency rates at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 8-year were all 87.5%.Conclusion:For patients with brachiocephalic Takayasu arteritis, choice of an appropriate blood flow revascularization intervention should be based on the patient′s condition,and the mid-and long-term outcomes are satisfactory.

Objective:To observe the short-and mid-term efficacy of left subclavian artery(LSA) laser in situ fenestration combined with arch debranching surgery for aortic arch reconstruction in patients with Stanford type A aortic dissection aged 60 years and above. Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study. A total of 41 Stanford type A aortic dissection patients aged 60 years and above who received combined surgery in Department of Endovascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 25 males and 16 females, aged (67.3±5.9)years(range: 60 to 75 years). Among them, 19 patients underwent LSA laser in situ fenestration combined with arch debranching surgery(combined surgery group) and 22 patients underwent hybrid aortic arch debranching surgery(non-combined surgery group). Independent sample t test, χ2 test and Fisher exact probability method were used to compare the clinical characteristics of the two groups. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, and the 5-year survival rate of the two groups was compared by Log-rank test. Results:Body mass index in the combined operation group was significantly higher than that in the non-combined operation group ((27.1±1.6)kg/m 2vs.(26.9±1.9)kg/m 2; t=2.766, P=0.006), and the difference was statistically significant. There was no statistical significance in the comparison of other general data (all P>0.05). The operation time ((321.3±11.4) minutes vs. (329.6±7.3)minutes; t=-2.733, P=0.010) and LSA reconstruction time ((32.4±3.0)minutes vs. (42.4±6.0)minutes; t=-6.842, P<0.01) in the combined operation group were significantly shortened, and the difference was statistically significant. The rate of LSA reconstruction in the combined operation group (100% vs. 72.7%; P=0.023) was significantly higher than that in the non-combined operation group, and the difference was statistically significant. There were no significant differences in the incidence of pulmonary infection, unplanned second operation, continuous renal replacement therapy, neurological complications and the in-hospital mortality between the two groups. Compared with the non-combined surgery group, the total complication rate related to LSA reconstruction was significantly lower in the combined surgery group (0 vs. 27.3%; P=0.023). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that there was no difference in 5-year survival rate between the combined operation group and the non-combined operation group (84.2% vs. 77.3%; χ2=0.310, P=0.578). Conclusion:Laser in situ fenestration of the LSA combined with arch debranching surgery to reconstruct the aortic arch can significantly shorten the operation and LSA reconstruction time in patients aged 60 years and above with Stanford type A aortic dissection, improve the success rate of LSA reconstruction, and reduce the occurrence rate of LSA reconstruction complications.

Objective To explore the categories of dyadic mental health literacy among stroke patients and their caregivers,and to analyze the differences in the characteristics of different classes of stroke patients and their caregivers.Methods A convenient sampling method was used to select 287 dyads of stroke patients and their caregivers who were treated at a tertiary general hospital in Henan province from July to October 2020.The general information questionnaire,Multicomponent Mental Health Literacy and Social Support Rating Scale were used for investigation.Latent profile analysis was adopted to explore the categories of dyadic mental health literacy,and multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of each category.Results Stroke patients and their caregivers were divided into 4 categories based on scores of mental health literacy:dyadic low resource group(19.86％),dyadic low literacy group(54.36％),dyadic low belief group(11.15％),dyadic high literacy group(14.63％).The patient's age,average monthly household income,the caregiver's age,the caregiver's Social Support Rating Scale score,the caregiver's educational level,daily care time and total time length of care were the factors influencing the categories of dyadic mental health literacy among stroke patients and their caregivers(P＜0.05).Conclusion Stroke patients and their caregivers were divided into 4 categories based on scores of mental health literacy.Medical staff should carry out comprehensive psychological interventions for stroke patients and their caregivers with different dyadic mental health literacy characteristics,so as to improve dyadic mental health literacy.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with spontaneous splenorenal shunt (SSRS) in liver cirrhosis, and to compare the effects and prognosis of different treatments.Methods:The data of cirrhotic patients with SSRS at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between 2016-2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Patients were divided into Group A receiving conservative treatment, Group B by simple embolization, Group C undergoing TIPS combined with embolization, and Group D given liver transplantation. Life status, liver function changes, incidences of adverse events, and survival between groups were compared.Results:SSRS diameter was positively correlated with blood ammonia ( R=0.478) and negatively correlated with portal vein diameter ( R=-0.301). SSRS diameter is a protective factor for gastrointestinal hemorrhage and ascites and a risk factor for hepatic encephalopathy; Blood ammonia decreased and prothrombin time prolonged after treatment in group A ( P<0.05), blood ammonia decreased and albumin increased in group B ( P<0.05). Hemoglobin and bilirubin increased in group C ( P<0.05), blood ammonia and bilirubin decreased and platelets and albumin increased in group D ( P<0.05); Survival analysis showed that the prognosis of groups A and C was related to liver function, and the survival rate of group D was the highest of all ( P<0.05). Conclusions:SSRS embolization is safe and effective, and liver transplantation improves patient survival. Individualized treatment should be selected based on patient symptoms, liver function, and shunt diameter.

Objective To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of sperm-associated antigen 6(SPAG6)in the proliferation and drug resistance of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia(B-ALL).Methods A total of 56 B-ALL patients and 15 iron-deficiency anemia(IDA)patients admitted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2019 to December 2023 were recruited and served as the experimental and control groups,respectively.Bone marrow mononuclear cells(BMMNCs)were derived from the bone marrow tissues of the experimental group.According to the results of qRT-PCR for the expression of SPAG6 in the obtained BMMNCs,the B-ALL patients were stratified into newly-diagnosed(New-diag)group,complete remission(CR)group,minimal residual disease Possitive(MRD+)group,and relapse group.Lentiviral vectors were used to construct B-ALL cells with SPAG6 overexpression and knockdown.CCK-8 assay and methylcellulose-based colony formation experiment were employed to assess the survival,proliferation,and clonogenic potential of the cells with varying SPAG6 expression levels.After f B-ALL cells were treated with the chemotherapeutic drugs,daunorubicin(DNR)and methotrexate(MTX),CCK-8 assay,flow cytometry and Western blot analysis were applied to detect cell viability(drug sensitivity andIC50),cell apoptosis,and protein levels of apoptosis-related molecules Bax,Caspase-3 and Bcl-2,respectively.The mRNA-seq profiles of B-ALL patients were obtained from the TARGET database,and gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA)was conducted to explore SPAG6-associated signaling pathways,which were subsequently validated experimentally.After treatment with the NF-κB agonist Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate(PMA)and the antagonist BAY-11-7082,cell viability and sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs were assessed with CCK-8 assay,and the expression of pathway-related proteins NF-κB P65,p-NF-κB p65,IK Bα,p-IKBα,TNF-α,and EPO was detected by Western blot analysis.A mouse xenograft tumor model was constructed in SPAG6-/+knockdown mice to observe the effect of DNR on tumor growth and the expression of the NF-κB signaling pathway in the tumor tissues with immunohistochemical assay.Results The mRNA level of SPA G6 was significantly higher in the B-ALL patients(P＜0.05),and in the MRD group(P=0.001)and R group(P=0.003)than the CR group.SPAG6 overexpression and knockdown in B-ALL cells confirmed that SPAG6 promoted the proliferation(P＜0.05)and decreased the sensitivity to DNR and MTX(P＜0.05).SPAG6 resisted chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in B-ALL cells by down-regulating pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Caspase-3(P＜0.05),and up-regulating the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2(P＜0.05).GSEA analysis suggested that the NF-κB pathway was enriched in B-ALL cells,and our experiments confirmed that SPAG6 enhanced the chemoresistance of B-ALL cells to chemotherapy by activating the NF-κB/TNF-α pathway.In in vivo experiments,knocking SPAG6 down significantly reduced the volume of transplanted tumors(P＜0.05),and an additional decrease in tumor growth was observed in the DNR-combined treatment group(P＜0.05),with reduced levels of NF-κB P65 and p-IKBα by immunohistochemical assay.Conclusion SPAG6 promotes the proliferation of B-ALL cells and reduces their chemosensitivity via the NF-κB/TNF-α pathway,suggesting a close association of SPAG6 with the therapeutic outcomes and prognosis in B-ALL patients.