Thyroglobulin(Tg)is a glycoprotein with large molecular weight,which is synthesized and secreted into the bloodstream by thyroid follicular cells.The concentration level of Tg in blood is one of the important biomarkers for diagnosis of thyroid diseases such as differentiated thyroid cancer(DTC),subacute thyroiditis,etc..Radioimmunoassay(RIA),immunoradiometric assay(IRMA),and immunochemiluminescence assay(ICMA)are the main clinical methods for detecting Tg.Recently,for meeting the requirement of detecting low concentration of Tg in blood after thyroid clearance surgery,researchers have developed various high-performance analysis methods for detecting Tg concentration in blood samples,providing new assays for thyroid disease screening and efficacy evaluation.This review summarized the analysis methods of Tg,especially the new progresses in the biosensors for monitoring low concentration of Tg in blood during the past five years.The current technical challenges of these methods in clinical applications were briefly discussed,which might provide useful information for developing new liquid biopsy methods of DTC.

Objective: Retrospective analysis of the efficacy and influencing factors of bladder preservation integrated therapy for unresectable invasive bladder cancer confined to the pelvis was done, also including the bladder function preservation and adverse effects analysis. Methods: Sixty-nine patients with unresectable locally invasive bladder cancer who received radiotherapy-based combination therapy from March 1999 to December 2021 at our hospital were selected. Among them, 42 patients received concurrent chemoradiotherapy, 32 underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapyand 43 with transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT) prior to radiotherapy. The late adverse effect of radiotherapy, preservation of bladder function, replase and metastasis and survival were followed-up. Cox proportional hazards models were applied for the multifactorial analysis. Results: The median age was 69 years. There were 63 cases (91.3%) of uroepithelial carcinoma, 64 of stage Ⅲ and 4 of stage Ⅳ. The median duration of follow-up was 76 months. There were 7 grade 2 late genito urinary toxicities, 2 grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicities, no grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred. All patients maintained normal bladder function, except for 8 cases who lost bladder function due to uncontrolled tumor in the bladder. Seventeen cases recurred locally. There were 11 cases in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a local recurrence rate of 26.2% (11/42) and 6 cases in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a local recurrence rate of 22.2% (6/27), and the difference in local recurrence rate between the two groups was not statistically significant (P=0.709). There were 23 cases of distant metastasis (including 2 cases of local recurrence with distant metastasis), including 10 cases in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a distant metastasis rate of 23.8% (10/42) and 13 cases in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a distant metastasis rate of 48.1% (13/27), and the distant metastasis rate in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group was higher than that in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group (P=0.036). The median 5-year overall survival (OS) time was 59 months and the OS rate was 47.8%. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) time was 20 months and the PFS rate was 34.4%. The 5-year OS rates of concurrent and non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group were 62.9% and 27.6% (P<0.001), and 5-year PFS rates were 45.4% and 20.0%, respectively (P=0.022). The 5-year OS rates of with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy were 78.4% and 30.1% (P=0.002), and the 5-year PFS rates were 49.1% and 25.1% (P=0.087), respectively. The 5-year OS rates with or without TURBT before radiotherapy were 45.5% and 51.9% (P=0.233) and the 5-year PFS rates were 30.8% and 39.9% (P=0.198), respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis results showed that the clinical stage (HR=0.422, 95% CI: 0.205-0.869) was independent prognostic factor for PFS of invasive bladder cancer. The multivariate analysis showed that clinical stages (HR=0.278, 95% CI: 0.114-0.678), concurrent chemoradiotherapy (HR=0.391, 95% CI: 0.165-0.930), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (HR=0.188, 95% CI: 0.058-0.611), and recurrences (HR=10.855, 95% CI: 3.655-32.638) were independent prognostic factors for OS of invasive bladder cancer. Conclusion: Unresectable localized invasive bladder cancer can achieve satisfactory long-term outcomes with bladder-preserving combination therapy based on radiotherapy, most patients can retain normal bladder function with acceptable late adverse effects and improved survival particularly evident in patients with early, concurrent chemoradiotherapy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Humans ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Retrospective Studies ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Chemoradiotherapy/methods* ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/radiotherapy* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Neoplasm Staging

Objective: To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of the implantable ventricular assist system EVAHEART I in clinical use. Methods: Fifteen consecutive patients with end-stage heart failure who received left ventricular assist device therapy in Fuwai Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021 were enrolled in this study, their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. Cardiac function, liver and kidney function, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, 6-minute walk distance and quality of life were evaluated before implantation and at 1, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months after device implantation. Drive cable infection, hemolysis, cerebrovascular events, mechanical failure, abnormally high-power consumption and abnormal pump flow were recorded during follow up. Results: All 15 patients were male, mean average age was (43.0±7.5) years, including 11 cases of dilated cardiomyopathy, 2 cases of ischemic cardiomyopathy, and 2 cases of valvular heart disease. All patients were hemodynamically stable on more than one intravenous vasoactive drugs, and 3 patients were supported by preoperative intra aortic balloon pump (IABP). Compared with before device implantation, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) was significantly decreased ((80.93±6.69) mm vs. (63.73±6.31) mm, P<0.05), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), total bilirubin and creatinine were also significantly decreased ((3 544.85±1 723.77) ng/L vs. (770.80±406.39) ng/L; (21.28±10.51) μmol/L vs. (17.39±7.68) μmol/L; (95.82±34.88) μmol/L vs. (77.32±43.81) μmol/L; P<0.05) at 1 week after device implantation. All patients in this group were in NYHA class Ⅳ before implantation, and 9 patients could recover to NYHA class Ⅲ, 3 to class Ⅱ, and 3 to class Ⅰ at 1 month after operation. All patients recovered to class Ⅰ-Ⅱ at 6 months after operation. The 6-minute walk distance, total quality of life and visual analogue scale were significantly increased and improved at 1 month after implantation compared with those before operation (P<0.05). All patients were implanted with EVAHEART I at speeds between 1 700-1 950 rpm, flow rates between 3.2-4.5 L/min, power consumption of 3-9 W. The 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rates were 100%, 87%, and 80%, respectively. Three patients died of multiple organ failure at 412, 610, and 872 d after surgery, respectively. During long-term device carrying, 3 patients developed drive cable infection on 170, 220, and 475 d after surgery, respectively, and were cured by dressing change. One patient underwent heart transplantation at 155 d after surgery due to bacteremia. Three patients developed transient ischemic attack and 1 patient developed hemorrhagic stroke events, all cured without sequelae. Conclusion: EVAHEART I implantable left heart assist system can effectively treat critically ill patients with end-stage heart failure, can be carried for long-term life and significantly improve the survival rate, with clear clinical efficacy.
Humans ; Male ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Heart Failure/complications* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Heart-Assist Devices ; Quality of Life

Ventricular Function, Right ; Heart Ventricles/diagnostic imaging* ; Echocardiography

OBJECTIVES: To study the features of intestinal flora in children with food protein-induced proctocolitis (FPIP) by high-throughput sequencing. METHODS: A total of 31 children, aged <6 months, who experienced FPIP after exclusive breastfeeding and attended the outpatient service of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University from October 2018 to February 2021 were enrolled as the FPIP group. Thirty-one healthy infants were enrolled as the control group. Fecal samples were collected to extract DNA for PCR amplification. High-throughput sequencing was used to perform a bioinformatics analysis of 16S rDNA V3-V4 fragments in fecal samples. RESULTS: The diversity analysis of intestinal flora showed that compared with the control group, the FPIP group had a lower Shannon index for diversity (P>0.05) and a significantly higher Chao index for abundance (P<0.01). At the phylum level, the intestinal flora in both groups were composed of Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Compared with the control group, the FPIP group had a significant reduction in the composition ratio of Actinobacteria (P<0.001) and a significant increase in the composition ratio of Proteobacteria (P<0.05). At the genus level, the intestinal flora in the FPIP group were mainly composed of Escherichia, Clostridium, Enterococcus, Klebsiella, and Bifidobacterium, and the intestinal flora in the control group were mainly composed of Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus. Compared with the control group, the FPIP group had a significant reduction in the composition ratio of Bifidobacterium and Ruminococcus (P<0.05) and significant increases in the composition ratios of Clostridium and Shigella (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Compared with the control group, the FPIP group has a reduction in the diversity of intestinal flora and an increase in their abundance, and there are certain differences in several bacterial genera. These results suggest that changes in the composition of intestinal flora at genus level may play an important role in the development and progression of FPIP.
Bacteria/genetics* ; Bifidobacterium/genetics* ; Child ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods* ; Humans ; Infant ; Proctocolitis ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics*

Objective: To investigate the expression of phosphoglycerate mutase 1 (PGAM1) in the mouse testis after exposure to single heat stress (SHS). METHODS: We randomly assigned 32 C57 male mice to an SHS (n = 16) and a control group (n = 16), the former bathed in water at 43 ℃ and the latter at 25 ℃ for 15 minutes. At 1 and 7 days after exposure, we harvested the testicular tissue for observation of the morphological changes of testicular cells by HE staining and determination of the location and expression of the PGAM1 protein by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. RESULTS: The testis volume of the mice were reduced significantly, the spermatogenic tubules were disorganized, and the cells were reduced in number after heat stress and basically disappeared after 7 days. Immunohistochemistry showed extensive expression of the PGAM1 protein in the testicular spermatogenic tubules of the SHS-exposed mice, significantly higher than in the control group at 1 day after exposure, which was down-regulated in the testis tissue at 7 days, but still markedly higher than that in the control. Western blot exhibited significantly up-regulated expression of the PGAM1 protein after heat stress compared with that in the control group. CONCLUSIONS The expression of the PGAM1 protein undergoes dynamic changes in the mouse testis after exposed to single heat stress, which is related to heat stress-induced proliferation and division of testicular spermatogenic cells.
Animals ; Heat-Shock Response ; Male ; Mice ; Phosphoglycerate Mutase ; Testis

Objective: Several COVID-19 patients have overlapping comorbidities. The independent role of each component contributing to the risk of COVID-19 is unknown, and how some non-cardiometabolic comorbidities affect the risk of COVID-19 remains unclear. Methods: A retrospective follow-up design was adopted. A total of 1,160 laboratory-confirmed patients were enrolled from nine provinces in China. Data on comorbidities were obtained from the patients' medical records. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio ( Results: Overall, 158 (13.6%) patients were diagnosed with severe illness and 32 (2.7%) had unfavorable outcomes. Hypertension (2.87, 1.30-6.32), type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (3.57, 2.32-5.49), cardiovascular disease (CVD) (3.78, 1.81-7.89), fatty liver disease (7.53, 1.96-28.96), hyperlipidemia (2.15, 1.26-3.67), other lung diseases (6.00, 3.01-11.96), and electrolyte imbalance (10.40, 3.00-26.10) were independently linked to increased odds of being severely ill. T2DM (6.07, 2.89-12.75), CVD (8.47, 6.03-11.89), and electrolyte imbalance (19.44, 11.47-32.96) were also strong predictors of unfavorable outcomes. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease on admission (5.46, 3.25-9.19), while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes (6.58, 1.46-29.64) within two weeks. Conclusion Besides hypertension, diabetes, and CVD, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, other lung diseases, and electrolyte imbalance were independent risk factors for COVID-19 severity and poor treatment outcome. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease, while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes.
Adult ; Aged ; COVID-19/virology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Comorbidity ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Treatment Outcome

Professor XUE Bo-shou，a master of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM），believes that coronavirus disease-2019 （COVID-19） belongs to the category of "cold epidemic" or "cold-dampness epidemic" in TCM theory. Cold-dampness obstructing the lungs is the key pathogenesis in the early stage of the disease. Exogenous pathogenic factors of cold and dampness are converted into heat in the interior. Over time，the pathogenesis is the disturbance in ascending and descending of Qi movement，loss of vital Qi， deficiency of both Qi and Yin，and even the occurrence of inner blocking causing Yang collapse. Professor XUE believes that the clinical syndrome differentiation and treatment shall be based on six meridians， and the efficacy could be improved by reference to classical prescriptions of plague in the past dynasties. To treat the disease in the early stage， the prescriptions emphasize on diffusing the lungs，inducing resuscitation and expelling pathogenic factors. He advocates the proper use of Ephedrae Herba， which can induce resuscitation of the lungs，diffuse the lungs and expel pathogenic factors，dissipate the interstitial depression and pathogenic factors in the lung interstitium. Therefore，it is considered that Ephedrae Herba is an effective medicine for diffusing the lungs，expelling pathogenic factors，inducing diuresis，eliminating dampness，promoting blood circulation and removing stasis due to cold coagulation. At the same time，the weakness of vital Qi is the root cause of the disease. The prosperity and decline of vital Qi plays a decisive role in the development， prognosis and efficacy of the disease. Professor XUE attaches importance to overall treatment，and emphasize the basis of pathogenesis， vital Qi， and stomach Qi. We shall expel pathogenic factors of disease，while protecting the vital Qi and stomach Qi. This article summarizes Professor XUE's diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19， enumerates and analyzes professor XUE's consultation cases of COVID-19 in designated hospitals in Linyi， Xinjiang and Beijing， in order to provide more ideas for the anti-epidemic effect of TCM.

Background:Conventional treatment has limited efficacy in relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma.Since chimeric antigen receptor Tcell (CAR-T) technology has shown high safety and results in high remission rates,we investigated its efficacy and safety in B-cell lymphoma treatment and analyzed potential affecting factors to provide evidence for therapeutic strategies and applications.Methods:We searched databases including PubMed,Embase,and Cochrane up to July 2019.Meta-analysis 1 was conducted to study the efficacy of CAR-T cell for treating B-cell lymphoma,measuring the response rate and complete remission rate as outcomes.Sub-group analysis was performed for age,pathological type,target antigen,co-stimulatory molecule,and conditioning chemotherapy.Meta-analysis 2 was undertaken on the safety of the treatment with the incidence rate of toxicity (cytokine-releasing syndrome [CRS],neurotoxicity) as an outcome.Results:Seventeen studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis.It was found that CAR-T cells had good therapeutic effects in the following cases:B-cell lymphoma (patients ≥65 years old);diffuse large B-cell lymphoma pathological type;patients with treatment target antigen other than CD 19;patients treated with co-stimulatory molecules other than CD28,including 4-1BB+CD28 or 4-1BB;and patients treated with cyclophosphamide/fludarabine pre-treatment protocol conditioning chemotherapy.Although the CRS and neurotoxicity incidences were high,most were reversible with minimal risk of death.Conclusion:CAR-T cell treatment is safe for clinical annlication:however,toxicity effects should be monitored.

Objective:To explore the clinical effect of X-N advancement flap in repairing pressure ulcer on the buttock or back.Methods:From June 2018 to June 2019, 20 patients with grade Ⅳ pressure ulcers on the buttock or back were hospitalized and treated in the Department of Traumatology, Burns and Plastic Surgery of Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, including 15 males and 5 females, aged 48-89 years. The area of the patient′s wound was 8 cm×5 cm-15 cm×12 cm after debridement, and all were repaired with the X-N advancement flap designed by the author. The flap was designed according to the direction of skin relaxation on both sides of the wound, and the skin was incised in X-shape and sutured in N-shape. The width and advancement distance of the flap were recorded, and the ratio of the advancement distance to the width of the flap was calculated. The flap survival, complication, and follow-up were observed and recorded.Results:The width of the flap was (5.9±1.2) cm, the advancement distance of the flap was (10.3±2.5) cm, and the ratio of the advancement distance to the width of the flap was 1.8±0.4. All the flaps survived, and none of the flaps had blood flow disorder. Local dehiscence occurred in the flap of one patient 1 week after surgery, which was healed after laying on the floating bed, strengthened care, and wound dressing change. The flap of one patient developed infection 5 days after surgery, which was healed after partial suture removal, smooth drainage, and replacement with sensitive antibiotics. The wounds of the remaining 18 patients were all cured. After 3 months of follow-up, the flaps survived well with good elasticity and texture.Conclusions:The X-N advancement flap can make the skin and soft tissue move forward effectively. It is simple and effective to repair pressure ulcers on the back or buttock of patients with this flap, which is worthy of clinical promotion and application.