BACKGROUND: The incidence of leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is increasing gradually. However, it poses therapeutic challenges due to limited effective interventions. Intrathecal Pemetrexed (IP) holds broad application prospects in the therapeutic domain of LM. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and optimal combination strategies of IP in NSCLC-LM patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive status, with the aim of providing real-world data support for exploring more precise personalized treatment strategies for these patients. METHODS: 104 EGFR-mutated NSCLC-LM patients who received IP treatment at Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from January 2018 to June 2024 were analyzed retrospectively. Clinical parameters, treatment regimens, and survival outcomes were collected. The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), clinical response rate and adverse events (AEs) were evaluated. RESULTS: The cohort demonstrated a median PFS of 9.6 months and OS of 13.0 months with 6-month and 1-year OS rates of 80.8% and 56.5%, respectively. Clinical response was observed in 77.9% of patients. The common AEs were myelosuppression (58.7%) and elevation of hepatic aminotransferases (25.0%). Nine (8.7%) patients experienced grade 4 myelosuppression and recovered to normal after receiving symptomatic treatment. Subgroup analyses revealed prolonged OS in patients with Karnofsky performance status (KPS) ≥60 versus <60 (14.4 vs 9.0 months, P=0.0022) and those receiving Bevacizumab therapy versus not (19.2 vs 10.5 months, P=0.0011). CONCLUSIONS IP exhibits promising efficacy and manageable toxicity in EGFR-mutated NSCLC-LM patients. When combined with Bevacizumab, it exerts synergistic antitumor effects with the potential to further improve clinical outcomes.
Humans ; Pemetrexed/therapeutic use* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; ErbB Receptors/genetics* ; Aged ; Mutation ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Injections, Spinal ; Meningeal Neoplasms/genetics* ; Treatment Outcome ; Aged, 80 and over

OBJECTIVES: A ventricular assist device (VAD) is an electromechanical device used to assist cardiac blood circulation, which can be employed for the treatment of end-stage heart failure and is most commonly placed in the left ventricle. Despite enhancing perfusion performance, the implantation of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) transforms the local intraventricular flow and thus may increase the risk of thrombogenesis. This study aims to investigate fluid-particle interactions and thromboembolic risk under different LVAD configurations using three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction models, focusing on the effects of outflow tract orientation and blood flow rates. METHODS: A patient-specific end-diastolic 3D reconstruction model was initially constructed in stereo lithography (STL) format using Mimics software based on CT images. Transient numerical simulations were performed to analyze fluid-particle interactions and thromboembolic risks for LVAD with varying outflow tract orientations under 2 flow rates (4 L/min and 5 L/min), using particles of uniform size (2 mm), and a blood flow rate optimization protocol was implemented for this patient. RESULTS: When the LVAD flow rate was 5 L/min, helicity and flow stagnation of the blood flow increased the particle residence time (RT) and the risk of thrombogenesis of the aortic root. The percentage of particles traveling toward the brachiocephalic trunk was up to 20.33%. When the LVAD flow rate was 4 L/min, blood turbulence in the aorta was reduced, the RT of blood particles was shortened, and then the percentage of particles traveling toward the brachiocephalic trunk decreased to 10.54%. When the LVAD blood flow rate was 5 L/min and the direction of the outflow pipe was optimal, the RT of blood particles was shortened, and then the percentage of particles traveling toward the brachiocephalic trunk decreased to 11.22%. A 18-month follow-up observation of the patient revealed that the LVAD was in good working order and the patient had no complications related to the implantation of LVAD. CONCLUSIONS Implantation of LVAD results in a higher risk of cerebral infarction; When implanting LVAD with the same outflow tract direction, optimizing flow velocity and outflow tract can reduce the risk of cerebral infarction occurrence.
Heart-Assist Devices/adverse effects* ; Humans ; Heart Failure/physiopathology* ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Thromboembolism/prevention & control* ; Models, Cardiovascular ; Heart Ventricles/physiopathology* ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional

Objective:To investigate the clinical features and prognosis of male with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) autoantibody.Methods:The clinical data of 246 patients with DM and anti-MDA5 autoantibodies hospitalized by Jiangsu Myositis Cooperation Group from 2017 to 2020 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Chi-square test was performed to compared between counting data groups; Quantitative data were expressed by M ( Q1, Q3), and rank sum test was used for comparison between groups; Single factor survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test; Cox regression analysis were used for multivariate survival analysis. Results:①The male group had a higher proportion of rash at the sun exposure area [67.1%(47/70) vs 52.8%(93/176), χ2=4.18, P=0.041] and V-sign [50.0%(35/70) vs 30.7%(54/176), χ2=8.09, P=0.004] than the female group. The male group had higher levels of creatine kinase [112(18, 981)U/L vs 57 (13.6, 1 433)U/L, Z=-3.50, P<0.001] and ferritin [1 500 (166, 32 716)ng/ml vs 569 (18, 14 839)ng/ml, Z=-5.85, P<0.001] than the female group. The proportion of ILD [40.0%(28/70) vs 59.7%(105/176), χ2=7.82, P=0.020] patients and the red blood cell sedimentation rate[31.0(4.0, 101.5)mm/1 h vs 43.4(5.0, 126.5)mm/1 h, Z=-2.22, P=0.026] in the male group was lower than that of the female group, but the proportion of rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (PR-ILD) [47.1%(33/70) vs 31.3%(55/176), χ2=5.51, P=0.019] was higher than that of the female group. ②In male patients with positive anti-MDA5 antibodies,the death group had a shorter course of disease[1.0(1.0, 3.0) month vs 2.5(0.5,84) month, Z=-3.07, P=0.002], the incidence of arthritis [16.7%(4/24) vs 42.2%(19/45), χ2=4.60, P=0.032] were low than those in survival group,while aspartate aminotransferase (AST)[64(22.1, 565)U/L vs 51(14,601)U/L, Z=-2.42, P=0.016], lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) [485(24,1 464)U/L vs 352(170, 1 213)U/L, Z=-3.38, P=0.001], C-reactive protein (CRP) [11.6(2.9, 61.7) mg/L vs 4.95(0.6, 86.4) mg/L, Z=-1.96, P=0.050], and ferritin levels [2 000(681, 7 676) vs 1 125 (166, 32 716)ng/ml, Z=-3.18, P=0.001] were higher than those in the survival group, and RP-ILD [95.8%(23/24) vs 22.2%(10/45), χ2=33.99, P<0.001] occurred at a significantly higher rate. ③Cox regression analysis indicated that the course of disease LDH level, and RP-ILD were related factors for the prognosis of male anti-MDA5 antibodies [ HR (95% CI)=0.203(0.077, 0.534), P=0.001; HR (95% CI)=1.002(1.001, 1.004), P=0.003; HR (95% CI)=95.674 (10.872, 841.904), P<0.001]. Conclusion:The clinical manifestations of male anti-MDA5 antibody-positive patients are different from those of female. The incidence of ILD is low, but the proportion of PR-ILD is high. The course of disease, serum LDH level, and RP-ILD are prognostic factors of male anti-MDA5 antibody-positive patients.

According to the characteristics of pain and disease process， postherpetic neuralgia （PHN） can be classified into the category of "collaterals disease" in traditional Chinese medicine. The key pathogenesis of PHN includes toxin， stasis and deficiency. The main syndromes of collaterals disease are pathogenic toxin burning collaterals， static blood blocking collaterals， and collaterals depletion. Ashi points are mainly selected for treatment of PHN. For the syndrome of pathogenic toxin burning collaterals， dense fire needling is suitable for removing toxin and relieving pain. For the syndrome of static blood blocking collaterals， collateral bloodletting is suitable to remove stasis and relieve pain. For the syndrome of collaterals depletion， the combination of encircling fire needling， hair needling and transverse insertion with filiform needles， and Jiaji acupoint （EX-B2） needling is suitable for nourishing collaterals and relieving pain. In clinical practice， the most appropriate acupuncture regimen can be selected according to the differentiated syndrome of "collaterals disease"， and with adoption of the holistic pattern differentiation and treatment， the clinical efficacy can be strengthened.

AIM: To explore the effect of lncRNA SNHG6 on injury of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells(hRMECs)induced by high glucose and its possible mechanism.METHODS: The D-glucose-induced hRMECs were used to establish normal glucose(NG)and high glucose(HG)cell injured model. In the HG group, the hRMECs were cultured in DMEM medium at a concentration of 25 mmol/L D-glucose for 24 h, while in the NC group, they were cultured in DMEM medium at a concentration of 5.5 mmol/L D-glucose; according to experimental design, si-NC, si-SNHG6, si-SNHG6 and anti-miR-NC and si-SNHG6 and anti-miR-186-5p were transfected into hRMECs, and then incubated at a concentration of 25 mmol/L D-glucose for 24 h, with HG+si-NC group, HG+si-SNHG6 group, HG+si-SNHG6+anti-miR-NC group and HG+si-SNHG6+anti-miR-186-5p group marked, respectively. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)was used to detect the expression of lncRNA SNHG6 and miR-186-5p; dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to detect the targeting relationship; MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to detect the cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect the levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-8, IL-10; testing kits were used to detect activity of SOD and level of MDA; the Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of cleaved-caspase3, Bax and Bcl-2.RESULTS: The lncRNA SNHG6 expression increased in the HG group, while miR-186-5p expression decreased(both P<0.05). There was target binding of lncRNA SNHG6 with miR-186-5p. After the transfection of si-SNHG6, cell inhibition rate, apoptosis rate, cleaved-caspase3, Bax protein levels, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-8 contents, and MDA activity were decreased(P<0.05), while Bcl-2 protein, IL-10 contents, and SOD activity were increased(P<0.05). Co-transfection of si-SNHG6 and anti-miR-186-5p increased cell proliferation inhibition rate, apoptosis rate, cleaved-caspase3, Bax, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-8, and MDA(P<0.05), but decreased Bcl-2, IL-10 and SOD(P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Interfering with lncRNA SNHG6 could inhibit cell apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress of high-glucose- induced hRMECs by elevating the expression of miR-186-5p.

Objective: To investigate the difference in influencing factors for diabetes between urban and rural residents in Hefei City, so as to provide the basis for control and research of diabetes. Methods: The residents aged 18 years and older were selected using the stratified multistage random sampling method from 5 districts (counties) in Hefei City from August to December 2021. Demographic information, smoking, self-rated health status and sleep duration were collected through questionnaire surveys. Height, body weight and fasting blood glucose were measured. The crude prevalence of diabetes was calculated and standardized by age using China Statistical Yearbook 2022. Factors affecting diabetes were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: Totally 10 443 residents were investigated, including 6 386 urban residents (61.15%) and 4 057 rural residents (38.85%). There were 4 690 males (44.91%) and 5 753 females (55.09%). Diabetes were detected in 1 492 cases, with a standardized prevalence of 9.57%. The standardized prevalence of diabetes among urban and rural residents were 9.21% and 12.58%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that region, age, educational level, occupation, body mass index and self-rated health status were influencing factors for diabetes. Further analysis stratified by urban and rural area showed that, in addition to the above factors, gender and smoking were influencing factors for diabetes among urban residents, while sleep duration was the influencing factor for diabetes among rural residents (all P<0.05). Conclusions There are urban-rural differences in the prevalence of diabetes among residents in Hefei City, and the prevalence of diabetes is associated with age, educational level, occupation, body mass index and self-rated health status.

ObjectiveTo explore the role of efficacy evaluation methods in providing evidence for traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） clinical practice guidelines based on a demonstration study of clinical efficacy evaluation of TCM for allergic rhinitis （AR），aiming to enrich the sources of evidence for guideline development. MethodReal-world data of TCM medication for AR were collected and efficacy evaluation was carried out. SPSS 16.0 software was used to calculate the conformity of clinical syndromes，main prescriptions， and medications to the guidelines. Correlation analysis of efficacy and medications was performed according to guideline conformity to compare the differences in medications between real-world clinical applications and current guidelines. ResultA total of 198 cases were collected and the clinical medications were compared with the relevant guidelines for AR. It was found that the clinical syndrome conformity was above 70%，and in addition to the guideline syndrome，there were also syndromes in six meridians and other mixed syndromes in clinical practice. The guideline conformity of the main prescriptions used in clinical practice showed a positive correlation trend with efficacy. There were some differences between the commonly used drugs in clinical practice and those recommended by the guidelines. For example，for lung Qi deficiency and cold syndrome，drugs such as Angelicae Dahuricae Radix， Magnoliae Flos， and Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus were often used. For kidney Yang deficiency syndrome，drugs such as Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Ostreae Concha were often used. For spleen Qi deficiency and weakness syndrome，drugs such as Poria， Cinnamomi Ramulus， and Magnoliae Flos were used. For lung Qi deficiency and cold syndrome in children，drugs such as Chebulae Fructus， Cicadae Periostracum， Zingiberis Rhizoma， and Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma were used. For lung and spleen Qi deficiency syndrome，drugs such as Dioscoreae Rhizoma， Menthae Haplocalycis Herba， Amomi Fructus， and Zingiberis Rhizoma were used. There were also some differences in the commonly used drugs for adults and children. For example，for lung Qi deficiency and cold syndrome，adults often used Angelicae Dahuricae Radix， Magnoliae Flos， and Tribuli Fructus，while children often used Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma， Paeoniae Radix Alba， and Poria. For lung meridian hidden heat syndrome， adults often used Bupleuri Radix， Asari Radix et Rhizoma， Pinelliae Rhizoma， and Xanthii Fructus， while children often used Houttuyniae Herba， Menthae Haplocalycis Herba， Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium， and Massa Medicata Fermentata. ConclusionEffective medication regimens can be screened out based on efficacy evaluation methods，which can help supplement immediate， objective， and clinically relevant evidence of medication for the development of clinical practice guidelines in TCM from the perspective of clinical effectiveness.

OBJECTIVE To discuss the application effect of health care failure mode and effect analysis(HFMEA) and root cause analysis(RCA) in the intelligent management of narcotic use in the hospital. METHODS Set up an analysis team to use HFMEA to list potential failure modes in the flow chart of intelligent management of narcotic use in the hospital, and analyze and evaluate the key failure modes in combination with RCA, determine the root cause, and then formulate improvement measures and evaluate the effects after implementation. RESULTS After the implementation of the improvement measures, the risk priority number of the eight potential failure modes decreased significantly(P<0.05). The satisfaction of pharmacists, doctors and nurses with the intelligent management process of narcotic use in the hospital increased from (88.39±2.21)% to (98.04±0.51)%, from (87.79±1.36)% to (97.55±1.24)%, and from (90.79±1.39)% to (95.68±1.30)%, respectively. CONCLUSION HFMEA combined with RCA can reduce the risk of narcotic drug abuse, ensure drug quality and safety, reduce the occurrence of dispensing errors, and ensure the rational clinical use of narcotic drugs.

OBJECTIVE To review the application and development of automatic intelligent drug cabinet in hospitals at home and abroad. METHODS The relevant research articles published from 2010 to 2022 were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, PubMed and other databases. RESULTS The application of automatic intelligent drug cabinet could shorten the execution time of inpatient medical orders, improve the work efficiency of pharmacists and doctors and nurses, improve the quality of drug management in wards and promote the transformation of hospital pharmaceutical care. CONCLUSION The construction of decentralized dispensing mode with automated intelligent drug cabinets as the core has important theoretical guiding significance and broad application prospects for the automation, informatization, intelligence and whole process management of drugs in medical institutions, and also helps to improve the level of medical pharmacy service management.

BACKGROUND: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma (AR-NHL) is a high-risk factor for morbidity and mortality in patients with AIDS. This study aimed to determine the prognostic factors associated with overall survival (OS) and to develop a prognostic nomogram incorporating computed tomography imaging features in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma (AR-NHL). METHODS: A total of 121 AR-NHL patients between July 2012 and November 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical and radiological independent predictors of OS were confirmed using multivariable Cox analysis. A prognostic nomogram was constructed based on the above clinical and radiological factors and then provided optimum accuracy in predicting OS. The predictive accuracy of the nomogram was determined by Harrell C-statistic. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to determine median OS. The prognostic value of adjuvant therapy was evaluated in different subgroups. RESULTS: In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, involvement of mediastinal or hilar lymph nodes, liver, necrosis in the lesions, the treatment with chemotherapy, and the CD4 ≤100 cells/μL were independent risk factors for poor OS (all P < 0.050). The predictive nomogram based on Cox regression has good discrimination (Harrell C-index = 0.716) and good calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow test, P = 0.620) in high- and low-risk groups. Only patients in the high-risk group who received adjuvant chemotherapy had a significantly better survival outcome. CONCLUSION A survival-predicting nomogram was developed in this study, which was effective in assessing the survival outcomes of patients with AR-NHL. Notably, decision-making of chemotherapy regimens and more frequent follow-up should be considered in the high-risk group determined by this model.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Neoplasm Staging ; Nomograms ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies