Objective To investigate the role of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in order to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying BPH progression. Methods Firstly, we analyzed the correlation between the expression of ATF4 and the volume of prostate transition zone in BPH tissues using publicly available datasets. Subsequently, we explored the potential association among ATF4, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and BPH through single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Finally, we validated the findings by silencing ATF4 and treating BPH cells with ATF4 protein inhibitors, followed by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), CCK-8 assay, and Western blot. Results The expression of ATF4 in BPH tissues exhibited a significant positive correlation with the volume of prostate transition zone (r=0.64, P＜0.05). scRNA-seq analysis revealed that ATF4 was significantly upregulated in the prostate epithelial cells of BPH patients (P＜0.05), and its expression demonstrated a significant positive correlation with the Hallmark EMT singscore (r=0.14, P＜0.05). In vitro experiments further indicated that knockdown of ATF4 led to a significant reduction in the proliferative activity of BPH-1 cells (P＜0.05). Similarly, inhibition of ATF4 activity resulted in a marked decrease in the proliferative capacity and EMT of BPH-1 cells (P＜0.05). Conclusion ATF4 may exert a promoting effect on BPH by modulating the EMT signaling pathway;therefore, ATF4 may serve as a novel therapeutic target of BPH.

Tracheobronchial adenoid cystic carcinoma （TACC） is a low-grade malignant tumor originating from the airway mucosa. Despite its slow progression，it is characterized by high invasiveness，frequent recurrence，and a strong tendency for metastasis. Preclinical studies have shown that vascular-targeted therapy holds significant potential. However，an effective systemic treatment for TACC has not been established yet. This study explored TACC from the perspective of "Feiji" in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） as the starting point. It deeply investigated the mechanisms of abnormal collaterals and tumor vascular recruitment and further elaborated on the theoretical connection between abnormal collaterals and tumor vascular recruitment. Firstly，collateral hyperactivity led to disordered and erratic pulmonary collaterals. Their abnormal structures were similar to the disorderly and tortuous nature of tumor （pseudo）angiogenesis. This resulted in imbalances in the functions of circulation，perfusion，and reverse injection of the pulmonary collaterals，and then led to unrestrained collateral dysfunction and the accumulation of pathogenic factors. Secondly，the remodeling of the extracellular matrix （ECM） and epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） in TACC were critical processes in vascular co-option （VCO），representing the micro-level manifestation of the displacement of nutrient and defense. During this process，ECM remodeling made TACC cells more likely to hijack normal blood vessels，creating a complex vascular microenvironment conducive to tumor growth. In terms of treatment，this study proposed a TCM strategy of "regulating collaterals to expel pathogenic factors and nourishing collaterals to strengthen the healthy Qi"，and listed potential TCM. These were intended to regulate the Qi and blood in the collaterals，repair the functions of abnormal collaterals，and intervene in the vascular recruitment process of TACC. Future research should focus on improving the TCM clinical syndrome characteristics of TACC. Through modern molecular biology techniques，it is necessary to deeply analyze the micro-level pattern of vascular recruitment in TACC. This would enrich the understanding of the profound connection between abnormal collaterals and tumor vascular recruitment，providing empirical evidence for TCM-targeted therapies for vascular recruitment in TACC.

OBJECTIVE To provide technical support for improving recognition rate of adverse drug events （ADEs） related to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） formula granules and decoction pieces among inpatient patients. METHODS By referencing the global trigger tool （GTT） whitepaper， literature on adverse reactions to TCM， and expert review opinions， ADE trigger items for TCM formula granules and decoction pieces used in the inpatients were established. GTT was applied to analyze ADEs in inpatients who had used TCM formula granules and decoction pieces in our hospital from August 2013 to August 2023， utilizing the Chinese Hospital Pharmacovigilance System. The effectiveness of GTT and the characteristics of these ADEs were analyzed. RESULTS A total of forty-eight triggers were established， including thirty-two laboratory test indexes， thirteen clinical symptoms， and three antidotes. Among the 1 682 patients included， GTT identified 652 potential ADEs， 284 true positive ADEs，with a trigger rate of 38.76% and a positive predictive value of 43.56%. After review by the auditor， 278 cases of ADEs were finally confirmed， with an incidence rate of 16.53%， significantly higher than the number of spontaneously reported ADEs during the same period （0）. The 278 cases of ADEs were mostly grade 1 （223 cases）， mainly involving hepatobiliary system， gastrointestinal system， blood- lymphatic system， etc；a total of 219 types of TCMs are involved，and the top five suspected TCMs used at a frequency higher than 1% were Poria cocos， Codonopsis pilosula， Atractylodes macrocephala， fried Glycyrrhiza uralensis， and Scutellaria baicalensis. CONCLUSIONS The established GTT can improve the recognition rate of ADEs for hospitalized patients using traditional Chinese medicine formula granules and decoction pieces.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of peiminine B （PEI） on Streptococcus pneumoniae （SP）-induced alveolar epithelial cell injury by regulating the Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 in nucleus accumbens （Rac1）/protein kinase B （Akt）/nuclear factor κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway. METHODS Human alveolar epithelial cells （HPAEpiC） were taken and randomly divided into the Control group， SP group （1×108 cfu/mL SP bacterial solution）， low-， medium-， and high-concentration PEI groups （1×108 cfu/mL SP bacterial solution+0.05， 0.10， 0.20 mmol/L PEI）， and high-concentration PEI+Akt activator group （P-H+SC79 group， 1×108 cfu/mL SP bacterial solution+0.20 mmol/L PEI+10 μmol/L SC79）. Except for the Control group， the other groups of cells were treated with SP bacterial solution and/or corresponding drug solution. After 24 h of treatment， the levels of inflammatory factors （interleukin-6， -18， -1β） in the supernatant solution， the contents of oxidative stress indexes [lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， reactive oxygen species （ROS） and superoxide dismutase （SOD）]， apoptosis rate， as well as the expressions of proliferation/apoptosis-related proteins [cyclin-dependent kinase 1 （CDK1）， B cell lymphoma-2 related X protein （Bax）] and pathway-related proteins （Rac1， Akt， phosphorylated Akt， NF-κB and phosphorylated NF-κB） were detected in each group. RESULTS Compared with the Control group， the levels of inflammatory factors in supernatant solution， LDH and ROS contents， apoptosis rate， the protein expressions of Bax and Rac1 and the phosphorylation levels of Akt and NF-κB in the SP group were significantly increased or up-regulated， while SOD content and the protein expression of CDK1 were significantly decreased or down-regulated （P＜0.05）. Compared with the SP group， the above indexes in PEI groups were significantly improved in a concentration-dependent manner （P＜0.05）. SC79 could significantly reverse the improvement effect of the high concentration of PEI （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS PEI can alleviate SP-induced inflammation and oxidative stress damage of alveolar epithelial cells and inhibit apoptosis， which may be achieved by inhibiting Rac1/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective To observe the value of synthetic MRI(SyMRI)MAGnetic resonance image Compilation(MAGiC)sequence parameters for differentiating cervical squamous cell carcinoma and cervical adenocarcinoma.Methods Sixty-six patients with pathologically confirmed cervical cancer were retrospectively enrolled and divided into cervical squamous cell carcinoma group(n=56)and cervical adenocarcinoma group(n=10).Quantitative MAGiC parameters were collected and compared between groups,and those being significantly different were combined to construct a logistic regression model.The performance of each parameter alone and their combination for differentiating cervical squamous cell carcinoma and cervical adenocarcinoma was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the area under the curve(AUC).Results In cervical adenocarcinoma group,lesions's T1 and T2 were higher,while R1 and R2 were lower than those in cervical squamous cell carcinoma group(all P＜0.05).No statistically significant difference of proton density was found between groups(P＞0.05).The AUC of T1,T2,R1,R2 alone and their combination for differentiating cervical squamous cell carcinoma and cervical adenocarcinoma was 0.959,0.945,0.961,0.942 and 0.996,respectively,and no significant difference was found between each two ones(Z=0.267 to 1.396,all P＞0.05).Conclusion SyMRI had high value for differentiating cervical squamous cell carcinoma and cervical adenocarcinoma.

Objective:To verify the validity of the atopic dermatitis control tool (ADCT) in assessing disease control in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) .Methods:Based on a cross - sectional study, demographic data, comorbidities and information on disease assessment - related scales such as the ADCT, the pruritus numerical rating scale (NRS), the patient-oriented eczema measure (POEM), and the dermatological life quality index (DLQI) were collected from patients with AD at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from June 2021 to March 2023. The reliability and validity of the ADCT were assessed using these data. The discrimination power of the ADCT total score was evaluated by comparing the differences in the mean ADCT total scores among adjacent POEM/DLQI subgroups based on POEM/DLQI response classifications (POEM: clear or almost absent, mild, moderate, severe, very severe; DLQI: no effect, mild effect, moderate effect, serious effect, very serious effect). According to the ADCT scores, the AD patients were divided into an uncontrolled AD group (ADCT scores ≥ 7 points) and a controlled AD group (ADCT scores < 7 points). Differences between the above two groups were analyzed in terms of ADCT item scores, mean pruritus NRS scores, POEM total scores, DLQI total scores, and DLQI dimension scores to evaluate the validity of the ADCT in assessing AD disease control.Results:A total of 338 patients with AD were included, comprising 170 (50.30%) males and 168 (49.70%) females, and they were aged 17 to 89 (41.36 ± 17.63) years. Reliability analysis showed that the Cronbach′s α coefficient and split-half reliability coefficient of the ADCT were 0.886 and 0.878 respectively (both > 0.70), and the test- retest reliability coefficient was 0.977 (> 0.70, P < 0.001). Content validity analysis showed that the Pearson correlation coefficients between the ADCT item scores and the ADCT total score ranged from 0.753 to 0.852 (all P < 0.001) ; confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the Chi-square to degree of freedom ratio ( χ2/df) was 2.896 (< 5), the Tucker-Lewis index was 0.976 (> 0.9), the comparative fit index was 0.991 (> 0.9), the standardized root mean square residual was 0.026 (< 0.08), and the root-mean-square error of approximation was 0.075 (< 0.08) ; convergent validity analysis showed that the standardized factor loadings of all observed variables ranged from 0.689 to 0.905 (all > 0.500), combined reliability coefficient was 0.896 (> 0.700), and the average extracted variance value was 0.591 (> 0.500) ; criterion validity analysis showed that the correlation coefficients of the ADCT total score with other patient - reported outcome measures (the mean pruritus NRS scores, peak pruritus NRS scores, POEM total scores, and DLQI total scores) and DLQI dimension scores ranged from 0.649 to 0.730 and from 0.303 to 0.647, respectively (all P < 0.001). Analysis of the discrimination power of the ADCT total score showed significant differences in the mean ADCT total scores among adjacent POEM/DLQI subgroups (all P ≤ 0.001). The uncontrolled AD group (287 cases) showed significantly increased ADCT item scores, mean pruritus NRS score, POEM total score, DLQI total score, and DLQI dimension scores compared with the controlled AD group (51 cases, all P<0.001) . Conclusion:The ADCT exhibited good reliability, validity and discriminability based on the cross-sectional study, and can efficiently and reliably assess disease control in AD patients.

Objective:To analyze clinical data from patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) , and to explore their disease burden.Methods:Clinical data were retrospectively collected from CSU outpatients who visited the Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from November 2021 to October 2023. The primary evaluation indicators included the 7-day urticaria activity score (UAS7) , chronic urticaria quality of life questionnaire (CU-Q2oL) , urticaria control test (UCT) , medication use in the past 6 months, number of outpatient visits and medical expenses, CSU disease duration, and the presence of comorbid atopic diseases and autoimmune diseases. For quantitative data, results were expressed as mean ± standard deviation when normally distributed, or as median (lower quartile, upper quartile) when not normally distributed. Correlation analysis was performed using Pearson correlation coefficients, false discovery rate (FDR) correction, multivariate linear regression, and collinearity diagnostics.Results:A total of 489 CSU patients were included, comprising 303 females (62.0%) and 186 males (38.0%) , with the ages being 39.3 ± 15.0 years and disease duration being 0.75 (0.17, 3) years. The number of outpatient visits was 5.1 ± 1.9, and the medical costs were 396.4 ± 116.0 yuan. Baseline UAS7, UCT, and CU-Q2oL scores were 16.9 ± 11.0 points, 7.0 ± 3.8 points, and 51.9 ± 16.3 points, respectively. Seventy-two patients (14.7%) had a family history of atopic diseases, and 144 patients (29.4%) had comorbid atopic conditions, including atopic dermatitis ( n = 29) , allergic rhinitis ( n = 89) , allergic conjunctivitis ( n = 13) , allergic asthma ( n = 7) , and allergic sinusitis ( n = 6) . Forty-one patients (8.4%) had comorbid autoimmune diseases, including connective tissue diseases ( n = 2) and autoimmune thyroid diseases ( n = 39) . In the past 6 months, 419 patients (85.7%) received first-line or second-line therapies (antihistamines alone or in combination) , while 70 patients (14.3%) received third-line therapies, including omalizumab ( n = 35, 7.1%) , glucocorticoids ( n = 22, 4.5%) , cyclosporine ( n = 7, 1.4%) , and Tripterygium wilfordii preparations ( n = 7, 1.4%) . According to the UAS7 scores, 98 patients (20.0%) were in good control, 153 (31.3%) exhibited mild disease activity, 138 (28.2%) showed moderate activity, and 100 (20.5%) exhibited severe activity; outpatient visits and medical costs increased with disease activity (both P < 0.05) . The CU-Q2oL scores were positively correlated with the UAS7 scores ( r = 0.520, P < 0.001, FDR < 0.001) , and negatively correlated with the UCT scores ( r = -0.597, P < 0.001, FDR < 0.001) . Disease duration was positively associated with the UAS7 scores ( β = 0.223, P = 0.023) . The patients with autoimmune diseases had significantly longer disease duration ( P = 0.049) , but there was no significant difference in the UAS7 score between the patients with and without autoimmune diseases ( P = 0.340) ; there were no significant differences in disease duration or UAS7 scores between patients with and without atopic diseases (both P > 0.05) . Conclusion:Higher disease activity in CSU patients was significantly correlated with worse quality of life, increased outpatient visits, and greater economic burden.

Objective To explore the ability of different regions of interest(ROI)location settings for the detection of bronchial artery and pulmonary vascular lesions in children with hemoptysis via computed tomography angiography(CTA)examination.Methods The hemoptysis group(79 cases)who underwent chest CTA examination and the control group(79 cases)with negative CTA results were retrospectively selected.The ROI of the hemoptysis group were placed in the pulmonary trunk,left ventricle,ascending aorta and descending aorta,which were defined as groups 1,2,3 and 4 respectively.Clinical data(age,sex)and CT parameters,including bronchial artery diameter,ascending aorta CT value,pulmonary artery CT value,△CTA-PA,bronchial artery image score,pulmonary artery image score,were recorded and analyzed,respectively.Results There was a statistically significant difference in the diameter of the left and right bronchial arteries between the hemoptysis group and the control group(P＜0.05).In the hemoptysis group,there were statistically significant differences in the image scores of the left and right bronchial arteries,pulmonary artery image scores,and△CTA-PA among the four subgroups(P＜0.05).According to post-hoc comparison results,there was a statistically significant difference in the overall mean scores of the right bronchial artery image score(x2=11.333,P＜0.05)and left bronchial artery image score(x2=8.111,P＜0.05)between groups 2 and 3.Conclusion When ROI is placed in the ascending aorta,bronchial artery lesions and pulmonary vascular lesions can be detected simultaneously in CTA examination,which is helpful for the diagnosis of hemoptysis vascular etiology in children.

Objective:To clarify the content on exercise training in patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension through a scoping review.Methods:Using the scoping review methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley as a guide, Chinese and English databases such as PubMed, Embase, Wanfang Data, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched to screen the literature on exercise training for patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension. The search period was from database establishment to April 30, 2024. Two researchers extracted basic information of the included literature, content of the pre-exercise training assessment, exercise training program, and outcome indicators.Results:A total of 13 articles were included. The content of the pre-exercise training assessment in patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension was not standardized. The type of exercise training was based on aerobic, resistance and respiratory training, with a focus on home exercise. The main outcome indicators included the 6-minute walk distance, cardiopulmonary function, quality of life, and muscle strength.Conclusions:There are various types of exercise training for patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension, which are safe and feasible. Future research should focus on conducting home-based exercise training programs and constructing core outcome indicators to assess the effectiveness of exercise training.

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy between liposuction combined with circumareolar small incision and three-port endoscopic surgery for the treatment of Simon Ⅱ gynecomastia (GYN). Methods Comparative case data of 120 patients with GYN were retrospectively analyzed, 61 patients in the open group underwent circumareolar small incision mastectomy after liposuction, and 59 patients in the endoscopic group underwent three-port endoscopic mastectomy after liposuction. The two groups were compared in terms of surgery-related indexes, occurrence of postoperative complications and patient satisfaction. Results The unilateral operation time of the open group was shorter than that of the endoscopic group, the unilateral gland resection weight in the open group was more than that in the endoscopic group, the hospitalization cost of the open group was less than that of the endoscopic group (all P<0.01). There was no significant difference in unilateral liposuction volume, drainage volume on the first postoperative day, and time to drain removal between the two groups (P>0.05). The incidence of complications in the open group and the endoscopic group were 8.2% and 13.6% respectively, and there was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The difference in the overall satisfaction scores between the two groups was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusions Liposuction combined with circumareolar small incision or three-port endoscopic surgery both has good cosmetic effects in the treatment of Simon Ⅱ GYN. The operation with circumareolar small incision is simple, has a shorter operation time, costs less, and does not require special equipment, which is suitable for promotion and application in medical institutions.