Hepatic fibrosis is a reversible pathological process in various chronic liver diseases and is closely associated with the development and progression of severe liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma， and it has emerged as a significant global health challenge. In recent years， studies have shown that histone lactylation， a newly discovered epigenetic modification， actively participates in regulating the progression of hepatic fibrosis. This article systematically reviews the core regulatory effect of histone lactylation modification in the interaction between inflammatory microenvironment and hepatic fibrosis， in order to clarify the cascade regulatory mechanism of “inflammation-hepatic fibrosis” and provide new insights for early diagnosis， targeted intervention， and prevention of malignant transformation in hepatic fibrosis.

Objective:To compare the infection status of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) between the non-endemic area (Yixian county, Huangshan city) and the endemic area (Qianshan city, Anqing city) in Anhui province, and to explore the possibility of Yixian county being a natural focus of SFTS, thereby providing a scientific basis for the formulation of prevention and control strategies.Methods:In Xidi town, Yixian county, and Shuihou town, Qianshan city, one administrative village with the highest number of reported cases in the past three years was selected as the study village in each area, along with one control village with no reported cases. The study investigated the total antibody positivity rates of SFTS virus (SFTSV) in natural populations and host animals, as well as the density and virus-carrying rate of the vector ticks. Differences in total antibody positivity rates between the two regions were compared.Results:The total SFTSV antibody positivity rates in the natural population and host animals in the surveyed villages (control villages) of Qianshan city and Yi county were 8.7% and 8.0% (3.3%, 4.1%) and 0.0%, 9.1% (50.0%, 66.7%), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the infection rates of the natural population and host animals between the surveyed villages (control villages) in different endemic regions (all P>0.05). In the surveyed villages of Qianshan city and Yi county, the free-living tick densities were 1.4 ticks/hour per flag and 1.7 ticks/hour per flag, respectively; the parasitic tick densities were 0.4 ticks/host and 2.5 ticks/host, respectively; the tick infestation rates were 33.3% and 35.3%, respectively; and the tick density indices were 1.3 ticks/host and 7.2 ticks/host, respectively. Conclusions:The natural populations and host animals in some areas of Yixian county exhibit high SFTSV infection rates, and the tick density is also high, suggesting that the region may have become a natural focus of SFTS. Therefore, it is necessary to further strengthen capabilities in surveillance, diagnosis, and clinical treatment to address the potential risk of SFTS outbreaks.

Objective:To explore the treatment methods and prognosis of pregnancy-related uterine arteriovenous malformation (UAVM).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 81 patients with UAVM treated at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between March 2019 and March 2024. Clinical manifestations, diagnostic approaches, treatment strategies and prognosis were evaluated.Results:(1) General Information: the age of patients with UAVM was (32.7±4.6) years, with median gravidity and parity of 1 (quartile range: 1, 2) and 0 (0, 1), respectively. Pregnancy termination methods included surgical abortion or curettage in 46 cases (57%, 46/81), medical induction in 17 cases (21%, 17/81), spontaneous abortion in 16 cases (20%, 16/81), vaginal delivery in 1 case (1%, 1/81), and laparoscopic pregnancy tissue removal in 1 case (1%, 1/81). (2) Clinical manifestations: clinical presentations comprised vaginal bleeding in 59 cases [73%, 59/81; median blood loss: 740 ml (440, 1 360 ml)], massive hemorrhage in 9 cases (11%, 9/81, and bleeding combined with lower abdominal pain in 8 cases (10%, 8/81). Ultrasonography revealed intrauterine masses in 65 cases [80%, 65/81; median size: 2.5 cm (1.8, 4.2 cm)]. Elevated serum human chorionic gonadotrophin-β subunit (β-hCG) levels were observed in in 55 cases [85%, 55/65; median: 62.6 U/L (14.9, 300.1 U/L)]. The median time to UAVM diagnosis via ultrasound was 30.0 days (16.0, 52.0 days) after pregnancy termination, with median peak systolic velocity (PSV) and resistance index of 59.8 cm/s (45.0, 79.6 cm/s) and 0.39 (0.36, 0.43), respectively. (3) Treatment and prognosis: treatment modalities included expectant management in 49 cases (36%, 29/81), medication in 13 cases (16%, 13/81), lesion resection in 31 cases (38%, 31/81), and uterine artery angiography in 8 cases (10%, 8/81; 5 confirmed as arteriovenous fistula). The median time of PSV returning to normal after treatment was 53.8 days (36.0, 93.4 days). The average time for β-hCG returning to normal was (60.4±20.4) days. The median return time of menses was 59.0 days (43.0, 75.4 days).Conclusions:Pregnancy-related UAVM carries a high risk of life-threatening hemorrhage, necessitating management in centers equipped for emergency uterine artery embolization. Informed consent must emphasize disease progression risks and prognosis. Treatment stratification should integrate clinical parameters and imaging features.

The statement"Blood is the material carrier of spirit and qi"indicates that the generation of blood relies on the coordinated governance of spirit and qi,while simultaneously serving as their material foundation.Based on the physiological connection among"blood-spirit-qi",this article explores the pathogenesis of premature ovarian insufficiency(POI)accompanied by anxiety and depression.It proposes that essence and blood deficiency,premature exhaustion of Tian Gui(reproductive essence),and failure of blood to nourish the spirit form a pathological chain:"blood deficiency-spirit disturbance-POI with anxiety and depression".Blood stasis obstructing the uterine chamber,disorder of the chong and ren meridians,and failure of blood to carry the spirit give rise to the transformation:"blood stasis-spirit depression-POI with anxiety and depression".Liver qi stagnation and disruption of qi and blood further exacerbate the imbalance between blood and spirit,aggravating the disease progression.Based on this pathological analysis,the general treatment principle of"regulating blood,harmonizing spirit,and rectifying qi"is established.For patients with blood deficiency syndrome,treatment should focus on tonifying essence and blood,replenishing reproductive essence,and nourishing the spirit,selecting Guanyuan(CV4),Zusanli(ST36),and Sanyinjiao(SP6)as main acupoints.For patients with blood stasis syndrome,treatment should aim to regulate the chong and ren meridians,promote blood circulation,and calm the spirit,selecting Qichong(ST30),Zhongji(CV3),and Xuehai(SP10)as main acupoints.Simultaneously,the method of regulating the liver should be applied throughout the entire treatment process to soothe the liver,regulate qi,relieve depression,and calm the spirit,selecting Baihui(GV20),Taichong(LR3),and Ganshu(BL18)as main acupoints.Appropriate acupuncture techniques and methods should be chosen according to the patient's constitution and condition,providing new therapeutic ideas and approaches for clinical practice.

Objective To analyze the molecular epidemiology of Candida tropicalis(C.tropicalis)isolates from bloodstream infections,and to investigate preliminarily the underlying mechanisms of fluconazole resistance.Methods Clinical C.tropicalis isolates were collected from bloodstream infections at West China Hospital,Sichuan University and other hospitals in Sichuan Province.All the collected isolates were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry,and the antifungal susceptibility test was performed by the broth microdilution method.Multilocus sequence typing(MLST)was conducted using the first generation sequencing technique.Genes associated with drug-resistance were sequenced and the mutation sites were identified.The relative expression levels of genes associated with drug-resistance were analyzed using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR).Results A total of 39 C.tropicalis isolates from bloodstream infections were collected.The MLST phylogenetic tree showed that most of the strains clustered in the phylogenetic tree shared identical or similar minimal inhibitory concentrations(MICs).All MLST types were not matched with the isolates in the PubMLST database,representing new diploid sequence types(DSTs).A total of 3 sense mutations,including Ser154Phe,Tyr132Phe,and Tyr257His were identified in ERG11,and were present only in drug-resistant strains.UPC2 contained 4 sense mutations,including Ala251Thr,Gln289Leu,Ser279Glu,and Gln313His,which were also present only in drug-resistant strains.Ser279Glu and Gln313His were previously unreported.There were two sense mutations in ERG3,namely Ser112Gly and Ala48Ser,both being previously unreported,and Ser112Gly was found only in drug-resistant strains.The expression levels of ERG11(14.48 vs 7.109,P=0.003)and UPC2(1.922 vs 0.832,P=0.04)in non-sensitive group(MIC>2 mg/L)were higher than those in sensitive group(MIC≤2 mg/L),and the difference was statistically significant.Conclusion There may be a unique genetic relationship among C.tropicalis isolates from Sichuan province,and the MICs of fluconazole against C.tropicalis are associated with molecular typing.ERG11 mutations were the major mechanism underlying fluconazole resistance in C.tropicalis isolates.The upregulation of ERG11 and UPC2 was associated with fluconazole resistance in C.tropicalis.

BACKGROUND: Concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT) is the standard treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC), but there are still many patients who suffer tumor recurrence. However, valuable predictors of treatment outcomes remain limited. This study aimed to assess the value of the serum immune biomarkers to predict the prognosis. METHODS: We reviewed cervical cancer patients treated with CCRT between January 2014 and May 2018 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The systemic immune inflammation index (SII), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were calculated using blood samples. The relationship between immune markers and the treatment outcome was analyzed. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficiency. The Cox proportional hazards model and log-rank were used to predict overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: This study included 667 patients. Among them, 195 (29.2%) patients were defined as treatment failure, including 127 (19.0%) patients with pelvic failure, 94 (14.1%) distant failure, and 25 (3.7%) concurrent pelvic and distant failure. It revealed that the tumor stage, size, metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs), and serum immune biomarkers, such as SII, SIRI, and LDH, were significantly related to treatment outcomes. We demonstrated that the optimal cut-off of the SII, SIRI, and LDH were 970.4 × 10 9 /L, 1.3 × 10 9 /L, and 207.52 U/L, respectively. Importantly, this study presented that LDH level had the highest OR (OR = 4.2; 95% CI [2.3-10.8]). Furthermore, the OS and DFS for patients with pre-SII ≥970.5 × 10 9 /L were significantly worse than those with pre-SII <970.5 × 10 9 /L. Similarly, pre-SIRI ≥1.25 × 10 9 /L and pre-LDH ≥207.5 U/L were related to poor survival outcomes. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that the baseline SII, SIRI, and LDH levels can be used to accurately and effectively predict the treatment outcomes after CCRT and long-term prognosis. Our results may offer additional prognostic information in clinical, which helps to detect the potential recurrent metastasis in time.
Humans ; Female ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Chemoradiotherapy/methods* ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/blood* ; Treatment Outcome ; Disease-Free Survival ; Prognosis ; ROC Curve ; Biomarkers, Tumor/blood* ; Proportional Hazards Models

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of ultra-micro 8.0 mm single-port thoracoscopic nerve resection through areola incision in the treatment of primary palmar hyperhidrosis(PPH).Methods 84 patients with PPH from January 2018 to January 2022,were divided into the observed group[(inframammary approach,IMA)group,n=42]and control group[axillary approach(AA)group,n=42].The observed group was treated with ultra-micro 8.0 mm IMA single-port endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy(ETS),the control group used the traditional AA single-port ETS.The visual analogue scale(VAS)score,serum C-reactive protein(CRP),cortisol(Cor),interleukin-6(IL-6)levels,the postoperative cosmetic effect and compensatory hyperhidrosis of the two groups were compared.Results The VAS scores of 2,12 and 24 h after surgery in the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05);At 12 and 24 h postoperation,the levels of CPR,Cor,and IL-6 levels in both groups of patients were significantly higher than preoperation,but those in the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05);The total satisfaction rate of postoperative incision in the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group,the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05);There was no statistically significant difference of the incidence of compensatory hyperhidrosis between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion The clinical efficacy of ultra-micro 8.0 mm IMA single-port ETS through areola incision in the treatment of PPH is good.Compared with the traditional axillary single-port thoracoscopic method,it has the advantages of small trauma,less bleeding,less patient pain,high safety and high patient satisfaction.It is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of ultra-micro 8.0 mm single-port thoracoscopic nerve resection through areola incision in the treatment of primary palmar hyperhidrosis(PPH).Methods 84 patients with PPH from January 2018 to January 2022,were divided into the observed group[(inframammary approach,IMA)group,n=42]and control group[axillary approach(AA)group,n=42].The observed group was treated with ultra-micro 8.0 mm IMA single-port endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy(ETS),the control group used the traditional AA single-port ETS.The visual analogue scale(VAS)score,serum C-reactive protein(CRP),cortisol(Cor),interleukin-6(IL-6)levels,the postoperative cosmetic effect and compensatory hyperhidrosis of the two groups were compared.Results The VAS scores of 2,12 and 24 h after surgery in the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05);At 12 and 24 h postoperation,the levels of CPR,Cor,and IL-6 levels in both groups of patients were significantly higher than preoperation,but those in the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05);The total satisfaction rate of postoperative incision in the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group,the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05);There was no statistically significant difference of the incidence of compensatory hyperhidrosis between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion The clinical efficacy of ultra-micro 8.0 mm IMA single-port ETS through areola incision in the treatment of PPH is good.Compared with the traditional axillary single-port thoracoscopic method,it has the advantages of small trauma,less bleeding,less patient pain,high safety and high patient satisfaction.It is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Objective:To construct the rpoN gene knockout strain (Δ rpoN) and the complemented strain (CΔ rpoN) of Vibrio vulnificus ( V. vulnificus), and investigate the role of the rpoN gene in regulating bacterial motility and biofilm formation. Methods:The Δ rpoN strain of V. vulnificus was constructed using homologous recombination. Bacterial motility was assessed via swimming assays, and flagellar morphology was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Biofilm formation capacity was evaluated using crystal violet and Congo red staining assays, as well as colony morphology analysis. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect mRNA levels of target genes associated with flagellar synthesis and biofilm formation in Δ rpoN and the wild-type strains. Results:The V. vulnificus genome harbored a single rpoN gene, encoding a protein with high amino acid sequence similarity to RpoN homologs in other bacterial species. The Δ rpoN strain was successfully constructed. Compared with the wild-type strain, the Δ rpoN strain exhibited complete loss of motility on soft agar plates, absence of flagellar, and downregulated mRNA levels of flagellar synthesis-related genes. Conclusions:In V. vulnificus, RpoN regulates flagellar assembly by modulating the expression of flagellar synthesis genes, thereby controlling bacterial motility and biofilm formation.

Objective:To evaluate the safety,efficacy,and prognosis of interventional treatment for pregnan-cy-related uterine arteriovenous malformations(UAVM).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted of the clinical data from 8 patients with pregnancy-associated UAVM who underwent interventional therapy after initial di-agnosis by ultrasound at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between February 1,2016,and January 4,2024.Results:All 8 patients underwent ultrasound examination,and color Doppler imaging revealed abundant blood flow signals within the lesions,presenting a high-velocity and low-resistance blood flow spectrum.The median age of patients was 29 years,with termination of pregnancy occurring at 7-38 weeks of gestation.Clinical manifesta-tions included persistent irregular vaginal bleeding in 2 cases(25.0％),"on-off"hemorrhage in 2 cases(25.0％),acute massive vaginal bleeding(≥400 ml per episode)in 5 cases(62.5％),abdominal pain in 3 ca-ses(37.5％),secondary anemia in 4 cases(50.0％),and persistent elevation of serum β-hCG in 2 cases(25.0％).All 8 patients underwent uterine artery angiography.Postoperatively,5 cases were diagnosed with preg-nancy-related UAVM,with 1 case also complicated by a right ovarian arteriovenous fistula.The remaining 3 cases revealed only abnormal vascular clusters without early venous opacification.Bilateral uterine artery embolization(UAE)was performed in 4 cases,unilateral UAE(all right-sided)in 2 cases,and no UAE was performed in 2 ca-ses.Hysteroscopic lesion resection or curettage was performed in 3 cases,with 2 cases receiving adjuvant gona-dotropin-releasing hormone agonist(GnRH-a)therapy postoperatively.All 5 patients ultimately diagnosed with UAVM achieved hemostasis within 24 hours after UAE,with mild post-embolization syndrome observed in 1 case.During follow-up,only the patient with the concomitant ovarian arteriovenous fistula experienced recurrent sudden vaginal bleeding and subsequently underwent laparoscopic uterine lesion resection following GnRH-a therapy.Conclusions:UAE is the treatment of choice for pregnancy-related UAVM patients with complex or severe bleed-ing initially diagnosed by ultrasound.However,management should be tailored based on imaging and clinical fea-tures to balance therapeutic efficacy with fertility preservation.