Objective To investigate the general characteristics and treatment processes of patients with advanced esophageal cancer (EC) treated in county- or prefecture-level hospitals in high-incidence areas of EC in China. Methods In this retrospective observational study, electronic medical records of patients with advanced EC were collected from six medical centers in high-incidence areas. Eligible patients had advanced EC and whose first medical contact was documented between January 1, 2022, and June 1, 2024. Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted to evaluate patient characteristics and treatment plans. Results A total of 322 EC patients were included, of whom 230 were male (71.4%). The median age was 69 years. Among the 270 patients with available tumor diagnosis information, 264 patients (97.8%) presented with EC-specific symptoms. Of the 281 patients with pathological data, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma was the predominant type, accounting for 254 cases (90.4%). Among 235 patients with information on the initial diagnostic method, 220 (93.6%) were diagnosed through endoscopy. A total of 216 patients (67.1%) with advanced disease progressed from early or locally advanced stages. Surgical treatment was performed in 126 patients (39.1%), of whom 123 (97.6%) achieved R0 resection, and 71 (56.3%) of them received perioperative treatment. Definitive chemoradiotherapy was administered to 116 patients (36.0%). The median disease-free survival for patients undergoing radical surgery was 13.9 months, while that for patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy was 10.6 months. At the advanced stage, lymph node metastasis was observed in 250 patients (77.6%), with mediastinal lymph node metastasis being the most common type. Organ metastasis occurred in 176 patients (54.7%), most frequently involving the lungs, liver, and bones. Most patients (79.8%, 229/287) were from the county or city where the hospoital was loacted, 77.9% (232/298) were covered by resident basic medical insurance, and 88.7% (274/309) of patients initiated advanced treatment at the participating hospitals. Conclusion This study reveals the unique epidemiological, clinical, and pathological characteristics of patients with EC in high-incidence areas of China. The results provide an important reference for further exploration of this disease and its management.

This study investigated the functions and regulatory mechanism of Portulacae Herba and its chemical components on the Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/myeloid differentiation primary response 88(MyD88)/nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB) inflammatory signaling pathway in the colon tissue of mice with dextran sodium sulfate(DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis(UC). A total of 35 mice were randomly divided into groups, including a blank group, a model group, a mesalazine group(0. 5 g·kg~(-1)), and low, medium,and high dose alkaloids from Portulacae Herba groups(9, 18, 36 mg·kg~(-1)), and a combination treatment group, with 5 mice in each group. The blank group was given purified water, while the other groups were continuously given a 3% DSS solution for 7 days to induce the UC model. From day 8 onwards, the treatment group received oral gavage according to the prescribed doses for 14 days. The overall condition, body weight, stool characteristics, and presence of blood in the stool were recorded daily. After the experiment, the disease activity index(DAI) was assessed for each group, and colon length was measured. Histopathological changes in colon tissue were examined using hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),and interleukin-1β( IL-1β) in serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay( ELISA). The protein and m RNA expression of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in colon tissue were measured using Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR).Compared to the blank group, the model group showed a significant decrease in body weight, a notable increase in DAI scores, a significant shortening of colon length, and evident histopathological damage. The levels of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β in the serum were significantly elevated, and the protein and m RNA expression of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in colon tissue were significantly up-regulated. In contrast, the alkaloids from Portulacae Herba treatment groups significantly improved symptoms and reduced body weight loss in mice, decreased DAI scores, alleviated colon shortening, lowered serum levels of TNF-α and IL-1β,significantly down-regulated the expression levels of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB proteins and genes in colon tissue, as well as reduced histopathological damage. Therefore, the study suggests that alkaloids from Portulacae Herba can alleviate intestinal inflammation damage in DSS-induced UC mice, with its mechanism involving the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Animals ; Colitis, Ulcerative/immunology* ; Toll-Like Receptor 4/immunology* ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/metabolism* ; Mice ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Male ; Alkaloids/administration & dosage* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Humans ; Female ; Colon/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal

OBJECTIVE To investigate the potential mechanism of epigallocatechin gallate （EGCG） enhancing the sensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） cells to lenvatinib based on the phosphoinositide 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway. METHODS Five human HCC cell lines （HepG2， Huh-7， SMMC-7721， SNU-368 and SNU-739） were used to evaluate the effects of lenvatinib alone and in combination with EGCG on survival rates， clone number， proliferation rate， invasion number and the expressions of mRNAs and proteins related to the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. The PI3K activator insulin-like growth factor-1 （IGF-1） was introduced to investigate the effect of activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway on the sensitization effect of EGCG. RESULTS Compared with the control group， lenvatinib （10 μmol/L） and different concentrations of EGCG+ lenvatinib （1， 5 and 10 μg/mL EGCG+10 μmol/L lenvatinib） significantly reduced the survival rates and clone numbers of all five HCC cell lines in a dose-dependent manner （P＜0.05）. Lenvatinib （10 μmol/L） and EGCG+lenvatinib （10 μg/mL EGCG+10 μmol/L lenvatinib） also markedly inhibited the proliferation rate and invasion numbers of these cells， and decreased the mRNA expressions of PI3K， Akt， mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）， P70S6K and 4EBP， and the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt， as well as the protein expressions of mTOR and B cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2） in HepG2 cells or all five HCC cells； conversely， the mRNA and protein expressions of phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10（PTEN）， and the protein expressions of caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3 were significantly upregulated， with more pronounced effects observed in the EGCG+lenvatinib group than in the lenvatinib group （P＜0.05）. Compared with the lenvatinib group and the EGCG+lenvatinib group， the clone number， proliferation rate and invasion number of HepG2 cells in the EGCG+lenvatinib+IGF-1 group （10 μg/mL EGCG+10 μmol/L lenvatinib+50 ng/mL IGF-1） were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS EGCG can enhance the sensitivity of HCC cells to lenvatinib， and its underlying mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway activation.

Objective To investigate the population composition,seasonal dynamics,and infestation levels of cockroaches in Lanzhou,China,and to provide information for the scientific development of cockroach control strategies.Methods Monitoring was conducted at three locations using the sticky trap method.Habitats included farm product markets,catering establishments,hotels,hospitals,and residential areas.Results From 2016 to 2023,the average cockroach density was 0.77 insects per board,with an average infestation rate of 10.84%.Blattella germanica was the dominant species.Seasonal density of cockroaches showed an approximately unimodal distribution,peaking in September.The highest average density and infestation rates were observed in farm product markets.Conclusions Cockroach density and infestation levels in Lanzhou remained relatively low.A comprehensive prevention and control strategy focusing on environmental management in key areas should be implemented according to the seasonal fluctuations.

OBJECTIVE: Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or metal(loid)s individually has been associated with neural tube defects (NTDs). However, the impacts of PAH and metal(loid) co-exposure and potential interaction effects on NTD risk remain unclear. We conducted a case-control study in China among population with a high prevalence of NTDs to investigate the combined effects of PAH and metal(loid) exposures on the risk of NTD. METHODS: Cases included 80 women who gave birth to offspring with NTDs, whereas controls were 50 women who delivered infants with no congenital malformations. We analyzed the levels of placental PAHs using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, PAH-DNA adducts with ³²P-post-labeling method, and metal(loid)s with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Unconditional logistic regression was employed to estimate the associations between individual exposures and NTDs. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalized regression models were used to select a subset of exposures, while additive interaction models were used to identify interaction effects. RESULTS: In the single-exposure models, we found that eight PAHs, PAH-DNA adducts, and 28 metal(loid)s were associated with NTDs. Pyrene, selenium, molybdenum, cadmium, uranium, and rubidium were selected through LASSO regression and were statistically associated with NTDs in the multiple-exposure models. Women with high levels of pyrene and molybdenum or pyrene and selenium exhibited significantly increased risk of having offspring with NTDs, indicating that these combinations may have synergistic effects on the risk of NTDs. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that individual PAHs and metal(loid)s, as well as their interactions, may be associated with the risk of NTDs, which warrants further investigation.
Humans ; Neural Tube Defects/chemically induced* ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/adverse effects* ; Female ; Case-Control Studies ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Pregnancy ; Environmental Pollutants ; Maternal Exposure/adverse effects* ; Metals/toxicity* ; Young Adult ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the spatiotemporal patterns and socioeconomic factors influencing the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in the Guangdong Province between 2010 and 2019. METHOD: Spatial and temporal variations in TB incidence were mapped using heat maps and hierarchical clustering. Socioenvironmental influencing factors were evaluated using a Bayesian spatiotemporal conditional autoregressive (ST-CAR) model. RESULTS: Annual incidence of TB in Guangdong decreased from 91.85/100,000 in 2010 to 53.06/100,000 in 2019. Spatial hotspots were found in northeastern Guangdong, particularly in Heyuan, Shanwei, and Shantou, while Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Foshan had the lowest rates in the Pearl River Delta. The ST-CAR model showed that the TB risk was lower with higher per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) [Relative Risk ( RR), 0.91; 95% Confidence Interval ( CI): 0.86-0.98], more the ratio of licensed physicians and physician ( RR, 0.94; 95% CI: 0.90-0.98), and higher per capita public expenditure ( RR, 0.94; 95% CI: 0.90-0.97), with a marginal effect of population density ( RR, 0.86; 95% CI: 0.86-1.00). CONCLUSION The incidence of TB in Guangdong varies spatially and temporally. Areas with poor economic conditions and insufficient healthcare resources are at an increased risk of TB infection. Strategies focusing on equitable health resource distribution and economic development are the key to TB control.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Incidence ; Bayes Theorem ; Spatio-Temporal Analysis ; Tuberculosis/epidemiology* ; Socioeconomic Factors

Objective To evaluate the reliability and validity and perform cost-consequence analysis of the brief version of the Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)for identifying cognitive impairment in a community-based population ≥50 years of age.Methods The internal consistency and retest reliability of the brief version of the MoCA were analyzed,and the area under the curve(AUC),sensitivity,and specificity were determined to discriminate mild cognitive impairment(MCI)and dementia with the clinical dementia rating(CDR)as the diagnostic criterion.The consistency between the brief version and the full version was analyzed by the Kappa test and the Bland-Altman method,and the number of individuals entering the diagnostic assessment and the overall assessment time were estimated and compared between the two versions.Results A total of 303 individuals were included in this study,of whom 192,94,and 17 had normal cognitive function,MCI,and dementia,respectively.The Cronbach's α and re-test coefficients of the brief version of MoCA were 0.754 and 0.711(P<0.001),respectively.The brief version showed the AUC,sensitivity,and specificity of 0.889,74.5%,and 93.8% for identifying MCI,and 0.994,100%,and 93.8% for identifying dementia,respectively.When the brief version of MoCA was used to identify 94 patients with MCI in 303 individuals,107 individuals required additional diagnostic assessment,with an overall assessment time of 142.4 h,which represented decreases of 21.3% and 32.7%,respectively,compared with those of the full version.When the brief version of MoCA was used to identify 17 patients with dementia in 303 individuals,35 individuals required additional diagnostic assessment,with an overall assessment time of 70.4 h,a decrease of 29.5% in the time cost compared with the full version.Conclusions The brief version of MoCA can identify cognitively impaired individuals in a community-based middle-aged and elderly population,with diagnostic validity comparable to that of the full version but less time cost and fewer individuals needing additional diagnostic assessment to detect true-positive cases.It could be expanded for use in the community-based primary screening setting.
Humans ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnosis* ; Male ; Female ; Mental Status and Dementia Tests ; Reproducibility of Results ; Dementia/diagnosis* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cost-Benefit Analysis

AIM To study the chemical constituents from Euphorbia humifusa Willd.and their in vitro anti-hepatoma activity.METHODS Silica gel,D101 macroporous adsorption resin and semi-preparative RP-HPLC were used for isolated and purified,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.The anti-hepatocellular carcinoma activity was determined by MTT mothod.RESULTS Eighteen compounds were isolated and identified as 22-O-angeloyl-R1-barrigenol(1),dimethyl 3,3'-[oxybis(4,1-phenylene)](2E,2'E)-diacrylate(2),N-(3-methoxy-1,3-dioxopropyl)-D-tryptophan methyl ester(3),N-acetyltryptophan methyl ester(4),N-(methoxycarbonyl)-tryptophan methyl ester(5),(3β,5α,17β)-4,4,8,14-tetramethyl-18-norandrostane-3,17-diol(6),3β,18,19β-trihydroxylupane(7),pregnenolone(8),3-hydroxy-5,6-epoxy-7-megastigmen-9-one(9),dehydrovomifoliol(10),loliolide(11),2,2'-oxybis(1,4-di-tert-butylbenzene)(12),dibutyl phthalate(13),4-methoxycinnamic acid(14),3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid(15),methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate(16),kaempferol(17),quercetin(18).The IC50 values of compounds 1,7 and 8 on HepG2 cells were(17.27±0.92),(19.11±2.14)and(7.53±1.09)μmol/L,respectively.CONCLUSION Compounds 1-16 are first isolated from this plant.Compounds 1,7 and 8 have anti-hepatoma activity.

Objective:To analyze the clinical efficacy of laparoscopic common bile duct exploration and stone removal via the cystic duct with a flexible ureteroscope.Methods:The clinical data of 96 patients with cholecystolithiasis and choledocholithiasis who were admitted to the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the Third Hospital of Nanchang from September 2021 to November 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 49 male and 47 female patients, aged (59.2±13.9) years. The 96 patients were randomly divided into two groups according to the surgical methods: the flexible ureteroscope group ( n=48) and the choledochotomy group ( n=48), patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy plus flexible ureteroscope for common bile duct exploration and stone removal via the cystic duct were included in the flexible ureteroscope group; patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy plus choledocholithotomy and T-tube drainage placement were included in the choledochotomy group. Clinical data including operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative intestinal function recovery time, abdominal drainage tube removal time, postoperative hospital stay and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. Results:Compared with the choledochotomy group, the operation time [150 (120, 176) min vs. 197 (165, 240) min], intraoperative blood loss [20 (10, 30) ml vs. 30 (20, 50) ml], postoperative intestinal function recovery time [2 (1, 2) d vs. 3 (2, 4) d], abdominal drainage tube removal time [6 (4, 7) d vs. 7 (6, 8) d], and postoperative hospital stay [8 (6, 9) d vs. 16 (13, 17) d] in the flexible ureteroscope group were all reduced, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in the choledochotomy group was 10.4% (5/48), compared with 2.1% (1/48) in the flexible ureteroscope group. There was no statistically significant difference ( χ2=1.60, P=0.206). Conclusion:Compared with laparoscopic choledocholithotomy plus T-tube drainage, laparoscopic common bile duct exploration and stone removal via the cystic duct with a flexible ureteroscope can shorten the hospital stay of patients with choledocholithiasis, offering a minimally invasive, safe and effective treatment method.

Three evaluation methods were recommended for the key properties of the intravascular catheter lubricating coating such as stability,lubricity and integrity,including insoluble particle test method,friction test procedure and appearance detection method.Fifteen batches of microcatheters produced by different manufacturers were selected for testing to clarify the three methods in test principle,step,result,characteristic.References were provided for the design,production,evaluation and regulation of intravascular catheters with lubricant coatings.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(1):66-72]