OBJECTIVE:Some studies have shown that physical exercise can effectively improve knee extensor strength and cardiorespiratory function in burn patients;some studies have also shown that physical exercise is not effective in improving respiratory function in burn patients.Improvement effects of physical exercise on physical functions(muscle function,walking function,cardiopulmonary function,and lean body mass)of burn patients were evaluated by a systematic evaluation and meta-analysis.METHODS:Based on databases including Web of Science,PubMed,Embase,Cochrane Library,CNKI,WanFang,and the Chinese Biomedical Database,literature on the improvement of physical function in burn patients through physical exercise was searched using subject headings and free terms.With muscle function,walking ability,cardiopulmonary function,and lean body mass as the primary outcome measures,a meta-analysis was conducted to compare the efficacy of physical exercise with traditional physical therapy or conventional care methods.RESULTS:A total of 38 papers were included,of which 26 papers were included in the meta-analysis,involving 1 658 patients.Meta-analysis results showed that:(1)Physical exercise significantly enhances the knee extensor strength of the dominant leg in burn patients(mean difference[MD]=8.34,95％confidence interval[CI]:6.95-9.72,P＜0.000 01),increases quadriceps strength,peak oxygen uptake,forced vital capacity and maximum ventilation volume in 1 second,and resting heart rate(standardized mean difference[SMD]=4.41,95％CI:2.52-6.30,P＜0.000 01;MD=4.91,95％CI:3.52-6.29,P＜0.000 01;MD=5.86,95％CI:0.09-11.63,P=0.05;MD=6.90,95％CI:2.93-10.87,P=0.000 7;MD=5.03,95％CI:1.45-8.61,P=0.006),and improves the 6-minute walking distance,gait parameters,and total lean body mass(MD=45.29,95％CI:24.7-65.89,P＜0.0001;SMD=7.84,95％CI:6.05-9.63,P＜0.000 01;MD=2.47,95％CI:2.01-2.93,P＜0.000 01).(2)The subgroup analysis results indicated that the improvement in knee extensor strength of the dominant leg may be better in children than in adults and better in the extra-heavy group than in the heavy group.Improvement in the 6-minute walking distance is better in children than in adults,and higher degree of burn indicates better improvement effects,with no difference from the control group for＜12 weeks.Peak oxygen uptake may be better in adults and severe burn groups than in children and moderate burn groups,resistance combined with aerobic exercise modalities may be better than aerobic exercise alone,and exercise duration＞60 minutes may be better than＜60 minutes.CONCLUSION:Physical activity is effective in improving physical function in burn patients,as evidenced by improvements in muscle strength,walking ability,cardiorespiratory fitness,and lean body mass.The quality of evidence recommended for all indicator results is moderate or below,with imprecision and inconsistency being the main factors for downgrading.Therefore,more high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed in the future to verify the reliability of the results.

OBJECTIVE:Some studies have shown that physical exercise can effectively improve knee extensor strength and cardiorespiratory function in burn patients;some studies have also shown that physical exercise is not effective in improving respiratory function in burn patients.Improvement effects of physical exercise on physical functions(muscle function,walking function,cardiopulmonary function,and lean body mass)of burn patients were evaluated by a systematic evaluation and meta-analysis.METHODS:Based on databases including Web of Science,PubMed,Embase,Cochrane Library,CNKI,WanFang,and the Chinese Biomedical Database,literature on the improvement of physical function in burn patients through physical exercise was searched using subject headings and free terms.With muscle function,walking ability,cardiopulmonary function,and lean body mass as the primary outcome measures,a meta-analysis was conducted to compare the efficacy of physical exercise with traditional physical therapy or conventional care methods.RESULTS:A total of 38 papers were included,of which 26 papers were included in the meta-analysis,involving 1 658 patients.Meta-analysis results showed that:(1)Physical exercise significantly enhances the knee extensor strength of the dominant leg in burn patients(mean difference[MD]=8.34,95％confidence interval[CI]:6.95-9.72,P＜0.000 01),increases quadriceps strength,peak oxygen uptake,forced vital capacity and maximum ventilation volume in 1 second,and resting heart rate(standardized mean difference[SMD]=4.41,95％CI:2.52-6.30,P＜0.000 01;MD=4.91,95％CI:3.52-6.29,P＜0.000 01;MD=5.86,95％CI:0.09-11.63,P=0.05;MD=6.90,95％CI:2.93-10.87,P=0.000 7;MD=5.03,95％CI:1.45-8.61,P=0.006),and improves the 6-minute walking distance,gait parameters,and total lean body mass(MD=45.29,95％CI:24.7-65.89,P＜0.0001;SMD=7.84,95％CI:6.05-9.63,P＜0.000 01;MD=2.47,95％CI:2.01-2.93,P＜0.000 01).(2)The subgroup analysis results indicated that the improvement in knee extensor strength of the dominant leg may be better in children than in adults and better in the extra-heavy group than in the heavy group.Improvement in the 6-minute walking distance is better in children than in adults,and higher degree of burn indicates better improvement effects,with no difference from the control group for＜12 weeks.Peak oxygen uptake may be better in adults and severe burn groups than in children and moderate burn groups,resistance combined with aerobic exercise modalities may be better than aerobic exercise alone,and exercise duration＞60 minutes may be better than＜60 minutes.CONCLUSION:Physical activity is effective in improving physical function in burn patients,as evidenced by improvements in muscle strength,walking ability,cardiorespiratory fitness,and lean body mass.The quality of evidence recommended for all indicator results is moderate or below,with imprecision and inconsistency being the main factors for downgrading.Therefore,more high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed in the future to verify the reliability of the results.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease-related death worldwide. Nonetheless, existing therapeutic approaches for MI are hampered by issues such as reliance on pharmacological agents and suboptimal patient adherence. Caffeic acid (CA) is a bioactive polyphenolic compound with important anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant functions. Still, its specific role and mechanism in treating cardiovascular disease remain to be further studied. In recent years, a large number of studies have shown that the kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1/nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Keap1/Nrf2) pathway is a key factor in the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases. In this study, H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress model of H9c2 cells and left anterior descending branch (LAD) conjunctival induced acute myocardial infarction reperfusion (AMI/R) model were used to evaluate the protective effect of CA on the heart. The interaction between CA and Keap1 was analyzed by CA-labeled fluorescence probe, target fishing, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), protein crystallography and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Our results suggested that CA binds Keap1 and degrades Keap1 in a p62-dependent manner, further promoting nuclear transcription of Nrf2 and thus effectively reducing oxidative stress. In addition, based on the three-dimensional eutectic structure, it was confirmed that CA directly targets Keap1 protein by interacting with residues M550 and N532, inducing conformation changes in Keap1 protein. We also found that the CA analog chlorogenic acid (GCA) can bind Keap1. In conclusion, this study elucidates a novel molecular mechanism and structural basis for the protective effects of CA against oxidative damage via the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway.

Background Previous studies have demonstrated that the vagus nerve stimulation improves upper limb function in patients with stroke sequelae(six month-two years).This study aimed to investigate whether the auricular intradermal acupuncture(AIA)acted on the auricular branch of the vagus nerve can facilitate the recovery of upper limb motor function and expedite the effects and characteristics of rehabilitation processes in flaccid phase after stroke in Phase Brunnstrom Ⅰ.Methods This study utilized a randomized controlled single-blinded clinical design.Patients with ischemic stroke in Phase Brunnstrom Ⅰ were randomly assigned to the auricular intradermal acupuncture(AIA)group(AIA,standard rehabilitation,conventional acupuncture)or the sham auricular intradermal acupuncture(sham AIA)group(the sham AIA,standard rehabilitation,conventional acupuncture)for 6 days of 1 week(6 times).Primary outcome measures:Brunnstrom(Ueda Assessment),Fugl-Meyer assessment of the upper extremity(FMA-UE)and its subtype score(FMA-UEFS,FMA-UEES),Wolf motor function test scale(WMFT).Secondary outcome measures:Upper limb active range of joint motion(AROM),manual muscle test(MMT)of upper limb muscles,Barthel index(BI).Results Of the 332 patients who were screened,70 patients met the criteria and were recruited.There were 35 patients in the AIA group,1 patient was fall off,34 patients were actually completed;35 patients in the sham AIA group had no falling off case.Primary outcome measures:The upper Ueda assessment of the AIA group were better than those of the sham AIA group after treatment on days 3 and 6(P<0.05,P<0.001,respectively).The FMA-UEFS score on days 6 of the AIA group were significantly better than those of the sham AIA group(P<0.05).FMA-UEES of the AIA group was more associated with FMA-UE than FMA-UEFS with FMA-UE after treatment on day 6(FMA-UEFS:r=0.728,P<0.001;FMA-UEES:r=0.744,P<0.001).After 3 days and 6 days of treatment,the AIA group of the WMFT were significantly improved in the sham AIA group(P<0.05,P<0.001,respectively).Secondary outcome measures:AROM:After 6 days of treatment,the AIA group of shoulder abduction were more improved than in the sham AIA group(P<0.05).MMT:The muscle strength of elbow flexion,and elbow extension muscle improved more in the AIA group than in the sham AIA group(P<0.05).Barthel index(BI):After 6 days of treatment,there was a significant improvement in the group compared with before treatment(P<0.05),but no difference compared with the group(P>0.05).Conclusions AIA combined with conventional rehabilitation and acupuncture,can effectively improve the upper limb motor function of patients with post-ischemic stroke flaccid hemiplegia and accelerates the rehabilitation process of upper limb motor function.Clinical Trial Registration The study protocol is registered withhttp://www.chictr.org.cn(accession number:ChiCTR2200058141).

Objective To investigate the evaluation value of lymphocyte count(LYM),interleukin(IL)-6 and D-dimer on the severity in the patients with sepsis.Methods The clinical data in 107 patients with sepsis admitted and treated in the Emergency ICU(EICU)of this hospital from January 2023 to November 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.The basic clinical data,laboratory routine inflammatory indicators,im-mune indicators,coagulation indicators and the related disease condition score within 24 h after entering EICU were collected.The patients were divided into the sepsis group(n=54)and septic shock group(n=53)ac-cording to whether or not septic shock occurred.The multivariate logistic regression model was used to ana-lyze the influencing factors of septic shock occurrence,the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the diagnostic efficiency,and Spearman correlation method was used to analyze the correlation between LYM,IL-6 and D-dimer with septic shock occurrence in the patients with sepsis.Results The se-quential organ failure assessment(SOFA)score,acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ)score and the levels of LYM,CRP,IL-6 and D-dimer had statistically significantly differences between the two groups(P＜0.05).The multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed that LYM,IL-6 and D-di-mer were the influencing factors of septic shock occurrence(P＜0.05).The ROC curve analysis results showed that LYM,IL-6 and D-dimer alone or combination detection all had certain predictive value for septic shock occurrence,but the area under the curve(AUC),sensitivity and specificity of the three combined detec-tion were higher than those of detection alone.The Spearman correlation analysis results showed that IL-6(r=0.407)and D-dimer(r=0.482)levels were positively correlated with the severity of septic shock,while the LYM level(r=-0.513)was negatively correlated with the severity of septic shock(P＜0.01).Conclusion The combination application of LYM,IL-6 and D-dimer could effectively evaluate the severity of the patients with sepsis.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and molecular variants of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma with small cell components/neuroendocrine-like features (ChRCC-SC/ND-L).Methods:There were 7 cases of ChRCC-SC/ND-L diagnosed by light microscopy and immunohistochemical staining were collected from the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University (5 cases) and 971 Hospital of the People′s Liberation Army Navy (2 cases) between January 2010 and December 2023. The clinical data, histological characteristics, and immunohistochemical staining results of the patients were summarized. Among them, 4 cases underwent whole exome sequencing.Results:Among the 7 cases, 5 cases were male and 2 cases were female. The mean age was 53 (43,58)years,with a range of 36 to 76 years. Gross examination showed that the mean maximum tumor diameter was 7.9 (6.0,9.0) cm,with a range of 5.5 to 13.0 cm. The tumors were nodular, well-defined, gray, red or yellow in color with a solid cut surface, except for 1 case with cystic and solid on cut surface. One case showed visible necrosis, and 1 case invaded the renal pelvis and sinus. Microscopically, the tumors had clear boundaries. Typical ChRCC components (5 cases of classical type, 2 cases of eosinophilic type) were found in all cases, accompanied by varying amounts of small cell components (5%-90%). The two components were mixed in 6 cases or directly adjacent to each other in 1 case. The small cell components were arranged in clusters, dense acinar and nest-like structures, beam-like, fence-like, chrysanthemum-shaped clusters, and ribbon-like patterns. Three cases exhibited patchy necrosis. Intravascular tumor thrombus was found in 1 case. Immunohistochemically, EMA was expressed consistently in the small cell and typical ChRCC components (7/7); whilst both CK7 and CD117 were negative in 1 case with typical ChRCC component (6/7). Small cell components in 3 cases were positive for CD56, whereas all 7 cases were negative for CgA, Syn, and INSM1. The Ki-67 proliferation index was less than 1% in both components. Whole exome sequencing revealed that the 4 cases exhibited different genetic aberrations including 1 case with multiple chromosomal deletions, while 2 cases showed amplification of chromosome 12 and deletion of chromosome 11, respectively. The 7 cases were followed up for 25 to 172 months. Except for 1 patient that died with unknown causes 25 months after surgery, the remaining 6 cases were still alive (average 103.8 months, median 101 months).Conclusions:ChRCC-SC/ND-L is a very rare subtype of ChRCC. The small cell component does not represent true neuroendocrine differentiation and might indicate a morphological heterogeneity of the tumor. The presence of typical chromophobe cell carcinoma components is helpful for the diagnosis of ChRCC-SC/ND-L and they do not have consistent molecular characteristics. ChRCC-SC/ND-L has a good prognosis and the small cell components/neuroendocrine-like components might not have a significant impact on the outcome of patients with the tumor.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, molecular features, differential diagnosis and prognosis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with TFEB gene amplification.Methods:A total of 113 cases of unclassified RCCs and RCCs with TFEB positive expression were collected from the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University and Navy 971 Hospital from January 2010 to December 2024. Eight cases of RCCs with TFEB amplification were identified using tissue microarrays, immunohistochemistry, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques. The clinicopathological data and prognosis of the 8 cases were summarized, and relevant literature was reviewed.Results:Among the 8 cases, there were 5 males and 3 females. The average age was 63.4 (54, 77) year and the median age was 63.5 (59.0, 65.5) year. Seven cases were detected through physical examination, and 1 case presented with initial symptoms of metastasis to bones and lungs. The cohort included 1 biopsy specimen and 7 surgical resection specimens. The tumor diameters ranged from 2.5 to 15.0 cm. The cut surfaces of 5 cases were grayish-yellow or grayish-red, and 2 cases exhibited a colorful appearance, among which 3 cases involved renal sinus and 1 case showed invasion of the perirenal fat tissue. Microscopically, 4 cases were composed of clear cells arranged in solid sheets or acinar structures, along with varying numbers of eosinophilic cells. Two cases exhibited the morphology of high-grade eosinophilic RCC, and 1 case presented biphasic morphology with diffuse polygonal eosinophilic tumor cells and dense small cell components. The remaining 1 case exhibited the morphology of clear cell RCC. According to the WHO/ISUP nuclear grading system, 6 cases were Grade 3 and 2 cases were Grade 2. Multifocal necrosis was observed in 4 cases. In 4 surgical specimens, the tumor tissue invaded the renal parenchyma, with 2 cases showing nodular infiltration to surrounding tissues and 1 case with intravascular tumor thrombus. Immunohistochemical results showed varying degrees of TFEB nuclear positivity in 6 cases (6/8). Melanocytic markers such as Melan A (5/8) and HMB45 (3/8) were expressed at varying degrees. Cathepsin K (6/8), GPNMB (6/8), P504s (7/8) and CD10 (7/8) were positively expressed in most cases. FISH results revealed high-copy amplification of TFEB gene in 4 cases (partially showing clustered amplification) and low-copy amplification in 4 cases. During the follow-up period of 3 to 64 months of the 8 cases, 3 cases metastasized and 2 cases died of disease (both with high-copy TFEB gene amplification).Conclusions:RCC with TFEB gene amplification is rare and exhibits diverse morphological features. A common morphological characteristic of this type of tumor is a mixture of sheet-like clear cells and high nuclear grade eosinophilic cells. Combined immunohistochemical staining for TFEB, melanocytic markers, and GPNMB is helpful for the diagnosis of the tumor, and FISH detection of TFEB gene amplification is the most definitive method in diagnosing this tumor. RCC with TFEB gene amplification usually presents with strong aggressiveness and poor prognosis. Combining surgical resection with immunotherapy or VEGFR-targeted drugs might have therapeutic effects on the tumor.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and diagnosis of high-grade succinate dehydrogenase-deficient renal cell carcinoma (SDH-RCC).Methods:Three cases of high-grade SDH-RCC diagnosed by immunohistochemical staining and/or molecular testing were collected from Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University and 971 Hospital of Navy of Chinese People′s Liberation Army from January 2015 to December 2023. The clinicopathological characteristics and immunohistochemical features were summarized using light microscopy. Two cases were tested for gene mutations by next-generation sequencing.Results:Of the 3 cases, 2 were male and 1 was female. The ages were 49, 61, and 53 years, respectively. Gross examination revealed that all tumors were single nodules with diameters of 7.0, 4.5, and 5.2 cm, respectively, grayish white in color with irregular borders. Cases 1 and 2 exhibited solid cut sections, whereas case 3 had cystic and solid cut sections. Microscopically, all cases had high WHO/ISUP nuclear grade (3 or 4) and overt invasion. Case 1 exhibited a solid, sheet-like growth pattern with numerous scattered glandular ducts or acinar structures. Case 2 displayed a diffusely growth pattern reminiscent of sarcoma. Case 3 demonstrated intracystic papillary and nodular infiltrative growth patterns. Large clear cytoplasmic vacuoles could be observed in the focal areas of case 1 and case 3. Prominent peritumoral lymphocytes in stroma were noted in case 1. Case 1 was diagnosed with regional lymph node metastasis, and case 2 was diagnosed with renal vein thrombosis. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that SDHB and SDHA were deficiently expressed in 3 cases, while PAX8, FH, and INI-1 exhibited diffuse expression. CD10 (1/3), CA9 (1/3), and CK20 (1/3) were occasionally expressed. The Ki-67 proliferation index ranged from 10% to 50%. Two cases underwent next-generation sequencing and were both found to harbor pathogenic mutations in SDHA (case 2 had a frameshift mutation, and case 3 had a splice site mutation). All 3 cases were followed up for 11 to 112 months. Case 2 died 11 months post-operation, while case 1 and case 3 survived for 19 and 112 months, respectively, without any recurrence or metastasis.Conclusions:High-grade SDH-RCC is a rare subtype of SDH-RCC. The tumor exhibits various architectural patterns and is often misdiagnosed as other types of renal cell carcinoma. The presence of cytoplasmic vacuoles may be indicative for diagnosis. Compared to typical SDH-RCC, the high-grade subtype generally shows a larger tumor size, higher TNM stage, greater invasive potential, and poorer prognosis. For high-grade SDH-RCC, routine SDHB immunohistochemical staining may be necessary. The occurrence of high-grade SDH-RCC may be associated with mutations in SDHA.