Purpose: This Phase II trial was objected to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adding fulvestrant to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with estrogen receptor (ER)+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)– locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the association of 16α-18F-fluoro-17β-fluoroestradiol (18F-FES) positron emission tomography (PET)–computed tomography (CT) and metabolites with efficacy. Materials and Methods: Fulvestrant and EC-T regimen were given to ER+/HER2– LABC patients before surgery. At baseline, patients received 18F-FES PET-CT scan, and plasma samples were taken for liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included total pathologic complete response (tpCR) and safety. Results: Among the 36 patients enrolled, the ORR was 86.1%, the tpCR rate was 8.3%. The incidence of grade ≥ 3 treatment-emergent adverse events was 22%. The decrease in ER value in sensitive patients was larger than that in non-sensitive patients, as was Ki-67 (p < 0.05). The maximum standardized uptake value, mean standardized uptake values, total lesion ER expression of 18F-FES PET-CT in sensitive patients were significantly higher than those in non-sensitive patients (p < 0.05). Moreover, these parameters were significantly correlated with Miller and Payne grade and the change in ER expression before and after treatment (p < 0.05). Thirteen differential expressed metabolites were identified, which were markedly enriched in 19 metabolic pathways. Conclusion This regimen demonstrated acceptable toxicity and encouraging antitumor efficacy. 18F-FES PET-CT might serve as a tool to predict the effectiveness of this therapy. Altered metabolites or metabolic pathways might be associated with treatment response.

Purpose: This Phase II trial was objected to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adding fulvestrant to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with estrogen receptor (ER)+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)– locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the association of 16α-18F-fluoro-17β-fluoroestradiol (18F-FES) positron emission tomography (PET)–computed tomography (CT) and metabolites with efficacy. Materials and Methods: Fulvestrant and EC-T regimen were given to ER+/HER2– LABC patients before surgery. At baseline, patients received 18F-FES PET-CT scan, and plasma samples were taken for liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included total pathologic complete response (tpCR) and safety. Results: Among the 36 patients enrolled, the ORR was 86.1%, the tpCR rate was 8.3%. The incidence of grade ≥ 3 treatment-emergent adverse events was 22%. The decrease in ER value in sensitive patients was larger than that in non-sensitive patients, as was Ki-67 (p < 0.05). The maximum standardized uptake value, mean standardized uptake values, total lesion ER expression of 18F-FES PET-CT in sensitive patients were significantly higher than those in non-sensitive patients (p < 0.05). Moreover, these parameters were significantly correlated with Miller and Payne grade and the change in ER expression before and after treatment (p < 0.05). Thirteen differential expressed metabolites were identified, which were markedly enriched in 19 metabolic pathways. Conclusion This regimen demonstrated acceptable toxicity and encouraging antitumor efficacy. 18F-FES PET-CT might serve as a tool to predict the effectiveness of this therapy. Altered metabolites or metabolic pathways might be associated with treatment response.

Purpose: This Phase II trial was objected to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adding fulvestrant to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with estrogen receptor (ER)+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)– locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the association of 16α-18F-fluoro-17β-fluoroestradiol (18F-FES) positron emission tomography (PET)–computed tomography (CT) and metabolites with efficacy. Materials and Methods: Fulvestrant and EC-T regimen were given to ER+/HER2– LABC patients before surgery. At baseline, patients received 18F-FES PET-CT scan, and plasma samples were taken for liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included total pathologic complete response (tpCR) and safety. Results: Among the 36 patients enrolled, the ORR was 86.1%, the tpCR rate was 8.3%. The incidence of grade ≥ 3 treatment-emergent adverse events was 22%. The decrease in ER value in sensitive patients was larger than that in non-sensitive patients, as was Ki-67 (p < 0.05). The maximum standardized uptake value, mean standardized uptake values, total lesion ER expression of 18F-FES PET-CT in sensitive patients were significantly higher than those in non-sensitive patients (p < 0.05). Moreover, these parameters were significantly correlated with Miller and Payne grade and the change in ER expression before and after treatment (p < 0.05). Thirteen differential expressed metabolites were identified, which were markedly enriched in 19 metabolic pathways. Conclusion This regimen demonstrated acceptable toxicity and encouraging antitumor efficacy. 18F-FES PET-CT might serve as a tool to predict the effectiveness of this therapy. Altered metabolites or metabolic pathways might be associated with treatment response.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer is a lethal malignancy prone to gemcitabine resistance. The single-strand selective monofunctional uracil DNA glycosylase (SMUG1), which is responsible for initiating base excision repair, has been reported to predict the outcomes of different cancer types. However, the function of SMUG1 in pancreatic cancer is still unclear. METHODS: Gene and protein expression of SMUG1 as well as survival outcomes were assessed by bioinformatic analysis and verified in a cohort from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. Subsequently, the effect of SMUG1 on proliferation, cell cycle, and migration abilities of SMUG1 cells were detected in vitro . DNA damage repair, apoptosis, and gemcitabine resistance were also tested. RNA sequencing was performed to determine the differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways, followed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting verification. The cancer-promoting effect of forkhead box Q1 (FOXQ1) and SMUG1 on the ubiquitylation of myelocytomatosis oncogene (c-Myc) was also evaluated. Finally, a xenograft model was established to verify the results. RESULTS: SMUG1 was highly expressed in pancreatic tumor tissues and cells, which also predicted a poor prognosis. Downregulation of SMUG1 inhibited the proliferation, G1 to S transition, migration, and DNA damage repair ability against gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer cells. SMUG1 exerted its function by binding with FOXQ1 to activate the Protein Kinase B (AKT)/p21 and p27 pathway. Moreover, SMUG1 also stabilized the c-Myc protein via AKT signaling in pancreatic cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS SMUG1 promotes proliferation, migration, gemcitabine resistance, and c-Myc protein stability in pancreatic cancer via protein kinase B signaling through binding with FOXQ1. Furthermore, SMUG1 may be a new potential prognostic and gemcitabine resistance predictor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Humans ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology* ; Forkhead Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/genetics* ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation/physiology* ; Mice ; Uracil-DNA Glycosidase/genetics* ; Female ; Male ; Gemcitabine ; Mice, Nude ; Apoptosis/physiology* ; Deoxycytidine/analogs & derivatives* ; Cell Movement/genetics*

Objective To analyze the relationship of the volume of 87 brain regions with postnatal age and neurobehavior in full-term neonates.Methods A total of 75 full-term newborns[gestational age(39.38±1.22)weeks;male/female(51/24);postnatal age(11.11±6.67)days]without abnormalities on brain MRI(three-dimensional T1-weighted imaging,3D T1WI)at our hospital between November 2010 and September 2017 were retrospectively included.Based on the template of 87 brain regions,the neonatal brains were divided into 87 brain regions and their volumes were calculated by using V-shape Bottleneck network(VB-Net)deep learning segmentation technique,Pearson partial correlation and regression analysis were used to explore the relationship of the volume of each brain region with postnatal age and neurobehavioral scores.Results After adjusting for gestational age,birth weight,head circumference,body length and sex,66.7％of the regional brain volumes(58/87 brain regions)significantly increased with the postnatal age(correlation coefficient r:0.2-0.7,P＜0.05).The volumes of gray matter in bilateral lentiform nucleus,left caudate nucleus,right occipital lobe,right inferior temporal lobe,and bilateral anterior temporal lobe strongly correlated with the postnatal age(r＞0.50,P＜0.05).The gray matter volume of the right occipital lobe linearly increased with age(slope:100.67),and was positively correlated with behavioral scores(r=0.324,P＜0.01).Conclusion Most of regional brain volumes increase with the postnatal age during the neonatal period,and the fastest growth occurs in primary sensorimotor-related brain regions,presenting the spatial heterogeneity.Partial brain region grows with the development of behavioral ability.

Objective To explore the effect of exposure to noise of 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)on children's cochlear function.Methods We prospectively recruited 72 children who underwent cranial MRI examination at our hospital from May to November 2018;3M earplugs and sponge mats were used for hearing protection during MRI scanning.Noise level(dBA)of each MRI sequence was detected with a nonmagnetic microphone and a sound level meter.Distortion product otoacoustic emissions(DPOAE)test at 2-7 kHz was performed 24 hours before and 30 minutes after the MRI examination.Paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze differences in DPOAE amplitude before and after the MRI examination.Results The average noise level of MRI measured in the study was(107.7±3.92)dBA.Compared with that before the MRI examination,the DPOAE amplitude(dB)changed little after the MRI examination;the range of amplitude differences in each age group was as follows:left ear(-0.24-1.10)and right ear(-0.24-0.74)in the 0-1 year-old group;left ear(-0.07-0.59)and right ear(-0.57-0.75)in the 2-5 year-old group;left ear(-0.36-0.44)and right ear(-0.30-0.57)in the 6-12 year-old group.No statistically significant difference was found(correction P＞0.05).Conclusion No potential impact of 3.0T MRI noise on children's cochlear function was observed under routine hearing protection.

Objective To explore the association of the magnitude of systolic blood pressure reduction(SBPr)with post-procedure 24 h symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage(sICH)and 90-day clinical outcomes in patients with successful endovascular thrombectomy(EVT).Methods Consecutively registered patients with EVT caused by anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke(LVOS)in the First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College(Yijishan Hospital)between July 2015 and April 2023 and patients with successful reperfusion were analyzed.Demographic data,medical history(hypertension,diabetes),the trial of Org 10172 in acute stroke treatment(TOAST)classification,the baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)score and the baseline Alberta stroke early CT(ASPECT)score of patients were collected.And procedure related parameters(including time from onset to puncture,time from onset to reperfusion,occluded site[internal carotid artery,M1 segment of middle cerebral artery,M2 segment of middle cerebral artery],collateral circulation status[determined based on preoperative occluded angiography showing the range of collateral circulation in the occluded vessel area,defined as good collateral circulation with a reflux range of ≥ 50％and poor collateral circulation with a reflux range of＜50％]),immediate postoperative reperfusion status(evaluated using the modified thrombolysis for cerebral infarction[mTICI]grading,successful reperfusion defined as mTICI grading of 2b-3),24 hours sICH,and 90 days clinical outcomes(evaluated using the modified Rankin scale score at 90days after EVT,with a score ≤ 2indicating a good prognosis and a score＞2indicating a poor prognosis).SBPr was defined as(baseline SBP-mean SBP)/baseline SBP x 100％.According to the the magnitude of SBPr,SBPr is divided into 5 categories(＜-10％,-10％-10％,＞10％-20％,＞20％-30％and＞30％).Based on the clinical outcomes at 90 days and the occurrence of sICH at 24 hours after EVT,patients were divided into a good prognosis group and a poor prognosis group,as well as an sICH group and a non-sICH group.The relationship between SBPr and postoperative 90 days clinical prognosis or sICH was analyzed using a binary Logistic regression model.Subgroup analysis was conducted based on a history of hypertension(yes and no),continuous intravenous hypotensive therapy(yes and no),baseline ASPECT scores(3-5 and 6-10),and collateral circulation status(good and bad).Using a restricted cubic plot to depict the relationship between SBPr and sICH and clinical prognosis at 90days.Results(1)In total,731 patients were included.The median age was 71(62,77)years and 424(58.0％)were men.The median baseline NIHSS score was 14(12,18),the median baseline ASPECT was 9(7,10),405(55.4％)patients achieved 90-day modified Rankin scale score 0-2,and 35 patients(4.8％)developed sICH.(2)Multivariate analysis showed that the older age(OR,1.036,95％CI 1.017-1.056),the higher baseline NIHSS score(OR,1.095,95％CI1.049-1.144),the lower baseline ASPECT score(OR,0.704,95％CI 0.636-0.780),diabetes(OR,1.729,95％CI 1.084-2.758),bad collateral circulation(good collateral circulation vs.bad collateral circulation,OR,0.481,95％CI 0.332-0.696)and SBPr＞30％(SBPr-10％-10％as a reference,OR,2.238,95％CI 1.230-4.071),the higher the risk of poor clinical outcomes at 90 days(all P＜0.05).Continuous intravenous hypotensive therapy is a risk factor for postoperative 24 h sICH(OR,2.278,95％CI 1.047-4.953;P=0.038),while SBPr 20％-30％is associated with a lower risk of postoperative 24 h sICH(SBPr-10％-10％as a reference,OR,0.362,95％CI0.131-0.998;P=0.049).(3)The restrictive cube plot shows that there is a U-shaped relationship between SBPr after EVT and poor clinical outcomes at 90 days,while there is a nearly linear relationship with the occurrence of sICH.The more SBP reduction,the lower the incidence of sICH.(4)In the subgroup analyses,in the non-hypertension history and the good collateral circulation group,SBPr＞30％has a higher risk of poor clinical outcomes compared to SBPr-10％-10％(OR and 95％CI were 2.921[1.000-8.528]and 2.363[1.078-5.183],respectively,with P=0.05 or P＜0.05);After EVT,the group receiving continuous intravenous hypotensive therapy and the baseline ASPECT score 6-10 groups showed a significant correlation between SBPr＞30％and poor clinical outcomes at 90 days(SBPr-10％-10％as a reference,OR and 95％CI were 2.646[1.168-5.993]and 2.481[1.360-4.527],respectively,with P＜0.05).The correlation between SBPr and lower incidence of sICH was only found in the subgroup of poor collateral circulation(SBPr-10％-10％as a reference,SBPr＞20％-30％:OR,0.133,95％CI 0.027-0.652;SBPr＞30％:OR,0.104,95％CI 0.013-0.864;all P＜0.05).Conclusions Among patients who achieved successful reperfusion with EVT,SBPr might be related to a worse functional outcome at 90 days and sICH 24 h after operation.However,the relationship may exhibit significant heterogeneity across different subgroups.Baseline ASPECT score,history of hypertension,collateral circulation,and the use of continuous venous hypertension after EVT have been highlighted in individualized blood pressure management after EVT.

Objective:To explore the surgical intervention strategy for metastatic cervical lymph nodes surrounding the carotid artery in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.Methods:A total of 62 patients with advanced head and neck tumors and carotid wrap by disease treated in Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, the Affiliated BenQ Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between June 2019 and December 2023 were reviewed, of whom 9 patients presented with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma in cervical lymph nodes of unknown primary or with no recurrence of primary lesion and all the 9 patients were males, aged from 48 to 79 years old, with≤level 2 of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status (ECOG-PS). Radiographically common carotid artery (CCA) and/or internal carotid artery (ICA) were surrounded by≥270° with tumor. All the 9 patients received implantation of covered stent in carotid artery and radical resection of metastatic cervical lymph nodes. The success rate, complications, surgery-related complications, local recurrence rate, quality of life (QOL) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. The QOL of patients was compared by paired rank sum test, and P<0.05 indicated statistically significant difference. The OS was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier. Results:The success rate of stent implantation was 100%, with no implantation-related complications. R0 resection was performed in 8 cases and R1 resection in 1 case. The QOL of patients after surgery was improved, and the improvements in "pain", "mood" and "anxiety" were statistically significant( Z values were -2.236, -2.460 and -2.200, respectively, and all P values were<0.05). Follow-up was 1-18 months, with a median of 7 months, and 1 case was lost to follow-up. Local recurrence occurred in 3 patients with an incidence of 37.5% (3/8). OS was 59.9% at 12 months after surgery. Conclusion:Implantation of covered stent in carotid artery combined with radical resection is an effective method for the treatment of cervical lymph node metastasis.

Objective To explore correlation between cerebral microbleeds(CMBs)and cognitive dysfunction in patients with cerebral small vessel disease.Methods A total of 80 patients with cerebral small vessel disease admitted to Department of Encephalopathy in Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were selected as research objects.They were divided into CMBs positive group(50 cases)and CMBs negative group(30 cases)based on the presence or absence of CMBs in the cerebral hemisphere.General clinical data of two groups were compared.Cognitive function was assessed by using Montreal cognitive assessment scale(MoCA).Results Age and incidence rate of hypertension in CMBs positive group were significantly higher than those in CMBs negative group(P<0.05).Total score of MoCA,scores of visuospatial and executive function,abstract thinking and delayed recall in CMBs positive group were significantly lower than those in CMBs negative group(P<0.05).Conclusion CMBs are closely related to the potential mechanism,clinical diagnosis and degree assessment of cognitive dysfunction in patients with cerebral small vessel disease.

Depression is one of the most common and earliest non-motor symptoms of Parkinson disease(PD)and can significantly increase the burden on PD patients,caregivers,and society.Due to the neglect of non-motor symptoms in clinical diagnosis and treatment and the overlaps between depression and other symptoms of PD,there are serious defi-ciencies in the diagnosis or treatment of depression in PD,and therefore,it is of great significance to identify objective bio-markers for depression in PD and investigate their application value.The development of multimodal magnetic resonance imaging makes it possible to achieve this goal.Multimodal MRI has revealed a wide range of brain lesions in PD with de-pression,with similar pathological changes as primary depression,as well as specific abnormalities in brain structure and function.At present,there is still no exact pathological model for PD with depression,and multimodal MRI has promising application prospects in exploring the pathophysiological mechanisms of PD with depression and identifying the biomarkers for early diagnosis and monitoring.