Background: s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. Results: In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). Conclusions Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

Background: s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. Results: In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). Conclusions Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

Background: s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. Results: In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). Conclusions Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

OBJECTIVE To establish the HPLC fingerprint of Xintong granules and the quantitative analysis of multi- components by single-marker method （QAMS） to determine the contents of 7 components， so as to provide a scientific basis for their quality control. METHODS HPLC method was used to establish the fingerprints for 10 batches of Xintong granules （No. S1- S10）， and similarity evaluation， cluster analysis （CA） and partial least squares-discriminant analysis （PLS-DA） were performed. At the same time， the contents of seven components， including puerarin， daidzin， calycosin-7-O- β -D-glucoside， stilbene glycoside， naringin， icariin and tanshinone ⅡA， were determined by QAMS method， and were compared with the results of external standard method. RESULTS A total of 18 common peaks were marked and 7 peaks were identified in the HPLC fingerprints for 10 batches of Xintong granules， namely puerarin （peak 4）， daidzin （peak 7）， calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside （peak 9）， stilbene glycoside （peak 10）， naringin （peak 12）， icariin （peak 17）， and tanshinone ⅡA （peak 18）； the similarities among them were more than 0.990， and CA and PLS-DA results showed that S4-S5，S8-S10，S1-S3 and S6-S7 were clustered into three categories， respectively. Using naringin as the internal standard， the contents of puerarin， daidzin， calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside， stilbene glycoside， icariin and tanshinone ⅡA were determined to be 7.868 1-10.181 2， 1.709 2-2.374 1， 0.285 2-0.326 3， 1.024 1- 1.523 9， 0.140 2-0.290 4， and 0.077 1-0.219 4 mg/g， respectively， by the QAMS. These results showed no significant differences compared to those obtained by the external standard method. CONCLUSIONS Established HPLC fingerprint and QAMS method are convenient， stable and accurate， which can provide a basis for the quality evaluation of Xintong granules.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is currently the most prevalent malignancy and the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Although the early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) presents a relatively good prognosis, a considerable number of lung cancer cases are still detected and diagnosed at locally advanced or late stages. Surgical treatment combined with perioperative multimodality treatment is the mainstay of treatment for locally advanced NSCLC and has been shown to improve patient survival. Following the standard methods of neoadjuvant therapy, perioperative management, postoperative adjuvant therapy, and other therapeutic strategies are important for improving patients' prognosis and quality of life. However, controversies remain over the perioperative management of NSCLC and presently consensus and standardized guidelines are lacking for addressing critical clinical issues in multimodality treatment. METHODS: The working group consisted of 125 multidisciplinary experts from thoracic surgery, medical oncology, radiotherapy, epidemiology, and psychology. This guideline was developed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The clinical questions were collected and selected based on preliminary open-ended questionnaires and subsequent discussions during the Guideline Working Group meetings. PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched for available evidence. The GRADE system was used to evaluate the quality of evidence and grade the strengths of recommendations. Finally, the recommendations were developed through a structured consensus-building process. RESULTS: The Guideline Development Group initially collected a total of 62 important clinical questions. After a series of consensus-building conferences, 24 clinical questions were identified and corresponding recommendations were ultimately developed, focusing on neoadjuvant therapy, perioperative management, adjuvant therapy, postoperative psychological rehabilitation, prognosis assement, and follow-up protocols for NSCLC. CONCLUSIONS This guideline puts forward reasonable recommendations focusing on neoadjuvant therapy, perioperative management, adjuvant therapy, postoperative psychological rehabilitation, prognosis assessment, and follow-up protocol of NSCLC. It standardizes perioperative multimodality treatment and provides guidance for clinical practice among thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiotherapists, aiming to reduce postoperative recurrence, improve patient survival, accelerate recovery, and minimize postoperative complications such as atelectasis.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/therapy* ; Lung Neoplasms/therapy* ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Perioperative Care

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the mechanism by which transforming growth factor‑β (TGF‑β) regulates major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and its role in immune evasion of HCC. METHODS: HCC cells treated with TGF‑β alone or in combination with SB-431542 (a TGF-β type I receptor inhibitor) were examined for changes in MHC-I expression using RT-qPCR and Western blotting. A RNA interference experiment was used to explore the role of miR-23a-3p/IRF1 signaling in TGF‑β‑mediated regulation of MHC-I. HCC cells with different treatments were co-cultured with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and the changes in HCC cell proliferation was assessed using CCK-8 and colony formation assays. T-cell cytotoxicity in the co-culture systems was assessed with lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and JC-1 mitochondrial membrane potential assays, and T-cell activation was evaluated by flow cytometric analysis of CD69 cells and ELISA for TNF-α secretion. RESULTS: TGF‑β treatment significantly suppressed MHC-I expression in HCC cells and reduced T-cell activation, leading to increased tumor cell proliferation and decreased HCC cell death in the co-culture systems. Mechanistically, TGF-β upregulated miR-23a-3p, which directly targeted IRF1 to inhibit MHC-I transcription. Overexpression of miR-23a-3p phenocopied TGF‑β‑induced suppression of IRF1 and MHC-I. CONCLUSIONS We reveal a novel immune escape mechanism of HCC, in which TGF‑β attenuates T cell-mediated antitumor immunity by suppressing MHC-I expression through the miR-23a-3p/IRF1 signaling axis.
Humans ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism* ; Liver Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Interferon Regulatory Factor-1/metabolism* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I/metabolism* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Tumor Escape ; Coculture Techniques

Liver fibrosis is a significant health burden,marked by the consistent deposition of collagen.Unfortunately,the currently available treatment approaches for this condition are far from optimal.Lysyl oxidase-like protein 2(LOXL2)secreted by hepatic stellate cells(HSCs)is a crucial player in the cross-linking of matrix collagen and is a significant target for treating liver fibrosis.Mesenchymal stem cell-derived small extracellular vesicles(MSC-sEVs)have been proposed as a potential treatment option for chronic liver disorders.Previous studies have found that MSC-sEV can be used for microRNA delivery into target cells or tissues.It is currently unclear whether microRNA-4465(miR-4465)can target LOXL2 and inhibit HSC activation.Additionally,it is uncertain whether MSC-sEV can be utilized as a gene therapy vector to carry miR-4465 and effectively inhibit the progression of liver fibrosis.This study explored the effect of miR-4465-modified MSC-sEV(MSC-sEVmiR-4465)on LOXL2 expression and liver fibrosis development.The results showed that miR-4465 can bind specifically to the promoter of the LOXL2 gene in HSC.Moreover,MSC-sEVmiR-4465 inhibited HSC activation and collagen expression by downregulating LOXL2 expression in vitro.MSC-sEVmiR-4465 injection could reduce HSC activation and collagen deposition in the CCl4-induced mouse model.MSC-sEVmiR-4465 mediating via LOXL2 also hindered the migration and invasion of HepG2 cells.In conclusion,we found that MSC-sEV can deliver miR-4465 into HSC to alleviate liver fibrosis via altering LOXL2,which might provide a promising therapeutic strategy for liver diseases.

Objective:To explore the impact of emergency response to public health emergencies on the efficiency of pre-hospital emergency work, and study the degree of impact on 120 ambulance dispatchers in Chongqing city during pre-periods and post-periods of the emergency intervention.Methods:Taking 120 phone answering and ambulance operation efficiency as the research subjects, we collected pre-hospital emergency case data from a city's emergency medical center, covering the period from November 10, 2021 to January 6, 2023. The cases were divided into groups according to the time periods of emergency response. A regression discontinuity design method was employed to compare the response of emergency intervention to the predictions (virtual cases) without the emergency intervention, obtaining the average intervention effect.Results:During the study period of 27 days, the number of 120 calls picked up within 10 seconds increased from 11 000 to 19 000, but the answering rate slightly decreased within 10 seconds. The vacancy rate of 120 ambulances during emergency response decreased from 0.39% to 0.20%, but the completion rate within 18 minutes decreased from 72% to 30%. In this particular emergency response period, the number of patient complaints (such as high fever and difficulty breathing) increased compared to the pre-period of emergency response.Conclusion:Emergency response significantly impacts pre-hospital emergency work such as emergency phone answering and ambulance operation efficiency. This study provides empirical research results and decision-making support for urban emergency medical services to respond to public health emergencies.

Objective To observe the toxicity of low concentration Mn²⁺ compound combined with autophagy inhibitor chloroquine on nerve cell line PC12 cells for long-term and its mechanism. Methods PC12 cells at logarithmic growth stage were treated with 0 (control), 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 200 μM manganous chloride, and 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 μM chloroquine for 24 h, respectively. The effect of manganous chloride and chloroquine on cell viability was detected by MTT assay. The combined effect of the two compounds on cell viability was determined at 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. The mitochondrial respiratory function was further examined to explore the possible toxicity mechanism of manganous chloride and chloroquine. Results Compared with the control group, manganous chloride and chloroquine alone had inhibitory effect on cells survival in a concentration-dependent manner. Manganous chloride and chloroquine at concentrations of 40 μM and 2.5 μM, respectively, had no significant effect on cell survival. Compared with the control group, administration of 2.5 μM chloroquine alone for 24, 48 and 72 h did not significantly change cell survival and mitochondrial respiratory function. Treatment of cells with manganous chloride alone at the concentration of 40 μM for 72 h did affect mitochondrial respiratory function. However, the cell survival and mitochondrial respiratory function in the combined administration of manganous chloride and chloroquine for 72 h were significant decreased (P< 0.05). Conclusion The long-term combination of low-concentration manganous chloride and chloroquine produced an additive cytotoxicity on PC12 cells, and the toxicity mechanism may be related to the damage of mitochondrial function.

Objective:To explore the technical focus of robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of horseshoe kidney combined with renal tumor.Methods:The clinical data of a patient with horseshoe kidney combined with renal tumor treated by robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University in September 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. PubMed, CNKI, Wanfang and VIP databases were searched for all the literature on the use of robot-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy or partial nephrectomy for the treatment of horseshoe kidney combined with renal tumor from the time of establishment to December 2022.Results:A total of 11 patients from 10 articles were retrieved and 12 patients were enrolled. Among the 12 patients, 4 cases used the retroperitoneal approach and 8 cases used the transperitoneal approach. Two cases were operated by traditional laparoscope, and the arteries were searched for and controlled before the robotic arm was placed to perform the partial nephrectomy and suture; and 10 cases were operated with the robotic-assisted laparoscopic approach throughout the whole procedure. Five cases of nephrectomy were performed on one side, and 7 cases were performed in the partial nephrectomy. Postoperative pathological diagnosis was clear cell carcinoma in 8 cases, chromophobe cell carcinoma in 1 case, eosinophilic cell carcinoma in 1 case, renal cell carcinoma in 1 case, and renal abscess in 1 case. The patient in the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University was 38 years old female who was admitted to the hospital with a fever. After CT arteriography and three-dimensional reconstruction, robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy of right kidney and isthmus dissecting was performed. During the operation, tumor trophoblast vessels were ligated and dissected one by one by using single-use tissue closure clips, and the isthmus was dissected using endoscopic cutting anastomosis on the left side of the tumor, with the tumor edges sharply resected and completely dissected. The operation time was 240 min, without thermal ischemia time, and the bleeding volume was about 300 ml. The patient recovered well after the operation, and the postoperative pathological diagnosis was renal abscess.Conclusions:Robot-assisted laparoscopic treatment of horseshoe kidney combined with renal tumor is safe and effective, and has more advantages than traditional laparoscopic surgery. Preoperative CT arteriography or three-dimensional reconstruction examination should be applied to fully evaluate the variant vessels. The surgical access and plan should be decided according to the size and location of the tumor. The variant vessels should be properly handled during operation. The use of endoscopic cutting anastomosis to deal with the isthmus can be more conducive to the surgical operation.