OBJECTIVES: To explore the expression profile of circular RNAs (circRNAs) and their potential roles in prognosis and progression of Wilms' tumor (WT). METHODS: Four pairs of WT and adjacent tissues were collected for high-throughput circRNA sequencing to identify the differentially expressed circular RNAs. RT-qPCR was used to verify the expression levels of the top 6 candidate circRNAs in the clinical samples. hsa_circ_0001900 was selected for analysis of its correlation with clinicopathological features and prognosis in 34 patients with WT. Sanger sequencing and RNase R digestion experiments were used to verify the cycling site and structural stability of hsa_circ_0001900 molecule. RESULTS: A total of 23 978 circular RNA molecules were identified in WT tissues by high-throughput circular RNA sequencing, and among them 614 were differentially expressed in WT. hsa_circ_0001900 showed the highest expression level among the differentially expressed circRNAs, which was consistent with the findings in clinical tumor samples and the sequencing results. Correlation analysis showed that hsa_circ_0001900 expression level was positively correlated with WT volume, and the children with high hsa_circ_0001900 expression had a lowered recurrence-free survival rate. The results of Sanger sequencing verified the circular splice site sequence of the molecule, and Rnase R digestion assay confirmed its stable covalent structure. CONCLUSIONS This study presents a comprehensive expression profile of circular RNAs in WT, and the expression level of hsa_circ_0001900 is related to the size of WT and the patients' prognosis, suggesting its possible role as a key driving gene in WT progression.
Humans ; RNA, Circular ; Wilms Tumor/pathology* ; Prognosis ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Kidney Neoplasms/genetics* ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Male ; Female

Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of low-iodine contrast subtraction CT pulmonary angiography(CTPA)combined with iodine maps for acute pulmonary embolism(APE),with a focus on detecting subsegmental emboli.Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis included 48 patients with suspected APE who underwent both pulmonary ventilation/perfusion SPECT/CT and low-iodine subtraction CTPA within one week in Beijing Hospital from September 1,2021 to September 1,2024.Using SPECT/CT as the reference standard,the diagnostic performance of subtraction CTPA with iodine maps was assessed.A retrospective review was performed to identify potential causes of false-positive and false-negative results.Results Subtraction CTPA with iodine maps demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy at the segmental and subsegmental pulmonary artery levels,with a sensitivity of 0.917 and specificity of 0.991.At the segmental level,the detection rate was 100%,while at the subsegmental level,it was 66.7%.The method showed consistently high diagnostic performance(83.3%-100%)across different clinical risk stratifications of APE.Retrospective review identified explicable causes for 85.7%(6/7)of false-positive and 33.3%(2/6)of false-negative cases.Conclusion Low-iodine subtraction CTPA combined with iodine maps exhibits robust diagnostic efficacy for APE.Accurate recognition of characteristic perfusion defects on iodine maps may further enhance diagnostic precision.

Objective To explore the correlation between triglyceride glucose(TyG)index and per-cutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)following drug treatment in elderly patients with unstable angina pectoris(UAP).Methods A total of 221 elderly UAP patients admitted to the Hyperbaric Oxygen Department of the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from March 2016 to March 2024 were enrolled,and based on the tertiles of the TyG index,they were divided into low,medium and high TyG index groups(the index:≤8.48,8.49-8.92,＞8.92;with 74,74 and 73 cases,respectively).Clinical data of all patients were collected,and whether undergoing PCI after discharge was defined as the endpoint event.The follow-up ended on May 10,2024.The clini-cal data were compared in the three groups.Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted to compare the survival rates among the groups,and Cox proportional hazards regression model was em-ployed to analyze the influencing factors for occurrence of endpoint event.Results There were significant differences in the three groups in terms of TyG index,BMI,diabetes,FPG,TC,TG,LDL-C,HDL-C,HbA1c,NT-proBNP,and incidence of endpoint event(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Univa-riate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that the TyG index,diabetes,and HbA1c were risk factors for endpoint events in elderly patients with UAP(HR=2.523,95％CI:1.593-3.996;HR=2.543,95％CI:1.263-5.118;HR=1.434,95％CI:1.159-1.774).Further multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that,after adjusting for diabetes and HbA1c,the TyG index was an independent risk factor for PCI after discharge in UAP patients(HR=2.023,95％CI:1.209-3.384).Conclusion In elderly UAP patients receiving drug treat-ment,a high TyG index is positively correlated with undergoing PCI after discharge,and the index is an independent risk factor for PCI in them.

Objective:To investigate the effects of low tube voltage, automatic tube current modulation technology combined with noise index(NI), and forward projected model-based iterative reconstruction solution(FIRST)on radiation dose and image quality in low iodine contrast agent CT pulmonary angiography(CTPA)among elderly patients.Methods:This retrospective study continuously collected imaging and clinical data from elderly patients suspected of having acute pulmonary embolism (APE)who underwent low-iodine contrast CTPA at the emergency department and inpatient department of Beijing Hospital from February 2022 to July 2023.A total of 80 patients were included in the study.Based on the reconstruction algorithm utilized during the CTPA examination, the patients were divided into two groups: the adaptive iterative dose reduction using three-dimensional processing(AIDR 3D)group and the FIRST group, with 40 cases in each group.We measured the average CT value and noise value of the pulmonary artery at various positions in both groups on axial images, calculated the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR), and recorded the average tube current and effective radiation dose for both patient groups.Two observers independently performed subjective scoring on the display of the pulmonary artery in each group using a blind method.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in age, body mass index (BMI), gender, and the extent of pulmonary embolism between the AIDR 3D group and the FIRST group (all P>0.05).In comparison to the AIDR 3D group, the FIRST group exhibited a significantly lower tube current[(220.2±84.5) mA vs.(264.1±81.2) mA, t=0.463, P=0.020], resulting in an effective radiation dose reduction of 15.7%[(1.39±0.49) mSv vs.(1.65±0.41) mSv, t=0.072, P=0.043].No statistically significant differences were observed in the mean CT values, noise values, and SNR values of the main pulmonary artery, left and right pulmonary trunks, and lobar and segmental pulmonary arteries between the AIDR 3D group and the FIRST group (all P>0.05).The CNR of the AIDR 3D group was lower than that of the FIRST group in both the left and right segmental pulmonary arteries( Z=-2.473, -1.973; P=0.013, 0.049), while no significant differences were found in the other pulmonary arteries(all P>0.05).In patients with normal BMI, the FIRST group demonstrated higher CNR values in both the left and right segmental pulmonary arteries compared to the AIDR 3D group( Z=-2.008, -2.662, P=0.046, 0.007), whereas the improvement in CNR was not significant in overweight and obese patients(all P>0.05).The two radiologists provided consistent subjective evaluations in scoring(Kappa=0.744, P<0.001), and there was no statistically significant difference in subjective scores between the AIDR 3D group and the FIRST group ( χ2=0.346, P=0.770). Conclusions:The imaging technique that integrates automatic tube current modulation technology with NI, the FIRST reconstruction algorithm, and a low tube voltage of 100 kVp effectively ensures image quality by providing clear visualization of pulmonary arteries at all levels.Moreover, it reduces radiation dose during low-iodine contrast agent CTPA examinations in elderly patients with APE.

Objective:To develop a nomogram model utilizing serological indicators for predicting in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)in elderly patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome(ACS).Methods:This study involved a retrospective analysis of clinical data from 1, 818 elderly patients with ACS who were treated at the First Medical Center of the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army from January 2022 to May 2024.The patients were randomly assigned to a training set(1, 272 cases)and a validation set(546 cases)in a 7: 3 ratio.Following a comparison of the two groups, the training set was further categorized into non-MACE and MACE groups based on the occurrence of endpoint events.Univariate analysis, Lasso regression, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were sequentially employed to identify factors influencing in-hospital MACE and to construct the nomogram model.The performance of the model was assessed using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves, calibration curves, and decision curves.Results:Among the 1, 818 ACS patients, the mean age was 67 years(interquartile range: 61.0 to 73.0), with 70.4% being male.Almost all indicators(except platelet count)exhibited no statistically significant differences between the training and validation sets(all P>0.05).However, statistically significant differences(all P<0.05)were observed in age, body mass index, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, monocyte count, white blood cell count, hemoglobin, red blood cell distribution width, mean platelet volume, C-reactive protein(CRP), fibrinogen, D-dimer, albumin, direct bilirubin, troponin T(TnT), fasting blood glucose(FBG), estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR), uric acid, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP), glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)between the non-MACE and MACE groups in the training set.Ultimately, seven variables—neutrophil count, hemoglobin, red blood cell distribution width, CRP, TnT, FBG, and NT-proBNP—were selected to construct the nomogram model.The model demonstrated high discrimination in both the training and validation sets, with an area under the curve of 0.86(95% CI: 0.82-0.90)for the training set and 0.85(95% CI: 0.81-0.90)for the validation set.Furthermore, the calibration curves for both cohorts indicated a close agreement between predicted and actual risk estimates, suggesting improved model calibration.Decision curve analysis indicated that the predictive model has notable clinical utility. Conclusions:The constructed nomogram enhances the accuracy of predicting in-hospital MACE in elderly patients with ACS, thereby offering a valuable reference for clinical practice.

Objective:To summarize and compare the clinical characteristics of immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated pneumonia(CIP)in elderly and non-elderly lung cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs).Methods:We conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical data from 61 patients who developed CIP following ICIs treatment in the Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Department and the Oncology Department of Beijing Hospital from May 2016 to April 2024.The clinical characteristics of patients aged 65 years and older were compared with those of patients younger than 65 years.Results:A total of 61 patients were included in the study, with 26 patients in the group aged <65 years[aged 39-64(56.3±5.6)years].Within this group, the clinical grades were distributed as follows: 5 patients in grade 1(G1), 12 in grade 2(G2), 7 in grade 3(G3), and 2 in grade 4(G4).Twelve patients underwent bronchoscopy, while 17 patients received corticosteroid therapy after developing CIP.Additionally, 20 patients permanently discontinued immunotherapy due to CIP.Notably, one patient showed improvement in CIP following treatment, which allowed for the continuation of ICIs.Importantly, no patients in this group experienced mortality due to CIP.In the group aged ≥65 years[aged 65-83(71.9±4.9)years], there were 35 patients, categorized as follows: 4 in G1, 22 in G2, 5 in G3, and 4 in G4.Twenty-one patients underwent bronchoscopy, 31 received corticosteroid therapy after developing CIP, and 30 patients permanently discontinued immunotherapy due to CIP.Similarly, one patient in this group demonstrated improvement in CIP following treatment, which permitted the continuation of ICIs.Importantly, no patients in this group experienced mortality due to CIP.Compared to patients aged <65 years, those aged ≥65 years experienced a shorter median time to the occurrence of CIP, with a median of 2(1, 4)months versus 5.5(2, 8)months for the younger group( Z=-3.231, P=0.001).Furthermore, a higher proportion of patients aged ≥65 years received corticosteroid therapy after developing CIP(88.57% or 31 cases)compared to 65.38%(17 cases)in the younger group( χ2=4.704, P=0.030).There were no statistically significant differences in the occurrence of CIP symptoms or chest imaging characteristics between the two age groups(both P>0.05). Conclusions:Patients aged 65 years and older experience a shorter median time to develop CIP following the use of ICIs.However, there is no significant difference in clinical outcomes when compared to the group aged under 65 years, provided that early identification and diagnosis are achieved.

Objective:To develop a 3-year mortality risk prediction model for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and evaluate its performance efficiency.Methods:This retrospective study enrolled consecutive patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) at Beijing Hospital between January 2013 and December 2021. Patient was followed for ≥3 years. Cox regression analyses were used to identify risk factors of 3-year mortality and a risk prediction model for mortality risk in patients with IPF was developed and evaluated.Results:A total of 204 patients were enrolled, among whom 60 cases died and 144 cases survived during the follow-up. Patients were randomly divided into a training set ( n=142) and a validation set ( n=62) in a 7∶3 ratio. Multivariate Cox regulation analysis revealed that Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score ( HR=1.589,95% CI: 1.310-1.928, P<0.001, C-index=0.716), High Resolution CT (HRCT) reticular pattern ( HR=6.901, 95% CI: 2.763-17.239, P<0.001, C-index=0.752), HRCT honeycombing sign ( HR=3.126, 95% CI: 1.871-5.223, P=0.001, C-index=0.717), and HRCT traction bronchiectasis ( HR=3.875, 95% CI:2.190-6.858, P=0.001, C-index=0.711) were risk factors for 3-year mortality. A 3-year mortality risk model for IPF patients was developed: risk score=0.654×CCI+2.174×reticular pattern (Yes=1)+2.355×honeycombing (Yes=1)+0.511×traction bronchiectasis (Yes=1). The HR of the model for training set, validation set and overall cohort were 2.718 (95% CI: 1.930-3.828, P<0.001, C-index=0.880), 2.537 (95% CI: 1.255-5.131, P=0.010, C-index=0.853) and 2.590 (95% CI: 1.910-3.512, P<0.001, C-index=0.865), respectively. The performance was evaluated by ROC curve, the areas under the curve of the model for predicting 3-year mortality were 0.903 in training set and 0.826 in validation set, respectively. Conclusion:The prediction model composing of CCI score and HRCT signs developed in this study demonstrates a good performance for 3-year mortality risk in IPF patients.

Objective To investigate the relationship of TyG index and IC.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1000 older adults living in Wanshou Road Community from May to December 2023.Finally 820 participants were enrolled,and based on the TyG index,they were divided into lower TyG index group(≤7.349,404 cases)and higher TyG index group(＞7.349,416 cases).After PSM,there were only 522 participants subjected,including 261 individuals in the lower TyG index group 1 (≤7.349)and 416 ones in the higher TyG index group 2(＞7.349).Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the correlation between IC and the TyG index as both continuous and categorical variables.PSM was employed to eliminate the confounding effects of covariates to identify the relationship between TyG index and IC in different categories.Results Before PSM,the neutrophil count,WBC count,and Hcy,FPG,TC,TG and HbA1c levels were significantly lower,and lymphocyte count,monocyte count,and AST level were obviously higher in the low TyG index group than the high TyG index group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).After PSM,the low TyG index group still had notably lower FPG,TG and HbA1c than the high TyG index group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).ROC curve analysis revealed that the cutoff value of TyG index was 7.349.Taking 7.349 as the cutoff value and TyG index as the cate-gorical variable,multivariate logistic regression analysis displayed that TyG index was correlated with IC[OR=3.921,95％CI:2.800-5.491,P=0.001(Model 1);OR=2.744,95％CI:1.739-4.329,P=0.001(Model 2);OR=2.744,95％CI:1.805-4.171,P=0.001(Model 3);OR=2.722,95％CI:1.530-4.843,P=0.001(after PSM)],indicating that TyG index remains an independent risk factor for IC.Conclusion IC is still correlated with TyG index in community-dwelling elderly individuals under different baseline conditions after adjusting for relevant laboratory indicators.As an indicator generated from routine blood test,TyG index has advantages in terms of cost and time.With further validation,TyG may provide a direction for studying IC prediction.

Objective To investigate the regulatory effects of liraglutide(Lira)on adipocyte brown-ing and its underlying molecular mechanisms.Methods Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells were induced to differentiate with palmitic acid(PA)simulating a high-fat environment and lenti-viral transfection to silence the expression of PGC1α.The cell groups included control,Lira(100 nmol/L),PA(200 nmol/L),PA+Lira,scrambled siRNA,scrambled siRNA+Lira,siRNA PGC1α,and siRNA PGC1α+Lira groups(n=3).After corresponding treatments were given,quantitative PCR and Western blotting were employed to detect the mRNA and protein expres-sion levels of UCP-1,Prdm16,Agt,and adiponectin,as well as AMPK and p-AMPK.Results Compared to the control group,the PA group had significantly increased expression of Agt and adiponectin but decreased UCP-1 and Prdm16 at protein and mRNA levels,and the Lira group showed obviously increased protein and mRNA levels of UCP-1 and Prdm16 but decreased Agt and adiponectin levels(P＜0.05).Addition of Lira treatment resulted in increments in UCP-1 and Prdm16 while declines Agt and adiponectin at both mRNA and protein levels when compared with the levels in the PA group(P＜0.05).In comparison to the scrambled siRNA group,the siRNA PGC1α group showed decreases in UCP-1 and Prdm16 expression,accompanied by increa-ses in Agt and adiponectin levels(P＜0.05),similar results were observed in the scrambled siRNA+Lira group(P＜0.05).The p-AMPK/AMPK ratio was significantly increased in the scrambled siRNA+Lira group(1.415±0.176 vs 0.837±0.049,P＜0.05),but decreased in the siRNA PGC1α group(0.534±0.035 vs 0.837±0.049,P＜0.01)when compared with the scram-bled siRNA group.Conclusion Lira promotes adipocyte browning and improves lipid metabolism disorders in a high-fat environment by activating the AMPK/PGC1α signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the relationship of TyG index and IC.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1000 older adults living in Wanshou Road Community from May to December 2023.Finally 820 participants were enrolled,and based on the TyG index,they were divided into lower TyG index group(≤7.349,404 cases)and higher TyG index group(＞7.349,416 cases).After PSM,there were only 522 participants subjected,including 261 individuals in the lower TyG index group 1 (≤7.349)and 416 ones in the higher TyG index group 2(＞7.349).Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the correlation between IC and the TyG index as both continuous and categorical variables.PSM was employed to eliminate the confounding effects of covariates to identify the relationship between TyG index and IC in different categories.Results Before PSM,the neutrophil count,WBC count,and Hcy,FPG,TC,TG and HbA1c levels were significantly lower,and lymphocyte count,monocyte count,and AST level were obviously higher in the low TyG index group than the high TyG index group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).After PSM,the low TyG index group still had notably lower FPG,TG and HbA1c than the high TyG index group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).ROC curve analysis revealed that the cutoff value of TyG index was 7.349.Taking 7.349 as the cutoff value and TyG index as the cate-gorical variable,multivariate logistic regression analysis displayed that TyG index was correlated with IC[OR=3.921,95％CI:2.800-5.491,P=0.001(Model 1);OR=2.744,95％CI:1.739-4.329,P=0.001(Model 2);OR=2.744,95％CI:1.805-4.171,P=0.001(Model 3);OR=2.722,95％CI:1.530-4.843,P=0.001(after PSM)],indicating that TyG index remains an independent risk factor for IC.Conclusion IC is still correlated with TyG index in community-dwelling elderly individuals under different baseline conditions after adjusting for relevant laboratory indicators.As an indicator generated from routine blood test,TyG index has advantages in terms of cost and time.With further validation,TyG may provide a direction for studying IC prediction.