OBJECTIVE: To explore the differences in perioperative clinical and pathological characteristics of patients with different pathological types of prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy, and to analyze the influencing factors that may affect the extraglandular invasion of ductal adenocarcinoma of the prostate. METHODS: Retrospective collection was made of the radical prostatectomy patients who were admitted to Peking University Third Hospital from December 2011 to April 2021. The patients were screened based on inclusion criteria to obtain basic clinical features and postoperative pathological results. According to the pathological results, the patients were divided into ductal adenocarcinoma group (mixed with ductal adenocarcinoma) and acinar adenocarcinoma group, and a 1 ∶1 propensity score matching was performed to compare the differences in clinical characteristics between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the factors related to extraglandular invasion were performed in the matched ductal adenocarcinoma groups. RESULTS: A total of 764 patients with prostate cancer were enrolled in this study, of which 62 patients were confirmed to have ductal adenocarcinoma components by postoperative pathology. There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of the patients with a history of diabetes in baseline characteristics between the two groups before propensity score matching (29.5% vs. 17.7%, P=0.027). A total of 61 patients with simple acinar adenocarcinoma were successfully matched with the patients with ductal adenocarcinoma, and there was no statistically significant difference in baseline characteristics between the two groups after matching (P>0.05). The comparison of perioperative clinical and pathological features showed that International Society of Urology Pathology (ISUP) grade (P=0.003), pT stage (P=0.004), extraglandular invasion rate (P=0.018) and vascular thrombus rate (P=0.019) in ductal adenocarcinoma group were significantly higher than those in simple acinous adenocarcinoma group. Univariate analysis of the influence factors of extraglandular invasion showed that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, prostate volume, ISUP grade, seminal vesicle invasion and perineural invasion might be the influencing factors of extraglandular invasion (P < 0.10). Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that perineural invasion was an independent factor of extraglandular invasion (OR=11.78, 95%CI: 1.97-70.56, P=0.007). CONCLUSION Prostatic ductal adenocarcinoma has a worse prognosis than simple acinar adenocarcinoma. Perineural invasion is the influencing factor of extraglandular invasion of ductal adenocarcinoma.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Prostatectomy ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Ductal/surgery* ; Propensity Score ; Adenocarcinoma/surgery*

Liver fibrosis is a dynamic wound-healing response characterized by the agglutination of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Si-Wu-Tang (SWT), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, is known for treating gynecological diseases and liver fibrosis. Our previous studies demonstrated that long non-coding RNA H19 (H19) was markedly upregulated in fibrotic livers while its deficiency markedly reversed fibrogenesis. However, the mechanisms by which SWT influences H19 remain unclear. Thus, we established a bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced liver fibrosis model to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of SWT on various cells in the liver. Our results showed that SWT markedly improved ECM deposition and bile duct reactions in the liver. Notably, SWT relieved liver fibrosis by regulating the transcription of genes involved in the cytoskeleton remodeling, primarily in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and influencing cytoskeleton-related angiogenesis and hepatocellular injury. This modulation collectively led to reduced ECM deposition. Through extensive bioinformatics analyses, we determined that H19 acted as a miRNA sponge and mainly inhibited miR-200, miR-211, and let7b, thereby regulating the above cellular regulatory pathways. Meanwhile, SWT reversed H19-related miRNAs and signaling pathways, diminishing ECM deposition and liver fibrosis. However, these protective effects of SWT were diminished with the overexpression of H19 in vivo. In conclusion, our study elucidates the underlying mechanisms of SWT from the perspective of H19-related signal networks and proposes a potential SWT-based therapeutic strategy for the treatment of liver fibrosis.
Humans ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics* ; Liver Cirrhosis/genetics* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Hepatic Stellate Cells/pathology* ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Extracellular Matrix/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

Objective To investigate the characteristics of heart rate variability(HRV)in obese patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS).Methods We retrospectively analyzed 78 patients with severe OSAHS diagnosed by polysomnography(PSG)in The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from April 2018 to May 2022.According to body mass index(BMI),the patients were divided into obese with severe OSAHS group(43 cases)and non-obese with severe OSAHS group(35 cases).All patients received 24-hour Holter monitoring while on polysomnography monitoring.The differences in HRV indexes between the groups and the correlation between HRV and clinical indicators were analyzed.Results In terms of basic data and PSG indexes,the analysis results showed that compared with those in the non-obese OSAHS group,weight,BMI,neck circumference,waist circumference,and AHI in obese with severe OSAHS group were significantly higher,while the standard deviation of the 24-hour normal R-R interval(SDNN),the standard deviation of the 5-minute mean(SDANN),the triangle index(TI),the heart rate deceleration force(DC),the standard deviation of the normal R-R interval(awake SDNN),and high frequency during sleep in the obese with severe OSAHS group were significantly lower(P＜0.05).The correlation results showed that among obese with severe OSAHS patients,root mean square of the difference of adjacent R-R interval(rMSSD)was negatively correlated with the course of hypertension;TI and DC were negatively correlated with AHI.After adjusting for neck circumference and waist circumference,the linear regression analysis showed that SDNN,SDANN,and rMSSD were correlated with systolic blood pressure(P＜0.05).Conclusion There is significant decrease in HRV index in obese patients with severe OSAHS,suggesting that deterioration of cardiac autonomic nervous regulation function may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Oral and maxillofacial malignant tumors threaten the life and health of patients, and seriously affect their swallowing, language function and face. 125I seeds brachytherapy for oral and maxillofacial malignant tumors has been widely concerned and studied because of its advantages such as less surgical trauma, large and uniform dose distribution in the target tissue, little damage to the surrounding normal tissue, and reducing radiation exposure of medical staff. Low-dose brachytherapy with 125I seeds can effectively reduce the tumor volume and prolong the survival time of patients. This article reviews the clinical application of 125I seeds brachytherapy in oral and maxillofacial malignant tumors.

Objective To explore the effect of intermittent fasting combined with diversified management mode on weight loss of overweight and obese people. Methods A total of 120 overweight and obese patients were selected as research objects, and randomly divided into control group (n=60) and experimental group (n=60). The control group was given intermittent fasting, and the experimental group was given diversified management mode on the basis of the control group. Waist circumference, body mass, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio and blood lipid level were compared between the two groups; the scores of hunger, satiety, satisfaction and the incidence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Results After intervention, waist circumference, body mass, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the experimental group were significantly lower, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). After intervention, the hunger score of the experimental group was significantly lower, and the satiety score and satisfaction score were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The total incidence of adverse reactions in the experimental group was 6.67%, which was significantly lower than 20.00% in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion The application of intermittent fasting combined with diversified management mode in overweight and obese people is better, which can improve the relevant clinical indicators and blood lipid levels, and has high safety.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of different treatment duration of dual therapy including vonoprazan and low-dose amoxicillin in Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori) eradication. Methods:From December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023, a total of 150 H. pylori-infected patients who underwent primary treatment in the Affiliated Changzhou No.2 People′s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were recruited. The patients were divided into 10-day treatment group and 14-day treatment group with 75 patients in each group by random number table method. Patients of both groups were treated with vonoprazan (20 mg each time, twice per day) combined with amoxicillin (0.75 g each time, 3 times per day), and the treatment duration was 10 and 14 days, respectively. Intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses were used to evaluate the eradication efficacy of H. pylori of the 10-day treatment group and 14-day treatment group. PP analysis was used to compare the incidence of adverse events between the 2 groups. Cost-effectiveness analysis was performed to evaluate the economic efficiency of the 2 treatment regimens. Identified factors affecting the eradication rate in the 10-day treatment group based on the PP. Independent sample t-test and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Results:In ITT and PP analysis, a total of 75, 75 patients and 70, 72 patients were included in the 10-day treatment group and 14-day treatment group, respectively. The results of ITT analysis showed that the eradication rates of 10-day treatment group and 14-day treatment group were 86.7% (65/75) and 90.7% (68/75), respectively. The results of PP analysis showed that the eradication rates of the 2 groups were 92.9% (65/70) and 94.4% (68/72), respectively, and the differences were not statistically significant (both P>0.05). The results of PP analysis showed that the incidences of adverse events of the 10-day treatment group and 14-day treatment group were 12.9% (9/70) and 9.7% (7/72), respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant( P>0.05). The cost-effectiveness ratios of the 10-day treatment group and 14-day treatment group were 3.29 and 4.19 yuan/%, respectively. The optimal cut-off values were 63.5 kg for body weight and 1.73 m 2 for body surface area to affect the H. pylori eradication rate. The H. pylori eradication rate of patients with body weight ≤ 63.5 kg was higher than that of patients with body weight >63.5 kg (100.0%, 42/42 vs. 82.1%, 23/28), and the H. pylori eradication rate of the patients with body surface area≤1.73 m 2 was higher than that of patients with body surface area>1.73 m 2 (100.0%, 45/45 vs. 80.3%, 20/25), and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=5.61 and 6.91, P=0.018 and 0.009). Conclusions:The 10-day combination therapy of vonoprazan and low-dose amoxicillin is a safe and effective primary treatment regimen for H. pylori eradication. Body weight and body surface area are influencing factors of the eradication rate.

Objective:This study aimed to construct a risk prediction model for obstructive sleep apnea（OSA） related hypertension based on the nomogram, and to explore the independent risk factors for OSA-related hypertension, so as to provide reference for clinical treatment decision-making. Methods:The clinical data of OSA patients diagnosed by polysomnography from October 2019 to December 2021 were collected retrospectively and randomly divided into training sets and validation sets. A total of 1 493 OSA patients with 27 variables were included. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator（Lasso） logistic regression model was used to select potentially relevant features and establish a nomogram for OSA-related hypertension.The performance and clinical benefits of this nomogram were verified in terms of discrimination, calibration ability and clinical net benefit. Results:Multivariate logistic regression showed that body mass index（BMI）, family history of hypertension, lowest oxygen saturation（LSaO2）, age and cumulative percentage of total sleep time with oxygen saturation below 90% were independent risk factors for OSA-related hypertension. Lasso logistic regression identified BMI, family history of hypertension, LSaO2 and age as predictive factors for inclusion in the nomogram. The nomogram provided a favorable discrimination, with a C-indexes of 0.835（95% confidence interval[CI ]0.806-0.863） 0.865（95%CI 0.829-0.900） for the training and validation cohort, respectively, and well calibrated. The clinical decision curve analysis displayed that the nomogram was clinically useful. Conclusion:Compared with cumulative percentage of total sleep time with blood oxygen saturation below 90%, LSaO2 may have a greater impact on the incidence of OSA-related hypertension, and the effects of different times and degrees of hypoxia on OSA-related hypertension should be further explored in the future. Apnea hypopnea index involvement is weak in predicting OSA-related hypertension, and the blood oxygen index may be a better predictor variable. Furthermore, we established a risk prediction model for OSA-related hypertension patients using nomogram, and demonstrated that this prediction model was helpful to identify high-risk OSA-related hypertension patients. This model can provide early and individualized diagnosis and treatment plans, protect patients from the serious.
Humans ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive/complications* ; Nomograms ; Hypertension/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Risk Factors ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Polysomnography ; Logistic Models ; Body Mass Index ; Adult

Chuanxiong Rhizoma (CX, the dried rhizome of Ligusticum wallichii Franch.), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, is clinically used for treating cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and hepatobiliary diseases. Cholestatic liver damage is one of the chronic liver diseases with limited effective therapeutic strategies. Currently, little is known about the mechanism links between CX-induced anti-cholestatic action and intercellular communication between cholangiocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). The study aimed to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of different CX extracts including the aqueous, alkaloid, phenolic acid and phthalide extracts of CX (CX_AE, CX_AL, CX_PA and CX_PHL) and investigate the intercellular communication-related mechanisms by which the most effective extracts work on cholestatic liver injury. The active compounds of different CX extracts were identified by UPLC-MS/MS. A cholestatic liver injury mouse model induced by bile duct ligation (BDL), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-treated human intrahepatic biliary epithelial cholangiocytes (HIBECs) and HSC cell line (LX-2 cells) were used for in vivo and in vitro studies. Histological and other biological techniques were also applied. The results indicated that CX_AE, CX_AL and CX_PHL significantly reduced ductular reaction (DR) and improved liver fibrosis in the BDL mice. Meanwhile, both CX_AE and CX_PHL suppressed DR in injured HIBECs and reduced collagen contraction force and the expression of fibrosis biomarkers in LX-2 cells treated with TGF-β. CX_PHL suppressed the transcription and transfer of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and fibronectin (FN) from the 'DR-like' cholangiocytes to activated HSCs. Mechanistically, the inhibition of PAI-1 and FN by CX_PHL was attributed to the untight combination of the acetyltransferase KAT2A and SMAD3, followdd by the suppression of histone 3 lysine 9 acetylation (H3K9ac)-mediated transcription in cholangiocytes. In conclusion, CX_PHL exerts stronger anti-cholestatic activity in vivo and in vitro than other CX extracts, and its protective effect on the intracellular communication between cholangiocytes and HSCs is achieved by reducing KAT2A/H3K9ac-mediated transcription and release of PAI-1 and FN.

Objective:To survey and update the epidemiological data of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in people≥40 years old in Yinchuan City in the last 10 years.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study in which questionnaires and physical measurements were taken from April 2019 to December 2022 using multi-stage stratified whole population sampling of residents≥40 years in three districts, two counties, and one city in Yinchuan City. In this survey, 14 666 cases were extracted, and finally 11 547 cases with qualified lung function measurements and complete questionnaires were included in the analysis to obtain the basic information of the respondents, exposure to disease-related factors, symptoms related to COPD, disease awareness and lung function test rate, and logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of COPD.Results:A total of 11 547 cases were included in the study, and 1 841 patients with COPD were detected, giving an overall prevalence of COPD of 15.9%. The prevalence was higher in men (18.6%) than in women (12.9%); it was higher in urban areas (17.3%) than in rural areas (14.7%); and it was statistically significant that the prevalence of current smokers (24.4%) and ex-smokers (24.6%) was higher than the prevalence of non-smokers (13.0%) (all P<0.001) in those COPD patients. The prevalence rates of COPD in people aged 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and ≥70 years were 11.7%, 12.9%, 16.9%, and 24.6%, respectively, which tended to increase gradually with age ( P<0.001). 10.5% of patients with COPD said they were aware of the disease and 17.4% received a pulmonary function test. The results of logistic regression analyses showed that the risk factors for COPD included male, advanced age, living in an urban area, low literacy, current smoking, former smoking, history of secondhand smoke exposure, low body weight, history of biomass fuel use, and family history of respiratory disease. Conclusions:The prevalence of COPD among people≥40 years in Yinchuan City is significantly higher than 10 years ago and is higher than the national data. However, the disease awareness rate is low, and active intervention of risk factors and enhancement of publicity are important measures to prevent and control the disease.

Objective:To construct a new reporter mycobacteriophage, ΦFN, based on a nanoluciferase (Nluc) reporter system, and to analyze its ability to detect drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb). Methods:A Nluc reporter system controlled by P furAma promoter was constructed and integrated into Mycobacterium smegmatis ( Msm) genome to assess its reporting ability in mycobacteria. Then the P furAma- nluc reporter system was integrated into TM4 mycobacteriophage genome to construct a new phage termed ΦFN. A rapid procedure for detecting drug resistance in mycobacteria using ΦFN was established by adjusting conditions such as drug exposure time and time of infection. The susceptibility of 52 clinical isolates of Mtb with known drug resistance to three first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs were tested in 96-well plates. Results:The recombinant Msm mc 2155 expressing P furAma- nluc repoerter system could generate luminescence signal at a low limit of 100 colony-forming unit (CFU), which was lower than the previously reported nluc system controlled by Pleft promoter. The detection limit of ΦFN for mycobacteria reached 100 CFU within 24 h by luminescent microplate reader. After 48 h of antibiotic exposure and 24 h of phage incubation, no luminescence signal could be detected when susceptible strains were below 10 5 CFU, which could effectively distinguish susceptible strains and rapidly detect drug resistance. The drug susceptibility of 52 clinical isolates of Mtb to rifampin, isoniazid and streptomycin was tested using ΦFN, and the accuracy was 51/52, 48/52 and 49/52, respectively, by using the conventional drug susceptibility test, Lwenstein-Jensen culture medium assay, as reference. Conclusions:The new recombinant luminescent reporter phage, ΦFN, showed high accuracy in detecting the drug susceptibility of Mtb to rifampicin, isoniazid and streptomycin and it only took three days. It is expected to be a new simple assay for the rapid detection of drug susceptibility of Mtb.