OBJECTIVES: Peripheral whole blood cell counts have been used as prognostic indicators for various cancers, but their predictive value in nasopharyngeal carcinoma remain unclear. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic significance of the pretreatment hemoglobin×lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (HLMR) in non-recurrent, non-metastatic NPC patients undergoing definitive radiotherapy. METHODS: Clinical and follow-up data from 805 NPC patients who completed definitive radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. Pretreatment hemoglobin, lymphocyte count, and monocyte count were collected to calculate HLMR. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the optimal cut-off value of HLMR. Patients were then classified into high and low HLMR groups. The association between HLMR and clinicopathological characteristic was assessed using chi-square tests. Independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were identified using Cox proportional hazards models. A nomogram was constructed based on the independent predictors to estimate patient survival rates, and internal validation was performed using a validation cohort. RESULTS: The ROC curve identified 605.5 as the optimal HLMR cut-off value for predicting 5-year survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that T stage (HR=1.886, 95% CI 1.331 to 2.673, P<0.001), N stage (HR=2.021, 95% CI 1.267 to 3.225, P=0.003), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score (HR=3.991, 95% CI 1.257 to 12.677, P=0.019), concurrent chemoradiotherapy regimen (HR=0.338, 95% CI 0.156 to 0.731, P=0.006), and HLMR (HR=0.648, 95% CI 0.460 to 0.912, P=0.013) were independent prognostic factors for OS. A nomogram including T stage, N stage, and HLMR in the training cohort was constructed to predict 3-, 5-, and 7-year OS, with a C-index of 0.713. The area under the curves for predicting 3-, 5-, and 7-year OS were 0.744, 0.665, and 0.682, respectively. Calibration curves showed good agreement between predicted and observed survival rates. The above results were further confirmed in the validation cohort. CONCLUSIONS Pretreatment HLMR may serve as a promising prognostic biomarker for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma/mortality* ; Prognosis ; Hemoglobins/analysis* ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/pathology* ; Monocytes/cytology* ; Female ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Nomograms ; Chemoradiotherapy ; ROC Curve

DECIDE-Diet trial was taken as a case to introduce the methods of blinding and blinding assessment for feeding trials, report the details of blinding, conduct a blinding survey and calculate Jame's BI and Bang's BI. Jame's BI was 0.683 (95% CI: 0.593~0.772). The Bang's BI for the intervention group was 0.340 (95% CI: 0.199~0.481), and for the control group was 0.086 (95% CI: -0.060~0.231). The blinding of the DECIDE)-Diet was generally successful, but the intervention group may infer their group to a certain extent. Feeding trials should report the details of blinding and consider blinding assessment.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine in noninvasive continuous positive airway pressure(NCPAP)for acute respiratory failure in children.Methods:Clinical data of children with acute respiratory failure who underwent NCPAP from January 2018 to March 2020 in PICU of Hunan Children′s Hospital were prospectively collected.They were randomly divided into dexmedetomidine group(group D)and midazolam group(group M), with a total of 100 children.We compared the sedation depth of the two groups at 7 time points after sedation at 0.5 h(t1), 1 h(t2), 2 h(t3), 6 h(t4), 12 h(t5), 24 h(t6), and 48 h(t7), time to reach proper sedation, NCPAP time, NCPAP failure rate, oxygenation index(P/F value)before sedation(T0)and 1h(T1), 24h(T2), and 48h(T3)after sedation, and the main vital signs and adverse reactions before sedation(T0)and 1h(T1), 24h(T2), 48h(T3)after sedation.Results:(1)The proportion of proper sedation at T4, T5, T6 and T7 after sedation in group D was higher than that in group M[98%(49/50)vs.84%(42/50), 94%(47/50)vs.90%(45/50), 96%(48/50)vs.88%(44/50), 90%(45/50)vs.88%(44/50), χ2=6.538, 8.043, 8.174, 7.678, all P<0.05]. Time to reach proper sedation in group D was shorter[(58.6±7.9)s vs.(66.7±9.3)s, t=4.682, P<0.01]. (2)The treatment time and failure rate of NCPAP in group D were lower than those in group M[(134.9±25.5)h vs.(147.8±24.3)h, 10%(5/50)vs.28%(14/50), all P<0.05]. P/F after NCPAP treatment in the two groups was improved as compared with that before treatment(all P<0.01), and the improvement was more significant in group D than in group M at T2 and T3 after sedation[(199.3±26.1)vs.(188.5±24.2)mmHg, (212.2±25.4)mmHg vs.(200.8±24.8)mmHg, t=2.132, 2.278, all P<0.05]. (3)There were no significant differences in heart rate(HR), mean arterial pressure(MAP), and respiratory rate(RR)before sedation between the two groups(all P>0.05). HR and RR after sedation in both groups decreased as compared with those before sedation( P<0.01). HR at T1, T2, and T3 after sedation in group D decreased more significantly than that in group M[(116.3±17.6)bpm vs.(124.8±14.1)bpm, (110.2±18.4)bpm vs.(121.9±15.2)bpm, (108.5±18.7)bpm vs.(117.6±12.8)bpm, t=0.479, -3.474, -2.840, all P<0.05]. There was no significant difference in RR after sedation between the two groups( t=1.872, 1.632, 1.675, all P>0.05). MAP at T1 in group D decreased as compared with T0( P<0.01). MAP at T1 in group D was lower than that in group M[(65.5±5.1)mmHg vs.(68.0±5.7)mmHg, t=-2.297, P=0.024]. (4)There was no significant difference in the incidence of total adverse reactions between the two groups[20%(10/50)vs.14%(7/50), P=0.595]. The incidence of bradycardia was higher in group D than in group M[16%(8/50)vs.2%(1/50), P=0.031]. Conclusion:The incidence of adverse reactions of dexmedetomidine and midazolam in the sedation of NCPAP in children with acute respiratory failure is similar, but the sedative effect of dexmedetomidine is better than that of midazolam in the improvement of pulmonary oxygenation.

Objective:To investigate the effect of the timing of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) administration on the prognosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in children.Methods:The medical records of children with AKI who were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of Hunan Children′s Hospital from March 2015 to February 2020 and underwent CRRT were prospectively analyzed.The children who met the criteria were divided into early group (defined as AKI 1 and 2) and delayed group (defined as AKI 3) according to AKI stage.The general conditions, indicators when CRRT was initiated, and prognosis of the children in two groups were recorded.Results:(1) A total of 39 children were included in the study, including 23 in the early group and 16 in the delayed group.There were no significant differences in age, gender, body weight and proportion of mechanical ventilation between two groups ( P>0.05). The score of critical cases in the early group was higher than that in the delayed group ( P=0.008). (2) There were no significant differences in serum potassium and bicarbonate when CRRT was initiated between two groups ( P>0.05). The urine output in the early group was higher than that in the delayed group ( P>0.001). The serum creatinine and urea nitrogen in the early group were lower than those in the delayed group ( P>0.05). (3) The 28-day survival rate and proportion of renal function recovery at 28 days in the early group were significantly higher than those in the delayed group ( P>0.05). The duration of CRRT, ICU stay and duration of mechanical ventilation in the early group were shorter than those in the delayed group ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Early initiation of CRRT at AKI stage 1 and 2 can improve the 28-day survival rate and renal function recovery of survivors when critically ill children are complicated with AKI.