Objective To assess the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy(CIN)in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension(CTEPH)after receiving balloon pulmonary angioplasty(BPA),and to evaluate the effect of the contrast agents on renal function.Methods A total of 143 CTEPH patients,who received BPA at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital of China from December 2018 to May 2022,were enrolled in this study.The clinical data,hemodynamic indicators,and serum creatinine(SC)concentrations within one week before and 48-72 h after BPA were collected.The estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)was calculated according to the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease(MDRD)formula.The SC concentration and eGFR changes before and after each BPA procedure were compared.The incidence of CIN and its risk factors were evaluated,and the changes in hemodynamics,SC and eGFR after the initial and last time of BPA treatment were analyzed.Results A total of 192 BPA procedures were performed in 115 CTEPH patients,including 88 BPA procedures in males and 103 BPA procedures in females.The mean amount of contrast agent used for each BPA was(145.58±47.26)mL.After BPA,12 patients developed 13 times of CIN,with an incidence of 6.8％.There was no significant differences(P＞0.05)in the baseline characteristics and SC concentration before BPA between CIN patients and non-CIN patients.In terms of the hemodynamic indexes,the mixed venous oxygen saturation(SvO2)in CIN patients was significantly lower than that in non-CIN patients(58.58％±10.38％vs.66.15％±8.02％,P=0.002),and no statistically significant differences(P＞0.05)in the other hemodynamic indexes existed between CIN group and non-CIN group.No statistically significant differences in SC concentration and eGFR existed before and after each BPA procedure.In patients who had received several BPA procedures,significant improvements in the SC[(78.09±18.760)μmol/L vs.(82.26±21.37)μmol/L,P＜0.001]and eGFR[(86.08±21.22)mL/(min·1.73 m2)vs.(82.07±22.05)mL/(min·1.73 m2),P=0.007]was achieved when compared with their baseline values.Conclusion CTEPH patients may develop CIN after receiving BPA treatment.After receiving several BPA treatments the patient's clinical symptoms and hemodynamics can be improved,and the patient's renal function is also significantly improved.

Objective:To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of lingual mucosal graft ureteroplasty (LMGU) for managing long-segment (≥5 cm) ureteral strictures in a multi-institutional cohort of patients.Methods:A multi-center retrospective case series study was conducted on clinical data from 42 patients undergoing LMGU for long-segment ureteral strictures (≥5 cm) across five institutions between February 2017 and June 2024. The cohort comprised 31 males and 11 females, with an age of (43.4±12.0) years (range: 15 to 64 years) and a body mass index of (24.6±2.6) kg/m2 (range: 16.0 to 30.0 kg/m2). Strictures involved the left ureter in 24 cases and right ureter in 18 cases, demonstrating a stricture length of (6.4±1.5) cm (range: 5.0 to 11.5 cm). Surgical interventions included either onlay ureteroplasty or augmented anastomotic ureteroplasty, selected according to intraoperative findings. Intraoperative parameters, postoperative complications, and follow-up outcomes were analyzed.Results:Laparoscopic surgery was performed in 22 cases and robot-assisted surgery in 20 cases. Among the 42 patients, 22 underwent onlay ureteroplasty while 20 received augmented anastomotic ureteroplasty. The graft length was (5.9±1.8) cm (range: 3.0 to 12.0 cm), operative time (191.5±55.6) minutes (range: 105.0 to 350.0 minutes), and intraoperative estimated blood loss (86.7±73.6) ml (range: 10.0 to 400.0 ml). All procedures were successfully completed without conversion to open surgery. The postoperative hospital stay was (7.6±2.0) days (range: 4.0 to 15.0 days), with double-J stent removal at 6 to 8 weeks postoperatively. During a follow-up of (49.1±25.0) months (range: 12.0 to 99.0 months), no stricture recurrence was observed in any patient.Conclusion:LMGU is a safe, feasible, and effective long-term technique for managing long-segment (≥5 cm) ureteral strictures.

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of 18F-NaF PET/CT coronary plague imaging in evaluating the long-term prognosis of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 54 patients (37 males and 17 females, aged (57.2±9.8) years) diagnosed with CAD from a multicenter study between September 2015 and October 2022. All patients underwent 18F-NaF PET/CT and coronary angiography (CAG) within 1 week, and the PET/CT imaging was performed at the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were followed up. ROC curves were established to obtain the optimal thresholds of SUV max and accumulated SUV max of all lesions of main coronary artery branches (S-SUV max) for predicting MACE. Cox proportional risk model and Kaplan-Meier method (log-rank test) were used to analyze the predictive value of PET parameters for MACE. Differences in metabolic parameters between 2 groups were compared by Mann-Whitney U test. Results:The median follow-up time of the 54 patients was 6.0(1.8, 6.6) years, and 13(24.1%) patients developed MACE, including 7 deaths, 5 myocardial infarction and 1 severe arrhythmia. S-SUV max in MACE group was significantly higher than that in the non-MACE group (2.64(2.08, 4.49) vs 1.83(0.95, 2.90); Z=-2.04, P=0.041). ROC curve showed that the optimal threshold of S-SUV max for MACE prediction was 2.05 (AUC=0.690). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that S-SUV max was a strong predictor of MACE (hazard ratio ( HR)=2.434(95% CI: 1.547-3.828), P<0.001). ROC curve showed that the optimal threshold of SUV max to predict MACE was 0.55 (AUC=0.659), and univariate Cox analysis showed that SUV max was a factor to predict MACE ( HR=10.192 (95% CI: 2.667-38.953), P=0.001). In 25 patients with incomplete revascularization (ICR), Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the incidence of MACE in patients with positive 18F-NaF uptake (single medium stenosis (40%-70%) with SUV max≥0.55) was significantly higher than that in patients with negative 18F-NaF uptake (5/14 vs 0/11; χ2=6.07, P=0.014). Conclusions:18F-NaF PET/CT can be used as an independent predictor of MACE in patients with CAD and can quantitatively assess the long-term progression of moderate coronary artery stenosis. In the future, it is expected to be a new non-invasive way to guide the revascularization treatment decision of multi-vessel CAD.

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of 18F-NaF PET/CT coronary plague imaging in evaluating the long-term prognosis of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 54 patients (37 males and 17 females, aged (57.2±9.8) years) diagnosed with CAD from a multicenter study between September 2015 and October 2022. All patients underwent 18F-NaF PET/CT and coronary angiography (CAG) within 1 week, and the PET/CT imaging was performed at the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were followed up. ROC curves were established to obtain the optimal thresholds of SUV max and accumulated SUV max of all lesions of main coronary artery branches (S-SUV max) for predicting MACE. Cox proportional risk model and Kaplan-Meier method (log-rank test) were used to analyze the predictive value of PET parameters for MACE. Differences in metabolic parameters between 2 groups were compared by Mann-Whitney U test. Results:The median follow-up time of the 54 patients was 6.0(1.8, 6.6) years, and 13(24.1%) patients developed MACE, including 7 deaths, 5 myocardial infarction and 1 severe arrhythmia. S-SUV max in MACE group was significantly higher than that in the non-MACE group (2.64(2.08, 4.49) vs 1.83(0.95, 2.90); Z=-2.04, P=0.041). ROC curve showed that the optimal threshold of S-SUV max for MACE prediction was 2.05 (AUC=0.690). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that S-SUV max was a strong predictor of MACE (hazard ratio ( HR)=2.434(95% CI: 1.547-3.828), P<0.001). ROC curve showed that the optimal threshold of SUV max to predict MACE was 0.55 (AUC=0.659), and univariate Cox analysis showed that SUV max was a factor to predict MACE ( HR=10.192 (95% CI: 2.667-38.953), P=0.001). In 25 patients with incomplete revascularization (ICR), Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the incidence of MACE in patients with positive 18F-NaF uptake (single medium stenosis (40%-70%) with SUV max≥0.55) was significantly higher than that in patients with negative 18F-NaF uptake (5/14 vs 0/11; χ2=6.07, P=0.014). Conclusions:18F-NaF PET/CT can be used as an independent predictor of MACE in patients with CAD and can quantitatively assess the long-term progression of moderate coronary artery stenosis. In the future, it is expected to be a new non-invasive way to guide the revascularization treatment decision of multi-vessel CAD.

Objective:To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of lingual mucosal graft ureteroplasty (LMGU) for managing long-segment (≥5 cm) ureteral strictures in a multi-institutional cohort of patients.Methods:A multi-center retrospective case series study was conducted on clinical data from 42 patients undergoing LMGU for long-segment ureteral strictures (≥5 cm) across five institutions between February 2017 and June 2024. The cohort comprised 31 males and 11 females, with an age of (43.4±12.0) years (range: 15 to 64 years) and a body mass index of (24.6±2.6) kg/m2 (range: 16.0 to 30.0 kg/m2). Strictures involved the left ureter in 24 cases and right ureter in 18 cases, demonstrating a stricture length of (6.4±1.5) cm (range: 5.0 to 11.5 cm). Surgical interventions included either onlay ureteroplasty or augmented anastomotic ureteroplasty, selected according to intraoperative findings. Intraoperative parameters, postoperative complications, and follow-up outcomes were analyzed.Results:Laparoscopic surgery was performed in 22 cases and robot-assisted surgery in 20 cases. Among the 42 patients, 22 underwent onlay ureteroplasty while 20 received augmented anastomotic ureteroplasty. The graft length was (5.9±1.8) cm (range: 3.0 to 12.0 cm), operative time (191.5±55.6) minutes (range: 105.0 to 350.0 minutes), and intraoperative estimated blood loss (86.7±73.6) ml (range: 10.0 to 400.0 ml). All procedures were successfully completed without conversion to open surgery. The postoperative hospital stay was (7.6±2.0) days (range: 4.0 to 15.0 days), with double-J stent removal at 6 to 8 weeks postoperatively. During a follow-up of (49.1±25.0) months (range: 12.0 to 99.0 months), no stricture recurrence was observed in any patient.Conclusion:LMGU is a safe, feasible, and effective long-term technique for managing long-segment (≥5 cm) ureteral strictures.

Objective To explore the concentration of serum placental alkaline phosphatase in cervical cancer patients and its potential clinical application value.Methods Fifty-three cervical cancer patients who received treatment in Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics,the First Hospital of Nanchang from January 2023 to February 2024 were selected retrospectively as cervical cancer group,and fifty-three women who underwent physical examination were selected as health control group during the same period.The concentration of serum placental alkaline phosphatase levels and serum total alkaline phosphatase activity between two groups above were detected and compared.Results The level of serum placental alkaline phosphatase of patients in cervical cancer group were higher than that in health control group(t=53.461,P<0.001),and the activity of serum total alkaline phosphatase was lower than that in health control group(t=9.910,P<0.001).Conclusion The elevated levels of serum placental alkaline phosphatase in cervical cancer patients may be related to their condition.

Objective To explore the concentration of serum placental alkaline phosphatase in cervical cancer patients and its potential clinical application value.Methods Fifty-three cervical cancer patients who received treatment in Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics,the First Hospital of Nanchang from January 2023 to February 2024 were selected retrospectively as cervical cancer group,and fifty-three women who underwent physical examination were selected as health control group during the same period.The concentration of serum placental alkaline phosphatase levels and serum total alkaline phosphatase activity between two groups above were detected and compared.Results The level of serum placental alkaline phosphatase of patients in cervical cancer group were higher than that in health control group(t=53.461,P<0.001),and the activity of serum total alkaline phosphatase was lower than that in health control group(t=9.910,P<0.001).Conclusion The elevated levels of serum placental alkaline phosphatase in cervical cancer patients may be related to their condition.

Aim To observe the effect of intraperitoneal injection of hydrogen-rich saline(HRS)on reverse cho-lesterol transport in golden hamsters with high fat diet.Methods The male golden hamsters were divided into three groups:chow diet group,high-fat diet group,and high-fat diet+HRS group.After 12 weeks of high-fat diet feeding and HRS administration,macrophages labeled with 3 H-cholesterol were injected into hypercholesterolemic golden hamsters,and then radioactivity in blood,liver,bile,and feces was measured.RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to assess the transcription and protein expression levels of cholesterol reverse transport-related genes in liver tissue.Results Long-term feeding with a high-fat diet induced significant hyperlipidemia and liver lipid accumulation in golden hamsters.Com-pared with the high-fat diet group,after HRS intervention,the body mass of golden hamsters decreased(P＜0.01),plasma TC and LDLC significantly decreased(P＜0.05),TG slightly decreased(P=0.11),HDLC significantly increased(P＜0.01),oxidative stress index MDA in plasma and liver significantly decreased(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),antioxidant index glutathione(GSH)significantly increased(P＜0.01),liver weight/body weight ratio slightly decreased(P=0.05),TC and TG in liver decreased by 10.8％(P=0.05)and 20.1％(P＜0.01),respectively.Liver steatosis was significantly relieved,but there was no significant change in inflammatory factor levels.In isotopic tracing,high-fat diet fed golden hamsters treated with HRS showed decreased 3H radioactivity in plasma at 24 and 48 hours by 16.5％(P＜0.01)and 8.9％(P＜0.05)respectively,while increased 3H radioactivity was observed in liver,bile,and feces by 1.2-fold(P＜0.05),1.2-fold(P=0.08),and 1.1-fold(P=0.08)respectively,compared to those fed a high-fat diet alone.Fur-thermore,RT-qPCR and Western blot analyses of liver tissue demonstrated that HRS intervention resulted in a decrease of CD36,scavenger receptor-B1(SR-B1),and low density lipoprotein receptor(LDLR)protein levels by 39.5％(P＜0.05),40.5％(P＜0.01),and 28.0％(P＜0.01)respectively,an increase of ATP-binding cassette transporter G5(ABCG5)and sterol regulatory element-binding protein(SREBP2)protein levels by 1.5-fold(P＜0.05)and 1.3-fold(P＜0.01),and an increase of mRNA levels of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 and G8 by 2.9-fold(P＜0.05)and 3.2-fold(P＜0.01)respectively in high-fat diet-fed hamsters.Conclusions Intraperitoneal injection of HRS promotes reverse cholesterol transport in high-fat diet-fed golden hamsters and exerts lipid-lowering effects.Additionally,intraperitoneal injection of HRS may alleviate hepatic lipid accumulation by inhibiting hepatic lipid uptake and promoting cholesterol excretion from liver.

Objective:To investigate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on weight loss efficacy and insulin resistance (IR) in obese patients.Methods:It was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 190 obese patients with vitamin D deficiency were selected from the obesity clinic of Tianjin Union Medical Center from March to December in 2023. The patients were divided into control group (95 cases) and vitamin D group (95 cases) according to random number table. The control group was given energy-limited high-protein diet combined with moderate intensity exercise, and the vitamin D group was supplemented with vitamin D on the basis of the control group, 14 000 U/week for 24 weeks. A total of 25 dropped out of the study from the two groups for various reasons. Finally, 79 cases in the control group and 86 cases in the vitamin D group were included in the analysis. Independent sample t test and rank sum test were used to compare serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25 (OH) D] level, body weight, body mass index, fat mass, visceral fat area, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin and glycated hemoglobin (HbA 1c) between the two groups at baseline and after intervention. Homeostasis model insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) was used to evaluate the degree of insulin resistance (IR), and the effects of vitamin D supplementation on weight loss efficiency and IR in those patients were analyzed. Results:There was no significant differences in serum 25(OH)D level between the two groups before intervention ( P>0.05); the serum 25(OH)D level in the vitamin D group was significantly higher than that in the control group after intervention [(30.90±7.55) vs (16.00±4.34) μg/L] ( t=-15.35, P<0.001). The body weight, body mass index, fat mass, visceral fat area, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, HbA 1c, and HOMA-IR were all significantly lower after the intervention than those before the intervention in both groups [control group: (93.32±13.47) vs (98.95±14.31) kg, (33.74±5.09) vs (35.80±5.52) kg/m 2, (39.77±11.87) vs (44.12±12.79) kg, (183.76±40.95) vs (204.01±32.18) m 2, 5.00 (4.55, 5.67) vs 5.24 (4.68, 6.42) mmol/L, 16.78 (13.94, 24.30) vs 22.56 (15.95, 31.2) mU/L, 5.55%±0.53% vs 6.05%±0.99%, 4.11 (3.14, 5.57) vs 5.51 (3.61, 8.49); vitamin D group: (88.14±17.66) vs (104.43±22.02) kg, (31.02±5.10) vs (36.66±5.98) kg/m 2, (35.51±12.87) vs (46.67±13.33) kg, (166.50±49.50) vs (213.64±40.14) m 2, 4.70 (4.35, 5.07) vs 5.17 (4.77, 6.30) mmol/L, 13.18 (9.87, 18.84) vs 21.67 (15.78. 32.74) mU/L, 5.43%±0.48% vs 6.21%±1.22%, 2.88 (1.99, 4.21) vs 5.19 (3.82, 9.27)], and the body weight, body mass index, adiposity, visceral fat area, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR were all significantly lower in vitamin D group than those in the control group [(88.14±17.66) vs (93.32±13.47) kg, (31.02±5.10) vs (33.74±5.09) kg/m 2, (35.51±12.87) vs (39.77±11.87) kg, (166.50±49.50) vs (183.76±40.95) m 2, 4.70 (4.35, 5.07) vs 5.00 (4.55, 5.67) mmol/L, 13.18 (9.87, 18.84) vs 16.78 (13.94, 24.30) mU/L, and 2.88 (1.99, 4.21) vs 4.11 (3.14, 5.57), respectivley] (all P<0.05). The IR remission rate was significantly higher in the vitamin D group than that in the control group after the intervention (37.3% vs 15.3%) ( χ2=8.071, P=0.002). Conclusion:Supplementation of vitamin D on the basis of energy-limited high-protein diet combined with moderate intensity exercise can significantly improve the efficacy of weight loss and IR in obese patients with vitamin D deficiency.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of labial mucosa graft coupled preputial island flap urethroplasty for recurrent penile curvature after hypospadias repair.Methods:The data of 35 patients with recurrent penile curvature after hypospadias repair who underwent labial mucosa graft coupled preputial island flap urethroplasty in four hospitals from January 2021 to March 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. The median age of the patients was 15(13, 18)years old, five of them had penile dehiscence, and four had urethrocutaneous fistula. All patients received labial mucosa graft coupled preputial island flap urethroplasty, the penile flexion was confirmed by artificial erection test, and the urethra is obliquely cut at the most obvious curvature of the penis. By removing the ventral fibrotic scar tissue, the length of the urethral defect was measured. The urethral plate was reconstructed with the same length of labial mucosa graft and an adjacent preputial island flap was transplanted to cover the reconstructed urethra plate to form a new urethral lumen. The inner urethral stent tube was extracted three days after the operation, and the outer urethral stent tube was removed three weeks after the surgery. Diagnostic urethral exploration was performed 5 weeks post-operation, uroflowmetry examination was performed seven weeks after the procedure, and the perioperative and postoperative follow-up data were analyzed.Results:All patients underwent a successful surgery, with the average duration of the procedure being (114.7±20.1)minutes. After mean follow-up of (15.5±5.9)months, no penile curvature occurred, and 32 patients were successfully repaired. Uroflowmetry examination was achieved in 21 patients at the seventh week after surgery showed their mean maximum flow rate was (18.4±3.7)ml/s. Three cases (8.6%, 3/35) developed urethrocutaneous fistula, who were repaired successfully 6 months after surgery.Conclusions:Utilizing the combination of labial mucosa grafts and preputial island flaps for urethroplasty has been proven to be a reliable and safe option for individuals with recurrent penile curvature following hypospadias repair, with a high success rate and few complications.