BACKGROUND: There is little literature describing the artificial intelligence (AI)-aided diagnosis of severe pneumonia (SP) subphenotypes and the association of the subphenotypes with the ventilatory treatment efficacy. The aim of our study is to illustrate whether clinical and biological heterogeneity, such as ventilation and gas-exchange, exists among patients with SP using chest computed tomography (CT)-based AI-aided latent class analysis (LCA). METHODS: This retrospective study included 413 patients hospitalized at Xinhua Hospital diagnosed with SP from June 1, 2015 to May 30, 2020. AI quantification results of chest CT and their combination with additional clinical variables were used to develop LCA models in an SP population. The optimal subphenotypes were determined though evaluating statistical indicators of all the LCA models, and clinical implications of them such as guiding ventilation strategies were further explored by statistical methods. RESULTS: The two-class LCA model based on AI quantification results of chest CT can describe the biological characteristics of the SP population well and hence yielded the two clinical subphenotypes. Patients with subphenotype-1 had milder infections ( P <0.001) than patients with subphenotype-2 and had lower 30-day ( P <0.001) and 90-day ( P <0.001) mortality, and lower in-hospital ( P = 0.001) and 2-year ( P <0.001) mortality. Patients with subphenotype-1 showed a better match between the percentage of non-infected lung volume (used to quantify ventilation) and oxygen saturation (used to reflect gas exchange), compared with patients with subphenotype-2. There were significant differences in the matching degree of lung ventilation and gas exchange between the two subphenotypes ( P <0.001). Compared with patients with subphenotype-2, those with subphenotype-1 showed a relatively better match between CT-based AI metrics of the non-infected region and oxygenation, and their clinical outcomes were effectively improved after receiving invasive ventilation treatment. CONCLUSIONS A two-class LCA model based on AI quantification results of chest CT in the SP population particularly revealed clinical heterogeneity of lung function. Identifying the degree of match between ventilation and gas-exchange may help guide decisions about assisted ventilation.
Humans ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Artificial Intelligence ; Aged ; Pneumonia/diagnosis* ; Latent Class Analysis ; Adult

Obesity, as a chronic recurrent disease, has become a major public health challenge in China. To implement the requirements of the Healthy China Initiative (2019—2030), under domestic guidelines or consensus statements on overweight and obesity, and in alignment with the latest scientific advances globally, the Quality control protocol for adult overweight and obesity screening in health management (examination) institutions (2025 edition) was developed. This protocol was drafted by the Health Management Center of Shanghai Changzheng Hospital and formulated through multiple rounds of deliberation by experts in China’s health examination quality control field. The protocol establishes unified standards for screening facilities, personnel qualifications, and measurement or testing procedures. It defines specific screening items, outlines a standardized screening pathway, and sets requirements for the final medical review, ensuring the scientific validity, effectiveness, and safety of the screening process. The implementation of this protocol will enhance the consistency of weight management practices for adults across health examination institutions and strengthen the quality control of overweight and obesity screening programs.

OBJECTIVE: To explore a predictive model that can better predict the prognosis of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and validate its clinical value. METHODS: Clinical data of 134 newly treated DLBCL patients were collected from Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January 2015 to January 2020. Several risk factors of the patients were screened and analyzed, a novel prognostic model were then established based on this, and its clinical application potential was validated. RESULTS: In the novel model, predicting progression-free survival (PFS) based on the age at initial treatment, albumin level, Hans classification, Ann Arbor stage, and BCL2 expression showed better predictive performance than International Prognostic Index (IPI) score (AUC: 0.788 vs 0.620，P <0.001). Predicting overall survival (OS) based on the age at initial treatment, albumin level, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, and expressions of BCL2 and MUM1 proteins also showed better predictive performance for mortality risk than IPI score (AUC: 0.817 vs 0.624，P <0.001). CONCLUSION This novel prognostic model can better predict the survival prognosis of DLBCL patients compared to the IPI scoring system.
Humans ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism* ; Risk Factors ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged

Cardiac fibrosis is characterized by an elevated amount of extracellular matrix (ECM) within the heart. However, the persistence of cardiac fibrosis ultimately diminishes contractility and precipitates cardiac dysfunction. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are emerging as important regulators of cardiac fibrosis. Here, we elucidate the functional role of a specific circular RNA CELF1 in cardiac fibrosis and delineate a novel feedback loop mechanism. Functionally, circ-CELF1 was involved in enhancing fibrosis-related markers' expression and promoting the proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), thereby exacerbating cardiac fibrosis. Mechanistically, circ-CELF1 reduced the ubiquitination-degradation rate of BRPF3, leading to an elevation of BRPF3 protein levels. Additionally, BRPF3 acted as a modular scaffold for the recruitment of histone acetyltransferase KAT7 to facilitate the induction of H3K14 acetylation within the promoters of the Celf1 gene. Thus, the transcription of Celf1 was dramatically activated, thereby inhibiting the subsequent response of their downstream target gene Smad7 expression to promote cardiac fibrosis. Moreover, Celf1 further promoted Celf1 pre-mRNA transcription and back-splicing, thereby establishing a feedback loop for circ-CELF1 production. Consequently, a novel feedback loop involving CELF1/circ-CELF1/BRPF3/KAT7 was established, suggesting that circ-CELF1 may serve as a potential novel therapeutic target for cardiac fibrosis.

Periodontitis is a common oral disease characterized by progressive alveolar bone resorption and inflammation of the periodontal tissues. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) has been used in the treatment of various immune-inflammatory diseases due to its excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant functions. Here, we investigated for the first time the therapeutic effect of DMF on periodontitis. In vivo studies showed that DMF significantly inhibited periodontal destruction, enhanced mitophagy, and decreased the M1/M2 macrophage ratio. In vitro studies showed that DMF inhibited macrophage polarization toward M1 macrophages and promoted polarization toward M2 macrophages, with improved mitochondrial function, inhibited oxidative stress, and increased mitophagy in RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, DMF increased intracellular mitochondrial Tu translation elongation factor (TUFM) levels to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis, promoted mitophagy, and modulated macrophage polarization, whereas TUFM knockdown decreased the protective effect of DMF. Finally, mechanistic studies showed that DMF increased intracellular TUFM levels by protecting TUFM from degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation pathway. Our results demonstrate for the first time that DMF protects mitochondrial function and inhibits oxidative stress through TUFM-mediated mitophagy in macrophages, resulting in a shift in the balance of macrophage polarization, thereby attenuating periodontitis. Importantly, this study provides new insights into the prevention of periodontitis.
Dimethyl Fumarate/pharmacology* ; Mitophagy/drug effects* ; Animals ; Mice ; Macrophages/metabolism* ; Periodontitis/prevention & control* ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Peptide Elongation Factor Tu/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Male ; Mitochondria/drug effects*

Objective: To investigate the sleep quality in patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) and its influencing factors, providing a basis for developing sleep intervention measures to reduce the impact of BMS symptoms. Methods: This study was reviewed and approved by the Medical Ethics Committee, and informed consent was obtained from patients. A total of 150 patients with BMS and 150 healthy volunteers were enrolled as subjects in this study. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) was used to assess the sleep quality of patients with BMS. Visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess the degree of oral mucosal pain, generalized anxiety disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) was used to assess the frequency of anxiety symptoms, and the patient health questionnaire depression questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to assess the frequency of depression symptoms. Univariate analysis was performed to identify potential influencing factors affecting sleep quality in patients with BMS, and multiple linear regression analysis was employed to determine independent risk factors. Results: The PSQI score for patients with BMS was 7.61 ± 4.29, which was significantly higher than that of healthy controls (P = 0.016). In the PSQI subscale analysis, patients with BMS exhibited increased sleep latency, decreased sleep duration, and lower sleep efficiency compared to healthy controls (P<0.05). Patients with BMS and comorbid sleep difficulties had significantly higher scores on GAD-7 and PHQ-9 compared to the patients with BMS without sleep difficulties (P<0.001), but there was no significant difference in pain VAS scores between the two (P = 0.068). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that longer disease duration (>6 months), the presence of systemic concomitant symptoms (such as headache and mental stress), and higher depression scores were identified as independent risk factors affecting sleep quality in patients with BMS. Conclusion For patients with BMS, long course of illness, presence of headaches, high mental stress, and depressive symptoms may be independent factors affecting their sleep quality.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical phenotypes and genetic variant characteristics in children with epilepsy. METHODS: A total of 91 children with epilepsy admitted to the Women's and Children's Hospital Affiliated to Ningbo University from July 2021 to October 2022 were selected as the study subjects. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the children for whole exome sequencing. Candidate genetic variants were validated by Sanger sequencing and copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq). The clinical phenotypes and treatment outcomes of the children with epilepsy were followed up, and an analysis of the relationship between genotype and phenotype was conducted. This study was approved by the Women's and Children's Hospital Affiliated to Ningbo University (Ethics No.: EC2020-048). RESULTS: Among the 91 children with epilepsy, 21 cases (23.08%, 21/91) were found to carry pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants. Of these, 18 cases had involved single base variant or insertional deletion, while 3 cases involved copy number variations. The gene with the highest detection rate was PRRT2 (38.10%, 8/21). Among the children with genetic variants, 47.62% (10/21) had onset during infancy, with 8 diagnosed with Benign familial infantile epilepsy (BFIE), 8 with Developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE), and 3 with Epileptic encephalopathy (EE). One case of Dravet syndrome (DS) and one case of Infantile spasms (IS) were also noted. The clinical manifestations of children were diverse and primarily included generalized tonic-clonic seizures and focal seizures. Among them, 52.38% (11/21) had exhibited cluster seizures, 23.81% (5/21) showed fever sensitivity, and 14.29% (3/21) experienced status epilepticus. After pharmacological treatment, 42.86% (9/21) of children had achieved complete seizure control, while 61.90% (13/21) had intellectual disability and 19.05% (4/21) had co-morbid autism spectrum disorder. CONCLUSION Pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were identified in 23.08% of the pediatric epilepsy cases, with the PRRT2 gene being the most frequently involved. Among children carrying genetic variants, 47.62% had seizure onset during infancy. Genetic factors are an important cause of epilepsy, and early genetic testing may facilitate precise diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic evaluation.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Epilepsy/genetics* ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Phenotype ; Genotype ; DNA Copy Number Variations/genetics* ; Infant ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics* ; Adolescent ; Exome Sequencing

Objective:To investigate the clinical phenotypes and genetic variant characteristics in children with epilepsy.Methods:A total of 91 children with epilepsy admitted to the Women′s and Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Ningbo University from July 2021 to October 2022 were selected as the study subjects. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the children for whole exome sequencing. Candidate genetic variants were validated by Sanger sequencing and copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq). The clinical phenotypes and treatment outcomes of the children with epilepsy were followed up, and an analysis of the relationship between genotype and phenotype was conducted. This study was approved by the Women′s and Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Ningbo University (Ethics No.: EC2020-048).Results:Among the 91 children with epilepsy, 21 cases (23.08%, 21/91) were found to carry pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants. Of these, 18 cases had involved single base variant or insertional deletion, while 3 cases involved copy number variations. The gene with the highest detection rate was PRRT2 (38.10%, 8/21). Among the children with genetic variants, 47.62% (10/21) had onset during infancy, with 8 diagnosed with Benign familial infantile epilepsy (BFIE), 8 with Developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE), and 3 with Epileptic encephalopathy (EE). One case of Dravet syndrome (DS) and one case of Infantile spasms (IS) were also noted. The clinical manifestations of children were diverse and primarily included generalized tonic-clonic seizures and focal seizures. Among them, 52.38% (11/21) had exhibited cluster seizures, 23.81% (5/21) showed fever sensitivity, and 14.29% (3/21) experienced status epilepticus. After pharmacological treatment, 42.86% (9/21) of children had achieved complete seizure control, while 61.90% (13/21) had intellectual disability and 19.05% (4/21) had co-morbid autism spectrum disorder. Conclusion:Pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were identified in 23.08% of the pediatric epilepsy cases, with the PRRT2 gene being the most frequently involved. Among children carrying genetic variants, 47.62% had seizure onset during infancy. Genetic factors are an important cause of epilepsy, and early genetic testing may facilitate precise diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between the Barthel index score and other factors with the preoperative occurrence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) revision surgery. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 122 patients who met the inclusion criteria and underwent THA revision surgery between April 2017 and November 2020. Among them, 61 were male and 61 were female, with an age range of 32-85 years (mean, 65.3 years). The reasons for revision included prosthetic joint infection in 7 cases, periprosthetic fracture in 4 cases, prosthetic dislocation in 6 cases, and aseptic loosening in 105 cases. The Barthel index score was 76.4±17.7, with 10 cases classified as level 1, 57 as level 2, 37 as level 3, and 18 as level 4. Univariate analysis was performed on variables such as age, gender, body mass index, Barthel index score, preoperative D-dimer positivity, history of diabetes, hypertension, cancer, cerebral infarction, smoking, and thrombosis in patients with and without preoperative DVT. Furthermore, logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for preoperative DVT in THA revision surgery. The incidence of preoperative DVT was compared among different Barthel index score groups. RESULTS: Preoperative DVT was detected in 11 patients (9.02%), all of whom had intermuscular venous thrombosis. Among them, 1 had prosthetic joint infection, 1 had periprosthetic fracture, 1 had prosthetic dislocation, and 8 had aseptic loosening. Univariate analysis showed significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, gender, and Barthel index score ( P<0.05). logistic regression further revealed that female, age ≥70 years, and Barthel index score<60 were independent risk factors for preoperative DVT in patients undergoing THA revision surgery ( P<0.05). The incidence of preoperative DVT in patients with Barthel index scores of levels 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 0 case (0%), 2 cases (3.5%), 3 cases (8.1%), and 6 cases (33.3%), respectively. A significant correlation was found between Barthel index score classification and the incidence of preoperative DVT in patients undergoing THA revision surgery ( χ ²=10.843， P=0.001). CONCLUSION In patients undergoing THA revision surgery, older age, female, and lower Barthel index scores are associated with higher preoperative DVT incidence. For patients with low preoperative Barthel index scores, preoperative thrombosis screening should be emphasized.
Humans ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Reoperation ; Aged, 80 and over ; Venous Thrombosis/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Risk Factors ; Postoperative Complications/etiology* ; Preoperative Period

Image 1.