Objective To evaluate the value of serum Mac-2 binding protein (M2BP) for assessment of the severity of schisto somiasis-induced liver fibrosis, so as to provide insights into non-invasive diagnosis and disease surveillance of liver fibrosis caused by schistosomiasis. Methods A total of 234 individuals with a history of Schistosoma japonicum infection were sampled from Xinhua Village, Lushan City, Jiangxi Province from 2019 to 2020, and 234 serum samples were collected from all participants. All participants received B-ultrasound examinations of the liver. Serum samples were categorized into four groups (grades 0, Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis groups) according to B-ultrasound examination results, and then, each group was randomly divided into a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve group and an efficacy assessment group at a ratio of 7∶3. Serum M2BP concentration was measured in four groups using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and differences in serum M2BP concentrations were compared with analysis of variance and Spearman correlation analysis. Serum M2BP concentration was subjected to ROC curve analysis among individuals with different grades of schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis in the ROC curve group to determine the optimal diagnostic threshold of M2BP concentration at different fibrosis grades, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate the diagnostic performance. The diagnostic accuracy was verified by comparing the accordance rate and Kappa consistency test in the efficacy assessment group. Results Among 234 serum samples, there were 79 samples with grade 0 schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis, 87 samples with Grade Ⅰ, 46 samples with Grade Ⅱ and 22 samples with Grade Ⅲ according to the B-ultrasound examinations. The mean serum M2BP concentrations were (0.40 ± 0.31) [95% confidence interval (CI): (0.33, 0.47)], (0.64 ± 0.48) [95% CI: (0.53, 0.74)], (1.76 ± 0.58) [95% CI: (1.59, 1.93)] μg/mL and (2.56 ± 0.93) [95% CI: (2.14, 2.97)] μg/mL in the four groups, respectively (F = 150.796, P < 0.001), and the severity of schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis significantly positively correlated with serum M2BP concentration (rs = 0.715, P < 0. 001). The sample sizes of grades 0, Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis sera were randomly allocated as follows: 55 versus 24, 61 versus 26, 32 versus 14, and 15 versus 7 in the ROC curve and efficacy assessment groups, respectively, and the serum M2BP concentrations were (0.39 ± 0.29) μg/mL and (0.42 ± 0.36) μg/mL (F = 0.196, P > 0.05), (0.59 ± 0.47) μg/mL and (0.75 ± 0.51) μg/mL (F = 1.967, P > 0.05), (1.73 ± 0.59) μg/mL and (1.85 ± 0.57) μg/mL (F = 0.417, P > 0.05), and (2.46 ± 0.64) μg/mL and (2.76 ± 1.41) μg/mL (F = 0.491, P > 0.05), respectively. ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal diagnostic thresholds of serum M2BP concentration were 0.347 86 μg/mL (AUC = 0.635, P < 0.05), 1.188 83 μg/mL (AUC = 0.938, P < 0.000 1) and 2.021 21 μg/mL (AUC = 0.821, P < 0.000 1) for grade Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis. In addition, the accordance rates between the optimal diagnostic threshold of serum M2BP and B-ultrasound examinations for predicting grade Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ schistosomiasis-induceed liver fibrosis were 69.23%, 85.71% and 71.43% (χ2 = 1.340, P > 0.05), and the overall Kappa consistency test showed moderate consistency [Kappa = 0.608, 95% CI: (0.428, 0.788); Z = 6.609, P < 0.000 1]. Conclusions Serum M2BP may serve as a potential biomarker for assessing moderate to advanced schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis; however, its diagnostic value for early-stage schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis remains limited.

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome caused by the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria. In addition to the manifestations of systemic inflammatory response syndrome and primary infection lesions， critical cases often have manifestations of organ hypoperfusion. The morbidity and mortality of sepsis have remained high in recent years， which seriously affect the quality of life of the patients. The pathogenesis of sepsis is complicated， in which uncontrollable inflammation is a key mechanism. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） signaling pathway plays a key role in mediating inflammation in sepsis. The available therapies of sepsis mainly include resuscitation， anti-infection， vasoactive drugs， intensive insulin therapy， and organ support， which show limited effects of reducing the mortality. Therefore， finding new therapeutic drugs is a key problem to be solved in the clinical treatment of sepsis. In recent years， studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） can regulate the PI3K/Akt pathway via multiple pathways， multiple effects， and multiple targets to inhibit inflammation and curb the occurrence and development of sepsis， which has gradually become a hot spot in the prevention and treatment of sepsis. Moreover， studies have suggested that TCM has unique advantages in the treatment of sepsis. TCM can regulate the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to inhibit inflammation， reduce oxidative stress， and control apoptosis in the prevention and treatment of sepsis. Despite the research progress， a systematic review remains to be performed regarding the TCM treatment of sepsis by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. After reviewing relevant papers published in recent years， this study systematically summarizes the relationship between PI3K/Akt pathway and sepsis and the role of TCM in the treatment of sepsis， aiming to provide new ideas for the potential treatment of sepsis and the development of new drugs.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical value and safety of an intraperitoneal chemotherapy port technique in patients with gastric cancer and peritoneal metastases undergoing intraperitoneal chemotherapy.Methods:This was a retrospective, descriptive case analysis. From November 2022 to October 2024, patients diagnosed with gastric cancer and peritoneal metastases at Wuxi Branch of Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine with an expected survival >3 months, underwent laparoscopic exploration combined with implantation of an intraperitoneal chemotherapy port [PORT-A-CATH II system (Model 21-4055-24)] implantation. The procedure was as follows: (1) after laparoscopic exploration, a 4-cm skin incision was made at a predetermined site and a subcutaneous pocket created by dissecting to the muscle fascia and removing subcutaneous fat as needed to position the port septum 0.5-1.0 cm from the skin surface; (2) under direct laparoscopic visualization, the abdominal cavity was punctured and a guidewire inserted, followed by an 8.5 Fr sheath, through which a catheter with three trimmed side holes was placed after removal of the sheath; (3) the catheter length in the abdominal cavity was adjusted to 25–30 cm and the catheter trimmed, and connected to the port base, ensuring it extended beyond the connector's visible hole; (4) the whole port was placed within the subcutaneous pocket, and non-absorbable sutures used to create a double purse-string suture at the catheter's abdominal entry, forming an anti-reflux ring; (5) non-absorbable sutures were used to securely fix the port to the fascia through its four base holes and the exposed catheter segments on the fascia sutured and buried; (6) patency was confirmed by injecting saline and followed by intermittent skin closure provided there was no bleeding; and (7) the catheter tip was positioned in the pelvic cavity under laparoscopic guidance. Postoperatively, the patients underwent normothermic intraperitoneal and systemic treatment. The port infusion protocol involved disinfecting the skin (>10 cm diameter) around the port, confirming the puncture site, inserting a Huber needle vertically at 90° to the port base, infusing 100 mL saline to ensure patency, followed by continuous infusion of 1000 mL paclitaxel solution, and sealing with 20 mL saline before removing the needle. No saline flushing was required between chemotherapy infusions. The primary outcomes were the incidence and management of complications post-port implantation.Results:The study cohort comprised 225 patients with gastric cancer and peritoneal metastases. Using standardized port implantation and postoperative puncture procedures, the complication rate during follow-up was 14.2% (32/225), including effusion in 14 patients (6.2%), port infection in 10 (4.4%), incision dehiscence in four (1.8%), port inversion in two (0.9%), hematoma in one (0.4%), and catheter rupture in one (0.4%). Seventy-five percent (24/32) of patients with complications recovered and continued using the port after conservative treatments (e. g., aspiration of effusions, antibiotic therapy, incision management), whereas the remaining 25.0% (8/32) with complications required surgical removal of the port because the treatment was ineffective. The presence of preoperative ascites ( P=0.019) and peritoneal cancer index score>15 ( P=0.038) were significantly associated with development of complications. Conclusions:Our standardized procedure for intraperitoneal chemotherapy port implantation is safe and feasible for patients with gastric cancer and peritoneal metastases, having a low overall complication rate. Most complications can be successfully managed with conservative treatment, the device thus providing reliable support for intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Aim To evaluate the bioequivalence of two oral preparations of rivaroxaban tablets(test preparation T and refe-rence preparation R)in fasting/postprandibular state in healthy Chinese subjects.Methods A randomized,open,single-dose,four-cycle,completely repeated crossover experiment was used in this study.A total of 70 healthy male and female subjects were enrolled,including 38 subjects in the fasting group and 32 sub-jects in the postprandial group.Rivaroxaban tablets(2.5 mg/tablet)were taken orally once per cycle and their reference preparations were tested.The plasma rivaroxaban concentration was determined by LC-MS/MS method.The pharmacokinetic parameters of rivaroxaban tablets were calculated by WinNonlin software,and the parameters were analyzed and processed.Re-sults The PK parameters of rivaroxaban tablets and reference preparations in fasting group were as follows:Cmax was(72.48±17.08)and(66.36±15.64)μg·L-1,respectively.AUC0-t were(383.49±101.06)and(370.43±102.16)h·ng·mL-1,and AUC0-inr were(389.58±102.28)and(375.84±103.01)h·μg·L-,respectively.Main PK parameters of subjects taking rivaroxaban tablets orally after meals:Cmax were(66.48±15.64 and 60.87±13.44)μg·L-1,AUC0-t were(404.44±72.58)and(381.80±79.93)h·μg·L-1,re-spectively.AUC0_inf was(410.88±73.55)and(393.64±69.71)h·μg·L-1,respectively.Under fasting and postmeal conditions,subjects took rivaroxaban test and reference prepara-tion orally,one tablet(2.5 mg/tablet)each time.The geometric mean of the main pharmacokinetic parameters of rivaroxaban in plasma(Cmax,AUC0-t,AUC0-inf)and their corresponding values had a 90％confidence interval ranging from 80.00％to 125.00％.No serious adverse events or unexpected adverse e-vents occurred in both groups.Conclusion Rivaroxaban tablets are bioequivalent and safe in vivo under fasting and postprandial conditions.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and independent risk factors of severe disease in patients with anti-nuclear matrix protein (NXP) 2 antibody-positive juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including 219 anti-NXP2 antibody-positive JDM patients admitted to 23 children′s hospitals across China from July 2011 to July 2023. Patients were classified into severe and non-severe groups based on classification criteria for severe dermatomyositis. Demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, and laboratory parameters were compared between the 2 groups using independent sample t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, or χ2 test. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for severe disease. The receiver operating characteristic curve was employed to calculate optimal cut-off values. Results:Among the 219 patients, 108 were male and 111 were female, with an age at onset of 6.3 (3.5, 9.4) years. The severe group comprised 69 patients, and the non-severe group 150 patients. The severe group had significantly higher rates of fever, heliotrope rash, subcutaneous edema, periorbital edema, anti-Ro52 antibody positivity, as well as elevated levels of ferritin-to-albumin ratio (FAR), creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis identified anti-Ro52 antibody positivity ( OR=13.26, 95% CI 1.37-128.29) and elevated FAR ( OR=1.90, 95% CI 1.09-2.31) as independent risk factors for severe anti-NXP2 antibody-positive JDM (both P<0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that a FAR cutoff value of 6.82 predicted severe disease with an area under the curve of 0.87 (95% CI 0.81-0.94, P<0.001), sensitivity of 0.85, and specificity of 0.70. All patients received glucocorticoid therapy, and the severe group received higher proportions of steroid pulse therapy, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, intravenous immunoglobulin, biologics, and adjuvant treatments compared to the non-severe group (all P<0.05). In terms of outcomes, 2 patients (2.9%) in the severe group died (due to neurological involvement and intestinal perforation, respectively), while the remaining patients achieved complete clinical response or remission. All patients in the non-severe group achieved remission. Conclusions:The primary clinical features of anti-NXP2 antibody-positive JDM included fever, heliotrope rash, subcutaneous edema, periorbital edema, anti-Ro52 antibody positivity, and elevated levels of CK, AST, LDH, and FAR. Furthermore, anti-Ro52 antibody positivity and a FAR>6.82 were identified as independent risk factors.

To analyze the transmission characteristics of newly reported HIV-infected students aged ≥18 years in Nanjing City from 2016 to 2022 and provide evidence for AIDS publicity and intervention among young students. The pol region sequences of newly reported HIV-infected students and non-student HIV-infected individuals in Nanjing City from 2016 to 2022 were collected, and the BLAST tool was used to search the published global non-Nanjing reported HIV infection sequences in the LANL HIV database. The basic molecular transmission network and regional molecular transmission network were constructed using the HIV-TRACE in a pairwise genetic distance threshold of 1.0%. 332 sequences of infected students aged≥18 years in Nanjing City, 1 904 sequences of non-student-infected individuals in Nanjing City and 1 698 non-Nanjing-infected individuals were obtained. Among the 332 infected students, the main route of infection was homosexual (96.39%), and the subtypes were CRF01_AE (37.95%), CRF07_BC (37.65%) and CRF105_0107 (10.24%). There were 890 sequences in the regional molecular transmission network, of which 21.80% were infected students in Nanjing City, 39.89% were non-student-infected individuals in Nanjing City, and 38.31% were non-Nanjing-infected individuals. In the CRF105_0107 transmission cluster, non-student-infected individuals from Nanjing accounted for 66.95% (81/121), while in the CRF07_BC transmission cluster, non-Nanjing-infected individuals accounted for 56.66% (200/353). There were 1 644 edges connected to infected students within the regional molecular transmission network, with local transmission accounting for 64.72% and regional transmission accounting for 35.28%. Regional transmission was mainly in Guangdong Province (19.83%) and other cities in Jiangsu Province (4.50%). The HIV-1 subtypes of newly reported HIV-infected students aged≥18 years in Nanjing City are mainly CRF01_AE, CRF07_BC and CRF105_0107, with local transmission as the main transmission characteristics. There is transmission between students and non-students.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of specific IgE antibodies against Alternaria alternata and Aspergillus fumigatus in serum samples from clinical allergy patients across selected provinces in China.Methods Data on specific IgE antibodies for Alternaria A.and Aspergillus F.were collected from 20 hospital laboratories in 17 cities spanning 11 provinces.The study analyzed the levels of specific IgE and their variations across different provinces and seasons.Results A total of 27 471 cases of Alternaria A.and 32 843 cases of Aspergillus F.specific IgE data were included.The national average positive rate of Alternaria A.IgE was 10.40%,with the highest rate of 22.68%in Jiangsu and the lowest rate of 2.06%in Guangxi.For Aspergillus F.specific IgE,the average positive rate was 4.24%,with Hubei province having the highest rate(7.25%)and Hunan province the lowest(1.23%).The difference in IgE levels for both Alternaria A.and Aspergillus F.among provinces were statistically significant(H=9 955,16 993,all P<0.0001).Among patients,5.85%had Alternaria A.specific IgE levels at grade 3 or above,while only 0.57%had Aspergillus F.specific IgE levels at this level.When examining seasonal variations using data from Liaoning,Hunan and Anhui provinces,significant seasonal changes were observed for both Alternaria A.and Aspergillus F.IgE antibodies(HAlternaria A=347.6,338.0,401.3,HAspergillus F=196.6,133.7,231.7,all P<0.0001).Conclusion The sensitization to Alternaria A.and Aspergillus F.exhibits distinct geographical characteristics and vary significantly with seasons.Given the relatively high IgE levels associated with Alternaria A.,it should be given adequate clinical attention.

Nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF), predominantly affecting the elderly, can lead to intractable pain, vertebral collapse, progressive kyphotic deformity, and neurological impairment, significantly compromising patients′ quality of life. There exists considerable debate on diagnosis and management of OVF, encompassing key issues such as clinical diagnosis and staging criteria for nonunion, surgical indications and procedure selection, and postoperative rehabilitation planning. Currently, there lacks standardized clinical guideline and expert consensus on the diagnosis and management of OVF nonunion in China. To address this gap, Minimally Invasive Surgery Group of Chinese Orthopedic Association, Osteoporosis Committee of Chinese Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, Prevention and Rehabilitation Committee for Osteoporosis of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and Minimally Invasive Orthopedic Surgery Branch of China Association for Geriatric Care jointly organized domestic experts in spinal surgery, endocrinology, and rehabilitation to formulate the Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment for nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures ( version 2025), based on existing literature and clinical experience and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and practicality. The guideline provided 13 evidence-based recommendations encompassing diagnosis and treatment of OVF nonunion, aiming to standardize its clinical management.

Objective:Based on bioinformatics analysis, this study aimed to identify the complement component 5a receptor 1(C5aR1)and chemokine C-C motif ligand-2(CCL2)genes in vascular dementia(VaD)and to explore the expression and clinical significance of serum C5aR1 and CCL2 levels in VaD patients.Methods:The GSE122063 dataset was selected from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database to screen for consistently differentially expressed genes in the frontal and temporal lobes of VaD patients and non-dementia patients.The Matascape database was used to analyze the functions and pathways of differentially expressed genes, and the STRING network and Cytoscape software were used to identify key genes.In this case-control study, 53 VaD patients seeking care at the Department of Neurology of the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University between January 2022 and December 2022 were included in the VaD group, and 50 non-dementia individuals were included in the control group.General information, Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA)scores, Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE)scores, and scores of the total cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD)burden were collected for both groups, and serum C5aR1 and CCL2 expression was detected.The correlation of serum C5aR1 and CCL2 levels with MoCA scores, MMSE scores, and scores of the total CSVD burden in the VaD group was analyzed.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic value of serum C5aR1 and CCL2 levels in VaD.Results:In the GSE122063 dataset, compared with non-dementia patients, there were 43 upregulated genes and 63 downregulated genes simultaneously in the frontal and temporal lobes in the VaD group.After importing 106 genes into the Cytoscape software and using the Stress and Betweenness algorithms in the cytoHubba plugin, two key genes, C5aR1 and CCL2, were identified.Serum levels of C5aR1[(57.25±10.34)μg/L vs.(43.26±8.24)μg/L, t=7.607, P<0.001]and CCL2[(210.42±42.19)ng/L vs.(151.73±36.04)ng/L, t=7.570, P<0.001]in the VaD group were higher than those in the control group.Serum levels of C5aR1 and CCL2 were negatively correlated with MoCA scores( r=-0.691, -0.668, P<0.001)and MMSE scores( r=-0.736, -0.729, P<0.001), and positively correlated with scores of the total CSVD burden( r=0.598, 0.582, P<0.001).The areas under the ROC curve for serum C5aR1 and CCL2 levels in diagnosing VaD was 0.838 and 0.845, respectively.The area under the ROC curve with the combination of C5aR1 and CCL2 for the diagnosis of VaD was 0.896. Conclusions:Serum levels of C5aR1 and CCL2 are elevated in VaD patients and closely related to their cognitive function and the total CSVD burden, and may be used as an auxiliary diagnostic tool for VaD patients.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and validate novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis of sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) and precise continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) using proteomics. METHODS: A prospective multicenter cohort study was conducted. Patients with sepsis admitted to five hospitals in Taizhou City of Zhejiang Province from April 2019 to December 2021 were continuously enrolled, based on the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI). Sepsis patients were divided into SA-AKI group and non-SA-AKI group, and healthy individuals who underwent physical examinations during the same period were used as control (NC group). Peripheral blood samples from participants were collected for protein mass spectrometry analysis. Differentially expressed proteins were identified, and functional enrichment analysis was conducted on these proteins. The levels of target proteins were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the predictive value of target protein for SA-AKI were evaluated by receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve). Additionally, sepsis patients and healthy individuals were selected from one hospital to externally verify the expression level of the target protein and its predictive value for SA-AKI, as well as the accuracy of CRRT treatment. RESULTS: A total of 37 patients with sepsis (including 19 with AKI and 18 without AKI) and 31 healthy individuals were enrolled for proteomic analysis. Seven proteins were identified with significantly differential expression between the SA-AKI group and non-SA-AKI group: namely cystatin C (CST3), β ₂-microglobulin (β ₂M), insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 4 (IGFBP4), complement factor I (CFI), complement factor D (CFD), CD59, and glycoprotein prostaglandin D2 synthase (PTGDS). Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these proteins were involved in immune response, complement activation, coagulation cascade, and neutrophil degranulation. ELISA results demonstrated specific expression of each target protein in the SA-AKI group. Additionally, 65 patients with sepsis (38 with AKI and 27 without AKI) and 20 healthy individuals were selected for external validation of the 7 target proteins. ELISA results showed that there were statistically significant differences in the expression levels of CST3, β ₂M, IGFBP4, CFD, and CD59 between the SA-AKI group and non-SA-AKI group. ROC curve analysis indicated that the area under the curve (AUC) values of CST3, β ₂M, IGFBP4, CFD, and CD59 for predicting SA-AKI were 0.788, 0.723, 0.723, 0.795, and 0.836, respectively, all exceeding 0.7. Further analysis of patients who underwent CRRT or not revealed that IGFBP4 had a good predictive value, with an AUC of 0.84. CONCLUSIONS Based on proteomic analysis, CST3, β ₂M, IGFBP4, CFD, and CD59 may serve as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of SA-AKI, among which IGFBP4 might be a potential biomarker for predicting the need for CRRT in SA-AKI patients. However, further clinical validation is required.
Humans ; Sepsis/complications* ; Acute Kidney Injury/blood* ; Proteomics ; Prospective Studies ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Male ; Female ; beta 2-Microglobulin/blood* ; Middle Aged ; Cystatin C/blood* ; Aged