AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of low-dose transscleral cyclophotocoagulation(TSCP)in the management of persistent ocular hypertension after an acute attack of angle-closure glaucoma(AACG).METHODS:This retrospective study enrolled patients diagnosed with persistent ocular hypertension after an acute AACG attack at the No.988 Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the Chinese PLA between September 2023 and September 2024. All patients underwent low-dose TSCP using a semiconductor diode laser. Subsequent cataract surgery combined with goniosynechialysis was performed once intraocular pressure(IOP)was stabilized. Changes in anterior chamber depth(ACD), best-corrected visual acuity(VA), and IOP were compared before and after TSCP, as well as before and after phacoemulsification. Post-TSCP complications were also documented.RESULTS: A total of 21 patients(21 eyes)were enrolled, including 8 males and 13 females, with a mean age of 67.95±7.25 y. Compared with pre-cyclophotocoagulation values, ACD increased significantly at 3 d post-TSCP(1.49±0.18 vs 1.22±0.21 mm; P<0.001). BCVA and IOP decreased significantly at 1 d post-TSCP, pre-phacoemulsification, 1 wk post-phacoemulsification, and 1 mo post-phacoemulsification compared with pre-TSCP IOP(all P<0.01). Regarding postoperative complications, 2 eyes experienced pain on the day of the procedure, 5 eyes developed mild corneal endothelial folds, 2 eyes exhibited moderate anterior chamber inflammatory reaction, and 12 eyes showed shallow ciliary body detachment. No serious complications occurred during the 1-month follow-up period.CONCLUSION:Low-dose TSCP appears to be an effective bridging therapy for patients with persistent ocular hypertension following an AACG attack. It facilitates rapid IOP reduction, alleviates symptoms, and helps preserve visual function with a favorable safety profile, thereby reducing the risks associated with subsequent intraocular surgery.

Background Arsenic exposure has been implicated as an important environmental contributor to pulmonary fibrosis, the pathogenesis of which is closely associated with abnormal activation of pulmonary fibroblasts. However, the specific mechanism remain incompletely understood. Objective To examine sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) expression during arsenite-induced fibrotic responses in lung fibroblasts, and to investigate its effects on aerobic glycolysis and profibrotic progression, as well as its underlying mechanisms. Methods Human embryonic lung fibroblasts (HELF) were treated with sodium arsenite (NaAsO₂) at different concentrations (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 μmol·L⁻¹) for 48 h. Cell viability was assessed, and lactate and hydroxyproline (HYP) levels were measured as indicator of glycolytic activity and fibrotic response. Western blot and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) were used to determine the protein and mRNA expression levels of SIRT3, hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α), fibrosis-related genes [Collagen type Ⅰ (Collagen-Ⅰ), and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)], and glycolysis-related genes [pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), hexokinase 2 (HK2), and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA)]. Results Based on the cell viability results, the NaAsO₂ concentrations of 2.5, 5, and 10 μmol·L⁻¹ for 48 h were selected for subsequent experiments. Compared with the control group, HYP levels were significantly increased in the 2.5, 5, and 10 μmol·L⁻¹ NaAsO₂ exposure groups (P <0.05). The protein and mRNA expression levels of HIF-1α, glycolysis-related genes (PKM2, HK2, and LDHA) and fibrosis-related genes (Collagen-Ⅰ, and α-SMA) were significantly upregulated, whereas SIRT3 protein and mRNA expression levels were significantly down-regulated, in the NaAsO₂ treated groups compared with the control group (P<0.05). SIRT3 overexpression significantly reduced HYP levels and downregulated the protein and mRNA expression levels of HIF-1α, glycolysis-related genes (PKM2, HK2, and LDHA), fibrosis-related genes (Collagen-Ⅰ, and α-SMA) compared with the NaAsO₂ + negative control group (P<0.05). Similarly, HIF-1α knockdown significantly decreased HYP levels and downregulated the protein and mRNA expression levels of glycolysis-related genes (PKM2, HK2, and LDHA) and fibrosis-related genes (Collagen-Ⅰ, and α-SMA) compared with the NaAsO₂ + negative control group (P<0.05). In contrast, simultaneous overexpression of SIRT3 and HIF-1α abolished the inhibitory effects of SIRT3 overexporession, as HYP levels and the expression of glycolysis- and fibrosis-related markers showed no statistically significant differences compared with the NaAsO₂ + negative control group (P>0.05). Conclusion NaAsO₂ exposure could induce profibrotic and glycolysis-related responses in HELF cells, accompanied by SIRT3 downregulation and HIF-1α activation. These findings suggest that the SIRT3/HIF-1α regulatory axis may be a potential target for preventing or attenuating arsenic exposure-related pulmonary fibrotic responses.

Astragalus membranaceus possesses the function of enhancing immunity, protecting the liver, diuretic, anti-aging, anti-stress, anti-hypertensive, and more extensive antibacterial effects. Polysaccharides, one kind of the major active ingredients of A. membranaceus, are considered to be responsible for their versatile use. Now, a systematic summary of research progress and prospects of polysaccharides from A. membranaceus polysaccharides (AMPs) is necessary to facilitate their further study and application. In this review, the optimal extraction methods, structural features, biological activities, and applications of AMPs were emphasized. The structure-activity relationships are also analyzed and elucidated. Solvent, ultrasonic, microwave, enzyme-assisted, ultra-high pressure, and combined methods have been used to extract AMPs. Among them, solvent extraction is the most commonly used method because it is simple and easy to operate, but the efficiency needs to be improved further. The ultra-high pressure method is the most efficient but has a low economic return. AMPs exhibited various bioactivities, including immunomodulation, antitumor, and antidiabete. The structure-activity relationships revealed that different structure configurations, chain conformations, and physical properties would have different bioactivities. However, the new method for purification of certain polysaccharides, detailed structure-activity relationships (SAR), mechanisms of bioactivities, and quality control of AMPs need to be extensively investigated.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of intraoperative blood salvage autotransfusion on local recurrence and long-term metastasis of patients after carotid body tumor resection. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a consecutive series of 61 patients undergoing elective carotid body tumor resection from August 2009 to December 2020. Among them, 14 received intraoperative blood salvage autotransfusion (autotrasfusion group) and 47 did not (non-autotransfusion). Data of general information, surgical status and postoperative follow-up results were collected. RESULTS: The proportion of Shamblin Ⅲ in the autotransfusion group was 85.7%, which was significantly higher than 31.9% in the non-autotransfusion group (P=0.003). The average operation time of the 14 patients in the autotransfusion group was (264±84) min, intraoperative blood loss was 1 200 (700, 2 700) mL, and autologous blood transfusion was 500 (250, 700) mL. Of these, 8 patients (57%) required concomitant allogeneic blood with 400 (260, 400) mL of allogeneic blood. The average operation time of the 47 patients in the non-autotransfusion group was (153±75) min, and the intraoperative blood loss was 300 (100, 400) mL. Of these, 6 (13%) required allogeneic blood transfusion, and 520 (400, 520) mL of allogeneic blood was used. Compared with the non-autotransfusion group, the average operation time in the autologous blood transfusion group was significantly longer (P < 0.001), and the intraoperative blood transfusion volume was larger (P=0.007). Of the 14 patients undergoing autotransfusion, 8 (57%) needed allogeneic blood at the same time; while in the 47 non-autologous transfusion patients, 6 (13%) needed allogeneic blood transfusion. The proportion of autotransfusion group using allogeneic blood at the same time was even higher (P=0.002). The incidence of nerve injury within 30 days after surgery was 29.5%, and there was no significant difference between the two groups. No early deaths occurred. The average follow-up was (76±37) months. One case of local recurrence occurred in the non-autotransfusion group. There was no distant metastasis. There were no tumor-related deaths. The estimated 5-year and 10-year overall survival rates were 96.4% and 83.8%, respectively. There was no significant difference in overall survival between the two groups (P=0.506). CONCLUSION The use of intraoperative blood salvage autotransfusion increased no risk of local recurrence and distant metastasis in patients with carotid body tumor, which is safe and effective in carotid body tumor resection.
Humans ; Blood Transfusion, Autologous/methods* ; Operative Blood Salvage/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Female ; Carotid Body Tumor/pathology* ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Aged ; Adult ; Operative Time

Background Pneumoconiosis is the most serious occupational disease in China, among which silicosis accounts for more than 50%. microRNA (miRNA) plays an important role in the occurrence process of silicosis fibrosis, but the mechanism of it has not been fully clarified yet. Objective To explore the molecular mechanism by which miR-411-3p modulates the ubiquitination degradation of SMAD specific E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (SMURF) 2/Smad7, thereby suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in mouse alveolar type II epithelial cells and counteracting silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Methods Twenty-four 8-week-old SPF male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four groups: Control group, silica group, silica +miR-411-3p agomir-NC group, and silica +miR-411-3p agomir group, with 6 mice in each group. Silicosis model was prepared by a one-time bronchial infusion of silicon dioxide (SiO₂) (200 mg·mL^-1, 50 μL). In vitro MLE-12 cells were divided into (1) control group and SiO₂ group, (2) SiO₂+negative control siRNA (siRNA-NC) group and SiO₂+Smurf2 gene silencing (si-Smurf2) group, (3) SiO₂+solvent (DMSO) group and SiO₂+protease inhibitor (MG132) group, (4) mutant sequence plasmid (Mut)+miR-411-3p mimic control (miR-NC) group, Mut+miR-411-3p mimic group, wild sequence plasmid (Wt)+miR-NC group, and Wt+miR-411-3p mimic group, (5) SiO₂+miR-NC group and SiO₂+miR-411-3p mimic group. The pathological morphology and collagen deposition of lung tissue were observed after staining. Detection of miR-411-3p and proteins was conducted by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and Western blot. The binding of SMURF2 to Smad7 protein and Smad7 to ubiquitin (Ub) were detected by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) method. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was adopted to verify the regulatory effect of miR-411-3p on Smurf2. Results In the SiO₂-induced MLE-12 cells, compared to the control group, the SiO₂-treated group showed significantly upregulated expressions of N-cadherin (N-Cad), collagen I (CoL I), SMURF2, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and phosphorylated Smad2/3 (p-Smad2/3). In contrast, the expressions of E-cadherin (E-Cad), Smad7, and miR-411-3p were significantly downregulated (P<0.05). The dual-luciferase reporter gene assay revealed a regulatory effect of miR-411-3p on Smurf2 (P<0.05). Meanwhile, in the MLE-12 cells induced by SiO₂, the miR-411-3p mimic down-regulated the protein expressions of SMURF2, N-Cad, CoL I, TGF-β1, and p-Smad2/3, while up-regulated the protein expressions of E-Cad and Smad7 (P<0.05). The silenced Smurf2 gene inhibited the expressions of N-Cad, CoL I, and p-Smad2/3 proteins, while promoted the expressions of E-Cad and Smad7 proteins in the MLE-12 cells (P<0.05). The Co-IP results showed that the binding of SMURF2 to Smad7 was enhanced, and the ubiquitin binding ability of Smad7 was enhanced in the SiO₂ group. In the lung tissue of mice, the results of pathological observation with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and sirius red (VG) staining showed that compared with the agomir-NC, the lesion was relieved in the lung tissue of the miR-411-3p agomir group. Meanwhile, the expressions of SMURF2, N-Cad, CoL I, TGF-β1, and p-Smad2/3 were significantly down-regulated, while the expressions of E-Cad and Smad7 were significantly up-regulated (P<0.05). Conclusion MiR-411-3p alleviates the EMT of alveolar type II epithelial cells and antagonizes silicosis fibrosis progression in mice by inhibiting SMURF2-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of Smad7.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous trans-hepatic choledochoscopic lithotripsy (PTCSL) in the treatment of recurrent hepatobiliary calculi under enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) mode.Methods:Clinical data of 88 patients with recurrent hepatobiliary calculi, who were treated with PTCSL at Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University and the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University between June 2022 and June 2024 were retrospectively analyzed, including 34 males and 54 females, aged (52.0±13.8) years. The scheme includes preoperative education, prophylactic antibiotic application, ensuring the quality of surgery, early postoperative feeding and activity, etc. The operation can be divided into two fashions: percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage and PTCSL, which can be completed in one stage (one-stage expansion method) or in two stages (staged expansion method). Clinical data such as gender, age, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, residual stone, and surgical complications were recorded.Results:All 88 patients underwent PTCSL under ERAS mode successfully, including 52 cases using one-stage expansion method and 36 cases using staged expansion method. The operative time was (53±20) min, the intraoperative blood loss was (9.7±3.8) ml, the postoperative hospital stay was (3.6±1.7) d, and the hospitalization cost was (17 500±4 700) yuan. Sixty-nine patients (78.4%, 69/88) had one-time stone removal in the first PTCSL. A total of 19 cases of residual stones were managed again by percutaneous sinus soft choledochoscopy, of which 12 cases were managed by one-time choledochoscopy, five cases by two-time choledochoscopy, and two cases by three-time choledochoscopy. The rate of residual stone was significantly higher in one-stage expansion method compared to staged expansion method [28.8% (15/52) vs. 11.1% (4/36), P=0.040]. No death, conversion to open surgery, or severe complications such as intra-abdominal hemorrhage or bile leakage occurred in the patients. No residual stones or recurrence were found during the follow-ups of (7.5±2.1) months after discharge. Conclusion:PTCSL under ERAS mode is safe and effective in the treatment of recurrent hepatobiliary calculi.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) versus open hepatectomy (OH) for malignant liver tumors in unfavorable regions using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis.Methods:Clinical data of 181 patients with malignant liver tumors in unfavorable regions undergoing hepatic resection at the Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, between January 2013 and February 2019, including 130 males and 51 females, aged (56.4±12.5) years. Patients were divided into two groups according to surgical approach: the OH group ( n=128) and LH group ( n=53). Clinical parameters including age, gender, hepatitis B history, operative time, and postoperative complications were recorded. PSM (1∶1 nearest neighbor matching with a caliper width of 0.04) was performed using surgical approach as the dependent variable and covariates as independent variables. Survival analysis was conducted via the Kaplan-Meier method, with intergroup survival rates were compared using log-rank tests. Results:Prior to PSM, significant intergroup differences were observed in age, hepatitis B status, cirrhosis, and microvascular invasion (all P<0.05). After PSM, 74 patients (37 per group) achieved balance in baseline characteristics (all P>0.05). Post-PSM analysis revealed significantly shorter postoperative hospitalization in LH group compared to that in OH group [9(7, 10) d vs. 11(10, 13) d, P<0.05]. No perioperative mortality occurred in either group. The OH group exhibited a higher postoperative complication rate than the LH group did [37.8% (14/37) vs. 16.2% (6/37), χ2=4.39, P=0.036]. No significant differences were observed in cumulative recurrence-free survival ( χ2=0.44, P=0.508) or overall survival ( χ2<0.01, P=0.997) between groups. Conclusion:For malignant liver tumors in unfavorable regions, LH compared favourable open surgery, regarding the reduced invasiveness, shorter hospitalization, and lower complication rates, while maintaining comparable oncological outcomes. LH represents a safe and feasible surgical approach in selected cases.

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and influencing factors of Femoral Artery Compression-Related Skin Complications Around the Puncture Site(FACR-SCAPS)in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)undergoing transarterial chemoembolization(TACE).Methods A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling.A total of 1 573 HCC patients who underwent TACE between April 2023 and October 2024 were recruited from interventional radiology departments,oncology units,and specialized centers across 10 hospitals in Beijing,Tianjin,Shandong,Hebei,Qinghai,and Inner Mongolia.Descriptive statistics,univariate analysis,and multivariate logistic regression were used to explore the epidemiological characteristics and influencing factors of FACR-SCAPS in this population.Results Among the 1 573 primary HCC patients undergoing TACE interventional therapy,FACR-SCAPS occurred in 28.99％(456/1 573),with a total of 476 complication instances recorded(30.26 per 100 patients).Patients with a single complication accounted for 96.93％,whereas those with multiple complications constituted 3.07％.The most prevalent types of complications were skin erythema,skin ecchymosis,and hard lumps formation,collectively accounting for 96.49％of all complications.Hematoma,blisters,and rupture complications collectively accounted for only 4.61％.Logistic regression analysis revealed that peak diastolic blood pressure during compression(OR=1.024,95％CI:1.013-1.035,P＜0.001),use of rotary compression hemostasis devices(OR=3.220,95％CI:2.120-4.891,P＜0.001),elevated PT-INR(OR=19.630,95％CI:6.039-63.810,P＜0.001),and anticoagulant use within the last three months(OR=1.909,95％CI:1.064-3.427,P=0.030)were significant influencing factors associated with FACR-SCAPS post-TACE.Conclusion FACR-SCAPS is commonly seen among primary HCC patients after TACE,its risk factors include peak diastolic blood pressure during compression,use of rotary compression devices,elevated PT-INR,and recent anticoagulant use.

Objective: To analyze the correlation between ABO blood group compatibility and the risk of early complications after liver transplantation, and to identify risk factors for clinical intervention. Methods: Clinical data of 404 liver transplant recipients and donors were collected. Based on donor-recipient ABO matching, patients were divided into three groups: ABO-Identical (ABO-Id, n=313), ABO-compatible (ABO-c, n=68), ABO-incompatible (ABO-i, n=23). Clinical data, early complications, and associated risk factors were compared. Results: Compared with the ABO-Id, ABO-c and ABO-i recipients were younger, had a higher proportion of primary biliary atresia, and more frequently received living-donor transplantation from relatives (P<0.05). Overall complication rates were: ABO-c 47.1% (32/68), ABO-i 43.5% (10/23), ABO-Id 39.3% (123/313), with no significant intergroup difference (P>0.05). Infection was the most common complication [ABO-c 30.9% (21/68), ABO-i 21.7% (5/23), ABO-Id 17.9% (56/313)]. No significant differences were found in infection, vascular/biliary or acute kidney injury/renal failure among the three groups (P>0.05). However, ABO-c group had significantly higher rates of ascites/abscess (20.6% vs 8.9%, P<0.05) and pleural effusion (14.7% vs 7.0%, P<0.05) than ABO-Id group. There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications and ABO blood group between ABO non-Identical (ABO-c and ABO-i) and Identical groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of ascites/abscess in ABO non-Identical was higher than that in ABO-Id liver transplantation (P<0.05), and the risk of ascites/abscess after ABO-c liver transplantation was 2.246 times higher than that of ABO-Id liver transplantation. The primary biliary atresia were a risk factor for postoperative ascites/abscess. Conclusion: Enhanced postoperative management is critical for ABO-nonidentical (especially ABO-compatible) recipients, and those with biliary atresia to reduce complication risks.

Objective:To explore the correlation between quantitative parameters based on SUV acquired by dynamic SPECT/CT imaging of parotid glands and pathological grading of labial gland in patients with primary Sj?gren syndrome (pSS).Methods:Seventy-two patients (6 males, 66 females, age (51.5±13.8) years) with confirmed pSS diagnosed at Hebei General Hospital between August 2022 and March 2024 were prospectively included. The clinical data and pathological grading information from labial gland biopsies were analyzed. Dynamic SPECT/CT imaging of the parotid glands was performed, and quantitative parameters based on SUV were obtained using Q-metrix software: SUV max, SUV mean, uptake volume of parotid glands (UVP) and total parotid uptake (TPU) pre/post-acid stimulation, as well as the differences in quantitative parameters before and after acid stimulation (ΔSUV max, ΔSUV mean, ΔUVP, and ΔTPU). The independent-sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test was performed to evaluate the differences in parameters between patients with pathological grade 1-2 and those with pathological grade 3-4. Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the correlation between quantitative parameters and pathological grading. The performance of quantitative parameters in distinguishing pathological grade 1-2 from grade 3-4 was assessed using ROC curve analysis with Delong test. Results:The SUV max pre/post-acid stimulation in patients with pathological grade 1-2 ( n=30) were higher than those in patients with grade 3-4 ( n=42) (36.38(27.81, 44.17) vs 15.45(10.77, 24.51), Z=-5.51, P<0.001(pre-acid stimulation); 21.53(16.93, 26.21) vs 11.33(7.32, 15.89), Z=-5.27, P<0.001 (post-acid stimulation)). SUV mean, UVP and TPU pre/post-acid stimulation in patients with pathological grade 1-2, as well as ΔSUV max, ΔSUV mean and ΔTPU, were all significantly higher ( Z values: from -4.73 to -3.04, t values: 6.39, 4.50, all P<0.01). Moreover, these parameters were negatively correlated with the pathological grading ( rs values: from -0.66 to -0.36, all P<0.05). No significant difference in ΔUVP was observed between patients with pathological grade 1-2 and those with grade 3-4 ( Z=-1.05, P=0.293), and ΔUVP showed no correlation with pathological grading ( rs=-0.13, P=0.297). Among all parameters, SUV max pre/post-acid stimulation and TPU pre-acid stimulation exhibited better diagnostic performance in differentiating pathological grade 1-2 from grade 3-4, with AUC values of 0.883, 0.866, and 0.888, respectively. Delong test showed that those 3 AUC values were all higher than AUC values of SUV mean, UVP post-acid stimulation and ΔUVP (all AUC<0.800; Z values: 2.09-4.65, all P<0.05). Conclusion:The quantitative parameters of parotid glands based on SUV acquired by dynamic SPECT/CT can reflect the damage degree of parotid glands in patients with pSS, providing novel quantitative analytical tools for the functional diagnosis and assessment of pSS.