Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and disease burden of liver cancer in Guangdong Province in 2020, and to provide a scientific foundation for the development of regionalized prevention and control strategies for liver cancer. Methods According to the cancer registry data of Guangdong Province, the incidence, mortality and age-standardized rate by Chinese standard population in 2020 were calculated to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of liver cancer. The disability adjusted life years (DALYs), year of life loss (YLL), year of lived with disability (YLD), and cause-eliminated life expectancy were used to assess the disease burden of liver cancer. Results In 2020, the crude incidence rate and the age-standardized incidence rate of liver cancer in Guangdong Province were 27.79/100 000 and 20.84/100 000，respectively, and the crude mortality rate and the age-standardized mortality rate of liver cancer were 25.49/100,000 and 17.64/100 000, respectively. The total DALY and DALY rate of liver cancer in Guangdong Province were 515 311 person-years and 513.83/100 000, respectively. After eliminating the causes of death from liver cancer, the life expectancy in Guangdong Province increased from 84.60 years to 84.99 years. All indicators consistently demonstrated that the burden of liver cancer was higher in males than that in females, and the burden of liver cancer was higher in rural areas than that in urban areas. Conclusion Liver cancer in Guangdong Province exhibits a high incidence, mortality and disease burden level in 2020. There are obvious differences of gender, age and region in cancer burden. It is necessary to strengthen liver cancer screening and diagnosis and treatment in men, the elderly and those in rural areas to reduce the burden of liver cancer gradually in Guangdong Province.

Objective: To investigate the factors influencing follow-up visit behavior among patients with chronic periodontitis after supragingival scaling, and to provide evidence for early identification of high-risk dropouts and improvement of treatment continuity. Methods: This study was approved by the Institutional Medical Ethics Committee, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 572 patients with chronic periodontitis who received supragingival scaling at the Outpatient Department of The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing University School of Medicine from July 2022 to July 2023 and required subsequent periodontal sequential therapy. Data regarding sex, age, monthly income, education level, oral health literacy, reason for visit, and satisfaction with care were collected. Patients were divided into a follow-up group and a dropout group based on whether they adhered to the scheduled appointments within 12 months. Chi-square tests and independent samples t-tests were used for univariate comparisons between the groups. Variables with P<0.05 in the univariate analysis (gender, education level, monthly income, reason for visit, oral health literacy, and satisfaction with care), along with age (as a covariate), were included in a multivariate logistic regression model to analyze the factors influencing follow-up behavior. Results: Among the 572 patients, 239 attended follow-up visits, while 333 dropped out, resulting in a dropout rate of 58.22%. Univariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender, education level, monthly income, reason for visit, oral health literacy, and satisfaction with care (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients referred for treatment had significantly lower compliance (OR=0.241, 95% CI: 0.154-0.377, P<0.001). Conversely, higher oral health literacy scores (OR=1.159, 95% CI: 1.056-1.272, P=0.002) and higher satisfaction with care (OR=4.090, 95% CI: 1.732-9.656, P=0.001) were associated with better follow-up adherence. Conclusion Follow-up behavior in patients with chronic periodontitis after supragingival scaling is primarily influenced by the reason for visit, oral health literacy, and satisfaction with care. These factors can serve as intervention targets to reduce dropout rates in clinical practice.

ObjectiveTo investigate the role of interleukin （IL）-17A in acute inhalational pneumonia induced by the highly drug-resistant and hypervirulent Staphylococcus aureus strain USA300-R in mice. MethodsAn acute inhalational pneumonia model was established in mice using an aerosolized pulmonary delivery technique. RNA sequencing （RNA-seq） and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） were employed to examine the expression dynamics of Il17a mRNA and IL-17A protein， respectively， in the lungs of infected mice. Il17a knockout （Il17a^-/-） mice were generated using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. The survival rate， body weight， bacterial load in lung tissue， and histopathological changes were compared between Il17a^-/- and wild-type （WT） mice following inhalational infection with USA300-R. Results12 hours after USA300-R infection， compared to pre-infection， the expression level of Il17a mRNA in lung tissue and the level of IL-17A protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） increased by approximately 50-fold （P<0.01） and 6-fold （P<0.001）， respectively. Compared to WT mice， Il17a^-/- mice exhibited approximately 10-fold higher bacterial loads in lung tissue at both 12 and 24 hours post-infection （P<0.001， P<0.05）. However， they showed significantly attenuated lung histopathological injury， reduced alveolar wall thickening， markedly decreased neutrophil infiltration， and an approximately 50% improvement in survival rate （P<0.05）. ConclusionIn acute Staphylococcus aureus USA300-R inhalational pneumonia， IL-17A contributes to bacterial clearance by recruiting neutrophils； however， excessive neutrophil infiltration exacerbates pulmonary inflammation and injury， reduces survival rates， and represents a potential therapeutic target.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to observe the syndrome improvement and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome）. MethodsThrough a multi-center randomized controlled methodology design，confirmed influenza cases were collected from October 2022 to April 2023 in the pediatrics department of eight hospitals，such as Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. A total of 180 children with influenza and heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome conforming to the standard were recruited through the clinic. The sick children meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into groups by a block-randomized method. The children in the experimental group were treated with Qingxuan Daozhi formula for five days，and those in the control group were treated with Oseltamivir Phosphate Granules for five days. The primary efficacy indicator was the negative conversion rate of influenza antigen detection. Secondary efficacy indicators were the Canadian acute respiratory illness and flu scale （CARIFS） and the incidence of complications，severe cases， and critical cases. Follow-up observation was conducted on the day of enrollment，48 hours after medication，72 hours after medication， and （6+1） d after medication. ResultsOne hundred and eighty participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group （90 cases） or the control group （90 cases）. All participants were followed up during the study. Comparison of influenza antigen detection results in the primary efficacy indicators showed that the average time of negative influenza antigen conversion in the experimental group was （5.29±1.25） d，and that in the control group was （5.40±1.68） d，without a statistically significant difference. After five days of intervention，52 cases in the experimental group and 51 cases in the control group converted to negative，without a statistically significant difference. CARIFS score results in the secondary efficacy indicators showed that during 72 hours after intervention，there were statistically significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in three dimensions， including headache，muscle soreness， and the need for extra care （P<0.05）. On the （6+1） days after the intervention，the differences in both the experimental group and the control group were statistically significant in 10 dimensions， including sore throat，bad sleep，uncomfortable feeling，poor spirit and fatigue，crying more than usual，the need for extra care，symptom，function，influence on parents，and total score （P<0.05）. The comparison results within the group in the dimensional scores of symptom， function， and influence on parents，as well as the CARIFS total score showed that with the delay of follow-up time，scores of both groups decreased significantly，with a statistically significant difference （P<0.01）. Inter-group comparison results showed that the mean score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group at the time of enrollment. With the progress of intervention，the score of the experimental group was significantly decreased compared with that of the control group. At the end of follow-up，the mean score of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group，with no statistically significant difference. In terms of the incidence of complications，severe cases， and critical cases， there were no complications，severe cases， and critical cases in the two groups，without a statistically significant difference. ConclusionThe symptom improvement effect and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome） are not inferior to Oseltamivir Phosphate granules， and children's acceptance is better. It can be more widely used in clinical treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome）.

Objective To investigate whether Danshen injection (DSI) can protect human brain organoids from oxidative stress damage by regulating the Nrf2 signaling pathway and its mechanism. Methods A Nrf2 plasmid was constructed, lentivirus was packaged and transfected into human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) to form a stable cell line. Brain organoids with Nrf2 overexpression (LV-Nrf2 group) and knockdown (sh-Nrf2 group) were constructed using kit. The transfection efficiency was verified by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. An oxidative stress injury model was established by inducing hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Intervention was performed either in combination or without DSI pre-treatment. Cell viability was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), and the expression levels of Nrf2, malondialdehyde (MDA), interleukin (IL)-1β, sex-determining region Y-box protein 2 (SOX2) and neuronal-specific nuclear protein (NeuN) were detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence staining. Total RNA from human brain organoids was extracted for transcriptome sequencing and analysis. Results LV-Nrf2 group and sh-Nrf2 group brain organoid models were successfully constructed. The CCK-8 results determined that the oxidative stress model was established with 32 mmol/L H₂O₂ intervention conditions. The fluorescence expression of Nrf2 in LV-Nrf2 group was higher than that in control group, and the fluorescence expressions of MDA and IL-1β were lower than those in control group; sh-Nrf2 group showed a damage phenotype of low Nrf2 expression, high MDA and IL-1β expression (all P < 0.05). Compared with H₂O₂ group, the Nrf2 signal in DSI + H₂O₂ group was stronger, and the levels of MDA and IL-1β were lower. Among them, the protective effect of LV-Nrf2 was the most significant. H₂O₂ treatment could down-regulate the protein levels of Nrf2, SOX2 and NeuN, and DSI intervention could effectively reverse the downward trend of these indicators. Sh-Nrf2 could weaken the recovery effect of DSI on SOX2 and NeuN, while LV-Nrf2 could synergistically enhance the regulatory effect of DSI. Conclusions DSI may antagonize oxidative stress damage in human brain organoids through the Nrf2 signaling pathway, and maintaining the stability of the neural cell lineage is its core therapeutic characteristic.

Objective: Intrathyroid thymic carcinoma（ITTC） is a rare thyroid tumor that lacks typical clinical manifestations and imaging features, making preoperative diagnosis challenging.The primary treatment for ITTC is radical surgery; however, the effectiveness of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy post-surgery is not well-established. This paper presents a case of ITTC , analyzing the clinical data and correlating it with the literature to explore the clinical manifestations, diagnostic approach, treatment, and prognosis of ITTC.
Humans ; Prognosis ; Thymoma ; Thymus Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Thyroid Neoplasms/pathology*

Objective:The prevalence of seasonal allergic rhinitis （AR） and its combined diseases have been increasing recently. The purpose was to investigate the clinical characteristics and treatment of seasonal AR in northern China. Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted in AR patients. The Visual analogue scale （VAS）, combined diseases, clinical features, allergic pollen and treatments were analyzed. Results:Of the 789 AR subjects included, 54.1% had a family history of atopic disease. The mian course wa s（7.4±5.9） years. 95.4% of the subjects had moderate to severe AR. The prevalence rates of allergic conjunctivitis （AC）, allergic asthma （AA）, and pollen food allergy syndrome （PFAS） were 71.1%, 19.0%, and 39.5% respectively. Among the patients, 13.8% presented with only AR, while 39.3% had an AR combined with other disease, and 1.9% exhibited comorbidity involving five different diseases. VAS was positively correlated with the number of comorbidities（r=0.186, P<0.001）. The mugwort exhibited the highest rate of pollen sensitization （48.9%）, closely followed by cypress （48.3%）. The prevalence of mono-sensitization to pollen was 20.2%, while the positive rates for double-sensitized pollens and more than three sensitized pollens were 17.4% and 62.4%, respectively. Among the study participants, 19.9% did not receive any form of treatment, while 66.2% were administered oral medication and 27.5% underwent nasal steroid spray therapy. The proportion of individuals receiving anti-IgE monoclonal antibodies was 4.3%, and allergen immunotherapy （AIT） treatment was undergone by 11.8%. Meanwhile, 41.2% of patients undergoing anti-IgE monoclonal antibody treatment also received AIT. The distribution of therapy types among patients was as follows: 44.7% received a single type, 22.2% received two types, and 9.8% received three types of therapy. Additionally, there was a subset of patients（1%） who were undergoing five distinct forms of treatment. The VAS score exhibited a significant negative correlation with no treatment（r=-0.199, P<0.001）, while it showed a positive association with the number of treatment modalities（r=0.245, P<0.001）. Conclusion:Mugwort and cypress are the predominant allergenic pollens responsible for seasonal AR in northern China. The majority of cases present with moderate to severe AR, often accompanied by various comorbidities, necessitating consideration of diverse treatment modalities. However, the current rate of adoption for AIT remains relatively insufficient.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal/therapy* ; Pollen/immunology* ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Middle Aged ; Child ; Prevalence ; Allergens/immunology* ; Asthma/epidemiology* ; Conjunctivitis, Allergic

Mitochondria are the convergence point of multiple pathways that trigger programmed cell death (PCD). Mitochondrial-associated PCD (mtPCD) is involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases. However, the role of mtPCD in the prognostic prediction of cancers including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains to be investigated. Here, 12 mtPCD patterns were analyzed in transcriptomics, genomics, and clinical data collected from 4 datasets containing 977 patients. A risk-score assessment system containing 18 genes was established. We found that NSCLC patients with a high-risk score had a poorer prognosis. A nomogram was constructed by incorporating the risk score with clinical features. The risk score was further associated with clinicopathological information, tumor-mutation frequency, and immunotherapy responses. NSCLC patients with a high risk score had more Treg cells infiltration. However, these patients had higher tumor-mutation burden scores and may be more sensitive to immunotherapy. Moreover, receptor-interacting serine/threonine protein kinase 2 (RIPK2) was selected from mtPCD gene model for validation. We found that RIPK2 exhibited oncogenic function, and its expression level was inversely associated with the overall survival of NSCLC. Taken together, our results indicated the accuracy and practicability of the mtPCD gene model and RIPK2 in predicting the prognosis of NSCLC.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology* ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Prognosis ; Male ; Female ; Nomograms ; Middle Aged ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Apoptosis/genetics* ; Mutation ; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics* ; Aged

Objective : To investigate the effect of environmental enrichment on cognitive impairment and hippo- campus GAP-43 changes induced by exposure to obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome ( OSAHS) during the period of late pregnancy in mice，and to explore relative inflammatory pathway mechanism． Methods : The experi- mental group of C57BL/6J pregnant mice were exposed to an intermittent hypoxic environment for 7 consecutive days starting from gestational day 15．The corresponding offspring were then placed in an enriched environment from postnatal day 21 to 2 months of age (designated as OSAHS + EE group) or in a normal environment (designat- ed as OSAHS group) ．Pregnant mice in the control group were maintained in a normal oxygen environment，and their corresponding offspring were placed in an enriched environment (designated as Control + EE group) or a nor- mal environment (designated as Control group) at the same ages．The spatial learning and memory ability of the mice was assessed by Morris water maze at the age of 2 months．The mRNA levels of NF-kB，NLRP3 and GAP-43 in the hippocampus were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR , and the protein levels of NLRP3 and GAP-43 in the hippocampus were detected by Western blot． Results: Compared with Control group，the swimming distance increased (P＜0. 01) ，and the percentage of swimming distance in target quadrant decreased (P＜0. 01) in OSAHS group．The level of NF - κB mRNA，NLRP3 mRNA and protein in the hippocampus was increased，and the level of GAP-43 mRNA and protein was decreased (P＜0. 01) ．Compared with the Control group，there were no significant differences in swimming distance，percentage of swimming distance，NF-κB mRNA，NLRP3 mRNA and protein content in the OSAHS + EE group． Conclusion OSAHS during pregnancy impairs the learning and memory ability of offspring mice and reduces the level of GAP-43 protein．The mechanism may be related to the in- crease of NF-κB / NLRP3 level，and environmental enrichment can improve the damage．