Objective:To explore the molecular mechanism by which interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) affects hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI) by regulating the polarization of Kupffer cells.Methods:Twelve male healthy C57BL/6 wild-type mice weighing 20-25 g and aged 6-8 weeks were divided into a sham operation group ( n=6) and a HIRI group ( n=6); Twelve male healthy C57BL/6 IRF1 gene knockout (IRF1 -/-) mice weighing 20-25 g and aged 6-8 weeks were divided into a sham operation IRF1 -/- group ( n=6) and a HIRI IRF1 -/- group ( n=6). The levels of serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) in mice were measured, and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining of liver tissues was performed for Suzuki scoring to evaluate liver injury. Fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to evaluate the mRNA levels of IRF1 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) in liver tissues. Flow cytometry and qRT-PCR were used to detect the proportion and functional changes of M1/M2-type Kupffer cells in liver tissues. IRF1 was overexpressed or knocked down in the mononuclear macrophage cell line ANA1, and a co-culture and hypoxia-reoxygenation system with the hepatocyte cell line AML12 was established. Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis of AML12 cells. Results:At 12 hours after hepatic ischemia-reperfusion in wild-type mice, the liver tissue injury was the most severe. Compared with the sham operation group, the levels of serum ALT [(8 073±83) U/L vs. (81±19) U/L, q=13.59] and AST [(11 170±2 890) U/L vs. (412±210) U/L, q=13.77] in the HIRI group were significantly higher, and the differences were statistically significant (both P<0.001). The Suzuki score reached 5-6 points. At 12 hours after hepatic ischemia-reperfusion in IRF1 gene knockout mice, the liver tissue injury was not obvious. There were no significant differences in the levels of serum ALT [668 (514, 2 344) U/L vs. 254 (147, 285) U/L, q=2.52, P=0.348] and AST [1 936 (1 262, 2 003) U/L vs. 628 (423, 759) U/L, q=1.22, P=0.824] between the HIRI IRF1 -/- group and the sham operation IRF1 -/- group. Compared with the HIRI group, the ratio of M1/M2-type Kupffer cells in the liver of the HIRI IRF1 -/- group decreased [(0.958±0.090) vs. (2.788±0.258), q=2.06, P<0.0001], and the mRNA expression of TNFα decreased [(4.363±0.393) vs. (12.900±5.504), q=5.59, P=0.018], and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant. In the co-culture and hypoxia-reoxygenation experiment using ANA1 cells overexpressing IRF1 and AML12 cells, the proportion of AML12 hepatocytes in late apoptosis was higher than that in the control group [(14.05±4.25) vs. (3.15±1.16), t=2.85, P=0.047], and the difference was statistically significant. In contrast, when the expression of IRF1 was knocked down, the proportion of apoptotic AML12 cells decreased [(9.26±3.04) vs. (13.36±4.64), t=2.15, P=0.098], but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion:The IRF1 protein can regulate the polarization of Kupffer cells into M1-type macrophages, promote the inflammatory injury of the liver tissue after ischemia-reperfusion, and increase the apoptosis of hepatocytes.

Objective:To investigate the significance of urinary 8-oxo-7, 8-dihydroguanosine(8-oxoGuo)in assessing the short-term prognosis of sepsis in frail elderly patients.Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 62 frail elderly patients diagnosed with sepsis who were admitted to the Emergency Intensive Care Unit(EICU)at Beijing Hospital between March 2021 and March 2022.Based on their 28-day prognosis, the patients were categorized into two groups: those who died and those who survived.Upon admission, we collected urine samples and clinical data from both groups.We employed isotope dilution high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to measure the levels of the RNA oxidation marker 8-oxoGuo in the urine.Results:A total of 62 frail elderly patients[aged(85.1±6.3)years]diagnosed with sepsis were included in the study, comprising 36 patients in the 28-day mortality group and 26 patients in the survival group.Univariate analysis revealed that the survival group had significantly lower body temperature, blood calcitonin(PCT)levels, sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA)scores, and urinary 8-oxoGuo levels compared to the mortality group.Additionally, the survival group exhibited a higher mean arterial pressure(MAP)than the mortality group, with all differences reaching statistical significance(all P<0.05).Spearman correlation analysis indicated that urinary 8-oxoGuo levels were positively correlated with both PCT and SOFA scores in frail elderly sepsis patients( r=0.426, 0.768, both P<0.05).Furthermore, logistic regression analysis identified urinary 8-oxoGuo and SOFA as independent risk factors for 28-day mortality in this population( OR=1.936, 1.427; P=0.006, 0.002).The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)for urinary 8-oxoGuo and SOFA in predicting the 28-day prognosis of frail elderly sepsis patients was 0.761 and 0.741, respectively, both demonstrating statistical significance(both P<0.001). Conclusions:Our findings suggest that urinary 8-oxoGuo possesses strong predictive value for the short-term prognosis of sepsis in this vulnerable population.

Background and Aims:Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC)is a highly malignant liver tumor,with an increasing incidence worldwide,particularly in Asia.Although radical surgical resection is currently the only potentially curative treatment,the high recurrence rate and low postoperative overall survival(OS)rate of ICC remain major clinical challenges.Adjuvant therapy(AT)and neoadjuvant therapy(NAT)are important strategies to reduce postoperative recurrence and prolong OS.Several studies have shown certain efficacy of these treatments.However,the specific efficacy and safety of combined NAT and AT in ICC treatment require further validation.This study was conducted to evaluate the value of combining NAT and AT in improving the therapeutic outcomes of ICC patients through a multicenter retrospective analysis,so as to provide scientific evidence for optimizing treatment strategies.Methods:The clinicopathologic data of 576 patients with ICC who underwent radical resection and were pathologically confirmed from 13 hospitals in China between December 2011 and December 2017 were retrospectively collected.Patients were grouped based on their treatment modality:NAT+AT group,AT group,and non-NAT/AT group.The three patient groups were matched pairwise in a 1∶1 ratio using propensity score matching(PSM)to balance baseline data.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze OS and disease-free survival(DFS),and subgroup analyses were conducted according to the 8th edition of the AJCC TNM staging system.Results:A total of 395 ICC patients were included in the final analysis,with 42 patients(10.6%)in the NAT+AT group,62 patients(15.7%)in the AT group,and 291 patients(73.7%)in the non-NAT/AT group.Before PSM,significant differences were observed between groups in terms of CA19-9,liver function Child-Pugh classification,intraoperative blood loss,surgical margin,differentiation grade,vascular invasion,ECOG score,and lymph node dissection ratio(all P<0.05).After PSM,there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the groups(all P>0.05).After matching,the median OS and DFS in the NAT+AT group were significantly better than in the AT and non-NAT/AT groups(both P<0.05),while there were no significant differences in OS and DFS between the AT and non-NAT/AT groups(both P>0.05).Subgroup analysis showed that in TNM stage I patients,DFS in the NAT+AT group was significantly better than in the non-NAT/AT group(P<0.05),but OS was not significantly different(P>0.05).In TNM stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ patients,both OS and DFS in the NAT+AT and AT groups were significantly better than in the non-NAT/AT group(both P<0.05),and DFS in the NAT+AT group was significantly better than in the AT group in TNM stage Ⅲ patients(P<0.05).Conclusion:NAT combined with AT provides better survival benefits for patients with locally advanced ICC,but its benefit for early-stage ICC patients is limited.However,the retrospective design and sample size limitations of this study may affect the stability of the results,and future large-sample,multicenter,prospective studies are needed for further validation.

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the expression of CTLA-4 and PD-L1 in pulmonary lympho-epithelial carcinoma(PLEC)and to explore their relationships with patient prognosis and with tumor-infiltrating lym-phocytes(TILs).Methods Fifty cases of PLEC were retrospectively collected,together with 23 samples of adjacent normal lung tissue.Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect CTLA-4 and PD-L1 expression in both PLEC and adjacent normal lung tissues,as well as to quantify CD4+and CD8+T-lymphocytes infiltration within the tumor micro-environment.CTLA-4,PD-L1,and the distributions of CD4+T cells and CD8+T cells were then correlated with the clinicopathological features of PLEC.Results The positive rate of CTLA-4 in PLEC was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal lung tissue(P＜0.05).PD-L1 expression differed significantly across TNM stages of PLEC(P＜0.05)and was positively correlated with TNM stages(r=0.31,P=0.03).CD4+and CD8+T-lymphocytes were pre-dominantly localized in the tumor stroma,with CD4+T cells density exceeding that of CD8+(P＜0.05).Within canc-er nests,CD8+T cells density was significantly higher than CD4+(P＜0.05).Conclusion Both PD-L1 and CTLA-4 are frequently expressed in PLEC,suggesting they represent potential immunotherapeutic targets.In the PLEC micro-environment,lymphocytes primarily infiltrated the stromal compartment,and CD4+T cells are more abundant than CD8+T cells in that locale.

Background and Aims:Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC)is a highly malignant liver tumor,with an increasing incidence worldwide,particularly in Asia.Although radical surgical resection is currently the only potentially curative treatment,the high recurrence rate and low postoperative overall survival(OS)rate of ICC remain major clinical challenges.Adjuvant therapy(AT)and neoadjuvant therapy(NAT)are important strategies to reduce postoperative recurrence and prolong OS.Several studies have shown certain efficacy of these treatments.However,the specific efficacy and safety of combined NAT and AT in ICC treatment require further validation.This study was conducted to evaluate the value of combining NAT and AT in improving the therapeutic outcomes of ICC patients through a multicenter retrospective analysis,so as to provide scientific evidence for optimizing treatment strategies.Methods:The clinicopathologic data of 576 patients with ICC who underwent radical resection and were pathologically confirmed from 13 hospitals in China between December 2011 and December 2017 were retrospectively collected.Patients were grouped based on their treatment modality:NAT+AT group,AT group,and non-NAT/AT group.The three patient groups were matched pairwise in a 1∶1 ratio using propensity score matching(PSM)to balance baseline data.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze OS and disease-free survival(DFS),and subgroup analyses were conducted according to the 8th edition of the AJCC TNM staging system.Results:A total of 395 ICC patients were included in the final analysis,with 42 patients(10.6%)in the NAT+AT group,62 patients(15.7%)in the AT group,and 291 patients(73.7%)in the non-NAT/AT group.Before PSM,significant differences were observed between groups in terms of CA19-9,liver function Child-Pugh classification,intraoperative blood loss,surgical margin,differentiation grade,vascular invasion,ECOG score,and lymph node dissection ratio(all P<0.05).After PSM,there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the groups(all P>0.05).After matching,the median OS and DFS in the NAT+AT group were significantly better than in the AT and non-NAT/AT groups(both P<0.05),while there were no significant differences in OS and DFS between the AT and non-NAT/AT groups(both P>0.05).Subgroup analysis showed that in TNM stage I patients,DFS in the NAT+AT group was significantly better than in the non-NAT/AT group(P<0.05),but OS was not significantly different(P>0.05).In TNM stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ patients,both OS and DFS in the NAT+AT and AT groups were significantly better than in the non-NAT/AT group(both P<0.05),and DFS in the NAT+AT group was significantly better than in the AT group in TNM stage Ⅲ patients(P<0.05).Conclusion:NAT combined with AT provides better survival benefits for patients with locally advanced ICC,but its benefit for early-stage ICC patients is limited.However,the retrospective design and sample size limitations of this study may affect the stability of the results,and future large-sample,multicenter,prospective studies are needed for further validation.

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the expression of CTLA-4 and PD-L1 in pulmonary lympho-epithelial carcinoma(PLEC)and to explore their relationships with patient prognosis and with tumor-infiltrating lym-phocytes(TILs).Methods Fifty cases of PLEC were retrospectively collected,together with 23 samples of adjacent normal lung tissue.Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect CTLA-4 and PD-L1 expression in both PLEC and adjacent normal lung tissues,as well as to quantify CD4+and CD8+T-lymphocytes infiltration within the tumor micro-environment.CTLA-4,PD-L1,and the distributions of CD4+T cells and CD8+T cells were then correlated with the clinicopathological features of PLEC.Results The positive rate of CTLA-4 in PLEC was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal lung tissue(P＜0.05).PD-L1 expression differed significantly across TNM stages of PLEC(P＜0.05)and was positively correlated with TNM stages(r=0.31,P=0.03).CD4+and CD8+T-lymphocytes were pre-dominantly localized in the tumor stroma,with CD4+T cells density exceeding that of CD8+(P＜0.05).Within canc-er nests,CD8+T cells density was significantly higher than CD4+(P＜0.05).Conclusion Both PD-L1 and CTLA-4 are frequently expressed in PLEC,suggesting they represent potential immunotherapeutic targets.In the PLEC micro-environment,lymphocytes primarily infiltrated the stromal compartment,and CD4+T cells are more abundant than CD8+T cells in that locale.

Objective:To explore the molecular mechanism by which interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) affects hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI) by regulating the polarization of Kupffer cells.Methods:Twelve male healthy C57BL/6 wild-type mice weighing 20-25 g and aged 6-8 weeks were divided into a sham operation group ( n=6) and a HIRI group ( n=6); Twelve male healthy C57BL/6 IRF1 gene knockout (IRF1 -/-) mice weighing 20-25 g and aged 6-8 weeks were divided into a sham operation IRF1 -/- group ( n=6) and a HIRI IRF1 -/- group ( n=6). The levels of serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) in mice were measured, and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining of liver tissues was performed for Suzuki scoring to evaluate liver injury. Fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to evaluate the mRNA levels of IRF1 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) in liver tissues. Flow cytometry and qRT-PCR were used to detect the proportion and functional changes of M1/M2-type Kupffer cells in liver tissues. IRF1 was overexpressed or knocked down in the mononuclear macrophage cell line ANA1, and a co-culture and hypoxia-reoxygenation system with the hepatocyte cell line AML12 was established. Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis of AML12 cells. Results:At 12 hours after hepatic ischemia-reperfusion in wild-type mice, the liver tissue injury was the most severe. Compared with the sham operation group, the levels of serum ALT [(8 073±83) U/L vs. (81±19) U/L, q=13.59] and AST [(11 170±2 890) U/L vs. (412±210) U/L, q=13.77] in the HIRI group were significantly higher, and the differences were statistically significant (both P<0.001). The Suzuki score reached 5-6 points. At 12 hours after hepatic ischemia-reperfusion in IRF1 gene knockout mice, the liver tissue injury was not obvious. There were no significant differences in the levels of serum ALT [668 (514, 2 344) U/L vs. 254 (147, 285) U/L, q=2.52, P=0.348] and AST [1 936 (1 262, 2 003) U/L vs. 628 (423, 759) U/L, q=1.22, P=0.824] between the HIRI IRF1 -/- group and the sham operation IRF1 -/- group. Compared with the HIRI group, the ratio of M1/M2-type Kupffer cells in the liver of the HIRI IRF1 -/- group decreased [(0.958±0.090) vs. (2.788±0.258), q=2.06, P<0.0001], and the mRNA expression of TNFα decreased [(4.363±0.393) vs. (12.900±5.504), q=5.59, P=0.018], and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant. In the co-culture and hypoxia-reoxygenation experiment using ANA1 cells overexpressing IRF1 and AML12 cells, the proportion of AML12 hepatocytes in late apoptosis was higher than that in the control group [(14.05±4.25) vs. (3.15±1.16), t=2.85, P=0.047], and the difference was statistically significant. In contrast, when the expression of IRF1 was knocked down, the proportion of apoptotic AML12 cells decreased [(9.26±3.04) vs. (13.36±4.64), t=2.15, P=0.098], but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion:The IRF1 protein can regulate the polarization of Kupffer cells into M1-type macrophages, promote the inflammatory injury of the liver tissue after ischemia-reperfusion, and increase the apoptosis of hepatocytes.

Objective:To investigate the significance of urinary 8-oxo-7, 8-dihydroguanosine(8-oxoGuo)in assessing the short-term prognosis of sepsis in frail elderly patients.Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 62 frail elderly patients diagnosed with sepsis who were admitted to the Emergency Intensive Care Unit(EICU)at Beijing Hospital between March 2021 and March 2022.Based on their 28-day prognosis, the patients were categorized into two groups: those who died and those who survived.Upon admission, we collected urine samples and clinical data from both groups.We employed isotope dilution high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to measure the levels of the RNA oxidation marker 8-oxoGuo in the urine.Results:A total of 62 frail elderly patients[aged(85.1±6.3)years]diagnosed with sepsis were included in the study, comprising 36 patients in the 28-day mortality group and 26 patients in the survival group.Univariate analysis revealed that the survival group had significantly lower body temperature, blood calcitonin(PCT)levels, sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA)scores, and urinary 8-oxoGuo levels compared to the mortality group.Additionally, the survival group exhibited a higher mean arterial pressure(MAP)than the mortality group, with all differences reaching statistical significance(all P<0.05).Spearman correlation analysis indicated that urinary 8-oxoGuo levels were positively correlated with both PCT and SOFA scores in frail elderly sepsis patients( r=0.426, 0.768, both P<0.05).Furthermore, logistic regression analysis identified urinary 8-oxoGuo and SOFA as independent risk factors for 28-day mortality in this population( OR=1.936, 1.427; P=0.006, 0.002).The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)for urinary 8-oxoGuo and SOFA in predicting the 28-day prognosis of frail elderly sepsis patients was 0.761 and 0.741, respectively, both demonstrating statistical significance(both P<0.001). Conclusions:Our findings suggest that urinary 8-oxoGuo possesses strong predictive value for the short-term prognosis of sepsis in this vulnerable population.

Objective:To explore the onset characteristics and pathophysiological changes of simple liver cyst in Beijing.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was used. The physical examination data of Department of Health Management of Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University for 10 years from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2021 were analyzed. Selected clinical data of 37 389 subjects with 2 or more repeated ultrasound examinations, including 17 759 males, 19 630 females, aged (44.4±16.2) years, ranged from 22-103 years. 3 431 cases hepatic cyst were confirmed by repeated ultrasound examination, the data of the liver cyst formation after the same physical examination were the study group ( n=3 431), and the data before cyst formation were the control group ( n=3 431). The observation indicators included: (1) the epidemiological characteristics of liver cysts; (2) the age distribution of the incidence of liver cysts; (3) the gender distribution of the incidence of liver cysts; (4) the pathophysiological changes of liver cysts.Measurement data of normal distribution were expressed as mean±standard deviation ( ± s). The measurement data of skewed distribution were expressed as M ( Q1, Q3), using Wilcoxon signed rank sum test for comparing groups and chi-square test for comparing count data. The factors associated with hepatic cyst pathogenesis were summarized by multivariate Logistic regression. Results:The overall incidence of hepatic cysts was 9.18%, 9.78% in males, 8.63% in females, and the incidence of males was greater than that of females. The incidence of males over 70 to 79 years old decreased slightly, and the incidence in males and females in the other age groups increased with age.Results of multivariate Logistic analysis showed age ( OR=1.01, 95% CI: 1.01-1.02, P<0.01), waist circumference( OR=1.02, 95% CI: 1.01-1.02, P<0.01), systolic blood pressure ( OR=1.00, 95% CI: 0.99-1.00, P=0.013), ALT ( OR=0.99, 95% CI: 0.98-1.00, P<0.01), AST ( OR=1.03, 95% CI: 1.02-1.04, P<0.01), triglyceride lipids ( OR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.86-0.95, P<0.01), HDL( OR=0.71, 95% CI: 0.60-0.83, P<0.01), uric acid ( OR=1.00, 95% CI: 1.00-1.00, P<0.01), creatinine ( OR=0.99, 95% CI: 0.99-0.99, P<0.01) were the factors influencing the occurrence of liver cysts. Conclusions:The incidence of liver cysts increased linearly with age, and the incidence of males was greater than that of females. Age, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, ALT, AST, triglycerides, HDL, uric acid, and creatinine may interact with the occurrence and development of liver cysts.

Objective:To analyze the correlation between drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE), results, polysomnography (PSG) indicators, and clinical parameters in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and to establish and validate a predictive model for tongue base plane obstruction.Methods:This retrospective study analyzed 117 OSA patients diagnosed via PSG and treated at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, between October 2014 and March 2022. The cohort comprised of 114 males and 3 females, with an age range of 20 to 54 years (mean age 38.1±8.4 years). Data on DISE results, PSG results, and clinical indicators were collected for all 117 patients. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify relevant indicators, and a predictive model for tongue base plane obstruction was constructed and internally validated using the R programming language.Results:Univariate logistic regression analysis identified four independent risk factors for predicting tongue root plane obstruction: tonsil grading, N2, N3, and rapid eye movement sleep(REM) stage [ OR:0.412(0.260~0.652),1.045(1.012~1.079),0.943(0.903~0.984),0.961(0.925~0.998), P <0.05]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed tonsil grading and N3 sleep stage (12.48±12.22%) as significant predictors. A nomogram model incorporating these factors demonstrated good predictive performance, with an area under curve(AUC) of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.548-1.000), an optimal cutoff of 0.519, a specificity of 80.0%, and a sensitivity of 86.7%. Internal validation of the model in the validation cohort yielded an AUC of 0.751 (95% CI: 0.625-0.876). Conclusions:Tongue base plane obstruction observed during DISE in OSA patients is associated with tonsil grading and N3 sleep stage duration. The predictive model developed for tongue base plane obstruction based on DISE demonstrates good efficacy, as evidenced by its internal validation.