This article reviews the application and future prospects of complement component 5 (C5) inhibitors in kidney transplantation for sensitized recipients. Kidney transplantation significantly improves the survival and quality of life for patients with end-stage kidney disease. However, donor kidney shortages and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) sensitization are major obstacles. HLA-sensitized candidates, particularly highly sensitized ones, face a significantly elevated risk of post-transplant rejection due to pre-existing HLA antibodies. Eculizumab, a terminal complement inhibitor, inhibits rejection by preventing the cleavage of C5 into C5a and C5b, thus blocking the formation of the membrane attack complex and suppressing complement-dependent cytotoxicity.

Objective:To explore the efficacy of interventional therapy for transplant renal artery stenosis (TRAS) and the 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates of recipients after treatment.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. Forty TRAS recipients who underwent interventional treatment at Zhengzhou University People's Hospital between April 2016 and April 2021 were included as the study group. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the survival rates of the transplanted kidneys and recipients, and survival curves were plotted. The improvement in graft function and blood pressure after interventional therapy in the study group was further analyzed.Results:The 1- and 3-year graft survival rates in the study group after interventional therapy were 87.5% and 82.5%, respectively; the 1-, 2-, and 3-year recipient survival rates were all 100%. One month after interventional therapy, the peak systolic velocity (PSV) and resistance index (RI) of the transplanted kidneys were (235.4±135.1) cm/s and 0.60±0.07, respectively, which were significantly different from the pre-treatment values [(482.8±180.6) cm/s and 0.52±0.12, respectively; both P<0.001]. Serum creatinine levels at 1, 2, and 3 years after interventional therapy were (166.6±93.7) μmol/L, (137.4±57.2) μmol/L, and (137.4±57.9) μmol/L, respectively, all significantly lower than the pre-treatment level [(242.9±156.8) μmol/L; P=0.001, P<0.001, and P<0.001, respectively]. Systolic blood pressure at 1, 2, and 3 years after treatment was (138.5±11.1) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), (134.0±12.0) mmHg, and (130.8±10.8) mmHg, respectively, all significantly lower than the pre-treatment value [(153.8±9.8) mmHg; all P<0.001]. Diastolic blood pressure at 1, 2, and 3 years after treatment was (84.4±9.9) mmHg, (83.7±10.1) mmHg, and (81.9±6.9) mmHg, respectively, all significantly lower than the pre-treatment value [(93.5±12.8) mmHg; P=0.002, P=0.001, and P<0.001, respectively]. Conclusions:Interventional therapy can enable the majority of kidney transplant recipients diagnosed with TRAS to avoid the need for further dialysis, and it has positive effects on both transplant renal function and blood pressure control.

In recent years,increasingly diverse methods have been employed to prevent and treat radiation enteritis(RE).Improvements in radiotherapy techniques,optimization of radiation dose fractionation,and development and use of radioprotective agents have reduced the incidence of RE,and new treatment modalities,including hormones,mucosal protectants,endoscopic treatments,and surgical interventions,together with emerging therapies,including microbiome-based treatments,stem cell transplantation,and hyperbaric oxygen therapy,have made significant progress.These new technologies and treatments exhibit potential efficacy at alleviating symptoms,protecting the intestin-al barrier,promoting tissue repair,and restoring intestinal microbiota balance.Here,we review the latest research investigating treatment and prevention of RE,exploring the optimization of radiation therapy techniques,and developing strategies for prevention and treatment,with the aim of providing a theoretical basis for more precise,comprehensive,and effective treatment options for RE.

In recent years,increasingly diverse methods have been employed to prevent and treat radiation enteritis(RE).Improvements in radiotherapy techniques,optimization of radiation dose fractionation,and development and use of radioprotective agents have reduced the incidence of RE,and new treatment modalities,including hormones,mucosal protectants,endoscopic treatments,and surgical interventions,together with emerging therapies,including microbiome-based treatments,stem cell transplantation,and hyperbaric oxygen therapy,have made significant progress.These new technologies and treatments exhibit potential efficacy at alleviating symptoms,protecting the intestin-al barrier,promoting tissue repair,and restoring intestinal microbiota balance.Here,we review the latest research investigating treatment and prevention of RE,exploring the optimization of radiation therapy techniques,and developing strategies for prevention and treatment,with the aim of providing a theoretical basis for more precise,comprehensive,and effective treatment options for RE.

This article reviews the application and future prospects of complement component 5 (C5) inhibitors in kidney transplantation for sensitized recipients. Kidney transplantation significantly improves the survival and quality of life for patients with end-stage kidney disease. However, donor kidney shortages and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) sensitization are major obstacles. HLA-sensitized candidates, particularly highly sensitized ones, face a significantly elevated risk of post-transplant rejection due to pre-existing HLA antibodies. Eculizumab, a terminal complement inhibitor, inhibits rejection by preventing the cleavage of C5 into C5a and C5b, thus blocking the formation of the membrane attack complex and suppressing complement-dependent cytotoxicity.

Objective:To explore the efficacy of interventional therapy for transplant renal artery stenosis (TRAS) and the 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates of recipients after treatment.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. Forty TRAS recipients who underwent interventional treatment at Zhengzhou University People's Hospital between April 2016 and April 2021 were included as the study group. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the survival rates of the transplanted kidneys and recipients, and survival curves were plotted. The improvement in graft function and blood pressure after interventional therapy in the study group was further analyzed.Results:The 1- and 3-year graft survival rates in the study group after interventional therapy were 87.5% and 82.5%, respectively; the 1-, 2-, and 3-year recipient survival rates were all 100%. One month after interventional therapy, the peak systolic velocity (PSV) and resistance index (RI) of the transplanted kidneys were (235.4±135.1) cm/s and 0.60±0.07, respectively, which were significantly different from the pre-treatment values [(482.8±180.6) cm/s and 0.52±0.12, respectively; both P<0.001]. Serum creatinine levels at 1, 2, and 3 years after interventional therapy were (166.6±93.7) μmol/L, (137.4±57.2) μmol/L, and (137.4±57.9) μmol/L, respectively, all significantly lower than the pre-treatment level [(242.9±156.8) μmol/L; P=0.001, P<0.001, and P<0.001, respectively]. Systolic blood pressure at 1, 2, and 3 years after treatment was (138.5±11.1) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), (134.0±12.0) mmHg, and (130.8±10.8) mmHg, respectively, all significantly lower than the pre-treatment value [(153.8±9.8) mmHg; all P<0.001]. Diastolic blood pressure at 1, 2, and 3 years after treatment was (84.4±9.9) mmHg, (83.7±10.1) mmHg, and (81.9±6.9) mmHg, respectively, all significantly lower than the pre-treatment value [(93.5±12.8) mmHg; P=0.002, P=0.001, and P<0.001, respectively]. Conclusions:Interventional therapy can enable the majority of kidney transplant recipients diagnosed with TRAS to avoid the need for further dialysis, and it has positive effects on both transplant renal function and blood pressure control.

As the search for effective treatments for COVID-19 continues, the high mortality rate among critically ill patients in Intensive Care Units (ICU) presents a profound challenge. This study explores the potential benefits of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a supplementary treatment for severe COVID-19. A total of 110 critically ill COVID-19 patients at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Vulcan Hill Hospital between Feb., 2020, and April, 2020 (Wuhan, China) participated in this observational study. All patients received standard supportive care protocols, with a subset of 81 also receiving TCM as an adjunct treatment. Clinical characteristics during the treatment period and the clinical outcome of each patient were closely monitored and analysed. Our findings indicated that the TCM group exhibited a significantly lower mortality rate compared with the non-TCM group (16 of 81 vs 24 of 29; 0.3 vs 2.3 person/month). In the adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, TCM treatment was associated with improved survival odds (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the analysis also revealed that TCM treatment could partially mitigate inflammatory responses, as evidenced by the reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and contribute to the recovery of multiple organic functions, thereby potentially increasing the survival rate of critically ill COVID-19 patients.
Humans ; COVID-19 ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Critical Illness ; Treatment Outcome

Background::Transplant renal artery stenosis (TRAS) is a vascular complication after kidney transplantation associated with poor outcomes. This study aimed to analyze the efficacy and safety of low-dose aspirin for preventing TRAS.Methods::After kidney transplantation, patients were enrolled from January 2018 to December 2020 in Henan Provincial People’s Hospital. A total of 351 enrolled recipients were randomized to an aspirin group with low-dose intake of aspirin in addition to standard treatment ( n = 178), or a control group with only standard treatment ( n = 173). The patients was initially diagnosed as TRAS (id-TRAS) by Doppler ultrasound, and confirmed cases were diagnosed by DSA (c-TRAS). Results::In the aspirin and control groups, 15.7% (28/178) and 22.0% (38/173) of the recipients developed id-TRAS, respectively, with no statistical difference. However, for c-TRAS, the difference of incidence and cumulative incidence was statistically significant. The incidence of c-TRAS was lower in the aspirin group compared with the control group (2.8% [5/178] vs. 11.6% [20/173], P = 0.001). Kaplan–Meier estimates and Cox regression model identified the cumulative incidence and hazard ratio (HR) of TRAS over time in two groups, showing that recipients treated with aspirin had a significantly lower risk of c-TRAS than those who were not treated (log-rank P = 0.001, HR = 0.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.09–0.62). The levels of platelet aggregation rate ( P < 0.001), cholesterol ( P = 0.028), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( P = 0.003) in the aspirin group were decreased compared with the control group in the third-month post-transplantation. For the incidence of adverse events, there was no statistical difference. Conclusion::Clinical application of low-dose aspirin after renal transplant could prevent the development of TRAS with no significant increase in adverse effects.Trial Registration::Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04260828.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Microvascular invasion (MVI) is an established risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, prediction models that specifically focus on the individual prognoses of HCC patients with MVI is lacking. METHODS: A total of 385 HCC patients with MVI were randomly assigned to training and validation cohorts in a 2:1 ratio. The outcomes were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Prognostic nomograms were established based on the results of multivariate analyses. The concordance index (C-index), calibration plots and Kaplan-Meier curves were employed to evaluate the accuracy, calibration and discriminatory ability of the models. RESULTS: The independent risk factors for both DFS and OS included age, tumor size, tumor number, the presence of gross vascular invasion, and the presence of Glisson's capsule invasion. The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio was another risk factor for OS. On the basis of these predictors, two nomograms for DFS and OS were constructed. The C-index values of the nomograms for DFS and OS were 0.712 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.679 to 0.745; p<0.001) and 0.698 (95% CI, 0.657 to 0.739; p<0.001), respectively, in the training cohort and 0.704 (95% CI, 0.650 to 0.708; p<0.001) and 0.673 (95% CI, 0.607 to 0.739; p<0.001), respectively, in the validation cohort. The calibration curves showed optimal agreement between the predicted and observed survival rates. The Kaplan-Meier curves suggested that these two nomograms had satisfactory discriminatory abilities. CONCLUSIONS: These novel predictive models have satisfactory accuracy and discriminatory abilities in predicting the prognosis of HCC patients with MVI after hepatectomy.
Calibration ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cohort Studies ; Disease-Free Survival ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nomograms ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of celiac continued circulatory hyper -thermia perfusion with chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer with ascites .Methods Databases including the Cochrane Library MEDLINE,PubMed,Embase,CBM,VIP,CNKI and WanFang Data,and the other sources as supplying .The literatures were screened according to the inclusion criteria ,extracted data and assessed the meth-odological quality ,and then meta -analysis was performed using RevMan 5.0.2 software.Results Totally 14 RCTs with 867 patients were included .Meta-analysis showed that compared intraperitoneal chemotherapy ,with celiac continued circulatory hyperthermia perfusion had a significant difference in CR ( OR=3.18,95%CI:2.18~4.64,P<0.00001),PR(OR=2.05,95%CI:1.51~2.77,P<0.00001),overall effective rate(OR=4.88, 95%CI:3.59~6.46,P<0.00001).The incidence of adverse reactions was no statistically significant in the two groups.Conclusion Celiac continued circulatory hyperthermia perfusion with chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer with ascites demonstrates better efficacy and safety ,but it still needs to verify the above conclusion .