Objective:To comparatively evaluate the efficacy of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and anti-interleukin (IL)-12/23 biologics as the first-line treatment in Crohn′s disease (CD).Methods:From January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2024, at the Department of Gastroenterology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, the clinical data of patients with CD treated with anti-TNF-α (infliximab or adalimumab) or anti-IL-12/23 biologics (ustekinumab) as first-line treatment were retrospectively collected. All the patients were followed up for 1 year since the initiation of first-line biologic treatment, with the follow-up concluding on December 31, 2024. The primary outcomes were the clinical efficacy (including clinical response rate and clinical remission rate) of anti-TNF-α or anti-IL-12/23 treatment at week 24 and week 48, and the endoscopic efficacy(including endoscopic response rate and endoscopic remission rate) at week 48. The clinical efficacy was assessed based on Crohn′s disease activity index(CDAI). The clinical response was defined as a reduction in CDAI by ≥ 70 from baseline (week 0), and clinical remission was defined as CDAI < 150. The endoscopic efficacy was assessed based on simple endoscopic score for Crohn′s disease (SES-CD), the endoscopic response was defined as a reduction in SES-CD by ≥50% from baseline (week 0), and endoscopic remission was defined as SES-CD ≤2. Chi-square test or Fisher′s exact test was used for statistical analysis.Results:A total of 215 CD patients were enrolled, including 160 males and 55 females, with the age of (31.88±11.55) years old. Among them, 179 patients completed the clinical efficacy evaluation, 110 cases were treated with anti-TNF-α, 69 cases were treated with anti-IL-12/23. The clinical response rates of patients treated with anti-TNF-α and anti-IL-12/23 at week 24 were 95.5%(105/110) and 95.7%(66/69), respectively, and the clinical remission rates at week 24 were 86.4%(95/110) and 85.5%(59/69), respectively; the clinical response rates at week 48 were 95.5%(105/110) and 97.1%(67/69), respectively, and the clinical remission rates at week 48 were 89.1%(98/110) and 88.4%(61/69), respectively; and the differences were not statistically significant(Fisher′s exact test, χ2=0.03, Fisher′s exact test, χ2=0.02; P=1.000, 0.708, 0.872, and 0.887). A total of 76 patients completed endoscopic efficacy evaluation, among which 55 cases were treated with anti-TNF-α, and 21 cases were treated with anti-IL-12/23. The endoscopic response rates of patients treated with anti-TNF-α and anti-IL-12/23 were 74.5%(41/55) and 66.7%(14/21), respectively, and the endoscopic remission rates at week 48 were 49.1%(27/55) and 28.6%(6/21), respectively; and the differences were not statistically significant( χ2=0.47 and 2.60, P=0.492 and 0.107). Conclusion:Both anti-TNF-α and anti-IL-12/23 are effective as first-line biological therapies for CD, and there are no significant differences in both clinical and endoscopic efficacy between these 2 biologics.

Objective:To compare the role of double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) and dual-energy CT enterography (DCTE) in evaluating the clinical characteristics of Crohn′s disease (CD).Methods:From July 1, 2016 to November 1, 2023, 72 patients with CD who underwent both DBE and DCTE (with an interval of less than 3 months) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were enrolled in this retropective study. Among them, 4 patients underwent both DBE and DCTE twice (a total of 76 cases). The data of DBE and DCTE in the diagnosis of 76 CD cases were analyzed, including the diagnostic rate of CD, the consistency of the 2 methods in detecting the lesion location (ileocecal, colonic, ileocolonic, and upper gastrointestinal tract involvement), and the detection rates of stenosis, ulcer and the location, long ulcer (long-diameter≥2 cm), and fistula. Kappa test was performed for the consistency analysis, and Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis.Results:The diagnostic rate of CD by DBE was higher than that by DCTE (80.3% (61/76) vs. 65.8% (50/76)), and the diagnostic rate of combination of the 2 methods (89.5% (68/76)) was higher than that by DCTE alone, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=4.04 and 12.28, P=0.044 and <0.001). The result of Kappa consistency test showed that the consistency of CD lesion location detected by DBE and DCTE was poor (Kappa value=0.29, t=3.17, P=0.002). The detection rate of stenosis by DBE was higher than that by DCTE (46.1% (35/76) vs. 13.2% (10/76)), the detection rate of stenosis by combination of the 2 methods (52.6% (40/76)) was higher than that by DCTE alone, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=19.73 and 26.82, both P<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in the detection rates of fistula among DBE, DCTE, and the combination of the 2 methods (3.9%(3/76), 2.6% (2/76), 5.3% (4/76); all P>0.05). The detection rate of ulcer by DBE was higher than that by DCTE(73.7% (56/76) vs. 7.9% (6/76)), the detection rate of ulcer by combination of the 2 methods (76.3%(58/56)) was higher than that by DCTE alone, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=68.10 and 72.98, both P<0.001). The detection rates of long ulcer and non-terminal ileum ulcer by DBE were both 17.9% (10/56). All the 6 cases with ulcer detected by DCTE were located in the terminal ileum, and no long ulcers were observed. Conclusions:In the diagnosis of CD, as well as in the detection of stenosis and ulcer, DBE and the combination of DBE and DCTE have more advantages over DCTE alone. The consistency between DBE and DCTE in identifying the location of lesion is poor. DBE has advantages in detecting long ulcer and non-terminal ileum ulcer.

Objective We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shengxuebao Mixture in the treatment of cancer-related anemia(CRA)presenting with syndrome of deficiency of liver and kidney combined with syndrome of deficiency of both qi and blood.Methods A randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled,multicenter clinical trial was conducted.Eligible patients with malignant tumors meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled from 26 hospitals,including Dongzhimen Hospital,Beijing University of Chinese Medicine,Xiaogan Central Hospital,and Yangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine,from June 1,2022,to September 30,2024.Patients were allocated 1:1 to either the experimental group receiving Shengxuebao Mixture or the control group receiving its simulator(placebo)using a block randomization method under double-blind conditions.Both groups received 15 mL orally three times daily for 28 consecutive days.The primary efficacy indicators included the hemoglobin(Hb)improvement rate(RHb)and the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome improvement rate(RTCM)at week 4 of treatment.The secondary efficacy indicators encompassed Hb and red blood cell(RBC)count,Karnofsky Performance Status(KPS)score,TCM syndrome score,individual TCM symptom scores,and changes in each of these indicators compared to the baseline period at weeks 2,4,and 6 of treatment.Safety evaluations were conducted at week 4 of treatment.Results A total of 239 patients were enrolled,with 225 cases included in the Full Analysis Set(FAS)(109 in the experimental group vs.116 control group),163 in the Per Protocol Set(PPS)(77 vs.86),and 225 in the Safety Set(SS)(109 vs.116).Baseline characteristics between groups showed no significant differences.Significant differences were observed between the experimental and control groups in RHb at week 4(FAS:49.51%vs.35.24%,P<0.05;PPS:53.25%vs.36.05%,P<0.05)and RTCM at week 4(FAS:61.54%vs.39.62%,P<0.01;PPS:64.94%vs.40.70%,P<0.01).At weeks 2,4,and 6,the experimental group showed greater improvements in Hb and RBC counts than the control group.Additionally,the TCM syndrome scores were lower in the experimental group than in the control group at these time points.Except for week 2 in PPS,the KPS improvement was better in the experimental group than in the control group(P<0.05).The experimental group also demonstrated a greater reduction in scores for individual TCM symptoms such as spiritlessness and weakness,poor appetite and reduced food intake at weeks 4 and 6 compared to the control group(P<0.05,P<0.01).Furthermore,the reduction in vertigo score was more pronounced in the experimental group at week 6(P<0.01).For the score of pale and lusterless complexion,only in the PPS was the reduction from baseline more significant in the experimental group than in the control group at weeks 4 and 6(P<0.05).No significant differences were observed between the experimental and control groups in the incidence of all adverse events or drug-related adverse reactions.Conclusion Shengxuebao Mixture demonstrates significant efficacy in patients with CRA presenting syndrome of deficiency of liver and kidney combined with syndrome of deficiency of both qi and blood,effectively increasing Hb levels,ameliorating TCM syndromes,alleviating clinical symptoms,and enhancing functional status,with no significant difference in adverse drug reactions compared to the placebo.

Objective We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shengxuebao Mixture in the treatment of cancer-related anemia(CRA)presenting with syndrome of deficiency of liver and kidney combined with syndrome of deficiency of both qi and blood.Methods A randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled,multicenter clinical trial was conducted.Eligible patients with malignant tumors meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled from 26 hospitals,including Dongzhimen Hospital,Beijing University of Chinese Medicine,Xiaogan Central Hospital,and Yangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine,from June 1,2022,to September 30,2024.Patients were allocated 1:1 to either the experimental group receiving Shengxuebao Mixture or the control group receiving its simulator(placebo)using a block randomization method under double-blind conditions.Both groups received 15 mL orally three times daily for 28 consecutive days.The primary efficacy indicators included the hemoglobin(Hb)improvement rate(RHb)and the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome improvement rate(RTCM)at week 4 of treatment.The secondary efficacy indicators encompassed Hb and red blood cell(RBC)count,Karnofsky Performance Status(KPS)score,TCM syndrome score,individual TCM symptom scores,and changes in each of these indicators compared to the baseline period at weeks 2,4,and 6 of treatment.Safety evaluations were conducted at week 4 of treatment.Results A total of 239 patients were enrolled,with 225 cases included in the Full Analysis Set(FAS)(109 in the experimental group vs.116 control group),163 in the Per Protocol Set(PPS)(77 vs.86),and 225 in the Safety Set(SS)(109 vs.116).Baseline characteristics between groups showed no significant differences.Significant differences were observed between the experimental and control groups in RHb at week 4(FAS:49.51%vs.35.24%,P<0.05;PPS:53.25%vs.36.05%,P<0.05)and RTCM at week 4(FAS:61.54%vs.39.62%,P<0.01;PPS:64.94%vs.40.70%,P<0.01).At weeks 2,4,and 6,the experimental group showed greater improvements in Hb and RBC counts than the control group.Additionally,the TCM syndrome scores were lower in the experimental group than in the control group at these time points.Except for week 2 in PPS,the KPS improvement was better in the experimental group than in the control group(P<0.05).The experimental group also demonstrated a greater reduction in scores for individual TCM symptoms such as spiritlessness and weakness,poor appetite and reduced food intake at weeks 4 and 6 compared to the control group(P<0.05,P<0.01).Furthermore,the reduction in vertigo score was more pronounced in the experimental group at week 6(P<0.01).For the score of pale and lusterless complexion,only in the PPS was the reduction from baseline more significant in the experimental group than in the control group at weeks 4 and 6(P<0.05).No significant differences were observed between the experimental and control groups in the incidence of all adverse events or drug-related adverse reactions.Conclusion Shengxuebao Mixture demonstrates significant efficacy in patients with CRA presenting syndrome of deficiency of liver and kidney combined with syndrome of deficiency of both qi and blood,effectively increasing Hb levels,ameliorating TCM syndromes,alleviating clinical symptoms,and enhancing functional status,with no significant difference in adverse drug reactions compared to the placebo.

Objective:To construct and verify a risk prediction model for pulmonary infection in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) after craniotomy and clipping, providing theoretical basis and practical guidance for improving the quality of postoperative care.Methods:Using the convenience sampling method, a retrospective selection was made of 397 patients with aSAH after craniotomy and clipping who were hospitalized in the Department of Neurosurgery of Shanxi Bethune Hospital (Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences) from January 2019 to December 2023 as the modeling group. They were randomly divided into the training set and the test set at a ratio of 7:3, with 278 cases in the training set and 119 cases in the test set. Patients were divided into the infection group and the non-infection group based on whether they developed pulmonary infection. Univariate analysis was used to model the risk factors of pulmonary infection after aSAH craniotomy and clamping in the group, and Lasso regression was used to construct a predictive model. A total of 119 patients with aSAH admitted to the neurosurgery department of the same hospital from January to April 2024 were selected for the external validation of the model. The predictive effect of the model was evaluated through the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:In the modeling group, there were 216 male patients and 181 female patients. The incidence of pulmonary infection was 38.54% (153/397). Finally, five influencing factors, namely stroke, Hunt-Hess classification, mechanical ventilation, indwelling nasogastric tube and the timing of initiating enteral nutrition, were included to construct a predictive model. The areas under the ROC curves of the nomogram prediction models of this model in the training set, test set, and external validation group were 0.859(95% CI 0.791-0.928), 0.843(95% CI 0.796-0.890), and 0.800(95% CI 0.711-0.889), respectively. The calibration curve shows that the model's prediction fits well with the actual situation and has a high degree of calibration. Decision curve analysis indicates that this model has high clinical application value under different risk thresholds. Conclusions:The risk prediction model for pulmonary infection in patients after craniotomy and clipping with aSAH has good discrimination and calibration, which can provide reference for medical staff to identify high-risk patients at an early stage and take preventive intervention measures.

Objective:To construct and verify a risk prediction model for pulmonary infection in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) after craniotomy and clipping, providing theoretical basis and practical guidance for improving the quality of postoperative care.Methods:Using the convenience sampling method, a retrospective selection was made of 397 patients with aSAH after craniotomy and clipping who were hospitalized in the Department of Neurosurgery of Shanxi Bethune Hospital (Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences) from January 2019 to December 2023 as the modeling group. They were randomly divided into the training set and the test set at a ratio of 7:3, with 278 cases in the training set and 119 cases in the test set. Patients were divided into the infection group and the non-infection group based on whether they developed pulmonary infection. Univariate analysis was used to model the risk factors of pulmonary infection after aSAH craniotomy and clamping in the group, and Lasso regression was used to construct a predictive model. A total of 119 patients with aSAH admitted to the neurosurgery department of the same hospital from January to April 2024 were selected for the external validation of the model. The predictive effect of the model was evaluated through the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:In the modeling group, there were 216 male patients and 181 female patients. The incidence of pulmonary infection was 38.54% (153/397). Finally, five influencing factors, namely stroke, Hunt-Hess classification, mechanical ventilation, indwelling nasogastric tube and the timing of initiating enteral nutrition, were included to construct a predictive model. The areas under the ROC curves of the nomogram prediction models of this model in the training set, test set, and external validation group were 0.859(95% CI 0.791-0.928), 0.843(95% CI 0.796-0.890), and 0.800(95% CI 0.711-0.889), respectively. The calibration curve shows that the model's prediction fits well with the actual situation and has a high degree of calibration. Decision curve analysis indicates that this model has high clinical application value under different risk thresholds. Conclusions:The risk prediction model for pulmonary infection in patients after craniotomy and clipping with aSAH has good discrimination and calibration, which can provide reference for medical staff to identify high-risk patients at an early stage and take preventive intervention measures.

Objective:To comparatively evaluate the efficacy of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and anti-interleukin (IL)-12/23 biologics as the first-line treatment in Crohn′s disease (CD).Methods:From January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2024, at the Department of Gastroenterology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, the clinical data of patients with CD treated with anti-TNF-α (infliximab or adalimumab) or anti-IL-12/23 biologics (ustekinumab) as first-line treatment were retrospectively collected. All the patients were followed up for 1 year since the initiation of first-line biologic treatment, with the follow-up concluding on December 31, 2024. The primary outcomes were the clinical efficacy (including clinical response rate and clinical remission rate) of anti-TNF-α or anti-IL-12/23 treatment at week 24 and week 48, and the endoscopic efficacy(including endoscopic response rate and endoscopic remission rate) at week 48. The clinical efficacy was assessed based on Crohn′s disease activity index(CDAI). The clinical response was defined as a reduction in CDAI by ≥ 70 from baseline (week 0), and clinical remission was defined as CDAI < 150. The endoscopic efficacy was assessed based on simple endoscopic score for Crohn′s disease (SES-CD), the endoscopic response was defined as a reduction in SES-CD by ≥50% from baseline (week 0), and endoscopic remission was defined as SES-CD ≤2. Chi-square test or Fisher′s exact test was used for statistical analysis.Results:A total of 215 CD patients were enrolled, including 160 males and 55 females, with the age of (31.88±11.55) years old. Among them, 179 patients completed the clinical efficacy evaluation, 110 cases were treated with anti-TNF-α, 69 cases were treated with anti-IL-12/23. The clinical response rates of patients treated with anti-TNF-α and anti-IL-12/23 at week 24 were 95.5%(105/110) and 95.7%(66/69), respectively, and the clinical remission rates at week 24 were 86.4%(95/110) and 85.5%(59/69), respectively; the clinical response rates at week 48 were 95.5%(105/110) and 97.1%(67/69), respectively, and the clinical remission rates at week 48 were 89.1%(98/110) and 88.4%(61/69), respectively; and the differences were not statistically significant(Fisher′s exact test, χ2=0.03, Fisher′s exact test, χ2=0.02; P=1.000, 0.708, 0.872, and 0.887). A total of 76 patients completed endoscopic efficacy evaluation, among which 55 cases were treated with anti-TNF-α, and 21 cases were treated with anti-IL-12/23. The endoscopic response rates of patients treated with anti-TNF-α and anti-IL-12/23 were 74.5%(41/55) and 66.7%(14/21), respectively, and the endoscopic remission rates at week 48 were 49.1%(27/55) and 28.6%(6/21), respectively; and the differences were not statistically significant( χ2=0.47 and 2.60, P=0.492 and 0.107). Conclusion:Both anti-TNF-α and anti-IL-12/23 are effective as first-line biological therapies for CD, and there are no significant differences in both clinical and endoscopic efficacy between these 2 biologics.

Objective:To compare the role of double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) and dual-energy CT enterography (DCTE) in evaluating the clinical characteristics of Crohn′s disease (CD).Methods:From July 1, 2016 to November 1, 2023, 72 patients with CD who underwent both DBE and DCTE (with an interval of less than 3 months) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were enrolled in this retropective study. Among them, 4 patients underwent both DBE and DCTE twice (a total of 76 cases). The data of DBE and DCTE in the diagnosis of 76 CD cases were analyzed, including the diagnostic rate of CD, the consistency of the 2 methods in detecting the lesion location (ileocecal, colonic, ileocolonic, and upper gastrointestinal tract involvement), and the detection rates of stenosis, ulcer and the location, long ulcer (long-diameter≥2 cm), and fistula. Kappa test was performed for the consistency analysis, and Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis.Results:The diagnostic rate of CD by DBE was higher than that by DCTE (80.3% (61/76) vs. 65.8% (50/76)), and the diagnostic rate of combination of the 2 methods (89.5% (68/76)) was higher than that by DCTE alone, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=4.04 and 12.28, P=0.044 and <0.001). The result of Kappa consistency test showed that the consistency of CD lesion location detected by DBE and DCTE was poor (Kappa value=0.29, t=3.17, P=0.002). The detection rate of stenosis by DBE was higher than that by DCTE (46.1% (35/76) vs. 13.2% (10/76)), the detection rate of stenosis by combination of the 2 methods (52.6% (40/76)) was higher than that by DCTE alone, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=19.73 and 26.82, both P<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in the detection rates of fistula among DBE, DCTE, and the combination of the 2 methods (3.9%(3/76), 2.6% (2/76), 5.3% (4/76); all P>0.05). The detection rate of ulcer by DBE was higher than that by DCTE(73.7% (56/76) vs. 7.9% (6/76)), the detection rate of ulcer by combination of the 2 methods (76.3%(58/56)) was higher than that by DCTE alone, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=68.10 and 72.98, both P<0.001). The detection rates of long ulcer and non-terminal ileum ulcer by DBE were both 17.9% (10/56). All the 6 cases with ulcer detected by DCTE were located in the terminal ileum, and no long ulcers were observed. Conclusions:In the diagnosis of CD, as well as in the detection of stenosis and ulcer, DBE and the combination of DBE and DCTE have more advantages over DCTE alone. The consistency between DBE and DCTE in identifying the location of lesion is poor. DBE has advantages in detecting long ulcer and non-terminal ileum ulcer.

Objective:To explore the competitive attitude of students of medical college and its influencing factors.Methods:A sample of 382 first to third year medical students was selected with the method of random sampling. The questionnaire consists of three parts: demographics, Competitive Attitude Scale of Chinese Version and Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy. SPSS 25.0 was applied to perform the statistical analysis. Concrete methods that used involved statistical interpretation, Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman rank sum correlation analysis. Results:The benign competitive attitude of students was 51.00(45.00，56.00) and the excessive competitive attitude was 35.00(31.00，38.00). There was a statistically significant difference in the score of benign competitive attitude among medical students of different grades( H=22.31, P<0.001). There were statistically significant differences in the scores of benign competitive attitudes among the medical students who enjoy teamwork ( Z=-4.53, P<0.001), who had role models to follow in the medical field ( Z=-3.99, P<0.001), and who had careful career planning ( Z=-2.19, P=0.029). There were statistically significant differences in the scores of excessive competitive attitudes among the medical students who enjoy teamwork ( Z=-2.47, P=0.014), who had role models to follow in the medical field ( Z=-2.89, P=0.004), and who had careful career planning ( Z=-2.32, P=0.021). There was a weak positive correlation between empathy and benign competitive attitude ( r=0.20, P<0.001), but a negative correlation between empathy and excessive attitude ( r=-0.36, P<0.001). Conclusions:Medical students had a good competitive attitude. Medical college should pay more attention to improving medical students' sense of teamwork, career planning ability and willingness to learn from role models, guide students to develop a benign competitive attitude and focus on improving their professional quality.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological features, differential diagnosis and prognosis of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC).Methods:The clinical and pathological data of 10 patients with MCC were collected at the 940th Hospital of PLA. The histological characteristics were examined. Immunohistochemical EnVision method was used to detect thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF1), broad-spectrum cytokeratin (CKpan), CK20, S-100, Ki-67, CD56, chromogranin A, synaptophysin and other markers in the 10 cases.Results:Intradermal MCC of the skin showed a nested, cord-like, cribriform distribution, polygonal cells, uniform size, and lack of cytoplasm. Tumor cell nuclei were large and round, with clear nuclear membranes, fine and scattered chromatin, absence of nucleoli, and mitotic figures of 10 per 50 high power fields. Among them, one patient had sarcoma and squamous cell carcinoma in situ, one patient had squamous cell carcinoma in situ, and one patient had unique cell morphology. Immunohistochemical staining showed that all cancer cells expressed CKpan, synaptophysin and CD56. There were seven cases with perinuclear dot-like positivity of CK20. Six MCCs expressed chromogranin A to varying degrees, while 2 MCCs were weakly positive for p63. The nuclear positive index in the Ki-67 hotspot area was 60%.Conclusion:The histology of MCC varies. Rendering a correct diagnosis of MCC requires adequate sampling, close correlation with clinical history and rational use of immunohistochemical staining. The treatment requires standardized surgery, postoperative radiotherapy and multimodal chemotherapy. Immunotherapy may replace the traditional treatment in the future.