BACKGROUND: Meningeal metastasis (MM) is a form of malignant metastasis where tumor cells spread from the primary site to the pia mater, dura mater, arachnoid, subarachnoid space, and other cerebrospinal fluid compartments. Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumor types with MM. MM not only signifies that the lung cancer has progressed to an advanced stage but also leads to a range of severe clinical symptoms due to meningeal involvement. Currently, the risk factors associated with the development of MM are not fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for MM in patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) who underwent non-surgical interventions, in order to identify LUAD patients at high risk for MM. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed the clinical data of patients diagnosed with LUAD at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to July 2024. Missing data were imputed using multiple imputation methods, and risk factors were identified through LASSO, univariate, and multivariate Logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 170 patients with LUAD were included in this study and divided into two groups: 87 patients with MM and 83 patients without MM. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses revealed that younger age at diagnosis (P=0.004), presence of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) L858R gene mutation (P=0.008), and concurrent liver metastasis at baseline (P=0.004) were independent risk factors for developing MM in LUAD patients who did not undergo surgical intervention. Conversely, higher baseline globulin levels (P=0.039) and the presence of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene mutation (P=0.040) were associated with a reduced risk of MM development. CONCLUSIONS Age at diagnosis, EGFR L858R mutation status, ALK gene mutation status, concurrent liver metastasis, globulin levels at baseline were significantly associated with the risk of developing MM in patients with LUAD patients who did not undergo surgical intervention. For patients diagnosed at a younger age, carrying the EGFR L858R mutation, or presenting with baseline liver metastasis, early implementation of tertiary prevention strategies for MM is crucial. Regular monitoring of MM status should be conducted in these high-risk groups.
Humans ; Male ; Adenocarcinoma of Lung/therapy* ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Lung Neoplasms/therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged ; Meningeal Neoplasms/genetics* ; Adult

Hypertrophic scar is a fibrous hyperplastic disorder that arises from skin injuries. The current therapeutic modalities are constrained by the dense and rigid scar tissue which impedes effective drug delivery. Additionally, insufficient autophagic activity in fibroblasts hinders their apoptosis, leading to excessive matrix deposition. Here, we developed an active microneedle (MN) system to overcome these challenges by integrating micromotor-driven drug delivery with autophagy regulation to remodel the scar microenvironment. Specifically, sodium bicarbonate and citric acid were introduced into the MNs as a built-in engine to generate CO₂ bubbles, thereby enabling enhanced lateral and vertical drug diffusion into dense scar tissue. The system concurrently encapsulated curcumin (Cur), an autophagy activator, and triamcinolone acetonide (TA), synergistically inducing fibroblast apoptosis by upregulating autophagic activity. In vitro studies demonstrated that active MNs achieved efficient drug penetration within isolated scar tissue. The rabbit hypertrophic scar model revealed that TA-Cur MNs significantly reduced the scar elevation index, suppressed collagen I and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) expression, and elevated LC3 protein levels. These findings highlight the potential of the active MN system as an efficacious platform for autonomous augmented drug delivery and autophagy-targeted therapy in fibrotic disorder treatments.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of Xiaozhi Tea(composed of Eupatorii Herba,Nelumbinis Folium,Chrysanthemi Flos,Cassiae Semen,Crataegi Fructus,bran-fried Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma,Poria,Pseudostellariae Radix,Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium,Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Praeparata cum Melle)combined with Atorvastatin Calcium Tablets for the treatment of hyperlipidemia patients with turbid phlegm obstruction syndrome.Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 200 hyperlipidemia patients with turbid phlegm obstruction syndrome who visited the outpatient department of Shenzhen Bao'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Group from September 2023 to September 2024.The patients were equally divided into a trial group and a control group based on the treatment regimen,with 100 cases in each group.The control group received oral use of Atorvastatin Calcium Tablets alone,while the trial group received Xiaozhi Tea in addition to Atorvastatin Calcium Tablets orally,both groups were treated for 8 weeks.Changes in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores and lipid profiles of total cholesterol(TC),triglycerides(TG),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)in the two groups were observed before and after treatment.After treatment,the clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)There were 3 patients in the control group dropping out due to lack of follow-up data,leaving 197 patients who eventually completed the study,100 cases in the trial group and 97 cases in the control group.(2)After 8 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate in the trial group was 97.00%(97/100)and that in the control group was 87.63%(85/97).The intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the trial group showed significantly stronger efficacy than the control group(P＜0.05).(3)Both groups exhibited significant reductions in TCM syndrome scores after treatment in comparison with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and a more pronounced reduction was presented in the trial group(P＜0.05).(4)Both groups showed decreased TC,TG,and LDL-C levels(P＜0.05)and increased HDL-C level after treatment in comparison with those before treatment(P＜0.05).The trial group demonstrated more obvious reduction of TC,TG,LDL-C,and more obvious elevation of HDL-C than the control group(P＜0.05).(5)In terms of safety,no severe adverse reactions occurred in either group.The incidence of adverse reactions in the trial group was 1.00%(1/100)and that in the control group was 2.06%(2/97),with no statistically significant difference between groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion Xiaozhi Tea combined with Atorvastatin Calcium Tablets exerts certain efficacy in treating hyperlipidemia with turbid phlegm obstruction syndrome,and is effective on significantly improving lipid profiles and clinical symptoms.The combination therapy demonstrates superior efficacy compared to Atorvastatin Calcium Tablets alone.

Objective Inflammation and fibrosis are key features of diabetic nephropathy(DN).Triptolide(TP)exhibits anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties,though its mechanisms of action in DN remain unclear.CREKA(Cys-Arg-Glu-Lys-Ala)is a pentapeptide that specifically binds to fibronectin(FN),and the CREKA-modified liposome(CREKA-Lip)represents a novel FN-targeted drug delivery system.This study aimed to investigate the role of TP in diabetic db/db mice and determine whether encapsulation within CREKA-Lip enhances therapeutic efficacy while reducing the multi-organ toxicity of TP.Methods Eight-week-old diabetic db/db mice received tail vein injections twice weekly with vehicle,free TP,or CREKA-Lip/TP for 10 weeks.Urine and serum parameters were measured,and kidney,heart,liver,and testis tissues were collected for pathological evaluation.Protein-protein interaction networks were constructed using Cytoscape and its plug-ins to identify core targets and elucidate the therapeutic mechanism of TP against DN.Inflammatory,fibrotic,apoptotic,and lipid metabolism markers were evaluated in the kidneys of diabetic mice with DN and in high glucose-treated mouse mesangial cells and podocytes using qPCR,Western blot,immunohistochemistry,and immunofluorescence assays.Results TP administration reduced fasting blood glucose levels and glomerular mesangial expansion in diabetic mice.TP significantly suppressed renal inflammation,fibrosis,and apoptosis while enhancing lipid metabolism.Integration of network pharmacology,molecular docking,and transcriptomics revealed that TP ameliorated DN by inhibiting the JAK2-STAT1 signaling pathway.In vitro,TP inhibited high glucose-induced phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT1,reduced collagen production in mesangial cells,decreased apoptosis,and improved lipid metabolism in podocytes.Moreover,CREKA-Lip/TP exhibited superior efficacy compared with free TP,with a more sustained reduction in urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio and greater inhibition of mesangial expansion.Notably,CREKA-Lip/TP treatment did not induce systemic toxicity.Conclusion TP improves renal inflammation,fibrosis,apoptosis,and lipid homeostasis,thereby ameliorating DN by inhibiting JAK2-STAT1 activation.Targeted delivery of TP via FN-binding CREKA-Lip enhances therapeutic efficacy while minimizing multi-organ toxicity.

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and mutation spectrum of monogenic diseases in Chinese population through a large-scale,multicenter carrier screening.Methods This study was conducted among a total of 33 104 participants(16 610 females)from 12 clinical centers across China.Carrier status for 223 genes was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and different PCR methods.Results The overall combined carrier frequency was 55.58%for 197 autosomal genes and 1.84%for 26 X-linked genes in these participants.Among the 16 669 families,874 at-risk couples(5.24%)were identified.Specifically,584 couples(3.50%)were at risk for autosomal genes,306(1.84%)for X-linked genes,and 16 for both autosomal and X-linked genes.The most frequently detected autosomal at-risk genes included GJB2(autosomal recessive deafness type 1A,393 couples),HBA1/HBA2(α-thalassemia,36 couples),PAH(phenylketonuria,14 couples),and SMN1(spinal muscular atrophy,14 couples).The most frequently detected X-linked at-risk genes were G6PD(G6PD deficiency,236 couples),DMD(Duchenne muscular dystrophy,23 couples),and FMR1(fragile X syndrome,17 couples).After excluding GJB2 c.109G>A,the detection rate of at-risk couples was 3.91%(651/16 669),which was lowered to 1.72%(287/16 669)after further excluding G6PD.The theoretical incidence rate of severe monogenic birth defects was approximately 4.35‰(72.5/16 669).Screening for a battery of the top 22 most frequent genes in the at-risk couples could detect over 95%of at-risk couples,while screening for the top 54 genes further increased the detection rate to over 99%.Conclusion This study reveals the carrier frequencies of 223 monogenic genetic disorders in the Chinese population and provides evidence for carrier screening strategy development and panel design tailored to the Chinese population.In carrier testing,genetic counseling for specific genes or gene variants can be challenging,and the couples need to be informed of these difficulties before testing and provided with options for not screening these genes or gene variants.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of hypomethylating agents (HMA) in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) .Methods:A total of 409 MDS patients from 45 hospitals in Zhejiang province who received at least four consecutive cycles of HMA monotherapy as initial therapy were enrolled to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HMA. Mann-Whitney U or Chi-square tests were used to compare the differences in the clinical data. Logistic regression and Cox regression were used to analyze the factors affecting efficacy and survival. Kaplan-Meier was used for survival analysis. Results:Patients received HMA treatment for a median of 6 cycles (range, 4-25 cycles) . The complete remission (CR) rate was 33.98% and the overall response rate (ORR) was 77.02%. Multivariate analysis revealed that complex karyotype ( P=0.02, OR=0.39, 95% CI 0.18-0.84) was an independent favorable factor for CR rate. TP53 mutation ( P=0.02, OR=0.22, 95% CI 0.06-0.77) was a predictive factor for a higher ORR. The median OS for the HMA-treated patients was 25.67 (95% CI 21.14-30.19) months. HMA response ( P=0.036, HR=0.47, 95% CI 0.23-0.95) was an independent favorable prognostic factor, whereas complex karyotype ( P=0.024, HR=2.14, 95% CI 1.10-4.15) , leukemia transformation ( P<0.001, HR=2.839, 95% CI 1.64-4.92) , and TP53 mutation ( P=0.012, HR=2.19, 95% CI 1.19-4.07) were independent adverse prognostic factors. There was no significant difference in efficacy and survival between the reduced and standard doses of HMA. The CR rate and ORR of MDS patients treated with decitabine and azacitidine were not significantly different. The median OS of patients treated with decitabine was longer compared with that of patients treated with azacitidine (29.53 months vs 20.17 months, P=0.007) . The incidence of bone marrow suppression and pneumonia in the decitabine group was higher compared with that in the azacitidine group. Conclusion:Continuous and regular use of appropriate doses of hypomethylating agents may benefit MDS patients to the greatest extent if it is tolerated.

Objective To investigate the status quo of pain catastrophizing(PC)in the patients with di-abetic peripheral neuropathic pain(DPNP),and to analyze the influencing factors to provide reference for for-mulating clinical preventive intervention strategies.Methods A total of 206 patients with DPNP admitted and treated in the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region were selected as the research sub-jects by convenience sampling method.The general data questionnaire,Numerical Rating Scale(NRS),Pain Catastrophizing scale(PCS),Perceived Social Support Scale(PSSS)and diabetes distress scale(DDS)were used to conduct the investigation.Results The incidence rate of PC in 206 cases of DPNP patients was 44.66％(92/206),and the total score of PCS was(30.10±5.16)points.The results of multiple linear regres-sion analysis showed that the gender,duration of diabetes(≥10 years),multiple drug use,number of compli-cations(＞5),NRS score,PSSS score and scores of DDS dimensions were the main influencing factors of PC(all P＜0.05),which could explain 92.3％of the total variation of PC.Conclusion The PC incidence rate in the patients with DPNP is high.Clinical healthcare workers should pay attention to the evaluation of PC in these patients,and formulate the scientific and effective targeted intervention measures according to the main influen-cing factors to help the patients to reduce the pain burden in order to reduce the level of PC.

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and mutation spectrum of monogenic diseases in Chinese population through a large-scale,multicenter carrier screening.Methods This study was conducted among a total of 33 104 participants(16 610 females)from 12 clinical centers across China.Carrier status for 223 genes was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and different PCR methods.Results The overall combined carrier frequency was 55.58%for 197 autosomal genes and 1.84%for 26 X-linked genes in these participants.Among the 16 669 families,874 at-risk couples(5.24%)were identified.Specifically,584 couples(3.50%)were at risk for autosomal genes,306(1.84%)for X-linked genes,and 16 for both autosomal and X-linked genes.The most frequently detected autosomal at-risk genes included GJB2(autosomal recessive deafness type 1A,393 couples),HBA1/HBA2(α-thalassemia,36 couples),PAH(phenylketonuria,14 couples),and SMN1(spinal muscular atrophy,14 couples).The most frequently detected X-linked at-risk genes were G6PD(G6PD deficiency,236 couples),DMD(Duchenne muscular dystrophy,23 couples),and FMR1(fragile X syndrome,17 couples).After excluding GJB2 c.109G>A,the detection rate of at-risk couples was 3.91%(651/16 669),which was lowered to 1.72%(287/16 669)after further excluding G6PD.The theoretical incidence rate of severe monogenic birth defects was approximately 4.35‰(72.5/16 669).Screening for a battery of the top 22 most frequent genes in the at-risk couples could detect over 95%of at-risk couples,while screening for the top 54 genes further increased the detection rate to over 99%.Conclusion This study reveals the carrier frequencies of 223 monogenic genetic disorders in the Chinese population and provides evidence for carrier screening strategy development and panel design tailored to the Chinese population.In carrier testing,genetic counseling for specific genes or gene variants can be challenging,and the couples need to be informed of these difficulties before testing and provided with options for not screening these genes or gene variants.

Objective To identify the characteristics of nutritional problems in patients with Parkinsonism who par-ticipated in multi-disciplinary team(MDT)and to investigate the correlation between nutritional status and dyspha-gia in these patients.The predictive value of video fluoroscopic swallowing study(VFSS)and EAT-10 scale for malnutrition was compared.Methods Subjects were patients with Parkinsonism participated in joint MDT consulta-tion project in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from November 2020 to January 2023.Subjective and objec-tive dysphagia were evaluated by EAT-10 scale score and VFSS dysphagia score.Nutritional status of the patients was evaluated by geriatric nutrition risk index(GNRI),albumin,prealbumin,serum folic acid,vitamin B12 and temporal muscle thickness.Results A total of 30 participants met the criteria and were included in the study.The age was 45-82(66.1±9.0)years old.Six(20%)were at risk of malnutrition shown b a comprehensive nutri-tional status assessment using GNRI.The areas under receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves(AUC)of VFSS dysphagia score and EAT-10 score to predict malnutrition were 0.781(0.568-0.995)and 0.927(0.827-1.000),respectively.EAT-10 score was correlated with GNRI(r=-0.524,P＜0.01),BMI(r=-0.618,P＜0.001),prealbumin(r=-0.616,P＜0.001).The VFSS dysphagia score was only correlated with BMI(r=-0.446,P＜0.05)and prealbumin(r=-0.387,P＜0.05).Conclusions Patients with Parkin-sonism requiring MDT often have multiple micronutrient imbalance.Patients' subjective perception of dysphagia has a greater impact on their nutritional status than objective assessment of dysphagia.

Objective To find the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with multiple system atrophy(MSA)and to explore the muscle related risk factors that affect the ability if living and exercise of patients.Methods Through a cross-sectional study,patients with Parkinson's disease(PD)and movement disorders who visited the multidiscipli-nary outpatient clinic of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from October 2022 to December 2023 were includ-ed.Their demographic data and disease duration were collected.The modified Barthel Index(simplified Chinese version)was applied to evaluate the participants'living ability.The severity of movement disorders and non-motor symptoms were evaluated by the Unified PD rating scale.The body composition,grip strength,SARC-F score were used to evaluate the muscle condition of patients and the diagnosis of sarcopenia and pre sarcopenia were made ac-cording to EWGSOP2.Results Among 44 patients included in this study,8(18.8%)were diagnosed with sarcope-nia,17(38.6%)were pre-sarcopenia and 19(43.2)had normal muscle condition.There were significant differences in disease-related clinical characteristics among the three groups.MSA patients were characterized by older age(P＜0.01).They had lower BMI(P＜0.01),and worse disease symptom score(P＜0.01),SARC-F score(P＜0.05),and activity score(P＜0.01),significantly reduced fat removal weight(P＜0.01)and phase angle(P＜0.05).Regression analysis showed that SARC-F score,grip strength,limb skeletal muscle index and fat free weight were all independent risk factors affecting the ability of living and exercise of MSA patients.Conclusions The preval-ence of MSA sarcopenia is higher and sarcopenia is closely associated with more severe clinical illness and lower living ability.It is an independent risk factor for increased living ability score and motor function score.