Objective:The aim of this study was to assess the frailty status of patients with heart failure undergoing CRT-D and then explore the predictive value of frailty for all-cause mortality and heart failure-related readmissions in these patients.Methods:We retrospectively included 374 patients with chronic heart failure who underwent CRT-D treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University between June 2020 and June 2024. Based on the Tilburg Debilitation Assessment Scale, 175 patients (46.8%) were classified as frail while 199 (53.2%) were classified as non-frail. The baseline data between the two groups was compared using Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves were used for survival analysis. P-values of <0.05 indicated statistically significant differences. Results:A total of 374 patients aged 25-93 (68±11) years were enrolled in this study, 101 (27.0%) of which were female. Among these, 175 (46.8%) were categorized as frail, and 199 (53.2%) were classified as non-frail. Over a median follow-up time of 23 (5, 45) months, 35 (9.4%) patients experienced all-cause mortality, with 30 (17.1%) deaths occurring in the frail group and 5 (2.5%) in the non-frail group; meanwhile, readmission events due to heart failure occurred in a total of 174 (46.5%) patients, including 122 (70.1%) in the frail group, and 52 (29.9%) in the non-frail group. Cox analysis showed that frailty was a significant determinant of all-cause mortality ( HR=21.25, 95% CI 3.99-113.30, P<0.001) and readmission among heart failure patients receiving CRT-D ( HR=2.52, 95% CI 1.73-3.68, P<0.001). Log-rank tests showed that the survival rate of patients in the frail group was significantly lower than that of patients in the non-frail group ( HR=7.22, 95% CI 2.80-18.60, P<0.001) and the risk of readmission events due to heart failure was significantly higher among patients in the frail group than among those in the non-frail group ( HR=2.75, 95% CI 1.98-3.81, P<0.001). Conclusions:Frailty is an independent predictor of postoperative all-cause mortality and the occurrence of heart failure-related readmissions in patients with heart failure treated receiving CRT-D.

BACKGROUND:A large number of studies have confirmed that the therapeutic effectiveness of mesenchymal stem cell secretome is comparable to that of mesenchymal stem cells,but the mechanism of its action is still unclear. OBJECTIVE:To summarize the research progress of mesenchymal stem cell secretome in recent years,to investigate the molecular mechanism of its therapeutic effect,to analyze the current problems and to look forward to the future development. METHODS:The terms"exosomes,mesenchymal stem cells secrete,extracellular vesicles,mesenchymal stem cells,mechanism"were used as English search terms in the PubMed database.Articles that were not related to the research purpose of the article and duplicated articles were excluded.At the same time,we combined the method of literature tracking.Finally,109 articles that met the criteria were incuded for the review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The mesenchymal stem cell secretome promotes tissue repair and regeneration through delivering genetic material,immunomodulatory factors,growth factors,etc.to target cells,by activating anti-apoptotic,regulating angiogenesis,modulating fibrosis and pro-survival pathways in target cells.(2)The potential of mesenchymal stem cell secretome in disease therapy has also been confirmed.Numerous research results have shown that mesenchymal stem cell secretome can be used as a new cell-free treatment for inflammatory and degenerative diseases.(3)Mesenchymal stem cell secretome has been engineered to have more efficient therapeutic effects in recent years.However,due to the heterogeneity of the mesenchymal stem cell secretome and the complexity of its components,the exact mechanism of its therapeutic effect is still unclear.(4)At present,further research is needed to identify the key targets of mesenchymal stem cell secretome,and innovative specific and enhanced mesenchymal stem cell secretome should be developed by combining with engineering and genetic engineering technologies in the future.

Premature ovarian insufficiency(POI)is a complex endocrine disorder that significantly affects the physiological and repro-ductive functions of women,and it has become one of the main causes of infertility in women of childbearing age.The clinical features of POI include amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea,low estrogen or estrogen deficiency,and an increase in the level of gonadotropin.The in-cidence rate of POI tends to increase,yet its etiology and pathogenesis remain unclear.At present,the conventional treatment methods for POI have limited efficacy in fundamentally improving ovarian function or addressing the fertility issue.With the development of re-generative medicine,mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)have become one of the research hotspots in POI therapy,and their exosomes have attracted wide attention as a promising"cell-free therapy".A number of animal experimental studies have shown that MSCs and their exosomes can exert a therapeutic effect on POI by affecting granulosa cell proliferation and apoptosis,promoting ovarian angiogen-esis,reducing oxidative stress and fibrosis,enhancing follicular development,and regulating immunity.In addition,related clinical studies have also made some progress.This article reviews the mechanisms and clinical effect of MSCs and their exosomes in the treatment of POI,in order to provide a reference for further research and bench-to-bedside translation of POI therapies.

Houpo Qiwutang originated from the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber， and it consists of seven medicines： Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex， Rhei Radix et Rhizoma， Aurantii Fructus Immaturus， Cinnamomi Ramulus， Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens， Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， and Jujubae Fructus. It is a basic formula for the treatment of abdominal fullness. Through the bibliometric method， the historical history， drug base， preparation and dosage， decoction method， and ancient and modern applications of Houpu Qiwu Tang were analyzed by means of textual research. The research finds that Houpu Qiwu Tang has been passed down through the generations in an orderly manner with fewer changes. The drug base of this formula is basically clear， and the base of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex， Rhei Radix et Rhizoma， Cinnamomi Ramulus， Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens， and Jujubae Fructus is consistent with the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The mainstream base of Aurantii Fructus Immaturus is the dried young fruit of Citrus aurantium of Rutaceae family， and the historical mainstream base of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma is the dried root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis of Leguminosae family. The modern dosage of this formula is 110.40 g of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex， 41.40 g of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma， 69 g of Aurantii Fructus Immaturus， 27.60 g of Cinnamomi Ramulus， 69 g of Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens， 41.40 g of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， and 30 g of Jujubae Fructus. In addition， the decoction method is to add 2 000 mL of water with the above seven flavors of the medicine， boil it to 800 mL， and then take 160 mL in a warm state each time. The amount of the medicine taken for each time is 22.08 g of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex， 8.28 g of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma， 13.80 g of Aurantii Fructus Immaturus， 5.52 g of Cinnamomi Ramulus， 13.80 g of Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens， 8.28 g of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， and 6 g of Jujubae Fructus. The modern application of this formula involves the digestive system， respiratory system， and urinary system. It is more advantageous in digestive system diseases such as early postoperative inflammatory bowel obstruction， functional dyspepsia， gastric pain， functional abdominal distension， and gastric reflux esophagitis. By comprehensively examining the key information of Houpu Qiwu Tang， this paper aims to provide literature support for the development and clinical application of this formula.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical outcomes of radical resection and perioperative management strategies in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with major vascular invasion and tumor thrombus.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. From January 2010 to December 2022,clinicopathological data of 387 HCC patients who underwent liver resection at the Hepatobiliary Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. In the cohort,there were 326 males (84.2%) and 61 females (15.8%),with an age ( M(IQR)) of 54(16) years (range: 16 to 82 years). One hundred and nineteen patients (30.7%) had macrovascular invasion without thrombus and 268 patients(69.3%) had macrovascular thrombus. Categorical variables were presented as frequencies (percentages). Survival rates were calculated using life-table analysis,and Kaplan-Meier curves were employed to depict overall survival(OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Independent prognostic factors were identified by univariate and multivariate Cox regression. Results:Among 387 patients,R0 resection was achieved in 359 cases (92.8%),with R1 or R2 resection in 28 cases (7.2%). Excluding in-hospital deaths,the 354 R0-resected patients had a median OS of 19.8 months, with 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 63.3%, 35.1%, and 22.4%, respectively; median RFS was 5.6 months,and 1-, 3-, and 5-year RFS was 34.0%,18.0%,and 14.4%, respectively. Patients receiving preoperative therapy showed a median OS of 26.0 months,1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 75.5%, 48.4%, and 32.5%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the OS of patients with or without preoperative therapy ( P>0.05). The median OS time of patients who received postoperative adjuvant therapy was 53.0 months, and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 87.9%, 59.2%, and 34.8%, respectively. The median OS time of patients who did not receive postoperative adjuvant therapy was 13.7 months, and 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 56.7%, 31.7%, and 22.4%, respectively ( P<0.01). The median RFS of patients who received postoperative adjuvant therapy was 11.6 months, and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year RFS rates were 49.6%, 29.8%, and 26.8%, respectively. The median RFS of patients who did not receive postoperative adjuvant therapy was 4.2 months, and the 1-,3-,and 5-year RFS rates were 29.2%, 16.1%, and 12.5%, respectively ( P<0.01). Multivariate analysis identified that maximum tumor diameter,postoperative adjuvant therapy,and treatment after recurrence were the independent predictors of the OS of patients with major vascular invasion and tumor thrombus (all P<0.05),while age,surgical approach,and postoperative adjuvant therapy independently influenced the RFS of patients with major vascular invasion and tumor thrombus(all P<0.05). Conclusions:HCC patients with vascular invasion/thrombus could benefit from surgery-based multimodal therapy after careful evaluation. Postoperative adjuvant therapy significantly reduces recurrence and prolongs patients′ survival.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic value of coronary angiography-derived fractional flow reserve (FFR) and index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) for identifying coronary functional abnormalities.Methods:This diagnostic study enrolled patients with clinically suspected or diagnosed coronary artery disease who underwent coronary angiography at Beijing Anzhen Hospital, TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital, and Qilu Hospital of Shandong University between December 2021 and June 2022. All enrolled patients successfully underwent invasive wire-based FFR and IMR measurements during angiography. In a core laboratory, FFR and IMR for the target vessels were measured using artificial intelligence technology based on coronary angiographic images. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between angiography-derived FFR and wire-based FFR, and between angiography-derived IMR and wire-based IMR. Coronary hemodynamic abnormality was defined as FFR≤0.80; the diagnostic performance of angiography-derived FFR for identifying this abnormality was evaluated. Microcirculatory dysfunction was defined as IMR≥25; the diagnostic performance of angiography-derived IMR for identifying microcirculatory dysfunction was evaluated.Results:A total of 181 patients, aged (60.6±8.8) years, with 62 (34.3%) females, and 181 target vessels were included in the final analysis. Angiography-derived FFR showed a significant positive correlation with wire-based FFR ( r=0.78, P<0.001). For identifying coronary hemodynamic abnormality, angiography-derived FFR showed an accuracy of 89.0%, sensitivity of 88.8%, specificity of 89.1%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 88.8%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 89.1%, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ( AUC) of 0.88. Angiography-derived IMR showed a significant positive correlation with wire-based IMR ( r=0.93, P<0.001). For identifying microcirculatory dysfunction, angiography-derived IMR demonstrated an accuracy of 89.5%, sensitivity of 86.8%, specificity of 90.2%, PPV of 70.2%, NPV of 96.3%, and an AUC of 0.95. Conclusion:Angiography-derived FFR and IMR exhibit strong correlations with their invasive wire-based counterparts and demonstrate high diagnostic value for assessing coronary hemodynamics and coronary microcirculatory function.

Objective:The aim of this study was to assess the frailty status of patients with heart failure undergoing CRT-D and then explore the predictive value of frailty for all-cause mortality and heart failure-related readmissions in these patients.Methods:We retrospectively included 374 patients with chronic heart failure who underwent CRT-D treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University between June 2020 and June 2024. Based on the Tilburg Debilitation Assessment Scale, 175 patients (46.8%) were classified as frail while 199 (53.2%) were classified as non-frail. The baseline data between the two groups was compared using Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves were used for survival analysis. P-values of <0.05 indicated statistically significant differences. Results:A total of 374 patients aged 25-93 (68±11) years were enrolled in this study, 101 (27.0%) of which were female. Among these, 175 (46.8%) were categorized as frail, and 199 (53.2%) were classified as non-frail. Over a median follow-up time of 23 (5, 45) months, 35 (9.4%) patients experienced all-cause mortality, with 30 (17.1%) deaths occurring in the frail group and 5 (2.5%) in the non-frail group; meanwhile, readmission events due to heart failure occurred in a total of 174 (46.5%) patients, including 122 (70.1%) in the frail group, and 52 (29.9%) in the non-frail group. Cox analysis showed that frailty was a significant determinant of all-cause mortality ( HR=21.25, 95% CI 3.99-113.30, P<0.001) and readmission among heart failure patients receiving CRT-D ( HR=2.52, 95% CI 1.73-3.68, P<0.001). Log-rank tests showed that the survival rate of patients in the frail group was significantly lower than that of patients in the non-frail group ( HR=7.22, 95% CI 2.80-18.60, P<0.001) and the risk of readmission events due to heart failure was significantly higher among patients in the frail group than among those in the non-frail group ( HR=2.75, 95% CI 1.98-3.81, P<0.001). Conclusions:Frailty is an independent predictor of postoperative all-cause mortality and the occurrence of heart failure-related readmissions in patients with heart failure treated receiving CRT-D.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical outcomes of radical resection and perioperative management strategies in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with major vascular invasion and tumor thrombus.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. From January 2010 to December 2022,clinicopathological data of 387 HCC patients who underwent liver resection at the Hepatobiliary Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. In the cohort,there were 326 males (84.2%) and 61 females (15.8%),with an age ( M(IQR)) of 54(16) years (range: 16 to 82 years). One hundred and nineteen patients (30.7%) had macrovascular invasion without thrombus and 268 patients(69.3%) had macrovascular thrombus. Categorical variables were presented as frequencies (percentages). Survival rates were calculated using life-table analysis,and Kaplan-Meier curves were employed to depict overall survival(OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Independent prognostic factors were identified by univariate and multivariate Cox regression. Results:Among 387 patients,R0 resection was achieved in 359 cases (92.8%),with R1 or R2 resection in 28 cases (7.2%). Excluding in-hospital deaths,the 354 R0-resected patients had a median OS of 19.8 months, with 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 63.3%, 35.1%, and 22.4%, respectively; median RFS was 5.6 months,and 1-, 3-, and 5-year RFS was 34.0%,18.0%,and 14.4%, respectively. Patients receiving preoperative therapy showed a median OS of 26.0 months,1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 75.5%, 48.4%, and 32.5%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the OS of patients with or without preoperative therapy ( P>0.05). The median OS time of patients who received postoperative adjuvant therapy was 53.0 months, and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 87.9%, 59.2%, and 34.8%, respectively. The median OS time of patients who did not receive postoperative adjuvant therapy was 13.7 months, and 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 56.7%, 31.7%, and 22.4%, respectively ( P<0.01). The median RFS of patients who received postoperative adjuvant therapy was 11.6 months, and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year RFS rates were 49.6%, 29.8%, and 26.8%, respectively. The median RFS of patients who did not receive postoperative adjuvant therapy was 4.2 months, and the 1-,3-,and 5-year RFS rates were 29.2%, 16.1%, and 12.5%, respectively ( P<0.01). Multivariate analysis identified that maximum tumor diameter,postoperative adjuvant therapy,and treatment after recurrence were the independent predictors of the OS of patients with major vascular invasion and tumor thrombus (all P<0.05),while age,surgical approach,and postoperative adjuvant therapy independently influenced the RFS of patients with major vascular invasion and tumor thrombus(all P<0.05). Conclusions:HCC patients with vascular invasion/thrombus could benefit from surgery-based multimodal therapy after careful evaluation. Postoperative adjuvant therapy significantly reduces recurrence and prolongs patients′ survival.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic value of coronary angiography-derived fractional flow reserve (FFR) and index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) for identifying coronary functional abnormalities.Methods:This diagnostic study enrolled patients with clinically suspected or diagnosed coronary artery disease who underwent coronary angiography at Beijing Anzhen Hospital, TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital, and Qilu Hospital of Shandong University between December 2021 and June 2022. All enrolled patients successfully underwent invasive wire-based FFR and IMR measurements during angiography. In a core laboratory, FFR and IMR for the target vessels were measured using artificial intelligence technology based on coronary angiographic images. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between angiography-derived FFR and wire-based FFR, and between angiography-derived IMR and wire-based IMR. Coronary hemodynamic abnormality was defined as FFR≤0.80; the diagnostic performance of angiography-derived FFR for identifying this abnormality was evaluated. Microcirculatory dysfunction was defined as IMR≥25; the diagnostic performance of angiography-derived IMR for identifying microcirculatory dysfunction was evaluated.Results:A total of 181 patients, aged (60.6±8.8) years, with 62 (34.3%) females, and 181 target vessels were included in the final analysis. Angiography-derived FFR showed a significant positive correlation with wire-based FFR ( r=0.78, P<0.001). For identifying coronary hemodynamic abnormality, angiography-derived FFR showed an accuracy of 89.0%, sensitivity of 88.8%, specificity of 89.1%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 88.8%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 89.1%, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ( AUC) of 0.88. Angiography-derived IMR showed a significant positive correlation with wire-based IMR ( r=0.93, P<0.001). For identifying microcirculatory dysfunction, angiography-derived IMR demonstrated an accuracy of 89.5%, sensitivity of 86.8%, specificity of 90.2%, PPV of 70.2%, NPV of 96.3%, and an AUC of 0.95. Conclusion:Angiography-derived FFR and IMR exhibit strong correlations with their invasive wire-based counterparts and demonstrate high diagnostic value for assessing coronary hemodynamics and coronary microcirculatory function.

Objective:To investigate the clinical and genetic features of patients with spastic paraplegia and psychomotor retardation with or without seizures (SPPRS) caused by HACE1 gene mutation. Methods:Clinical data, auxiliary examination and genetic test results of a child with SPPRS caused by HACE1 gene mutation who was admitted to Henan Children′s Hospital in April 2019 were collected. The clinical and genotypic characteristics of children with SPPRS were summarized by searching the relevant literature up to June 2024, retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang and PubMed databases with the terms of " HACE1" "SPPRS" "seizures" "spastic paraplegia". Results:The patient was a 11 months and 20 days old male, with a clinical phenotype including global developmental delay, leg spastic tremor, frequent epileptic seizures, obesity, and concurrent urethral malformation. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed enlarged bilateral ventricles, hypoplastic corpus callosum, delayed myelination. Genetic test results revealed compound heterozygous variants c.994C>T (p.R332 *) and c.1679-2A>G in the HACE1 gene (according to the transcript NM_020771), respectively inherited from his mother and father, with c.1679-2A>G being a newly reported variant. A total of 6 English literatures reported 21 SPPRS patients in 11 families, and HACE1 gene mutations were mainly characterized by nonsense mutations. The main clinical manifestations included global developmental delay (21 cases), movement disorders (21 cases), intellectual disabilities (18 cases), seizures (13 cases), obesity (13 cases), skeletal abnormalities (11 cases), microcephaly (9 cases), ocular abnormalities (9 cases), distinctive facial features (5 cases), sensorineural hearing loss (5 cases), and short stature (3 cases). MRI predominantly showed hypoplasia of the corpus callosum, ventricular dilation, paucity of white matter and cerebral atrophy. There were no clear genotype-phenotype correlations. A total of 13 HACE1 gene mutations were reported, including 9 nonsense mutations, 2 frameshift mutations, 1 in-frame mutation, and 1 missense mutation. Among the 11 families, only 2 families with 5 patients were caused by compound heterozygous mutations, c.1852_1853del (p.L832del) and c.454C>T (p.Q152 *), c.2242C>T (p.R748 *) and c.2019_2020insTTTAGGTATTTTTAGGTATT (p.P674fs). The other 16 patients in 9 families were caused by homozygous mutations of the remaining 9 mutations. Conclusions:SPPRS is rare and usually occurs in infancy. The main clinical manifestations include comprehensive developmental delay, movement disorders, epilepsy, etc. Currently, no clear genotype-phenotype correlation has been found. The c.1679-2A>G variant of the HACE1 gene is an unreported variant and enriches the mutation spectrum of the HACE1 gene.