Objective:To analyze the image characteristics of gastrointestinal stromal tumor(GIST) and leiomyoma under white-light endoscopy and ultrasound endoscopy, so as to establish a nomogram model and to validate its performance.Methods:From August 1, 2019, to December 1, 2022, the clinical data of 224 patients with GIST or leiomyoma who underwent endoscopic ultrasound examination at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were retrospectively analyzed. The 224 patients were divided into the modeling group of 145 cases (78 cases of GIST and 67 cases of leiomyoma), and the validation group of 79 cases (41 cases of GIST and 38 cases of leiomyoma). The basic data of patients, parameters of white-light endoscopy and ultrasound endoscopy were screened to establish a binary logistic regression model and draw a nomogram. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was drawn, and the area under the curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the model, and calibration curve was used to evaluate the consistency of predicted and observed probabilities. The model′s performance was compared with the diagnostic results of junior physicians (attending physicians) and senior physicians (associated chief physician). Decision curve analysis (DCA) was performed to evaluate the net benefit of the model. Independent sample t-test and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Results:Under white-light endoscopy, there were statistically significant differences in the lesion locations (esophagus: 0 vs. 56.7% (38/67); cardia: 11.5% (9/78) vs. 13.4% (9/67); gastric: 88.5% (69/78) vs. 29.9% (20/67)) and tumor morphyology (spherical or spheroid: 80.8% (63/78) vs. 28.4% (19/67); shuttle: 19.2% (15/78) vs. 71.6% (48/67)) between GIST and leiomyoma in the modeling group ( χ2=64.51 and 46.37, both P<0.001). Under ultrasound endoscopy, the proportion of patients with GIST whose lesions originated from the muscularis propria layer, with indistinct borders and with internal hyperechoic area were all higher than those of patients with leiomyoma (96.2% (75/78) vs. 62.7% (42/67); 53.8% (42/78) vs. 13.4% (9/67); 35.9% (28/78) vs. 10.4% (7/67)), and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=25.91, 25.82 and 12.75, all P<0.001). Based on the logistic regression model, a nomogram model was established with age, tumor morphology, lesion origin, boundary clarity, and hyperechoic foci as predictive indicators. In the modeling group, the accuracy of nomogram model in the diagnosis of GIST and leiomyoma was 89.7% and 83.6%, respectively. In the validation group, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in GIST and leiomyoma diagnosis of the nomogram model and senior physicians were all higher than those of junior physicians in differentiating GIST from leiomyoma (90.2%, 87.8% vs. 82.9%; 81.6%, 84.2% vs. 78.9%; 86.1%, 86.1% vs. 81.0%, respectively), and the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the nomogram model were equal to those of senior physicians in differentiating GIST from leiomyoma. The AUCs of the nomogram model in the modeling group and validation group were 0.932 (95% confidence interval 0.891 to 0.974) and 0.916 (95% confidence interval 0.854 to 0.978), respectively. The calibration curves of the model indicated that the consistency between the predicted probabilities and observed probabilities was good, and DCA suggested good clinical net benefits of the model. Conclusion:The model exhibits good test efficiency, discrimination, prediction consistency and clinical net benefit when age, tumor morphology, lesion origin, boundary clarity, and hyperechoic foci are selected as indicators.

Objective To investigate the effects of allergens on the expressions of IL-18,IL-18BPa and IL-18Rα protein in peripheral blood CD4+Th1 cells of healthy control subjects(HC)and patients with allergic rhi-nitis(AR),and on the expressions of IL-18,IL-18BPa and IL-18Rα mRNA in the peripheral blood CD4+T cells.Methods Blood samples were collected from patients with rhinitis for negative skin prick test(AR-),rhinitis for positive skin prick test(AR+)and HC.Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the effects of allergens on the expres-sions of IL-18,IL-18BPa and IL-18Rα protein in CD4+Th1 cells.The expressions of IL-18,IL-18BPa and IL-18Rα mRNA in CD4+T cells were determined by qPCR.Results Compared with HC,increased IL-18 while de-creased IL-18BPa expressions in Th1 cells of AR-and AR+patients were observed,increased IL-18Rα expression in Th1 cells of AR+patients was also found.Additionally,allergens induced elevated expression of IL-18Rα pro-tein in Th1 cells of HC,and induced elevated mRNA expressions of IL-18,IL-18BPa and IL-18Rα in isolated blood CD4+T cells of AR+patients and HC.Conclusion Allergens may be involved in the pathogenesis of AR by inducing the expressions of IL-18 and IL-18Rα in blood CD4+Th1 cells.

Traumatic supraorbital fissure syndrome (TSOFS) is a symptom complex caused by nerve entrapment in the supraorbital fissure after skull base trauma. If the compressed cranial nerve in the supraorbital fissure is not decompressed surgically, ptosis, diplopia and eye movement disorder may exist for a long time and seriously affect the patients′ quality of life. Since its overall incidence is not high, it is not familiarized with the majority of neurosurgeons and some TSOFS may be complicated with skull base vascular injury. If the supraorbital fissure surgery is performed without treatment of vascular injury, it may cause massive hemorrhage, and disability and even life-threatening in severe cases. At present, there is no consensus or guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of TSOFS that can be referred to both domestically and internationally. To improve the understanding of TSOFS among clinical physicians and establish standardized diagnosis and treatment plans, the Skull Base Trauma Group of the Neurorepair Professional Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Neurotrauma Group of the Neurosurgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Neurotrauma Group of the Traumatology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and Editorial Committee of Chinese Journal of Trauma organized relevant experts to formulate Chinese expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic supraorbital fissure syndrome ( version 2024) based on evidence of evidence-based medicine and clinical experience of diagnosis and treatment. This consensus puts forward 12 recommendations on the diagnosis, classification, treatment, efficacy evaluation and follow-up of TSOFS, aiming to provide references for neurosurgeons from hospitals of all levels to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of TSOFS.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with high pathogenicity and infectiousness has become a sudden and lethal pandemic worldwide. Currently, there is no accepted specific drug for COVID-19 treatment. Therefore, it is extremely urgent to clarify the pathogenic mechanism and develop effective therapies for patients with COVID-19. According to several reliable reports from China, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), especially for three Chinese patent medicines and three Chinese medicine formulas, has been demonstrated to effectively alleviate the symptoms of COVID-19 either used alone or in combination with Western medicines. In this review, we systematically summarized and analyzed the pathogenesis of COVID-19, the detailed clinical practice, active ingredients investigation, network pharmacology prediction and underlying mechanism verification of three Chinese patent medicines and three Chinese medicine formulas in the COVID-19 combat. Additionally, we summarized some promising and high-frequency drugs of these prescriptions and discussed their regulatory mechanism, which provides guidance for the development of new drugs against COVID-19. Collectively, by addressing critical challenges, for example, unclear targets and complicated active ingredients of these medicines and formulas, we believe that TCM will represent promising and efficient strategies for curing COVID-19 and related pandemics.

OBJECTIVE: Cassiae Semen (CS, Juemingzi in Chinese) has been used for thousands of years in ancient Chinese history for relieving constipation, improving liver function as well as preventing myopia. Here we aimed to elucidate the anti-steatosis effect and underlying mechanism of CS against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to identify the major components of CS water extract. Mice were fed with a high-fat and sugar-water (HFSW) diet to induce hepatic steatosis and then treated with CS. The anti-NAFLD effect was determined by measuring serum biomarkers and histopathology staining. Additionally, the effects of CS on cell viability and lipid metabolism in oleic acid and palmitic acid (OAPA)-treated HepG2 cells were measured. The expression of essential genes and proteins involved in lipid metabolism and autophagy signalings were measured to uncover the underlying mechanism. RESULTS: Five compounds, including aurantio-obtusin, rubrofusarin gentiobioside, cassiaside C, emodin and rhein were simultaneously identified in CS extract. CS not only improved the diet-induced hepatic steatosis in vivo, as indicated by decreased number and size of lipid droplets, hepatic and serum triglycerides (TG) levels, but also markedly attenuated the OAPA-induced lipid accumulation in hepatocytes. These lipid-lowering effects induced by CS were largely dependent on the inhibition of fatty acid synthase (FASN) and the activation of autophagy-related signaling, including AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), light chain 3-II (LC3-II)/ LC3-1 and autophagy-related gene5 (ATG5). CONCLUSION Our study suggested that CS effectively protected liver steatosis via decreasing FASN-related fatty acid synthesis and activating AMPK-mediated autophagy, which might become a promising therapeutic strategy for relieving NAFLD.

Myocardial dysfunction is the most serious complication of sepsis. Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction (SMD) is often associated with gastrointestinal dysfunction, but its pathophysiological significance remains unclear. The present study found that patients with SMD had higher plasma gastrin concentrations than those without SMD. In mice, knockdown of the gastrin receptor, cholecystokinin B receptor (Cckbr), aggravated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cardiac dysfunction and increased inflammation in the heart, whereas the intravenous administration of gastrin ameliorated SMD and cardiac injury. Macrophage infiltration plays a significant role in SMD because depletion of macrophages by the intravenous injection of clodronate liposomes, 48 h prior to LPS administration, alleviated LPS-induced cardiac injury in Cckbr-deficient mice. The intravenous injection of bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) overexpressing Cckbr reduced LPS-induced myocardial dysfunction. Furthermore, gastrin treatment inhibited toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression through the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPAR-α) signaling pathway in BMMs. Thus, our findings provide insights into the mechanism of the protective role of gastrin/CCKBR in SMD, which could be used to develop new treatment modalities for SMD.

Forensic science is looking for clues at a crime scene in order to reconstruct the crime scene.Classic clues include DNA and fingerprints.Forensic microbiology is a branch of forensic medicine that uses microbes as clues,providing us information about lifestyle,circadian rhythms,geographic locations,postmortem intervals,cancers,and oral or systemic diseases.Oral cavity,as the place with the second largest number of microorganisms,can provide researchers with microbial information of each ecological niche,and assist in the prediction,diagnosis and monitoring of oral or systemic diseases.This paper reviews the composition of oral microbiome,the application in oral diseases,systemic diseases and forensic medicine,with the aim of providing some references for the development of forensic microbiology based on oral microbiome.

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of related contrast material(Rel.CM)of the dual-energy CT (DECT) virtual noncalcium (VNCa) for detecting acute traumatic bone marrow edema in knee joint.Methods A total of 17 patients(18 knees)with definite trauma history and knee joint disorders were prospectively enrolled. Conventional CT, VNCa and MRI images were obtained by MRI and DECT scan. Each knee was divided into 12 regions, respectively, to observe the performance of MRI and VNCa images. The diagnostic efficacy of different Rel. CM values (1.25, 1.45, 1.75) was analyzed for the knee traumatic bone marrow edema,select the best Rel.CM value.And the CT values of bone marrow and bone marrow damage were measured on VNCa of the optimal Rel. CM parameters. Using ROC to evaluate the efficacy of VNCa in different Rel.CM values for diagnosing traumatic bone marrow edema,the difference of CT value between bone marrow lesion and bone marrow in normal region of bone marrow was obtained by using rank sum test. Results DECT and MRI were performed in 17 patients (18 knees). Eighteen knees were divided into 216 areas.MRI showed 94 areas of bone marrow edema,including 35 in distal portion of femur, 59 in proximal tibia. Rel.CM values of 1.25, 1.45, 1.75 of the VNCa map were used to diagnose traumatic bone marrow edema in the knee with the area under the ROC curve of 0.643, 0.871, 0.656, respectively. Rel.CM with 1.45 VNCa diagram was the most accurate. The CT values of the bone marrow edema region and the normal region were -64.3(-20.6 to-90.8)HU,-93.4(-70.5 to-120.7)HU, respectively, on the VNCa graph with the optimal Rel.CM parameters (1.45) (Z=-8.270, P<0.05). Conclusions The VNCa image with a Rel.CM value of 1.45 has a better diagnostic performance for traumatic bone marrow edema in knee joint. CT value measurement in VNCa image can be used for quantitative analysis of traumatic bone marrow edema.

Objective To assess the value of peripheral blood thyroid stimulating hormone receptor(TSHR) mRNA determination in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules.Methods Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and (or) postoperative histopathology as the gold standard were carried out,the expression of circulating TSHR mRNA was determined by RT-PCR in 33 patients with benign thyroid nodules,39 patients with thyroid cancer,and 20 normal controls.Results TSHR mRNA signals were not detected in normal controls,the positive rate of TSHR mRNA was higher in the group with malignant nodules than the group of benign nodules (91.2％ vs 48.5％,P＜0.01).TSHR mRNA level in the preoperative malignant group was significantly higher than that in the normal,benign,and postoperative cancer groups (all P ＜ 0.01).Using peripheral blood TSHR mRNA for differentiating benign or malignant of thyroid nodule had a sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of 91.2％,51.5％ and 71.6％,respectively.The sensitivities of TSHR mRNA,FNAC,and these two methods combined in detecting malignant nodules were 91.3％,86.9％,and 100.0％ respectively,while diagnostic accuracies were respectively 84.0％,80.0％,and 92.0％.TSHR mRNA expression showed no significant relationship with sex,age,size,and number of nodule in these patients (all P ＞ 0.05),but it did exhibit significant difference between benign and malignant nodules(P＜0.01).Conclusion The peripheral blood TSHR mRNA could be used as a molecular marker for thyroid cancer,and it would help enhance the preoperative differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules.

Objective To analyze the incidence and risk factors of microalbuminuria in newly diagnosed and hospitalized type 2 diabetes mellitus patients,and to provide the theoretical basis for therapy of diabetes and diabetic chronic complications.Methods The blood glucose,lipid profile,24h-urinaryalbumin,fasting and postprandial serum insulin and peptid C were measured in 286 newly diagnosed and hospitalized type 2 diabetic patients from Mar.2006 to Sep.2009.Microalbuminuria was defined as the 24h-urinary albumin between 30 to 300 mg twice.Insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) was recorded and all the patients received fundus examination by ophthalmologists after expansion of the pupil to ensure whether there was retinopathy or not.Results (1)The incidence rate of microalbuminuria in this study was 19.58％ (56/286).(2)Normal albuminuria group and MA group combined DR were 19.57％ (45/230) and 33.93 ％ ( 19/56 ) respectively,and the difference was statistically significant( x2 =5.349,P =0.021 ).Compared with control,the FPG,HbA1c and HOMA-IR were significantly higher in microalbuminuria group ( FPG:[ 11.08 ± 1.76 ] mmol/L vs [9.24 ±1.65]mmol/L,t =-6.148,P ＜0.001;HbA1c:[11.54 ± 1.59]％ vs [9.39 ± 1.64]％,t =-7.533,P ＜0.001 ;HOMA-IR:[3.73 ±0.42] vs [3.50 ±0.30],t =-3.774,P ＜0.001 ).(3) Pearson correlation analysis revealed microalbuminuria was positively correlated with FPG( r =0.460),HbA1 c ( r =0.499),HOMA-IR( r =0.308)and combined DR(r =0.405)(P ＜0.01).(4)Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that FPG (ββ =- 0.804,P ＜ 0.01 ),HbA1 c (β =- 0.455,P ＜ 0.01 ) and combined DR (β =1.527,P ＜ 0.05 ) were independently risk factors of microalbuminuria.Conclusion The development of microalbuminuria in newly diagnosed and hospitalized type 2 diabetic patients is associated with FPG,HbA1c and HOMA-IR,and will be easier to merge diabetic retinopathy.