BACKGROUND:With the development of the concept of minimally invasive surgery,lumbar posterior dynamic internal fixation has become the mainstream operation for the treatment of diseases caused by intervertebral disc degeneration.OBJECTIVE:To review the latest progress of lumbar posterior dynamic internal fixation in the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases and postoperative intervertebral disc rehydration.METHODS:The relevant literature published in CNKI,WanFang,and PubMed databases from 2010 to 2025 was searched with the Chinese and English search terms"lumbar spine,dynamic internal fixation,intervertebral disc degeneration,Coflex system,Dynesys system,In-space system,PercuDyn system,intervertebral disc rehydration,crushing stress."By reading the articles,we eliminated the literature with little relevance to the article topic,poor quality and outdated content,and finally 65 articles were included for summary.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Although the main surgical method for the treatment of disc degeneration is still the traditional open surgical method of implantation,posterior lumbar dynamic internal fixation has made great progress.(2)Posterior lumbar dynamic fixation can be divided into open dynamic fixation system and percutaneous dynamic fixation system.Each system can be divided into interspinous dynamic internal fixation system and pedicle dynamic internal fixation system according to the different fixation positions.According to the design of specific instruments and the differences of operation methods in the surgery,different operation methods have been derived.At present,the focus of research at home and abroad is on open dynamic internal fixation system.(3)Under the premise that the clinical effect of posterior lumbar dynamic internal fixation is better than that of traditional interbody fusion surgery,it can cause the rehydration phenomenon of postoperative lumbar intervertebral disc,and further improve the long-term postoperative efficacy of patients.

BACKGROUND:With the development of the concept of minimally invasive surgery,lumbar posterior dynamic internal fixation has become the mainstream operation for the treatment of diseases caused by intervertebral disc degeneration.OBJECTIVE:To review the latest progress of lumbar posterior dynamic internal fixation in the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases and postoperative intervertebral disc rehydration.METHODS:The relevant literature published in CNKI,WanFang,and PubMed databases from 2010 to 2025 was searched with the Chinese and English search terms"lumbar spine,dynamic internal fixation,intervertebral disc degeneration,Coflex system,Dynesys system,In-space system,PercuDyn system,intervertebral disc rehydration,crushing stress."By reading the articles,we eliminated the literature with little relevance to the article topic,poor quality and outdated content,and finally 65 articles were included for summary.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Although the main surgical method for the treatment of disc degeneration is still the traditional open surgical method of implantation,posterior lumbar dynamic internal fixation has made great progress.(2)Posterior lumbar dynamic fixation can be divided into open dynamic fixation system and percutaneous dynamic fixation system.Each system can be divided into interspinous dynamic internal fixation system and pedicle dynamic internal fixation system according to the different fixation positions.According to the design of specific instruments and the differences of operation methods in the surgery,different operation methods have been derived.At present,the focus of research at home and abroad is on open dynamic internal fixation system.(3)Under the premise that the clinical effect of posterior lumbar dynamic internal fixation is better than that of traditional interbody fusion surgery,it can cause the rehydration phenomenon of postoperative lumbar intervertebral disc,and further improve the long-term postoperative efficacy of patients.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) presents a significant health burden in Asia and remains a critical challenge. This study aims to delineate the PAH burden in Asia from 1990 to 2021. METHODS: Using the latest data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021, we evaluated and analyzed the distributions and patterns of PAH disease burden among various age groups, sexes, regions, and countries in Asia. Additionally, we examined the associations between PAH disease burden and key health system indicators, including the socio-demographic index (SDI) and the universal health coverage (UHC) index. RESULTS: In 2021, there were 25,989 new PAH cases, 103,382 existing cases, 13,909 PAH-associated deaths, and 385,755 DALYs attributed to PAH in Asia, which accounted for approximately 60% of global PAH cases. The age-standardized rates (ASRs) for prevalence and deaths were 2.05 (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 1.66-2.52) per 100,000 population and 0.31 (95% UI: 0.23-0.38) per 100,000 population, respectively. From 1990 to 2021, Asia reported the lowest ASRs for PAH prevalence but the highest ASRs for deaths compared to other continents. While the ASRs for prevalence increased slightly, ASRs for mortality and DALYs decreased over time. This increasing burden of PAH was primarily driven by population growth and aging. The burden was especially pronounced among individuals aged ≥60 years and <9 years, who collectively accounted for the majority of deaths and DALYs. Moreover, higher SDI and UHC levels were linked to reduced incidence, but higher prevalence rates. CONCLUSIONS Although progress has been made in reducing PAH-related mortality and DALYs, the disease continues to impose a substantial burden in Asia, particularly among older adults and young children. Region-specific health policies should focus on improving early diagnosis, expanding access to treatment, and effectively addressing the growing PAH burden in the region.
Humans ; Global Burden of Disease ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Asia/epidemiology* ; Prevalence ; Aged ; Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension/mortality* ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Infant ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/epidemiology*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the correlation between bone mineral density (BMD) and bone metabolic markers in preschool children and the influencing factors for BMD, and to provide a clinical basis for promoting bone health in children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for the data of 127 preschool children who underwent physical examination in the Department of Child Health Care of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, from June to December 2024. BMD and bone metabolic markers were measured, and physical examination was performed. A multiple linear regression analysis was used to investigate the effect of general information on BMD Z-score in preschool children. Spearman's rank correlation test was used to investigate the correlation of BMD Z-score with 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD), serum bone Gla protein (BGP), and parathyroid hormone (PTH). RESULTS: BMD Z-score significantly differed by ethnicity, weight category, and height category (all P<0.05). The multiple linear regression analysis indicated that weight and height significantly influenced BMD Z-score (P<0.05), whereas sex, age, ethnicity, and parental education level did not (P>0.05). In children, BMD Z-score was positively correlated with 25-OHD level (r_s=0.260, P<0.001) and BGP level (r_s=0.075, P=0.025) and was negatively correlated with PTH level (r_s=-0.043, P=0.032). CONCLUSIONS Weight, height, 25-OHD, BGP, and PTH are influencing factors for BMD in preschool children. In clinical practice, combined measurement of bone metabolic markers may provide a scientific basis for early identification of children with abnormal BMD and prevention of osteoporosis and osteomalacia.
Humans ; Bone Density ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Vitamin D/blood* ; Parathyroid Hormone/blood* ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Osteocalcin/blood* ; Bone and Bones/metabolism* ; Calcium-Binding Proteins/blood* ; Linear Models ; Matrix Gla Protein ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins/blood* ; Body Weight ; Infant

Dry eye disease (DED) is a prevalent and intractable ocular disease induced by a variety of causes. Elevated sphingomyelin (SM) levels and pro-inflammatory cytokines were detected on the ocular surface of DED patients, particularly in the meibomian glands. Sphingomyelin synthase 2 (SMS2), one of the proteins involved in SM synthesis, would light a novel way of developing a DED therapy strategy. Herein, we report the design and optimization of a series of novel thiophene carboxamide derivatives to afford 14l with an improved highly potent inhibitory activity on SM synthesis (IC_{50, SMS2} = 28 nmol/L). Moreover, 14l exhibited a notable protective effect of anti-inflammation and anti-apoptosis on human corneal epithelial cells (HCEC) under TNF-α-hyperosmotic stress conditions in vitro, with an acceptable ocular specific distribution (corneas and meibomian glands) and pharmacokinetics (PK) profiles (t _{1/2, cornea} = 1.11 h; t _{1/2, meibomian glands} = 4.32 h) in rats. Furthermore, 14l alleviated the dry eye symptoms including corneal fluorescein staining scores and tear secretion in a dose-dependent manner in mice. Mechanically, 14l reduced the mRNA expression of Tnf-α, Il-1β and Mmp-9 in corneas, as well as the proportion of very long chain SM in meibomian glands. Our findings provide a new strategy for DED therapy based on selective SMS2 inhibitors.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the inhibitory effect of Zheng GanDecoction (ZGF) on tumor progression in a rat model of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and explore the possible mechanism. METHODS: Seventy SD rats were subjected to regular intraperitoneal injections of DEN (50 mg/kg) for 12 weeks to induce HCC tumorigenesis, with another 10 rats receiving saline injections as the normal control. After successful modeling, the rats were randomized into 5 groups (n=10) for daily treatment with distilled water ( model group), Huaier Granules (4 g/kg; positive control group), or ZGF at low, medium, and high doses (2, 4, and 8 g/kg, respectively) via gavage for 17 weeks. Body weight changes of the rats were monitored, and after completion of the treatments, the rats were euthanized for measurement of liver, spleen and thymus indices and morphological and histopathological examinations of the liver tissues using HE staining. The expressions of YAP, p-YAP, MST1, LATS1 and p-LATS1 in the liver tissues were detected using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control rats, the rat models with DEN-induced HCC exhibited much poorer general condition with a significantly reduced survival rate, increased body weight and liver and spleen indices, and a lowered thymus index. ZGF treatment obviously reduced liver and spleen indices, increased the thymus index, and improved pathologies of the liver tissues of the rat models. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting showed a dose-dependent reduction of YAP expression and an increment of p-YAP expression in ZGF-treated rats, which also exhibited significantly upregulated hepatic expressions of MST1, LATS1 and p-LATS1. CONCLUSIONS ZGF inhibits DEN-induced HCC in rats by activating the Hippo/YAP pathway via upregulating MST1 and LATS1 expression, which promotes YAP phosphorylation and degradation to suppress proliferation and induce apoptosis of the tumor cells.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Diethylnitrosamine ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy* ; YAP-Signaling Proteins ; Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Hippo Signaling Pathway ; Male ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/metabolism* ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism*

Objective:To systematically evaluate the efficacy, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and safety of hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers and collagen stimulators (PCL/PLLA) for various facial aesthetic indications.Methods:This study focused on facial fillers approved and widely used in China, including HA fillers such as Juvéderm?, Restylane?, Belotero?, Fillmed?, and PCL/PLLA such as Ellansé?, L?viselle?, and CureWhite?. A systematic literature search was conducted across both English and Chinese databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, and Wanfang Data, covering the period from database inception to August 24, 2023, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The characteristics and outcomes of the included RCTs were summarized and analyzed, including efficacy indicators by injection site, patient satisfaction, and safety profiles. Network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed using R software to compare efficacy outcomes, including the 6-month improvement response rate for nasolabial folds (NLF) and the global aesthetic improvement scale (GAIS).Results:A total of 38 articles were included. Among them, Juvéderm? was most frequently used as the treatment group (17 out of 38 articles), while Restylane? was the most common comparator (17 out of 38 articles), particularly in studies involving NLF injections (15 out of 16 articles). For collagen stimulators, only 2 studies on Ellansé? were included, both focusing solely on NLF treatment. Quality assessment showed that 34 studies were of medium to high quality, with Juvéderm? accounting for the majority of high-quality studies (11 articles). Based on injection sites, NLF was the most studied area (16 articles), followed by the midface (8 articles), and the remaining 14 articles covered other regions including lips, nose, chin, and infraorbital area. In the NLF region, the 6-month improvement response rate assessed by blinded investigators showed that Juvéderm? showed better outcomes than Restylane? ( RR=1.07, 95% CI: 0.89-1.32), while Belotero? was slightly inferior to Restylane? ( RR=0.97, 95% CI: 0.65-1.44), although the differences were not statistically significant. Subject-reported outcomes showed consistent trends with investigator assessments. For 6-month GAIS improvement, Juvéderm? and Restylane? showed comparable result within the HA filler category ( RR=1.01, 95% CI: 0.71-1.43). The collagen stimulator Ellansé? demonstrated numerically higher values than HA fillers ( RR=1.32, 95% CI: 0.86-2.08). However, none of these differences reached statistical significance. In midface treatments, Juvéderm? had more long-term evidence, with follow-up periods extending up to 24 months. Four studies reported numerically greater volume enhancement with Juvéderm? compared to Restylane?. For other facial areas, Juvéderm? had the most comprehensive clinical evidence, covering the widest range of injection sites. No relevant RCTs were available for collagen stimulators in these regions. Regarding patient satisfaction, 19 studies reported patient-reported outcomes, with Juvéderm? contributing 16 of them, and showing higher satisfaction in 6 head-to-head comparisons with Restylane?. In contrast, collagen stimulators currently lack such evidence. Safety result indicated that HA fillers were generally safe and well tolerated, while safety data for collagen stimulators remain limited due to insufficient high-quality evidence. Conclusion:Among the HA fillers, Juvéderm? has a large quantity and highest quality of clinical studies, and NMA result shows its superior efficacy in NLF. In comparison, the current evidence is still not sufficient to draw a clear conclusion for the PCL/PLLA due to a lack of adequate high-quality clinical evidence regarding its clinical efficacy, PROs, and safety.

Objective:To develop a novel fibroblast activation protein (FAP) cyclic peptide imaging agent, Al 18F-FAP-NOX, evaluate its in vitro and in vivo properties, and explore its feasibility of PET/CT imaging in tumors with FAP positive expression. Methods:Al 18F-FAP-NOX was manually synthesized. The in vitro stability of Al 18F-FAP-NOX was determined using radio high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The lipid water partition coefficient log P, in vitro cell uptake experiments, microPET/CT imaging and biodistribution in 293T-FAP tumor-bearing mice were conducted to preliminarily evaluate the pharmacokinetics and biological efficacy of Al 18F-FAP-NOX. Afterwards, a patient (male, 65 years old) with lung cancer underwent Al 18F-FAP-NOX PET/CT imaging. Results:Al 18F-FAP-NOX was successfully synthesized with a yield of (26.28±2.31)% without attenuation correction ( n=4), and the radiochemical purity was more than 95%. Al 18F-FAP-NOX exhibited good stability and hydrophilicity (log P=-3.02±0.08, n=5). In cell assays, the uptake of Al 18F-FAP-NOX in HT1080-FAP cells reached the plateau phase at 15 min ((7.31±0.53) percentage activity of injection dose per million cells (%ID/mio cells)), exhibiting high cellular uptake. The uptake of Al 18F-FAP-NOX could be significantly inhibited by 1, 4, 7, 10-tetraazacyclododecane-1, 4, 7, 10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA)-FAP-2286. The microPET/CT results of 293T-FAP tumor-bearing mice in vivo showed that Al 18F-FAP-NOX was highly uptaken in FAP-positive tumor tissues (60 min: (12.47±1.66) percentage activity of injection dose per gram of tissue (%ID/g)), while the uptake was very low in FAP-negative tumors. The biodistribution results were similar to the microPET/CT imaging results of tumor-bearing mice. The human clinical imaging showed an abnormal increase in Al 18F-FAP-NOX uptake (SUV max 5.5) of the lung cancer lesions. Conclusions:A novel cyclic peptide radiopharmaceutical, Al 18F-FAP-NOX, demonstrates good stability and hydrophilicity. It can be quickly distributed to tumor tissue in vivo. The human clinical PET/CT imaging shows certain diagnostic ability of Al 18F-FAP-NOX for lung cancer lesions. It is a promising cyclic peptide agent for PET imaging.

Objective:To systematically evaluate the safety and efficacy of the novel fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-targeted tracer 64Cu-FAP inhibitor (FAPI)-XT117 in patients with malignant solid tumors, and to compare with 18F-FDG. Methods:This self-controlled study was conducted on fifteen patients (8 males, 7 females; age (60 ±9) years) with malignant solid tumors from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University between July 2023 and December 2023. Each subject underwent 64Cu-FAPI-XT117 PET/CT at 30, 60, and 120min post-injection and was assigned to three dose cohorts (111MBq, 148MBq, and 185MBq; 5 patients in each cohort), and safety assessments were conducted within 24h after injection. In addition, all patients underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT at 60min post-injection. Time-activity curves were generated for 64Cu-FAPI-XT117, and the dosimetry was calculated. Image quality was evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale, and the optimal injected activity and imaging time point were determined. The paired t test was used to compare differences of the lesion detection count and SUV max between 64Cu-FAPI-XT117 and 18F-FDG PET/CT. Results:64Cu-FAPI-XT117 was well tolerated, with no adverse events reported. Time-activity curves of 68Ga-FAPI-XT117 revealed prominent uptake in the uterus, while the background activity in other organs remained low, with the whole-body effective dose of (0.0084±0.0021)mSv/MBq. The optimal imaging time point for 64Cu-FAPI-XT117 PET/CT was 60min post-injection, with an optimal administered activity of 111MBq. Compared with 18F-FDG, 64Cu-FAPI-XT117 demonstrated significantly higher uptake and more lesions in lymph-node metastases (SUV max: 8.6±3.8 vs 15.3±6.8, t=2.33, P=0.048; number of lesions: 8.3±5.4 vs 15.0±6.4; t=4.21, P=0.003) and distant metastases (SUV max: 11.8±3.7 vs 20.9±7.2, t=3.66, P=0.022; number of lesions: 7.0±3.2 vs 12.4±3.7, t=2.86, P=0.046). Conclusions:64Cu-FAPI-XT117 PET/CT is well tolerated in patients with solid tumors, with a controllable radiation risk. Moreover, it outperforms 18F-FDG PET/CT in the assessment of metastases.