Objective:To explore the prognostic value of baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters in locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Methods:From September 2015 to October 2021, the clinical data of 180 LACC patients (age: 22-76 years) who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT before CCRT at Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Shandong First Medical University were analyzed retrospectively. The metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), SUV max, and SUV mean were computed by using the margin threshold of 42%SUV max. The optimal threshold for predicting progression-free survival (PFS) was obtained by ROC curve analysis. The Kaplan-Meier method was applied for survival analysis, and the log-rank test was applied to compare the survival rate between groups. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression was used to analyze progression for PFS. Results:The median follow-up was 19.1 months, and 54 patients (30.0%, 54/180) suffered from disease progression. ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-off value of MTV was 31.145 ml, with the AUC of 0.641. Para-aortic lymph node (PALN) metastasis had the highest AUC value (0.589) among the clinical factors, followed by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (0.581). The 1-year PFS rates of patients with MTV<31.145 ml ( n=88) and MTV≥31.145 ml ( n=92) were 80.68% and 59.78%, respectively ( χ2=13.72, P<0.001). Multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated that pathological type (hazard ratio ( HR)=3.075, 95% CI: 1.370-6.901, P=0.006), FIGO stage ( HR=1.955, 95% CI: 1.031-3.707, P=0.040), PALN metastasis ( HR=2.136, 95% CI: 1.202-3.796, P=0.010) and MTV ( HR=2.449, 95% CI: 1.341-4.471, P=0.004) were the significant predictors for PFS. Conclusions:Pathological type, FIGO stage, PALN metastasis and MTV are independent prognostic risk factors for PFS. MTV as the baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameter, can realize prognostic stratification analysis.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection posed a huge threat and burden to public healthcare in late 2022. Non-drug measures of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), such as acupuncture, cupping and moxibustion, are commonly used as adjuncts in China to help in severe cases, but their effects remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: To observe the clinical effect of TCM non-drug measures in improving respiratory function and symptoms among patients with severe COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: This study was designed as a multicenter, assessor-blind, randomized controlled trial. Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were randomly assigned to the treatment or control group. The treatment group received individualized TCM non-drug measures in combination with prone position ventilation, while the control group received prone position ventilation only for 5 consecutive days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measures were the percentage of patients with improved oxygen saturation (SpO₂) at the end of the 5-day intervention, as well as changes of patients' respiratory rates. The secondary outcome measures included changes in SpO₂ and total score on the self-made respiratory symptom scale. The improvement rate, defined as a 3-day consecutive increase in SpO₂, the duration of prone positioning, and adverse events were recorded as well. RESULTS: Among the 198 patients included in the intention-to-treat analysis, 159 (80.3%) completed all assessments on day 5, and 39 (19.7%) patients withdrew from the study. At the end of the intervention, 71 (91%) patients in the treatment group had SpO₂ above 93%, while 61 (75.3%) in the control group reached this level. The proportion of participant with improved SpO₂ was significantly greater in the intervention group (mean difference [MD] = 15.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.4, 27.1; P = 0.008). Compared to the baseline, with daily treatment there were significant daily decreases in respiratory rates in both groups, but no statistical differences between groups were found (all P ≥ 0.05). Compared to the control group, the respiratory-related symptoms score was lower among patients in the treatment group (MD = -1.7; 95% CI: -2.8, -0.5; P = 0.008) after day 3 of treatment. A gradual decrease in the total scores of both groups was also observed. Thirty-one adverse events occurred during the intervention, and 2 patients were transferred to the intensive care unit due to deterioration of their illness. CONCLUSION: TCM non-drug measures combined with prone positioning can effectively treat patients with severe COVID-19. The combined therapy significantly increased SpO₂ and improved symptom scores compared to prone positioning alone, thus improving the patients' respiratory function to help them recover. However, the improvement rate did not differ between the two groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2300068319). Please cite this article as: Yin X, Jin Z, Li F, Huang L, Hu YM, Zhu BC, Wang ZQ, Li XY, Li JP, Lao LX, Mi YQ, Xu SF. Effectiveness and safety of adjunctive non-drug measures in improving respiratory symptoms among patients with severe COVID-19: A multicenter randomized controlled trial. J Integr Med. 2024; 22(6): 637-644.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; China ; COVID-19/complications* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Moxibustion/methods* ; Oxygen Saturation ; Prone Position ; Respiration, Artificial ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: To study the impact of regional positive lymph node ratio (LNR) on prognosis of patients with gallbladder carcinoma. Methods: The clinicopathological and survival data of 53 patients with gallbladder carcinoma who underwent radical resection with regional lymph node metastasis in Ningbo University Affiliated Lihuili Hospital from May 2012 to December 2020 were collected, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to determine the optimal cut-off value of LNR for predicting postoperative survival status in patients with gallbladder carcinoma. According to the critical value, the patients were divided into low LNR group and high LNR group. The clinicopathological features and prognosis of the two groups were compared. Log rank test was used for univariate analysis of prognostic factors in patients with gallbladder carcinoma, and Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis. Results: A total of 417 regional lymph nodes were dissected in 53 patients, of which 144 lymph nodes were positive, with a positive rate of 34.5%. The optimal cut-off value of LNR for predicting postoperative survival status of patients with gallbladder carcinoma was 0.33. According to this cut-off value, patients were divided into low LNR group (LNR≤0.33, 28 cases) and high LNR group (LNR>0.33, 25 cases). The recurrence rates were 64.3% (18/28) and 88.0 % (22/25) in low LNR group and high LNR group, respectively. The median recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 8 and 7 months, respectively (P=0.032). In the low LNR group, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 56.2%, 38.4%, and 32.0%, respectively, and the median overall survival (OS) was 16 months. In the high LNR group, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 37.9%, 5.4%, and 0, respectively, and the median OS was 9 months. The postoperative survival rate of patients in the low LNR group was better than that in the high LNR group (P=0.008). Univariate analysis showed that LNR was even associated with RFS and OS in patients with gallbladder carcinoma (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that LNR>0.33 was an independent risk factor for postoperative RFS (HR=1.977, 95% CI: 1.045-3.740), but not for OS (HR=1.561, 95% CI: 0.685-3.553). Conclusion: On the basis of clearing a sufficient number of regional lymph nodes, patients with gallbladder carcinoma with regional LNR>0.33 are more likely to relapse after operation, but the predictive value of LNR>0.33 OS is insufficient.
Humans ; Lymph Node Ratio ; Gallbladder Neoplasms/pathology* ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymphatic Metastasis/pathology* ; Neoplasm Staging ; Retrospective Studies ; Lymph Nodes/pathology* ; Prognosis

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of skin diseases and diabetes mellitus (DM) are prominent around the world. The current scope of knowledge regarding the prevalence of skin diseases and comorbidities with type 2 DM (T2DM) is limited, leading to limited recognition of the correlations between skin diseases and T2DM. METHODS: We collected 383 subjects from the Da Qing Diabetes Study during the period from July 9th to September 1st, 2016. The subjects were categorized into three groups: Normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and T2DM. The prevalence and clinical characteristics of skin diseases were recorded and investigated. RESULTS: In this cross-sectional study, 383 individuals with ages ranging from 53 to 89-year-old were recruited. The overall prevalence of skin diseases was 93.5%, and 75.7% of individuals had two or more kinds of skin diseases. Additionally, there were 47 kinds of comorbid skin diseases in patients with T2DM, of which eight kinds of skin diseases had a prevalence >10%. The prevalence of skin diseases in NGT, IGT, and T2DM groups were 93.3%, 91.5%, and 96.6%, respectively; stratified analysis by categories showed a statistically significant difference in "disturbances of pigmentation" and "neurological and psychogenic dermatoses". The duration of T2DM also significantly associated with the prevalence of "disturbances of pigmentation" and "neurological and psychogenic dermatoses". Subsequently, the prevalence of "disturbances of pigmentation" was higher in males than females in NGT (P < 0.01) and T2DM (P < 0.01) groups. In addition, the difference in the prevalence of "disturbances of pigmentation" was also significant in NGT and T2DM groups (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS There was a high prevalence of skin diseases in the Da Qing Diabetes Study. To address the skin diseases in the Da Qing Diabetes Study, increased awareness and intervention measures should be implemented.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Glucose ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/epidemiology* ; Female ; Glucose Intolerance/epidemiology* ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Skin Diseases/epidemiology*

Based on the syndrome and treatment system of collateral disease， and inheriting the development of the bloodline theory of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， academician WU Yi-ling systematically constructed the vessel-collateral theory of TCM and proposed that its core theory was the theory of Yingwei， that is， "Ying in the vein， and Wei outside the vein" （Huangdi Neijing·Lingshu·Yingwei Shenghui）， "obstructing of Yingwei， congelation of blood" （Treatise on Febrile Diseases· Pulse Differentiation Method）， "pathogen transferring through blood vessels， obstructed by blocking" （Jinkui Yaolue·Zangfu Jingluo Xianhou Bingmaizheng First）， and "damage of the heart， adjust its Yingwei". Based on the consistency of vessel-collateral as the channel of blood circulation in TCM with the blood vessels in western medicine， and guided by the Yingwei theory of vessel-collateral theory， the diagnostic criteria of syndrome differentiation of disease of vessel-collateral and vascular system represented by coronary heart disease， arrhythmia， heart failure and others was established to guide the prevention and treatment of vascular diseases. Based on the above analysis， guided by the Yingwei theory of vessel-collateral theory， and on the basis of related researches of vessel-collateral and vascular system， this paper discussed the etiology and pathogenesis of chronic coronary syndrome （CCS） in TCM. Taking useful collateral with unblocking as the treatment principle， the representative Tongluo prescription （Tongxinluo） was constructed， the research progress of Tongxinluo from various aspects such as animal experiment research， pharmacological research and clinical evidence-based research was summarized， a comprehensive system from etiology， pathogenesis， syndrome differentiation to treatment was formed， in order to provide new ideas for the clinical treatment of CCS.

Purpose: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with major portal vein tumor thrombosis (mPVTT) complications were generally characterized by extremely poor prognoses. The aim of this study was to explore the role of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT imaging in predicting HCC complicated by mPVTT. Methods: Five hundred one HCC patients received surgery in our hospital during November 2008 to December 2014, among which 32 patients (6.4%) were diagnosed as HCC complicated by mPVTT. Six cases were excluded for reasons of complex medical conditions, including 2 cases of salvage liver transplantation, 2 cases of re-resection, 1 case of mPVTT combined with inferior vina cava tumor thrombosis, and 1 case of residual portal vein tumor thrombosis. Ultimately, 26 cases were enrolled in this study. The maximal tumor standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was identified as a predictive factor and detected. The univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify the prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) of HCC patients complicated by mPVTT. Results: Our results showed that the median OS was 16 months. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative OS was 55.6%, 31.7%, and 31.7%, respectively. The multivariate regression analysis revealed that SUVmax ≥ 4.65 was the only independent risk factor for RFS and OS. Conclusion SUVmax was an independent predictor for RFS and OS of patients suffering from both HCC and mPVTT. L ow SUVmax could serve as an effective factor for selecting candidates with low recurrence risks and for helping with improving patient survival after surgical resection.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic that had affected more than eight million people worldwide by June 2020. Given the importance of the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) for host immunity, we retrospectively evaluated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of moderate-to-severe COVID-19 in patients with diabetes.

We conducted a multi-center observational study of 1,082 adult inpatients (aged ≥18 years) who were admitted to one of five university hospitals in Daegu because of the severity of their COVID-19-related disease. The demographic, laboratory, and radiologic findings, and the mortality, prevalence of severe disease, and duration of quarantine were compared between patients with and without DM. In addition, 1:1 propensity score (PS)-matching was conducted with the DM group.

Compared with the non-DM group (n=847), patients with DM (n=235) were older, exhibited higher mortality, and required more intensive care. Even after PS-matching, patients with DM exhibited more severe disease, and DM remained a prognostic factor for higher mortality (hazard ratio, 2.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.38 to 4.15). Subgroup analysis revealed that the presence of DM was associated with higher mortality, especially in older people (≥70 years old). Prior use of a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor or a renin-angiotensin system inhibitor did not affect mortality or the clinical severity of the disease.

DM is a significant risk factor for COVID-19 severity and mortality. Our findings imply that COVID-19 patients with DM, especially if elderly, require special attention and prompt intensive care.

OBJECTIVE: As one of the most popular designs used in genetic research, family-based design has been well recognized for its advantages, such as robustness against population stratification and admixture. With vast amounts of genetic data collected from family-based studies, there is a great interest in studying the role of genetic markers from the aspect of risk prediction. This study aims to develop a new statistical approach for family-based risk prediction analysis with an improved prediction accuracy compared with existing methods based on family history. METHODS: In this study, we propose an ensemble-based likelihood ratio (ELR) approach, Fam-ELR, for family-based genomic risk prediction. Fam-ELR incorporates a clustered receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve method to consider correlations among family samples, and uses a computationally efficient tree-assembling procedure for variable selection and model building. RESULTS: Through simulations, Fam-ELR shows its robustness in various underlying disease models and pedigree structures, and attains better performance than two existing family-based risk prediction methods. In a real-data application to a family-based genome-wide dataset of conduct disorder, Fam-ELR demonstrates its ability to integrate potential risk predictors and interactions into the model for improved accuracy, especially on a genome-wide level. CONCLUSIONS By comparing existing approaches, such as genetic risk-score approach, Fam-ELR has the capacity of incorporating genetic variants with small or moderate marginal effects and their interactions into an improved risk prediction model. Therefore, it is a robust and useful approach for high-dimensional family-based risk prediction, especially on complex disease with unknown or less known disease etiology.
Area Under Curve ; Computer Simulation ; Conduct Disorder/physiopathology* ; Family Health ; Female ; Genetic Markers ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genetic Variation ; Genome, Human ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Genomics ; Humans ; Likelihood Functions ; Male ; Models, Genetic ; Odds Ratio ; Pedigree ; ROC Curve ; Reproducibility of Results ; Risk Factors

To study the expression of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and angiotensin (Ang) 1-7 specific receptor Mas protain in renal blood vessels of metabolic syndrome ( MS) rats and its anti-oxidative effect. A total of 80 male SD rats were divided into four groups: the normal control group (NC, the same volume of normal saline), the MS group (high fat diet), the MS + Astragali Radix group (MS + HQ, 6 g x kg(-1) x d(-1) in gavage) and the MS + Valsartan group (MS + XST, 30 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) in gavage). After four weeks of intervention, their general indexes, biochemical indexes and blood pressure were measured; plasma and renal tissue Ang II, malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide demutase (SOD) levels were measured with radioimmunoassay. The protein expressions of Mas receptor, AT1R, ACE and ACE2 were detected by western blot analysis. According to the result, compared with the NC group, the MS group and the MS + HQ group showed significant increases in systolic and diastolic pressures, body weight, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, triglycerides, free fatty acid and Ang II level of MS rats (P < 0.05). The MS + XST group showed notable decreases in systolic and diastolic pressures than that of the MS group. The MS group showed significant increases in the SOD activity and NO level and decrease in the MDA level after being intervened with Astragali Radix. ACE and AT1R protein expressions in renal tissues of the MS group were higher than that in the NC group, but with lower ACE2 and -Mas receptor expressions (all P < 0.05). Compared with the MS group, the MS + HQ group showed significant increase in Mas receptor expression in renal tissues, whereas the MS + XST group showed notable decrease in AT1R (all P < 0.05). In conclusion, Astragali Radix can increase the Mas receptor expressions in renal tissues, decrease ACE expression and change local Ang II, MDA, NO and SOD in kidneys, so as to protect early damages in renal tissues.
Angiotensin I ; metabolism ; Animals ; Astragalus Plant ; chemistry ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Kidney ; drug effects ; injuries ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Metabolic Syndrome ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Peptide Fragments ; metabolism ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; genetics ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; genetics ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo explore the operative technique and clinical results of using peroneal perforator-based sural neurofasciocutaneous flaps to repair skin and soft tissue defects in lower extremities.

METHODSFrom January 2009 to March 2012, 26 patients with skin and soft tissue defects at distal region of leg and foot were hospitalized. Among them, 9 patients suffered from tendon or bone exposure at the distal region of leg after injury due to traffic accident; 4 patients suffered from skin defects in the ankle as a result of electric injury; 8 patients suffered from chronic ulcer at the distal part of leg and foot; 5 patients suffered from plantar pressure ulcer. After debridement, soft tissue defect sizes ranged from 11 cm×5 cm to 18 cm×13 cm. According to the position and size of the defects, peroneal perforator-based sural neurofasciocutaneous flaps were designed and procured to repair the skin and soft tissue defects. The size of flaps ranged from 12 cm×6 cm to 20 cm×15 cm. Flap donor sites were closed by direct suture or skin grafting.

RESULTSTwenty-five flaps survived completely. Only one flap suffered partial margin necrosis in the size of 2 cm×1 cm, which was healed after dressing change. Patients were followed up for 6 to 12 months. The appearance and sensation of flaps were satisfactory; no ulcer occurred; the movement of lower extremities was normal.

CONCLUSIONSIt is suitable to repair the skin and soft tissue defects at distal region of leg and foot with the peroneal perforator-based sural neurofasciocutaneous flap, as it possesses reliable blood supply, long and non-bulky pedicle, and sufficient available size. The operation is also easy to perform.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; surgery ; Sural Nerve ; transplantation ; Surgical Flaps ; blood supply ; innervation ; Young Adult