OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical characteristics, lesion sites and correlation differences of different types of diabetic foot gangrene, and to provide evidence-based basis for clinical classification of diabetic foot gangrene. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 266 patients with newly diagnosed diabetic foot gangrene who were admitted from January 2018 to December 2018, including 183 males and 83 females, aged from 35 to 92 years old with an average of (69.55±10.84) years old, and they were divided into wet gangrene group and dry gangrene group according to the different natures of gangrene. There were 139 patients in wet gangrene group, including 98 males and 41 females, aged from 35 to 90 years old with an average of (68.95±10.93) years old. There were 127 patients in dry gangrene group, including 85 males and 42 females, aged from 38 to 92 years old with an average of (70.21±10.75) years old. Body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body temperature, skin temperature difference between the affected and healthy sides of the lower extremities, and Wagner grade between two groups were recorded to evaluate symptoms and signs. The white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil percentage (NEUT%), and C-reactive protein (C-reactive protein), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in peripheral blood between two groups were detected and compared to evaluate the infection status;the severity of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) was evaluated by using Toronto Clinical Scoring System (TCSS);the degree of pain in patients with diabetic foot gangrene was evaluated by numerical rating scale (NRS); ankle-brachial index (ABI) and popliteal artery blood flow velocity were used to evaluate the degree of arterial lesions. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlations between gangrene TCSS, ABI and age, BMI, WHR, body temperature, calf skin temperature difference, WBC, NEUT%, CRP, ESR, PCT, IL-6, NRS, and Wagner classification indicators. RESULTS: The body temperature, skin temperature difference between the affected and healthy sides of the lower extremities, Wagner grade, WBC, NEUT%, CRP, ESR, PCT, IL-6, TCSS score, ABI, and popliteal artery blood flow velocity in wet gangrene group were higher than those in dry gangrene group (P<0.01), and BMI, WHR, and NRS score in dry gangrene group were higher than those in wet gangrene group;the differences were all statistically significant (P<0.01). The results of Spearman correlation analysis showed TCSS score of gangrene patients was correlated with body temperature (r=0.214), calf skin temperature difference (r=0.364), WBC (r=0.240), NEUT% (r=0.291), CRP (r=0.347), ESR (r=0.167), PCT (r=0.241), IL-6 (r=0.316), and popliteal fossa arterial blood flow velocity (r=0.261) and Wagner grade (r=0.273) were positively correlated, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). ABI was negatively correlated with age (r=-0.183), BMI (r=-0.252), WHR (r=-0.288), and NRS score (r=-0.354), and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). CONCLUSION Diabetic foot gangrene is an extremely difficult and critical disease. Wet gangrene has a significant synergic effect with infection and neuropathy, while dry gangrene is closely related to vascular occlusion. The main contradiction of gangrene could be revealed through blood vessels, nerves and infection, providing evidence-based basis for the selection of debridement timing, anti-infection strategies and revascularization, with the aim of reducing the risk of amputation.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Diabetic Foot/diagnosis* ; Aged, 80 and over ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Gangrene/physiopathology* ; C-Reactive Protein

Traumatic main bronchus rupture is a relatively rare injury in thoracic trauma, which is extremely critical, with a mortality rate as high as 70% - 80%. The complete rupture and displacement of the traumatic cervical trachea can lead to asphyxia, hypoxia, and cardiac arrest, even death of the patient in a short time. We performed emergency surgery with the support of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for a case of traumatic cervical tracheal trunk complete rupture and displacement combined with cardiac arrest and achieved a successful rescue. We summarized our experience and found that timely surgical reconstruction of the airway is the key to increasing the traumatic main bronchus rupture survival of patients.
Humans ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Heart Arrest/etiology* ; Rupture ; Trachea/surgery*

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) manual, sperm concentration should be measured using an improved Neubauer hemocytometer, while sperm motility should be measured by manual assessment. However, in China, thousands of laboratories do not use the improved Neubauer hemocytometer or method; instead, the Makler counting chamber is one of the most widely used chambers. To study sources of error that could impact the measurement of the apparent concentration and motility of sperm using the Makler counting chamber and to verify its accuracy for clinical application, 67 semen samples from patients attending the Department of Andrology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University (Chengdu, China) between 13 September 2023 and 27 September 2023, were included. Compared with applying the cover glass immediately, delaying the application of the cover glass for 5 s, 10 s, and 30 s resulted in average increases in the sperm concentration of 30.3%, 74.1%, and 107.5%, respectively (all P < 0.0001) and in the progressive motility (PR) of 17.7%, 30.8%, and 39.6%, respectively (all P < 0.0001). However, when the semen specimens were fixed with formaldehyde, a delay in the application of the cover glass for 5 s, 10 s, and 30 s resulted in an average increase in the sperm concentration of 6.7%, 10.8%, and 14.6%, respectively, compared with immediate application of the cover glass. The accumulation of motile sperm due to delays in the application of the cover glass is a significant source of error with the Makler counting chamber and should be avoided.
Humans ; Male ; Sperm Motility/physiology* ; Sperm Count ; Semen Analysis/methods* ; Spermatozoa/physiology* ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVE: To detect and analyze the expression and clinical significance of long non-coding RNA tyrosine kinase non-catalytic region adaptor protein 1-antisense RNA1 (NCK1-AS1) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: 89 AML patients and 23 healthy controls were included from the People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression levels of NCK1-AS1 and NCK1 in bone marrow samples. The relationship between the expression of NCK1-AS1 and the clinical characteristics of patients were analyzed, as well as the correlation between NCK1-AS1 and NCK1. RESULTS: The expression level of NCK1-AS1 in all AML, non-M3 AML and cytogenetically normal AML (CN-AML) patients was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, P < 0.01, respectively). In non-M3 AML, patients with high NCK1-AS1 expression had a significantly lower hemoglobin level than those with low NCK1-AS1 expression (P =0.036), furthermore, NCK1-AS1 ^high patients had shorter overall survival than NCK1-AS1^low patients (P =0.0378). Multivariate analysis showed that NCK1-AS1 expression was an independent adverse factor in patients with non-M3 AML ( HR =2.392, 95% CI :1.089-5.255, P =0.030). In addition, NCK1 expression was also significantly upregulated in all AML, non-M3 AML and CN-AML patients compared with controls (P < 0.01, P < 0.01, P < 0.001, respectively). There was a certain correlation between NCK1-AS1 and NCK1 expression (r =0.37, P =0.0058). CONCLUSION High expression of NCK1-AS1 in AML indicates poor prognosis of AML patients.
Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics* ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics* ; Oncogene Proteins/genetics* ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/genetics* ; Prognosis ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Clinical Relevance

BACKGROUND: The incidence of leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is increasing gradually. However, it poses therapeutic challenges due to limited effective interventions. Intrathecal Pemetrexed (IP) holds broad application prospects in the therapeutic domain of LM. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and optimal combination strategies of IP in NSCLC-LM patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive status, with the aim of providing real-world data support for exploring more precise personalized treatment strategies for these patients. METHODS: 104 EGFR-mutated NSCLC-LM patients who received IP treatment at Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from January 2018 to June 2024 were analyzed retrospectively. Clinical parameters, treatment regimens, and survival outcomes were collected. The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), clinical response rate and adverse events (AEs) were evaluated. RESULTS: The cohort demonstrated a median PFS of 9.6 months and OS of 13.0 months with 6-month and 1-year OS rates of 80.8% and 56.5%, respectively. Clinical response was observed in 77.9% of patients. The common AEs were myelosuppression (58.7%) and elevation of hepatic aminotransferases (25.0%). Nine (8.7%) patients experienced grade 4 myelosuppression and recovered to normal after receiving symptomatic treatment. Subgroup analyses revealed prolonged OS in patients with Karnofsky performance status (KPS) ≥60 versus <60 (14.4 vs 9.0 months, P=0.0022) and those receiving Bevacizumab therapy versus not (19.2 vs 10.5 months, P=0.0011). CONCLUSIONS IP exhibits promising efficacy and manageable toxicity in EGFR-mutated NSCLC-LM patients. When combined with Bevacizumab, it exerts synergistic antitumor effects with the potential to further improve clinical outcomes.
Humans ; Pemetrexed/therapeutic use* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; ErbB Receptors/genetics* ; Aged ; Mutation ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Injections, Spinal ; Meningeal Neoplasms/genetics* ; Treatment Outcome ; Aged, 80 and over

BACKGROUND: The clinical impact of post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) quantitative flow ratio (QFR) in patients treated with PCI for chronic total occlusion (CTO) was still undetermined. METHODS: All CTO vessels treated with successful anatomical PCI in patients from PANDA III trial were retrospectively measured for post-PCI QFR. The primary outcome was 2-year vessel-oriented composite endpoints (VOCEs, composite of target vessel-related cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization). Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis was conducted to identify optimal cutoff value of post-PCI QFR for predicting the 2-year VOCEs, and all vessels were stratified by this optimal cutoff value. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI. RESULTS: Among 428 CTO vessels treated with PCI, 353 vessels (82.5%) were analyzable for post-PCI QFR. 31 VOCEs (8.7%) occurred at 2 years. Mean value of post-PCI QFR was 0.92 ± 0.13. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis shown the optimal cutoff value of post-PCI QFR for predicting 2-year VOCEs was 0.91. The incidence of 2-year VOCEs in the vessel with post-PCI QFR < 0.91 (n = 91) was significantly higher compared with the vessels with post-PCI QFR ≥ 0.91 (n = 262) (22.0% vs. 4.2%, HR = 4.98, 95% CI: 2.32-10.70). CONCLUSIONS Higher post-PCI QFR values were associated with improved prognosis in the PCI practice for coronary CTO. Achieving functionally optimal PCI results (post-PCI QFR value ≥ 0.91) tends to get better prognosis for patients with CTO lesions.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate possible associations between physical function assessment scales, such as Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS), with all-cause mortality in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) patients. METHODS: A total of 108 ADHF patients were analyzed from October 2020 to October 2022, and followed up to May 2023. The association between baseline clinical characteristics and all-cause mortality was analyzed by univariate Cox regression analysis, while for SPPB and BBS, univariate Cox regression analysis was followed by receiver operating characteristic curves, in which the area under the curve represented their predictive accuracy for all-cause mortality. Incremental predictive values for both physical function assessments were measured by calculating net reclassification index and integrated discrimination improvement scores. Optimal cut-off value for BBS was then identified using restricted cubic spline plots, and survival differences below and above that cut-off were compared using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and the log-rank test. The clinical utility of BBS was measured using decision curve analysis. RESULTS: For baseline characteristics, age, female, blood urea nitrogen, as well as statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, or angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors, were predictive for all-cause mortality for ADHF patients. With respect to SPPB and BBS, higher scores were associated with lower all-cause mortality rates for both assessments; similar area under the curves were measured for both (0.774 for SPPB and 0.776 for BBS). Furthermore, BBS ≤ 36.5 was associated with significantly higher mortality, which was still applicable even adjusting for confounding factors; BBS was also found to have great clinical utility under decision curve analysis. CONCLUSIONS BBS or SPPB could be used as tools to assess physical function in ageing ADHF patients, as well as prognosticate on all-cause mortality. Moreover, prioritizing the improvement of balance capabilities of ADHF patients in cardiac rehabilitation regimens could aid in lowering mortality risk.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the common mechanisms among collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis, and CIA+BLM to evaluate the therapeutic effect of triptolide (TP) on CIA+BLM. METHODS: Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 6 groups according to a random number table (n=6 per group): normal control (NC), CIA, BLM, combined CIA+BLM model, TP low-dose (TP-L, 0.0931 mg/kg), and TP high-dose (TP-H, 0.1862 mg/kg) groups. The CIA model was induced by intradermal injection at the base of the tail with emulsion of bovine type II collagen and incomplete Freund's adjuvant (1:1), with 200 µL administered on day 0 and a booster of 100 µL on day 7. Pulmonary fibrosis was induced via a single intratracheal injection of BLM (5 mg/kg). The CIA+BLM model combined both protocols, and TP was administered orally from day 14 to 35. After successful modeling, arthritis scores were recorded every 3 days, and pulmonary function was assessed once at the end of the treatment period. Lung tissues were collected for histological analysis (hematoxylin eosin and Masson staining), immunohistochemistry, measurement of hydroxyproline (HYP) content, and calculation of lung coefficient. In addition, HE staining was performed on the ankle joint. Total RNA was extracted from lung tissues for transcriptomic analysis. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were compared with those from the RA-associated interstitial lung diseases patient dataset GSE199152 to identify overlapping genes, which were then used to construct a protein-protein interaction network. Hub genes were identified using multiple topological algorithms. RESULTS: The successfully established CIA+BLM rat model exhibited significantly increased arthritis scores and severe pulmonary fibrosis (P<0.01). By intersecting the DEGs obtained from transcriptomic analysis of lung tissues in CIA, BLM, and CIA+BLM rats with DEGs from rheumatoid arthritis-interstitial lung disease patients (GSE199152 dataset), 50 upregulated and 44 downregulated genes were identified. Through integrated PPI network analysis using multiple topological algorithms, IGF1 was identified as a central hub gene. TP intervention significantly improved pulmonary function by increasing peak inspiratory flow (P<0.01), and reduced lung index and HYP content (P<0.01). Histopathological analysis showed that TP alleviated alveolar collapse, interstitial thickening, and collagen deposition in the lung tissues (P<0.01). Moreover, TP treatment reduced the expression of collagen type I and α-SMA and increased E-cadherin levels (P<0.01). TP also significantly reduced arthritis scores and ameliorated synovial inflammation (P<0.05). Both transcriptomic and immunohistochemical analyses confirmed that IGF1 expression was elevated in the CIA+BLM group and downregulated following TP treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSION TP exerts protective effects in the CIA+BLM model by alleviating arthritis and pulmonary fibrosis through the inhibition of IGF1-mediated EMT.
Animals ; Pulmonary Fibrosis/complications* ; Bleomycin/adverse effects* ; Phenanthrenes/pharmacology* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Diterpenes/pharmacology* ; Epoxy Compounds/therapeutic use* ; Arthritis, Experimental/complications* ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/metabolism* ; Rats ; Lung/physiopathology*

Objective:To explore the trend of hearing changes in infants with GJB2 gene p.V37I mutation at different months. Methods:The subjects were 54 children（108 ears） with p.V37I homozygous or compound heterozygous mutation in GJB2 gene. All the subjects underwent auditory brainstem response, auditory steady-state response, acoustic immittance and other audiological tests. Children were divided into three groups according to their age, 26 cases in group A were ≤3 months old, 17 cases in group B were>3~≤6 months old, and 11 cases in group C were>6 months old. Statistical analysis was performed on the three groups of ABR response threshold, hearing degree, the ASSR average response threshold of four frequencies and the ASSR response thresholds for each frequency of 500, 1 000, 2 000 and 4 000 Hz. Results:Among the 54 cases, 35 were male and 19 were female, with an age rang of 2-27 months and a median age of 4 months. The ABR response threshold of the three groups were ranked from low to high as group A, group B and group C, and the difference was statistically significant（P<0.05）. The ABR response thresholds of the three groups were ranked from low to high as group A, group B, and group C. The comparison between groups showed that the ABR response thresholds of group C was higher than that of group A（P=0.006）. The proportion of confirmed hearing loss in the three groups was 34.61%, 50.00% and 63.64%, respectively, and the difference of hearing level among the three groups was statistically significant（P<0.05）. The comparison between groups showed that the difference between group A and group C was statistically significant（P=0.012）, normal hearing accounted for the highest proportion in group A（65.39%）, while mild hearing loss accounted for the highest proportion in group C（45.46%）. The ASSR average response thresholds of the four frequencies in the three groups were ranked from low to high as group A, group B and group C, and the difference is statistically significant（P<0.05）. The comparison between groups showed that response ASSR thresholds of group C was higher than that of group A（P=0.002）. Response thresholds of ASSR in each frequency in the three groups were all ranked from low to high as in group A, group B and group C, and the differences were statistically significant（P<0.05）. Compared with each other between groups, response ASSR thresholds of group C was higher than those of group A（P=0.003） and group B（P=0.015） at 500 Hz, while response ASSR thresholds of group C was higher than group A at 1 000 Hz（P=0.010） and 2 000 Hz（P<0.001）, and there was no statistical difference at 4 000 Hz. Conclusion:The incidence of hearing loss in GJB2 gene p.V37I mutation increased with age, and the degree of hearing loss increased, the hearing progression was mainly 500, 1 000 and 2 000 Hz suggesting regular follow-up and alert to hearing changes.
Humans ; Connexin 26 ; Male ; Female ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Mutation ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; Connexins/genetics* ; Auditory Threshold ; Hearing/genetics* ; Hearing Loss/genetics*

Objective:To explore the hearing changes of children with different genotypes of SLC26A4 with enlarged vestibular aqueduct（EVA） using the linear mixed effect model（LMM）, providing evidence for the risk prediction of progressive hearing loss. Methods:A total of 48 children with EVA diagnosed in our hospital from January 2017 to January 2024. All subjects underwent two or more auditory tests. According to the results of deafness gene screening and sequencing, the genotypes are divided into: type A: homozygous mutation of c. 919-2A>G, type B: compound heterozygous or heterozygous mutation containing c. 919-2A>G, and type C: no mutation site of c. 919-2A>G of SLC26A4 gene. LMM was used to analyze the hearing thresholds change of 500 Hz, 1 000 Hz, 2 000 Hz, 4 000 Hz and the average in children with different genotypes with age. Results:A total of 92 ears, 314 audiograms of 48 children were included, the median number of audiograms was 3, the median age of initial diagnosis was 4 months, and the median follow-up time was 13 months. According to LMM, the standard deviation of random effects between patients and ears was large. There was no significant difference in hearing thresholds of different frequencies and the average in genotype A, genotype B, and genotype C, indicating that genotype had no effect on hearing threshold. There is an interaction between age and genotype. Taking genotype C as the reference, children with genotype B had the lowest increase in 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, and the average hearing threshold, followed by type A. Conclusion:EVA children exhibit substantial inter-individual/ear hearing threshold variability. Low-frequency thresholds progress slower than high frequencies. Genotype modulates progression rates, with wild-type（Type C） demonstrating fastest deterioration, supporting personalized auditory monitoring strategies.
Humans ; Vestibular Aqueduct/abnormalities* ; Genotype ; Sulfate Transporters ; Mutation ; Auditory Threshold ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/genetics* ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Hearing Loss/genetics* ; Hearing Tests ; Linear Models ; Infant