Objective To investigate the expression of carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 6 (CEACAM6) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and analyze its correlation with immune cell infiltration and patient prognosis. Methods Three ESCC datasets (GSE161533, GSE26886, and GSE23400) from the GEO database were analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes. CEACAM6 was identified as a key gene through survival analysis. Its expression, prognostic value, and relationship with immune cell infiltration were further explored using databases, such as TIMER. Tissue samples were collected from 162 patients with ESCC. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of CEACAM6, immune cell markers (CD4, CD8, CD20, and CD56), and immune checkpoint molecules (HHLA2 and CD40LG). Correlations between CEACAM6 expression and clinicopathological features, immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoints were analyzed. Results Bioinformatic analysis and clinical sample validation confirmed that CEACAM6 expression was significantly upregulated in ESCC tissues compared with adjacent nontumor tissues (P<0.05). High CEACAM6 expression was closely associated with advanced clinical stage (AJCC Ⅲ-Ⅳ), high T stage (T3-T4), lymph node metastasis, nonulcerative type, and poor prognosis. Furthermore, CEACAM6 expression levels were positively correlated with the infiltration density of CD8⁺ T cells, CD4⁺ T cells, and CD20⁺ B cells within the tumor microenvironment and with the expression of the immune checkpoint molecules HHLA2 and CD40LG (all P<0.05). Conclusion CEACAM6 serves as an independent poor prognostic factor for ESCC. Its high expression is implicated in the modulation of the tumor immune microenvironment by correlating with specific immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint molecules, suggesting its potential as a novel prognostic biomarker and immunotherapeutic target for ESCC.

ObjectiveTo observe the short-term and long-term efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） surgical operations in treating mixed hemorrhoids. MethodsA multi-center retrospective cohort study was conducted， collecting clinical data from 17，831 mixed hemorrhoid surgery patients in 8 top-tier TCM hospitals in Jiangsu Province. Standardized and structured datasets were obtained through artificial intelligence models. Patients who underwent western surgical treatment were categorized into the western surgery group （11,646 cases）， and those receiving TCM surgical operations were categorized into the TCM surgery group （6185 cases）. Propensity score matching （1∶1 matching） was used to balance baseline data between groups. The primary outcome was the one-year recurrence rate， and secondary outcomes included the main symptoms （rectal bleeding， degree of prolapse） and secondary symptoms （anal distension， anal edema， wound secretion and exudation， anal stenosis， residual skin tags， perianal itching， and anal pain） measured on days 7， 28， and 60 after discharge. ResultsAfter matching， 2194 patients were included in each group. Symptom scores showed that at 28 days after discharge， the TCM surgical group had superior improvement in rectal bleeding ［OR=5.786， 95%CI （3.092，10.827）］， degree of prolapse ［OR=4.510， 95%CI （1.649，12.333）］， and anal edema ［OR=3.188， 95%CI （1.295，7.845）］ compared to the western surgical group. At 60 days post-discharge， the TCM group still showed advantages in improving rectal bleeding ［OR=5.237， 95%CI （1.077，25.464）］ and anal pain ［OR=11.697， 95%CI （1.186，115.336）］ （P＜0.05）. Long-term follow-up showed that the one-year recurrence rate in the TCM surgery group was 1.1% （8/726）， while that in the western surgery group was 2.3% （10/444）， with no statistically significant difference between the two groups （P＞0.05）. ConclusionBased on real-world data， TCM surgical treatment for mixed hemorrhoids shows significant short-term symptom improvement， particularly in terms of hemostasis， reducing swelling， and alleviating prolapse of anal masses.

Breviscapine （Bre）， the effective flavonoid fraction extracted from Erigeron breviscapus ， contains more than 90% scutellarin. It exerts pharmacological effects including cardiovascular protection， neuroprotection， anti-tumor activity and immunomodulation. Nevertheless， Bre has several drawbacks such as low solubility， low permeability， poor stability and short half-life， which greatly restrict its clinical application. Novel drug delivery systems （NDDS） are carriers that integrate multi-dimensional technologies including solubilization， penetration enhancement， sustained/controlled release and targeted delivery to achieve efficient drug delivery. This paper systematically summarizes the research progress of Bre-NDDS， which mainly covers oral preparations （sustained/controlled-release drug delivery systems， immediate-release drug delivery systems）， injectable preparations （liposomes， solid lipid nanoparticles， lipid emulsions， polymeric nanoparticles， polymeric micelles）， mucosal delivery systems （nasal mucosal drug delivery systems， buccal mucosal drug delivery systems， pulmonary mucosal drug delivery systems） and transdermal delivery systems. The preparation routes as well as in vitro and in vivo performances of various Bre-NDDS are analyzed. The design principles for NDDS based on pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics are put forward， which can provide scientific evidence for the research， development and industrialization of high-efficiency and safe new Bre preparations.

Given that ovarian stimulation is vital for assisted reproductive technology (ART) and results in elevated serum estrogen levels, exploring the impact of elevated estrogen exposure on oocytes and embryos is necessary. We investigated the effects of various ovarian stimulation treatments on oocyte and embryo morphology and gene expression using a mouse model and estrogen-treated mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Female C57BL/6J mice were subjected to two types of conventional ovarian stimulation and ovarian hyperstimulation; mice treated with only normal saline served as controls. Hyperstimulation resulted in high serum estrogen levels, enlarged ovaries, an increased number of aberrant oocytes, and decreased embryo formation. The messenger RNA (mRNA)‍-sequencing of oocytes revealed the dysregulated expression of lysine-specific demethylase 6b (Kdm6b), which may be a key factor indicating hyperstimulation-induced aberrant oocytes and embryos. In vitro, Kdm6b expression was downregulated in mESCs treated with high-dose estrogen; treatment with an estrogen receptor antagonist could reverse this downregulated expression level. Furthermore, treatment with high-dose estrogen resulted in the upregulated expression of histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) and phosphorylated H2A histone family member X (γ-H2AX). Notably, knockdown of Kdm6b and high estrogen levels hindered the formation of embryoid bodies, with a concomitant increase in the expression of H3K27me3 and γ-H2AX. Collectively, our findings revealed that hyperstimulation-induced high-dose estrogen could impair the demethylation of H3K27me3 by reducing Kdm6b expression. Accordingly, Kdm6b could be a promising marker for clinically predicting ART outcomes in patients with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
Female ; Mice ; Demethylation/drug effects* ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; Estrogens/administration & dosage* ; Gene Expression/drug effects* ; Histones/metabolism* ; Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Oocytes ; Ovary/drug effects* ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; Animals

Objective:To investigate the effect of 308-nm light-emitting diode (LED) phototherapy at escalating doses after autologous melanocyte transplantation on the repigmentation in patients with refractory stable vitiligo.Methods:A prospective, randomized, self-controlled trial was conducted. Twelve patients with refractory stable vitiligo (a total of 17 skin lesions) were collected from the Department of Dermatology, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from November 2023 to September 2024. Autologous cultured melanocyte transplantation was performed. One week after the inner layer of petrolatum gauze had fallen off, each white patch was bisected by the midline and randomly divided into a test group and a control group; both groups received 308-nm LED light irradiation at an initial dose of 50 mJ/cm 2; then, the test group received a slow (5%) dose escalation, while the control group received a quick (10%) dose escalation. The repigmentation outcomes, clinical efficacy and safety were observed at 1, 3, and 6 months after the start of phototherapy. Results:A total of 12 patients with refractory stable vitiligo were collected, including 3 males and 9 females, aged 5 to 59 (29.4 ± 19.6) years. At 1 month after phototherapy, there was no significant difference in the vitiligo repigmentation area score between the test group and the control group ( P = 0.666) ; at 3 months after phototherapy, the vitiligo repigmentation area score was significantly higher in the test group (54.45 [5.17, 85.50] points) than in the control group (39.75 [4.52, 65.05] points, Z = -2.51, P = 0.012) ; at 6 months after phototherapy, no significant difference in the vitiligo repigmentation area score was observed between the two groups ( P = 0.11). In the test group, the marked response rate increased from 41.18% (7/17) at 1 month to 58.82% (10/17) and 58.82% (10/17) at 3 and 6 months after treatment, respectively; in the control group, it increased from 29.41% (5/17) at 1 month to 35.29% (6/17) and 47.06% (8/17) at 3 and 6 months after treatment, respectively. At 1 month after treatment, the response rate was 58.82% (10/17) in the test group, and 64.71% (11/17) in the control group, which both increased to 70.59% (12/17) at 3 and 6 months after treatment. There were no significant differences in the marked response rates or response rates between the two groups at different time points after treatment (all P > 0.05). The maximum dose of 308-nm LED light was 106.0 (87.0, 152.5) mJ/cm 2 in the test group, and 219.0 (200.5, 268.5) mJ/cm 2 in the control group; the total accumulated dose of 308-nm LED light was 2 101.0 (1 865.0, 2 270.5) mJ/cm 2 in the test group, and 3 411.0 (2 683.5, 4 016.5) mJ/cm 2 in the control group. Blisters occurred in 3 lesions (17.6%) in the control group, while no adverse reactions were observed in the test group. Seven patients (58.3%) preferred the low-dose escalation irradiation protocol in the test group. Conclusion:Autologous melanocyte transplantation combined with 308-nm LED phototherapy initiated at a minimum dose and followed by a 5% dose-escalation irradiation protocol exhibited comparable efficacy but superior safety profiles compared with a conventional 10% dose-escalation irradiation protocol in the treatment of refractory stable vitiligo.

Childhood primary renal tubular diseases are chronic kidney diseases characterized by impaired renal tubular reabsorption. Primary renal tubular disease has diverse clinical manifestations and lacks of specificity. Laboratory tests are limited，making it prone to missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis. Based on the current knowledge of renal tubular diseases，authors propose early warning signals of renal tubular diseases such as family history of primary tubular diseases，unexplained polyhydramnios during pregnancy，polydipsia，polyuria，delayed growth and development or rickets，decreased muscle strength and tone，unexplained electrolyte disturbance，hyperuricemia，acid-base disturbance，positive urine sugar test，renal tubular proteinuria，urinary imaging examination suggesting kidney stones，calcium deposition，renal cysts and early onset of eye，ear，joint and neuron injury.Meanwhile，some universal management strategies for primary renal tubular disease are proposed，emphasizing the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration，genetic testing and individualized intervention to improve the long-term prognosis of childhood primary renal tubular diseases.

Over the past three decades， China has made significant progress in the prevention and control of viral hepatitis， and the incidence rates of new-onset pediatric hepatitis B virus infections and acute viral hepatitis in the population have reduced to a relatively low level； however， there is still a heavy disease burden of chronic viral hepatitis in China， which severely affects the health status of the population. This study systematically summarizes the achievements of viral hepatitis prevention and control in China， analyzes existing problems and challenges， and proposes comprehensive prevention and control strategies and measures to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat based on the national conditions of China， in order to provide a reference for related departments in China on how to achieve the action targets for eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） compound Chaiqin Xiaoyong Decoction （柴芩消痈饮， CXD） combined with Jinhuang Ointment （金黄膏， JO） in treating the nodular stage of acne mastitis of liver meridian heat accumulation type. MethodsA randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted. A total of 108 patients with liver meridian heat accumulation type acne mastitis in the nodular stage were randomly assigned to a treatment group and a control group， with 54 patients in each group. Both groups received topical application of JO once daily at a thickness of 3~5 mm for 8 hours， along with standard nursing care. On this basis， the treatment group received oral CXD granules， while the control group received placebo granules， administered twice daily， 3 sachets per dose， for 14 consecutive days. Clinical efficacy， TCM symptom scores， nodule size， visual analogue scale （VAS） pain scores， white blood cell （WBC） count， C-reactive protein （CRP） level， and systemic immune-inflammation index （SII） were compared. At the end of treatment， efficacy and safety indicators were evaluated. A 6-month follow-up was conducted to compare the proportion of patients undergoing surgical treatment. ResultsThe total clinical efficacy rate in the treatment group was 90.38% （47/52）， significantly higher than 32.00% （16/50） in the control group （P＜0.01）. The treatment group also showed significantly lower TCM symptom scores， VAS scores， nodule size， WBC count， CRP level， and SII （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. During follow-up， the surgical intervention rate in the treatment group was 5.77% （3/52）， lower than 14.00% （7/50） in the control group， with a statistically significant difference （P＜0.01）. No significant abnormalities were observed in safety indicators before and after treatment in either group. ConclusionCXD effectively reduces nodule size and alleviates symptoms such as redness and pain in patients with acne mastitis of liver meridian heat accumulation type， improves TCM symptom scores， enhances overall clinical efficacy， and demonstrates good safety.

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between intraoperative mechanical power and postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing long-duration neurosurgery.Methods:This was a case-control study. Based on the duration of mechanical ventilation>8 h, the clinical data(baseline characteristics, intraoperative information and hospitalization) of patients underwent first elective craniotomy under general anesthesia at Tianjin Huanhu Hospital from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021 were retrospectively collected. The patients were divided into pulmonary complication group (group P) and non-pulmonary complication group (group N) based on the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications. Ventilation-related risk factors for postoperative pulmonary complications were identified by the multivariate logistic regression analysis, and the accuracy of intraoperative tidal volume, peak airway pressure, respiratory rate and mechanical power in predicting postoperative pulmonary complications was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic curve.Results:A total of 555 patients were finally included, with 247 patients in group P and 308 patients in group N. The duration of mechanical ventilation, tidal volume, peak airway pressure, respiratory rate, mechanical power, length of hospitalization and mortality during hospitalization were significantly higher in group P than in group N ( P<0.05). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that intraoperative peak airway pressure, respiratory rate and mechanical power were risk factors for postoperative pulmonary complications ( P<0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (95% confidence interval) of intraoperative peak airway pressure, respiratory rate and mechanical power in predicting postoperative pulmonary complications was 0.726(0.572-0.666), 0.619(0.684-0.768) and 0.958(0.942-0.974)respectively. Conclusions:Intraoperative mechanical power is an independent risk factor for postoperative pulmonary complications and an important ventilation parameter for predicting postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing long-duration neurosurgery.

Objective:To investigate the changes of home blood pressure from weekdays to weekends and its influencing factors.Methods:This study was a national multicenter prospective registry study. Data came from the registry study on the “Action of controlling home blood pressure to target in ten thousand patients”. Hypertension patients receiving antihypertensive drugs in the above study were included, and the general clinical data of the enrolled patients were collected. Patients′ office and home blood pressure were measured at baseline, followed by home blood pressure measurements for 7 consecutive days, and blood pressure trends over a one-week period were analyzed. Multivariate linear stepwise regression was used to investigate the influencing factors of blood pressure change from weekdays to weekends, and subgroup analysis was conducted according to body mass index, alcohol consumption, fasting blood glucose ≥6.1 mmol/L or diabetes mellitus. Kappa consistency test was used to analyze the influence of removing weekend blood pressure data on home blood pressure monitoring results. Results:A total of 3 228 hypertensive patients aged (66.2±7.6) years were included, including 1 612 (49.9%) males. The weekly blood pressure changes of the study subjects showed a trend of gradually increasing during working days (Monday to Friday) and decreasing during weekends (Saturday to Sunday). The blood pressure on weekends was lower than that on weekdays, but the difference was not statistically significant ((128.2±13.7)/(79.7±8.7) mmHg vs. (128.3±12.9)/(79.8±8.3) mmHg, all P>0.05; 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). The blood pressure on Sunday was significantly lower than that on Friday ((127.9±13.3)/(79.6±9.1) mmHg vs. (128.5±13.3)/(80.0±9.0) mmHg, all P<0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that hypertensive patients who were overweight and obese, drank alcohol, and had fasting blood glucose≥6.1 mmol/L or combined diabetes mellitus had a smaller decrease or increasing trend in home blood pressure from weekdays to weekends. Consistency test results showed that the mean blood pressure after removing the 2-day home blood pressure data on weekends was consistent with the mean blood pressure of one week ( Kappa=0.90). The mean blood pressure after removing only the blood pressure data of Sunday was slightly less consistent with the mean blood pressure of one week ( Kappa=0.88). Conclusions:The home blood pressure level of hypertensive patients receiving antihypertensive drugs showed a trend of gradually increasing during working days and decreasing at weekends. People with hypertension who were overweight and obese, drank alcohol, had high fasting blood sugar, or had combined diabetes mellitus, and their home blood pressure decreased less or increased from weekdays to weekends. The removal of 1-day Sunday blood pressure data but not 2-day weekend blood pressure data had impact on the one-week home blood pressure monitoring results.