Objective:To explore the effects of transcription factor adenovirus E4 promoter-binding protein(E4BP4)in regulating pathological myocardial fibrosis through the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase(AMPK)-transforming growth factor(TGF)-β1/Smad homolog 3(SMAD3)pathway.Methods:A mouse model of myocardial fibrosis was established,and the expression of E4BP4 was determined in the model group and the sham-operation group.Primary cardiac fibroblasts were isolated,cultured,activated by angiotensin Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ),and divided into the following groups:Ang Ⅱ+E4BP4 group(transfected with E4BP4 overexpression plasmids),Ang Ⅱ+siE4BP4 group(transfected with E4BP4 interfering plasmids),Ang Ⅱ group,and control group(without Ang Ⅱtreatment).The fluorescence intensity of ɑ-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)was determined by the immunofluorescence assay,the cell viability by the cell counting kit,the expression of E4BP4,α-SMA,collagen type Ⅰ(collagen Ⅰ),and collagen type Ⅲ(collagen Ⅲ)by polymerase chain reaction,and the protein expression of TGF-β1,AMPK,and SMAD3 by Western blot.Results:Compared with the sham-operation group,the model group showed significantly in-creased myocardial fibrosis degree(38.46±1.21 vs.3.39±0.39,t=-78.564,P=0.000)and E4BP4 protein expression(0.96±0.03 vs.0.75±0.03,t=-11.480,P=0.000).In vitro experiments found that the mean fluorescence intensity(0.05±0.01 vs.0.42±0.03,F=677.591,P=0.000),cell viability(91.30±2.39 vs.123.74±2.60,F=132.696,P=0.000),and the levels of α-SMA(1.26±0.09 vs.3.59±0.86,F=52.274,P=0.000),collagen Ⅰ(1.16±0.11 vs.3.79±0.89,F=55.336,P=0.000),collagen Ⅲ(1.23±0.13 vs.2.92±0.36,F=119.929,P=0.000),TGF-β1(0.66±0.04 vs.0.96±0.02,F=142.954,P=0.000),and p-SMAD3/SMAD3(0.81±0.03 vs.1.37±0.02,F=739.609,P=0.000)in the Ang Ⅱ+siE4BP4 group were significantly lower than those in the Ang Ⅱ+E4BP4 group.The expression of p-AMPK/AMPK in the Ang Ⅱ+siE4BP4 group was significantly higher than that in the Ang Ⅱ+E4BP4 group(0.89±0.01 vs.0.58±0.02,F=284.541,P=0.000).Conclusion:E4BP4 plays a crucial role in the regulation of fibrosis.Inhibition of E4BP4 expression exerts an anti-fibrotic effect by activating AMPK and inhibiting TGF-β1/SMAD3 pathway.

Objective To discuss the causes and the therapeutic strategy of acute cardiac tamponade(ACT)occurring as a complication of transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR)so as to improve the success rate of the surgery and to make a further understanding of this complication.Methods The general clinical data,surgical procedures,and postoperative follow-up results of five patients,who received TAVR at the Affiliated Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital of Yangzhou University of China and developed ACT from March 2018 to September 2024,were retrospectively analyzed.Results After developing ACT,all the 5 patients received pericardiocentesis together with other adjuvant therapies including blood volume expansion with infusion,vasopressors,heparin neutralization,and blood transfusion.However,due to no obvious reduction in drainage volume and unstable hemodynamics all the 5 patients had eventually to receive open-chest surgery to identify the source of bleeding and to make hemostasis.Surgical exploration revealed that the perforation or rupture of cardiac structures caused by the temporary pacemaker lead or a super-stiff guide wire during the procedure was the main cause of ACT.Finally,after active treatment four patients recovered and discharged,and one patient died.The discharged patients were followed up for 3-12 months,and no procedure-related complications such as acute coronary artery occlusion,severe arrhythmia,exacerbation of heart failure symptoms,valve displacement,or stroke occurred.Conclusion As a severe complication occurring during the TAVR procedure,ACT requires to get a rapid diagnosis and management.Improvement of surgical techniques and operative methods,comprehensive preoperative assessment,and close intraoperative monitoring are crucial points for the prevention of ACT.

Objective:To validate the accuracy of three-dimensional anatomical models reconstructed from cone beam CT (CBCT) using micro-CT as the gold standard, and to evaluate the feasibility of performing anatomical analyses on such models.Methods:A total of 13 isolated deciduous teeth with intact roots were collected, including 5 anterior teeth and 8 molars, with a total of 34 root canals. The teeth were extracted from children aged 3-9 years who visited Peking University Hospital of Stomatology from January 2019 to April 2022 due to trauma or periapical disease, and were then scanned by micro-CT (with a voxel size of 0.018 mm) and CBCT (with a voxel size of 0.125 mm), respectively. Using a threshold-based semi-automated region segmentation method, anatomical models of these isolated teeth were reconstructed from the two CTs. Subsequently, the two CT reconstructed models were registered based on the iterative closest point algorithm, followed by deviation analysis. The key anatomical parameters were measured on the micro-CT and CBCT models, respectively, and the differences were calculated.Results:The CBCT reconstruction models were relatively accurate in the hard tissue morphology, and 97.1% (33/34) of the root canals were identified accurately. When it comes to the deviation analysis, the average distance between the matched points on the CBCT reconstruction models and the micro-CT models was (0.01±0.03) mm for the hard tissue, and (0.00±0.03) mm for the pulp chambers and canals, which did not affect clinical observation. The hard tissue and root canal length of CBCT models were both smaller than those of micro-CT models ( P<0.05), with a 95% limits of agreement of (-0.70, 0.14) mm for the hard tissue, and a 95% limits of agreement of (-1.93, 1.00) mm for the pulp chambers and canals. The impact of these differences on clinical operations was all within the acceptable range. Conclusions:Using micro-CT as a validate standard, CBCT with a voxel size of 0.125 mm was proved to be an effective tool for the reconstruction of deciduous teeth. Therefore, the reconstructed models were appropriate for studying deciduous teeth anatomy.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a novel surgical approach of debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) with flap transfer, for treating chronic implant infections in bone tumor patients.Methods:A retrospective review was conducted on nine consecutive patients [6 males, 3 females; median age 35(27, 51) years, range 9-71] who underwent a modified procedure of DAIR plus flap transfer between November 2022 and January 2024. The cohort included six cases of chronic periprosthetic joint infection and three cases of chronic plate and screw infection. Tumor diagnoses included seven primary malignant tumors (osteosarcoma=5, undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma of bone=1, synovial sarcoma=1) and two bone metastasis of renal cell carcinoma. The procedure involved wide, radical debridement, meticulous removal of biofilm from implants and surrounding soft tissue, followed by the transfer of a well vascularized musculocutaneous flap to fully envelope the contaminated interface. Pre-operative clinicopathological data, surgical details, postoperative complications and infection recurrence were analyzed.Results:The median interval between initial implantation and debridement was 10.0(3.3, 14.8) months. Median follow-up after debridement was 15.9(15.4, 18.2) months. All nine surgeries were completed as planned: six musculocutaneous flaps, two fasciocutaneous flaps and one muscle-only flap. Implants were preserved in six patients; two required subsequent removal for recurrent infection, and one patient later underwent amputation for tumor recurrence. Infection-free implant survival at 3, 6 and 12 months was 88.9%, 87.5% and 87.5%, respectively. Major complications included one donor-site hematoma, one donor-site sensory deficit and one wound healing delay. All the complications were well management. Both reinfections occurred in proximal tibial prostheses, likely due to limited flap coverage options and local anatomical constraints.Conclusion:Although reinfections happened in two cases DAIR with flap transfer provides promising short-term infection control in patients with chronic implant-associated infections following bone tumor surgery.

Objective:To validate the accuracy of three-dimensional anatomical models reconstructed from cone beam CT (CBCT) using micro-CT as the gold standard, and to evaluate the feasibility of performing anatomical analyses on such models.Methods:A total of 13 isolated deciduous teeth with intact roots were collected, including 5 anterior teeth and 8 molars, with a total of 34 root canals. The teeth were extracted from children aged 3-9 years who visited Peking University Hospital of Stomatology from January 2019 to April 2022 due to trauma or periapical disease, and were then scanned by micro-CT (with a voxel size of 0.018 mm) and CBCT (with a voxel size of 0.125 mm), respectively. Using a threshold-based semi-automated region segmentation method, anatomical models of these isolated teeth were reconstructed from the two CTs. Subsequently, the two CT reconstructed models were registered based on the iterative closest point algorithm, followed by deviation analysis. The key anatomical parameters were measured on the micro-CT and CBCT models, respectively, and the differences were calculated.Results:The CBCT reconstruction models were relatively accurate in the hard tissue morphology, and 97.1% (33/34) of the root canals were identified accurately. When it comes to the deviation analysis, the average distance between the matched points on the CBCT reconstruction models and the micro-CT models was (0.01±0.03) mm for the hard tissue, and (0.00±0.03) mm for the pulp chambers and canals, which did not affect clinical observation. The hard tissue and root canal length of CBCT models were both smaller than those of micro-CT models ( P<0.05), with a 95% limits of agreement of (-0.70, 0.14) mm for the hard tissue, and a 95% limits of agreement of (-1.93, 1.00) mm for the pulp chambers and canals. The impact of these differences on clinical operations was all within the acceptable range. Conclusions:Using micro-CT as a validate standard, CBCT with a voxel size of 0.125 mm was proved to be an effective tool for the reconstruction of deciduous teeth. Therefore, the reconstructed models were appropriate for studying deciduous teeth anatomy.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a novel surgical approach of debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) with flap transfer, for treating chronic implant infections in bone tumor patients.Methods:A retrospective review was conducted on nine consecutive patients [6 males, 3 females; median age 35(27, 51) years, range 9-71] who underwent a modified procedure of DAIR plus flap transfer between November 2022 and January 2024. The cohort included six cases of chronic periprosthetic joint infection and three cases of chronic plate and screw infection. Tumor diagnoses included seven primary malignant tumors (osteosarcoma=5, undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma of bone=1, synovial sarcoma=1) and two bone metastasis of renal cell carcinoma. The procedure involved wide, radical debridement, meticulous removal of biofilm from implants and surrounding soft tissue, followed by the transfer of a well vascularized musculocutaneous flap to fully envelope the contaminated interface. Pre-operative clinicopathological data, surgical details, postoperative complications and infection recurrence were analyzed.Results:The median interval between initial implantation and debridement was 10.0(3.3, 14.8) months. Median follow-up after debridement was 15.9(15.4, 18.2) months. All nine surgeries were completed as planned: six musculocutaneous flaps, two fasciocutaneous flaps and one muscle-only flap. Implants were preserved in six patients; two required subsequent removal for recurrent infection, and one patient later underwent amputation for tumor recurrence. Infection-free implant survival at 3, 6 and 12 months was 88.9%, 87.5% and 87.5%, respectively. Major complications included one donor-site hematoma, one donor-site sensory deficit and one wound healing delay. All the complications were well management. Both reinfections occurred in proximal tibial prostheses, likely due to limited flap coverage options and local anatomical constraints.Conclusion:Although reinfections happened in two cases DAIR with flap transfer provides promising short-term infection control in patients with chronic implant-associated infections following bone tumor surgery.

Objective To compare paired boxed gene 1(PAX1)methylation and p16/Ki-67 double staining alone and in combination in thinprep cytologic test(TCT)for distinguishing atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance(ASC-US)and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion(LSIL)population.Methods A total of 247 patients with TCT results of ASC-US and LSIL admitted in our hospital from January 2021 to December 2022 were enrolled in this study.Detection efficacy of PAX1 methylation and p16/Ki-67 double staining alone and in combination was evaluated with colposcopic pathologic results as the gold standard and the sensitivity,specificity,accuracy and area under the curve(AUC)as evaluation indexes.Results The positive rates of PAX1 methylation and p16/Ki-67 double staining were increased with the severity of pathological findings.Combined detection of PAX1 methylation and p16/Ki-67 assay had a sensitivity of 91.25％,specificity of 97.72％and accuracy of 95.51％in the women with TCT of ASC-US,and these values were statistically better than those of PAX1 methylation and p16/Ki-67 double staining alone(P＜0.01).Conclusion The combination of PAX1 methylation and p16/Ki-67 double-staining assay can further improve the diagnostic efficacy in patients with ASC-US on TCT results.

Objective:To clarify the changes of intrahepatic ultrasound hemodynamics before and after hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) after liver transplantation (LT), providing early warning and anticoagulation guidance to clinicians.Methods:The clinical data of patients who underwent liver transplantation at Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University between June 2006 and October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, 47 patients with a diagnosis of HAT confirmed by DSA (digital subtraction angiography) were included in the HAT group, and 71 patients without vascular complications were included in the non-HAT group. Differences in peak flow velocity (PSV), resistance index (RI), and portal vein velocity (PVV) were compared between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between postoperative PSV decline and HAT occurrence, while ROC curve were used to determine the critical value and evaluate the diagnostic efficacy. Patients with HAT were divided into well-treatment group and poor-treatment group according to whether the blood flow was restored after multiple surgeries or thrombolytic treatments. The changes of early intrahepatic hemodynamics after surgical or thrombolytic therapy were compared between the two groups.Results:①A decrease in PSV of the transplanted hepatic artery was measured 1 d before HAT, and PSV<0.39 m/s predicted thrombus formation with a sensitivity of 0.70, specificity of 0.86, and the AUC was 0.83. ②After treatment, PSV in the HAT group increased immediately, approaching the normal level on the 2nd day. In the well-treatment group, PSV and PVV reached normal levels on the first day after treatment, which were significantly higher than the corresponding values in the poor-treatment group ( P=0.030, 0.021). Conclusions:In the early stage after liver transplantation, a PSV<0.39 m/s is related to the occurrence of HAT thrombosis 1 d later. A significant increase in PSV on the first day after treatment indicates a good treatment response, and there is no need for further DSA re-examination or increasing the number of thrombolysis.

Background/Aims: Four-week treatment of linvencorvir (RO7049389) was generally safe and well tolerated, and showed anti-viral activity in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. This study evaluated the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of 48-week treatment with linvencorvir plus standard of care (SoC) in CHB patients. Methods: This was a multicentre, non-randomized, non-controlled, open-label phase 2 study enrolling three cohorts: nucleos(t)ide analogue (NUC)-suppressed patients received linvencorvir plus NUC (Cohort A, n=32); treatment-naïve patients received linvencorvir plus NUC without (Cohort B, n=10) or with (Cohort C, n=30) pegylated interferon-α (Peg-IFN-α). Treatment duration was 48 weeks, followed by NUC alone for 24 weeks. Results: 68 patients completed the study. No patient achieved functional cure (sustained HBsAg loss and unquantifiable HBV DNA). By Week 48, 89% of treatment-naïve patients (10/10 Cohort B; 24/28 Cohort C) reached unquantifiable HBV DNA. Unquantifiable HBV RNA was achieved in 92% of patients with quantifiable baseline HBV RNA (14/15 Cohort A, 8/8 Cohort B, 22/25 Cohort C) at Week 48 along with partially sustained HBV RNA responses in treatment-naïve patients during follow-up period. Pronounced reductions in HBeAg and HBcrAg were observed in treatment-naïve patients, while HBsAg decline was only observed in Cohort C. Most adverse events were grade 1–2, and no linvencorvir-related serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions 48-week linvencorvir plus SoC was generally safe and well tolerated, and resulted in potent HBV DNA and RNA suppression. However, 48-week linvencorvir plus NUC with or without Peg-IFN did not result in the achievement of functional cure in any patient.

Objective:To evaluate the feasibility of using two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) based liver and spleen elastic hardness (L/S-SWE) in patients with liver cirrhosis, and to determine the exclusion and diagnostic thresholds for early identification of liver cirrhosis.Methods:A total of 574 patients with chronic hepatitis B (hepatitis B for short) were included in this study. The clinical characteristics, L-SWE and S-SWE of the patients were collected, and the differences between cirrhosis group ( n=311) and non cirrhosis group ( n=263) were analyzed. The success rate and stability of liver and spleen elastic surgery were evaluated in two groups. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the efficacy of L-SWE, S-SWE, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) alone and in combination in diagnosing liver cirrhosis. By analyzing the ROC curve, the double threshold for excluding and diagnosing liver cirrhosis was determined. Results:There was a statistically significant difference in platelet count and APRI between the cirrhosis group and the non cirrhosis group (all P<0.05). In the feasibility assessment of 2D-SWE technology, the success rate and stability of liver and spleen elastic operation were relatively high (success rate: 97.2% vs 81.3%; stability: 0.92 vs 0.84), and the success rate and stability of L-SWE operation were slightly better than S-SWE. The success rate of S-SWE operation in the cirrhosis group was higher than that in the non cirrhosis group ( P<0.05). The correlation analysis results showed that L-SWE, S-SWE, APRI were positively correlated with liver tissue pathological grading ( r=0.677, 0.528, 0.149, all P<0.05). The areas under the ROC curve for identifying liver cirrhosis using L-SWE, S-SWE, and APRI were 0.959, 0.896, and 0.706, respectively. When L-SWE and S-SWE were combined, the area under the ROC curve was 0.987, the sensitivity was 92.6%, and the specificity was 96.0%. The Delong test showed that the combined diagnosis of L-SWE and S-SWE had the same diagnostic efficacy as using L-SWE alone for liver cirrhosis ( P>0.05). Further analysis of the ROC curve showed that the likelihood of liver cirrhosis was low when L-SWE was less than 9.4 kPa, and high when L-SWE was greater than 12.0 kPa. Patients between 9.4 and 12.0 kPa can undergo further S-SWE testing; If the S-SWE was between 17.5 and 29.3 kPa, it was classified as 2D-SWE, which was difficult to determine whether there was liver cirrhosis, and further liver puncture and other examinations were needed. Conclusions:2D-SWE technology has high operational feasibility in the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis, and combined with S-SWE, it helps to improve the diagnostic efficiency of early non-invasive identification of liver cirrhosis, enabling more patients to avoid unnecessary liver puncture examinations.