Objective:To investigate the correlation between the density and volume of left atrial-epicardial adipose tissue(LA-EAT)and the occurrence and severity of atrial fibrillation(AF)in elderly patients.Methods:This was a retrospective case-control study.A total of 197 elderly patients with AF and 82 patients with sinus rhythm who were hospitalized in the Department of Cardiology and Geriatric Cardiology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from June 2023 to July 2024.were selected.The AF group was further divided into paroxysmal AF(PAF)subgroup(111 cases)and persistent AF(PeAF)subgroup(86 cases). The density and volume of LA-EAT in all patients were meansured by coronary artery enhanced CT or left atrial enhanced CT.The differences in LA-EAT density, volume and related data among the 3 groups were compared, and their relationship with different severity of senile AF was analyzed.Logistic regression was used to analyze whether LA-EAT density and volume were risk factors for senile AF.The predictive value of LA-EAT density and volume for AF in the elderly was compared throuh restricted cubic spline analysis.Results:The average LA-EAT density in the sinus rhythm group, PAF group and PeAF group was -82.75(-87.15, -79.63), -81.70(-85.55, -75.85)and -80.45(-83.40, -76.10)HU, respectively; the standard deviation of density was 34.70(31.93, 36.28), 36.20(34.30, 37.65)and 35.45(33.63, 37.28)HU, respectively; the LA-EAT volume was 23 483.40(13 964.10, 31 645.53), 25 112.20(18 479.10, 36 917.50)and 37 836.50(25 933.80, 45 537.90)mm 3, respectively.The LA-EAT density and volume in the PAF group and PeAF group were higher than those in the sinus rhythm group(all P<0.05). The LA-EAT volume in the PeAF group was greater than that in the PAF group( P<0.001), but there was no significant difference in LA-EAT density between the two groups( P>0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that LA-EAT density and volume, left atrial diameter(LAD)and body mass index(BMI)were the independent risk factors for AF in the elderly( P<0.05). Conclusions:LA-EAT density and volume are significantly correlated with occurrence of senile AF, and show a positive dose-response relationship.LA-EAT volume is significantly related to the severity of AF( P<0.05), while the density is not significantly related to it( P>0.05).

Fasting plasma glucose(FPG)has been widely used in the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus(DM)for its advantages of rapidity,economy,simplicity and acceptability.Hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c)has the advantages of being simple,stable,accurate and unaffected by related factors,and has been used in the diagnosis of DM since it was standardized.However,the value of FPG and HbA1c in the early diagnosis of diabetes have been controversial.The purpose of this paper is to explore the value of the two in the early diagnosis of diabetes.

Sarcopenia is an age-related syndrome characterized by progressive and widespread loss of skeletal muscle mass and/or decline in muscle function.Its incidence increases year by year with aging and is influenced by multiple factors,including genetic background,lifestyle,nutritional status,and chronic diseases.Recent studies have revealed a significant correlation between sarcopenia and chronic coronary syndromes(CCS),not only in terms of the frequency of occurrence but also the se-verity of the conditions.Moreover,sarcopenia and CCS share common pathogenic mechanisms,en-compassing various pathophysiological processes such as chronic inflammation,oxidative stress,apop-tosis,and insulin resistance.This article aimed to review the current research progress on comorbidity relationship between sarcopenia and CCS,explore their shared pathophysiological basis,and discuss their impacts on clinical prognosis.

Fasting plasma glucose(FPG)has been widely used in the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus(DM)for its advantages of rapidity,economy,simplicity and acceptability.Hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c)has the advantages of being simple,stable,accurate and unaffected by related factors,and has been used in the diagnosis of DM since it was standardized.However,the value of FPG and HbA1c in the early diagnosis of diabetes have been controversial.The purpose of this paper is to explore the value of the two in the early diagnosis of diabetes.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between the density and volume of left atrial-epicardial adipose tissue(LA-EAT)and the occurrence and severity of atrial fibrillation(AF)in elderly patients.Methods:This was a retrospective case-control study.A total of 197 elderly patients with AF and 82 patients with sinus rhythm who were hospitalized in the Department of Cardiology and Geriatric Cardiology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from June 2023 to July 2024.were selected.The AF group was further divided into paroxysmal AF(PAF)subgroup(111 cases)and persistent AF(PeAF)subgroup(86 cases). The density and volume of LA-EAT in all patients were meansured by coronary artery enhanced CT or left atrial enhanced CT.The differences in LA-EAT density, volume and related data among the 3 groups were compared, and their relationship with different severity of senile AF was analyzed.Logistic regression was used to analyze whether LA-EAT density and volume were risk factors for senile AF.The predictive value of LA-EAT density and volume for AF in the elderly was compared throuh restricted cubic spline analysis.Results:The average LA-EAT density in the sinus rhythm group, PAF group and PeAF group was -82.75(-87.15, -79.63), -81.70(-85.55, -75.85)and -80.45(-83.40, -76.10)HU, respectively; the standard deviation of density was 34.70(31.93, 36.28), 36.20(34.30, 37.65)and 35.45(33.63, 37.28)HU, respectively; the LA-EAT volume was 23 483.40(13 964.10, 31 645.53), 25 112.20(18 479.10, 36 917.50)and 37 836.50(25 933.80, 45 537.90)mm 3, respectively.The LA-EAT density and volume in the PAF group and PeAF group were higher than those in the sinus rhythm group(all P<0.05). The LA-EAT volume in the PeAF group was greater than that in the PAF group( P<0.001), but there was no significant difference in LA-EAT density between the two groups( P>0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that LA-EAT density and volume, left atrial diameter(LAD)and body mass index(BMI)were the independent risk factors for AF in the elderly( P<0.05). Conclusions:LA-EAT density and volume are significantly correlated with occurrence of senile AF, and show a positive dose-response relationship.LA-EAT volume is significantly related to the severity of AF( P<0.05), while the density is not significantly related to it( P>0.05).

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the treatment status of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in newly diagnosed patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in China.Methods:Data of chronic phase (CP) and accelerated phase (AP) CML patients diagnosed from January 2006 to December 2022 from 77 centers, ≥18 years old, and receiving initial imatinib, nilotinib, dasatinib or flumatinib-therapy within 6 months after diagnosis in China with complete data were retrospectively interrogated. The choice of initial TKI, current TKI medications, treatment switch and reasons, treatment responses and outcomes as well as the variables associated with them were analyzed.Results:6 893 patients in CP ( n=6 453, 93.6%) or AP ( n=440, 6.4%) receiving initial imatinib ( n=4 906, 71.2%), nilotinib ( n=1 157, 16.8%), dasatinib ( n=298, 4.3%) or flumatinib ( n=532, 7.2%) -therapy. With the median follow-up of 43 ( IQR 22-75) months, 1 581 (22.9%) patients switched TKI due to resistance ( n=1 055, 15.3%), intolerance ( n=248, 3.6%), pursuit of better efficacy ( n=168, 2.4%), economic or other reasons ( n=110, 1.6%). The frequency of switching TKI in AP patients was significantly-higher than that in CP patients (44.1% vs 21.5%, P<0.001), and more AP patients switched TKI due to resistance than CP patients (75.3% vs 66.1%, P=0.011). Multi-variable analyses showed that male, lower HGB concentration and ELTS intermediate/high-risk cohort were associated with lower cytogenetic and molecular responses rate and poor outcomes in CP patients; higher WBC count and initial the second-generation TKI treatment, the higher response rates; Ph + ACA at diagnosis, poor PFS. However, Sokal intermediate/high-risk cohort was only significantly-associated with lower CCyR and MMR rates and the poor PFS. Lower HGB concentration and larger spleen size were significantly-associated with the lower cytogenetic and molecular response rates in AP patients; initial the second-generation TKI treatment, the higher treatment response rates; lower PLT count, higher blasts and Ph + ACA, poorer TFS; Ph + ACA, poorer OS. Conclusion:At present, the vast majority of newly-diagnosed CML-CP or AP patients could benefit from TKI treatment in the long term with the good treatment responses and survival outcomes.

Objective To investigate associations between three-dimensional(3D)morphology of cervical vertebrae and skeletal mat-uration by cone-beam computed tomography(CBCT)and establish corresponding regression models for quantitatively evaluating cervical vertebral maturation(CVM).Methods The analyzed sample consisted of 358 CBCT images(175 male,183 female),of which 277 images were randomly selected as the model development group and 81 as the performance test group.Twenty-one 3D morphological pa-rameters were defined and measured,incorporating all parts of the cervical vertebrae,including the cervical vertebral bodies,transverse processes,spinous processes,pedicles,lamina,and articular processes.The cervical vertebral maturation index(CVMI)was determined by experienced orthodontists as reference standard.Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and multivariable stepwise regression analysis were used to identify the associations and build regression models.The performance test group was employed to ex-amine each model's reliability.Paired-samples Wilcoxon signed-rank test compared the CVMI of the model prediction with the reference standard.Results Three-dimensional morphological changes in various parts of the cervical vertebrae correlated with CVMI(P＜0.05).Six 3D morphometric parameters were each recognized for male and female models,three of which were identical.The adjusted R2 was 0.899 for males and 0.902 for females,with corresponding accuracies of 85.0%and 85.4%,respectively.These models showed no difference as compared with the reference standard(P＞0.05).Con-clusion New associations were found between 3D morphology of cer-vical vertebrae and skeletal maturation.The 3D-driven morphometric CVM assessment method and corresponding regression models exhibited good credibility and high consistency with experts.

Objective To explore the correlation between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)and Behcet's disease(BD)activity.Methods A total of 103 BD patients were divided into the low activity group(0-4,61 cases)and the high activity group(5-11,42 cases)according to electronic medical record-based disease activity index(EMRAI)score.The white blood cell(WBC),neutrophil(NEU),lymphocyte(LY),platelet(PLT),red blood cell(RBC),hemoglobin(Hb),erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR),C-reactive protein(CRP),IgG,IgA,IgM,complement C3 and C4 were detected.NLR and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR)were calculated.The correlation between NLR,PLR and ESR,CRP,EMRAI were analyzed.Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of BD disease activity.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to evaluate the effectiveness of NLR in judging BD disease activity.Results WBC,NEU,PLT,ESR,CRP,NLR,PLR,complement C3 and C4 in patients were higher in the high activity group than those in the low activity group(P＜0.05),and there were no significant differences in other indexes(P＞0.05).NLR was positively correlated with ESR,CRP and EMRAI in the whole group,while PLR was positively correlated with ESR,CRP and EMRAI in the whole group(P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that high NLR was a risk factor for BD disease activity(OR=1.511,95%CI:1.080-2.113,P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of NLR in evaluating BD disease activity was 0.706(95%CI:0.603-0.809).Conclusion NLR is effective in judging the disease activity of BD patients,and can be used as a biological index to evaluate the disease activity of BD.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) components confer biomechanical properties, maintain cell phenotype and mediate tissue homeostasis. ECM remodeling is complex and plays a key role in both physiological and pathological processes. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a group of enzymes responsible for ECM degradation and have been accepted as a key regulator in ECM remodeling. In this mini-review, we summarize MMPs categories, functions and the targeted substrates. We then discuss current understanding of the role of MMPs-mediated events, including inflammation reaction, angiogenesis, cellular activities, etc., in ECM remodeling in the context of regenerative medicine.

Objective:This study aimed to observe whether the treatment-free remission (TFR) of second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is better than imatinib (IM) .Methods:The clinical data of 274 CML patients who discontinued treatment and with complete clinical data were retrospectively studied from June 2013 to March 2021. Using both univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models, risk factors influencing TFR outcomes after drug withdrawal in CML patients were assessed.Results:A total of 274 patients were enrolled, 140 patients were women (51.1%) , with a median age of 48 (9-84) years at the time of TKI discontinuation. Prior to TKI discontinuation, 172 (62.8%) patients were treated with IM, and 102 (37.2%) had received second-generation TKI treatment, including 73 patients who had shifted from IM to a second-generation TKI and 29 patients who used second-generation TKI as the first-line treatment. The rationale for converting to a second-generation TKI are as follows: 37 patients aimed deep molecular response (DMR) to achieve TFR, seven patients changed due to IM intolerance, and 29 patients changed because of failure to achieve the optimal treatment response. The use of the last type of TKI included 96 patients (94.1%) with nilotinib, three patients (2.9%) with dasatinib, and two patients (2%) with flumatinib, including one patient who changed to IM due to second-generation TKI intolerance. No statistical differences were found in the median age at diagnosis and TKI discontinuation, sex, Sokal score, IFN treatment before TKI, median time of TKI treatment to achieve DMR, and the reasons for TKI discontinuation between the second TKI and IM ( P>0.05) .The median cumulative treatment time of TKI (71.5 months vs 88 months, P<0.001) , the last TKI median treatment time (60 months vs 88 months, P<0.001) , and the median duration of DMR (58 months vs 66 months, P=0.002) were significantly shorter in the second-generation TKI compared with IM. In the median follow-up of 22 (6-118) months after TKI discontinuation, 88 patients (32.1%) had lost their MMR at a median of 6 (1-91) months; of the 53 patients (60.2%) who lost MMR within 6 months, the overall TFR rate was 67.9%, and the cumulative TFR rates at 12 and 24 months were 70.5% and 67.5%, respectively. Withdrawal syndrome occurred in 26 patients (9.5%) . For patients who restarted TKI treatment, 72 patients (83.7%) achieved DMR again at a median treatment of 4 (1 to 18) months. The univariate analysis showed that the TFR rate of patients treated with second-generation TKI was significantly higher than those who were treated with IM (77.5% vs 62.2%, P=0.041) . A further subgroup analysis found that the TFR rate of the second-generation TKI patients was significantly higher than those treated with IM (80.8% vs 62.2%, P=0.026) . No significant difference was found in the second-generation TKI used as the first line treatment compared with those who were treated with IM (69.0% vs 62.2%, P=0.599) . The multivariate analysis results showed that second-generation TKI treatment was an independent prognostic factor affecting TFR in patients who discontinued TKI ( RR=1.827, 95% CI 1.015-3.288, P=0.044) . Conclusion:In the clinical setting, more CML patients rapidly achieved TFR using second-generation TKI than IM treatment.