Objective The study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of tislelizumab combined with chemotherapy versus pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatments for advanced lung squa-mous cell carcinoma.Methods We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed the medical records of 116 patients with advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma treated with first-line chemotherapy plus tislelizumab or pembrolizumab in Guangzhou Chest Hospital from September 2020 to April 2024.We focused on analysis of time to treatment failure(TTF)and objective response rate(ORR)as well as disease control rate(DCR)and treatment-related adverse events(TRAEs).Results At a median follow up of 19.7 monyhs,the median TTF was 9.7 months in the tislelizumab group and 7.7 months in the pembrolizumab group(P<0.05).In addition,the ORR in the tislelizumab group was significantly higher than that in the pembrolizumab group(77.6%vs.60.3%,P<0.05),with DCRs of 93.1%and 87.9%,respectively(P=0.342).Regarding safety,the proportions of grade 3 or higher TRAEs and any-grade TRAEs were comparable between the two groups:29.3%and 81.0%in the tislelizumab group,and 32.8%and 87.9%in the pembrolizumab group,respectively.The most common TRAEs in both groups were hematological toxicities.Conclusions Tislelizumab plus chemotherapy demonstrated better efficacy and safety compared to pembrolizumab with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for Chinese patients with advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective The study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of tislelizumab combined with chemotherapy versus pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatments for advanced lung squa-mous cell carcinoma.Methods We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed the medical records of 116 patients with advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma treated with first-line chemotherapy plus tislelizumab or pembrolizumab in Guangzhou Chest Hospital from September 2020 to April 2024.We focused on analysis of time to treatment failure(TTF)and objective response rate(ORR)as well as disease control rate(DCR)and treatment-related adverse events(TRAEs).Results At a median follow up of 19.7 monyhs,the median TTF was 9.7 months in the tislelizumab group and 7.7 months in the pembrolizumab group(P<0.05).In addition,the ORR in the tislelizumab group was significantly higher than that in the pembrolizumab group(77.6%vs.60.3%,P<0.05),with DCRs of 93.1%and 87.9%,respectively(P=0.342).Regarding safety,the proportions of grade 3 or higher TRAEs and any-grade TRAEs were comparable between the two groups:29.3%and 81.0%in the tislelizumab group,and 32.8%and 87.9%in the pembrolizumab group,respectively.The most common TRAEs in both groups were hematological toxicities.Conclusions Tislelizumab plus chemotherapy demonstrated better efficacy and safety compared to pembrolizumab with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for Chinese patients with advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma.

AIM: To analyze the diagnostic value of optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)in evaluating the parameters of foveal avascular zone(FAZ)in early diabetic retinopathy(DR).METHODS: Retrospective study. A total of 209 cases(209 eyes)of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)with DR admitted to our hospital from June 2019 to December 2022 were selected as DR group. The DR group was divided into three groups, with 115 cases(115 eyes)in mild group, 54 cases(54 eyes)in moderate group, and 40 cases(40 eyes)in severe group according to stage. Another 100 cases(100 eyes)of T2DM patients without DR were selected as No-DR group, and 70 cases(70 eyes)of healthy people were selected as control group for physical examination at the same time, all of whom underwent OCTA examination. The DR group was enrolled according to the disease degree, one eye was randomly taken for the study if the degree in both eyes was the same, while the control group and the No-DR group were randomly selected for one eye to be included in the study. The perimeter of the foveal avascular area(PERIM), FAZ transverse diameter, FAZ vertical diameter, FAZ area, macular fovea retinal thickness(MFRT), acircularity index(AI), full layer retinal blood flow density within a range of 300 μm around the FAZ(FD-300), and changes in FAZ vascular density(VD)levels among different groups of subjects were compared. Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between general data and FAZ related indicators, and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of macular FAZ indicators for DR.RESULTS: The levels of FBG, MFRT, FAZ area, and PERIM in patients with mild, moderate, and severe DR were significantly higher than those in the No-DR group and the control group, while the levels of AI and VD were significantly lower than those in the No-DR group(all P<0.05); patients in the No-DR group, mild DR group, moderate DR group, and severe DR group had significantly higher cystatin C, FAZ transverse diameter, and FAZ vertical diameter than the control group, while FD-300 vascular density was significantly lower than the control group(all P<0.05); the MFRT was positively correlated with age(r=0.295, P=0.001); The AI and VD was negatively correlated with age(r=-0.296, -0.235, all P<0.05); the area under the curve(AUC)of MFRT, FAZ area, PERIM, AI, and VD for the diagnosis of DR were 0.745, 0.738, 0.696, 0.792, and 0.847, respectively.CONCLUSION:The structure and microcirculation of FAZ can be changed in DM patients, and the related parameters of FAZ have certain value in the diagnosis of early DR.

Progesterone is currently the first-line drug for clinical treatment and prevention of threatened abortion and habitual abortion. However， due to its special chemical structure， its solubility is low， which limits its clinical application. Therefore， the new technology and new dosage form of progesterone solubilization preparation is an important direction of its research and development. In this paper， the research progress of progesterone solubilization preparation technology in recent years is reviewed. It is found that the water solubility of progesterone can be enhanced by solid dispersion technology， inclusion technology， micronization， nanocrystallization （ including nanosuspensions， polymer micelles， nanoparticles， etc. ）， liposome technology， self- emulsification， cocrystal technology， and 3D printing. Eight technologies are used to increase the solubility of progesterone， improve its bioavailability and reduce its toxic and side effects， to serve the clinic better.

Background::Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a recently recognized immune-mediated disorder that can affect almost any organ in the human body. IgG4-RD can be categorized into proliferative and fibrotic subtypes based on patients’ clinicopathological characteristics. This study aimed to compare the clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and treatment outcomes of IgG4-RD among different subtypes.Methods::We prospectively enrolled 622 patients with newly diagnosed IgG4-RD at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from March 2011 to August 2021. The patients were divided into three groups according to their clinicopathological characteristics: proliferative, fibrotic, and mixed subtypes. We compared demographic features, clinical manifestations, organ involvement, laboratory tests, and treatment agents across three subtypes. We then assessed the differences in treatment outcomes among 448 patients receiving glucocorticoids alone or in combination with immunosuppressants. Moreover, risk factors of relapse were revealed by applying the univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis.Results::We classified the 622 patients into three groups consisting of 470 proliferative patients, 55 fibrotic patients, and 97 mixed patients, respectively. We found that gender distribution, age, disease duration, and frequency of allergy history were significantly different among subgroups. In terms of organ involvement, submandibular and lacrimal glands were frequently involved in the proliferative subtype, while retroperitoneum was the most commonly involved site in both fibrotic subtype and mixed subtype. The comparison of laboratory tests revealed that eosinophils ( P = 0.010), total IgE ( P = 0.006), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ( P <0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( P <0.001), complement C4 ( P <0.001), IgG ( P = 0.001), IgG1 (P <0.001), IgG4 (P <0.001), and IgA ( P <0.001), at baseline were significantly different among three subtypes. Compared with proliferative and mixed subtypes, the fibrotic subtype showed the lowest rate of relapse (log-rank P = 0.014). Conclusions::Our study revealed the differences in demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, organ involvement, laboratory tests, treatment agents, and outcomes across proliferative, fibrotic, and mixed subtypes in the retrospective cohort study. Given significant differences in relapse-free survival among the three subtypes, treatment regimens, and follow-up frequency should be considered separately according to different subtypes.Trial Registration::ClinicalTrials. gov, NCT01670695.

Gout is a metabolic disease closely associated with hyperuricemia and urate deposition. Because of the complex pathogenesis， high morbidity， multiple complications， and increasingly young patients， gout has received worldwide attention. Currently， western medicine mainly treats gout by lowering the uric acid level and reducing inflammation， which， however， causes serious adverse reactions and has contraindications. Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex （PCC） is the dried bark of Phellodendron chinense， with the effects of clearing heat， drying dampness， purging fire， detoxifying， and treating sores. Studies have shown that PCC and its active components have anti-inflammatory， pain-relieving， uric acid-lowering， and anti-gout activities， with extensive sources and high safety. PCC and its active components could prevent and treat gout through multi-targets and multi-pathways， whereas the systematic review remains to be carried out. Therefore， this paper summarized the pharmacological activities and mechanisms of PCC and its active components in the treatment of gout. The available studies have shown that PCC and its active components exert the anti-gout effect by lowering the uric acid level， reducing inflammation， alleviating oxidative stress， and regulationg intestinal flora， and protecting the kidneys. Particularly， the active components represented by alkaloids contribute obviously to the therapeutic effect of of PCC. Herein， we analyzed the problems and future development of the research on PCC， aiming to provide theoretical support and a scientific basis for the research and development of new drugs against gout.

Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD)so as to improve the understanding of IgG4-RD in China.Methods IgG4-RD patients were recruited from Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2011 and January 2016.All patients were followedup for more than 6 months.The demographic characteristics,symptoms,organ involvements,laboratory examinations and treatment efficacy were evaluated and analyzed.Results A total of 346 patients were finally enrolled,including 230 males (66.5％) and 116 females (33.5％).The mean age of disease onset was (53.8 ± 14.2) years old.The mostly common involved organs were lymph nodes (56.4％) and submandibular glands (52.6％).Other affected organs and manifestations included:swelling of the lacrimal glands (46.5％),autoimmune pancreatitis (38.4％),pulmonary involvement (28.0％),sclerosing cholangitis (25.4％),naso-sinusitis (23.4％),parotid gland swelling (21.7％),retroperitoneal fibrosis (19.9％),large arteries involvement (9.5％),kidney involvement (obstructive nephropathy caused by retroperitoneal fibrosis was excluded) (6.9％),skin lesions (6.4％).Rare features consisted of thyroid glands,pituitary glands,gastrointestinal tract,pachymeningitis,pericardium,sclerosing mediastinitis and orchitis.The majority of patients had multi-organ involvement,such as 74.3％ patients with 3 and more,18.2％ and 7.5％ patients with 2 and single organ involvement respectively.The average IgG4-RD responder index (IgG4-RD RI) was 13.21 ±5.70.History of allergy was found in 172 (49.7％) patients.As to the laboratory tests,elevated serum IgG4 levels were confirmed in 285 (94.1％) patients,which was positively correlated with IgG4-RD RI.There were 33.5％ patients receiving monotherapy of glucocorticoid,52.6％ treated with glucocorticoids combined with immunosuppressive agents,4.9％ patients with immunosuppressant only,and 9.0％ patients with mild disease not receiving medication.The majority (336,97.1％) patients improved the above regimens.Conclusion IgG4-RD is a systemic fibro-inflammatory disease with multiple organ involvement.The mostly common involved organs include lymph node,submandibular glands,and pancreas.Glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive agents were effective for IgG4-RD.

Aim To investigate the up-regulation of miR-22 through Wnt pathway inhibits the proliferation,migration and invasion in human gastric MGC803 cells induced by diallyl disulfide(DADS).Methods The effects of proliferation,migration,and invasion of gastric cancer cells were evaluated by MTT,wound-healing and invasion assays.Online prediction software was applied to search the target gene of miR-22.Luciferase report gene assay was used to assess the target genes Wnt-1 of miR-22.The expressions of Wnt-1,β-catenin and TCF-4 were tested by qRT-PCR and Western blot,respectively.Results MTT showed that DADS and miR-22 notably decreased the proliferation compared with control group(P<0.05).Wound-healing assay showed that DADS and miR-22 could significantly inhibit the migration of MGC803 cells compared with the control group, especially in miR-22+DADS(P<0.05). Invasion assay showed that DADS and miR-22 could markedly inhibit the invasion of MGC803 cells compared with the control group, especially in miR-22+DADS(P<0.05). Online prediction software to search the target gene exhibited that Wnt-1 may be a target gene of miR-22. Luciferase report gene assay disclosed that Wnt-1 was identified as a direct target of miR-22. Qrt-PCR showed that the expression of Wnt-1 Mrna was respectively down-regulated by DADS and miR-22 compared withcontrol group, especially in miR-22+DADS(P<0.05). Western blot exhibited that DADS and miR-22 obviously suppressed the expressions of Wnt-1, β-catenin and TCF-4 proteins, especially in miR-22+DADS(P<0.05).Conclusion Up-regulation of miR-22 through Wnt pathway can remarkably suppress the proliferation, migration and invasion in MGC803 cells by DADS.

The clinical data were collected from medical record of 749 patients admitted into Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2008 to March 2013.They were diagnosed with primary Sj(o)gren's syndrome (PSS) at discharge.Clinical manifestations,laboratory results and outcomes were compared between PSS patients with pulmonary hypertension (PSS-PH) and those without (PSS-non PH).PSS-PH group had higher proportions of Renault phenomenon (36.8％ vs.20.0％,P =0.05),pericardial effusion (55.3％ vs.0.0％,P＜0.01),leukocytopenia (42.1％ vs.30.0％,P =0.03),elevated IgG level [(28.8 ±11.2) vs.(21.5 ±10.0) g/L,P=0.01] and hypothyroidism(34.2％ vs.12.5％,P=0.05) with significant significance.The PSS patients had leukocytopenia low thyroid function,rising IgG and pericardial effusion with pulmonary hypertension.

Objective To investigate the location and the pathogens of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients who died from infection.Methods Dead cases of hospitalized SLE patients in Peking Union Medical Hospital from January 1986 to May 2011were retrospectively analyzed.Results Severe infection was an important cause of mortality in patients with SLE.There were 252 dead cases of SLE in total from 1986 to 2011,in which 97 cases died from severe infection.The proportion of patients died from infection was gradually increased during the past 26 years,which was 25.7％,24.1％,31.6％,34.9％ and 60.3％ in 1986-1990,1991-1995,1996-2000,2001-2005 and 2006-2011respectively.Lung was the most common site of infec-t ion,accounting for 65％ of all dead cases.Among the 31cases with identified microorganism,14 patients had single microorganism infection and 17 patients had mixed infections.In the single microorganism infection patients,fungal infection contributed to the cause of death in 9 out of 14 (64％) patients,of which 4,2,1,1,and 1 cases were infected with Pneumocystis carinii, Aspergillus fumigates,Fusarium,Candida tropicalis and Cryptococcus respectively.There were 3 cases of bacteria infection,including 2 cases with Methicillinresistant staphylococcus,aureus and 1case with Klebsiella pneumoniae infection.Two patients died from pulmonary tuberculosis.In 17 patients with mixed infection cases, 14 deaths were caused by bacteria infection,including Acinetobacter baumannii, Eschefichia coli, Enterococcus, Klebsiella pneumoniae,Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter cloacae.Eleven patients died from mixed fungus infection,including 6 cases of Aspergillus fumigates,3 cases of Candida tropicalis,3 cases of Pneumocystis carinii,2 cases of Aspergillus flavus,1 case of Soil Aspergillus,2 cases of Candida albicans,1 case of Candida glabrata and Candida Krusei.In addition to bacteria and fungi infection,cytomegalovirus infection occurred frequently in SLE death cases.Conclusions Severe infection has been the most frequent cause of death in SLE patients,in which lung infection is the leading cause.Pneumocystis carinii,Aspergillus fumigates,Acinetobacter baumannii and cytomegalovirus are the major pathogens that cause death in SLE patients.