OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the one-year outcomes of valve-in-valve transcatheter mitral valve replacement (ViV-TMVR) using SAPIEN 3 valve for treating mitral bioprosthetic valve failure. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 26 patients with mitral bioprosthetic valve failure who underwent ViV-TMVR at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, between November 2022 and July 2024. The age of patients was 71.5 (64.5, 74.5) years, and 69.2% were female. Bioprosthetic valve failure occurred at (9.7±3.7) years after initial surgical implantation, with the most common failure mode being mixed stenosis and regurgitation (53.8%). The SAPIEN 3 valve was implanted via either a transseptal or transapical approach. Echocardiography was performed preoperatively, immediately post-procedure, and at 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year post-procedure. Outcomes included all-cause mortality, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ)-12 score, and postoperative complications. RESULTS: The procedure was performed via the transseptal approach in 21 patients (80.8%) and the transapical approach in 5 patients (19.2%). All procedures were technically successful. No paravalvular leakage was observed immediately post-procedure, and mitral valve hemodynamics improved significantly. At the 1-year follow-up, 2 patients had died. Two patients (8.3% of survivors) were of NYHA functional class Ⅲ, and KCCQ-12 score improved to (88.4±14.6) points (both P<0.01). Echocardio-graphy at 1 year postoperatively showed significant reductions in peak mitral valve velocity [to (2.29±0.32) m/s] and mean transvalvular pressure gradient [to (9.5±3.5) mmHg, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa] compared to baseline (both P<0.05). No moderate or severe mitral regurgitation or paravalvular leakage was observed. The proportion of patients with moderate-to-severe pulmonary hypertension decreased from 65.4% preoperatively to 13.0% at 1 year (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS ViV-TMVR with the SAPIEN 3 valve for mitral biopro-sthetic valve failure is associated with high procedural success, significantly improved valve hemodynamics of the mitral value, alleviation of pulmonary hypertension, enhanced quality of life, and a low rate of complications at 1 year after the operation.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged ; Bioprosthesis ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Mitral Valve/surgery* ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Prosthesis Failure ; Treatment Outcome ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency/surgery*

Objective To propose a whole-life cycle management model for valvular heart disease (VHD), systematically elucidate its underlying logic and implementation pathways, and concurrently review and analyze its preliminary application outcomes. Methods Since 2020, West China Hospital of Sichuan University has established a management system encompassing "assessment-decision-intervention-follow-up", including: (1) a risk-stratified, tiered management pathway; (2) six core functions ("promotion, screening, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation") coordinated by disease-specific managers; (3) an intelligent decision support information platform; and (4) a collaborative network of multidisciplinary teams and regional academic alliances. To evaluate the effectiveness of this management model, we retrospectively included three cohorts: (1) the population screened by echocardiography from 2020 to 2024, analyzing the detection rate of aortic valve disease and risk stratification; (2) patients enrolled in the whole-life cycle management from April 2021 to December 2024, assessing follow-up outcomes, hospital satisfaction, and changes in quality of life; (3) patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) from January 2022 to January 2024, evaluating the one-year all-cause mortality rate, perioperative complications, and improvements in New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification. Results Between 2020 and 2024, a total of 583 874 individuals underwent echocardiographic screening. A total of 48 089 patients with aortic valve disease were identified, including 3 401 (7.1%) high-risk patients, 18 657 (38.8%) moderate-risk patients, and 26 031 (54.1%) low-risk patients. Among them, 2 417 patients were enrolled in whole-life cycle management. Patient satisfaction scores showed a yearly increase, rising from 73.89 points before 2020 to 93.74 points in 2024. The 1-year mortality rate in the TAVR cohort decreased to 5.3%, significantly lower than the 8.2% observed under early standard management between 2014 and 2019 (P<0.01). Conclusion Through process optimization and resource integration, the VHD whole-life cycle management model has demonstrated significant effectiveness in standardizing diagnostic and follow-up procedures, enhancing patient satisfaction and quality of life, and reducing mortality. These outcomes highlight its practical value for broader implementation in China.

Objective:To investigate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with self-expandable bioprosthetic valves (Evolut PRO, Medtronic Inc.) in elderly patients with aortic stenosis.Methods:This single-center, single-arm, retrospective cohort study included all consecutive patients who underwent TAVR using Evolut PRO at West China Hospital of Sichuan University between May 2022 and July 2024, and collected all their data at baseline, postoperative, and 30 days. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality, and secondary endpoints included cardiac mortality, stroke, permanent pacemaker implantation(PPI), bleeding events, vascular and peripheral access complications, acute kidney injury, and hemodynamic data.Results:70 patients were included in the study, including 25 of (35.7%) tricuspid aortic valve (TAV), 23 (32.9%) of Type 0 bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) 20 (28.6%) of Type 1 BAV, and 2 (2.9%) of Type 2 BAV. The mean age was (72.9±6.6) years, 37 (52.9%) were male, and 70 (100%) had a New York Heart Association (NYHA) grade Ⅲ or Ⅳ. Sixty-nine (98.6%) achieved successful surgery, and 1 patient (1.4%) was converted intraoperatively to open-chest surgery. At 30 days, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were 0, the incidence of stroke was 0, the rate of PPI was 8.7%, and no moderate or greater paravalvular leaks were observed. All patients improved to Class Ⅰ or Ⅱ after receiving TAVR. The mean aortic valve gradient (AVG) decreased from (54.1 ± 18.0 )mmHg(1mmHg=0.133kPa) at baseline to (10.5 ± 5.2)mmHg at 30 days. There were no significant differences in the results among the Type 0 BAV, Type 1/2 BAV, and TAV groups.Conclusion:Evolut PRO is safe and effective in early clinical treatment of elderly patients with aortic valve stenosis.

Cerebral ischemic stroke(CIS)is a serious health hazard with a high disability rate.Its pathogenesis is complex and not yet fully understood,and new effective treatments need to be explored.The newly discovered pyroptosis,which is regarded as a programmed cell death mode of inflammatory response,is involved in the pathogenesis of CIS.Inhibiting cellular scorch death during CIS and reducing the inflammatory response can effectively alleviate CIS brain injury.According to traditional Chinese medicine,defi-ciency of Qi and stasis of blood are the fundamental pathogenesis of CIS.The method of benefiting Qi and activating blood is the main principle for treating CIS.Therefore,in this paper,we link cell pyroptosis with Qi deficiency and blood stasis,review the progress of research on reducing brain tissue damage in CIS by inhibiting pyroptosis through the method of benefiting Qi and invigorating blood.

Cerebral ischemic stroke(CIS)is a serious health hazard with a high disability rate.Its pathogenesis is complex and not yet fully understood,and new effective treatments need to be explored.The newly discovered pyroptosis,which is regarded as a programmed cell death mode of inflammatory response,is involved in the pathogenesis of CIS.Inhibiting cellular scorch death during CIS and reducing the inflammatory response can effectively alleviate CIS brain injury.According to traditional Chinese medicine,defi-ciency of Qi and stasis of blood are the fundamental pathogenesis of CIS.The method of benefiting Qi and activating blood is the main principle for treating CIS.Therefore,in this paper,we link cell pyroptosis with Qi deficiency and blood stasis,review the progress of research on reducing brain tissue damage in CIS by inhibiting pyroptosis through the method of benefiting Qi and invigorating blood.

Objective:To investigate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with self-expandable bioprosthetic valves (Evolut PRO, Medtronic Inc.) in elderly patients with aortic stenosis.Methods:This single-center, single-arm, retrospective cohort study included all consecutive patients who underwent TAVR using Evolut PRO at West China Hospital of Sichuan University between May 2022 and July 2024, and collected all their data at baseline, postoperative, and 30 days. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality, and secondary endpoints included cardiac mortality, stroke, permanent pacemaker implantation(PPI), bleeding events, vascular and peripheral access complications, acute kidney injury, and hemodynamic data.Results:70 patients were included in the study, including 25 of (35.7%) tricuspid aortic valve (TAV), 23 (32.9%) of Type 0 bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) 20 (28.6%) of Type 1 BAV, and 2 (2.9%) of Type 2 BAV. The mean age was (72.9±6.6) years, 37 (52.9%) were male, and 70 (100%) had a New York Heart Association (NYHA) grade Ⅲ or Ⅳ. Sixty-nine (98.6%) achieved successful surgery, and 1 patient (1.4%) was converted intraoperatively to open-chest surgery. At 30 days, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were 0, the incidence of stroke was 0, the rate of PPI was 8.7%, and no moderate or greater paravalvular leaks were observed. All patients improved to Class Ⅰ or Ⅱ after receiving TAVR. The mean aortic valve gradient (AVG) decreased from (54.1 ± 18.0 )mmHg(1mmHg=0.133kPa) at baseline to (10.5 ± 5.2)mmHg at 30 days. There were no significant differences in the results among the Type 0 BAV, Type 1/2 BAV, and TAV groups.Conclusion:Evolut PRO is safe and effective in early clinical treatment of elderly patients with aortic valve stenosis.

IgA nephropathy is a common primary glomerular disease,and autophagy plays an important role in maintaining the homeostasis of the internal environment.Dysfunction of cellular autophagy can affect the occurrence and development of IgA nephropathy.This article focused on the molecular mechanism of TCM regulating autophagy in renal intrinsic cells,and found that TCM extracts and formulas mainly regulate autophagy through PI3K/Akt/mTOR,TLR4/NF-κB,MAPK,Nrf2/HO-1,NLRP3 and other signaling pathways.Furthermore,it could intervene in pathological damage such as renal fibrosis,inflammation,and oxidative stress,delaying the progression of IgA nephropathy,in order to provide reference for the clinical treatment and new drug development of IgA nephropathy.

Objective To explore the value of Chinese thyroid imaging reporting and data system(C-TIRADS)combined with intranodular and perinodular stiffness for distinguishing benign and malignant thyroid nodules.Methods Data of routine ultrasound and ultrasonic shear wave elastography(SWE)in 117 patients with thyroid nodules confirmed by fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC)and/or surgical pathology were retrospectively analyzed.The nodules were classified according to C-TIRADS and SWE parameters of nodules and surrounding 2 mm glands measured with SWE technique,including Young's modulus of thyroid nodules(E)and perinodular glandular(Eshell)(the maximum[Emax/Eshellmax],the mean[Emean/Eshellmean]and the minimum[Emin/Eshellmin]as well as standard deviation[ESD/EshellSD]values).Then receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn,and area under the curve(AUC)was calculated to assess the efficacy of C-TIRADS,SWE and the combination for differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules.Results Totally 117 thyroid nodules of 117 patients were enrolled,including 50 benign and 67 malignant ones.SWE parameters of malignant thyroid nodules were higher than those of benign ones(all P＜0.001).AUC of C-TIRADS for differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules was 0.736,with sensitivity of 79.10％,specificity of 68.00％and accuracy of 74.36％.AUC of Emax,Emean,Emin and ESD was 0.816,0.752,0.664 and 0.705,respectively,of Emax was the highest.AUC of Eshellmax,Eshellmean,Eshellmin and EshellSD was 0.834,0.804,0.693 and 0.697,respectively,of Eshellmax was the highest,which was not statistically difference with that of Emax(Z=1.044,P=0.297).AUC of C-TIRADS+Emax and C-TIRADS+Eshellmax was 0.835 and 0.843,respectively,being not significantly different(Z=0.574,P=0.566)but higher than that of C-TIRADS(AUC=0.736,Z=2.510,2.230,both P＜0.05),with diagnostic specificity and accuracy both higher than those of C-TIRADS(all P＜0.05).Conclusion C-TIRADS combined with intranodular and perinodular stiffness could be used to effectively distinguish benign and malignant thyroid nodules,which might improve diagnostic efficiency of C-TIRDAS.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy between pedicle screws combined with vertebroplasty (PSV) and pedicle screws combined with intermediate screws (PSIS) for the treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture (OTLF).Methods:PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, VIP and Wanfang database were searched for all randomized controlled trial (RCT) or case-control trial (CCT) studies that comparing PSV and PSIS for the treatment of OTLF. Two reviewers independently screened the studies in the light of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted data and evaluated the quality of the included studies. The Meta-analysis was performed using the RevMan 5.4 software. The subjects were divided into PSV group and PSIS group according to different treatment methods. Operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative incision infection rate, postoperative short-, mid- and long-term visual analogue scale (VAS) score, postoperative short- and mid-term Oswestry disability index (ODI), hospitalization time, postoperative short-, mid- and long-term Cobb angle, postoperative short-, mid- and long-term anterior vertebral height ratio (VBH) and implant failure rate were compared between the two groups.Results:A total of 12 studies were enrolled for review, involving 870 subjects (433 in PSV group and 437 in PSIS group). The results showed insignificant difference between the two groups in operation time ( WMD=7.07, 95% CI -4.00, 18.13, P>0.05), intraoperative blood loss ( WMD=0.62, 95% CI -7.19, 8.43, P>0.05), postoperative incision infection rate ( OR=0.65, 95% CI 0.10, 4.08, P>0.05), postoperative short-term Cobb angle ( WMD=-0.19, 95% CI -0.43, 0.05, P>0.05) and postoperative short-term VBH ( WMD=0.91, 95% CI -1.30, 3.13, P>0.05). However, there was significant difference between the two groups in postoperative short-term VAS score ( WMD=-0.59, 95% CI -1.02, -0.15, P<0.05), mid-term VAS score ( WMD=-0.41, 95% CI -0.65, -0.16, P<0.05), long-term VAS score ( WMD=-0.51, 95% CI -0.59, -0.43, P<0.05), postoperative short-term ODI ( WMD=-6.26, 95% CI -9.65, -2.87, P<0.05), postoperative mid-term ODI ( WMD=-2.44, 95% CI -3.43, -1.45, P<0.05), hospitalization time ( WMD=-2.65, 95% CI -4.61, -0.68, P<0.05), postoperative mid-term Cobb angle ( WMD=-1.40, 95% CI -2.41, -0.39, P<0.05), postoperative long-term Cobb angle ( WMD=-1.06, 95% CI -1.59, -0.52, P<0.05), postoperative mid-term VBH ( WMD=3.06, 95% CI 1.31, 4.81, P<0.05), postoperative long-term VBH ( WMD=4.11, 95% CI 2.44, 5.77, P<0.05) and implant failure rate ( OR=2.06, 95% CI 0.11, 0.59, P<0.05). Conclusion:Compared with PSIS, PSV can not reduce the operation time, intraoperative blood loss and incision infection in the treatment of OTLF, but it can significantly relieve pain, improve function, decrease reduce hospitalization time, help to maintain Cobb angle and anterior vertebral height after operation, and reduce implant failure rate.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in the treatment of osteoporotic lumbar compression fracture (OLCF) via the approach through midpoint transverse process-transition zone of articular process and the unilateral transpedicular approach.Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 794 patients with OLCF treated in Honghui Hospital affiliated to Xi′an Jiaotong University School of Medicine from January 2017 to December 2019. The patients were divided into transitional-zone puncture group (400 patients, 400 vertebrae) and pedicle puncture group (394 patients, 394 vertebrae) according to the envelope method. The transitional-zone puncture group was treated with PVP via the approach through midpoint transverse process-transition zone of articular process, and the pedicle puncture group was treated with PVP via the unilateral transpedicular approach. The operation time and radiation dose were documented. The visual analogue score (VAS) and Oswestry dysfunction index (ODI) were evaluated before operation and at 1 day, 3 months, 1 year after operation. The cement distribution and the incidence of complications such as cement leakage, re-fracture of the injured vertebra, spinal cord nerve injury and facet joint injury were detected.Results:The patients were composed of 270 males and 524 females, at the age of 68.9-78.5 years [(73.7±4.8)years]. All patients were followed up for 12-14 months [(13.4±0.8)months]. The operation time and radiation dose in transitional-zone puncture group were reduced compared with pedicle puncture group ( P<0.01). There was no significant difference in VAS and ODI between the two groups before operation (all P>0.05). The VAS between transitional-zone puncture group [(2.1±0.9)points, (2.3±1.1)points, (2.7±1.3)points] and pedicle puncture group [(2.3±0.7)points, (2.5±0.9)points, (2.9±1.1)points] was obviously reduced from that before operation (all P<0.01), significantly different at 1 day, 3 months, 1 year after operation ( P<0.05 or 0.01). The ODI between transitional-zone puncture group (14.3±1.8, 13.6±3.4, 11.3±4.4) and pedicle puncture group (25.5±5.7, 20.7±6.3, 20.6±6.9) was significantly different at 1 day, 3 months, 1 year after operation (all P<0.01), and all were obviously reduced from that before operation (all P<0.01). With regard to the cement distribution, the number of bilaterally cemented vertebrae in transitional-zone puncture group (324) was more than that in pedicle puncture group (94) ( P<0.01). The incidence of cement leakage, re-fracture of the injured vertebra and facet joint injury was 8.25%(22/400), 0.00%(0/400) and 3.25%(13/400) in transitional-zone puncture group, significantly different from 20.81%(82/394), 2.03%(8/394) and 9.90%(39/394) in pedicle puncture group ( P<0.05 or 0.01). There was no significant difference in spinal cord nerve injury between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:For OLCF, PVP via the approach through the midpoint transverse process-transition zone of articular process and the unilateral transpedicular approach are both effective, but the former has advantages of shorter operation time, smaller radiation dose, greater dispersion of bone cement and lower incidence of cement leakage, re-fracture of the injured vertebra and facet joint injury.