1.Reconceptualizing Critical Illness in Cancer Through the Lens of Host Unregulated Response
Yun CHU ; Shiyi GONG ; Xin DING ; Hua ZHAO ; Huan CHEN ; Qing ZHANG ; Xiaoting WANG
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(1):1-9
Onco-critical care has emerged as an important subspecialty at the intersection of critical care medicine and oncology, attracting increasing attention in recent years. With continuous innovations in cancer therapies, patient survival has improved significantly; however, the incidence of associated critical complications has also increased. The reasons for cancer patients requiring intensive care unit admission are diverse and can be broadly categorized into three groups: progression of the underlying malignancy, treatment-related complications, and coexisting classical critical illnesses. Traditional critical care concepts and practices face limitations in addressing the multidimensional and heterogeneous challenges of onco-critical care. Based on the core mechanism of critical illness development—host/organ unregulated response (HOUR)—this article systematically elaborates on how this framework advances understanding and clinical practice into onco-critical care, with emphasis on its manifestations in neuroendocrine, immune-inflammatory, and coagulation-metabolic pathways. The review summarizes recent advances in clinical assessment and phenotyping systems for onco-critical illness and discusses a multidisciplinary, integrated management strategy centered on the "Disease Control, Host Response Modulation, Organ Support" triad. Finally, major challenges and future directions in this field are outlined. By integrating existing evidence and theoretical insights, this review aims to provide new perspectives and a theoretical foundation for the clinical management of onco-critical illness, thereby promoting its evolution toward precision and standardization.
2.From Gene Expression to Transcriptome-wide Association Study: Development and Comparison of Methodology
Kun FANG ; Guozhuang LI ; Linting WANG ; Qing LI ; Kexin XU ; Lina ZHAO ; Zhihong WU ; Jianguo ZHANG ; Nan WU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(1):223-229
Over the past two decades, genome-wide association study(GWAS) has identified numerous genetic variants and loci associated with heritable diseases. With the gradual maturation and saturation of GWAS methodologies, transcriptome-wide association study(TWAS) offers a novel perspective by linkinggenetic phenotypes to gene expression levels. By integrating TWAS with other multi-omics analyses, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of heritable diseases. This article provides an overview of recent groundbreaking and representative TWAS methods and tools, analyzes their strengths and limitations, and discusses future trends in TWAS development.
3.Analysis of influencing factors for preoperative dental anxiety in patients undergoing dental implant surgery
WANG Liqiong ; ZHAO Qing ; ZHANG Hui ; ZHOU Yulan ; HE Jing
Journal of Prevention and Treatment for Stomatological Diseases 2026;34(10):1001-1008
Objective:
To investigate and analyze the influencing factors and intervention strategy preferences of preoperative dental anxiety in patients undergoing oral implant surgery, and to provide a basis for the clinical formulation and implementation of targeted interventions.
Methods:
This study was approved by the Hospital Medical Ethics Committee, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Using convenience sampling, a cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to October 2025 among 210 patients in the Department of Implantology of a tertiary dental hospital. All participants had been clinically diagnosed and were scheduled to undergo oral implant surgery on the day of the survey. The survey was conducted using a General Information Questionnaire, the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS), and an Anxiety Cause Questionnaire. The General Information Questionnaire collected data on patients’ gender, age, presence of systemic diseases, dental treatment history, number of implants, whether bone augmentation was required. The MDAS was used to assess patients’ dental anxiety levels via MDAS scores, with a score ≥ 12 defined as dental anxiety. The Anxiety Cause Questionnaire covered the following items: fear of pain, concern that the instruments might cause permanent damage to their teeth, concern about the dentist’s technique and inability to achieve ideal results, fear of local anesthesia, concern about cross-infection, financial pressure, exposure to an unfamiliar environment and strangers, and previous unpleasant dental experiences. The MDAS scores of the items in the Anxiety Cause Questionnaire and General Information Questionnaire were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test or Kruskal-Wallis H test for univariate analysis, and factors with statistical significance in the univariate analysis were further analyzed using binary logistic regression for multivariate analysis. An Intervention Strategy Preference Questionnaire was used to survey patients’ preferences for the following interventions: understanding the surgical procedure, verbal reassurance from medical staff, distraction methods such as listening to music or using stress balls, staying in a physically and mentally relaxing environment, and others.
Results:
The average preoperative MDAS score of patients undergoing oral implant surgery was 10.91 ± 3.40, and the incidence of dental anxiety (MDAS ≥ 12) was 34.8% (73/210). Univariate analysis showed that female patients, patients aged < 45 years, had significantly higher MDAS scores (P < 0.05). Patients who selected “fear of pain” (79.0%), “fear of local anesthesia” (21.0%), and “exposure to an unfamiliar environment and strangers” (4.8%) as causes of their anxiety had higher MDAS scores than those who did not select these items (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that patient's age (OR = 0.420), fear of pain (OR = 4.234), and exposure to an unfamiliar environment and strangers (OR = 8.220) were independent influencing factors of preoperative dental anxiety in patients undergoing oral implant surgery (P < 0.05). The Intervention Strategy Preference Questionnaire showed that “verbal reassurance from medical staff” (45.2%), “distraction” (43.3%), and “understanding the surgical procedure” (39.5%) were the most preferred intervention strategies among patients.
Conclusions
Preoperative dental anxiety is common among some patients undergoing oral implant surgery, particularly young and middle-aged patients, those treated by less experienced physicians, and those experiencing anxiety due to a fear of pain or exposure to an unfamiliar environment and strangers. Clinical attention should focus on these patient populations, and systematic preoperative education and psychological counseling should be provided accordingly.
4.An alkyne and two phenylpropanoid derivants from Carthamus tinctorius L.
Lin-qing QIAO ; Ge-ge XIA ; Ying-jie LI ; Wen-xuan ZHAO ; Yan-zhi WANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2025;60(1):185-190
The chemical constituents from the
5.Exploring the mechanism and treatment principles of testicular radiation injury from the perspective of "the struggle between vital qi and pathogen" theory
Xiaoying CHEN ; An WANG ; Yifan YE ; Yan WANG ; Yuankai GAO ; Qing XU ; Shuran WANG ; Zhangdi ZHAO ; Sumin HU
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(3):379-385
Testicular radiation injury is a structural and functional abnormality of the testes caused directly or indirectly by radiation, which disrupts spermatogenesis and compromises male fertility. The development of effective preventive and therapeutic interventions is essential because of the high prevalence of this condition in clinical settings and its profound effect on patients′ reproductive health and overall well-being. The concept of "the struggle between vital qi and pathogen" is first seen in the Treatise on Cold Pathogenic Diseases. It denotes the dynamic struggle between vital and pathogenic qi. The occurrence, development, and sequelae of all diseases reflect this ongoing conflict. In this context, this study defines the "vital qi" of the testis as its capacity to generate and preserve the essence of reproduction and to resist damage. The pathogenic qi associated with testicular radiation injury is categorized into two types: ionizing poison and retaining evil. The pathogenesis of testicular radiation damage is delineated into three stages by integrating the characteristics of vital and pathogenic qi: the injury, adhesion, and recovery phases. Based on the theoretical framework advanced by this study, the therapeutic approach for testicular radiation injury should adhere to the fundamental principle of strengthening vital qi and eliminating pathogenic factors. Although the primary focus of treatment should be on strengthening vital qi, it should also be complemented by strategies to eliminate pathogenic influences. This paper aims to provide a novel perspective and strategic approach to the traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of testicular radiation injury. By elucidating the process of testicular radiation injury and its corresponding treatment principles, it seeks to offer valuable insights for clinical practice.
6.Clinical prediction model for diabetic retinopathy based on ultra-widefield swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography
Xinshu LIU ; Cancan SHI ; Qing YU ; Shuwen CHEN ; Yingyi ZHAO ; He WANG ; Mingxin LI
International Eye Science 2025;25(6):999-1004
AIM: To explore the risk factors associated with diabetic retinopathy(DR)based on ultra-widefield swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography(UWF-SS-OCTA), and to establish a clinical prediction model.METHODS:A total of 235 patients(235 eyes)with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from July to November 2024 were selected as the research objects. According to the presence or absence of DR, they were divided into 120 cases(120 eyes)in non-DR group(NDR group)and 115 cases(115 eyes)in non-proliferative DR group(NPDR group). Data on general characteristics, laboratory tests, and OCTA results were collected for both groups. Univariate analysis was employed to identify DR-related risk factors. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze these risk factors and to establish a DR prediction model. The efficacy of the model was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis(DCA).RESULTS: The duration of diabetes, fasting blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen(BUN), history of hypertension, and the choroidal vascular index(CVI)were found to be statistically significant in the model(all P<0.05). Specifically, the duration of diabetes, fasting blood glucose, BUN, and history of hypertension were identified as risk factors for DR among diabetic patients, while CVI was recognized as a protective factor. The area under the curve for the model predicting the probability of DR was 0.898(0.859-0.938), with a diagnostic threshold of 0.438. The corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 87.8% and 78.3%, respectively, indicating that the model possesses high predictive value for the occurrence of DR.CONCLUSION: The duration of diabetes, fasting blood glucose, BUN, history of hypertension, and CVI are significantly correlated with DR. The established prediction model demonstrates a substantial screening capability for DR.
9.Analysis of risk factors for diaphragmatic dysfunction after cardiovascular surgery with extracorporeal circulation: A retrospective cohort study
Xupeng YANG ; Yi SHI ; Fengbo PEI ; Simeng ZHANG ; Hao MA ; Zengqiang HAN ; Zhou ZHAO ; Qing GAO ; Xuan WANG ; Guangpu FAN
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(08):1140-1145
Objective To clarify the risk factors of diaphragmatic dysfunction (DD) after cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of patients who underwent cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of Peking University People's Hospital from January 2023 to March 2024. Patients were divided into two groups according to the results of bedside diaphragm ultrasound: a DD group and a control group. The preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative indicators of the patients were compared and analyzed, and independent risk factors for DD were screened using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results A total of 281 patients were included, with 32 patients in the DD group, including 23 males and 9 females, with an average age of (64.0±13.5) years. There were 249 patients in the control group, including 189 males and 60 females, with an average age of (58.0±11.2) years. The body mass index of the DD group was lower than that of the control group [(18.4±1.5) kg/m2 vs. (21.9±1.8) kg/m2, P=0.004], and the prevalence of hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, and renal insufficiency was higher in the DD group (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in intraoperative indicators (operation method, extracorporeal circulation time, aortic clamping time, and intraoperative nasopharyngeal temperature) between the two groups (P>0.05). In terms of postoperative aspects, the peak postoperative blood glucose in the DD group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P=0.001), and the proportion of patients requiring continuous renal replacement therapy was significantly higher than that in the control group (P=0.001). The postoperative reintubation rate, tracheotomy rate, mechanical ventilation time, and intensive care unit stay time in the DD group were higher or longer than those in the control group (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that low body mass index [OR=0.72, 95%CI (0.41, 0.88), P=0.011], preoperative dialysis [OR=2.51, 95%CI (1.89, 4.14), P=0.027], low left ventricular ejection fraction [OR=0.88, 95%CI (0.71, 0.93), P=0.046], and postoperative hyperglycemia [OR=3.27, 95%CI (2.58, 5.32), P=0.009] were independent risk factors for DD. Conclusion The incidence of DD is relatively high after cardiac surgery, and low body mass index, preoperative renal insufficiency requiring dialysis, low left ventricular ejection fraction, and postoperative hyperglycemia are risk factors for DD.


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