OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prenatal manifestation and genetic basis for two fetuses suspected for Osteocraniostenosis (OCS). METHODS: Two fetuses undergoing invasive prenatal diagnosis at Cangzhou People's Hospital in April and August 2021 for short long bones and abnormal skull morphology were selected as the study subjects. Clinical data were collected and analyzed. Genomic DNA was extracted from amniotic fluid and peripheral blood samples of the two couples. Candidate variants were validated by Sanger sequencing. Literature was retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform and PubMed using keywords including "FAM111A gene", "gracile bone dysplasia", "FAM111A" and "osteocraniostenosis" from January 1, 2000 to June 30, 2025. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the hospital (Ethics No.: K2020-049). RESULTS: Fetus 1 was found to have short limbs, abnormal skull morphology and shallow cerebral sulci. Fetus 2 showed short limbs, irregular skull halo, prominent forehead and bilateral frontal narrowing. Trio-WES revealed that fetus 1 has carried a heterozygous missense variant c.1582G>C (p.Asp528His) in exon 4 of the FAM111A gene, which was unreported previously. Fetus 2 has harbored a heterozygous in-frame deletion c.1020_1022delTTC (p.Ser343del) in exon 6 of the FAM111A gene, which has been recorded as likely pathogenic by the ClinVar and HGMD databases. Sanger sequencing confirmed that the parents of both fetuses were wild-type for the variant sites. A total of 9 previously reported patients with FAM111A-related gracile bone dysplasia/OCS from 4 publications were retrieved. The main clinical features included intrauterine growth restriction, hypomineralized skull, gracile long bones with narrow medullary cavities and characteristic facial anomalies, which were in large in keeping with the prenatal features of the two fetuses. CONCLUSION Both fetuses were diagnosed with FAM111A-related OCS based on the characteristic prenatal findings and identification of the FAM111A variants. Above finding expanded the phenotypic spectrum of FAM111A-associated disorders and provided clues for the prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Phenotype ; Fetus ; Male ; Bone Diseases, Developmental/genetics* ; Adult

Chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) is a common long-term complication following lung surgery. Its high incidence significantly impacts patients’ quality of life and functional recovery, and imposes a substantial socioeconomic burden. This consensus aims to systematically establish a standardized integrated Chinese and Western medicine diagnostic and treatment framework for chronic post-lung surgery pain (CPLSP). Based on the latest domestic and international evidence-based medical research and multidisciplinary clinical experience, the working group comprehensively elaborates on core issues regarding CPLSP, including its definition, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical assessment, Western medical treatment, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment, and integrated strategies. The consensus emphasizes a patient-centered approach, adhering to the principles of multimodality, individualization, and stepwise management, highlighting the synergistic advantages of integrating Chinese and Western medicine throughout the entire perioperative management cycle encompassing "perioperative anti-inflammation, acute analgesia, and chronic rehabilitation." Through systematic literature retrieval and evidence integration, a total of 9 core recommendations were established to provide scientifically sound and clinically practical guidance.

The Department of Thoracic Surgery of Shanghai Chest Hospital has performed esophageal function testing for over 30 years, being the only department of its kind in China with this capability. The pressure testing and 24-hour pH/impedance monitoring of the esophagus is of great help to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant esophageal diseases related to it. Thanks to the esophageal function test, in addition to the routine various endoscopic anti-reflux procedures, our hospital has taken the lead in China in recent years to carry out a series of clinical and research work for benign esophageal diseases, such as the development of magnetic ring, double nedoscopic combination and new anti-reflux endoscopic techniques. In recent years, we have carried out high-resolution esophageal manometry and 24-hour pH/impedance monitoring for patients with interstitial pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis suspected to be caused by gastroesophageal acid reflux. We can better assess the correlation between gastroesophageal reflux and pulmonary fibrosis, and to provide the different clinical treatments and even surgical interventions. The Bravo capsule is used more often in the United States, and it has obvious advantages over traditional approach for acid measurement. We strongly call for the collaboration between industry and academic institutions in this field, and the development of our own related products with independent intellectual property rights.

OBJECTIVE To resolve account discrepancies caused by drug price adjustment in medical institution pharmacy management and reduce the time required for price adjustment. METHODS The problems existing in the drug price adjustment models of domestic medical institutions were investigated， and a drug price adjustment system was developed based on price- invoice synchronization mechanism. The system optimized the drug price adjustment process through batch number matching and real-time monitoring functionalities. The account consistency rate and price adjustment time were evaluated before and after system implementation. RESULTS A drug price adjustment system was successfully developed， featuring an innovative “synchronized entry and exit” mode， batch number matching， real-time monitoring， intelligent automation， and electronic traceability. After implementation， the account consistency rate for Western medicines increased from 86.89% （86.66%， 89.63%） to 100% （100%， 100%） （P＝0.005）， while Chinese patent medicines and herbal medicines maintained a 100% （100%， 100%） account consistency rate. Concurrently， the drug price adjustment time significantly decreased from 6.00 （5.00， 7.00）d to 2.50 （1.50， 3.00） d （P＜ 0.001）. CONCLUSIONS The developed system significantly improves account consistency， shortens price adjustment time， and demonstrates notable innovation and practical utility.

BACKGROUND: Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is indicated as a broad-spectrum medicine for a variety of diseases, including cancer and cardiac disease. While the role of ATO in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury (HIRI) has not been reported. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify the effects of ATO on HIRI. METHODS: In the present study, we established a 70% hepatic warm I/R injury and partial hepatectomy (30% resection) animal models in vivo and hepatocytes anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R) models in vitro with ATO pretreatment and further assessed liver function by histopathologic changes, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, cell counting kit-8, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) for extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 was transfected to evaluate the role of ERK1/2 pathway during HIRI, followed by ATO pretreatment. The dynamic process of autophagic flux and numbers of autophagosomes were detected by green fluorescent protein-monomeric red fluorescent protein-LC3 (GFP-mRFP-LC3) staining and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: A low dose of ATO (0.75 μmol/L in vitro and 1 mg/kg in vivo ) significantly reduced tissue necrosis, inflammatory infiltration, and hepatocyte apoptosis during the process of hepatic I/R. Meanwhile, ATO obviously promoted the ability of cell proliferation and liver regeneration. Mechanistically, in vitro  studies have shown that nontoxic concentrations of ATO can activate both ERK and phosphoinositide 3-kinase-serine/threonine kinase (PI3K-AKT) pathways and further induce autophagy. The hepatoprotective mechanism of ATO, at least in part, relies on the effects of ATO on the activation of autophagy, which is ERK-dependent. CONCLUSION Low, non-toxic doses of ATO can activate ERK/PI3K-AKT pathways and induce ERK-dependent autophagy in hepatocytes, protecting liver against I/R injury and accelerating hepatocyte regeneration after partial hepatectomy.
Animals ; Arsenic Trioxide ; Autophagy/physiology* ; Reperfusion Injury/prevention & control* ; Mice ; Male ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/physiology* ; Arsenicals/therapeutic use* ; Oxides/therapeutic use* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC) is the most common invasive candidiasis, with a high incidence among critically ill patients, which can significantly increase medical costs and affect prognosis. In order to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of IAC in critically ill patients, experts in related fields were organized by the Peking University Critical Care Medicine (PKUCCM), Committee of Critical Care Medicine and Organ Support, China Association for Promotion of Health Science and Technology organized experts in related fields to initiate and form a working group. Expert writers drafted the consensus based on evidence-based medical evidence. A committee composed of critical care physicians, infectious disease physicians, surgeons, dermatologists specializing in antifungal fields, and clinical pharmacists discussed and revised the consensus draft through a standardized process, and finally formulated this consensus. This consensus contains a total of 20 core recommendations, mainly focusing on the epidemiology, high-risk factors, diagnostic techniques and methods (including traditional microbiological culture techniques, clinical risk prediction tools, serological tests, molecular biological tests, and histopathological examinations) of IAC, diagnostic criteria, stratified treatment strategies, antifungal drug selection, control the sources of infection, combined treatment, de-escalation strategies, drug treatment courses, prognosis, and special types of IAC. The aim is to provide expert guidance for the standardized clinical diagnosis and treatment of IAC in critically ill patients, with a view to improving prognosis of patients.
Humans ; Critical Illness ; Intraabdominal Infections/therapy* ; Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use* ; Consensus ; Candidiasis/drug therapy* ; Critical Care ; Candidiasis, Invasive/diagnosis*

Objective:To investigate the effects of cholinergic receptor nicotinic alpha 5 subunit(CHRNA5)on the invasion and proliferation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)using bioinformatics approaches and cellular experiments,and to analyze its regulatory pathways and provide foundation for the identification of novel therapeutic targets for pancreatic cancer.Methods:Transcriptome,gene variation,and clinical data of pan-tumor and normal tissues were downloaded from public databases including The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)and Genotype-Tissue Expression(GTEx).The expression levels of CHRNA5 mRNA between pan-tumor patients and healthy individuals were compared using Wilcoxon test.The expression levels of CHRNA5 mRNA between PDAC and para-cancer tissues were further compared using datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database.The data were divided into three groups according to the different expression levels of CHRNA5 mRNA using tertile method:CHRNA5 high expression group,CHRNA5 medium expression group,and CHRNA5 low expression group.Survival analysis was performed in CHRNA5 high expression and low expression groups to assess the impact of CHRNA5 in prognosis of pancreas cancer.Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)and immunohistochemistry methods were used to detect the expressions of CHRNA5 mRNA and protein in tumor tissue,paracancer tissue,tumor cells and normal cells.Differential analysis of the transcriptome data and enrichment analysis of Hallmark genes and Reactome pathways were then conducted.Immune cell infiltration analysis was performed on PDAC based on transcriptome data.Tumor mutation burden(TMB)analysis,single nucleotide variation(SNV),and copy number variation(CNV)analysis were also conducted.The small interfering RNA(si)-NC and si-CHRNA5 were transfected into the MIA PaCa-2 and Capan-2 cells,and the samples were divided into NC,siRNA-1 and siRNA-2 groups according to the transfected siRNA.The proliferation activities of the cells in various groups under acetylcholine(Ach)and non-ACh conditions were detected using cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)method,and the expression of c-Myc protein in the cells in various groups were detected using Western blotting method.Results:Compared with normal tissue,the expression levels of CHRNA5 mRNA were elevated in 28 types of tumor tissues,including pancreatic cancer(adjusted P<0.05).The results of RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry revealed that CHRNA5 was highly expressed in tumor tissue and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)cells compared with paracancer tissue and normal pancreatic ductal cells.The survival analysis showed that the PDAC patients with high expression of CHRNA5 had worse prognosis compared with those with low expression of CHRNA5.A total of 994 differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified between PDAC and control samples,with 381 up-regulated genes and 613 down-regulated genes.The gene Set Enrichment Analysis(GSEA)results indicated that CHRNA5 was highly associated with oxidative phosphorylation,cell proliferation,immune infiltration,and cell cycle.The immune analysis results showed that the samples with high expression of CHRNA5 had poorer immune infiltration compared with those with low expression of CHRNA5.Compared with CHRNA5 low expression group,the mutation rates of pancreatic cancer progression-related genes KRAS,TP53,and SMAD4 in CHRNA5 high expression group were increased.In cell experiments,compared with NC+Ach group,the proliferation activities of the cells in siRNA-1+Ach group and siRNA-2+Ach group were significantly decreased(P<0.05).The results of Western blotting revealed that the expression amounts of c-Myc protein in siRNA-1 and siRNA-2 groups were significantly lower than those in NC group.Conclusion:CHRNA5 modulates the cell cycle via myelocytomatosis viral oncogene(MYC)family,thereby influencing the proliferation of pancreas cancer cells and promoting the progression of PDAC,suggesting that CHRNA5 is a potential therapeutic target for pancreas cancer.

Azvudine and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) are recommended for COVID-19 treatment in China, but their safety and efficacy in the elderly population are not fully known. In this multicenter, retrospective, cohort study, we identified 5131 elderly hospitalized COVID-19 patients from 32,864 COVID-19 patients admitted to nine hospitals in Henan Province, China, from December 5, 2022, to January 31, 2023. The primary outcome was all-cause death, and the secondary outcome was composite disease progression. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to control for confounding factors, including demographics, vaccination status, comorbidities, and laboratory tests. After 2:1 PSM, 1786 elderly patients receiving azvudine and 893 elderly patients receiving Paxlovid were included. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses revealed that compared with Paxlovid group, azvudine could significantly reduce the risk of all-cause death (log-rank P = 0.002; HR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.573-0.883, P = 0.002), but there was no difference in composite disease progression (log-rank P = 0.52; HR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.877-1.260, P = 0.588). Four sensitivity analyses verified the robustness of above results. Subgroup analysis suggested that a greater benefit of azvudine over Paxlovid was observed in elderly patients with primary malignant tumors (P for interaction = 0.005, HR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.18-0.57) compared to patients without primary malignant tumors. Safety analysis revealed that azvudine treatment had a lower incidence of adverse events and higher lymphocyte levels than Paxlovid treatment. In conclusion, azvudine treatment is not inferior to Paxlovid treatment in terms of all-cause death, composite disease progression and adverse events in elderly hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Schizophrenia (SZ) stands as a severe psychiatric disorder. This study applied diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data in conjunction with graph neural networks to distinguish SZ patients from normal controls (NCs) and showcases the superior performance of a graph neural network integrating combined fractional anisotropy and fiber number brain network features, achieving an accuracy of 73.79% in distinguishing SZ patients from NCs. Beyond mere discrimination, our study delved deeper into the advantages of utilizing white matter brain network features for identifying SZ patients through interpretable model analysis and gene expression analysis. These analyses uncovered intricate interrelationships between brain imaging markers and genetic biomarkers, providing novel insights into the neuropathological basis of SZ. In summary, our findings underscore the potential of graph neural networks applied to multimodal DTI data for enhancing SZ detection through an integrated analysis of neuroimaging and genetic features.
Humans ; Schizophrenia/pathology* ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Brain/metabolism* ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; White Matter/pathology* ; Gene Expression ; Nerve Net/diagnostic imaging* ; Graph Neural Networks