Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of indocyanine green angiography (ICGA)-assisted design and harvest of expanded flaps for scar reconstruction.Methods:This study was a retrospective observational study. From April 2019 to August 2023, 19 patients with scars (8 males, 11 females; aged 3-38 years) treated at the Plastic Surgery Hospital of Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences met the inclusion criteria. The scars were distributed on the head, face, trunk, and extremities. In stage Ⅰ surgery, skin soft tissue expanders were implanted in suitable areas around the scars for skin soft tissue expansion. In stage Ⅱ surgery, the scar tissue was excised, resulting in wound areas ranging from 100 to 210 cm 2, and expanded flaps were designed. ICGA was used to identify target perforators and their accompanying veins, and the flap design was adjusted to ensure the inclusion of complete arterial and venous axes. The expanded flap with an area of 120 to 240 cm2 was harvested using unilateral back-cut technique and transferred to the recipient site, and the donor site wound was sutured directly. The durations of the arterial and venous phases of ICGA during flap design were recorded. The length-to-width ratios of the back-cut flaps were calculated for different regions. After stage Ⅱ surgery, the blood perfusion and survival of the flap, the wound healing at the donor site, and the occurrence of complications were observed. During follow-up, the appearance, color, and texture of the patient's flap were observed. Results:The arterial phase of ICGA lasted 10-27 (18±5) s, and the venous phase lasted 78-116 (100±10) s. The length-to-width ratios of the back-cut flaps were 1.22±0.32, 1.63±0.12, and 1.15±0.21 for the head and neck, trunk, and limb regions, respectively. After stage Ⅱ surgery, one patient had a large area of insufficient blood perfusion in the flap. By comparing ICGA images before and after flap transfer, the sutures at the oral commissure were loosened, the blood flow of the flap was restored. The blood perfusion of the flaps in other patients was good. All flaps survived completely, with well-healed donor site wounds and no complications. During 0.5-14.0 months of follow-up, all flaps of patients demonstrated excellent appearance, with color and texture matching the surrounding skin.Conclusions:As a means of superficial blood flow visualization, ICGA can not only clearly show the microvascular distribution of the expanded flap before operation, assist in optimizing the design of the flap, but also evaluate the blood perfusion of the flap after operation, reduce the occurrence of complications, and provide a full-process navigation for the harvesting of expanded flaps, thereby improving the safety of flap transfer for scar reconstruction.

Objective:To explore the short-term clinical effects of deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomosis in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).Methods:A prospective exploratory study was conducted on the treatment of AD patients using the cervical deep lymph node-venous anastomosis technique in Scar and Wound Treatment Department, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from September to October 2024. The patients underwent high-frequency ultrasound to locate deep cervical lymph nodes and the external jugular vein. Under general anesthesia, bilateral deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomoses were performed. Indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography was conducted via subcutaneous injection behind the ear to visualize lymph nodes in levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ. After making a skin incision along the posterior margin of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the external jugular vein, internal jugular veins, and associated lymph nodes were exposed. Adjacent veins were selected for anastomosis of lymph node. Using microsurgical techniques, end-to-side or end-to-end anastomosis was completed for lymph nodes in levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ. Preoperative assessments included the mini-mental state examination (MMSE, a higher score indicates better cognitive function), Alzheimer’s disease assessment scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog, a higher score indicates greater impairment of cognitive function), Alzheimer’s disease cooperative study scale for activities of daily living (ADCS-ADL, a higher score indicates better ability to perform daily activity), and neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI, a higher score indicates more severe behavioral and emotional symptom). Postoperative follow-up included the same scales to observe changes in cognitive function, activities of daily living, and emotional communication.Results:Four patients (1 male, 3 females, aged 58-79 years) with AD were included. All were diagnosed based on cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. All patients successfully underwent bilateral deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomoses. On average, 4.3 (2-7 per person) anastomoses were performed per patient. Surgical procedures lasted an average of 6.5 h (5.5-8.5 h) with minimal blood loss (less than 50 ml). Patients resumed normal activity within 6 hours postoperatively and were discharged after an average of 4.1 d (3.5-5.0 d). Postoperative complications included one case each of aspiration pneumonia, lower limb venous thrombosis, and transient delirium, all of whom resolved without long-term effects. Clinical symptoms, including memory decline, mood swings, and anxiety, showed varying degrees of improvement. Patients reported enhanced quality of life, emotional stability, and social engagement, confirming the procedure’s safety and potential cognitive benefits. At one month postoperatively, the MMSE scores of the four patients increased by an average of 0.8 points compared to preoperative levels. Additionally, the two patients who completed the ADAS-Cog assessments showed a decrease in their scores (reduced by 1.0 points and 11.3 points, respectively, compared to preoperative scores), indicating a certain degree of improvement in cognitive function during this period. The ADCS-ADL and NPI scores of four patients varied significantly, without showing any clear pattern.Conclusion:Lymphovenous anastomosis of the deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomosis may provide a new surgical intervention approach for AD, but further large-scale studies and long-term follow-up are needed to validate its safety and effectiveness.

BACKGROUND: The available evidence regarding the benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on patients receiving dialysis with coronary artery disease (CAD) is limited and inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the association between PCI and clinical outcomes as compared with medical therapy alone in patients undergoing dialysis with CAD in China. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective study was conducted in 30 tertiary medical centers across 12 provinces in China from January 2015 to June 2021 to include patients on dialysis with CAD. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke. Secondary outcomes included all-cause death, the individual components of MACE, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria types 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between PCI and outcomes. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and propensity score matching (PSM) were performed to account for potential between-group differences. RESULTS: Of the 1146 patients on dialysis with significant CAD, 821 (71.6%) underwent PCI. After a median follow-up of 23.0 months, PCI was associated with a 43.0% significantly lower risk for MACE (33.9% [ n  = 278] vs . 43.7% [ n  = 142]; adjusted hazards ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.45-0.71), along with a slightly increased risk for bleeding outcomes that did not reach statistical significance (11.1% vs . 8.3%; adjusted hazards ratio 1.31, 95% confidence interval, 0.82-2.11). Furthermore, PCI was associated with a significant reduction in all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities. Subgroup analysis did not modify the association of PCI with patient outcomes. These primary findings were consistent across IPTW, PSM, and competing risk analyses. CONCLUSION This study indicated that PCI in patients on dialysis with CAD was significantly associated with lower MACE and mortality when comparing with those with medical therapy alone, albeit with a slightly increased risk for bleeding events that did not reach statistical significance.
Humans ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Coronary Artery Disease/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Renal Dialysis/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; China ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of indocyanine green angiography (ICGA)-assisted design and harvest of expanded flaps for scar reconstruction.Methods:This study was a retrospective observational study. From April 2019 to August 2023, 19 patients with scars (8 males, 11 females; aged 3-38 years) treated at the Plastic Surgery Hospital of Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences met the inclusion criteria. The scars were distributed on the head, face, trunk, and extremities. In stage Ⅰ surgery, skin soft tissue expanders were implanted in suitable areas around the scars for skin soft tissue expansion. In stage Ⅱ surgery, the scar tissue was excised, resulting in wound areas ranging from 100 to 210 cm 2, and expanded flaps were designed. ICGA was used to identify target perforators and their accompanying veins, and the flap design was adjusted to ensure the inclusion of complete arterial and venous axes. The expanded flap with an area of 120 to 240 cm2 was harvested using unilateral back-cut technique and transferred to the recipient site, and the donor site wound was sutured directly. The durations of the arterial and venous phases of ICGA during flap design were recorded. The length-to-width ratios of the back-cut flaps were calculated for different regions. After stage Ⅱ surgery, the blood perfusion and survival of the flap, the wound healing at the donor site, and the occurrence of complications were observed. During follow-up, the appearance, color, and texture of the patient's flap were observed. Results:The arterial phase of ICGA lasted 10-27 (18±5) s, and the venous phase lasted 78-116 (100±10) s. The length-to-width ratios of the back-cut flaps were 1.22±0.32, 1.63±0.12, and 1.15±0.21 for the head and neck, trunk, and limb regions, respectively. After stage Ⅱ surgery, one patient had a large area of insufficient blood perfusion in the flap. By comparing ICGA images before and after flap transfer, the sutures at the oral commissure were loosened, the blood flow of the flap was restored. The blood perfusion of the flaps in other patients was good. All flaps survived completely, with well-healed donor site wounds and no complications. During 0.5-14.0 months of follow-up, all flaps of patients demonstrated excellent appearance, with color and texture matching the surrounding skin.Conclusions:As a means of superficial blood flow visualization, ICGA can not only clearly show the microvascular distribution of the expanded flap before operation, assist in optimizing the design of the flap, but also evaluate the blood perfusion of the flap after operation, reduce the occurrence of complications, and provide a full-process navigation for the harvesting of expanded flaps, thereby improving the safety of flap transfer for scar reconstruction.

Objective:To explore the short-term clinical effects of deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomosis in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).Methods:A prospective exploratory study was conducted on the treatment of AD patients using the cervical deep lymph node-venous anastomosis technique in Scar and Wound Treatment Department, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from September to October 2024. The patients underwent high-frequency ultrasound to locate deep cervical lymph nodes and the external jugular vein. Under general anesthesia, bilateral deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomoses were performed. Indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography was conducted via subcutaneous injection behind the ear to visualize lymph nodes in levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ. After making a skin incision along the posterior margin of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the external jugular vein, internal jugular veins, and associated lymph nodes were exposed. Adjacent veins were selected for anastomosis of lymph node. Using microsurgical techniques, end-to-side or end-to-end anastomosis was completed for lymph nodes in levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ. Preoperative assessments included the mini-mental state examination (MMSE, a higher score indicates better cognitive function), Alzheimer’s disease assessment scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog, a higher score indicates greater impairment of cognitive function), Alzheimer’s disease cooperative study scale for activities of daily living (ADCS-ADL, a higher score indicates better ability to perform daily activity), and neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI, a higher score indicates more severe behavioral and emotional symptom). Postoperative follow-up included the same scales to observe changes in cognitive function, activities of daily living, and emotional communication.Results:Four patients (1 male, 3 females, aged 58-79 years) with AD were included. All were diagnosed based on cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. All patients successfully underwent bilateral deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomoses. On average, 4.3 (2-7 per person) anastomoses were performed per patient. Surgical procedures lasted an average of 6.5 h (5.5-8.5 h) with minimal blood loss (less than 50 ml). Patients resumed normal activity within 6 hours postoperatively and were discharged after an average of 4.1 d (3.5-5.0 d). Postoperative complications included one case each of aspiration pneumonia, lower limb venous thrombosis, and transient delirium, all of whom resolved without long-term effects. Clinical symptoms, including memory decline, mood swings, and anxiety, showed varying degrees of improvement. Patients reported enhanced quality of life, emotional stability, and social engagement, confirming the procedure’s safety and potential cognitive benefits. At one month postoperatively, the MMSE scores of the four patients increased by an average of 0.8 points compared to preoperative levels. Additionally, the two patients who completed the ADAS-Cog assessments showed a decrease in their scores (reduced by 1.0 points and 11.3 points, respectively, compared to preoperative scores), indicating a certain degree of improvement in cognitive function during this period. The ADCS-ADL and NPI scores of four patients varied significantly, without showing any clear pattern.Conclusion:Lymphovenous anastomosis of the deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomosis may provide a new surgical intervention approach for AD, but further large-scale studies and long-term follow-up are needed to validate its safety and effectiveness.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and influencing factors of scoliosis among primary and middle school students in Dali Bai autonomous prefecture.Methods:A total of 176,729 students aged 6-18 years from 380 primary and secondary schools in eight counties of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture were screened for spinal health by visual method, Adams forward bend test and scoliometer measuring the angle of trunk rotation from September to November 2021. The angle of trunk rotation ≥5° or visual method retest positive was used as a positive standard to confirm suspected scoliosis population. Demographic data of the screening population including name, gender, age and ethnicity were collected. The average altitude of the community or village committee in the screening area was recorded. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to screen the influencing factors of scoliosis.Results:There were 176,729 people planned to complete the screening. A total of 140,026 people were actually completed screening with completion rate 79.23%. A total of 3,190 (2.28%) suspected scoliosis positive people were detected. The detection rate of female was 2.52%, which was higher than that of male 2.03% (χ 2=37.18, P<0.001). The detection rate of 10-18 years old group was 2.90%, which was higher than that of 6-9 years old group 0.70% (χ 2=620.79, P<0.001). There was a significant difference in the detection rate among different age groups from 6 to 18 years old (χ 2=1,451.00, P<0.001). The detection rate of Han population was 2.67%, which was higher than that of non-Han population 2.15% (χ 2=31.06, P<0.001). In non-Han population, the detection rate of Bai population was 2.07%, which was lower than that of non-Bai population 2.26% (χ 2=4.02, P=0.045). Trend chi-square test showed significant difference in the detection rate of scoliosis among the general population, 10-18 years old population and 6-9 years old population in the altitude <1,500 m, 1,500-1,599 m, 1,600-1,699 m, 1,700-1,799 m, 1,800-1,899 m, 1,900-1,999 m, 2,000-2,099 m, 2,100-2,199 m, 2,200-2,299 m and ≥2,300 m groups (χ 2=249.02, 195.64, 24.46, P<0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of scoliosis was lower in males than that in females ( OR=0.82, P<0.001). The risk of scoliosis was increased in 10-18 years old compared with that in 6-9 years old ( OR=0.12, P<0.001). The risk of scoliosis was low in Bai population compared with that in Han populations ( OR=0.75, P<0.001). The altitude ≥2,000 m was a risk factor ( OR=1.52, P<0.001). Conclusion:The detection rate of suspected scoliosis in primary and middle school students in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture was 2.28%. Female, aged 10-18 years, Han populations, and residence in altitude ≥2,000 m might be the risk factors for scoliosis.

ObjectiveTo provide a new idea for exploring the molecular genetic approach to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia via construction of microRNA-messenger RNA （miRNA-mRNA） regulatory network in schizophrenia. MethodsThe microarray datasets of GSE54578 miRNA expression profiles in peripheral blood and GSE145554 mRNA expression in the anterior cingulate in postmortem brain of schizophrenic subjects were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus （GEO） database since July 2021. The GEO2R was used to identify the differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs， screen the miRNA with target differentially expressed mRNA， and predict their potential upstream transcription factors. The overlapping genes from the mRNA targeted by the differentially expressed miRNA and the mRNA differentially expressed in GSE145554 dataset were collected. Then the biological features of hub genes were analyzed via Gene Ontology （GO） analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis， and the protein-protein interaction （PPI） network and miRNA-mRNA regulatory network of hub genes were constructed. ResultsA total of 8 up-regulated differentially expressed miRNAs with targeted mRNA were screened out in GSE54578 datasets regarding schizophrenia， which involved in the regulation of 10 transcription factors， 247 down-regulated differentially expressed mRNAs were screened out in GSE145554 datasets， and 17 overlapping mRNAs were obtained. GO analysis showed that the target mRNAs were mainly involved in astrocyte differentiation and development. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the target mRNAs were mainly involved in Rap1 and Ras signaling pathways. PPI network analysis showed that the mRNAs （KRAS and CD28） might be key genes in schizophrenia. ConclusionThe integrated bioinformatics analysis based on GEO database can identify potential susceptibility genes in schizophrenia， and it also contributes to the construction of miRNA-mRNA regulatory network in schizophrenia.

Objective: To study the expression of TNF-α and PCNA in human breast tissue with polyacrylamide hydrogel(PAHG) injection, and to provide the initial theory basis for its prognosis and clinical treatment. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to measure the expression of tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α)and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in 20 normal breast tissues and 40 cases with PAHG injection, analysis was also done by HE staining. Results: ①HE staining showed that there were a large number of homogeneous amorphous gel-like injections under optical microscope. Around PAHG there were different degrees of fibrous tissue hyperplasia with or without fibrous degeneration and lots of inflammatory cells. Local foreign body giant cell reaction and ductal dilatation also can be seen around PAHG. ②The IA levels of TNF-α and PCNA in the experimental group were 3.9± 0.3 and 3.2 ± 0.2, the IA levels of TNF-α and PCNA in the control group were 1.0 ± 0.1 and 1.3 ± 0.3, the IA level in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P=0.000). The difference was statistically significant. The positive rates of TNF-α and PCNA in the experimental group were 90% (36/40)and 85% (34/40)respectively; the positive rates of TNF-α and PCNA in the control group were 30% (6/20), 40% (8/20). The positive expression rate in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P=0.000). The difference was statistically significant. TNF-α and PCNA has Pearson positive relevance in the changes(r=0.3, P=0.040), the difference was statistically significant. Conclusions TNF-α and PCNA are involved in the immunoreaction of mammalian breast tissue injected with polyacrylamide hydrogel, which may induce the aseptic inflammation, fibrous tissue hyperplasia and related issues through mutual influence.

BACKGROUND:Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy can aleviate the skin flap congestion by improving the angiogenesis and increasing the oxygen content of blood in skin flaps. Although the HBO therapy ability to increase flap survival has been wel described, the research on the application of HBO pretreatment in skin flap transplantation does not arouse adequate concern.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of HBO pretreatment on early-stage flap congestion in the rat model of over-length dorsal random skin flaps.
METHODS: Thirty-six SD rats were randomly divided into control group (n=12), HBO pretreatment group (n=12) and HBO treatment group (n=12). Rats in the HBO pretreatment group received 4 days of HBO therapy prior to transplantation, once a day. Rats in the HBO treatment group received 4 days of HBO therapy after transplantation. Rats in the control group were raised in the normal conditions after flap transplantation. At postoperative days 3 and 5, rats were sacrificed and the samples were colected. The inflammation of flap tissues was detected using hematoxylin-eosin staining. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-β was analyzed by immunohistochemistry staining. The flap survival rate was calculated at postoperative day 5.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The flap survival area of the HBO pretreatment group and HBO treatment group was larger than that of the control group (P < 0.05). At postoperative days 3 and 5, the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-β in the flap tissue were higher in the HBO pretreatment group and HBO treatment group than the control group (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the flap survival area and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-β between HBO pretreatment and HBO treatment groups (P > 0.05). HBO pretreatment can increase the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-β and promotes angiogenesis in random pattern flaps,thereby improving skin flap survival.