The ventral anterior (VA) nucleus of the thalamus is a major target of the basal ganglia and is closely associated with the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Notably, the VA receives direct innervation from the hypothalamic histaminergic system. However, its role in PD remains unknown. Here, we assessed the contribution of histamine to VA neuronal activity and PD motor deficits. Functional magnetic resonance imaging showed reduced VA activity in PD patients. Optogenetic activation of VA neurons or histaminergic afferents significantly alleviated motor deficits in 6-OHDA-induced PD rats. Furthermore, histamine excited VA neurons via H1 and H2 receptors and their coupled hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels, inward-rectifier K⁺ channels, or Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ channels. These results demonstrate that histaminergic afferents actively compensate for Parkinsonian motor deficits by biasing VA activity. These findings suggest that targeting VA histamine receptors and downstream ion channels may be a potential therapeutic strategy for PD motor dysfunction.
Animals ; Histamine/metabolism* ; Male ; Oxidopamine/toxicity* ; Rats ; Ventral Thalamic Nuclei/physiopathology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Disease Models, Animal ; Parkinson Disease/metabolism* ; Neurons/physiology* ; Humans ; Optogenetics

OBJECTIVE: As an age-related neurodegenerative disease, the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) increases with age. Within the framework of traditional Chinese medicine, spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome (SKDS) is recognized as the most frequent MCI subtype. Due to the covert and gradual onset of MCI, in community settings it poses a significant challenge for patients and their families to discern between typical aging and pathological changes. There exists an urgent need to devise a preliminary diagnostic tool designed for community-residing older adults with MCI attributed to SKDS (MCI-SKDS). METHODS: This investigation enrolled 312 elderly individuals diagnosed with MCI, who were randomly distributed into training and test datasets at a 3:1 ratio. Five machine learning methods, including logistic regression (LR), decision tree (DT), naive Bayes (NB), support vector machine (SVM), and gradient boosting (GB), were used to build a diagnostic prediction model for MCI-SKDS. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, F1 score, and area under the curve were used to evaluate model performance. Furthermore, the clinical applicability of the model was evaluated through decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: The accuracy, precision, specificity and F1 score of the DT model performed best in the training set (test set), with scores of 0.904 (0.845), 0.875 (0.795), 0.973 (0.875) and 0.973 (0.875). The sensitivity of the training set (test set) of the SVM model performed best among the five models with a score of 0.865 (0.821). The area under the curve of all five models was greater than 0.9 for the training dataset and greater than 0.8 for the test dataset. The DCA of all models showed good clinical application value. The study identified ten indicators that were significant predictors of MCI-SKDS. CONCLUSION The risk prediction index derived from machine learning for the MCI-SKDS prediction model is simple and practical; the model demonstrates good predictive value and clinical applicability, and the DT model had the best performance. Please cite this article as: Ai YT, Zhou S, Wang M, Zheng TY, Hu H, Wang YC, Li YC, Wang XT, Zhou PJ. Development of a machine learning-based risk prediction model for mild cognitive impairment with spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome in the elderly. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(4): 390-397.
Humans ; Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnosis* ; Aged ; Male ; Female ; Machine Learning ; Spleen ; Aged, 80 and over ; Kidney ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Objective:To explore the relationship between serum ferritin(SF), triglyceride-glucose(TyG) index, and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD), and to assess their interaction on MAFLD risk in the health checkup population.Methods:A cross-sectional analysis was conducted with 1 439 participants from the Health Management Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital in 2022. Data were collected through physical examination, laboratory tests, and abdominal imaging. Differences in metabolic indicators, SF, and TyG index were compared between MAFLD and non-MAFLD groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the associations of SF and TyG index with MAFLD, and their on MAFLD interaction was evaluated. Results:Both SF and TyG index were significantly higher in the MAFLD group between than those in the non-MAFLD group( P<0.05). After adjusting for sex, age, history of hypertension, history of diabetes, body mass index, waist circumference, haemoglobin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and uric acid, the SF and TyG index were positively associated with the risk of MAFLD[ OR(95% CI), SF: 1.00(1.00-1.00); TyG index: 2.98(2.19-4.06). The additive interaction analysis showed that the risk of MAFLD was significantly higher in the G4 group(SF≥135.4 ng/mL, TyG index≥8.52) compared to the G1 group(SF<135.4 ng/mL, TyG index<8.52) [ OR 4.43(95% CI 2.70-7.25)]. Conclusions:Elevated SF and TyG index were independently associated with increased risk of MAFLD, with a significant synergistic interaction between the two.

Objective:To compare the clinical features of severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (SMPP) in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted in the PICU of Shanghai Children's Hospital. Clinical and laboratory data were collected from medical records of SMPP patients admitted to the PICU before (January to December 2019) and after (March 2023 to February 2024) the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients admitted in 2019 were categorized as the pre-COVID-19 group, while those admitted in 2023-2024 were classified as the post-COVID-19 group.Results:A total of 287 children with SMPP were included, comprising 155 males and 132 females. The pre-pandemic group consisted of 180 cases, while the post-pandemic group had 107 cases. Macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MRMP) was detected in 270 cases (94.1%), with no significant difference in MRMP prevalence between the two groups [101 cases (94.4%) vs. 169 cases (93.9%), Z= 0.031, P = 0.861]. The median age of the post-pandemic group was higher than that of the pre-pandemic group [72 (42, 108) months vs. 42 (24, 68) months, Z= 6.438, P < 0.001].Comparisons of complications between the post-pandemic and pre-pandemic groups were as follows: pleural effusion [20 cases (18.7%) vs. 81 cases (45.0%), χ2=20.365, P< 0.001], shock [4 cases (3.7%) vs. 79 cases (43.9%), χ2=52.628, P< 0.001], gastrointestinal dysfunction [2 cases (1.9%) vs. 24 cases (13.3%), χ 2=9.359, P=0.002], liver dysfunction [9 cases (8.4%) vs. 46 cases (25.6%), χ2=12.733, P< 0.001], and renal injury [0 cases vs. 10 cases (5.6%), P=0.015].There was no significant difference in the incidence of respiratory failure [102 cases (95.3%) vs. 172 cases (95.6%), χ2=0.008, P=0.928]. However, the number of cases requiring high-flow oxygen therapy and mechanical ventilation was significantly lower in the post-pandemic group compared to the pre-pandemic group [14 cases (13.3%) vs. 48 cases (26.7%), 21 cases (20.3%) vs. 122 cases (67.8%), all P<0.05].The time from symptom onset to the initiation of tetracycline/quinolone therapy was shorter in the post-pandemic group compared to the pre-pandemic group [7 (3, 10) days vs. 9 (6.3, 11) days, χ2=-3.565, P< 0.001]. The proportion of patients who had already received tetracycline/quinolone therapy before admission to the PICU was significantly higher in the post-pandemic group compared to the pre-pandemic group [25 cases (23.4%) vs. 2 cases (1.1%), χ 2=10.009, P=0.002].Both the total hospital stay and PICU stay were shorter in the post-pandemic group compared to the pre-pandemic group [10.0 (8.0, 14.0) days vs. 15.5 (12.0, 22.0) days, 5 (3.0, 8.0) days vs. 7.0 (5.0, 10.0) days, all P=0.000]. All 7 deaths occurred in the pre-pandemic group, including 5 cases with co-infections and 2 cases with underlying diseases. Conclusions:In the post-COVID-19 era, SMPP cases in the PICU were predominantly observed in children over 5 years old, with a lower incidence of shock, gastrointestinal disorders, liver injury, and kidney injury compared to the pre-pandemic period. Patients with macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae who received timely treatment with tetracycline/quinolones exhibited favorable outcomes.

Objective To compare the effects of desflurane inhalation anesthesia versus propofol total intravenous anesthesia on postoperative recovery quality in patients undergoing endoscopic transnasal pituitary adenoma resection,and to provide evidence-based recommendations for optimizing anesthetic management in this surgical population.Methods This single-center,prospective,randomized controlled trial enrolled 112 patients scheduled for endoscopic transnasal pituitary adenoma resection,who were randomly assigned to either the desflurane group(n=56)or the propofol group(n=56).The desflurane group received desflurane[0.7-1.0 minimum alveolar concentration(MAC)]combined with remifentanil for anesthesia maintenance,whereas the propofol group received propofol(4-6 mg·kg-1·h-1)with remifentanil.The primary outcome was defined as the time from discontinuation of anesthetics to achieving an Aldrete score of 9.Secondary outcomes included emergence time,extubation time,and incidences of postoperative agitation and vomiting.Results Patients receiving desflurane achieved an Aldrete score of 9 significantly faster than those in the propofol group(13.0 min vs 16.5 min,P=0.003).Similarly,both emergence time(14.0 min vs 16.5 min,P=0.009)and extubation time(13.0 min vs 16.5 min,P=0.003)were significantly shorter in the desflurane group.However,the desflurane group had higher incidences of postoperative agitation(17.9%vs 3.6%,P=0.015)and vomiting(19.6%vs 5.4%,P=0.022).No significant difference was observed in severe agitation rates or 24 h postoperative recovery quality[Quality of Recovery-15(QoR-15)scores]between groups.Conclusion Desflurane anesthesia significantly accelerates postoperative recovery in patients undergoing endoscopic transnasal pituitary adenoma resection,however,it may increase risks of mild agitation and vomiting.In clinical applications,it is necessary to balance recovery benefits against potential adverse effects,and take targeted prophylactic measures.

Persistent atrial fibrillation and other factors can cause mitral and tricuspid annular dilation and leaflet regurgitation,leading to severe functional mitral and tricuspid regurgitation.Patients often experience significant heart failure symptoms and poor prognosis.For patients with severe mitral or tricuspid regurgitation who are at high risk or contraindicated for surgical procedures,transbronchial repair(TEER)is an important alternative therapy that can effectively reduce valve regurgitation and improve cardiac function;Although there is a lack of large-scale data on atrial functional reflux,existing experience still shows that TEER can significantly reduce reflux and improve patients'quality of life.However,double valve intervention therapy poses challenges,especially when combined with TEER repair,which is technically more complex,time-consuming,and carries higher risks.Foreign data shows that simultaneous or staged double valve intervention can safely improve cardiac function and increase survival rates,but the optimal intervention strategy still needs further research.Due to the fact that tricuspid TEER devices have not yet been launched in China,only staged treatment can be adopted at present.This case report shows a patient with severe atrial functional mitral and tricuspid regurgitation who underwent staged transcatheter edge to edge repair surgery successfully.During a 1-year follow-up,bilateral valve regurgitation continued to improve,indicating that staged repair of bilateral atrioventricular valve regurgitation through the catheter margin is a feasible and effective treatment option.

Objective:To explore the risk factors of deaths caused by influenza-associated encephalopathy (IAE) in children.Methods:A case control study was conducted.The clinical data (including baseline fata, organ function indices, inflammatory factors, imaging data, treatment, and outcomes) of IAE children hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of Shanghai Children′s Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University from January 2020 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.The children were divided into a survival group and a death group.The Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to analyze the risk factors of death in IAE children.Results:A total of 46 cases were included, with an onset age of 74.8(46.0, 92.5) months.The main cause of IAE was influenza A virus infection, which was detected in 45 cases(97.8%), and 32 cases (69.6%) of them had H3N2.One child (2.2%) was infected by influenza B virus.Eight children died, showing a mortality of 17.4%.There was significant difference in Glasgow Coma Scale between the survival and death groups when they were admitted into the PICU [10 (9, 11) points vs.3 (3, 5) points] ( Z=-4.510, P<0.05).All patients in the death group had multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, respiratory failure and circulatory system failure.Serum procalcitonin (PCT)[15.7 (3.3, 37.4) μg/L], interleukin-6 (IL-6)[1 039.1 (319.3, 2 884.3) ng/L], and cerebrospinal fluid protein(CSFP)[13 050.0 (5 865.0, 21 100.0) mg/L] in the death group compared with those in the survival group [0.2 (0.1, 0.8) μg/L, 15.5 (7.9, 44.8) ng/L, 227.0 (190.0, 332.0) mg/L]were highly increased ( Z=-3.364, -4.088, -3.757, all P<0.001).Logistic regression analysis showed that PCT ( OR=0.660, P<0.05), IL-6 ( OR=1.014, P<0.05) and CSFP ( OR=1.001, P<0.05) were risk factors of death in IAE.The areas under the ROC curve for these three factors were 0.88 (95% CI: 0.77-0.97), 0.96 (95% CI: 0.86-1.00) and 0.93 (95% CI: 0.76-1.00), respectively.When a cutoff value of 2.50 μg/L, 269.67 ng/L and 5 240.00 mg/L was taken, PCT achieved a sensitivity of 0.875 and a specificity of 0.816, IL-6 achieved a sensitivity of 0.875 and specificity of 0.974, and CSFP achieved a sensitivity of 0.875 and specificity of 0.974, respectively. Conclusions:High levels of serum PCT, IL-6 and CSFP at PICU admission are risk factors of poor prognosis in children with IAE.

Objective:To explore the clinical features and risk factors for pediatric severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (SMPP) complicated with pulmonary embolism. Methods:SMPP patients admitted to Department of Pediatrics, Jiaxing First Hospital and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Shanghai Children′s Hospital from December 2019 to December 2023 were included in this retrospective case-control study.According to whether they were complicated with pulmonary embolism, SMPP patients were divided into a pulmonary embolism group and a non-pulmonary embolism group.Clinical characteristics of the two groups, including general data, laboratory examination and imaging data were compared and analyzed.The t-test and Mann-Whitney rank-sum test were used to compare the measurement data, and the χ2 test was used to compare the count data.The risk factors of SMPP patients developing pulmonary embolism were analyzed by the univariate method. Results:There were 10 out of 62 SMPP children developing pulmonary embolism, showing an incidence of 16.13%.In the pulmonary embolism group, there were 5 boys and 5 girls, with a median age of 7.50 (5.75, 9.25) years.There were 52 children in the non-pulmonary embolism group, including 29 boys and 23 girls, with a median age of 6.50(5.00, 8.00)years.The hospitalization time, body temperature, total white blood cell count, neutrophil count, C-reactive protein levels, lactate dehydrogenase levels, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, D-dimer (D-D) levels, fibrinogen degradation product levels, pleural effusion and atelectasis rates in the pulmonary embolism group were significantly higher than those in the non-pulmonary embolism group (all P<0.05). Fibrinogen levels in the pulmonary embolism group were significantly lower than those in the non-pulmonary embolism group ( P<0.05). Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the D-D level was a risk factor for SMPP patient developing pulmonary embolism.The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the D-D level had the largest area under the curve for predicting pulmonary embolism of 0.990(95% CI: 0.972-1.000, P<0.001), with a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 92%, and a cut-off value of 4.63 mg/L. Conclusions:SMPP children complicated with pulmonary embolism are prone to high inflammation and impaired coagulation function.The increase of D-D levels is a risk factor for the development of pulmonary embolism in SMPP.

Objective To compare the effects of desflurane inhalation anesthesia versus propofol total intravenous anesthesia on postoperative recovery quality in patients undergoing endoscopic transnasal pituitary adenoma resection,and to provide evidence-based recommendations for optimizing anesthetic management in this surgical population.Methods This single-center,prospective,randomized controlled trial enrolled 112 patients scheduled for endoscopic transnasal pituitary adenoma resection,who were randomly assigned to either the desflurane group(n=56)or the propofol group(n=56).The desflurane group received desflurane[0.7-1.0 minimum alveolar concentration(MAC)]combined with remifentanil for anesthesia maintenance,whereas the propofol group received propofol(4-6 mg·kg-1·h-1)with remifentanil.The primary outcome was defined as the time from discontinuation of anesthetics to achieving an Aldrete score of 9.Secondary outcomes included emergence time,extubation time,and incidences of postoperative agitation and vomiting.Results Patients receiving desflurane achieved an Aldrete score of 9 significantly faster than those in the propofol group(13.0 min vs 16.5 min,P=0.003).Similarly,both emergence time(14.0 min vs 16.5 min,P=0.009)and extubation time(13.0 min vs 16.5 min,P=0.003)were significantly shorter in the desflurane group.However,the desflurane group had higher incidences of postoperative agitation(17.9%vs 3.6%,P=0.015)and vomiting(19.6%vs 5.4%,P=0.022).No significant difference was observed in severe agitation rates or 24 h postoperative recovery quality[Quality of Recovery-15(QoR-15)scores]between groups.Conclusion Desflurane anesthesia significantly accelerates postoperative recovery in patients undergoing endoscopic transnasal pituitary adenoma resection,however,it may increase risks of mild agitation and vomiting.In clinical applications,it is necessary to balance recovery benefits against potential adverse effects,and take targeted prophylactic measures.

Persistent atrial fibrillation and other factors can cause mitral and tricuspid annular dilation and leaflet regurgitation,leading to severe functional mitral and tricuspid regurgitation.Patients often experience significant heart failure symptoms and poor prognosis.For patients with severe mitral or tricuspid regurgitation who are at high risk or contraindicated for surgical procedures,transbronchial repair(TEER)is an important alternative therapy that can effectively reduce valve regurgitation and improve cardiac function;Although there is a lack of large-scale data on atrial functional reflux,existing experience still shows that TEER can significantly reduce reflux and improve patients'quality of life.However,double valve intervention therapy poses challenges,especially when combined with TEER repair,which is technically more complex,time-consuming,and carries higher risks.Foreign data shows that simultaneous or staged double valve intervention can safely improve cardiac function and increase survival rates,but the optimal intervention strategy still needs further research.Due to the fact that tricuspid TEER devices have not yet been launched in China,only staged treatment can be adopted at present.This case report shows a patient with severe atrial functional mitral and tricuspid regurgitation who underwent staged transcatheter edge to edge repair surgery successfully.During a 1-year follow-up,bilateral valve regurgitation continued to improve,indicating that staged repair of bilateral atrioventricular valve regurgitation through the catheter margin is a feasible and effective treatment option.