Objective To discuss the main pathological types and imaging characteristics of pulmonary nodules that are highly suspected to be malignant in clinical practice but are pathologically confirmed to be benign. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of patients with pulmonary nodules who were initially highly suspected of malignancy but were subsequently pathologically confirmed to be benign. These patients were treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from December 2020 to April 2023. Based on the outcomes of preoperative discussions, the patients were categorized into a benign group and a suspicious malignancy group. The clinical data and imaging characteristics of both groups were compared. Results A total of 232 patients were included in the study, comprising 112 males and 120 females, with a mean age of (50.7±12.0) years. Among these, 127 patients were classified into the benign group, while 105 patients were categorized into the suspicious malignancy group. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding age, gender, symptoms, smoking history, or tumor history (P>0.05). However, significant differences were noted in nodule density, CT values, margins, shapes, and malignant signs (P＜0.05). Further analysis revealed that in the suspicious malignancy group, solid nodules were predominantly characterized by collagen nodules and fibrous tissue hyperplasia (33.3%), followed by tuberculosis (20.4%) and fungal infections (18.5%). In contrast, non-solid nodules were primarily composed of collagen nodules and fibrous tissue hyperplasia (41.2%) and atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (17.7%). Conclusion Benign pulmonary nodules that are suspected to be malignant are pathologically characterized by the presence of collagen nodules, fibrous tissue hyperplasia, tuberculosis, atypical adenomatous hyperplasia, and fungal infections. Radiologically, these nodules typically present as non-solid lesions and may exhibit features suggestive of malignancy, including spiculation, lobulation, cavitation, and pleural retraction.

ObjectiveTo investigate the recurrence of ischemic stroke (IS) and to analyze the association between four indices of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG) and the risk of IS recurrence by analyzing the follow-up data related to IS in the community-based natural population of Songjiang District, Shanghai, so as to provide a scientific basis for improving the prognosis of stroke patients in the community and controlling IS recurrence. MethodsA prospective follow-up study was conducted among the IS patients in the community-based cohort population, collecting data about patient’s age, gender, disease history, biochemical indicators, and etc. Cox regression model and restricted cubic spline model were used to analyze the relationship between different levels of plasma lipids and the recurrence of IS in these patients. ResultsA total of 1 368 patients with IS were included. The total follow-up duration was 7 171.46 person-years, with a median follow-up time of 6.24 years. There were 420 cases of IS recurrence, resulting in a cumulative recurrence rate of 30.70%. The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the recurrence risk of IS was reduced when the baseline TC and LDL-C levels of IS patients were in the ranges of 4.65‒5.67 mmol·L^-1 and 2.52‒3.46 mmol·L^-1, respectively. The results of restricted cubic spline analysis showed a U-shaped relationship between baseline TC and LDL-C levels and the recurrence risk in IS patients. ConclusionThe cumulative recurrence rate of patients with IS in the community of Songjiang District in Shanghai is high, and the levels of TC and LDL-C at baseline survey are correlated with the recurrence of IS in these patients. It is suggested to pay more attention to the levels of LDL-C and TC in patients with IS, so as to improve the prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), a rare and recurrent autoinflammatory disease, imposes a substantial burden on patients and society. Awareness of GPP in China remains limited. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey, conducted between September 2021 and May 2023 across 14 hospitals in China, included GPP patients of all ages and disease phases. Data collected encompassed demographics, clinical characteristics, economic impact, disease severity, quality of life, and treatment-related complications. Risk factors for GPP recurrence were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 127 patients (female/male ratio = 1.35:1), the mean age of disease onset was 25 years (1st quartile [Q1]-3rd quartile [Q3]: 11-44 years); 29.2% had experienced GPP for more than 10 years. Recurrence occurred in 75.6% of patients, and nearly half reported no identifiable triggers. Younger age at disease onset ( P  = 0.021) and transitioning to plaque psoriasis ( P  = 0.022) were associated with higher recurrence rates. The median diagnostic delay was 8 months (Q1-Q3: 2-41 months), and 32.3% of patients reported misdiagnoses. Comorbidities were present in 53.5% of patients, whereas 51.1% experienced systemic complications during treatment. Depression and anxiety affected 84.5% and 95.6% of patients, respectively. During GPP flares, the median Dermatology Life Quality Index score was 19.0 (Q1-Q3: 13.0-23.5). This score showed significant differences between patients with and without systemic symptoms; it demonstrated correlations with both depression and anxiety scores. Treatment costs caused financial hardship in 55.9% of patients, underscoring the burden associated with GPP. CONCLUSIONS The substantial disease and economic burdens among Chinese GPP patients warrant increased attention. Patients with early onset disease and those transitioning to plaque psoriasis require targeted interventions to mitigate the high recurrence risk.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Psoriasis/pathology* ; Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adolescent ; Child ; Young Adult ; Quality of Life ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; East Asian People

This study developed a core outcome set(COS) for traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) interventions in diabetic peripheral neuropathy(DPN), standardizing evaluation metrics for TCM efficacy and providing a new framework for DPN treatment and management. A systematic search was conducted across databases, including CNKI, Wanfang, and PubMed, targeting clinical trial literature published between January 1, 2013, and January 1, 2023. The search focused on extracting outcome indicators and measurement tools used in TCM treatments for DPN. Retrospective data collection was performed from January 2018 to June 2023, involving 200 DPN patients hospitalized at the Department of Endocrinology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with inpatients, outpatients, their families, and nursing staff to further refine and enhance the list of outcome indicators. After two rounds of Delphi questionnaire survey and consensus meeting, a consensus was reached. The study initially retrieved 3 421 publications, of which 170 met the inclusion criteria after review. These publications, combined with retrospective analysis and semi-structured interviews, supplemented the list of indicators. After two rounds of Delphi surveys, experts agreed on 24 indicators and 6 measurement tools. The final COS determined by expert consensus meeting included 5 domains and 13 outcome indicators: neurological function signs, quality of life, TCM syndrome score, nerve conduction velocity, current perception threshold test, fasting blood glucose, 2 h postprandial blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, complete blood count, urinalysis, liver function test, kidney function test, and electrocardiogram.
Humans ; Diabetic Neuropathies/drug therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Male ; Female

To address the challenges faced by current brain midline segmentation techniques, such as insufficient accuracy and poor segmentation continuity, this paper proposes a deep learning network model based on a two-stage framework. On the first stage of the model, prior knowledge of the feature consistency of adjacent brain midline slices under normal and pathological conditions is utilized. Associated midline slices are selected through slice similarity analysis, and a novel feature weighting strategy is adopted to collaboratively fuse the overall change characteristics and spatial information of these associated slices, thereby enhancing the feature representation of the brain midline in the intracranial region. On the second stage, the optimal path search strategy for the brain midline is employed based on the network output probability map, which effectively addresses the problem of discontinuous midline segmentation. The method proposed in this paper achieved satisfactory results on the CQ500 dataset provided by the Center for Advanced Research in Imaging, Neurosciences and Genomics, New Delhi, India. The Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), Hausdorff distance (HD), average symmetric surface distance (ASSD), and normalized surface Dice (NSD) were 67.38 ± 10.49, 24.22 ± 24.84, 1.33 ± 1.83, and 0.82 ± 0.09, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can fully utilize the prior knowledge of medical images to effectively achieve accurate segmentation of the brain midline, providing valuable assistance for subsequent identification of the brain midline by clinicians.
Humans ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Deep Learning ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods* ; Algorithms ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Neural Networks, Computer

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis of adult AML patients with NUP98::HOXA9 fusion gene. METHODS: From May 2017 to October 2023， among 2 113 AML patients who visited the Hematology Department of our hospital, patients with NUP98 rearrangements were screened. The clinical characteristics, chromosome karyotypes, immunophenotypes, gene mutations, treatment efficacy and prognosis of the patients with NUP98::HOXA9 positive were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 2 113 AML patients, there were 18 cases with NUP98 rearrangement, including 14 NUP98::HOXA9 positive cases, with a detection rate of 0.66% (14/2 113). The median age of the NUP98::HOXA9 positive patients was 42.5 (23-64) years old. The most common chromosome karyotype was t(7; 11)(p15; p15). The immunophenotypes of all patients expressed CD13, CD33, CD117 and CD38, and most patients expressed CD34 and cMPO, while only a few expressed HLA-DR. Second-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed to detect genetic mutations associated with leukemia in all 14 patients, and the genes exhibiting a high frequency of mutation were WT1 (10/14), TET2 (7/14), and FLT3-ITD (6/14). Additionally, mutations were also observed in KRAS/NRAS, IDH1, and KIT. Of the 13 patients who received treatment, 9 achieved complete remission (CR), and all 3 patients who received azacytidine(AZA)+ venetoclax (VEN) regimen achieved CR after the first course of treatment. Within this cohort, 6 patients were classified as relapsed/refractory (6/13). 4 patients underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), of which two achieved long-term survival. The median follow-up time was 12 (2.1-65.0) months, while the median overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) were recorded as 11.4 months and 9.6 months, respectively. CONCLUSION The most common type of NUP98 rearrangement in adults AML patients is NUP98::HOXA9 , which is often accompanied by somatic mutations in WT1, TET2, and FLT3-ITD. These patients are prone to relapse, have short survival time, and generally face poor prognoses. Hopefully, utilization of the AZA+VEN regimen is anticipated to enhance the rate of induced remission in the patients, and some patients may prolong their survival through allo-HSCT. However, more effective treatment methods are still needed to improve the overall prognosis of these patients.
Humans ; Adult ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics* ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins/genetics* ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics* ; Mutation ; Male ; Female ; Young Adult ; Homeodomain Proteins/genetics*

HDAC7, a member of class IIa HDACs, plays a pivotal regulatory role in tumor, immune, fibrosis, and angiogenesis, rendering it a potential therapeutic target. Nevertheless, due to the high similarity in the enzyme active sites of class IIa HDACs, inhibitors encounter challenges in discerning differences among them. Furthermore, the substitution of key residue in the active pocket of class IIa HDACs renders them pseudo-enzymes, leading to a limited impact of enzymatic inhibitors on their function. In this study, proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology was employed to develop HDAC7 drugs. We developed an exceedingly selective HDAC7 PROTAC degrader B14 which showcased superior inhibitory effects on cell proliferation compared to TMP269 in various diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Subsequent investigations unveiled that B14 disrupts BCL6 forming a transcriptional inhibition complex by degrading HDAC7, thereby exerting proliferative inhibition in DLBCL. Our study broadened the understanding of the non-enzymatic functions of HDAC7 and underscored the importance of HDAC7 in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, particularly in DLBCL and AML.

Otitis media is an infection of the middle ear mainly caused by bacteria, and current treatments rely heavily on antibiotics. However, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains seriously affects their efficacy. In our study, we found that extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from human natural killer cells (NKs) inhibit the proliferation of both standard and levofloxacin (LVX)-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, compared to LVX, EVs were more effective at reducing effusion and rescuing hearing thresholds in animal models. For LVX-sensitive strains, EVs were significantly more effective in terms of curative time but not curative rate. For LVX-resistant strains, EVs were significantly more effective in terms of both curative rate and curative time when applied alone or applied jointly with LVX. In summary, we found that NK EVs are highly effective in treating otitis media, providing an alternative approach for treating this common disease.
Killer Cells, Natural/metabolism* ; Exosomes/metabolism* ; Animals ; Humans ; Otitis Media/therapy* ; Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Levofloxacin/pharmacology*

Peri-implant keratinized mucosa (PIKM) augmentation refers to surgical procedures aimed at increasing the width of PIKM. Consensus reports emphasize the necessity of maintaining a minimum width of PIKM to ensure long-term peri-implant health. Currently, several surgical techniques have been validated for their effectiveness in increasing PIKM. However, the selection and application of PIKM augmentation methods may present challenges for dental practitioners due to heterogeneity in surgical techniques, variations in clinical scenarios, and anatomical differences. Therefore, clear guidelines and considerations for PIKM augmentation are needed. This expert consensus focuses on the commonly employed surgical techniques for PIKM augmentation and the factors influencing their selection at second-stage surgery. It aims to establish a standardized framework for assessing, planning, and executing PIKM augmentation procedures, with the goal of offering evidence-based guidance to enhance the predictability and success of PIKM augmentation.
Humans ; Consensus ; Dental Implants ; Mouth Mucosa/surgery* ; Keratins