ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical features and outcomes of recompensation in patients with autoimmune hepatitis （AIH）-related decompensated cirrhosis， to identify independent predictive factors， and to construct a nomogram prediction model for the probability of recompensation. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted among the adult patients with AIH-related decompensated cirrhosis who were admitted to The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from January 2015 to August 2023 （n=211）. The primary endpoint was achievement of recompensation， and the secondary endpoint was liver-related death or liver transplantation. According to the outcome of the patients at the end of the follow-up， the patients were divided into the recompensation group （n=16） and the persistent decompensation group（n=150）.The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data with homogeneity of variance， and the Mann-Whitney U rank sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data with heterogeneity of variance； the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups； the Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis； the Cox proportional-hazards regression model was used to identify independent predictive factors， and a nomogram model was constructed and validated. ResultsA total of 211 patients were enrolled， with a median age of 55.0 years and a median follow-up time of 44.0 months， and female patients accounted for 87.2%. Among the 211 patients， 61 （with a cumulative proportion of 35.5%） achieved recompensation. Compared with the persistent decompensation group， the recompensation group had significantly higher white blood cell count， platelet count （PLT）， total bilirubin （TBil）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， total bile acid， prothrombin time， international normalized ratio （INR）， SMA positive rate， Model for End-Stage Liver Disease （MELD） score， Child-Pugh score， and rate of use of glucocorticoids （all P0.05）， as well as significantly lower age at baseline， number of complications， and death/liver transplantation rate （all P0.05）. At 3 and 12 months after treatment， the recompensation group had continuous improvements in AST， TBil， INR， IgG， MELD score， and Child-Pugh score， which were significantly lower than the values in the persistent decompensation group （all P0.05）， alongside with continuous increases in PLT and albumin， which were significantly higher than the values in the persistent decompensation group （P0.05）. The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that baseline ALT （hazard ratio ［HR］=1.067， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.010 — 1.127， P=0.021）， IgG （HR=0.463，95%CI：0.258 — 0.833， P=0.010）， SMA positivity （HR=3.122，95%CI：1.768 — 5.515， P0.001）， and glucocorticoid therapy （HR=20.651，95%CI：8.744 — 48.770， P0.001） were independent predictive factors for recompensation， and the nomogram model based on these predictive factors showed excellent predictive performance （C-index=0.87，95%CI：0.84 — 0.90）. ConclusionAchieving recompensation significantly improves clinical outcomes in patients with AIH-related decompensated cirrhosis. Baseline SMA positivity， a high level of ALT， a low level of IgG， and corticosteroid therapy are independent predictive factors for recompensation. The predictive model constructed based on these factors can provide a basis for decision-making in individualized clinical management.

Objective To explore the gene expression profile in paraspinal muscle degeneration(PMD)and identify key ferroptosis genes.Methods RNA sequencing was performed on paraspinal muscle tissue of 3 normal and 3 PMD patients respectively to obtain differentially expressed genes.Through protein-protein interaction(PPI)and gene functional enrichment analysis,the intersection of ferroptosis genes was identified to identify key hub genes associated with ferroptosis.The diagnostic value for PMD disease was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.Results A total of 292 differentially expressed genes were identified in PMD.Among them,125 genes were significantly downregulated and 167 genes were significantly upregulated.Bioinformatics analysis revealed that 14 differentially expressed genes were associated with ferroptosis.Among them,ferroptosis genes MUC1,ATF3 and CDKN1A were key hub genes with good specificity and sensitivity for diagnosing PMD.Functional enrichment analysis revealed that they may mediate the occurrence and progression of PMD by regulating cell apoptosis,ferroptosis and skeletal muscle tissue development and differentiation.Conclusion Ferroptosis genes MUC1,ATF3 and CDKN1A can serve as biomarkers for diagnosing PMD,providing theoretical basis for decoding the pathological mechanism of PMD and developing new drugs.

Objective:To compare the postoperative recurrence rates between Thulium laser en bloc resection of bladder tumor (ERBT) and traditional transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) in treating patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 1 439 patients with NMIBC who underwent either Thulium laser ERBT or TURBT in Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, between January 2010 and March 2024. Among them, 201 patients received Thulium laser ERBT, while 1 238 patients underwent TURBT. Propensity score matching (PSM) was employed in a 1∶1 ratio to eliminate selection bias due to non-random assignment, ensuring the comparability of clinical baseline data such as gender, age, pathological diagnosis, T stage, tumor grade, tumor size, and tumor number between the two groups. Kaplan-Meier method was used to generate recurrence-free survival curves for the matched groups, and the log-rank test was conducted to compare differences between the groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors affecting postoperative recurrence.Results:After PSM matching, 193 patients were included in each group. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender ( P=0.317), age ( P=0.207), pathological type ( P=0.756), T stage ( P=0.402), tumor grade ( P=0.965), tumor size ( P=0.821), or number of tumors ( P=0.421). The median follow-up time was 16.2(8.0, 33.9) months. Excluding patients with non-urothelial tumors such as adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, there were 180 cases in the Thulium laser ERBT group and 184 cases in the TURBT group. Survival analysis showed that the postoperative recurrence rate of urothelial carcinoma patients in the Thulium laser ERBT group was lower than that in the TURBT group [20.0%(36/180) vs. 38.6%(71/184), P<0.001]. Stratified survival analysis indicated that in patients with tumor diameters ≤30 mm [22.3%(29/130) vs. 33.6%(45/134), P=0.017] or >30 mm [14.0%(7/50) vs. 52.0%(26/50), P=0.002], the Thulium laser ERBT group had lower postoperative recurrence rate compared to the TURBT group.Among patients with single tumor, the recurrence rate in the Thulium laser ERBT group was lower than in the TURBT group[10.5%(11/105) vs. 31.5%(35/111), P<0.001]. However, among patients with multiple tumors, there was no statistically significant difference in recurrence rates between the Thulium laser ERBT group and the TURBT group [35.7%(25/70) vs. 47.9%(34/71), P=0.061]. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that Thulium laser ERBT treatment was an independent protective factor against postoperative recurrence in NMIBC patients ( HR=0.44, 95% CI 0.30-0.66, P<0.001). Patients with adenocarcinoma ( HR=5.85, 95% CI 2.07-16.51, P<0.001), squamous cell carcinoma ( HR=2.98, 95% CI 1.04-8.55, P=0.042), or other types of tumors ( HR=2.98, 95% CI 1.14-7.75, P=0.026) had higher risks of recurrence. High-grade tumor patients faced increased risks of postoperative recurrence ( HR=1.84, 95% CI 1.21-2.79, P=0.004). Additionally, tumors >30 mm had increased risks of postoperative recurrence compared to those ≤30 mm ( HR=2.00, 95% CI1.31-3.05, P=0.001). Patients with single tumor had significantly reduced risks of postoperative recurrence compared to those with multiple tumors ( HR=0.50, 95% CI 0.34-0.73, P<0.001). Conclusions:Regardless of tumor diameter (≤30 mm or >30 mm), Thulium laser ERBT significantly reduces the postoperative recurrence rate in patients with urothelial carcinoma compared to TURBT, with the advantage being more pronounced in patients with single bladder tumor. Additionally, patients with high-grade tumors, tumor diameters >30 mm, or multiple bladder tumors have higher risk of postoperative recurrence.

Objective:To explore the predictive value of lactic acid for the adverse prognostic outcomes in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure combined with infection.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 208 cases of ACLF combined with infection who were hospitalized from January 2014 to March 2016. Patients were divided into a survival group ( n = 83) and a mortality group ( n = 125) according to the results of a 90-day follow-up. The clinical data were statistically analyzed between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression with two categorical variables was used to analyze the independent risk factors for 90-day disease mortality and establish a new prediction model. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to evaluate the predictive value of lactic acid, the MELD score, the MELD-Na score, lactic acid combined with the MELD score, lactic acid combined with the MELD-Na score, and the new model. Results:The 90-day mortality rate of 208 cases of ACLF combined with infection was 60.1%. There were statistically significant differences in white blood cell count, neutrophil count, total bilirubin (TBil), serum creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), blood ammonia, the international normalized ratio (INR), lactic acid (LAC), procalcitonin, the MELD score, the MELD-Na score, hepatic encephalopathy (HE), acute kidney injury (AKI), and bleeding between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that TBil, INR, LAC, HE, and bleeding were independent risk factors for 90-day mortality in patients with ACLF combined with infection. After the establishment of MELD-LAC, MELD-Na-LAC, and a new prediction model, the ROC curve revealed that the AUC (95% confidence interval) of MELD-LAC and MELD-Na LAC were 0.819 (0.759 ~ 0.870) and 0.838 (0.780 ~ 0.886), respectively, and was superior than the MELD score [0.766 (0.702 ~ 0.823)] and MELD-Na score [0.788 (0.726 ~ 0.843)], with P < 0.05, while the new model had an AUC of 0.924, the sensitivity of 83.9%, specificity of 89.9%, and accuracy of 87.8%, which was higher than LAC, MELD score, MELD-Na score, MELD-LAC, and MELD-Na-LAC ( P < 0.01). Conclusion:Lactic acid is an independent risk factor for mortality in patients with ACLF combined with infection, and it improves the clinical predictive value of MELD and MELD-Na for the prognosis of mortality.

Objective:To evaluate the value and efficacy of microscope-assisted minimally invasive anterior lumbar discectomy and zero-profile fusion (ALDF) for lumbar degenerative diseases.Methods:Anterior lumbar distractors were designed to maintain the distraction of intervertebral space and expose the posterior edge of the intervertebral space. From June 2018 to December 2020, 41 cases of lumbar degenerative diseases were treated with this operation, including 19 men and 22 women, aged 29-71 years old (average 42.1 years old). All patients had intractable low back pain. Imaging examination showed lumbar disc degeneration with narrow intervertebral space, including disc herniation with Modic changes in 7 cases, spinal stenosis with instability in 16 cases and spondylolisthesis in 18 cases. The involved levels included L 2,3 in 1 case, L 3,4 in 3 cases, L 2-L 4 in 1 case, L 4,5 in 17 cases and L 5S 1 in 19 cases. An incision was taken that was pararectus for L 2-L 4 and transverse for L 4-S 1, with the intervertebral disc exposed via extraperitoneal approach. The intervertebral space was released and distracted after discectomy in intervertebral space, and self-made distractors were used to maintain the space. Under microscope, the herniation, posterior annulus and osteophyte were removed for sufficient decompression, with a suitable self-anchoring cage implanted into the intervertebral space. The visual analogue score (VAS), Oswestry dysfunction index (ODI), intervertebral space height, lordosis angle and spondylolisthesis rate were evaluated. Results:Operations were performed successfully in all the patients. The operation time was 70-120 min with an average of 90 min, and the intraoperative blood loss was 15-70 ml with an average of 30 ml. No severe complication such as nerve or blood vessel injury occurred. The patients were followed up for 12 to 36 months, with an average of 18 months. At the last follow-up, VAS decreased from 6.4±2.3 to 1.1±0.9, and ODI decreased from 44.9%±16.9% to 5.8%±4.7%. Intervertebral space height recovered from 7.2±2.8 mm to 12.1±2.1 mm and lordosis angle recovered from 6.9°±4.8° to 10.1°±4.6°. X-ray showed significant recovery of intervertebral space height, lordosis angle and spondylolisthesis rate, with obvious interbody fusion and no displacement of cage. For 18 patients of spondylolisthesis, the slippage recovered from 16.6%±9.3% to 7.6%±5.3%, with an average improvement of 54.2%.Conclusion:Microscope-assisted minimally invasive ALDF can provide sufficient decompression and zero-profile fusion for lumbar degenerative diseases with satisfactory results during short-term follow-up.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and validity of enriched autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and annular suture for repairing defect after lumbar discectomy.Methods:Enrichment of autologous BMSCs: autologous bone marrow blood was collected from 5 patients undergoing lumbar surgery, and nucleated cells were enriched on gelatin sponge particles by selective cell retention technique. From October 2016 to March 2019, 109 patients with lumbar disc herniation underwent discectomy with mobile microendoscopic discectomy technique, including 61 males and 48 females, aged 24-59 years. Discectomy group: 26 cases received simple discectomy. Suture group: 39 cases received annular suture after discectomy. BMSCs+suture group: 44 cases received intradisc transplantation of gelatin sponge particles enriched with autologous BMSCs and annular suture after discectomy. The perioperative conditions were recorded, with visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry dysfunction index (ODI), Pfirrmann grade of disc degeneration, disc height and degree of herniationevaluated after operation.Results:In enrichment test with flow cytometry, the enrichment multiple of nucleated cells and target cells was 6.4±0.9 and 4.2±0.6 respectively, and BMSCs grew well in vitro. The operation time was 35-55 mins. 7 cases in the suture group were transferred to the discectomy group and 10 cases in the BMSCs+suture group were transferred to BMSCs group due to unsuccessful suture. There were no significant differences in VAS, ODI, Pfirrmann grade of disc degeneration, disc height and degree of herniation among the groups. There was no significant difference in intraoperative bleeding, postoperative drainage and length of hospital stay. The incision was healed without redness and swelling. 18 patients were followed up for 6 months, and 91 cases were followed up for 1-3 years (25.0±5.6 months). There was no interbody fusion, heterotopic ossification or infection during follow-up. VAS and ODI decreased significantly after operation in all patients. At final follow-up, the VAS improvement rate of BMSCs+suture group (81.7%±7.9%) was higher than discectomy group (73.0%±8.9%), suture group (74.0%±6.9%) and BMSCs group (75.3%±8.4%); the ODI improvement rate of BMSCs+suture group (91.9%±8.8%) was higher than discectomy group (86.2%±8.1%) and suture group (86.4%±5.5%). According to MRI, the Pfirrmann grade of disc increased 0.7 in discectomy group, 0.6 in suture group, while it did not increased significantly in BMSCs+suture group and BMSCs group, and the progress of Pfirrmann grade in BMSCs+suture group and BMSCs group were lighter than discectomy group and suture group.The disc height decreased in each group, the loss rate of disc height in BMSCs+suture group (17.2%±4.3%) was less than discectomy group (29.3%± 6.3%) and suture group (20.6%±5.7%); and suture group was less than discectomy group. The degree of herniation was reduced by more than 50% in all groups, while 1 case in discectomy group had herniation without clinical symptoms.Conclusion:Autologous BMSCs and annulus suture are safe and effective in repairing the defect after lumbar discectomy, which may help to slow down the degeneration of intervertebral disc.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical features of infection in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) and bacterial infection and the influencing factors for 90-day survival rate. MethodsThe patients with ACLF who were admitted to The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2014 to December 2015 were enrolled, and related clinical data were collected and analyzed, including infection time and site, microbial culture, biochemical parameters and inflammatory markers, and 28- and 90-day prognosis after infection. The t-test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The life-table method was used to plot survival curves. The indices affecting prognosis in the univariate analysis were further included in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. ResultsA total of 1074 patients with ACLF were admitted, among whom 609 had bacterial infection, and the incidence rate of bacterial infection was 567%. Among these 609 patients, 16 underwent liver transplantation within 90 days and related data statistics were obtained for the remaining 593 patients. As for infection site, among the patients with infection, 70.15% had abdominal infection, 41.15% had pulmonary infection, 11.97% had sepsis, 5.40% had urinary system infection, 4.89% had thoracic infection, and 8.6% had infection at other sites. Among the patients with infection, 64.76% had infection at a single site. The positive rates of microbial culture of ascites, phlegm, urine, and pleural effusion were 22.70%, 52.82%, 40.63%, and 35.71%, respectively. Escherichia coli was the most common bacterium in ascites and accounted for 43.82%; Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii accounted for 22.67%, 2400%, and 22.67%, respectively, in phlegm; Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcaceae accounted for 33.80%, 29.58%, and 15.49%, respectively, in blood culture. The 90-day survival rate after infection was 38.11% (226/593) in the patients with ACLF, and the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (P=0.006), stage of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) (P＜0001), stage of liver failure (P＜0.001), and acute kidney injury (AKI) (P＜0.001) were independent risk factors for 90-day survival in patients with ACLF and infection. ConclusionThere is a high incidence rate of infection in patients with ACLF. The 90-day survival rate is relatively low, and the presence of AKI, HE stage III or above, and advanced liver failure may indicate poor prognosis.

Objective:To investigate the incidence rate, influencing factors and prognosis of infection-induced acute renal injury (AKI) in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF).Methods:516 cases with acute-on-chronic liver failure complicated with infection that were hospitalized in our hospital during 2014 to 2016 were retrospectively studied. General conditions and clinical characteristics of the patients were collected, and grouped according to the presence or absence of incidence and severity of AKI. General conditions, laboratory results, occurrence of complications and survival were compared and analyzed.Results:The main causes were HBV infection (67.8%) and alcoholic liver disease (20.0%). The most common sites of infection were abdominal cavity, lung and blood. Multivariate analysis showed that neutrophil count, TBIL, lactate and septic shock were independent risk factors for infection-induced AKI in ACLF patients. The cumulative mortality in patients with AKI after infection at 28, 90 and 360 days was significantly higher than those without AKI (51.6% and 20.5%, 70.2% and 40.3%, 73.4% and 45.9%; P < 0.01). In both groups, deaths had occurred mainly in the early (0 ~ 28 d) and middle (29 ~ 90 d) stage of follow-up period. In the late follow-up period (91-360 d), there was no statistically significant difference in mortality rate between the two groups. Conclusion:Infection is an important inducing cause of AKI in ACLF patients. The underlying liver disease and the severity of infection are significantly related to the infection-induced AKI in ACLF patients, and once AKI occurs after infection, the mortality rate of the patients is significantly increased.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the correlation of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] with the clinical stability and severity of coronary artery stenosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: A total of 531 patients undergoing coronary angiography in Nanfang Hospital between January, 2013 and December, 2016 were enrolled in this study. At the cutoff Lp(a) concentration of 300 mg/L, the patients were divided into high Lp(a) group (=191) and low Lp(a) group (=340). In each group, the patients with an established diagnosis of CAD based on coronary angiography findings were further divided into stable angina pectoris (SAP) group and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) group. The correlation between the severity of coronary artery stenosis and Lp(a) was evaluated. RESULTS: The patients in high and low Lp(a) groups showed no significant differences in age, gender, body mass index, smoking status, hypertension, or diabetes (>0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age, gender, and serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and Lp(a) were independent risk factors for CAD in these patients. A high Lp(a) level was associated with an increased risk of CAD (OR=2.443, 95%CI: 1.205-4.951, =0.013). The patients with a high Lp(a) level were at a significantly higher risk of CAD than those with a low Lp(a) level irrespective of a low or high level of LDL-C (=0.006 and 0.020). In the patients with CAD, the ACS group had a significantly higher Lp(a) level than the SAP group ( < 0.001); the proportion of the patients with high Gensini scores was significantly greater in high Lp(a) group than in low Lp(a) group (17.3% vs 5.6%, =0.026), and a linear relationship was found between Lp(a) level and Gensini score (R=0.130, =0.006). CONCLUSIONS Serum level of Lp(a) is an independent risk factor for CAD, and an increased Lp(a) is the residual risk for CAD. In patients with CAD, a high Lp(a) level is associated with the clinical instability and severity of coronary artery stenosis.
Acute Coronary Syndrome ; blood ; Angina Pectoris ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; blood ; classification ; Coronary Stenosis ; blood ; pathology ; Humans ; Lipoprotein(a) ; blood ; Regression Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Severity of Illness Index

Objective To evaluate the strategy and clinical effects of percutaneous endoscopic surgery for cervical disc herniation.Methods Fifty-one patients with cervical disc herniation were treated with percutaneous endoscopic surgery from June 2015 to March 2017,including 32 men and 19 women,with an average age of 52.2 years (range,28-66 years).Radicular symptoms were present in all patients,while 23 patients had mild myelopathy (Nurick Grade:0-3) and 3 patients of multilevel stenosis had severe myelopathy (Nurick Grade:4-5).According to axial image of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),31 patients had lateral herniation that was located lateral to the edge of spinal cord,20 patients had central herniation that was located within the lateral edge of spinal cord.Among them,48 patients had soft herniation and 3 patients had ossified lateral herniation combined with foraminal stenosis.All surgery was carried out under general anesthesia,while posterior and anterior percutaneous endoscopic surgeries were performed for lateral herniation and central herniation respectively.Posterior endoscopic surgery was performed with "keyhole" fenestration at "V" point (the junction of lateral edge of lamina space and inner edge of facet).Lateral edge of thecal sac and nerve root were exposed and decompressed,soft herniation was explored and removed.Anterior endoscopic surgery was performed through puncture and 4mm tube between the visceral sheath and vascular sheath.The tube was inserted through disc to the base of herniation under fluoroscopy.The herniation was removed until the dura sac was exposed and relaxed.One stage open-door laminoplasty was performed for 3 patients with severe multiple segmental stenosis and huge central herniation.The operative time and blood loss were recorded,and patients were followed-up (range,6-18 months,average 12.1 months) to evaluate the clinical efficacy.Results The mean operative time of posterior endoscopic surgery was 90 min (range,45-150 min).The nerve root was not well exposed,and the fenestration was too lateral in 1 patient,with partial relieve of symptoms;and simple nerve root decompression was performed for 3 patients of ossified herniation combined with foraminal stenosis.Herniated or sequestered nucleus pulposus was removed for 27 patients,one of them had transient paralysis ipsilateral limb and 2 of them had linkage of cerebrospinal fluid.The Visual Analogue Score (VAS) score improved form preoperative 8.9±1.6 to 0.5±0.4,and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score improved form 32.8±4.2 to 2.3± 1.9 at final follow-up.For anterior percutaneous endoscopic surgery,the mean operative time was 80 min (range,45-120 min).Herniated or free nucleus was successfully removed for all patients.The thecal sac was lacerated due to unclear exposure in 1 case.The VAS score improved form preoperative 6.9±2.3 to 0.9±0.8,and the ODI score improved form 40.1±8.6 to 5.6±3.0 at final follow-up,with improvement of myelopathy at least one Nurick Grade.During follow-up,the alignment of cervical spine was well preserved without kyphosis for two groups,while the height of intervertebral space decreased with 0.4±0.3 mm and 0.9±0.6 mm in posterior and anterior surgery respectively.Conclusion Percutaneous endoscopic surgery provides minimally invasive alternatives for some cervical disc herniation with predominant radicular pain.Posterior endoscopic surgery is suitable for lateral herniation,and anterior endoscopic discectomy is suitable for some central soft herniation without obvious collapse and instability.However,the long-term results of disc space collapsed after anterior approach remains unclear.