ObjectiveTo investigate the expression of serum Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 （AKR1B10） in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） in northern China， and to provide a new and valuable biomarker for the clinical diagnosis of HCC. MethodsThis study was conducted among 102 patients with HCC， 119 patients with benign liver disease， and 132 patients with other malignant tumors who attended The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University and 148 healthy individuals who underwent physical examination from May 2020 to May 2024. ELISA and chemiluminescence were used to measure the serum levels of AKR1B10 and alpha-fetoprotein （AFP）. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between three groups and further comparison between two groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The area under the ROC curve （AUC） was used to assess diagnostic efficiency. ResultsThe expression level of AKR1B10 was 3 053.79 （1 475.67‍ ‍—‍ ‍4 605.86） pg/mL in the HCC group， 1 324.42 （659.68‍ ‍—‍ ‍2 023.88） pg/mL in the benign liver disease group， 660.68 （377.56‍ ‍—‍ ‍2 087.77） pg/mL in the other malignant tumor group， and 318.30 （82.73‍ ‍—‍ ‍478.82） pg/mL in the healthy group， with a significant difference between the four groups （H=240.86， P<0.001）， and further comparison between two groups showed that the HCC group had a significantly higher level than the other three groups （all P<0.001）. The ROC curve analysis of the HCC group and the other three groups showed that serum AKR1B10 had an optimal cut-off value of 1 584.97 pg/mL in the diagnosis of HCC， with an AUC of 0.86 （95% confidence interval ［CI］： 0.82‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.90）， a sensitivity of 74.3%， and a specificity of 85.2%. Compared with each indicator alone， a combination of AKR1B10 and AFP could improve the sensitivity （81.8%） and specificity （91.4%） of HCC diagnosis. AKR1B10 had an AUC of 0.84 （95%CI： 0.78‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.90） in the diagnosis of patients with early- or middle-stage HCC， with a sensitivity of 76.2% and a specificity of 81.2%. AKR1B10 had an AUC of 0.85 （95%CI： 0.77‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.92） in the diagnosis of patients with AFP-negative HCC， with a sensitivity of 81.6% and a specificity of 79.9%. ConclusionAKR1B10 is a promising serological marker for the diagnosis of HCC， and a combination of AKR1B10 and AFP can improve the detection rate of HCC patients in northern China， especially those with early- or middle-stage HCC and AFP-negative HCC.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of leaflet augmentation technique to repair the recurrent mitral valve (MV) regurgitation after mitral repair in children. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of children who underwent redo MV repair for recurrent regurgitation after initial MV repair, using a leaflet augmentation technique combined with a standardized repair strategy at Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from 2018 to 2022. The pathological features of the MV, key intraoperative procedures, and short- to mid-term follow-up outcomes were analyzed. Results A total of 24 patients (12 male, 12 female) were included, with a median age of 37.6 (range, 16.5–120.0) months. The mean interval from the initial surgery was (24.9±17.0) months. All children had severe mitral regurgitation preoperatively. The cardiopulmonary bypass time was (150.1±49.5) min, and the aortic cross-clamp time was (94.0±24.2) min. There were no early postoperative deaths. During a mean follow-up of (20.3±9.1) months, 3 (12.5%) patients developed moderate or severe mitral regurgitation (2 severe, 1 moderate). One (4.2%) patient died during follow-up, and one (4.2%) patient underwent a second MV reoperation. The left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was significantly reduced postoperatively compared to preoperatively [ (43.5±8.6) mm vs. (35.8±7.8)mm, P<0.001]. Conclusion The leaflet augmentation technique combined with a standardized repair strategy can achieve satisfactory short- to mid-term outcomes for the redo mitral repair after previous MV repair. It can be considered a safe and feasible technical option for cases with complex valvular lesions and severe pathological changes.

[Purpose]To analyze the compliance rates and influencing factors for gastroscopy and colonoscopy in gastrointestinal cancer screening,and to provide evidence and management recom-mendations for gastrointestinal cancer screening programs.[Methods]The study was based on the joint gastrointestinal cancer screening program conducted in Fenghua District of Ningbo City in 2023.The target population underwent risk assessments,following which high-risk individuals were mobilized for gastroscopy and colonoscopy screenings.The x2 test was used to compare the positive rates of gastrointestinal cancer risk assessments and the compliance rates of clinical screenings among populations with different characteristics.Multivariable Logistic regression models were applied to analyze the factors associated with compliance rates of clinical gastroscopy and colonoscopy screenings among high-risk individuals.[Results]A total of 48 587 individuals were included in the analysis,with an average age of(63.95±7.48)years old.Among them,39.45％(19 166 individuals)were male.The positive rates of risk assessment for upper gastrointestinal cancer and colorectal cancer were 39.00％(18 949 individuals)and 16.02％(7 782 individuals),respectively.The compliance rates for gastroscopy and colonoscopy were 59.51％(11 227/18 949)and 50.85％(3 957/7 782),respectively.Multivariable Logistic regression analysis revealed that unmarried in-dividuals and those with an assessment interval of more than 14 d had lower compliance with gas-troscopy(both P＜0.05).High-risk individuals for upper gastrointestinal cancer with BMI≥24 kg/m2,gastrointestinal symptoms,history of upper gastrointestinal diseases,family history of cancers,history of gastroscopy,lower intake of fresh vegetables and fruits,and higher intake of processed meats had higher compliance with gastroscopy(all P＜0.05).High educational levels and an assess-ment interval of more than 14 d were associated with lower compliance with colonoscopy(both P＜0.05).Among individuals at high risk for colorectal cancer,those with gastrointestinal symptoms,history of upper gastrointestinal diseases,higher intake of processed meats and fried or grilled foods,and a positive risk assessment for upper gastrointestinal cancer had higher compliance with colonoscopy(all P＜0.05).[Conclusion]Participants in the joint gastrointestinal cancer screening program exhibit high compliance with both gastroscopy and colonoscopy.Compliance with gas-troscopy and colonoscopy is associated with individual lifestyle,health conditions,disease history,medical history,and family history of cancers.

The etiology of rhabdomyolysis in adults is multifaceted,with one cause being physical exertion,termed exertional rhabdomyolysis(ERM).Characterized primarily by the destruction of muscle cells,ERM results in the release of intracellular contents into the bloodstream,leading to a spectrum of symptoms,including myalgia,dark urine,weakness,and marked elevations in serum creatine kinase(CK)and myoglobin levels.Some patients experience recurrent symptoms,persistently high serum CK levels(exceeding 50 times the normal upper limit),or unexplained severe manifestations.Despite this,the underlying pathogenesis remains elusive in numerous cases.Recent studies have implicated mutations in the RYR1 gene as a potential cause of exercise-induced ERM.This report describes a patient presenting with ERM and a heterozygous RYR1 gene missense mutation.Following treatment with fluid resuscitation,metabolic optimization,and antioxidant therapy,the patient exhibited clinical and biochemical improvement.

Two pediatric heart failure patients were treated with pulmonary artery banding(PAB)at Fuwai Hospital,from December 2021 to January 2022.In the first case,an 8-month-old patient presented with left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy(LVNC),left ventricular systolic dysfunction,ventricular septal defect,and atrial septal defect.The second case was a 4-month-old patient with LVNC,left ventricular systolic dysfunction,and coarctation of the aorta.After PAB,the left ventricular function and shape of both patients were significantly improved,without serious surgery-related complications.In these individual cases of pediatric heart failure,pulmonary artery banding exhibited a more satisfactory efficacy and safety compared to pharmacological treatment,especially for those with unsatisfactory medication results.Future clinical data are needed to promote the rational and broader application of this therapeutic option for indicated patients.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the specific effects of signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4)-induced long intergenic nonprotein coding RNA 1278 (LINC01278) on the growth of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells involved in the microRNA (miR)-877-5p/activated transcription factor 4 (ATF4) axis. METHODS: NSCLC tumor tissue and adjacent normal tissue were collected. Human normal lung epithelial cell BEAS-2B and human NSCLC cell lines (H1299, H1975, A549, H2228) were collected. The expression levels of STAT4, LINC01278, miR-877-5p, and ATF4 were detected. A549 cells were screened for subsequent experiments. The proliferation ability of cells was detected by colony formation experiment. Cell apoptosis was tested by flow cytometry. Scratch test and transwell assay were used to detect the migration and invasion ability of cells. Biological function of LINC01278 in NSCLC was confirmed by xenograft experiments. RESULTS: Low expression miR-877-5p and high expression of STAT4, LINC01278 and ATF4 were detected in NSCLC.Silenced LINC01278 in A549 cell depressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion, but facilitated cell apoptosis.LINC01278 was positively correlated with STAT4 and could directly bind to miR-877-5p. Upregulating miR-877-5p suppressed NSCLC cell progression, while downregulating miR-877-5p had the opposite effect. Upregulating miR-877-5p abrogated the effects of silenced LINC01278 on NSCLC cell progression. MiR-877-5p targeted ATF4. ATF4 upregulation could partly restore the carcinogenic effect of LINC01278 in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION Our data supports that STAT4-induced upregulation of LINC01278 promotes NSCLC progression by modulating the miR-877-5p/ATF4 axis, suggesting a novel direction for NSCLC treatment.

Objective:To investigate the mechanism of tissue damage caused by neutrophil matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) in Fusarium keratitis. Methods:A total of 108 male C57BL/6J SPF grade mice, 6-8 weeks old, were selected to establish a model of Fusarium keratitis (FK) in the right eyes.Corneal inflammation in mice was observed and scored under a slit lamp microscope.Based on the corneal inflammation scores, the modeling eyes were divided into 0, 12, 24, 48, and 72-hour groups post-modeling.At the corresponding time points, mice were euthanized, and corneal tissues were collected.The expressions of MMP-8, adenylate-activated protein kinase (AMPKα) and its serine 172-site phosphorylated form (p-AMPKα) proteins in corneal tissues were detected by Western blot.The neutrophil count in mice corneal tissues at each time point was determined using hematoxylin and eosin staining.The co-localization of neutrophils and MMP-8 protein in the cornea was observed by immunofluorescence staining.In the in vitro corneal collagen degradation experiment, corneal tissues were divided into MMP-8 group, buffer group, and normal saline group, which were treated with 100 μl of activated recombinant MMP-8, detection buffer, and normal saline, respectively.Hydroxyproline content in corneal tissues was determined using a hydroxyproline assay kit, and the mass fractions of hydroxyproline were compared among the groups.Peripheral blood neutrophils were isolated from human blood samples, and Fusarium spores were collected for experiments.Human neutrophils were divided into four groups, negative control group (cultured neutrophils), co-culture group (neutrophils co-cultured with spores), AICAR-treated group (neutrophils co-cultured with spores and treated with p-AMPK protein kinase activator AICAR), and compound C-treated group (neutrophils co-cultured with spores and treated with the inhibitor compound C).The MMP-8 protein expression levels in each group of human neutrophils were assessed via immunofluorescence staining.The use and care of animals complied with the ARVO statement and Regulations for the Administration of Affairs Concerning Experimental Animals.The animal experiment protocol was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Henan Eye Hospital (No.HNEECA-2017-04-02).One healthy adult volunteer was selected and 10 ml of peripheral venous blood was collected.The clinical study protocol was approved by the Clinical Ethics Committee of Henan Eye Hospital (No.HNEECKY-2019[16]). Results:At 24 hours post-modeling, corneal opacification was observed in the modeling eyes, and corneal perforation occurred in 72-hour post-modeling group.The corneal inflammation scores in 24, 48, and 72-hour post-modeling groups were all higher than those in 12-hour post-modeling group, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.001).The relative expression levels of MMP-8 protein in the cornea were higher in 12, 24, and 48-hour post-modeling groups compared to 0-hour group, with statistically significant differences (all at P<0.001).There was a moderate positive correlation between the relative expression level of MMP-8 protein in the cornea and the inflammation scores of the modeling eye ( rs=0.50, P<0.05).In the cornea, the p-AMPKα (Thr 172)/AMPKα ratio was higher in 24, 48, and 72-hour post-modeling groups than in 0-hour group, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05).The p-AMPKα(Thr 172)/AMPKα ratio in the cornea was moderately positively correlated with the relative expression level of MMP-8 protein ( r=0.54, P<0.01).The number of neutrophils in the cornea was significantly higher in 24, 48, and 72-hour post-modeling groups than in 0-hour group, with statistically significant differences (all at P<0.001).The number of neutrophils in the cornea was strongly positively correlated with the inflammation score ( rs=0.77, P<0.001), and was moderately positively correlated with the relative expression level of MMP-8 protein ( r=0.56, P<0.05).MMP-8 protein expression in the cornea of the modeling eyes showed a high degree of co-localization with neutrophils.The hydroxyproline content in the cornea was (0.52±0.02)μg/mg, (0.51±0.03)μg/mg, and (0.27±0.02)μg/mg in buffer group, normal saline group and MMP-8 group, respectively, with a significant overall difference among them ( F=156.63, P<0.01).The corneal hydroxyproline content was lower in MMP-8 group compared to buffer and normal saline groups, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05).In the experiment involving the infection of cultured Fusarium spores with human neutrophils, the fluorescence intensity of MMP-8 expression was significantly higher in AICAR-treated group than in negative control group and compound C-treated group, with statistically significant differences (all at P<0.05). Conclusions:The MMP-8 secreted by neutrophils in mice with fungal keratitis can degrade corneal stromal collagen fibers, leading to corneal opacification or perforation.The variations in MMP-8 protein expression levels in human neutrophils may be associated with AMPK activation.

Objective:To explore the risk factors of early delayed recovery after right ventricular-extrapulmonary arterial(RV-PA)conduit reconstruction.Methods:From 2017 to 2021, the children with RV-PA conduit reconstruction, who were treated in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed.The demographic data and peri-operative clinical data of the patients were collected for statistical analysis.Results:Fifty-five patients were included in the study.The patients were sequenced by the length of ICU stay.The time at the 75th percentile was defined as the critical value for grouping.According to the ICU stay time of the children, they were divided into normal recovery group(ICU stay ≤7 days, n=40)and delayed recovery group(ICU stay>7 days, n=15).The mechanical ventilator time in the whole group was 24(0, 1 408)h, and the ICU stay time was 4(1, 67)d.Six cases required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support, and two cases died.In the multivariate Logistic regression analysis of two groups, long cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB) time( OR=1.034, 95% CI 1.009-1.061, P=0.009)and poor right ventricular function( OR=9.536, 95% CI 1.010-90.037, P=0.049)were independent risk factors for early delayed recovery. Conclusion:The risk of RV-PA conduit reconstruction is high.The proportion of ECMO support is increased.The mortality rate is higher.Right heart dysfunction and prolonged CPB time are risk factors for delayed postoperative recovery.

Objective    To summarize the treatment results of double aortic arch (DAA) by minimally invasive surgical technique. Methods    We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of DAA patients who underwent minimally invasive surgeries in our center between October 2016 and August 2021. Results    There were 11 males and 4 females with a mean age of 3-61 (20.00±18.80) years. There were 8 patients of DAA and 7 patients of DAA complicated with distal left-sided aortic arch atresia and ligamentum connection. All patients received operations through minimal subaxillary incision, 13 patients were through left side and 2 patients were through right side. One patient with ventricular septal defect was performed operations concurrently under the cardiopulmonary bypass through right minimal subaxillary incision. All patients had symptom improvement without surgery related complications or death in postoperative period. The duration of operation was 30-192 (61.93±40.19) min and mechanical ventilation time was 2-9 (5.33±2.53) h. The length of ICU stay was 18-124 (51.00±38.07) h and hospital stay time was 8-21 (12.67±3.42) d. All patients had sympto-matic relief with good growth and exercise tolerance during the follow-up of 6 (3, 9) months. Conclusion    Minimally invasive surgical technique is a safe, effective and cosmetic approach with good results for DAA treatment.

Objective To investigate the association between atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and metabolic associated fatty liver (MAFLD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods A total of 375 patients with T2DM who were hospitalized and treated in Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, from September 2021 to September 2022 were enrolled, and according to the presence or absence of MAFLD, they were divided into T2DM+MAFLD group with 245 patients and T2DM group with 130 patients. Related clinical data were recorded, and AIP was calculated. According to the quartiles of AIP, the patients were divided into Q1 group (AIP≤0.20), Q2 group (0.20 < AIP≤0.24), Q3 group (0.24 < AIP≤0.48), and Q4 group (AIP > 0.48). The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups, and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups; the trend chi-square test was used for the trend analysis of categorical data. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the effect of AIP on MAFLD, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) were used to assess the value of the indicators such as AIP, body mass index (BMI), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in predicting T2DM with MAFLD. Results Compared with the T2DM group, the T2DM+MAFLD group had significant increases in BMI, systolic pressure, uric acid, fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, ALT, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, and AIP and a significant reduction in high-density lipoprotein (all P < 0.05). The trend chi-square test showed that the prevalence rate of MAFLD in T2DM patients tended to increase with the increase in AIP level ( χ trend 2 =20.338, P < 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with the Q1 group, the Q4 group had a significant increase in the risk of MAFLD (odds ratio =2.396, 95% confidence interval: 1.018-5.640, P =0.045). The ROC curve analysis showed that the diagnostic model of AIP combined with BMI and ALT had the best diagnostic performance (AUC=0.816), with a sensitivity of 70.2% and a specificity of 78.5% at the optimal cut-off value of 0.670. Conclusion AIP is an independent risk factor for MAFLD in T2DM patients, and AIP combined with BMI and ALT has a good predictive value for T2DM with MAFLD.