Cancer cachexia is a multi-organ syndrome and closely related to changes in signal communication between organs, which is mediated by cancer cachexia factors. Cancer cachexia factors, being the general name of inflammatory factors, circulating proteins, metabolites, and microRNA secreted by tumor or host cells, play a role in secretory or other organs and mediate complex signal communication between organs during cancer cachexia. Cancer cachexia factors are also a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment. The pathogenesis of cachexia is unclear and no clear effective treatment is available. Thus, the treatment of cancer cachexia from the perspective of the tumor ecosystem rather than from the perspective of a single molecule and a single organ is urgently needed. From the point of signal communication between organs mediated by cancer cachexia factors, finding a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer cachexia is of great significance to improve the level of diagnosis and treatment. This review begins with cancer cachexia factors released during the interaction between tumor and host cells, and provides a comprehensive summary of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment for cancer cachexia, along with a particular sight on multi-organ signal communication mediated by cancer cachexia factors. This summary aims to deepen medical community’s understanding of cancer cachexia and may conduce to the discovery of new diagnostic and therapeutic targets for cancer cachexia.

Objective To investigate the safety and feasibility of peripheral vascular intervention via the ipsilateral transulnar access(TUA)due to failure of transradial access(TRA)puncture.Methods The clinical data of 2546 peripheral vascular interventions via TRA,which were performed at authors'hospital between January 2019 and December 2021,were retrospectively analyzed.Among the 2546 interventions,TRA puncture failed in 37 procedures,and in 27 of these patients the ipsilateral TUA puncture had to be adopted.The puncture success rate,surgical success rate and puncture approach-related complications of TUA of the 27 patients receiving ipsilateral TUA puncture were analyzed.Results The success rate of ipsilateral TUA puncture after TRA puncture failed was 96.3％(26/27),and in one patient transfemoral access(TFA)puncture had to be substituted because of the ulnar artery spasm.The total success rate of interventional procedures was 96.3％(26/27).No serious complications occurred,and the incidence of minor complications was 19.2％(5/26).Conclusion Preliminary results indicate that for the experienced TRA operators,using ipsilateral TUA puncture due to failure of TRA puncture is a safe and feasible strategy choice.

Objectives:To investigate the diagnostic value of whole blood quantitative PCR for DNA load of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) .Methods:A total of 694 patients with hematologic diseases who underwent allo-HSCT at the Hematology Department of Peking University First Hospital from April 2004 to April 2019 were included, and their data were retrospectively analyzed.Results:①Among the 694 cases, 29 cases (22 males and 7 females, with a median age of 22 (1-52) years) developed PTLD after allo-HSCT with a cumulative incidence of 4.2% and a median onset time of 2.1 (0.8-20.6) months. ② Univariate analysis showed that age<30 years, diagnosis with aplastic anemia, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatch, use of antithymocyte globulin (ATG) in preconditioning regimens, and EBV reactivation were the risk factors for the occurrence of PTLD. Multivariate analysis showed that EBV reactivation was an independent risk factor for the occurrence of PTLD. ③Further analysis of EBV reactivation cases showed that the peak value of EBV-DNA load was significantly higher in the PTLD group than that in the non-PTLD group ( P<0.001) and the incidence of PTLD increased with the increase of EBV-DNA load. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated that PTLD was more likely to be diagnosed when the EBV-DNA load was >1.19×10 6 copies/ml (sensitivity 0.800 and specificity 0.768) . ④All patients with PTLD received rituximab-based treatment, with an overall response rate of 86.2% and an overall survival rate of 54.3%. Conclusion:The PTLD occurrence after allo-HSCT is highly correlated with EBV reactivation, and the higher the EBV-DNA load, the greater the risk of PTLD occurrence. The dynamic monitoring of EBV-DNA load plays an important role in predicting PTLD occurrence.

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effects of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) with FLAG sequential busulfan/cyclophosphamide(Bu/Cy) conditioning regimen for refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia. Methods: From February 2012 to June 2017, 21 patients with refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia underwent allo-HSCT with FLAG sequential Bu/Cy conditioning regimen. Transplantation-related complications and clinical outcome were retrospectively analyzed. Results: After conditioning, no hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) and grade Ⅲ hemorrhagic cystitis occurred. 76.2% (16/21) patients had fever with 4 septicemia. One patient died of septic shock before engraftment. Twenty patients achieved neutrophil engraftment with a median time of 13 days (range, 10 to 21 days). Seventeen patients achieved platelet engraftment with a median time of 18 days (range, 9 to 25 days). The cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) was 39.5%, and 3 patients developed grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ aGVHD. Of 19 patients who survived more than 100 days after transplantation, 4 had local chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). Of 21 patients, the median survival time was 15 months (range, 0.5 to 67 months) post-transplantation. Transplantation-related mortality rate was 28.7%. Leukemia relapse occurred in 4 patients with a median time of 4 months (range, 3 to 8 months) after transplantation. The cumulative relapse rate at 1 year was 21.4%. The 1-year and 3-year overall survival (OS) rates were 60.7% and 54.9% respectively. Log-rank analysis revealed that bone marrow blasts ≥ 20% or extramedullary leukemia before transplantation, poor platelet engraftment and grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ aGVHD were significantly related to shortened OS (P<0.05). Conclusions Allo-HSCT with FLAG sequential Bu/Cy conditioning regimen in patients with refractory/relapsed myeloid leukemia has acceptable transplantation-related risk and relapse rate. The 1-year and 3-year OS rates are comparable with those in remission patients.

Stroke at the acute stage is a major cause of disability in adults, and is associated with dysfunction of brain networks. However, the mechanisms underlying changes in brain connectivity in stroke are far from fully elucidated. In the present study, we investigated brain metabolism and metabolic connectivity in a rat ischemic stroke model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) at the acute stage using F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography. Voxel-wise analysis showed decreased metabolism mainly in the ipsilesional hemisphere, and increased metabolism mainly in the contralesional cerebellum. We used further metabolic connectivity analysis to explore the brain metabolic network in MCAO. Compared to sham controls, rats with MCAO showed most significantly reduced nodal and local efficiency in the ipsilesional striatum. In addition, the MCAO group showed decreased metabolic central connection of the ipsilesional striatum with the ipsilesional cerebellum, ipsilesional hippocampus, and bilateral hypothalamus. Taken together, the present study demonstrated abnormal metabolic connectivity in rats at the acute stage of ischemic stroke, which might provide insight into clinical research.
Acute Disease ; Animals ; Brain ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; Brain Mapping ; Disease Models, Animal ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; Male ; Neural Pathways ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Random Allocation ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the safety and efficacy of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and secondary acute myelogenous leukemia (MDS-AML) using conditioning regimen with busulfan (Bu) and increased-dose of fludarabine (ID-Flu).

METHODSA total of 49 patients with MDS or MDS-AML were treated by allo-HSCT, the clinical data was analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSAll patients achieved hematopoietic reconstitution. Neutrophil engraftment was at 10 - 22 days (median 13 days), and platelet engraftment was at 8 - 66 days (median 16 days). The cumulative incidences of Ⅱ-Ⅳ degree acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), hemorrhagic cystitis (HC), and hepatic venous occlusive disease (VOD) were 28.6%, 14.3% and 2.0%, respectively. The transplant-related mortality (TRM) was only 4.1% at 100d and 8.2% at 1-92 months of followed-up (median 14 months) period. Overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) was 75.5%, 73.5%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier curve showed that 3-year OS and 3-year DFS was (71.1 ± 7.8)%, (66.7 ± 8.3)%, respectively, with a relapse incidence (RI) 16.3%. OS for MDS and MDS-AML was 81.5% and 68.2%, and RI in two settings was 3.7%, 31.8%, respectively. OS for MDS-AML at complete remission (CR) and non-CR subgroup was 83.3% and 50.0%, respectively, while cumulative RR was 16.7% and 50.0%, respectively. OS and RI except for non-CR subgroup were 82.1% and 7.7%. Univariate analysis showed that pre-HSCT disease status had correlation with OS (P=0.031), but age, decitabine in conditioning regimen, stem cell source, HLA matching, patient-donor gender, dose of mononuclear cells and GVHD had no correlation with OS.

CONCLUSIONBu/ID-Flu conditioning regimen for MDS and MDS-AML has high efficiency, fewer complications, lower toxicity and TRM. The OS and DFS were higher and RI was lower except for refractory MDS-AML patients. The regimen is valuable for clinical application.

Busulfan ; Disease-Free Survival ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; Recurrence ; Remission Induction ; Retrospective Studies ; Tissue Donors ; Transplantation Conditioning ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Vidarabine ; analogs & derivatives

Objective To analyze the platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase ( PAF-AH) activity of a gene product encoded by LA2144 gene of Leptospira interrogans ( L. interrogans) , to investigate the ex-pression and secretion of LA2144 protein in various cell cultures and to further understand its function in in-ducing internal hemorrhage in an animal model. Methods The DNA sample containing LA2144 gene was extracted from L. interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae serovar Lai strain Lai and used as the template for gene cloning by PCR. The LA2144 gene without the signal sequence coding region was amplified by PCR and inserted into a prokaryotic expression construct for the protein expression. The expressed recombinant protein, rLep-PAF-AH, was purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Spectrophotometry was used to measure the hydrolytic activity, hydrolytic efficiency, Km and Kcat values of the rLep-PAF-AH protein in hydrolyzing PAF substrate. Real-time fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR ( qRT-PCR) and Western blot assay were performed to measure the expression of LA2144 gene at mRNA and protein levels in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), human monocytes (THP-1) and murine macrophages (J774A. 1) with L. interrogans strain Lai infection, respectively. Each syrian hamster was intravenously injected with 100 μg of LPS-free rLep-PAF-AH for two times. Hemorrhage in the lungs, livers and kidneys were observed in three days after the injection. Results The constructed prokaryotic expression system for LA2144 gene of L. inter-rogans strain Lai could highly express the rLep-PAF-AH upon the induction of IPTG. The purified rLep-PAF-AH showed high purity with a single protein band in gel as indicated by SDS-PAGE. The efficiency of 5 μg of rLep-PAF-AH in hydrolyzing PAF substrate was 26. 6 U/L with a Km value of 82. 79 μmol/L and a Kcat value of 0. 24 S-1 . The expression of Lep-PAF-AH at mRNA level in HUVEC, THP-1 and J774A. 1 cells were significantly elevated after co-culture with L. interrogans strain Lai for 1 or 2 hours (P<0. 05). A large amount of Lep-PAF-AH were detected in the supernatants from co-cultures of L. interrogans strain Lai with the three cell lines, but not from the culture of the spirochete in EMJH medium. The signs of hemor-rhage were observed in the lung of hamsters injected with rLep-PAF-AH, but not in tissue samples from liver and kidney. Conclusion The LA2144 gene product was characterized by a stronger PAF-AH activity. The expression of LA2144 gene at mRNA and protein levels in various cell lines were enhanced during L. interro-gans infection. Moreover, the rLep-PAF-AH could induce the pulmonary hemorrhage in hamsters. This stud-y indicated that the protein encoded by LA2144 gene was an important virulence factor causing hemorrhage in hosts during L. interrogans infection.

The aim of this study is to develop a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model in intraabdominal infected rats, and extrapolate it to human to predict moxifloxacin pharmacokinetics profiles in various tissues in intra-abdominal infected human. 12 male rats with intra- abdominal infections, induced by Escherichia coli, received a single dose of 40 mg/kg body weight of moxifloxacin. Blood plasma was collected at 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, 120, 240, 480, 1440 min after drug injection. A PBPK model was developed in rats and extrapolated to human using GastroPlus software. The predictions were assessed by comparing predictions and observations. In the plasma concentration versus time profile of moxifloxcinin rats, Cmax was 11.151 microg/mL at 5 min after the intravenous injection and t1/2 was 2.936 h. Plasma concentration and kinetics in human were predicted and compared with observed datas. Moxifloxacin penetrated and accumulated with high concentrations in redmarrow, lung, skin, heart, liver, kidney, spleen, muscle tissues in human with intra-abdominal infection. The predicted tissue to plasma concentration ratios in abdominal viscera were between 1.1 and 2.2. When rat plasma concentrations were known, extrapolation of a PBPK model was a method to predict drug pharmacokinetics and penetration in human. Moxifloxacin has a good penetration into liver, kidney, spleen, as well as other tissues in intra-abdominal infected human. Close monitoring are necessary when using moxifloxacin due to its high concentration distribution. This pathological model extrapolation may provide reference to the PK/PD study of antibacterial agents.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Body Weight ; Escherichia coli ; Heart ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Intraabdominal Infections* ; Kidney ; Kinetics ; Liver ; Lung ; Male ; Pharmacokinetics* ; Plasma ; Rats ; Skin ; Spleen ; Viscera

OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy and tolerability of intravenous voriconazole on primary prevention in invasive fungal disease (IFD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).

METHODSAt the time of conditioning regimen, patients without IFD was intravenously administered with voriconazole at a dose of 100 mg two times per day until neutrophils greater than 0.5×10⁹/L. Patients treated with oral fluconazole, 200 mg per day, were control group. The incidence and risk factors of IFD and side effects of medicines were evaluated.

RESULTSOf the total 227 patients, 33 (14.54%) had IFD within 3 months after allo-HSCT. There was significant difference on overall survival between patients with or without IFD by Kaplan-Meier survival curve (P=0.029). Of the 83 cases with intravenous voriconazole, 7 cases occurred IFD (8.43%). In contrast, the incidence of IFD in control group was 18.06% (26 out of 144). There was remarkable difference between the two groups (P=0.048). But there was no significant difference on risk factors of IFD between the two groups. In addition, the incidence of liver function abnormalities between the two groups was no difference. The ratio of auditory hallucination and visual impairment induced by voriconazole was not high.

CONCLUSIONIntravenous voriconazole on primary prevention for IFD after allo-HSCT is much better than oral fluconazole with well tolerability and satisfactory efficacy.

Administration, Intravenous ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Antifungal Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Fluconazole ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycoses ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Postoperative Complications ; prevention & control ; Treatment Outcome ; Voriconazole ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of bortezomib-based chemotherapy for 80 patients with multiple myeloma (MM).

METHODSA total of 80 cases with a median age of 57 (range: 25-78) years were enrolled in the study. Bortezomib-based regimens included VD (bortezomib and dexamethasone) and PAD (bortezomib, doxorubicin and dexamethasone). 16 of the 80 patients received autologous or allo-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

RESULTSThe overall response (OR) rate was 80%, including a complete response (CR) of 46.3%. After a median follow-up of 25 months, the 1-year and 2-year overall survival (OS) was 81.4% and 72.9%, and the 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 76% and 62.5%, respectively. The 2-year OS and PFS were 100% and 73.9 % in patients with HSCT, while both were 66% (P=0.029) and 58.7% (P=0.447) in patients without HSCT. In univariate analysis, Durie-Salmon group, ISS stage, CR and very good partial response (VGPR), and HSCT were prognostic factors for OS. Gender and extramedullary plasmacytomas were important prognostic factors for PFS. Multivariate analysis by Cox regression revealed that CR and VGPR, Durie-Salmon group A, and HSCT were prognostic factors for better OS; while male and patients without extramedullary plasmacytomas were prognostic factors for longer PFS.

CONCLUSIONMM patients could benefit from bortezomib-based chemotherapy with satisfactory efficacy and safety. HSCT could improve the OS for young MM patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Boronic Acids ; administration & dosage ; Bortezomib ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Prognosis ; Pyrazines ; administration & dosage ; Treatment Outcome