This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of portable hemoglobinometer (Hemocue Hb 201+ hemoglobin analyzer) in patients with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and its diagnostic value for anemia. The data of venous hemoglobulin (Hb) and fingertip capillary hemoglobulin (DHb) in MHD patients from Lingnan Hospital, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were retrospectively analyzed, and the correlation and difference between DHb and Hb and the accuracy of DHb in the diagnosis of anemia were evaluated. A total of 105 patients were included in the study. There was no significant difference between the paired DHb and Hb [(109±21) g/L vs. (108±20) g/L, t=-1.284, P=0.202]. Pearson correlation analysis showed that DHb was positively correlated with Hb ( r=0.929, P<0.001). Linear regression analysis showed that DHb and Hb met the regression equation Hb=0.88×DHb+12.23, and P<0.001. Bland-Altman analysis showed that the differences between the paired DHb and Hb was (1.0±7.8) g/L with the limit of agreement as (-14.2, 16.2) g/L. The mean percentage of the differences in Hb was 1% with limit of agreement as (-13.7%, 15.7%). A DHb of >110 g/L was 0.90 sensitive and 0.83 specific to identify patients with an Hb >110 g/L and its positive and negative predictive values were 0.84 and 0.90, respectively. It suggests that, in MHD patients, Hemocue Hb 201+ analyzer shows good accuracy, and can be used to monitor the Hb trend and serve as a screen method for those reaching target Hb.

Objective To summarise a clinical experience of nursing care for 3 children who were treated with ECMO for sepsis and complicated with fulminant myocarditis.Methods Clinical data in nursing cares for 3 children treated with ECMO for sepsis and complicated with fulminant myocarditis were collected and analysed,with the spotted difficulties in nursing care and proposed coping strategies.Results The 3 children survived and were transferred out of the(pediatric intensive care unit,PICU)with stable vital signs and haemodynamics after emergency treatment with ECMO and continuous renal replacement therapy(CRRT).Conclusion Children with sepsis leading to myocardial depression and subsequent heart failure require close observation of the changes and consequently specialised cares after having initiated an ECMO in emergency treatment.This includes ensuring proper fixation of the cannulas,managing anticoagulation,monitoring the speed,flow rate and pressure of ECMO,management of body temperature,skin care,sedation and pain,as well as prevention of complications.These nursing care measures would improve the survival rate after the treatment of ECMO.

Objective To study the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics about ictal facial dystonia of medial temporal lobe epilepsy.Method Data was collected from patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy originating from unilateral temporal lobe structures through preoperative evaluation at the Functional Neurology Department of the Second People's Hospital of Shenzhen between July 1,2019 and September 1,2023.All patients did not have seizures for at least 1 year after operation.The ictal symptoms of each patient were analyzed and the patients with ictal facial dystonia were selected and the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of ictal facial dystonia were summarized.Results Nineteen of 47 patients diagnosed as mesial temporal lobe epilepsy had ictal facial dystonia,of which the electroencephalogram starting at the right side in 11 cases and at the left side in 8 cases.Fifteen patients had the symptom in the first 1/3 period of seizure.Fifteen patients had bilateral symmetrical muscle contraction.Thirteen patients showed with negative expression,5 with neutral expression,and 1 with negative or positive expression in different seizures.None of the patient had the drop of the corners of the mouth.Five patients underwent stereotactic-electroencephalogram(SEEG),including 3 patients with bilateral implantation and 2 patients with unilateral implantation.SEEG showed that the medial temporal structure,insula and orbital lobes were all involved in the onset of ictal facial dystonia.Conclusion The medial temporal lobe epilepsy often present ictal facial dystonia in the first 1/3 period of seizure,with bilaterally symmetrically facial contraction,often accompanied by negative expression,but without drop of the corners of the mouth.The lateralization value of ictal facial dystonia is limited and this symptom involves a wide brain network structure.

Cryoablation (CRA) and microwave ablation (MWA) are two main local treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, which one is more curative and suitable for combining with immunotherapy is still controversial. Herein, CRA induced higher tumoral PD-L1 expression and more T cells infiltration, but less PD-L1^highCD11b⁺ myeloid cells infiltration than MWA in HCC. Furthermore, CRA had better curative effect than MWA for anti-PD-L1 combination therapy in mouse models. Mechanistically, anti-PD-L1 antibody facilitated infiltration of CD8⁺ T cells by enhancing the secretion of CXCL9 from cDC1 cells after CRA therapy. On the other hand, anti-PD-L1 antibody promoted the infiltration of NK cells to eliminate PD-L1^highCD11b⁺ myeloid cells by antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) effect after CRA therapy. Both aspects relieved the immunosuppressive microenvironment after CRA therapy. Notably, the wild-type PD-L1 Avelumab (Bavencio), compared to the mutant PD-L1 atezolizumab (Tecentriq), was better at inducing the ADCC effect to target PD-L1^highCD11b⁺ myeloid cells. Collectively, our study uncovered the novel insights that CRA showed superior curative effect than MWA in combining with anti-PD-L1 antibody by strengthening CTL/NK cell immune responses, which provided a strong rationale for combining CRA and PD-L1 blockade in the clinical treatment for HCC.

Inflammation-driven endothelial dysfunction is the major initiating factor in atherosclerosis, while the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, we report that the non-canonical stimulator of interferon genes (STING)-PKR-like ER kinase (PERK) pathway was significantly activated in both human and mice atherosclerotic arteries. Typically, STING activation leads to the activation of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)/p65, thereby facilitating IFN signals and inflammation. In contrast, our study reveals the activated non-canonical STING-PERK pathway increases scaffold protein bromodomain protein 4 (BRD4) expression, which encourages the formation of super-enhancers on the proximal promoter regions of the proinflammatory cytokines, thereby enabling the transactivation of these cytokines by integrating activated IRF3 and NF-κB via a condensation process. Endothelium-specific STING and BRD4 deficiency significantly decreased the plaque area and inflammation. Mechanistically, this pathway is triggered by leaked mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) via mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), formed by voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) oligomer interaction with oxidized mtDNA upon cholesterol oxidation stimulation. Especially, compared to macrophages, endothelial STING activation plays a more pronounced role in atherosclerosis. We propose a non-canonical STING-PERK pathway-dependent epigenetic paradigm in atherosclerosis that integrates IRF3, NF-κB and BRD4 in inflammatory responses, which provides emerging therapeutic modalities for vascular endothelial dysfunction.

Objective To summarize the clinical,electrophysiological and imaging features of frontal opercular epilepsy.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 5 cases with frontal opercular epilepsy,who were treated at the Department of Functional Neurology,Shenzhen Second People's Hospital from December 2020 to December 2022.Among these cases,4 cases were underwent stereotactic-EEG(SEEG)guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation.The clinical,electrophysiological,and imaging characteristics of these 5 cases were summarized.Results The 5 cases had an onset age ranging from 2 to 17 years and a disease duration ranging from 1 to 20 years.All of them experienced daily seizures,especially at night.The seizure duration was less than 30 seconds,and consciousness recovered rapidly.Among the cases,3 exhibited hypermotor seizures of typeⅠorⅡ,characterized by body turning along the horizontal body axis.Two of them experienced laughter during the seizures,while 1 showed a fearful expression.The remaining 2 cases presented with symmetric tonic seizures,involving the facial muscles.One case reported indescribable aura,and 2 cases had autonomic symptoms.During the interictal period,all 5 cases showed epileptic discharges predominantly in the frontal region on EEG,with lateralization value present in only 2 cases.During the ictal period,4 cases demonstrated general low volatility and fast activity(LVFA),while 1 case showed low-frequency rhythmic sharp and slow waves originating from the lesioned side.Four cases underwent SEEG,which revealed seizure starting from the frontal operculum and adjacent electrodes with LVFA,rapidly spreading to the insula,insular opercular,and medial frontal lobe.Positive changes were observed in the MRI of 4 cases,including 2 cases with possible cortical dysplasia,1 case with tuberous sclerosis,and 1 case with encephalomalacia foci.All 4 cases underwent SEEG guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation,resulting in seizure frequency reduction.Conclusions Frontal opercular epilepsy is mainly characterized by hypermotor seizure with body turning along the horizontal body axis or symmetric tonic seizure.These seizure may be accompanied by emotional symptom or facial muscle tonic,but aura and autonomic symptom are less common.The lateralization value of EEG is limited in frontal opercular epilepsy.SEEG indicates early involvement of the insula,insular opercular,and medial frontal lobe.

DNA is a biological polymer that encodes and stores genetic information in all living organism. Particularly, the precise nucleobase pairing inside DNA is exploited for the self-assembling of nanostructures with defined size, shape and functionality. These DNA nanostructures are known as framework nucleic acids (FNAs) for their skeleton-like features. Recently, FNAs have been explored in various fields ranging from physics, chemistry to biology. In this review, we mainly focus on the recent progress of FNAs in a pharmaceutical perspective. We summarize the advantages and applications of FNAs for drug discovery, drug delivery and drug analysis. We further discuss the drawbacks of FNAs and provide an outlook on the pharmaceutical research direction of FNAs in the future.

Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is a cytosolic DNA sensor which is regarded as a potential target for antitumor immunotherapy. However, clinical trials of STING agonists display limited anti-tumor effects and dose-dependent side-effects like inflammatory damage and cell toxicity. Here, we showed that tetrahedral DNA nanostructures (TDNs) actively enter macrophages to promote STING activation and M1 polarization in a size-dependent manner, and synergized with Mn²⁺ to enhance the expressions of IFN-β and iNOS, as well as the co-stimulatory molecules for antigen presentation. Moreover, to reduce the cytotoxicity of Mn²⁺, we constructed a TDN-MnO₂ complex and found that it displayed a much higher efficacy than TDN plus Mn²⁺ to initiate macrophage activation and anti-tumor response both in vitro and in vivo. Together, our studies explored a novel immune activation effect of TDN in cancer therapy and its synergistic therapeutic outcomes with MnO₂. These findings provide new therapeutic opportunities for cancer therapy.

Disturbance of macrophage-associated lipid metabolism plays a key role in atherosclerosis. Crosstalk between autophagy deficiency and inflammation response in foam cells (FCs) through epigenetic regulation is still poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that in macrophages, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) leads to abnormal crosstalk between autophagy and inflammation, thereby causing aberrant lipid metabolism mediated through a dysfunctional transcription factor EB (TFEB)-P300-bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) axis. ox-LDL led to macrophage autophagy deficiency along with TFEB cytoplasmic accumulation and increased reactive oxygen species generation. This activated P300 promoted BRD4 binding on the promoter regions of inflammatory genes, consequently contributing to inflammation with atherogenesis. Particularly, ox-LDL activated BRD4-dependent super-enhancer associated with liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) on the regulatory regions of inflammatory genes. Curcumin (Cur) prominently restored FCs autophagy by promoting TFEB nuclear translocation, optimizing lipid catabolism, and reducing inflammation. The consequences of P300 and BRD4 on super-enhancer formation and inflammatory response in FCs could be prevented by Cur. Furthermore, the anti-atherogenesis effect of Cur was inhibited by macrophage-specific Brd4 overexpression or Tfeb knock-out in Apoe knock-out mice via bone marrow transplantation. The findings identify a novel TFEB-P300-BRD4 axis and establish a new epigenetic paradigm by which Cur regulates autophagy, inhibits inflammation, and decreases lipid content.

Objective:To investigate the effect of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) on age-related skin aging in mice and its mechanisms.Methods:Thirty Kunming mice were fed in specific pathogen-free condition, and equally divided into 3 groups: young group was fed with a normal diet for 8 months, old group was fed with a normal diet for 20 months to establish a mouse model of natural aging, and PQQ group was fed with PQQ-containing forages (4 milligrams of PQQ per kilogram of normal forages) for 20 months. After feeding, the mouse dorsal skin tissues were obtained, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed to measure the epidermal and dermal thickness, Masson staining to detect changes in total skin collagen, immunohistochemical study to detect changes in expression of the proliferation marker Ki67, transmission electron microscopy to detect changes in autophagosomes in the mouse skin, and Western blot analysis to determine the expression of autophagy-related proteins Beclin1, LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ, and p62. Statistical analysis was carried out by using one-way analysis of variance for intergroup comparisons followed by least significant difference (LSD) - t test for multiple comparisons. Results:HE and Masson staining showed that the epidermal and dermal thickness and the percentage of area of dermis stained positive for collagen among the total area of dermis in the tested region were significantly lower in the old group (15.67 ± 0.36 μm, 87.95 ± 11.86 μm, 22.12% ± 1.72%, respectively) than in the young group (29.37 ± 0.25 μm, 264.93 ± 10.34 μm, 45.03% ± 1.54%, respectively, all P<0.05) , and significantly higher in the PQQ group (25.53 ±0.47 μm, 145.01 ± 9.71 μm, 31.17% ± 1.20%, respectively) than in the old group (all P<0.05) . Immunohistochemical study revealed that the expression of Ki67 was significantly lower in the old group (13.74% ± 3.06%) than in the young group (29.07% ± 2.79%, P<0.05) and PQQ group (21.20% ± 1.47%, P<0.05) . Transmission electron microscopy showed that the number of autophagosomes in the skin was significantly higher in the old group than in the young group ( P<0.05) , but significantly lower in the PQQ group than in the old group ( P<0.05) . As Western blot analysis revealed, the old group showed significantly decreased Beclin1 expression and LC3 Ⅱ/LC3 Ⅰ ratio, but significantly increased p62 expression compared with the young group (all P<0.05) ; compared with the old group, the PQQ group showed significantly increased Beclin1 expression and LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰratio, but significantly decreased p62 expression (all P<0.05) . Conclusion:PQQ can delay the age-related skin aging in mice, likely by increasing the proliferative capacity of mouse skin cells and promoting skin autophagy.