1.The Adoption of Non-invasive Photobiomodulation in The Treatment of Epilepsy
Ao-Yun LI ; Zhan-Chuang LU ; Li CAO ; Si CHEN ; Hui JIANG ; Chang-Chun CHEN ; Lei CHEN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(4):882-898
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease caused by abnormal synchronous discharge of the brain, which is characterized by recurrent and transient neurological abnormalities, mainly manifested as loss of consciousness and limb convulsions, and can occur in people of all ages. At present, anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are still the main means of treatment, but their efficacy is limited by the problem of drug resistance, and long-term use can cause serious side effects, such as cognitive dysfunction and vital organ damage. Although surgical resection of epileptic lesions has achieved certain results in some patients, the high cost and potential risk of neurological damage limit its scope of application. Therefore, the development of safe, accurate and personalized non-invasive treatment strategies has become one of the key directions of epilepsy research. In recent years, photobiomodulation (PBM) has gained significant attention as a promising non-invasive therapeutic approach. PBM uses light of specific wavelengths to penetrate tissues and interact with photosensitive molecules within cells, thereby modulating cellular metabolic processes. Research has shown that PBM can enhance mitochondrial function, promote ATP production, improve meningeal lymphatic drainage, reduce neuroinflammation, and stimulate the growth of neurons and synapses. These biological effects suggest that PBM not only holds the potential to reduce the frequency of seizures but also to improve the metabolic state and network function of neurons, providing a novel therapeutic avenue for epilepsy treatment. Compared to traditional treatment methods, PBM is non-invasive and avoids the risks associated with surgical interventions. Its low risk of significant side effects makes it particularly suitable for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, offering new therapeutic options for those who have not responded to conventional treatments. Furthermore, PBM’s multi-target mechanism enables it to address a variety of complex etiologies of epilepsy, demonstrating its potential in precision medicine. In contrast to therapies targeting a single pathological mechanism, PBM’s multifaceted approach makes it highly adaptable to different types of epilepsy, positioning it as a promising supplementary or alternative treatment. Although animal studies and preliminary clinical trials have shown positive outcomes with PBM, its clinical application remains in the exploratory phase. Future research should aim to elucidate the precise mechanisms of PBM, optimize light parameters, such as wavelength, dose, and frequency, and investigate potential synergistic effects with other therapeutic modalities. These efforts will be crucial for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of PBM and ensuring its safety and consistency in clinical settings. This review summarizes the types of epilepsy, diagnostic biomarkers, the advantages of PBM, and its mechanisms and potential applications in epilepsy treatment. The unique value of PBM lies not only in its multi-target therapeutic effects but also in its adaptability to the diverse etiologies of epilepsy. The combination of PBM with traditional treatments, such as pharmacotherapy and neuroregulatory techniques, holds promise for developing a more comprehensive and multidimensional treatment strategy, ultimately alleviating the treatment burden on patients. PBM has also shown beneficial effects on neural network plasticity in various neurodegenerative diseases. The dynamic remodeling of neural networks plays a critical role in the pathogenesis and treatment of epilepsy, and PBM’s multi-target mechanism may promote brain function recovery by facilitating neural network remodeling. In this context, optimizing optical parameters remains a key area of research. By adjusting parameters such as wavelength, dose, and frequency, researchers aim to further enhance the therapeutic effects of PBM while maintaining its safety and stability. Looking forward, interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly in the fields of neuroscience, optical engineering, and clinical medicine, will drive the development of PBM technology and facilitate its transition from laboratory research to clinical application. With the advancement of portable devices, PBM is expected to provide safer and more effective treatments for epilepsy patients and make a significant contribution to personalized medicine, positioning it as a critical component of precision therapeutic strategies.
2.Association between the risk of tuberculosis outbreak in schools and the visit interval of index cases
ZHANG Xiaolong, CUI Caiyan, FU Ying, WANG Feixian, LI Yun, JIANG Jun
Chinese Journal of School Health 2024;45(1):138-141
Objective:
To analyze the relationship between the risk of tuberculosis outbreaks in schools and the visit interval of index cases, so as to provide a scientific reference for predicting the risks of tuberculosis outbreak and making preventive measures.
Methods:
A total of 630 index cases from school tuberculosis outbreaks were studied during January, 2015 to December, 2022. Data on demographics, consultation history, etiological diagnosis, and methods of detection were collected. Restricted Cubic Splines (RCS), unconditional Logistic regression, and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) were used for analysis.
Results:
The RCS fitted curve showed that the risk of a tuberculosis outbreak linearly increased when the consultation interval for etiologically negative patients exceeded 5.79 days, or for etiologically positive patients exceeded 8.37 days. After multi factor adjustment, for every additional day in the visit interval of the index case, the odds ratio ( OR ) value for a high risk outbreak was 1.10 (95% CI =1.07-1.13)( P <0.05). When analyzed by tertiles of visit intervals, compared to an interval of <14 days, the OR values (95% CI ) for high risk outbreaks in schools with intervals of 14-<28 days and ≥28 days were 10.32(3.04-35.10) and 82.58( 28.42 -239.95), respectively( P <0.01), indicating a trend of increasing outbreak risk with longer visit intervals. Based on the ROC curve analysis, the optimal threshold for predicting a high risk school tuberculosis outbreak was 23.5 days, with an area under the curve ( AUC ) of 0.93 (95% CI =0.89-0.98).
Conclusion
An extended visit interval of index cases is a good early warning indicator for high risk tuberculosis outbreaks in schools and could be considered a key factor in early intervention and risk control strategies.
3.A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis of the Current Status and Trends of Foren-sic Mixed Stain Research
Qing-Wei FAN ; Ling LI ; Hui-Ling YANG ; Ting-Ting DENG ; Dong-Dong XU ; Yun WANG ; Bing DU ; Jiang-Wei YAN
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2024;40(1):20-29
Objective To explore the context and hotspot changes of forensic mixed stain research through bibliometric approach.Methods The literature of forensic mixed stain included in the core col-lection of Web of Science database from 2011 to 2022 were collected as the study object,and the an-nual publication number,countrie(region),institution,journal,keywords,etc.were bibliometrically and visually analyzed using the R-based Bibliometrix 1.1.6 package and VOSviewer 1.6.18 software.Re-sults A total of 732 articles on forensic mixed stain were included from 2011 to 2022,with the an-nual number of articles published and the annual citation frequency showing a steady increase year by year.Among the 59 countries(regions)with the most published articles,the United States ranked first with 246 articles,followed by China with 153 articles.The literature came from 104 journals,and the total number of articles published in the top 10 journals was 633.FORENSIC SCI INT GENET ranked first with 307 articles.Visual analysis using VOSviewer software showed that keywords could be divided into four research clusters,namely the genetic marker development group(blue),the mixed stain typing analysis theory group(red),the sequencing analysis group(yellow),and the case sample research group(green).It can be divided into four development stages in terms of different time peri-ods:early development(2011-2013),middle development(2014-2016),rapid development(2017-2020)and latest development(2021-2022).Conclusion The number of publications by domestic and foreign scholars in the study of mixed stain in forensic science is showing a relatively stable trend.Machine learning,next generation sequencing and other research have been the hottest topics that have attracted the most attention in recent years,which is expected to further develop the theory of mixed stain typing and sequencing analysis in forensic mixed stain research.
4.Prognostic significance of MyD88L265P and CD79B mutations in primary central nervous system lymphoma
Hao-Yun JIANG ; Qi-Qi JIN ; Li-Tian ZHANG ; Cui-Cui LI ; Ning-Ning YUE ; Chong-Yang WU
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army 2024;49(1):57-63
Objective To analyze the relationship between MyD88L265P and CD79B mutations in tumor tissue and the prognosis of primary central nervous system lymphoma(PCNSL).Methods 18 PCNSL patients with normal immune function(no history of HIV infection and immunosuppressants administration)who were diagnosed by craniotomy or stereotaxic biopsy in the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University from August 2018 to November 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.Real-time quantitative PCR and first-generation sequencing techniques were respectively used to detect MyD88L265P and CD79B mutations in tumor tissues of 18 PCNSL patients.Univariate analysis and Cox regression multivariate analysis were performed for indicators that may be associated with first progression-free survival(PFS)and overall survival in PCNSL.Results The mutation rate of MyD88L265P was 38.9%,the mutation rate of CD79B was 33.3%,and the co-mutation rate of MyD88L265P/CD79B was 27.8%in PCNSL tissue of 18 patients.Univariate analysis showed that the PCNSL patients with multiple lesions,deep involvement of lesions,and tissue CD79B mutation had a statistically significant shorter time of PFS(P<0.05).Multivariate analysis showed that deep lesion involvement(HR=0.135,95%CI 0.023-0.799,P<0.05)and CD79B mutation(HR=0.149,95%CI 0.028-0.800,P<0.05)in PCNSL tissue were independent prognostic factors for PCNSL patients.Conclusion The frequency of MyD88L265P and CD79B mutations was high in tumor tissues of 18 PCNSL patients,and these two gene mutations may be associated with poor prognosis of PCNSL,especially CD79B mutation.
5.Association between body mass index and chronic metabolic diseases in Chinese aged population
Ying JIANG ; Qingyao LI ; Zhiqi CHEN ; Jialu WANG ; Yun LI ; Renying XU
Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University(Medical Science) 2024;44(2):250-257
Objective·To evaluate the relationship between body mass index(BMI)and chronic metabolic diseases.Methods·The elderly(≥60 years old)who were underwent physical examination in the Physical Examination Center of Renji Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from 2014 to 2021 were studied.Their results of biochemical indicators were collected.Their height,body weight,and blood pressure were measured by trained nurses.The history of chronic metabolic diseases was collected by self-reported questionnaire.Systolic blood pressure≥140 mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa),diastolic blood pressure≥90 mmHg,or self-reported hypertension history was defined as hypertension.Fasting blood glucose≥7.0 mmol/L or self-reported history of diabetes was defined as diabetes.Total cholesterol≥6.2 mmol/L,triglyceride≥2.3 mmol/L,or self-reported history of dyslipidemia was defined as dyslipidemia.The relationship between BMI and hypertension,diabetes,and dyslipidemia was evaluated by using receiver operator characteristic(ROC)curve analysis and binary logistic regression.Results·Data of 59 083 subjects were collected[30 807 men and 28 276 women,average age:(67.9±6.3)years old].The prevalence of hypertension,diabetes and dyslipidemia was 76.5%(45 219/59 083),24.1%(14 225/59 083)and 50.0%(29 544/59 083),respectively.Compared to the elderly people aged 60?74 years,those aged 75 years and above had a higher proportion of hypertension and diabetes,and a lower proportion of dyslipidemia and no metabolic abnormalities.With ROC analysis,the BMI cut-off values for hypertension,diabetes,and dyslipidemia were 24.3,23.9,and 23.9 kg/m2.The BMI cut-off values for hypertension and diabetes in elderly men were similar to those in elderly women(for hypertension:24.3 kg/m2 in elderly men vs 24.2 kg/m2 in elderly women;for diabetes:24.0 kg/m2 in elderly men vs 23.7 kg/m2 in elderly women);however,BMI cut-off value for dyslipidemia was obviously higher in elderly men than that in elderly women(24.0 kg/m2 in elderly men vs 22.5 kg/m2 in elderly women).The BMI cut-off value for chronic metabolic diseases was higher in the elderly people aged 60?74 years than that in the elderly people aged 75 years and above(24.2?24.7 kg/m2 vs 22.9?23.8 kg/m2).Conclusion·Elderly people aged 60?74 years should maintain the BMI below 24.0 kg/m2,while those aged 75 years and above should aim for the BMI below 23.0 kg/m2,so as to reduce the risk of chronic metabolic diseases.
6.Application of CRISPR/Cas-based Electrochemical Biosensors for Tumor Detection
Shuang LI ; Zhi CHEN ; Yun-Xia HUANG ; Guo-Jun ZHAO ; Ting JIANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(8):1771-1787
Tumors represent one of the primary threats to human life, with the dissemination of malignant tumors being a leading cause of mortality among cancer patients. Early diagnosis of tumors can reliably predict their progression, significantly reducing mortality rates. Tumor markers, including circulating tumor cells, exosomes, proteins, circulating tumor DNA, miRNAs and so on, generated during the tumor development process, have emerged as effective approach for early tumor diagnosis. Several methods are currently employed to detect tumor markers, such as polymerase chain reaction, Northern blotting, next-generation sequencing, flow cytometry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. However, these methods often suffer from time-consuming process, high costs, low sensitivity, and the requirement for specialized personnel. Therefore, a new rapid, sensitive, and specific tumor detection method is urgently needed.The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) system, originating from the adaptive immune system of bacteria, has found extensive applications in gene editing and nucleic acid detection. Based on the structure and function of Cas proteins, the CRISPR/Cas system can be classified into two classes and six types. Class I systems consist of multiple Cas protein complexes, including types I, III, and IV, while Class II systems comprise single, multi-domain Cas proteins mediated by RNA, including types II (Cas9), V (Cas12), and VI (Cas13). Class II systems have been widely employed in the fields of biotechnology and nucleic acid diagnostics due to their efficient target binding and programmable RNA specificity. Currently, fluorescence method is the most common signal output technique in CRISPR/Cas-based biosensors. However, this method often requires the integration of signal amplification technologies to enhance sensitivity and involves expensive and complex fluorescence detectors. To enhance the detection performance of CRISPR/Cas-based biosensors, the integration of CRISPR/Cas with some alternative techniques can be considered. The CRISPR/Cas integrated electrochemical sensor (E-CRISPR) possesses advantages such as miniaturization, high sensitivity, high specificity, and fast response speed.E-CRISPR can convert the reactions between biomolecules and detecting components into electrical signals, rendering the detection signals more easily readable and reducing the impact of background values. Therefore,E-CRISPR enhances the accuracy of detection results. E-CRISPR has been applied in various fields, including medical and health, environmental monitoring, and food safety. Furthermore, E-CRISPR holds tremendous potential for advancing the detection levels of tumor markers.Among all types of Cas enzymes, the three most widely applied are Cas9, Cas12, and Cas13, along with their respective subtypes. In this work, we provided a brief overview of the principles and characteristics of Class II CRISPR/Cas single-effector proteins. This paper focused on the various detection technologies based on E-CRISPR technique, including electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, voltammetry, photoelectrochemistry, and electrochemiluminescence. We also emphasized the applications of E-CRISPR in the field of tumor diagnosis, which mainly encompasses the detection of three typical tumor markers (ctDNA, miRNA, and proteins). Finally, we discussed the advantages and limitations of E-CRISPR, current challenges, and future development prospects. In summary, althoughE-CRISPR platform has made significant strides in tumor detection, certain challenges still need to be overcome for their widespread clinical application. Continuous optimization of the E-CRISPR platform holds the promise of achieving more accurate tumor subtyping diagnoses in clinical settings, which would be of significant importance for early patient diagnosis and prognosis assessment.
7.A comprehensive review of chemicals and biosynthetic pathways in toad (Bufo ) bile
Li-jun RUAN ; Bing-xiong YAN ; Yun-qiu WU ; Cai-yun YAO ; Xiao-nan YANG ; Zhi-jun SONG ; Ren-wang JIANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(6):1616-1626
The toad, known for its various medicinal properties including parotid gland secretion (toad venom), dried skin, and gallbladder (toad bile), holds considerable medicinal applications as a valuable traditional Chinese animal medicine. Currently, in-depth attentions have been paid to the chemical composition and pharmacological properties of toad venom and skin; however, a lesser number of detailed analyses were concentrated on the toad bile. This review provides an overview of the chemical constituents in the bile of the
8.Study on analgesic effect of anterior quadratus lumborum block at lateral supra-arcuate ligament and transversus abdominis plane block in analgesia in patients undergoing laparoscopic partial hepatectomy
Lingling JIANG ; Yun LI ; Kui SHENG ; Lili ZHANG ; Yang HU ; Ye ZHANG
Tianjin Medical Journal 2024;52(3):302-306
Objective To observe the effect of ultrasound-guided anterior quadratus lumborum block at lateral supra-arcuate ligament(QLB-LSAL)and transversus abdominis plane block(TAPB)on analgesia and recovery quality after laparoscopic partial hepatectomy(LPH).Methods Fifty-eight patients underwent elective LPH were selected and divided into the quadratus lumborum group or the transversus abdominis group randomly,with 29 patients in each group.The quadratus lumborum group received bilateral QLB-LSAL,and the transversus abdominis group received bilateral subcostal TAPB block before surgery.Both groups received 20 mL of 0.33%ropivacaine on each side.All patients used patient-controlled intravenous analgesia(PCIA)postoperatively.The numeric rating scale(NRS)scores for rest and movement were recorded at 2,4,6,12,24 and 48 hours postoperatively,as well as the Quality of Recovery-15(QoR-15)scores at 1 day preoperatively,1 and 3 days postoperatively.The perioperative anesthetic agent consumption,PCIA pressing frequency,remedial analgesia use in 48 h,postoperative nausea and vomiting(PONV)incidence and time of first out-of-bed mobilization were also recorded.Results Compared with the transversus abdominis group,the quadratus lumborum group had lower movement NRS scores at 2,4,6,12,24 and 48 hours postoperatively,and lower rest NRS scores at 2,4,6,12 and 24 hours postoperatively(P<0.05).The quadratus lumborum group had higher QoR-15 scores at 1 and 3 days postoperatively(P<0.05).Patients in the quadratus lumborum group had reduced perioperative remifentanil and sufentanil consumption,postoperative 48-hour rescue analgesia use,PCIA pressing frequency,PONV incidence and time of first out-of-bed mobilization(P<0.05).Conclusion QLB-LSAL block provides superior analgesic effects and recovery quality compared to TAPB block after LPH.
9.Prognosis and influencing factors analysis of patients with initially resectable gastric cancer liver metastasis who were treated by different modalities: a nationwide, multicenter clinical study
Li LI ; Yunhe GAO ; Liang SHANG ; Zhaoqing TANG ; Kan XUE ; Jiang YU ; Yanrui LIANG ; Zirui HE ; Bin KE ; Hualong ZHENG ; Hua HUANG ; Jianping XIONG ; Zhongyuan HE ; Jiyang LI ; Tingting LU ; Qiying SONG ; Shihe LIU ; Hongqing XI ; Yun TANG ; Zhi QIAO ; Han LIANG ; Jiafu JI ; Lin CHEN
Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery 2024;23(1):114-124
Objective:To investigate the prognosis of patients with initially resectable gastric cancer liver metastasis (GCLM) who were treated by different modalities, and analyze the influencing factors for prognosis of patients.Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 327 patients with initially resectable GCLM who were included in the database of a nationwide multicenter retrospective cohort study on GCLM based on real-world data from January 2010 to December 2019 were collected. There were 267 males and 60 females, aged 61(54,68)years. According to the specific situations of patients, treatment modalities included radical surgery combined with systemic treatment, palliative surgery combined with systemic treatment, and systemic treatment alone. Observation indicators: (1) clinical characteristics of patients who were treated by different modalities; (2) prognostic outcomes of patients who were treated by different modalities; (3) analysis of influencing factors for prognosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM; (4) screening of potential beneficiaries in patients who were treated by radical surgery plus systemic treatment and patients who were treated by palliative surgery plus systemic treatment. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and comparison between groups was conducted using the independent sample t test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M( Q1, Q3), and comparison between groups was conducted using the rank sum test. Count data were described as absolute numbers or percentages, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rate and draw survival curve, and Log-Rank test was used for survival analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using the COX proportional hazard regression model. The propensity score matching was employed by the 1:1 nearest neighbor matching method with a caliper value of 0.1. The forest plots were utilized to evaluate potential benefits of diverse surgical combined with systemic treatments within the population. Results:(1) Clinical characteristics of patients who were treated by different modalities. Of 327 patients, there were 118 cases undergoing radical surgery plus systemic treatment, 164 cases undergoing palliative surgery plus systemic treatment, and 45 cases undergoing systemic treatment alone. There were significant differences in smoking, drinking, site of primary gastric tumor, diameter of primary gastric tumor, site of liver metastasis, and metastatic interval among the three groups of patients ( P<0.05). (2) Prognostic outcomes of patients who were treated by different modalities. The median overall survival time of the 327 pati-ents was 19.9 months (95% confidence interval as 14.9-24.9 months), with 1-, 3-year overall survival rate of 61.3%, 32.7%, respectively. The 1-year overall survival rates of patients undergoing radical surgery plus systemic treatment, palliative surgery plus systemic treatment and systemic treatment alone were 68.3%, 63.1%, 30.6%, and the 3-year overall survival rates were 41.1%, 29.9%, 11.9%, showing a significant difference in overall survival rate among the three groups of patients ( χ2=19.46, P<0.05). Results of further analysis showed that there was a significant difference in overall survival rate between patients undergoing radical surgery plus systemic treatment and patients undergoing systemic treatment alone ( hazard ratio=0.40, 95% confidence interval as 0.26-0.61, P<0.05), between patients undergoing palliative surgery plus systemic treatment and patients under-going systemic treatment alone ( hazard ratio=0.47, 95% confidence interval as 0.32-0.71, P<0.05). (3) Analysis of influencing factors for prognosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM. Results of multivariate analysis showed that the larger primary gastric tumor, poorly differentiated tumor, larger liver metastasis, multiple hepatic metastases were independent risk factors for prognosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM ( hazard ratio=1.20, 1.70, 1.20, 2.06, 95% confidence interval as 1.14-1.27, 1.25-2.31, 1.04-1.42, 1.45-2.92, P<0.05) and immunotherapy or targeted therapy, the treatment modality of radical or palliative surgery plus systemic therapy were independent protective factors for prognosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM ( hazard ratio=0.60, 0.39, 0.46, 95% confidence interval as 0.42-0.87, 0.25-0.60, 0.30-0.70, P<0.05). (4) Screening of potentinal beneficiaries in patients who were treated by radical surgery plus systemic treatment and patients who were treated by palliative surgery plus systemic treatment. Results of forest plots analysis showed that for patients with high-moderate differentiated GCLM and patients with liver metastasis located in the left liver, the overall survival rate of patients undergoing radical surgery plus systemic treatment was better than patients undergoing palliative surgery plus systemic treatment ( hazard ratio=0.21, 0.42, 95% confidence interval as 0.09-0.48, 0.23-0.78, P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared to systemic therapy alone, both radical and palliative surgery plus systemic therapy can improve the pro-gnosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM. The larger primary gastric tumor, poorly differen-tiated tumor, larger liver metastasis, multiple hepatic metastases are independent risk factors for prognosis of patients with initial resectable GCLM and immunotherapy or targeted therapy, the treatment modality of radical or palliative surgery plus systemic therapy are independent protective factors for prognosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM.
10.The evaluation of alpha-fetoprotein response on efficacy and prognosis in targeted therapy combined with immunotherapy for intermediate-to-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter clinical study
Kongying LIN ; Qingjing CHEN ; Luobin GUO ; Yun YANG ; Yufeng CHEN ; Jianxi ZHANG ; Fuqun WEI ; Hui ZHANG ; Zhiqing CHENG ; Yuntong LI ; Congren WANG ; Yabin JIANG ; Kecan LIN ; Weiping ZHOU ; Yongyi ZENG
Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery 2024;23(2):248-256
Objective:To investigate the evaluation efficacy and predictive prognostic value of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) response in tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in combination with PD-1 inhibitors (α-PD-1) for intermediate-to-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 205 patients with intermediate-to-advanced HCC who were admitted to 9 medical centers, including Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University et al, from March 2020 to July 2022 were collected. There were 178 males and 27 females, aged (52±12)years. Based on AFP response at 6-8 weeks after treatment, patients were divided into the AFP response group (AFP level decreased by ≥50% compared to baseline) and the AFP no response group (AFP level decreased by <50% compared to baseline). Observation indicators: (1) AFP response evaluation of anti-tumor efficacy; (2) comparison of patient prognosis; (3) analysis of factors affecting patient prognosis. Measurement data with normal distrubution were represented as Mean± SD, and measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range) and M( Q1, Q3). Count data were described as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw survival curve and calculate survival rate, and the Log-Rank test was used for survival analysis. The COX proportional risk model was used for univariate analysis and the COX stepwise regression model was used for multivariate analysis. Results:(1) AFP response evaluation of anti-tumor efficacy. Before treatment, all 205 patients were positive of AFP, with a baseline AFP level of 1 560(219,3 400)μg/L. All 205 patients were treated with TKIs in combination with α-PD-1, and the AFP level was 776(66,2 000)μg/L after 6 to 8 weeks of treatment. Of the 205 patients, 88 cases were classified as AFP response and 117 cases were classified as AFP no response. According to the response evaluation criteria in solid tumors version 1.1, the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 42.05%(37/88) and 94.32%(83/88) in patients of the AFP response group and 16.24% (19/117) and 64.10% (75/117) in patients of the AFP no response group, showing significant differences between them ( χ2=16.846, 25.950, P<0.05). According to the modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors, the ORR and DCR were 69.32% (61/88) and 94.32% (83/88) in patients of the AFP response group and 33.33% (39/117) and 64.10% (75/117) in patients of the AFP no response group, showing significant differences between them ( χ2=26.030, 25.950, P<0.05). (2) Comparison of patient prognosis. All 205 patients were followed up for 12.4(range, 2.4-34.0)months after treatment. The median progression free survival time and total survival time were 5.5 months and 17.8 months, respectively. The 1-year, 2-year progression free survival rates were 20.8% and 7.2%, and the 1-year, 2-year overall survival rates were 68.7% and 31.5%, respectively. The median progression free survival time, 1-year and 2-year progression free survival rates were 9.7 months, 39.6% and 14.2% in patients of the AFP response group and 3.7 months, 7.8% and 2.0% in patients of the AFP no response group, showing a significant difference in progression free survival between them ( χ2=43.154, P<0.05). The median overall survival time, 1-year and 2-year overall survival rates were not reached, 85.2% and 56.3% in patients of the AFP response group and 14.6 months, 56.3% and 14.5% in patients of the AFP no response group, showing a significant difference in overall survival between them ( χ2=33.899, P<0.05). (3) Analysis of factors affecting patient prognosis. Results of multivariate analysis showed that invasion of large blood vessels, extrahepatic metastasis, combined hepatic artery intervention therapy, and AFP response were independent factors influencing progression free survival in patients with intermediate-to-advanced HCC who were treated with TKIs in combination with α-PD-1 ( hazard ratio=1.474, 1.584, 0.631, 0.367, 95% confidence interval as 1.069-2.033, 1.159-2.167, 0.446-0.893, 0.261-0.516, P<0.05), and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score, invasion of large blood vessels, extrahepatic metastasis, and AFP response were independent factors influencing overall survival in patients with intermediate-to-advanced HCC who were treated with TKIs in combination with α-PD-1 ( hazard ratio= 1.347, 1.914, 1.673, 0.312, 95% confidence interval as 1.041-1.742, 1.293-2.833, 1.141-2.454, 0.197-0.492, P<0.05). Conclusions:AFP response at 6-8 weeks after treatment can effectively evaluate anti-tumor efficacy of TKIs in combination with α-PD-1 for intermediate-to-advanced HCC. AFP response is the independent factor influencing progression free survival and overall survival in patients with intermediate-to-advanced HCC who were treated with TKIs in combination with α-PD-1.


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