ObjectiveTo explore the syndrome elements and evolving patterns of patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute on chronic liver failure （HBV-ACLF） at different stages. MethodsClinical information of 1,058 hospitalized HBV-ACLF patients， including 618 in the early stage， 355 in the middle stage， and 85 in the late stage， were collected from 18 clinical centers across 12 regions nationwide from January 1， 2012 to February 28， 2015. The “Hepatitis B-related Chronic and Acute Liver Failure Chinese Medicine Clinical Questionnaire” were designed to investigate the basic information of the patients， like the four diagnostic information （including symptoms， tongue， pulse） of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， and to count the frequency of the appearance of the four diagnostic information. Factor analysis and cluster analysis were employed to determine and statistically analyze the syndrome elements and patterns of HBV-ACLF patients at different stages. ResultsThere were 76 four diagnostic information from 1058 HBV-ACLF patients， and 53 four diagnostic information with a frequency of occurrence ≥ 5% were used as factor analysis entries， including 36 symptom information， 12 tongue information， and 5 pulse information. Four types of TCM patterns were identified in HBV-ACLF， which were liver-gallbladder damp-heat pattern， qi deficiency and blood stasis pattern， liver-kidney yin deficiency pattern， and spleen-kidney yang-deficiency pattern. In the early stage， heat （39.4%， 359/912） and dampness （27.5%， 251/912） were most common， and the pattern of the disease was dominated by liver-gallbladder damp-heat pattern （74.6%， 461/618）； in the middle stage， dampness （30.2%， 187/619） and blood stasis （20.7%， 128/619） were most common， and the patterns of the disease were dominated by liver-gallbladder damp-heat pattern （53.2%， 189/355）， and qi deficiency and blood stasis pattern （27.6%， 98/355）； and in the late stage， the pattern of the disease was dominated by qi deficiency （26.3%， 40/152） and yin deficiency （20.4%， 31/152）， and the patterns were dominated by qi deficiency and blood stasis pattern （36.5%， 31/85）， and liver-gallbladder damp-heat pattern （25.9%， 22/85）. ConclusionThere are significant differences in the distribution of syndrome elements and patterns at different stages of HBV-ACLF， presenting an overall trend of evolving patterns as "from excess to deficiency， transforming from excess to deficiency"， which is damp-heat → blood stasis → qi-blood yin-yang deficiency.

BACKGROUND: The clinical importance of hypokalemia is likely underrecognized in Chinese dialysis patients, and whether its clinical effect was mediated by serum albumin is not fully elucidated. This study aimed to explore the association between serum potassium and mortality in dialysis patients of a Chinese nationwide multicenter cohort, taking albumin as a consideration. METHODS: This was a prospective nation-wide multicenter cohort study. Restricted cubic splines were used to test the linearity of serum potassium and relationships with all-cause (AC) and cardiovascular (CV) mortality and a subsequent two-line piecewise linear model was fitted to approach the nadir. A mediation analysis was performed to examine relations of albumin to potassium and mortalities. RESULTS: A total of 10,027 patients were included, of whom 6605 were peritoneal dialysis and 3422 were hemodialysis patients. In the overall population, the mean age was 51.7 ± 14.8 years, 55.3%(5546/10,027) were male, and the median dialysis vintage was 13.60 (4.70, 39.70) months. Baseline serum potassium was 4.30 ± 0.88 mmol/L. After a median follow-up period of 26.87 (14.77, 41.50) months, a U-shape was found between potassium and mortality, and a marked increase in risk at lower potassium but a moderate elevation in risk at higher potassium were observed. The nadir for AC mortality risk was estimated from piecewise linear models to be a potassium concentration of 4.0 mmol/L. Interestingly, the significance of the association between potassium and mortality was attenuated when albumin was introduced into the extended adjusted model. A subsequent significant mediation by albumin for potassium and AC and CV mortalities were found ( P < 0.001 for both), indicating that hypokalemia led to higher mortality mediated by low serum albumin, which was a surrogate of poor nutritional status and inflammation. CONCLUSIONS Associations between potassium and mortalities were U-shaped in the overall population. The nadir for AC mortality risk was at a potassium of 4.0 mmol/L. Serum albumin mediated the association between potassium and AC and CV mortalities.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; East Asian People ; Hypokalemia/etiology* ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/mortality* ; Potassium/blood* ; Prospective Studies ; Renal Dialysis ; Serum Albumin/analysis*

The Baimai Ointment with the effect of relaxing sinew and activating collaterals demonstrates a definite effect on Baimai disease with pain, spasm, stiffness and other symptoms, while the pharmacodynamic characteristics and mechanism of this agent remain unclear. In this study, a rat model of chronic compression of L4 dorsal root ganglion(CCD) was established by lumbar disc herniation, and the efficacy and mechanism of Baimai Ointment in the treatment of CCD were preliminarily explored by behavioral tests, side effect evaluation, network analysis, antagonist and molecular biology verification. The pharmacodynamic experiment indicated that Baimai Ointment significantly improved the pain thresholds(mechanical pain, thermal pain, and cold pain) and gait behavior of CCD model rats without causing tolerance or obvious toxic and side effects. Baimai Ointment inhibited the second-phase nociceptive response of mice in the formalin test, increased the hot plate threshold of normal mice, and down-regulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the spinal cord. Network analysis showed that Baimai Ointment had synergistic effect in the treatment of CCD and was related to descending inhibition/facilitation system and neuroinflammation. Furthermore, behavioral tests, Western blot, and immunofluorescence assay revealed that the pain-relieving effect of Baimai Ointment on CCD may be related to the regulation of the interaction between neuroactive ligand and receptors(neuroligands) such as CHRNA7, ADRA2A, and ADRB2, and the down-regulation of the expression of NOS2/pERK/PI3K, the core regulatory element of HIF-1 signaling pathway in spinal microglia. The findings preliminarily reveal the mechanism of relaxing sinew and activating collaterals of Baimai Ointment in the treatment of Baimai disease, providing a reference for the rational drug use and further research of this agent.
Rats ; Mice ; Animals ; Chronic Pain/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ganglia, Spinal/metabolism* ; Ligands ; Signal Transduction ; Hyperalgesia/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

Resection is one of the most important treatments for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and routine postoperative follow-up is an effective method for early detection and treatment of recurrent metastases, which can improve patients' quality of life and prognosis. This consensus aims to provide a reference for colleagues responsible for postoperative follow-up of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients in China, and further improve the standardization of the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with the novel Prizvalve^® system in treating severe aortic stenosis. Methods: This is a single-center, prospective, single-arm, observational study. A total of 11 patients with severe aortic stenosis with high risk or inappropriate for conventional surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) were included, and TAVI was achieved with the Prizvalve^® system between March 2021 and May 2021 in West China Hospital. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was performed immediately after prosthesis implantation to evaluate mean transaortic gradient and maximal transaortic velocity. The device success rate was calculated, which was defined as (1) the device being delivered via the access, deployed, implanted and withdrawn, (2) mean transaortic gradient<20 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) or a maximal transaortic velocity<3 m/s post TAVI, and without severe aortic regurgitation or paravalvular leak post TAVI. TTE was performed at 30 days after the surgery, and all-cause mortality as well as the major cardiovascular adverse events (including acute myocardial infarction, disabling hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke) up to 30 days post TAVI were analyzed. Results: The age of 11 included patients were (78.1±6.3) years, with 8 males. A total of 10 patients were with NYHA functional class Ⅲ or Ⅳ. Devices were delivered via the access, deployed, implanted and withdrawn successfully in all patients. Post-implant mean transaortic gradient was (7.55±4.08) mmHg and maximal transaortic velocity was (1.78±0.44) m/s, and both decreased significantly as compared to baseline levels (both P<0.05). No severe aortic regurgitation or paravalvular leak was observed post TAVI. Device success was achieved in all the 11 patients. No patient died or experienced major cardiovascular adverse events up to 30 days post TAVI. Mean transaortic gradient was (9.45±5.07) mmHg and maximal transaortic velocity was (2.05±0.42) m/s at 30 days post TAVI, which were similar as the values measured immediately post TAVI (both P>0.05). Conclusions: TAVI with the Prizvalve^® system is a feasible and relatively safe procedure for patients with severe aortic stenosis and at high risk or inappropriate for SAVR. Further clinical studies could be launched to obtain more clinical experience with Prizvalve^® system.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aortic Valve ; Aortic Valve Stenosis/surgery* ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; Humans ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement/methods* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective    To summarize the reoperation experience for complete atrioventricular septal defect (CAVSD) with severe left atrioventricular valve regurgitation (LAVVR) by standardized mitral repair-oriented strategy. Methods    From 2016 to 2019, 11 CAVSD patients underwent reoperation for severe LAVVR by standardized mitral repair-oriented strategy at Fuwai Hospital, including 5 males and 6 females with a median age of 56 (22-152) months. The pathological characteristics of severe LAVVR, key points of repair technique and mid-term follow-up results were analyzed. Results    The interval time between the initial surgery and this surgery was 48 (8-149) months. The aortic cross-clamp time was 54.6±21.5 min and the cardiopulmonary bypass time was 107.4±38.1 min, ventilator assistance time was 16.4±16.3 h. All patients recovered smoothly with no early or late death. The patients were followed up for 29.0±12.8 months, and the echocardiograph showed trivial to little mitral regurgitation in 5 patients, little regurgitation in 5 patients and moderate regurgitation in 1 patient. The classification (NYHA) of cardiac function was class Ⅰ in all patients. Conclusion    Standardized mitral repair-oriented strategy is safe and effective in the treatment of severe LAVVR after CAVSD surgery, and the mid-term results are satisfied.

Accurate methods for identifying pelvic lymph node metastasis (LNM) of prostate cancer (PCa) prior to surgery are still lacking. We aimed to investigate the predictive value of peripheral monocyte count (PMC) for LNM of PCa in this study. Two hundred and ninety-eight patients from three centers were divided into a training set (n = 125) and a validation set (n = 173). In the training set, the independent predictors of LNM were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, and the optimal cutoff value was calculated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The sensitivity and specificity of the optimal cutoff were authenticated in the validation cohort. Finally, a nomogram based on the PMC was constructed for predicting LNM. Multivariate analyses of the training cohort demonstrated that clinical T stage, preoperative Gleason score, and PMC were independent risk factors for LNM. The subsequent ROC analysis showed that the optimal cutoff value of PMC for diagnosing LNM was 0.405 × 109 l

Objective    To report the short-term outcomes of a standardized, simplified and reproducible strategy of mitral valvuloplasty (MVP), which was focused on leaflet foldoplasty and anatomic anomalies of congenital mitral regurgitation (MR). Methods    Consecutive 74 patients who underwent MVP by our standardized strategy in our institution from 2016 to 2018 were included retrospectively. There were 30 males and 44 females with a median age of 18.5 (6-146) months and weight of 15.4 (7-51) kg. Results    Anatomic anomalies of MR included: (1) subvalvular apparatus: 72 (97.3%) patients with mal-connected chordae tendineae, 31 (41.9%) with absent chordae tendineae and 14 (18.9%) with fused or dysplastic papillary muscle; (2) leaflet: 10 (13.5%) patients with cleft of anterior leaflet, 61 (82.4%) with leaflet prolapse including 56 (91.8%) with anterior leaflet prolapse; (3) annulus: 71 (95.9%) patients with annular dilatation. Leaflet foldoplasty was performed in 61 (82.4%) patients with leaflet prolapse. All patients were successfully discharged and 4 (5.4%) patients were with moderate MR. The follow-up time was 22.0 (9.1-41.8) months. During the follow-up period, 3 patients had moderate MR and 1 patient had reoperation for severe MR. All patients were in normal cardiac function with a mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 66.0%±6.1%. In addition, the mean left ventricular end-diastolic dimension was 31.8±6.0 mm, which was significant smaller than that before the operation (t=6.090, P<0.000 1). Conclusion    The standardized leaflet foldoplasty with resection of mal-connected chordae tendineae and posterior annuloplasty technique is safe and feasible with favorable short-term outcomes in MR patients.

Objective    To summarize the clinical outcomes and experience of surgical treatment for patients with complete atrioventricular septal defect (CAVSD) above the optimal age for surgery. Methods    We retrospectively reviewed clinical data of 163 simple type CAVSD patients less than 7 years who underwent operations in Fuwai Hospital from 2002 to 2013. The patients were divided into a normal group (n=84, including 37 males and 16 females with an average age of 7.6±2.7 months) and an over-age group (n=79, including 30 males and 49 females with an average age of 34.6±19.6 months) according to whether the age was more than 1 year. Results    The average aortic cross clamp time (88.3±24.4 min vs. 106.1±35.4 min, P<0.001) and cardiopulmonary bypass time (123.6±31.1 min vs. 142.6±47.1 min, P=0.003) were statistically different between the two groups. During the follow-up period (the normal group 53.3±43.9 months, the over-age group 57.2±48.2 months), there was no statistical difference in all-cause mortality (10.7% vs. 8.9%, P=0.691), the incidence of moderate or severe left atrioventricular valve regurgitation (16.7% vs. 21.5%, P=0.430) and reintervention rate (3.6% vs. 0.0%, P=0.266) between the two groups. No left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and complete atrioventricular block occurred in both groups. Conclusion    For CAVSD children above the optimal age, rational surgical treatments can also achieve satisfying results.

Aortic Valve/surgery* ; Aortic Valve Stenosis/surgery* ; China/epidemiology* ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; Humans ; Severity of Illness Index ; Treatment Outcome