Objective: To analyze the trend in burden of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in China from 1990 to 2021, so as to provide insights into reducing the RA burden in China. Methods: Data of Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 were collected, and the incidence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) of RA in China from 1990 to 2021 were analyzed and compared with global and different Socio-demographic Index (SDI) regions. The trend in burden of RA was analyzed using average annual percent change (AAPC). Results: The crude incidence rates of RA in China increased from 10.87/105 in 1990 to 17.38/105 in 2021, the crude mortality rates increased from 0.41/105 to 0.72/105, and the crude DALY rates increased from 34.26/105 to 58.61/105, with the increases of 59.98%, 77.95% and 71.06%, respectively. From 1990 to 2021, the standardized incidence rates of RA in China showed an increasing trend (AAPC=0.545%, P<0.05), the standardized mortality rates showed a decreasing trend (AAPC=-0.783%, P<0.05), and the standardized DALY rates showed no significant trend (AAPC=-0.017%, P>0.05). In 2021, the standardized incidence rate, standardized mortality rate and standardized DALY rate of RA were higher in females than in males; from 1990 to 2021, the standardized DALY rates of RA showed a decreasing trend in females (AAPC=-0.200%, P<0.05) and an increasing trend in males (AAPC=0.316%, P<0.05). The crude incidence rates of RA first increased and then decreased with age in 2021, reaching the highest in the age group of 75-<80 years at 34.36/105. Both the crude mortality rates and the crude DALY rates increased with age, reaching the highest in the age group of 95 years and older at 26.72/105 and 285.67/105, respectively. The standardized incidence rates and standardized DALY rates of RA in China in 2021 were lower than those in high SDI regions, while the standardized mortality rate was lower than that in medium-low SDI regions. Conclusions The burden of RA in China from 1990 to 2021 showed an upward trend, and was at a high level compared to different SDI regions. Higher disease burden of RA was seen in females and the elderly.

With the further development and long-term follow-up of endovascular treatment for aortic diseases, increasing evidence shows that in many cases, there are difficulties in the diagnosis of causes, decision-making of treatment timing, and lack of effective evaluation of treatment prognosis in endovascular treatments. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct in-depth research on non-invasive treatment including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and prediction of aortic diseases. The non-invasive treatment of aortic disease is mainly applied to high-risk populations with aortic dissection, regulating key targets and mechanisms, and adopting drug intervention in advance to achieve the goal of controlling aortic dilation and preventing the occurrence of dissection. It also conducts precise multi omics analysis to determine the optimal intervention timing and treatment strategy, and aims at complications related to aortic disease or endovascular treatment for patients with a positive family history of aortic dilation and those who have developed aortic dissection. Precise regulation can control the progression of aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection, delay or achieve long-term stable coexistence with aortic disease, and even reverse disease progression and achieve benign aortic remodeling through new intervention vectors. Ultimately achieving the ideal state of complete thrombosis and mechanized healing of the aortic aneurysm or aortic dissection false lumen.

Objective To investigate the effects of glutathiones-transferase (GST) T1, GSTM1 and epoxide hydrolase (EPHX1) genes on skin injury in workers exposed to coal tar pitch. Methods Workers from a carbon manufacturing company involved in coal tar pitch production and use were selected as the study subjects using a judgment sampling method. Workers with skin injury after exposed to coal tar were selected as the case group (55 cases), and those with the same workshop and type of work but without skin abnormalities were selected as the control group (197 cases). Urine and blood samples were collected from the workers, and levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites, including 1-pyrenol (1-OH-P), 1-naphthol (1-OH-N) and 2-naphthol (2-OH-N), in urine were measured using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The GSTT1, GSTM1 and EPHX1 genes in blood were detected by polymerase chain reaction. Results In the case group, all 55 workers reported skin stinging, 25 workers reported itching and flaking, and 15 workers reported blackheads and pigmentation. Urinary levels of 1-OH-N and 2-OH-N were lower in the worker in the case group than that in the control group (all P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the level of 1-OH-P between the two groups (P>0.05). There were significant differences in the number of workers with GSTT1, GSTM1 and EPHX1(His139His) genes between the two groups (all P<0.01). The GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes were positively correlated with post-shift urinary levels of 1-OH-N, 1-OH-P, and 2-OH-N (all P<0.01). The EPHX1 (139Arg locus) gene was positively correlated with post-shift 2-OH-N levels (P=0.03). The GSTT1, GSTM1, and EPHX1 (139Arg locus) genes were associated with reduced skin damage among coal tar workers (all P<0.01), after controlling for age, length of service, gender, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Conclusion Exposure to coal tar pitch can cause skin injury in workers, and the GSTT1, GSTM1, and EPHX1 (139Arg locus) genes are protective factors against skin injury in those workers.

With the further development and long-term follow-up of endovascular treatment for aortic diseases, increasing evidence shows that in many cases, there are difficulties in the diagnosis of causes, decision-making of treatment timing, and lack of effective evaluation of treatment prognosis in endovascular treatments. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct in-depth research on non-invasive treatment including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and prediction of aortic diseases. The non-invasive treatment of aortic disease is mainly applied to high-risk populations with aortic dissection, regulating key targets and mechanisms, and adopting drug intervention in advance to achieve the goal of controlling aortic dilation and preventing the occurrence of dissection. It also conducts precise multi omics analysis to determine the optimal intervention timing and treatment strategy, and aims at complications related to aortic disease or endovascular treatment for patients with a positive family history of aortic dilation and those who have developed aortic dissection. Precise regulation can control the progression of aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection, delay or achieve long-term stable coexistence with aortic disease, and even reverse disease progression and achieve benign aortic remodeling through new intervention vectors. Ultimately achieving the ideal state of complete thrombosis and mechanized healing of the aortic aneurysm or aortic dissection false lumen.

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is one of the most common malignant tumors in China.When HCC is diagnosed,most patients have been at the middle or advanced stage and have lost the chance of radical resection.In recent years,the roles of targeted therapy,immunotherapy,and radiotherapy have become increasingly prominent in the treatment of unresectable HCC.Although HCC is sensitive to radiation,the clinical value of radiotherapy is often underestimated due to the low tolerance of liver to radiation.With the development of radiotherapy technology,radiotherapy has been widely used in unresectable HCC.Patients can gain more survival benefits whether treated with radiotherapy alone or in combination with other treatments.This review focuses on the application and progress of radiotherapy and its combination therapy in unresectable HCC.

Animals ; Mice ; Spinal Neoplasms/pathology* ; Disease Models, Animal

Objective:To investigate the clinical application of 68Ga-cyclo( L-arginylglycyl- L-α-aspartyl- D-tyrosyl-N6-(((4, 7-bis(carboxymethyl)-1, 4, 7-triazonan-1-yl)acetyl))- L-lysyl) (NODAGA-RGD) PET/CT to evaluate short-term efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in distant metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer (dmDTC). Methods:From October 2019 to March 2023, 13 dmDTC patients (5 males, 8 females; age: 68(65, 69) years) from Nanjing First Hospital were retrospectively enrolled, of which 9 were clinically confirmed as radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RAIR-DTC) and 4 were dmDTC without radioactive iodine treatment. All patients underwent 68Ga-NODAGA-RGD PET/CT to assess neovascularization of the target lesions (TL), and the SUV max and target background ratio (T/B) were recorded. After 3 months of TKI treatment (anrotinib ( n=9) or apatinib ( n=4)), change rates of the maximum diameter of TL and thyroglobulin (Tg) were measured. The correlation of SUV max, T/B and the change rate of the maximum diameter of TL were analyzed by Spearman rank correlation analysis. ROC curve analysis was performed for the effectiveness of the T/B and TKI therapy, and the difference of the remission rate of lesions was analyzed by Fisher exact test. Results:In 13 patients, 36 TL were measured by 68Ga-NODAGA-RGD PET/CT with SUV max of 5.44(3.43, 7.56) and T/B of 5.25(4.50, 7.23). The change rate of the maximum diameter of TL was -30%(-39%, -21%) and the change rate of Tg was -68%(-96%, -52%). T/B was negatively correlated with the change rate of the maximum diameter of TL after TKI therapy ( rs=-0.46, P=0.005), while SUV max was not correlated with the change rate of the maximum diameter of TL ( rs=0.03, P=0.883). ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-off value for T/B was 4.95, with the AUC of 0.698, the sensitivity of 87.5%, and the specificity of 60.0%. Compared to lesions with T/B<4.95, those with T/B≥4.95 showed higher remission rate (2/14 vs 63.6%(14/22); P=0.006). After 3 months of TKI treatment, the disease control rate was 12/13. Conclusion:68Ga-NODAGA-RGD PET/CT can effectively reflect tumor neovascularization, predict efficacy of TKI therapy, and provide powerful imaging evidence for TKI therapy in dmDTC.

Objective:To develop and verify a predictive model based on CT characteristics for predicting infected walled-off necrosis (IWON) in MSAP and SAP patients.Methods:The clinical and CT data of 1 322 patients diagnosed as MSAP and SAP according to the 2012 Atlanta revised diagnostic criteria in the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University from January 2015 to December 2020 were continuously collected. Finally, 126 patients who underwent enhanced CT scans within 3 days after admission and percutaneous catheter drainage of WON during hospitalization were enrolled. Among them, there were 63 MSAP and 63 SAP patients. According to the results of the culture from drainage fluid, the patients were divided into sterile walled-off necrosis group (SWON group, n=31) and infected walled-off necrosis group (IWON group, n=95). Patients were divided into training set (18 patients with SWON and 74 patients with IWON from January 2015 to December 2018) and validation set (13 patients with SWON and 21 patients with IWON from January 2019 to December 2020). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to establish a model for predicting IWON. The model was visualized as a nomogram. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was drawn. The predictive efficacy of the model was evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity and accuracy, and the clinical application value was judged by decision curve analysis (DCA). Results:Univariate regression analysis showed that age, etiology, WON with bubble sign and the lowest CT value of WON were significantly associated with IWON. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that older age, biliary acute pancreatitis, WON with bubble sign, and the greater minimum CT value of WON were independent predictors for IWON. The formula for the prediction model was 0.12+ 0.01 age-0.75 hyperlipidemia-1.62 alcoholic-2.62 other causes+ 19.18 WON bubble sign+ 0.10 minimum CT value of WON. The AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the model were 0.85 (95% CI 0.76-0.94), 67.57%, 88.89%, and 71.74% in the training set and 0.78(95% CI0.62-0.94), 66.67%, 84.62%, and 73.53% in the validation set, respectively. The decision analysis curve showed that when the nomogram differentiated IWON from SWON at a rate greater than 0.38, using the nomogram could benefit the patients. Conclusions:The prediction model established based on CT characteristics might non-invasively and accurately predict the presence or absence of IWON in MSAP and SAP patients, and provide a basis for guiding treatment and evaluating prognosis.

Objective:To observe any relationship between corticospinal tract integrity and the upper limb motor function of stroke survivors treated with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS).Methods:Bilateral corticospinal tracts (CSTs) were reconstructed in ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke survivors with upper limb motor dysfunction using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Thirty patients with good CST integrity (rFA>0.5) and 30 with rFA≤0.5 were further divided into a high frequency rTMS group (HF, n=10), a low frequency group (LF, n=10), and a control group ( n=10). All groups were given routine rehabilitation, while the high and low frequency groups were additionally provided with 5Hz and 1Hz rTMS respectively applied over the M1 area of the contralesional hemisphere. Before and after 3 weeks of treatment, all of the subjects were evaluated using the Fugl-Meyer upper extremity scale (F-M UE), the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and the Modified Barthel Index (MBI). Results:For the high CST integrity group, significant improvement was observed in the average scores of all measurements, with the average FMA-UE, WMFT and MBI scores of the LF group [(38.10±5.71), (43.20±5.32) and (78.00±11.35)] significantly better than those of the other 2 groups. Among the low CST integrity group, the HF subgroup showed greater improvement than the other 2 on average.Conclusions:For patients with good CST integrity, LF-rTMS over the contralesional cortex is superior to HF-rTMS in promoting upper limb motor function, while for patients with low CST integrity HF-rTMS over the contralesional cortex has a better effect than LF-rTMS or sham stimulation in terms of improving upper limb motor function after a stroke.

Purpose: The prevalence of multi-morbidities with colorectal cancer (CRC) is known to be increasing. Particularly prognosis of CRC patients co-diagnosed with metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) was largely unknown. We aimed to examine the death risk of CRC patients according to the multiple MetSyn morbidities. Materials and Methods: We identified CRC patients with MetSyn from the electronic medical records (EMR) systems in five independent hospitals during 2006-2011. Information on deaths was jointly retrieved from EMR, cause of death registry and chronic disease surveillance as well as study-specific questionnaire. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to calculate the overall and CRC-specific hazards ratios (HR) comparing MetSyn CRC cohort with reference CRC cohort. Results: A total of 682 CRC patients in MetSyn CRC cohort were identified from 24 months before CRC diagnosis to 1 month after. During a median follow-up of 92 months, we totally observed 584 deaths from CRC, 245 being in MetSyn cohort and 339 in reference cohort. Overall, MetSyn CRC cohort had an elevated risk of CRC-specific mortality (HR, 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07 to 1.90) and overall mortality (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.84) compared to reference cohort after multiple adjustment. Stratified analyses showed higher mortality risk among women (HR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.04 to 2.27) and specific components of MetSyn. Notably, the number of MetSyn components was observed to be significantly related to CRC prognosis. Conclusion Our findings supported that multi-morbidities of MetSyn associated with elevated death risk after CRC. MetSyn should be considered as an integrated medical condition more than its components in CRC prognostic management.