Objective To compare the mid- and long-term clinical results of mitral valve plasty (MVP) and mitral valve replacement (MVR) in the treatment of functional mitral regurgitation (FMR). Methods Patients with FMR who underwent surgical treatment in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command from 2012 to 2021 were collected. The patients who underwent MVP were divided into a MVP group, and those who underwent MVR into a MVR group. The clinical data and mid-term follow-up efficacy of two groups were compared. Results Finally 236 patients were included. There were 100 patients in the MVP group, including 53 males and 47 females, with an average age of (61.80±8.03) years. There were 136 patients in the MVR group, including 72 males and 64 females, with an average age of (61.29±8.97) years. There was no statistical difference in baseline data between the two groups (P＞0.05). There was no statistical difference between the two groups in the extracorporeal circulation time, aortic occlusion time, postoperative hospital and ICU stay, intraoperative blood loss, or hospitalization death (P＞0.05), but the time of mechanical ventilation in the MVP group was significantly shorter than that in the MVR group (P=0.022). The total follow-up rate was 100.0%, the longest follow-up was 10 years, and the average follow-up time was (3.60±2.55) years. There were statistical differences in the left atrial diameter, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left ventricular end-systolic diameter and cardiac function between the two groups compared with those before surgery (P<0.05). The postoperative left ventricular ejection fraction in the MVP group was statistically higher than that before surgery (P=0.002), but there was no statistical difference in the MVR group before and after surgery (P=0.658). The left atrial diameter in the MVP group was reduced compared with the MVR group (P=0.026). The recurrence rate of mitral regurgitation in the MVP group was higher than that in the MVR group, and the difference was statistically significant (10.0% vs. 1.5%, P=0.003). There were 14 deaths in the MVP group and 19 in the MVR group. The cumulative survival rate (P=0.605) and cardiovascular events-free survival rate (P=0.875) were not statistically significant between the two groups by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Conclusion The safety, and mid- and long-term clinical efficacy of MVP in the treatment of FMR patients are better than MVR, and the left atrial and left ventricular diameters are statistically reduced, and cardiac function is statistically improved. However, the surgeon needs to be well aware of the indications for the MVP procedure to reduce the rate of mitral regurgitation recurrence.

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Tongluo Baoshen prescription （TLBS）-containing serum on the rat podocyte injury induced by lipopolysaccharide （LPS） and explore the potential mechanisms. MethodsSD rats were used to prepare the blank serum， losartan potassium-containing serum， and low-， medium-， and high-dose TLBS-containing sera. Rat podocytes were cultured in vitro， and the effects of drug-containing sera on podocyte viability were detected by the cell counting kit-8 （CKK-8） method. The optimal intervention volume fraction of drug-containing sera and the optimal concentration of LPS for inducing the podocyte injury were determined. Rat podocytes were grouped as follows： normal control （NC， 10% blank serum）， model control （MC， 20.00 mg·L^-1 LPS+10% black serum）， losartan potassium （LP， 20.00 mg·L^-1 LPS+10% losartan potassium-containing serum）， low-dose TLBS （TLBS-L， 20.00 mg·L^-1 LPS+10% low-dose TLBS-containing serum）， medium-dose TLBS （TLBS-M， 20.00 mg·L^-1 LPS+10% medium-dose TLBS-containing serum）， and high-dose TLBS （TLBS-H， 20.00 mg·L^-1 LPS+10% high-dose TLBS-containing serum）， and the interventions lasted for 48 h. The ultrastructure of podocytes was observed under a transmission electron microscope. The podocyte apoptosis was detected by the terminal deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick-end labeling （TUNEL） kit. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression of gasdermin D N-terminal fragment （GSDMD-NT） in podocytes. The mRNA and protein levels of G protein-coupled receptor family C group 5 member B （GPRC5B）， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） p50， NF-κB p52， NF-κB p65， Rel B， c-Rel， NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-1 （Caspase-1）， GSDMD-NT， interleukin （IL）-1β， IL-18， nephrin， integrin α₃， and integrin β₁ in podocytes were determined by real-time quaritiative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. ResultsCompared with the NC group， the MC group showed reduced podocyte protrusions and organelles， segmental missing of cell membranes， increased and swollen mitochondria， irregular nuclear membranes， light chromatin， increased TUNEL fluorescence-positive nuclei （P<0.01）， obviously enhanced fluorescence intensity of GSDMD-NT， up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of GPRC5B， NF-κB p50， NF-κB p52， NF-κB p65， Rel B， c-Rel， NLRP3， caspase-1， GSDMD-NT， IL-1β， and IL-18 （P<0.01）， and down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of nephrin， integrin α₃， and integrin β₁ （P<0.01） in podocytes. Compared with the MC group， the LP， TLBS-M， and TLBS-H groups showed improved ultrastructure of podocytes with increased protrusions， intact cell membranes， reduced organelles， and alleviated mitochondrial swelling， decreased TUNEL fluorescence-positive nuclei （P<0.01）， weakened fluorescence intensity of GSDMD-NT， down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of GPRC5B， NF-κB p50， NF-κB p52， NF-κB p65， Rel B， c-Rel， NLRP3， caspase-1， GSDMD-NT， IL-1β， and IL-18 （P<0.01）， and up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of nephrin， integrin α₃， and integrin β₁ （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Moreover， the changes above were the most obvious in the TLBS-H group. ConclusionThe TLBS-containing serum can regulate the GPRC5B/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway to inhibit pyroptosis， thereby ameliorating the podocyte injury induced by LPS.

IgA nephropathy is recognized as the most common primary glomerular disease， with up to 20%-40% of patients developing end-stage kidney disease within 20 years of onset. The deposition of IgA1-containing immune complexes targeting glycosylation defects in the mesangial region and the subsequent inflammation caused by T lymphocyte activation are considered as the main causes of IgA nephropathy， and innate immunity is also involved in the pathogenesis. Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain （NOD）-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） is a newly discovered pattern recognition receptor expressed in renal intrinsic cells such as renal tubular epithelial cells， mesangial cells， and podocytes. Activated by external stimuli， NLRP3 can form NLRP3 inflammasomes with apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain （ASC）. The NLRP3 inflammasome can activate cysteine aspartate-specific protease-1 （Caspase-1）， causing the maturation and release of interleukin-18 （IL-18） and interleukin-1β （IL-1β） involved in inflammation. Increasing evidence has suggested that NLRP3 inflammasomes are involved in the pathogenesis and progression of IgA nephropathy and associated with the damage of renal intrinsic cells such as podocytes， mesangial cells， endothelial cells， and renal tubular epithelial cells. Chinese medicine can regulate inflammatory cytokines and their signaling pathways by acting on NLRP3 inflammasomes and related molecules， exerting therapeutic effects on IgA nephropathy. This article introduces the role of NLRP3 inflammasomes in IgA nephropathy and reviews the clinical and experimental research progress of Chinese medicine intervention in IgA nephropathy via NLRP3 inflammasomes， aiming to provide a reference for further research and application of Chinese medicine intervention in the NLRP3 inflammasome as a new therapeutic target.

Objective To investigate the relationship between interleukin 1 receptor a(IL-1Ra)gene polymorphism and different outcomes in asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis(aBV)patients with the aim of grouping and managing aBV patients.Methods In study on the natural attribution of aBV patients,all patients were enrolled and a sam-ple of venous blood and vaginal lavage fluid were separately frozen.After 4 months at the end of the clinical study,patients who completed the study were divided into three groups based on clinical outcomes:self-healing,progres-sive,and unchanged.The IL-1Ra gene polymorphism,the concentration of IL-1 β and IL-1Ra were tested,and the differences in the above indicators among three groups of patients with different outcomes were compared.Results 1 014 Chinese Han female patients were enrolled,and 984 patients completed clinical follow-up and obtained clini-cal outcome data.13 specimens were unusable during testing,with a total of 971 specimens completed the test.IL-1Ra gene was detected in all patients,with three genotypes:A1/A1,A1/A2,and A2/A2.Most population had a genotype of A1/A1,with the rarest genotype being A2/A2.No rare genotype of female was found.The frequency of A2 alleles in the progression group was significantly higher than that in the self-healing group(P＜0.05).IL-1 βand IL-1Ra were detected in all vaginal lavage fluid samples.Compared with the progression group,IL-1 β in the self-healing group was significantly lower(P＜0.05).When carrying the A2 allele,IL-1 β in progression group was relatively low,while the level of IL-1Ra was relatively high.The values of the unchanged group were middle.Con-clusion The polymorphism characteristics of the IL-1Ra gene in aBV patients are related to the IL-1Ra content in vaginal secretions.Carrying allele A2 is related to the elevation of IL-1Ra,the decrease of IL-1 β in vaginal secre-tions.Carrying allele A2 may affect the clinical outcome of aBV by some potential mechanism.

Objective To analyze the short-term clinical efficacy and influencing factors of ustekinumab monoclonal antibody(UST)in the treatment of Crohn′s disease(CD).Methods Retrospective cohort study was used to collect the clinical data of CD patients treated with UST in the 10th People′s Hospital affiliated to Tongji University from December 2020 to October 2022.The main analysis is the short-term clinical efficacy and influencing factors of UST treatment for CD at weeks 8 and 16,And analyze the endoscopic response rate of some patients.Results A total of 91 CD patients who first used UST were included.The 8-week clinical response rate of UST treat-ment for CD was 61.5%,and the clinical response rate was 45%;The clinical response rate at 16 weeks was 71.4%,and the clinical response rate was 54.9%.56 cases underwent endoscopic re-examination in our hospital,and the endoscopic response rate at 16 weeks was 41.1%.Univariate analysis showed that fistula(including anal fistula,personal history of anal fistula,and intestinal skin fistula)is associated with clinical remission in Crohn′s disease patients at 8/16 weeks.Further multivariate COX regression analysis showed that the presence of a history of anal fistula surgery was an independent protective factor affecting clinical remission in CD patients treated with UST at 8 weeks(HR = 0.04,95%CI:0.00～0.38;P = 0.005)and 16 weeks(HR = 0.04,95%CI:0.01～0.34;P = 0.003)compared to those without fistula;Narrow lesions are an independent risk factor for 16 week clinical remission in CD patients compared to non-narrow and non-penetrating lesions(HR = 1.75,95%CI:1.08～2.84;P = 0.023).No patients were found to have stopped medication due to serious adverse reactions.Conclusions UST can improve the clinical remission and response of CD patients at 8/16 weeks,and has good short-term clinical efficacy.CD patients with a personal history of anal fistula are recommended to use UST monoclonal antibodies,while patients with stenotic lesions should be cautious in using UST monoclonal antibodies.Whether the patient has undergone surgical treatment in the past,as well as whether UST has been used on the first or non-first line,has no significant impact on clinical remission.

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors for early tumor recurrence and the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) patients after curative-intent resection.Methods:The retrospective case-control study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 506 patients with GBC in 11 medical centers, including The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University et al, from January 2016 to December 2020 were collected. There were 168 males and 338 females, aged (62±11)years. All patients underwent curative-intent resection of GBC, and they were divided into patients with and without early recurrence based on time to postoperative recurrence. Observation indicators: (1) treatment; (2) follow-up and survival of patients; (3) analysis of influencing factors for early tumor recurrence after curative-intent resection of GBC; (4) efficacy of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Count data were described as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Comparison of ordinal data was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test. Univariate analysis was conducted using the corresponding statistical methods based on data type. Multivariate analysis was conducted using the Logistic regression model with forward method. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw survival curve and calculate survival rate, and Log-Rank test was used for survival analysis. Results:(1) Treatment. Of 506 patients, there were 112 cases with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, and 394 cases without postopera-tive adjuvant chemotherapy. They underwent 5(range, 3-9)cycles of postoperative adjuvant chemo-therapy. (2) Follow-up and survival of patients. All 506 patients underwent postoperative follow-up, with the follow-up time of 55(range, 34-93)months. During the follow-up, there were 248 patients with tumor recurrence, including 158 cases of early recurrence and 90 cases of late recurrence, and there were 258 patients without tumor recurrence. Of 506 patients, 275 cases survived, and 231 cases died of multiple organ failure caused by tumor recurrence and metastasis. The postoperative recurr-ence-free survival time, overall survival time were 52(range,1-93)months, 62(range, 2-93)months. The 1-, 3-, 5-year disease-free survival rates and 1-, 3-, 5-year overall survival rates of the 506 pati-ents were 68.8%, 53.8%, 47.9% and 78.3%, 58.7%, 51.6%, respectively. Results of survival analysis showed that the median overall survival time of 158 patients with postoperative early recurrence and 348 patients without postoperative early recurrence (including 90 cases of late recurrence and 258 cases of no tumor recurrence) were 9(range, 2-73)months and unreached, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=456.15, P<0.05). (3) Analysis of influencing factors for early tumor recurrence after curative-intent resection of GBC. Results of multivariate analysis showed that carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) >5.0 μg/L, poorly differentiated tumor, liver invasion, and tumor N staging as stage N1-N2 were independent risk factors influencing early tumor recurrence after cura-tive-intent resection of GBC ( odds ratio=2.74, 6.20, 1.81, 2.93, 4.82, 95% confidence interval as 1.62-4.64, 1.82-21.12, 1.15-3.08, 1.68-5.09, 1.91-12.18, P<0.05), while postoperative adjuvant chemo-therapy was an independent protect factor ( odds ratio=0.39, 95% confidence interval as 0.21-0.71, P<0.05). (4) Efficacy of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. The median overall survival time of 394 patients without postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and 112 patients with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were 57(range, 2-93)months and unreached, showing a significant differ-ence between them ( χ2=9.38, P<0.05). Of the 158 patients with postoperative early recurrence after curative-intent resection of GBC, 135 cases didn't receive adjuvant chemotherapy and 23 cases received adjuvant chemotherapy, with the overall survival time of 8(range, 2-73)months and 17(range, 8-61)months, respectively, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=7.68, P<0.05). Conclusions:CEA >5.0 μg/L, poorly differentiated tumor, liver invasion, and tumor N staging as stage N1-N2 are independent risk factors influencing early tumor recurrence after curative-intent resection of GBC, while postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is an independent protect factor. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy can prolong the overall survival time of patients with post-operative tumor early recurrence.

Objective: To investigate the differences in enolase and laminin levels in vaginal epithelial tissues between mice successfully infected withGardnerellaand mice not infected with Gardnerella, providing information for further exploration of the correlation between enolase and laminin levels and the incidence of bacterial vaginosis. Methods: Gardnerella strains isolated, purified, and identified from vaginal secretions of patients with bacterial vaginosis were used to infect the vagina of mice and establish a mouse model of bacterial vaginosis. Successful and failed mice was defined as successful and failed groups, respectively. Differential expression of enolase and laminin in the vaginal epithelial tissue of two groups of mice was detected by Western blot. Modeling success rate was statistically analyzed, and the expression differences of enolase and laminin was compared between two groups. Results: One strain of Gardnerella vaginalis infected 10 SPF grade KM mice, 7 mice met the diagnostic criteria for bacterial vaginosis, and 3 mice failed to model, with a success rate of 70%. Western blot was used to detect protein expression levels, and the levels of laminin and enolase in the successfully modeled mouse vaginal epithelial tissue were significantly higher than those in the failed modeling group, with statistical differences between the two groups(P<0.05). Conclusion Enolase and laminin may be involved in the occurrence of bacterial vaginosis, however, further research is needed to determine the mechanisms through which they trigger the occurrence and development of the disease.

Objective To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of acellular nerve allografts(ANA)combined with electroacupuncture on spinal ganglia in rats with sciatic nerve injury(SNI).Methods Totally 50 male adult SD rats were randomly selected for this experiment.Ten rats were prepared for the ANA.Forty male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group,model group,ANA group and combinational group,with 10 rats in each group.The SNI model was established by cutting off the nerves 10 mm at the 5 mm on the inferior border of piriformis after separating the right sciatic nerves.The rats in the ANA group were bridged with ANA to the two broken ends of injured nerves.The rats in the combinational group were treated with electroacupuncture 2 days after ANA bridging,Huantiao(GB30)and Yanglingquan(GB34)were performed as the acupuncture points,each electroacupuncture lasted 15 minutes and 7 days as a course of treatment,4 courses in all.Sciatic nerve conduction velocity was measured by electrophysiology to evaluate the regeneration of damaged axons.Morphology of spinal ganglia was observed by Nissl staining.The expression of nerve growth factor(NGF)and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)were detected by Western blotting and immunofluorescent staining.Results Compared with the normal group,the sciatic nerve conduction velocity in model group decreased significantly(P<0.01),Nissl bodies in neurons of spinal ganglia were swollen and dissolved,with incomplete structure and the number decreased dramatically(P<0.01),while the level of NGF and BDNF also decreased significantly(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the sciatic nerve conduction velocity in ANA and combinational groups strongly increased(P<0.01),the damage of Nissl bodies in neurons of spinal ganglia reduced and the number obviously increased(P<0.01),the level of NGF and BDNF increased considerably(P<0.01).Compared with the ANA group,the sciatic nerve conduction velocity in combinational group increased significantly(P<0.01),the morphology of Nissl bodies in neurons of spinal ganglia were more regular and the number increased(P<0.01),moreover,the level of NGF also increased significantly(P<0.01).Conclusion ANA combined with electroacupuncture can enhance the sciatic nerve conduction velocity,improve the morphology of neurons in spinal ganglia and play a protective effect on spinal ganglia.The mechanism can be related to the higher expression of NGF and BDNF proteins,especially the expression of NGF protein.

Objective Viral encephalitis is an infectious disease severely affecting human health.It is caused by a wide variety of viral pathogens,including herpes viruses,flaviviruses,enteroviruses,and other viruses.The laboratory diagnosis of viral encephalitis is a worldwide challenge.Recently,high-throughput sequencing technology has provided new tools for diagnosing central nervous system infections.Thus,In this study,we established a multipathogen detection platform for viral encephalitis based on amplicon sequencing. Methods We designed nine pairs of specific polymerase chain reaction(PCR)primers for the 12 viruses by reviewing the relevant literature.The detection ability of the primers was verified by software simulation and the detection of known positive samples.Amplicon sequencing was used to validate the samples,and consistency was compared with Sanger sequencing. Results The results showed that the target sequences of various pathogens were obtained at a coverage depth level greater than 20×,and the sequence lengths were consistent with the sizes of the predicted amplicons.The sequences were verified using the National Center for Biotechnology Information BLAST,and all results were consistent with the results of Sanger sequencing. Conclusion Amplicon-based high-throughput sequencing technology is feasible as a supplementary method for the pathogenic detection of viral encephalitis.It is also a useful tool for the high-volume screening of clinical samples.

Objective To evaluate the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after dexmedetomidine and diazepam in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted in the patients who underwent CABG in the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command from October 2020 to June 2021. By propensity score-matching method, the incidence of POAF after dexmedetomidine and diazepam application in patients undergoing CABG was evaluated. Results Finally 207 patients were collected, including 150 males and 57 females, with an average age of 62.02±8.38 years. Among the 207 patients, 53 were treated with dexmedetomidine and 154 with diazepam before operation. There was a statistical difference in the proportion of hypertension patients and smoking patients between the two groups before matching (P<0.05). According to the 1∶1 propensity score-matching method, there were 53 patients in each of the two groups, with no statistical difference between the two groups after matching. After matching, the incidence of POAF in the dexmedetomidine group was lower than that in the diazepam group [9.43% (5/53) vs. 30.19% (16/53), P=0.007]. There was no death in the two groups during hospitalization, and there was no statistical difference in the main adverse events after operation. The ICU stay (21.28±2.69 h vs. 22.80±2.56 h, P=0.004) and mechanical ventilation time (18.53±2.25 h vs. 19.85±2.01 h, P=0.002) in the dexmedetomidine group were shorter. Regression analysis showed that age, smoking and diabetes were related to the increased incidence of POAF (P<0.05), and preoperative use of dexmedetomidine was associated with a reduced incidence of POAF (P=0.002). Conclusion For patients undergoing CABG, the incidence of POAF with dexmedetomidine before operation is lower than that with diazepam. Preoperative application of dexmedetomidine is the protective factor for POAF, and old age, smoking and diabetes are the risk factors for POAF.