Background: and Purpose This study aimed to investigate the association between residual inflammatory risk (RIR) and vulnerable plaques using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI) in symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS). Methods: This retrospective study included 70%–99% symptomatic ICAS patients hospitalized from January 2016 to December 2022. Patients were classified into four groups based on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C): residual cholesterol inflammatory risk (RCIR, hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L and LDL-C ≥2.6 mmol/L), RIR (hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L and LDL-C <2.6 mmol/L), residual cholesterol risk (RCR, hs-CRP <3 mg/L and LDL-C ≥2.6 mmol/L), and no residual risk (NRR, hs-CRP <3 mg/L and LDL-C <2.6 mmol/L). Vulnerable plaque features on HRMRI included positive remodeling, diffuse distribution, intraplaque hemorrhage, and strong enhancement. Results: Among 336 included patients, 21, 60, 58, and 197 were assigned to the RCIR, RIR, RCR, and NRR groups, respectively. Patients with RCIR (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.606; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.346–9.662; P=0.011) and RIR (aOR, 3.361; 95% CI, 1.774–6.368, P<0.001) had higher risks of strong enhancement than those with NRR. Additionally, patients with RCIR (aOR, 2.965; 95% CI, 1.060–8.297; P=0.038) were more likely to have intraplaque hemorrhage compared with those with NRR. In the sensitivity analysis, RCR (aOR, 2.595; 95% CI, 1.201–5.608; P=0.015) exhibited an additional correlation with an increased risk of intraplaque hemorrhage. Conclusion In patients with symptomatic ICAS, RIR is associated with a higher risk of intraplaque hemorrhage and strong enhancement, indicating an increased vulnerability to atherosclerotic plaques.

Background: and Purpose This study aimed to investigate the association between residual inflammatory risk (RIR) and vulnerable plaques using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI) in symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS). Methods: This retrospective study included 70%–99% symptomatic ICAS patients hospitalized from January 2016 to December 2022. Patients were classified into four groups based on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C): residual cholesterol inflammatory risk (RCIR, hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L and LDL-C ≥2.6 mmol/L), RIR (hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L and LDL-C <2.6 mmol/L), residual cholesterol risk (RCR, hs-CRP <3 mg/L and LDL-C ≥2.6 mmol/L), and no residual risk (NRR, hs-CRP <3 mg/L and LDL-C <2.6 mmol/L). Vulnerable plaque features on HRMRI included positive remodeling, diffuse distribution, intraplaque hemorrhage, and strong enhancement. Results: Among 336 included patients, 21, 60, 58, and 197 were assigned to the RCIR, RIR, RCR, and NRR groups, respectively. Patients with RCIR (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.606; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.346–9.662; P=0.011) and RIR (aOR, 3.361; 95% CI, 1.774–6.368, P<0.001) had higher risks of strong enhancement than those with NRR. Additionally, patients with RCIR (aOR, 2.965; 95% CI, 1.060–8.297; P=0.038) were more likely to have intraplaque hemorrhage compared with those with NRR. In the sensitivity analysis, RCR (aOR, 2.595; 95% CI, 1.201–5.608; P=0.015) exhibited an additional correlation with an increased risk of intraplaque hemorrhage. Conclusion In patients with symptomatic ICAS, RIR is associated with a higher risk of intraplaque hemorrhage and strong enhancement, indicating an increased vulnerability to atherosclerotic plaques.

Background: and Purpose This study aimed to investigate the association between residual inflammatory risk (RIR) and vulnerable plaques using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI) in symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS). Methods: This retrospective study included 70%–99% symptomatic ICAS patients hospitalized from January 2016 to December 2022. Patients were classified into four groups based on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C): residual cholesterol inflammatory risk (RCIR, hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L and LDL-C ≥2.6 mmol/L), RIR (hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L and LDL-C <2.6 mmol/L), residual cholesterol risk (RCR, hs-CRP <3 mg/L and LDL-C ≥2.6 mmol/L), and no residual risk (NRR, hs-CRP <3 mg/L and LDL-C <2.6 mmol/L). Vulnerable plaque features on HRMRI included positive remodeling, diffuse distribution, intraplaque hemorrhage, and strong enhancement. Results: Among 336 included patients, 21, 60, 58, and 197 were assigned to the RCIR, RIR, RCR, and NRR groups, respectively. Patients with RCIR (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.606; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.346–9.662; P=0.011) and RIR (aOR, 3.361; 95% CI, 1.774–6.368, P<0.001) had higher risks of strong enhancement than those with NRR. Additionally, patients with RCIR (aOR, 2.965; 95% CI, 1.060–8.297; P=0.038) were more likely to have intraplaque hemorrhage compared with those with NRR. In the sensitivity analysis, RCR (aOR, 2.595; 95% CI, 1.201–5.608; P=0.015) exhibited an additional correlation with an increased risk of intraplaque hemorrhage. Conclusion In patients with symptomatic ICAS, RIR is associated with a higher risk of intraplaque hemorrhage and strong enhancement, indicating an increased vulnerability to atherosclerotic plaques.

Irradiated blood emerged as a preventive measure for transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GVHD), ensuring the safety of blood transfusion for patients. In recent years, with the continuous development of transfusion medicine, the utilization rate of irradiated blood has been increasing, and there has been a growing number of studies on the effects of irradiation on blood components. Meanwhile, besides preventing TA-GVHD, irradiated blood holds promising applications in addressing other clinical transfusion issues. This article reviews the clinical applications and research of irradiated blood in transfusion medicine, aiming to provide a reference for achieving safe blood transfusion.

Lung cancer is the leading type of cancer death, and most patients with lung cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage and have a very poor prognosis. Although low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) has entered the clinic as a screening tool for lung cancer, its false-positive rate is more than 90%. As one of the epigenetic modifications of research hotspots, DNA methylation plays a key role in a variety of diseases, including cancer.Hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes and hypomethylation of proto-oncogenes are important events in tumorigenesis and development. Therefore, DNA methylation analysis can provide some useful information for the early screening, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of lung cancer. Although invasive methods such as tissue biopsy remain the gold standard for tumor diagnosis and monitoring, they also have limitations such as inconvenience in sampling. In recent years, there has been a rapid development of liquid biopsy, which can detect primary or metastatic malignancies and reflect the heterogeneity of tumors. In addition, the blood sample can be collected in a minimally invasive or non-invasive format and is well tolerated in older and frail patients. This article explores some of the emerging technologies for DNA methylation analysis and provides an overview of the application of DNA methylation in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.

Objective To explore the clinical application value of deep learning image reconstruction(DLIR)-based technique for radiation dose reduction with different noise index(NI)in CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy(PTNB).Methods Thirty-two patients undergoing PTNB were selected,and three sets of CT images with NI of 15,30,and 45 sequentially were obtained after adjusting the puncture needle using the scanning parameters of a small range(40 mm),tube voltage 100 kV,and automatic tube cur-rent modulation(ATCM).Group A was 50％weight of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-Veo(ASIR-V)scanned with NI 15,and group B and C were the DLIR-high reconstructed images with NI 30 and NI 45 respectively.The CT value and standard devia-tion(SD)value of paraspinal muscles,subcutaneous fat,and arterial vessels were measured at the puncture center point and its upper and lower 10 mm sclices,respectively,and the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and the contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)were also calculated.Then the images were subjectively scored by two physicians,meanwhile the effective dose(ED)among the three groups was com-pared.Results According to the subjective evaluation,the image quality of group A,B,and C all met the clinical requirement for puncture.The SD and SNR of the images in group B were better than those in groups A and C.The SD and SNR of paraspinal mus-cles and sudcutaneous fat were significantly different between groups A and B,and between groups B and C(P＜0.05),however those of paraspinal muscles and subcutaneous fat between groups A and C were not significant.The differences in ED among the three groups were all statistically significant(P＜0.05).Compared with group A,the ED in groups B and C were reduced by 82.86％and 93.90％respectively,and the ED in group C was reduced by 64.44％compared with group B.Conclusion Increasing the NI combined with the DLIR technique can significantly reduce the radi-ation dose during CT-guided PTNB.

Objective:To discuss the performance of visual score and heart-to-contralateral lung (H/CL) ratio of 99Tc m-pyrophosphate (PYP) SPECT/CT scintigraphy for diagnosing transthyretin-related cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) by using Meta-analysis. Methods:Relevant studies on 99Tc m-PYP SPECT/CT diagnosis of ATTR-CA published before August 20, 2023 from databases including Pubmed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang and China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP) were retrieved. Articles were screened and indices which reflect the diagnostic efficiency such as sensitivity and specificity were extracted. Forest plots were drawn, and subgroup analysis was performed to analyze the heterogeneity. Results:A total of 160 articles were retrieved, and 11 articles involving 1 802 patients were enrolled, of whom 605 were diagnosed with ATTR-CA. All 11 articles were enrolled when analyzing the diagnostic efficiency of visual score for diagnosing ATTR-CA. After integration, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.95(95% CI: 0.91-0.97) and 0.95(95% CI: 0.90-0.98), respectively. Ten articles (1 611 patients) were enrolled when analyzing the diagnostic efficiency of H/CL ratio for diagnosing ATTR-CA. After integration, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.93(95% CI: 0.82-0.98) and 0.99(95% CI: 0.90-1.00), respectively. Subgroup analysis indicated that lack of uniformity in diagnostic criteria was the primary source of heterogeneity. Conclusion:99Tc m-PYP SPECT/CT scintigraphy exhibits high diagnostic efficiency for ATTR-CA.

ObjectiveTo study the changes of body composition indexes reflecting muscle condition for stroke hemiplegic patients after isokinetic strength training. MethodsFrom January, 2021 to April, 2022, 30 stroke inpatients with hemiplegia in Beichen Hospital of Nankai University were randomly divided into control group (n = 15) and isokinetic group (n = 15). Both groups accepted routine rehabilitation training, while the isokinetic group accepted isokinetic strength training of shoulder and elbow on the affected side in addition. All patients were tested the lean body mass, affected upper arm muscle circumference, affected upper limb muscle mass, edema index, skeletal muscle index before, and two weeks and four weeks after training. ResultsCompared with the control group, the edema index decreased in isokinetic group after training (t > 2.536, P < 0.05); the affected upper limb muscle mass increased more in the isokinetic group four weeks after training (t = -2.750, P = 0.010). ConclusionIsokinetic training can reduce edema and muscular disuse atrophy of the affected side for stroke patients with hemiplegia.

Background: and Purpose Intracranial vertebrobasilar atherosclerotic stenosis (IVBAS) is a major cause of posterior circulation stroke. Some patients suffer from stroke recurrence despite receiving medical treatment. This study aimed to determine the prognostic value of a new score for the posterior communicating artery and the P1 segment of the posterior cerebral artery (PCoA-P1) for predicting stroke recurrence in IVBAS. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled patients with severe IVBAS (70%–99%). According to the number of stroke recurrences, patients were divided into no-recurrence, single-recurrence, and multiple-recurrences groups. We developed a new 5-point grading scale, with the PCoA-P1 score ranging from 0 to 4 based on magnetic resonance angiography, in which primary collaterals were dichotomized into good (2–4 points) and poor (0 or 1 point). Stroke recurrences after the index stroke were recorded. Patients who did not experience stroke recurrence were compared with those who experienced single or multiple stroke recurrences. Results: From January 2012 to December 2019, 176 patients were enrolled, of which 116 (65.9%) had no stroke recurrence, 35 (19.9%) had a single stroke recurrence, and 25 (14.2%) had multiple stroke recurrences. Patients with single stroke recurrence (odds ratio [OR]= 4.134, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.822–9.380, p=0.001) and multiple stroke recurrences (OR=6.894, 95% CI=2.489–19.092, p<0.001) were more likely to have poor primary collaterals than those with no stroke recurrence. Conclusions The new PCoA-P1 score appears to provide improve predictions of stroke recurrence in patients with IVBAS.

Objective:To investigate the protective effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy(HBOT)on myocardial fibrosis and oxidative stress induced by D-galactose(D-gal)in senescent model mice and its possible mechanism.Methods:Three-month-old male Kunming mice(n=27)were randomized into control, D-gal, and D-gal + HBOT groups.The control group received subcutaneous sterilized saline(5 ml · kg -1· d -1)for 8 weeks; the remaining 2 groups received subcutaneous D-gal(200 mg · kg -1· d -1)for 8 weeks. The D-gal + HBOT group underwent HBOT intervention at week 7~8.At the end of the experiment, the histopathological changes were analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining, and the fibrosis changes were analyzed by Masson staining and Sirius red staining.Oxidative stress kit was used to detect catalase(CAT), total superoxide dismutase(T-SOD)activity and malon-di-aldehyde(MDA)content in serum of mice.Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of the aging-related proteins p53 and p16 in mouse heart tissue, the heart-function-related proteins atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP)and brain natriuretic peptide(BNP), and the oxidative stress-related protein superoxide dismutase 1(SOD1), superoxide dismutase 2(SOD2)and catalase(CAT). Results:Cardiac morphologic staining indicated that as compared with the control group, mice of D-gal group exhibited features of senescence and the increased fibrosis area, and senescence and fibrosis were obviously improved after HBOT intervention as compared with the D-gal group.The findings of the oxidative stress kit measurement indicated that as compared with the control group, the D-gal group had markedly decreased activities of CAT and T-SOD, significantly increased MDA content in the serum.After HBOT treatment, as compared with d-gal group, serum CAT and T-SOD activities were increased, while MDA content was decreased( F=126.85, 32.89, 157.50, all P<0.05).Furthermore, as compared with the control group, the D-gal group had obviously increased contents of p53, p16, ANP and BNP, while the content of CAT, SOD1 and SOD2 were obviously decreased.After HBOT intervention, as compared with the D-gal group, the contents of p53, p16, ANP、BNP were reduced, while the content of CAT, SOD1 and SOD2 were increased( F=36.37, 14.81, 23.28, 58.41, 12.79, 80.08, 6.63, all P<0.05). Conclusions:HBOT intervention could protects against cardiac injury in aging mice, which may be related to attenuating myocardial fibrosis, inducing the expression of antioxidant enzymes, and reducing oxidative stress.