OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of thumbtack-needle embedding therapy of auricular acupuncture on gastrointestinal function and intestinal microflora in the patients with gastric cancer after operation, and to explore its mechanism. METHODS: A total of 80 patients with gastric cancer after radical operation were randomly divided into an observation group (40 cases, 3 cases discontinued) and a control group (40 cases, 3 cases discontinued). The patients of both groups received the perioperative care for accelerating recovery. Additionally, in the observation group, the thumbtack-needle embedding therapy of auricular acupuncture was delivered at the auricular points of unilateral side, including Wei (CO₄), Pi (CO₁₃), Dachang (CO₇), Xiaochang (CO₆), Yuanzhong (AT_2,3,4i), Erzhong (HX₁), Sanjiao (CO₁₇) and Jiaowozhong (TF₃), and the needles were embedded and retained for 72 h. The postoperative recovery time of gastrointestinal function (the postoperative bowel sound recovery time, the first exhaust time, the first defecation time), the postoperative hospital stay and pain visual analogue scale (VAS) score were observed in the two groups. Before operation and on day 5 after operation, the serum gastrin level was detected in the two groups. The third-generation 16S rRNA sequencing technology was used to detect the composition and relative abundance of intestinal flora in the two groups before and after operation. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the postoperative bowel sound recovery time, the first exhaust time and the first defecation time were shortened in the observation group (P<0.05). In the observation group, the VAS scores at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h after surgery were lower than those of the control group, respectively (P<0.05). There was no significant differences in postoperative hospital stay and serum gastrin level between the two groups (P>0.05). The alpha diversity analysis showed that the differences in Shannon index, Simpson index, Pielou_J index and Pd_fath index were not significant statistically after intervention between the two groups (P>0.05). After intervention, the community structure of the fecal sample was similar at each taxonomic level between the two groups, and although the proportion between species was various, the difference was not significant (P>0.05). After intervention, there were 55 species with the differences between the two groups, 17 species of them presented significant difference in relative abundance in the observation group and 38 species in the control group. Regarding the level of genus, the levels of Klebsiell and Enterobacter increased (P<0.05) and the level of Streptococcus decreased (P<0.05) in the observation group. The main microbial groups that played an important role were Coprobacillaceae, Sutterellaceae and Yersiniaceae in the observation group. KEGG function prediction indicated that the function of intestinal microflora was mainly associated with the cofactor and vitamin metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. CONCLUSION The thumbtack-needle embedding therapy of auricular acupuncture improves the postoperative gastrointestinal function of the patients with gastric cancer probably through regulating the structure and relative abundance of intestinal microflora and affecting the energy metabolism.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture, Ear/instrumentation* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Aged ; Stomach Neoplasms/therapy* ; Adult ; Acupuncture Points ; Gastrointestinal Tract/microbiology* ; Intestines/physiopathology* ; Postoperative Period ; Acupuncture Therapy

Modulating Tankyrases (TNKS), interactions with USP25 to promote TNKS degradation, rather than inhibiting their enzymatic activities, is emerging as an alternative/specific approach to inhibit the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Here, we identified UAT-B, a novel neoantimycin analog isolated from Streptomyces conglobatus, as a small-molecule inhibitor of TNKS-USP25 protein-protein interaction (PPI) to overcome multi-drug resistance in colorectal cancer (CRC). The disruption of TNKS-USP25 complex formation by UAT-B led to a significant decrease in TNKS levels, triggering cell apoptosis through modulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Importantly, UAT-B successfully inhibited the CRC cells growth that harbored high TNKS levels, as demonstrated in various in vitro and in vivo studies utilizing cell line-based and patient-derived xenografts, as well as APC^min/+ spontaneous CRC models. Collectively, these findings suggest that targeting the TNKS-USP25 PPI using a small-molecule inhibitor represents a compelling therapeutic strategy for CRC treatment, and UAT-B emerges as a promising candidate for further preclinical and clinical investigations.

Objective To explore the relationship between the expression levels of serum cingulate protein(CGN)and polyligand glycan 1(SDC-1)and the disease condition and outcome of hypertensive basal ganglia hemorrhage(HBGH).Methods A total of 123 patients with HBGH admitted to the Second People's Hospi-tal of Lianyungang from February 2019 to February 2022 were selected as the study objects,and 120 healthy volunteers who underwent physical examination in the hospital during the same period were selected as the health group.Serum CGN and SDC-1 expression levels were detected in the two groups.According to the dis-ease outcome,the patients were divided into the improved group(92 cases)and the deteriorated group(31 ca-ses).Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the area under the curve(AUC)were used to analyze the predictive value of serum CGN and SDC-1 expression levels on the disease outcome of patients with HB-GH.Results Serum CGN and SDC-1 expression levels in the severe group were higher than those in the mod-erate group and the mild group,and serum CGN and SDC-1 levels in the moderate group were higher than those in the mild group,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Serum CGN and SDC-1 expression levels in HBGH patients in three groups were higher than those in health group,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Serum CGN and SDC-1 expression levels in the deteriorated group were higher than those in the improved group,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).The AUC of serum CGN and SDC-1 for predicting the disease outcome of HBGH patients was 0.742(95％CI:0.792-0.697)and 0.861(95％CI:0.906-0.910),respectively,and the AUC of the combination of the two was 0.917(95％CI:0.962-0.870).The amount of blood loss and ventricular rupture in the deteriorated group were higher than those in the improved group,and the Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS)score on admission was lower than that in the improved group,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Multi-variate Logistic regression analysis showed that serum CGN≥51.63 pg/mL(OR=3.815),serum SDC-1≥450.67 μg/L(OR=4.230)and GCS score ≤8(OR=5.333)were the influencing factors for disease outcome of HBGH patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion The increased expression levels of serum CGN and SDC-1 are closely related to the disease aggravation and the deterioration of the disease outcome in patients with HBGH,and they have certain predictive value for the disease outcome in patients with HBGH.

Objective To explore the effect of deep learning image reconstruction(DLIR)algorithm combined with"double low"[low voltage(kV)and low contrast agent dosage]technique on the image quality of coronary computed tomography angiography(CCTA)in overweight patients compared with adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction(ASIR-V)and filtered back projection(FBP).Methods Fifty-two patients with body mass index(BMI)between 25.1 kg/m2and 28 kg/m2 who underwent CCTA scanning were prospectively selected,all of whom scanned on a GE Revolution APEX-CT with a tube voltage of 80 kV,a smart mA(500-1 300 mA),a noise index of 30,and a contrast dosage of 0.5 mL/kg;four groups of images were reconstructed for each patient,FBP,50％ASIR-V,DLIR-M,and DLIR-H.The CT and SD values of the aorta(AO)root,the proximal segment of the right coronary artery(RCA),the left circumflex(LCX),the left anterior descending branch(LAD)and the pericardial fat were measured,and the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)were calculated.Two doctors experienced in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease were selected to subjectively score the reconstructed images using a double-blind method.The SD value,SNR value,CNR value and subjective scores of images in the four groups were compared.Results In the objective image quality evaluation,there were statistically significant differences in SD value,SNR value and CNR value of reconstructed images in the four groups(P＜0.05).As the four groups of reconstruction algorithms FBP,50％ASIR-V,DLIR-M,and DLIR-H were changed sequentially,the image SD value gradually decreased,the SNR value and CNR value gradually increased,and the DLIR-H group had the lowest SD value and the highest SNR and CNR values.In the subjective image quality evaluation,the subjective scores of the two doctors had good consistency(Kappa value=0.900),and the difference between them was statistically significant(P＜0.001).The subjective scores of DLIR-M and DLIR-H groups were higher.Conclusion DLIR algorithm combined with"double-low"technique can significantly improve the CCTA image quality of overweight patients,which is better than 50％ASIR-V and FBP.

Objective To explore the application value of three dimensional reconstruction technique in laparoscopic hepatectomy for hepatic carcinoma.Methods From September 2019 to March 2022,the clinical data of 62 patients with primary hepatic carcinoma were gathered.The enhanced CT scanning was performed before surgery.Patients with three dimensiona reconstruction technology were set as observation group(n=31).Patients who did not use three dimensiona reconstruction technology were set as the control group(n=31),and intraoperative conditions(time of operation,bleeding volume during operation)and postoperative conditions(occurrence rate of postoperative complications,postoperative length of stay)of the two groups were compared.Results 62 patients successfully completed laparoscopic hepatectomy without liver failure or death.For patients with tumors located in liver segmentⅡ and Ⅲ,there were no significant difference of operation time,intraoperative blood loss,postoperative hospital stay and postoperative complication total rate between control group and observation group(P＞0.05).For patients with tumors located in liver segment Ⅳ-Ⅵ,operation time[(211.36±11.22)minutes vs(231.69±19.73)minutes],intraoperative blood loss[(274.29±23.84)ml vs(306.54±21.05)ml],postoperative hospital stay[(7.93±1.33)days vs(9.62±1.80)days]in observation group were lower than those in control group(P＜0.05),and there was no significant difference of postoperative complication total rate between two groups(P＞0.05).For patients with tumors located in liver segmentⅠ,Ⅶ and Ⅷ,operation time[(165.88±10.60)minutes vs(187.30±17.29)minutes],intraoperative blood loss[(271.25±12.17)ml vs(308.00±28.21)ml],postoperative hospital stay[(7.63±0.74)days vs(9.30±1.06)days]in observation group were lower than those in control group(P＜0.05),and there was no significant difference of postoperative complication total rate between two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion The three dimensiona reconstruction technique may have prominent guiding significance for complex laparoscopic hepatectomy for hepatic carcinoma.

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.

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 establish a management information system (referred to as the system) for plasma collection stations in Zhejiang province, so as to explore the current situation of plasma donors and implement effective supervision in Zhejiang. 【Methods】 The system was developed and connected to four plasma collection stations that were officially operating in Zhejiang in terms of plasma station setting and approval, as well as the publicity, recruitment and management of plasma donors, information management of the whole process of plasma collection, management of deferral plasma donors, plasma quality management and administrative supervision etc. Relevant plasma donor information was uploaded to the system by each plasma station, and information before (January 2016 to December 2020) and after (January 8, 2021 to June 2021) the system was collected. Information included the number of plasma donors/donations, demographic information of eligible plasma donors in the past 5 years, the type of plasma donors, and the deferral donors after the system was activated. The online approval of Plasma Donation Certificate and the intelligent supervision of key points of plasma apheresis stations in Zhejiang were also conducted. The frequency and composition ratio were described, and chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. 【Results】 The system (V1.0) was established and was officially launched on January 8, 2021, realizing the interconnection of blood donation and plasma donation information as well as the unified management of 24 quality indicators. Since the system was applied (January 8, 2021-June 2021), the proportion of donors both donated blood and plasma over the province was 3.56 (832/23 389), and 352 deferred donors were masked by the system. And 30.11% (106/352) , who intended to donate plasma, were deferred due to insufficient interval after blood donation; 11.65% (41/352) due to permanent masking in blood donations; 23.86% (23.86%) , who intended to donate blood, were deferred due to insufficient interval after plasma donation ( 84/352); 34.38% (121/352) due to permanent masking in plasma donations. The median approval rate of four plasma stations applying for Plasma Donation Certificate before the system (January 1, 2016 to January 7, 2021) and after the system (January 8 to June 2021) were 93.38% (10 609/11 361) vs 99.50% (2 602/2 615). Before the system was put into launch, the ratio of male to female donors and the proportion of regular donors showed an overall upward trend, while the age decreased slightly. The median proportion of women in the past 5 years was 61.52 %, significantly higher than that in last 6 months after the launch(58.86%). 【Conclusion】 The application of the system can realize information interconnection between blood centers and plasma collection stations in Zhejiang as well as the real-time supervision of plasma collection process, which is helpful to overcome the shortcomings in plasma donor management.

Pre-transfusion compatibility testing is complicated in autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) patients due to the presence of autoantibodies. Delays in blood transfusion or even life-threatening would occur if blood type, isoantibodies/ autoantibodies of these patients could not be correctly identified to choose the appropriate blood components. Knowing the detection and treatment countermeasures against blood transfusion compatibility in AIHA patients is of great significance to ensure the timeliness and safety of blood transfusion. Based on the research progress at home and abroad, this article summarizes the serological characteristics, autoantibody types, blood group identification methods, antibody screening and antibody identification methods, and blood transfusion strategies about AIHA patients, in order to eliminate the interference of autoantibodies and provide transfusion guidance for the staff of Blood Transfusion Department.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical features of a Chinese pedigree affected with tuberculosis sclerosis and explore its molecular pathogenesis. METHODS: Clinical data of the proband and members of his pedigree were collected. Whole exome sequencing was carried out to detect variants of the TSC1 and TSC2 genes. Candidate variants was verified by Sanger sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. RESULTS: The proband and his mother, who also had mild features of tuberous sclerosis, were found to harbor a novel heterozygous c.4183C>T (p.Q1395X) variant of the TSC2 gene, which was absent in the 4 healthy relatives. Bioinformatic analysis suggested the variant to be likely pathogenic. CONCLUSION The heterozygous c.4183C>T (p.Q1395X) variant of the TSC2 gene probably underlay the disease in this pedigree. Above finding has expanded the spectrum of TSC2 gene variants. The more severe symptoms in the proband may be attributed to phenotypic heterogeneity of this disease.
China ; Humans ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Tuberous Sclerosis/genetics* ; Tuberous Sclerosis Complex 2 Protein/genetics*