1.Predicting Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Brightness Change Curves Derived From Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound Images
Ying-Ying CHEN ; Shang-Lin JIANG ; Liang-Hui HUANG ; Ya-Guang ZENG ; Xue-Hua WANG ; Wei ZHENG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(8):2163-2172
ObjectivePrimary liver cancer, predominantly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is a significant global health issue, ranking as the sixth most diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Accurate and early diagnosis of HCC is crucial for effective treatment, as HCC and non-HCC malignancies like intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) exhibit different prognoses and treatment responses. Traditional diagnostic methods, including liver biopsy and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), face limitations in applicability and objectivity. The primary objective of this study was to develop an advanced, light-weighted classification network capable of distinguishing HCC from other non-HCC malignancies by leveraging the automatic analysis of brightness changes in CEUS images. The ultimate goal was to create a user-friendly and cost-efficient computer-aided diagnostic tool that could assist radiologists in making more accurate and efficient clinical decisions. MethodsThis retrospective study encompassed a total of 161 patients, comprising 131 diagnosed with HCC and 30 with non-HCC malignancies. To achieve accurate tumor detection, the YOLOX network was employed to identify the region of interest (ROI) on both B-mode ultrasound and CEUS images. A custom-developed algorithm was then utilized to extract brightness change curves from the tumor and adjacent liver parenchyma regions within the CEUS images. These curves provided critical data for the subsequent analysis and classification process. To analyze the extracted brightness change curves and classify the malignancies, we developed and compared several models. These included one-dimensional convolutional neural networks (1D-ResNet, 1D-ConvNeXt, and 1D-CNN), as well as traditional machine-learning methods such as support vector machine (SVM), ensemble learning (EL), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), and decision tree (DT). The diagnostic performance of each method in distinguishing HCC from non-HCC malignancies was rigorously evaluated using four key metrics: area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC), accuracy (ACC), sensitivity (SE), and specificity (SP). ResultsThe evaluation of the machine-learning methods revealed AUC values of 0.70 for SVM, 0.56 for ensemble learning, 0.63 for KNN, and 0.72 for the decision tree. These results indicated moderate to fair performance in classifying the malignancies based on the brightness change curves. In contrast, the deep learning models demonstrated significantly higher AUCs, with 1D-ResNet achieving an AUC of 0.72, 1D-ConvNeXt reaching 0.82, and 1D-CNN obtaining the highest AUC of 0.84. Moreover, under the five-fold cross-validation scheme, the 1D-CNN model outperformed other models in both accuracy and specificity. Specifically, it achieved accuracy improvements of 3.8% to 10.0% and specificity enhancements of 6.6% to 43.3% over competing approaches. The superior performance of the 1D-CNN model highlighted its potential as a powerful tool for accurate classification. ConclusionThe 1D-CNN model proved to be the most effective in differentiating HCC from non-HCC malignancies, surpassing both traditional machine-learning methods and other deep learning models. This study successfully developed a user-friendly and cost-efficient computer-aided diagnostic solution that would significantly enhances radiologists’ diagnostic capabilities. By improving the accuracy and efficiency of clinical decision-making, this tool has the potential to positively impact patient care and outcomes. Future work may focus on further refining the model and exploring its integration with multimodal ultrasound data to maximize its accuracy and applicability.
2.Not Available.
Weile YE ; Jiaojiao WANG ; Peter J LITTLE ; Jiami ZOU ; Zhihua ZHENG ; Jing LU ; Yanjun YIN ; Hao LIU ; Dongmei ZHANG ; Peiqing LIU ; Suowen XU ; Wencai YE ; Zhiping LIU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2024;14(1):1-19
Bioactive compounds derived from herbal medicinal plants modulate various therapeutic targets and signaling pathways associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the world's primary cause of death. Ginkgo biloba, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine with notable cardiovascular actions, has been used as a cardio- and cerebrovascular therapeutic drug and nutraceutical in Asian countries for centuries. Preclinical studies have shown that ginkgolide B, a bioactive component in Ginkgo biloba, can ameliorate atherosclerosis in cultured vascular cells and disease models. Of clinical relevance, several clinical trials are ongoing or being completed to examine the efficacy and safety of ginkgolide B-related drug preparations in the prevention of cerebrovascular diseases, such as ischemia stroke. Here, we present a comprehensive review of the pharmacological activities, pharmacokinetic characteristics, and mechanisms of action of ginkgolide B in atherosclerosis prevention and therapy. We highlight new molecular targets of ginkgolide B, including nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidases (NADPH oxidase), lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1), sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), platelet-activating factor (PAF), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and others. Finally, we provide an overview and discussion of the therapeutic potential of ginkgolide B and highlight the future perspective of developing ginkgolide B as an effective therapeutic agent for treating atherosclerosis.
3.Chinese practice guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of ischemic-type biliary lesion after liver transplantation
Yingcai ZHANG ; Xiao FENG ; Zhengran LI ; Jie REN ; Jin WANG ; Fengping ZHENG ; Wenjie CHEN ; Qi ZHANG ; Xiao XU ; Yang YANG
Organ Transplantation 2024;15(5):661-670
Over the years of exploration and development, the surgical techniques and prognosis of liver transplantation in China have been significantly improved, resulting in a notable decrease in the prevalence of postoperative complications. However, ischemic-type biliary lesion remain a non-negligible issue. The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University formulated and published the "Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Ischemic-Type Biliary Lesions after Liver Transplantation in Mainland China" in 2015, which has now been updated into a guideline based on current conditions and literature reports. This guideline elaborates in detail on the definition, incidence, pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention of high-risk factors, and treatment of ischemic-type biliary lesion, aiming to provide standardized and normative guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of ischemic-type biliary lesion after liver transplantation, thereby reducing the rate of re-transplantation and fatality, and to improve the overall quality of life of liver transplant recipients.
4.Epidemiological characteristics of high-risk population for cardiovascular disease of Shanghai residents
Yuzhuo WANG ; Yang ZHENG ; Yingquan WANG ; Cui WU ; Haiyan GU ; Yiying ZHANG ; Yan XU ; Sen WANG ; Xin ZHANG ; Yu JIANG ; Jia ZHAO ; Yan SHI
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;36(1):64-71
ObjectiveTo investigate the high-risk detection rate and aggregation of cardiovascular diseases(CVD) in 8 districts of Shanghai and influencing factors, and to provide scientific references for prevention and control of CVD. MethodsBased on the Cardiovascular Disease Screening and Management Program in Shanghai from 2016 to 2021, 104 685 participants aged 35 to 75 in 8 districts of Shanghai were selected for analysis. χ2 test and multivariate logistic regression were used for statistical analysis of the influencing factors of CVD and aggregation of CVD. ResultsThe proportion of high-risk CVD individuals in the population was 19.17%, including the high-risk individuals with hypertension (8.65%), dyslipidemia (6.33%), CVD history (5.58%), and WHO assessed risk ≥20% types (2.69%), respectively. Old age, overweight and obesity, central obesity, smoking, drinking, farmers, unmarried, and low family income were the risk factors of CVD, while high education level was the protective factor. In the participants, 16 323 people (81.34%) were classified as CVD high-risk groups; The number of aggregation of 1, 2 and ≥3 high risk types of CVD were 16 323(81.34%), 3 236(16.13%), 509(2.54%), respectively. Old age, low education level, low annual family income, farmers, unmarried, smoking, drinking, overweight, obesity and central obesity were associated with the risk of aggregation of high risk types of CVD, and the correlation strength increased with the increase of aggregation types. ConclusionThe prevention and control of CVD in Shanghai should focus on the hypertension, elderly, overweight, obesity, central obesity, smoking, drinking, low educated, low family income, farmers and unmarried people, and targeted intervention measures should be taken to reduce the risk of CVD among residents.
5.Pharmacoeconomic evaluation of trastuzumab deruxtecan versus chemotherapy in the second-line treatment of advanced breast cancer with HER-2 low expression
Xue LI ; Caifeng JIA ; Ying ZHENG ; Sen ZHANG ; Meiqi WANG ; Mingxia WANG
China Pharmacy 2024;35(19):2383-2390
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the economics of trastuzumab deruxtecan versus the physician-selected chemotherapy (TPC) regimen in the second-line treatment of advanced breast cancer with epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) low expression from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system. METHODS Based on the data of DESTINY-Breast04 clinical trial, the dynamic Markov model was constructed. The time frame of the model simulation was 10 years, and the cycle was 3 weeks. Taking cost, quality-adjusted life year (QALY) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) as the model output indicators, the discount rate of 5% was applied, and 3 times China’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023 was taken as the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold value. Cost-utility analysis was used to evaluate the economics of the two treatment regiments in the hormone receptor-positive cohort and all patient cohorts, and uncertainty analysis was used to verify the robustness of the basic analysis result. RESULTS The results of the basic analysis showed that compared with the TPC regimen, the ICER value of trastuzumab deruxtecan regimen edu.cn were 1 045 655.76 and 906 404.99 yuan/QALY in the hormone receptor-positive cohort and all patients, respectively, both exceeding the WTP threshold (268 074 yuan/QALY). The results of single factor sensitivity analysis showed that progression-free survival utility value, the price of trastuzumab deruxtecan and progression disease utility had a significant influence on the model results. The results of probability sensitivity analysis showed that when the WTP threshold was 3 times China’s per capita GDP in 2023, the probability of economic viability of trastuzumab deruxtecan was 0. The results of scenario analysis showed that when the patient assistance program for trastuzumab deruxtecan was considered, the probability of trastuzumab deruxtecan regimen being economical was 0. However, when the price of trastuzumab deruxtecan was reduced by 70%, the probability of its being cost-effective was significantly increased to 82.80%. CONCLUSIONS At a WTP threshold of 3 times China’s per capita GDP in 2023, the trastuzumab deruxtecan regimen is not cost-effective compared to TPC regimen for the second-line treatment of advanced breast cancer with HER-2 low expression. Reducing the price of trastuzumab deruxtecan by region can improve its cost-effectiveness.
6.Lumbar spine marrow MR T1 mapping radiomics for predicting clinical risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children
Liying WANG ; Xinzi LI ; Ying LI ; Meimin ZHENG ; Sen CHEN ; Zhaoxiang YE ; Chunxiang WANG
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging Technology 2024;40(9):1284-1288
Objective To observe the value of lumbar spine bone marrow MR T1 mapping radiomics for predicting clinical risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL)in children.Methods Lumbar bone marrow T1 mappings were prospectively acquired from 77 newly diagnosed ALL children.The volume of interest(VOI)of L3 vertebral body was segmented using 3D Slicer software and 2 060 radiomics features were extracted,and the best features were screened.The children were divided into training and testing sets at the ratio of 8:2.Logistic regression(LR),support vector machine(SVM)and random forest(RF)were used to established radiomics models based on the best features,respectively,which were trained in training set and verified in testing set.The clinical risk was evaluated according to newly diagnosed risk and the response to chemotherapy after MR examination.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn,and the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated to evaluate the efficacy of each model for predicting clinical risk of ALL in children.Results There were 52 cases in low-medium risk group and 25 in high risk group.The training set consisted of 44 cases of low-medium risk and 17 of high risk,while the testing set consisted of 8 cases of low-medium risk and 8 of high risk.Twelve best features were selected to establish radiomics models.The sensitivity and accuracy of RF model in training set were both 100%,but its sensitivity(50.00%)and accuracy(75.00%)in testing set were both low,which indicating overfitting.The AUC(0.95)of LR model was slightly higher than that of SVM model(0.92)in testing set,but no significantly difference was found(P>0.05),and the accuracy of these two models was consistent.Conclusion Both lumbar bone marrow T1 mapping LR and SVM radiomics models could be used to predict clinical risk of ALL in children,and LR model had better predictive efficacy.
7.Roles of Pyroptosis in Oral Diseases
Zheng-Sen WANG ; Yu XUE ; Yi-Xuan CHEN
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2024;40(9):1230-1239
Oral diseases are usually caused by external physical and chemical factors,the invasion of pathogens,dento-maxillofacial deformities and systemic diseases.Oral infections and orofacial pain triggered by oral diseases seriously reduce the quality of life.Pyroptosis is a kind of programmed cell death,which is characterized by swelling of the cell until the cell membrane ruptures,releasing the cell contents and activating a strong inflammatory response.Previous studies have shown that pyroptosis is widely involved in the occurrence and development of oral diseases.In this review,four types of cellular pyroptosis pathways are described in detail,including the canonical pathway,non-canonical pathway,caspase-3/8 mediated pathway and caspase independent pathway.Different pyroptosis pathways form complex signal networks,which regulate the functions of periodontal membrane cells,gingival fibroblasts,macrophages and other cells in the oral cavity,thus affecting the occurrence and development of oral diseases.This review summarizes the latest research about the pathways of pyroptosis and its roles in oral diseases,aiming to provide a theoretical basis and direction for searching effective methods to treat and prevent oral diseases.
8.In vitro heat insulation efficacy of 5% dextrose versus 0.9% saline during radiofrequency ablation
Yanping MA ; Jinfen WANG ; Tao WU ; Bowen ZHENG ; Tinghui YIN ; Yufan LIAN ; Jie REN
Ultrasonography 2024;43(5):376-383
Purpose:
This study compared the efficacy of heat insulation between 5% dextrose and 0.9% saline in radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Accordingly, temperature variations and maximum temperatures were assessed at identical distances and heat field distributions.
Methods:
Cubes of porcine liver tissue, measuring 10 mm across, were selected to precisely align the ablation boundary with the tissue boundary. An 18-gauge electrode with a 7-mm tip was inserted into each cube (10 per group) in a stainless-steel cup containing 40 mL of 5% dextrose or 0.9% saline. Fixed ablation was performed for 3 minutes using continuous mode at 30 W, simulating the typical thermal environment during thyroid RFA. Real-time temperature measurements were recorded by sensors positioned 0, 1, 3, and 5 mm from the cube’s edge. A comparative analysis was conducted to assess the maximum temperature, temperature variation, and duration of temperatures exceeding 42℃.
Results:
In both groups, the temperature curve declined with increasing distance from the edge of the ablated tissue. However, 0.9% saline exhibited higher maximum temperatures at 1, 3, and 5 mm compared to 5% dextrose (1 mm: 44.55°C±5.25°C vs. 34.68°C±3.07°C; 3 mm: 39.64°C±2.53°C vs. 29.22°C±2.21°C; 5 mm: 38.86°C±2.14°C vs. 28.74°C±2.51°C; all P<0.001). Considering a nerve injury threshold of 42°C, the 0.9% saline also displayed a greater proportion of samples reaching this temperature and a longer duration of temperatures exceeding it (P<0.05).
Conclusion
The heat insulation efficacy of 5% dextrose at 1-5 mm exceeds that of 0.9% saline at identical distances and in a common thermal environment during thyroid RFA.
9.In vitro heat insulation efficacy of 5% dextrose versus 0.9% saline during radiofrequency ablation
Yanping MA ; Jinfen WANG ; Tao WU ; Bowen ZHENG ; Tinghui YIN ; Yufan LIAN ; Jie REN
Ultrasonography 2024;43(5):376-383
Purpose:
This study compared the efficacy of heat insulation between 5% dextrose and 0.9% saline in radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Accordingly, temperature variations and maximum temperatures were assessed at identical distances and heat field distributions.
Methods:
Cubes of porcine liver tissue, measuring 10 mm across, were selected to precisely align the ablation boundary with the tissue boundary. An 18-gauge electrode with a 7-mm tip was inserted into each cube (10 per group) in a stainless-steel cup containing 40 mL of 5% dextrose or 0.9% saline. Fixed ablation was performed for 3 minutes using continuous mode at 30 W, simulating the typical thermal environment during thyroid RFA. Real-time temperature measurements were recorded by sensors positioned 0, 1, 3, and 5 mm from the cube’s edge. A comparative analysis was conducted to assess the maximum temperature, temperature variation, and duration of temperatures exceeding 42℃.
Results:
In both groups, the temperature curve declined with increasing distance from the edge of the ablated tissue. However, 0.9% saline exhibited higher maximum temperatures at 1, 3, and 5 mm compared to 5% dextrose (1 mm: 44.55°C±5.25°C vs. 34.68°C±3.07°C; 3 mm: 39.64°C±2.53°C vs. 29.22°C±2.21°C; 5 mm: 38.86°C±2.14°C vs. 28.74°C±2.51°C; all P<0.001). Considering a nerve injury threshold of 42°C, the 0.9% saline also displayed a greater proportion of samples reaching this temperature and a longer duration of temperatures exceeding it (P<0.05).
Conclusion
The heat insulation efficacy of 5% dextrose at 1-5 mm exceeds that of 0.9% saline at identical distances and in a common thermal environment during thyroid RFA.
10.In vitro heat insulation efficacy of 5% dextrose versus 0.9% saline during radiofrequency ablation
Yanping MA ; Jinfen WANG ; Tao WU ; Bowen ZHENG ; Tinghui YIN ; Yufan LIAN ; Jie REN
Ultrasonography 2024;43(5):376-383
Purpose:
This study compared the efficacy of heat insulation between 5% dextrose and 0.9% saline in radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Accordingly, temperature variations and maximum temperatures were assessed at identical distances and heat field distributions.
Methods:
Cubes of porcine liver tissue, measuring 10 mm across, were selected to precisely align the ablation boundary with the tissue boundary. An 18-gauge electrode with a 7-mm tip was inserted into each cube (10 per group) in a stainless-steel cup containing 40 mL of 5% dextrose or 0.9% saline. Fixed ablation was performed for 3 minutes using continuous mode at 30 W, simulating the typical thermal environment during thyroid RFA. Real-time temperature measurements were recorded by sensors positioned 0, 1, 3, and 5 mm from the cube’s edge. A comparative analysis was conducted to assess the maximum temperature, temperature variation, and duration of temperatures exceeding 42℃.
Results:
In both groups, the temperature curve declined with increasing distance from the edge of the ablated tissue. However, 0.9% saline exhibited higher maximum temperatures at 1, 3, and 5 mm compared to 5% dextrose (1 mm: 44.55°C±5.25°C vs. 34.68°C±3.07°C; 3 mm: 39.64°C±2.53°C vs. 29.22°C±2.21°C; 5 mm: 38.86°C±2.14°C vs. 28.74°C±2.51°C; all P<0.001). Considering a nerve injury threshold of 42°C, the 0.9% saline also displayed a greater proportion of samples reaching this temperature and a longer duration of temperatures exceeding it (P<0.05).
Conclusion
The heat insulation efficacy of 5% dextrose at 1-5 mm exceeds that of 0.9% saline at identical distances and in a common thermal environment during thyroid RFA.

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