Psychosocial characteristics pattern correlated with HIV-related risky sexual behavior among HIV-negative men who have sex with men: a latent profile analysis

BACKGROUND@#Men who have sex with men (MSM) have become a high risk population of HIV infection due to their risky sexual behaviors. The latent pattern of psychosocial characteristics plays an important effect in HIV-related risky behaviors among HIV-negative MSM.@*METHOD@#Participants were recruited from Wuhan, Nanchang, and Changsha city from September 2017 to January 2018. Social support was assessed by the multidimensional scale of social support, Connor-Davidson Resilience scale-10 items for reliance, the assessment of Stigma towards Homosexuality for sexual minority stigma, the Likert subscale of nondisclosure for identity concealment, the ACE questionnaire-Kaiser-CDC for adverse childhood experience, the Centers for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for depression. Latent profile analysis (LPA) and multivariate regression were used to analyze the data.@*RESULTS@#Three psychosocial characteristic patterns were revealed by the LPA. "Social support and resilience group" (SR group), "Identity concealment group" (IC group) and "Adverse childhood experience" (ACE group) were identified, respectively. In comparison with "SR group", "IC group" have a higher likelihood of one-night male partners (AOR = 2.74, 95%CI = [1.54, 4.90]), both fixed and one-night male partners (AOR = 2.01, 95%CI = [1.34, 3.01]) and HIV-unsure male partner (AOR = 2.12, 95%CI = [1.44, 3.13]). Similarly, "ACE group" were more likely having inconsistent condom use (AOR = 2.58, 95%CI = [1.41, 4.73]), and having sex with HIV-positive male partner (AOR = 4.90, 95%CI = [1.95, 12.30]) with comparison of "SR group". In addition, we further revealed that "ACE group" had a higher ratio (90.0%) of inconsistent condom use among MSM whose male partners were HIV-positive.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Six important psychosocial factors were divided into three latent pattern classes. Compared with "SR group", "IC group" and "ACE group" were more likely to engage in HIV-related risky sexual behaviors. Further research may pay more attention to "IC group" and "ACE group" for targeted intervention.

Combining bi-modal imaging and immunohistochemical indicators to predict axillary lymph nodes status in cN 1 breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To investigate whether ultrasound features, mammographic features and immunohistochemical indicators show any association with rates of axillary pathologic complete response(pCR) in cN 1 breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC), and to construct prediction models of axillary pCR to predict axillary lymph nodes (ALN) status, so as to select suitable patients for less invasive axillary surgery after NAC. Methods:This retrospective study evaluated 134 consecutive cN 1 breast cancer patients with ALN metastasis who underwent NAC in the Second Affiliated Hospital and Tumor Hospital of Harbin Medical University from July 2020 to July 2022. According to the pathological results of ALN surgery after NAC, the cases were divided into pCR and non pathologic complete respose(npCR) groups. The ultrasound images, mammographic images and immunohistochemical indicators of the two groups were compared. In terms of logistic regression algorithm, the model A(the ultrasound model), the model B(the ultrasound combined with mammography model), the model C(the ultrasound combined with immunohistochemistry model) and the model D(the ultrasound combined with mammography and immunohistochemistry model) were respectively established for predicting the pathological state of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer patients, ROC curves were plotted to evaluate the performance of the models, and the diagnostic efficiency of different models was compared by Delong′s test. The model with the best predictive performance was shown in a nomogram. Results:①The P values between two groups of the short diameter of ALN, the ratio of long/short diameter of ALN, fatty hilum and central hilar vascularity, mammographic spiculation, estrogen receptor(ER), progesterone receptor(PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2) were <0.05 by the t test and χ 2 test analysis. ②The ratio of long/short diameter and fatty hilum in the model A were independent factors for predicting the pathological status of ALN after NAC. The independent predictors of model B and Model C were respectively added with mammographic spiculation and immunohistochemical indicators (ER, PR) on the basis of model A. In the model D, the ratio of long/short diameter, short diameter, fatty hilum, mammographic spiculation, and immunohistochemical indicators (ER, PR) remained significant independent predictors associated with axillary pCR. ③The area under ROC curve (AUC) of the model A, B, C, D was 0.78, 0.84, 0.84 and 0.89, respectively. The sensitivity was 0.71, 0.80, 0.78 and 0.86, the specificity was 0.76, 0.74, 0.76 and 0.80, and the accuracy was 0.73, 0.76, 0.77 and 0.83, respectively. ④Delong′s test showed the model D had an improved AUC of 0.89(0.89 vs 0.78, 0.84, 0.84, all P<0.05). Conclusions:The prediction models combining bi-modal imaging and immunohistochemical indicators show good prediction ability and can provide reference for selecting suitable patients for less invasive axillary surgery after NAC.

Quantitative evaluation of left ventricular systolic function in hyperglycemia during pregnancy by left ventricular pressure-strain loop / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To detect the changes of left ventricular myocardial work parameters, and evaluate the left ventricular systolic function in patients with hyperglycemia during pregnancy by left ventricular pressure-strain loop (PSL).Methods:From June 2021 to March 2022, 97 pregnant women who were admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University and clinically diagnosed as gestational hyperglycemia were prospectively and randomly selected. According to the blood glucose level, the patients were divided into gestational dominant diabetes mellitus (ODM) group(39 cases) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) group(58 cases). Meanwhile, another 62 healthy pregnant women were selected as control group. The basic clinical data of the pregnant women were collected, and the conventional two-dimensional parameters of the heart were collected. The global longitudinal strain (GLS) was analyzed by two-dimensional speckle tracking technique. Then the cuff blood pressure was used as the left ventricular pressure to construct a non-invasive left ventricular pressure-strain loop. The global myocardial work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), global wasted work (GWW) and global work efficiency (GWE) of each group were calculated and compared. The correlation between myocardial performance parameters and GLS, glycated hemoglobin(HbA 1c) were analyzed, and the independent factors affecting left ventricular systolic function were obtained by Logistic regression analysis. Twenty cases were randomly selected from the study subjects, and the intraclass correlation coefficients(ICC) of within the observers and between observers were calculated for repeatability test. Results:①Conventional ultrasound parameters: There were no significant differences among the three groups (all P>0.05). ②GLS and left ventricular myocardial performance parameters: GWI, GWE, GCW and GLS in GDM and ODM groups were significantly lower than those in control group (all P<0.001), GWW was significantly higher than control group ( P<0.001); GWI, GWE, GCW and GLS in ODM group were lower than those in GDM group (all P<0.001), while GWW was higher than control group ( P<0.001). ③GWE, GWI and GCW were negatively correlated with GLS ( r=-0.525, -0.408, -0.435; all P<0.05), GWW was positively correlated with GLS ( r=0.348, P<0.05). GWE, GWI and GCW were negatively correlated with HbA 1c ( r=-0.325, -0.262, -0.250; all P<0.05), while GWW was positively correlated with HbA 1c ( r=0.175, P<0.05). ④GWE, 1 h oral glucose tolerance test and HbA 1c were the influencing factors of left ventricular systolic function in patients with hyperglycemia during pregnancy. ⑤The predictive values of GWI, GWE, GCW, GWW and GLS for cardiac function in patients with gestational hyperglycemia were high, and the predictive value of GWE was the highest (AUC: 0.87, the best truncation value: 94.5%, specificity: 0.76, sensitivity: 0.82) and better than GLS. ⑥The repeatability of myocardial work parameters was better in both groups. Conclusions:Myocardial work parameters obtained by PSL are early and sensitive parameters for evaluating left ventricular systolic function impairment in patients with hyperglycemia during pregnancy which can provide reliable and objective quantitative indicators for early clinical intervention and improvement of prognosis.

Prediction of Ki-67 expression level in mass breast cancers using multi-modal ultrasound features / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To predict the Ki-67 expression grading in patients with mass breast cancer based on multimodal ultrasound features to aid clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:Ninety-three female patients (93 masses in total) with breast cancers confirmed by pathological examination were retrospectively included in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from September 2017 to September 2020. According to the immunohistochemical results, the patients were divided into Ki-67 high expression group (55 cases) and Ki-67 low expression group (38 cases). The qualitative and quantitative features from two-dimensional gray-scale ultrasound, color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), shear wave elastography (SWE) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) images of all breast masses were retrospectively analyzed, differential features were analyzed based on logistic regression algorithm. ROC curves and Kappa test were used for the evaluation of diagnosis.Results:The univariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups for conventional ultrasound features (size, shape, margins), SWE features (stiff rim sign, Eratio), and CEUS features (perfusion defect, IMAX) (all P<0.05). In the multiple logistic regression analysis, the margins, stiff rim sign, and perfusion defect were the independent factors for predicting the Ki-67 expression (all P<0.05). The performance of the predictive model was 0.882 (95%confidence interval of 0.798-0.940, P<0.05) with the sensitivity of 0.818 and specificity of 0.790. Conclusions:A preliminary analysis of the relationship between multi-modal ultrasound features and Ki-67 expression grading in mass breast cancers was performed based on logistic regression algorithm to provide more imaging information for clinical treatment and prognosis assessment.

Evaluation of the pathological status of axillary lymph nodes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on multimodal ultrasound characteristics for breast cancer / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To construct a diagnostic model based on the multimodal ultrasound imaging, and to predict the axillary lymph node (ALN) status of breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).Methods:A total of 204 female breast cancer patients with ALN metastasis who had undergone puncture biopsy of aspiration in the Second Affiliated Hospital and Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital between July 2017 to May 2021 were included. According to the pathological results of ALN surgery after NAC, the cases were divided into pathologically complete response (pCR) group and non-pCR group. The ultrasound images, immunohistochemistry and blood routine index were collected and compared between the two groups, the indexes whose P<0.02 were selected. In terms of logistic regression algorithm, a predictive model for the pathological state of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer patients was established after NAC, and ROC curve was plotted to evaluate the performance of the model. Results:The P values for comparison between the two groups of the breast tumor size, blood flow resistance index (RI), elasticity score, lymph hilum structure, maximum cortical thickness, blood flow distribution, blood flow RI, and immunohistochemical detection indicators including estrogen receptor(ER), progesterone receptor(PR), human epidermal growth factor 2(HER-2), Ki67 molecular expressions were <0.20 by t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ 2 test analysis; in the multiple logistic regression analysis, tumor size, lymphatic hilum structure, maximum cortical thickness, lymph node blood flow distribution and blood flow resistance index, PR and HER-2 molecular expressions were the independent factors predicting the pathological status of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer patients after NAC ( P<0.05). The performance of the predictive model was 0.870 (95% confidence interval: 0.819-0.922, P<0.05), with sensitivity of 86.82% and specificity of 70.67%. Conclusions:The model for predicting the pathological state of ALN in breast cancer patients after NAC using multi-modal ultrasound characteristic and immunohistochemical indexes achieves good diagnostic performance providing more objective evidence for the formulation of clinical treatment plans and prognostic evaluation.

Application of relative pressure imaging in assessing changes of diastolic left intraventricular pressure in hypertensive patients with different left ventricular configurations / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To investigate the changes of intraventricular pressure differences (IVPDs) and intraventricular pressure gradients (IVPGs) in different diastolic phases of hypertensive patients with different left ventricular configurations by relative pressure imaging (RPI) based on vector flow mapping (VFM), and to explore its diagnostic value for diastolic function in hypertensive patients with different left ventricular configurations.Methods:Totally 180 patients with hypertension were selected from April 2020 to March 2021 in the Outpatient Clinic of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University. According to the relative wall thickness (RWT) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI), the patients were divided into normal geometry group (NG group, n=62), concentric remodeling group (CR group, n=62) and concentric hypertrophy group (CH group, n=56). Sixty-one healthy volunteers were selected as the control group. Clinical data and echocardiographic parameters were collected and the differences of each parameter among 4 groups were compared. IVPDs and IVPGs in four diastolic phases were obtained by RPI, including isovolumic relaxation (IR), rapid filling (RF), slow filling (SF) and atrial contraction (AC). The differences of IVPDs and IVPGs in each phase of diastole among 4 groups and their correlations with echocardiographic parameters were analyzed, and the diagnostic efficacy of RPI parameters in NG group patients with reduced diastolic function was analyzed by the ROC curve. Results:The absolute values of IVPDs and IVPGs were greater in all subgroups of hypertension than those of the control group at each diastole phase( P<0.001). Pairwise comparisons showed statistically significant differences of IVPDs-IR and IVPGs-IR among 4 groups( P<0.001). They were correlated with E/e′( rs=-0.615, -0.605; all P<0.001). IVPDs-IR and IVPGs-IR had good diagnostic efficacy for the decrease of diastolic function of patients in NG group, the cutoff values were <-0.705 mmHg (AUC=0.935, P<0.001) and <-0.130 mmHg/cm (AUC=0.926, P<0.001). Conclusions:RPI can precisely assess different degrees of diastolic function changes in hypertensive patients with different configurations. IVPDs-IR and IVPGs-IR can be used as potential new indicators for non-invasive early diagnosis of hypertensive patients with reduced diastolic function, which is of great significance for timely clinical intervention and treatment of reversing ventricular remodeling.

Construction of a quantitative diagnosis model for predicting the nature of thyroid nodules based on multi-modality ultrasound images / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To construct a quantitatively diagnostic nomogram model by analyzing the clinical information of patients and the features of multi-modality ultrasound images of thyroid lesions, so as to preoperatively predict the malignant probability of suspicious thyroid nodules and provide effective references for clinical decision-making.Methods:A total of 933 patients, 1 121 thyroid nodules of C-TIRADS 3-5 categories, who underwent surgery in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from September 1, 2020 to June 10, 2021 were collected. The nodules were randomly divided into training ( n=897) and test groups ( n=224) in 8∶2 ratio. Finally, the diagnostic performance was evaluated by area under the curve (AUC). Results:①After preliminary screening by univariate analysis, multivariate analysis showed that age, echogenicity, orientation, echogenic foci, margin, posterior features, and elastic score were significantly correlated with benign and malignant nodules (all P<0.001), and the difference of halo between benign and malignant nodules was also statistically significant ( P=0.012). ②The AUC of nomogram was up to 0.903(95% CI=0.862-0.944) in the test set, and 0.889(95% CI=0.832-0.946) and 0.960(95% CI=0.925-0.994) in nodules with maximum diameter of ≤10 mm and of >10 mm respectively, which showed high diagnostic performance. Conclusions:The nomogram model could accurately differentiate malignant from benign thyroid nodules preoperatively, with the highest diagnostic performance for the nodules with maximum diameter of >10 mm, and effectively avoid the unnecessary fine-needle biopsy and surgical operation.

Ultrasonic automatic classification algorithm in the diagnosis of breast masses / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical effectiveness of an automatic computer-aided diagnosis(CAD) method in benign and malignant breast masses discrimination.Methods:The ultrasound images of 539 patients from the Second Hospital of Harbin Medical University and the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University between 2012 to 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. According to the fifth Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS), four breast radiologists first sent the case into a BI-RADS category with the original ultrasound image. Then with the CAD result, radiologists gave a category again. Pathology results and clinical data were not available to the radiologists during the diagnosis process. The histological and follow-up results were used as the gold standard. The accuracy of CAD automatic classification, radiologists′ diagnosis before and after CAD application were compared using the ROC curves. The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis were also calculated.Results:The classification algorithm has a good performance in benign and malignant breast masses discrimination.When the cutoff value was 0.495, the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were 0.878, 0.868 and 0.886 respectively. When the cutoff value was 0.203, the sensitivity and specificity was 0.981 and 0.337 respectively. With the CAD method, the radiologists improved their diagnostic performance. The total area under the ROC curve for the four radiologists increased from 0.775 to 0.871( P<0.001). The total sensitivity increased from 0.786 to 0.842, and the specificity increased from 0.681 to 0.813. Conclusions:The automatic classification algorithm in this study provides quantitative reference for doctors′ diagnosis. It has the potential to improve junior radiologists′ diagnostic performance in differentiating benign and malignant breast masses.

Evaluation of diastolic left intraventricular pressure differences in normal adults detected by vector flow mapping / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the characteristics of diastolic left intraventricular pressure differences(IVPD) and intraventricular pressure gradients(IVPG) among normal adults in different ages by vector flow mapping.Methods:From March 2019 to October 2020, 1 093 healthy volunteers were selected from the physical examination center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, and they were divided into youth group (18-40 years old), middle-aged group (41-65 years old) and elderly group (>65 years old). IVPD and IVPG during isovolumetric relaxation(IR) period, rapid filling (RF) period, slow filling(SF) period, and atrial contraction(AC) period were measured by vector flow mapping, and were correlated with left ventricular diastolic function parameters.Results:①IVPD-IR, IVPD-AC, IVPG-IR, and IVPG-AC gradually increased while IVPD-RF, IVPD-SF, and IVPG-RF gradually decreased from the youth group to the elderly group(all P<0.05). ②IVPD-RF and IVPG-RF were positively correlated with E( r=0.391, 0.402, P<0.001, respectively). IVPD-AC and IVPG-AC were positively correlated with A( r=0.407, 0.425, P<0.001, respectively) and E/e′( r=0.268, 0.294, P<0.001, respectively) while negatively correlated with E/A( r=-0.510, -0.506, P<0.001, respectively) and e′/a′( r=-0.514, -0.511, P<0.001, respectively). Conclusions:IVPD and IVPG can quantitatively analyze the changes of left ventricular hemodynamics in normal subjects, which are expected to be new indexes to evaluate left ventricular diastolic function.

Clinical application of ultrasound in evaluating pathologically complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To investigate the value of ultrasound in evaluating pathologically complete response(pCR) of neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC) for breast cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed in 67 breast cancer patients who received NAC in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from January 2018 to December 2019. Ultrasound examination was performed before and after NAC, and two-dimensional, color and elastic images were stored for subsequent analysis. According to the operation pathological results after NAC, the patients were divided into two groups, pCR group and npCR group, using the Miller-Payne criteria as the evaluation criteria. Chi-square test was used to compare the ultrasound characteristics of breast masses in pCR group and npCR group before NAC. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predicative value(PPV) and negative predicative value(NPV) of pCR were analyzed using ROC curve. The difference of pCR estimated by ultrasound in different molecular types was also analyzed.Results:①Of the 67 patients, 16 achieved pCR and 51 achieved npCR. Among the 16 pCR patients, 11(68.8%) were evaluated correctly and 5(31.2%) were wrong.Among the 51 npCR patients, 49(96.1%) were evaluated correctly and 2(3.9%) were wrong. ②There was no statistically significant difference between pCR and npCR in ultrasound features of pre-NAC breast masses( P>0.05). ③After the whole process of NAC, the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 89.6%, 68.8%, 96.1%, 84.6%, and 90.7%, respectively; The area under ROC curve was 0.824. ④The diagnostic efficiency of pCR estimated by ultrasound was higher for Luminal B and HER-2 breast cancer. Conclusions:The accuracy of pCR after NAC evaluated by ultrasound is 89.6%, with different diagnostic efficiency in different molecular types.

A prospective multi-center cross-sectional study of urethral mobility in normal parous women in China / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To assess the urethral mobility of normal parous women in China and explore the impacts of related risk factors on it using translabial ultrasound.Methods:Females who met the inclusion criteria in 37 tertiary hospitals from February 2017 to August 2018 were included. All women underwent standardized translabial ultrasound examination and the urethral rotation angle (URA), bladder neck position at maximum Valsalva maneuver (BNP-V) and bladder neck descent (BND) were measured. Questionnaires were used to collect basic information including age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), past medical history, maternity history, and urinary incontinence related history. Mann-Whitney U test and multiple linear regression analysis were adopted to explore the influences of age, BMI, delivery mode and parity on normal parous women′s urethral mobility. Then, the study subjects were divided into different groups and the corresponding values of URA, BNP-V and BND were compared. Results:Compared with parous women with normal BMI and no history of vaginal delivery, those who were overweight and/or had a history of vaginal delivery were more likely to gain greater URA and BND ( P<0.05). The URA and BND were not significantly different between women with different times of cesarean sections ( P>0.05); while for women with a history of vaginal delivery, these two parameters increased with the increase of the number of transvaginal deliveries ( P<0.05). Conclusions:BMI and vaginal delivery are important risk factors for the urethral mobility of normal parous women. The urethral mobility increases with the increase of BMI and the number of vaginal deliveries.

Evaluation of myocardial work in anthracycline-treated breast cancer patients by left ventricular pressure strain loop echocardiography / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effect of anthracyclines on myocardial work in patients with breast cancer by left ventricular pressure strain loop (PSL).Methods:From April 2019 to June 2020, 30 breast cancer patients treated with AC-T regimen(Adriamycin/epirubicin+ cyclophosphamide+ docetaxel) in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University were selected as case group, and 30 healthy volunteer were selected as control group. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed in the case group at 3 time points: before chemotherapy (T0 phase), after the third cycle of chemotherapy (T1 phase), and after the sixth cycle of chemotherapy (T2 phase) respectively. Conventional ultrasonic parameters were collected. Left ventricular PSL was used to evaluate the left ventricular myocardial work index, including global work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), global work waste (GWW) and global work efficiency (GWE). The same examination was performed in the control group, and the results between T0 phase and control group, among different phases were compared.Results:①There were no statistically significant differences of general information, conventional ultrasound parameters, left ventricular strain and myocardial work parameters between T0 phase and control group (all P>0.05). ②There were no statistically significant differences of LVEF, GLS, GWI, GCW, GWE and GWW between T1 phase and T0 phase (all P>0.05). ③There were no statistically significant differences in LVEF between T2 phase and T0 phase ( P>0.05). The absolute values of GLS, GWI, GCW and GWE decreased, but GWW increased, the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.05). ④There were no significant differences in LVEF between T2 phase and T1 phase ( P>0.05), but the absolute values of GLS, GWI, GCW and GWE decreased, while GWW increased (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Left ventricular PSL can effectively evaluate the myocardial work of anthracycline chemotherapy in breast cancer patients, which is superior to LVEF and provide a new evaluation method for asymptomatic patients.

Stress strain ultrasound evaluation of the protective effect of ATP-PostC on the circumferential function of rabbit acute myocardial infarction after reperfusion / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To explore the application of speckle tracking imaging (STI) stratification strain technique in the assessment of circumferential myocardial function and the myocardial protection of ATP-postconditioning (ATP-PostC) in a rabbit model of acute myocardial infarction.Methods:A total of 40 rabbits were randomly divided into 2 groups: pure ischemia reperfusion group (IR group)and ATP-PostC group. STI images were recorded before and 45 min after occlusion of coronary artery, post low-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography, 60 and 120 min after reperfusion, respectively. The following parameters were obtained: left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF), heart rate (HR), endocardial circumferential systolic strain (CSsys-endo), mid-myocardial circumferential systolic strain (CSsys-mid) and epicardial circumferential systolic strain (CSsys-epi) at left ventricular short-axis level. At different time points after occlusion and reperfusion, 5 experimental rabbits were killed in each group for pathological examination.Results:①Forty-five min after coronary artery occlusion in both groups, the values of LVEF and HR were decreased( P<0.05), and the absolute values of CSsys-endo, CSsys-mid and CSsys-epi were significantly reduced( P<0.01). After LDDSE, the absolute values of CSsys-endo, CSsys-mid and CSsys-epi were increased, which were different from those after blockade( P<0.05). ②After reperfusion, the circumferential strains were not significantly different from those after blockade in IR group ( P>0.05). After blockade, the absolute values of circumferential strains were increased significantly in the ATP-PostC group compared with IR group( P<0.05). In the ATP-PostC group, the absolute values of CSsys-endo at different time points after reperfusion increased significantly compared with that after blockade ( P<0.05). The absolute values of CSsys-endo and CSsys-mid 120 min after reperfusion continued to increase significantly compared with those 60 min after reperfusion( P<0.05). ③Pathological examination: After 60 min of blockade, there was no significant difference in myocardial infarction area between the IR group and the ATP-PostC group( P>0.05). The percentage of infarct areas at each time point of reperfusion in the ATP-PostC group was decreased compared with that after blockade( P<0.05). Compared with the IR group, the percentage of infarct area in the ATP-PostC group was smaller after 120 minutes of reperfusion and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The applications of STI stratification strain technique and LDDSE can assess left ventricular circumferential strains at each of myocardial layers before and after reperfusion in rabbit myocardial ischemia ATP-PostC model, identify and evaluate the function of viable myocardium, and exhibit the significant protective effects of ATP-PostC on myocardial reperfusion injury.

Feasibility of transperineal ultrasound in quantitative assessment of posterior compartment prolapse / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To investigate the feasibility of transperineal ultrasound in quantitative assessment of posterior compartment prolapse among Chinese women.Methods:The prospective multicenter study enrolled 485 women between January 2017 and January 2019. All patients underwent a standard clinical interview, pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q) examination and transperineal ultrasound examination. Volume data of transperineal ultrasound examinations were obtained at rest and in maximal Valsalva maneuver.Results:The higher POP-Q stage of posterior compartment, the lower rectal ampulla position in maximal Valsalva maneuver (POP-Q stage=0 vs POP-Q stage=1, P<0.001; POP-Q stage=1 vs POP-Q stage≥2, P<0.001), and the greater rectal ampulla hypermobility (POP-Q stage=0 vs POP-Q stage=1, P<0.001; POP-Q stage=1 vs POP-Q stage≥ 2, P=0.007). The rectal ampulla position at rest and in maximal Valsalva maneuver and rectocele depth were correlated with prolapse symptoms ( r=-0.200, P<0.001; r=-0.252, P<0.001; r=0.086, P=0.045). The corresponding cut-off values of rectal ampulla position in maximal Valsalva in diagnosing posterior compartment prolapse (POP-Q stage ≥1) and clinical significant posterior compartment prolapse (POP-Q stage ≥2) were 7.32 mm below the symphysis pubis and 12 mm below the symphysis pubis, respectively, with the area under the ROC curve as 0.75 and 0.85, respectively. Conclusions:The ultrasonic measurements by transperineal ultrasound is significantly associated with POP-Q examination in posterior compartment, and it is demonstrated as a useful tool in quantitative assessment of the severity of posterior compartment prolapse.

Correlation between levator hiatus area, pelvic organ prolapse quantification and prolapse symptoms / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To investigate the association between levator hiatus area, pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q) examination and prolapse symptoms.Methods:The prospective multicenter study enrolled 996 female patients between January 2017 and January 2019. All enrolled patients underwent a standard clinical interview, POP-Q examination and transperineal ultrasound examination. Volume data of pelvic floor ultrasound examinations were obtained at rest, during contraction and during maximal Valsalva maneuver. The association between levator hiatus area, POP-Q examination and prolapse symptoms was analyzed. The performance of levator hiatus area on maximal Valsalva for assessing significant POP(POP-Q stage≥2) and prolapse symptoms were also evaluated.Results:There were significant differences of levator hiatus area at rest, during contraction and during maximal Valsalva among patients with different POP-Q stages (all P<0.001). Levator hiatus area during maximal Valsalva showed the highest correlation with abdominal dragging sensation ( r=0.277, P<0.001). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of levator hiatus area during maximal Valsalva for significant POP (POP-Q stage≥2) was significantly higher than that for prolapse symptoms (AUC: 0.77 vs 0.69, P<0.001). Conclusions:Levator hiatus area on transperineal has moderate correlation with POP-Q examination and their association is stronger than the correlation between ultrasound findings and prolapse symptoms.

Feasibility of a novel ultrasonic scale for evaluation of sub-massive pulmonary embolism / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To explore the application value of a novel ultrasonic scale in the evaluation of sub-massive pulmonary embolism (sub-PE).Methods:Retrospective analyses were conducted in 137 patients with acute pulmonary embolism confirmed by computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) in the second affiliated hospital of Harbin Medical University from September 2017 to June 2019. They were divided into experimental set (77 cases) and testing set(60 cases). According to the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for pulmonary embolism in 2019, the patients were classified into sub-PE(71 cases) and small pulmonary embolism(small-PE, 66 cases). Parameters in the experimental set were screened by statistical methods to make an ultrasonic scale, and then the patients in the testing set were scored by the scale. ROC curve was plotted to calculate the diagnostic efficacy of the ultrasonic scale for sub-PE.Results:①The patients of sub-PE were older than small-PE patients [(61.57±1.45) years vs (56.31±1.59) years, P=0.016], but there was no significant difference between the two groups in other general data( P>0.05). ②Within the 77 pulmonary embolism patients in the experimental set, 41(53.25%) were classified as the sub-PE and 36(46.75%) as the small-PE. Compared with the small-PE group, right ventricular diameter, pulmonary artery trunk diameter, right ventricle/left ventricle ratio, tricuspid regurgitation velocity, the Tei index and the inferior vena cava diameter in the sub-PE group increased significantly ( P<0.05), and right ventricular wall motion amplitude, right atrium area rate, right ventricular area rate, tricuspid annulus systolic displacement, collapse rate of inferior vena cava and pulmonary artery blood flow acceleration time decreased significantly ( P<0.05); ③Fifteen ultrasonic parameters were used in the ultrasonic scale. The scale in sub-PE group of the testing set was significantly increased compared with that in small-PE group (11.63±3.87 vs 4.43±1.96, P<0.001). ROC showed that the AUC in diagnosing sub-PE by ultrasonic scale was 0.96. When the cut-off value was 6.5, the sensitivity and specificity were 90.00% and 83.33%, respectively. Conclusions:The novel ultrasonic scale can provide a comprehensive and feasible ultrasound imaging method for evaluation of sub-PE.

Evaluation of mycardial reserve effect in pharmacological postconditioning rabbits′ model by stress echocardiograpy and multilayer strain / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the myocardial reserve effect in rabbits′ model of myocardial inshemia-reperfusion by layer-specific strain of speckle tracking imaging and low dose dobutamine stress echocardiography(LDDSE).Methods:Forty rabbits were randomly divided into two groups: ischemia-reperfusion group (IR group) and pharmacological postconditioning group (ATP-PostC group). Echocardiography examinations were performed at baseline, 60 min after ligation (before and after dobutamine stress), and 120 min after reperfusion (before and after dobutamine stress). The size of each chamber was measured and the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) was calculated and the heart rate was recorded. The longitudinal strain of endocardium(SLsys-endo), longitudinal strain of myocardium(SLsys-mid), longitudinal strain of epicardium(SLsys-epi) were acquired. Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride(TTC) and Evans blue staining were applied in two rabbits randomly selected from each group at 60 min after ligation, dobutamine stress and 120 min after reperfusion, respectively.Results:①After coronary artery ligation, LVEF decreased in both groups( P<0.05), SLsys-endo, SLsys-mid, and SLsys-epi decreased in two groups( P<0.01). After low dose dobutamine stress, the SLsys-endo, SLsys-mid and SLsys-epi in the two groups increased, which was different from that after lagation( P<0.05). ②After 120 min reperfusion, the longitudinal strain of the myocardium of both groups increased compared with that after lagation( P<0.01, P<0.05), and the increase in ATP-PostC group was significantly higher than that in IR group( P<0.01). There was no significant difference between the IR group and the first LDDSE( P<0.05). After LDDSE again, the SLsys-endo and SLsys-mid in the two groups further increased, which was different from that after reperfusion ( P<0.05). And the SLsys-endo and SLsys-mid were higher in ATP-PostC group than those in IR group ( P<0.05). ③Pathological results showed that there was no significant difference in myocardial infarct size between IR group and ATP-PostC group at 60 min after ligation ( P>0.05). After 120 min reperfusion, the percentage of myocardial infarct size in the IR group was significantly higher than that in the ATP-PostC group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Layer-specific strain of STI combined with LDDSE can early detect regional myocardial dysfunction and accurately assess myocardial reserve function, and with endocardial longitudinal strain being more sensitive.

Clinical application of ultrasound modified gynecology imaging reporting and data system(mGI-RADS) in the diagnosis of ovarian tumors / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To classify the ultrasound features of ovarian tumors by modified gynecology imaging reporting and data system(mGI-RADS), and explore the clinical value of mGI-RADS in differentiating of benign and malignant tumors.Methods:The 242 ultrasound images of the adnexal mass from 221 patients with ovarian tumor who underwent ultrasound scan and proceeded surgeries in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from September 2017 and December 2019 were involved in the retrospective analysis and compared with the pathological results. According to the latest ultrasound terminology for adnexal masses proposed by the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA), the adnexal masses were classified. The suspeted malignant sings were screened for mGI-RADS. Using GI-RADS and mGI-RADS classification systems, all the adnexal masses were double-blindly classified by two senior doctors and their diagnostic efficiencies were evaluated.Results:Among the suspected malignant signs proposed by IOTA, resistance index (RI)<0.5, central blood flow signal, ascites, irregular cystic wall with uneven thickness separation, mass composition (solid component ≥30% and silent shadow attenuation), and papillary structure≥7 mm, showed retatively higher OR values(14.282, 10.372, 9.653, 8.832, 5.851, 4.506, respectively. Using GI-RADS and mGI-RADS classification systems, the diagnostic consistency by the two senior doctors in differentiating benign and malignant ovarian neoplasms was good(Kappa=0.767, P<0.05). Grade Ⅳ was divided into three subtypes (Ⅳa, Ⅳb, Ⅳc) by the mGI-RADS, and their positive predictive values for malignant ovarian masses were 69.0%, 90.4% and 92.9% respectively. When a cut-off value >mGRⅣ was used to distinguish the benign and malignant adnexal tumors, the AUC was the largest, and its sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were 93.4%, 93.1%, 90.4%, 95.2% and 93.2%, respectively. Conclusions:The mGI-RADS has a high clinical value in the differential diagnosis of ovarian tumors.

Comparative study of multimodal ultrasonographic features and clinicopathological appearances of breast cancer with different molecular subtypes / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To investigate the comparative analysis of multimodal ultrasound features and clinicopathology of different molecular types of breast cancer, so as to improve the diagnostic accuracy of different types of breast cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis of 112 patients with invasive breast cancer in the Second Affiliated Hospital and Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Harbin Medical Univeristy from August 2017 to November 2018 was carried out. With reference to St.Gallen standard, breast masses were divided into four subtypes, including Luminal A (LA), Luminal B (LB), Her-2 overexpression (Her-2+ ) and triple negative (TN). Two-dimensional greyscale, color Doppler flow imaging, shear wave elastography and contrast-enhanced ultrasound images were performed before operation. Complete clinicopathological data were collected. The differences between different subtypes of breast cancer in terms of multimodal ultrasound and clinicopathological features were analyzed.Results:①Luminal breast cancer showed posterior echo attenuation, low Alder grade, low Emax and Eratio value. LA was more likely to show a speculated or angular margin and concentric enhancement; LB was more frequently to show a indistinct margin, low enhancement and no perfusion defect (all P<0.05). ②Her-2+ cancers were characterized with a indistinct margin, enhanced posterior echo, a high Alder grade, Emax and Eratio value, and a high contrast enhancement and perfusion defect. The TTP value was lower than other subtypes (all P<0.05). ③TN cancers were associated with microlobulated margin, posterior echo enhancement, low Alder grade, high Emax and Eratio value and Ki67 expression, contrast concentric enhancement have and perfusion defect (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Different molecular subtypes of breast cancer have different multimodal ultrasound features and clinicopathological appearances, which can provide more imaging information for clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

Application of three-dimensional ultrasound in the diagnosis of different molecular subtypes of breast cancer / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To explore the value of three-dimensional ultrasound in differential diagnosis of different molecular subtypes of breast cancer.Methods:One hundred and twenty patients from August 2017 to December 2018 in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University with breast masses were selected, and a total of 120 breast lesions were confirmed to be malignant by postoperative pathology. All patients underwent routine ultrasound and three-dimensional ultrasound before surgery. According to the St.Gallen criteria, the selected cases were divided into tubes according to the expression of immunohistochemical markers estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2). The Luminal epithelial subtype (Luminal subtype), HER-2 overexpression subtype and the triple negative subtype(TN subtype) were used to analyze whether there were differences in the three-dimensional ultrasound characteristics among different molecular subtypes of breast cancer.Results:①Three-dimensional gray-scale ultrasound: Luminal subtype breast cancer often showed as an irregular shape of the mass, with burrs on the edges, differential leaves, high echo echoes around and coronal surface convergence. The HER-2 overexpression subtype masses were blurred, with angles, uneven internal echo, and often accompanied by microcalcification. The TN subtype were more clearly mass with more regular edge, slightly enhanced posterior echo. And the differences between the 3 groups were statistically significant ( P<0.05). ②Three-dimensional power Doppler: The mean gray (MG), mean power (MP), ratio(R) and vascularization flow index (VFI) of three-dimensional ultrasonic flow volume in breast cancer with different molecular subtypes showed statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). There were significant differences of MG, MP between HER-2 overexpression subtype and TN subtype (all P<0.05). There were significant differences of R and VFI between HER-2 overexpression subtype and Luminal subtype, HER-2 overexpression subtype and TN subtype (all P<0.05). MG, MP, R, VFI values were the lowest in TN subtype and highest in HER-2 over expression subtype. ③Luminal subtype, HER-2 overexpression subtype, TN subtype blood flow grading and blood flow distribution were not significant different ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Three-dimensional ultrasound imaging combined with two-dimensional ultrasound can better reflect the morphological, blood supply and characteristics of different molecular subtypes of breast cancer, and provide more evidence for the diagnosis and identification of breast cancer before surgery.