Relationship between blood uric acid levels and body composition in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome / 中华妇产科杂志

Objective: To analyze the difference in blood uric acid levels between patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and healthy women of childbearing age, and to investigate the correlation between body composition and blood uric acid levels. Methods: A total of 153 eligible childbearing age patients with PCOS treated at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from January 2018 to March 2022 were selected, and 153 healthy women with normal menstruation were selected as the control group. Fasting blood uric acid levels were measured by venous blood test, and body composition was measured by a body composition analyzer. Group comparisons were made to analyze the correlation between body composition and blood uric acid levels. Results: The incidence of hyperuricemia was higher in patients with PCOS than that in the control group [30.1% (46/153) vs 2.0% (3/153)], with a statistically significant difference (χ2=44.429, P<0.001). Blood uric acid level was also significantly higher in patients with PCOS than that in the control group [(371±98) vs (265±67) μmol/L; t=11.170, P<0.001]. Among PCOS patients, there were statistically significant differences in weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat mass, skeletal muscle mass, percent body fat, lean body weight, fat mass/lean body weight, percent skeletal muscle, and visceral fat level between the hyperuricemia group and the normal blood uric acid group (all P<0.001), but no significant difference was observed in waist-hip ratio (P=0.348). The following body composition indicators: weight, BMI, waist-hip ratio, body fat mass, skeletal muscle mass, percent body fat, visceral fat level, lean body weight, and fat mass/lean body weight in all subjects, the PCOS patients and the control group, were positively correlated with blood uric acid levels (all P<0.01). The blood uric acid level in PCOS obese patients was higher than that in non-obese PCOS patients, and the difference was statistically significant [(425±83) vs (336±91) μmol/L; t=6.133, P<0.001]. The blood uric acid level in central obesity PCOS patients was also higher than that in non-central obesity PCOS patients [(385±95) vs (299±79) μmol/L], the difference was statistically significant (t=4.261, P<0.001). The blood uric acid level in normal-weight obese PCOS patients was higher than that in normal-weight non-obese PCOS patients [(333±73) vs (277±54) μmol/L], and the difference was statistically significant (t=2.848, P=0.006). Blood uric acid levels in normal-weight [(315±74) vs (255±67) μmol/L], overweight [(362±102) vs (276±57) μmol/L], and obese PCOS patients [(425±83) vs (303±74) μmol/L] were all higher than those in the corresponding control groups, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.001). Conclusions: PCOS patients have a higher incidence of hyperuricemia than healthy women of childbearing age. Blood uric acid levels are closely correlated with body composition indicators, such as weight, BMI, waist-hip ratio, body fat mass, skeletal muscle mass, percent body fat, and visceral fat level. Body composition analysis of women with PCOS could help identify potentially obese people more accurately and carry out individualized treatment, thereby reducing the risk of metabolic abnormalities.

Associations of genetic variations in pyroptosis related genes with acute adverse events in postoperative rectal cancer patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: This study aims to investigate the associations between genetic variations of pyroptosis pathway related key genes and adverse events (AEs) of postoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in patients with rectal cancer. Methods: DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood which was collected from 347 patients before CRT. Sequenom MassARRAY was used to detect the genotypes of 43 haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (htSNPs) in eight pyroptosis genes, including absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2), caspase-1 (CASP1), caspase-4(CASP4), caspase-5 (CASP5), caspase-11 (CASP11), gasdermin D (GSDMD), gasdermin E (GSDME) and NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3). The associations between 43 htSNPs and AEs were evaluated by the odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by unconditional logistic regression models, adjusted for sex, age, clinical stage, tumor grade, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), surgical procedure, and tumor location. Results: Among the 347 patients with rectal cancer underwent concurrent CRT with capecitabine after surgery, a total of 101(29.1%) occurred grade ≥ 2 leukopenia. rs11226565 (OR=0.41, 95% CI: 0.21-0.79, P=0.008), rs579408(OR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.03-2.29, P=0.034) and rs543923 (OR=0.63, 95% CI: 0.41-0.98, P=0.040) were significantly associated with the occurrence of grade ≥ 2 leukopenia. One hundred and fifty-six (45.0%) had grade ≥ 2 diarrhea, two SNPs were significantly associated with the occurrence of grade ≥ diarrhea, including CASP11 rs10880868 (OR=0.55, 95% CI: 0.33-0.91, P=0.020) and GSDME rs2954558 (OR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.01-2.31, P=0.050). In addition, sixty-six cases (19.0%) developed grade ≥2 dermatitis, three SNPs that significantly associated with the risk of grade ≥2 dermatitis included GSDME rs2237314 (OR=0.36, 95% CI: 0.16-0.83, P=0.017), GSDME rs12540919 (OR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.27-0.99, P=0.045) and NLRP3 rs3806268 (OR=1.51, 95% CI: 1.03-2.22, P=0.037). There was no significant difference in the association between other genetic variations and AEs of rectal cancer patients (all P>0.05). Surgical procedure and tumor location had great impacts on the occurrence of grade ≥2 diarrhea and dermatitis (all P<0.01). Conclusion: The genetic variants of CASP4, CASP11, GSDME and NLRP3 are associated with the occurrence of AEs in patients with rectal cancer who received postoperative CRT, suggesting they may be potential genetic markers in predicting the grade of AEs to achieve individualized treatment of rectal cancer.

A single-center study on the distribution and antibiotic resistance of pathogens causing bloodstream infection in patients with hematological malignancies / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To study the incidence of bloodstream infections, pathogen distribution, and antibiotic resistance profile in patients with hematological malignancies. Methods: From January 2018 to December 2021, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics, pathogen distribution, and antibiotic resistance profiles of patients with malignant hematological diseases and bloodstream infections in the Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University. Results: A total of 582 incidences of bloodstream infections occurred in 22,717 inpatients. From 2018 to 2021, the incidence rates of bloodstream infections were 2.79%, 2.99%, 2.79%, and 2.02%, respectively. Five hundred ninety-nine types of bacteria were recovered from blood cultures, with 487 (81.3%) gram-negative bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Eighty-one (13.5%) were gram-positive bacteria, primarily Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Enterococcus faecium, whereas the remaining 31 (5.2%) were fungi. Enterobacteriaceae resistance to carbapenems, piperacillin/tazobactam, cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam, and tigecycline were 11.0%, 15.3%, 15.4%, and 3.3%, with a descending trend year on year. Non-fermenters tolerated piperacillin/tazobactam, cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam, and quinolones at 29.6%, 13.3%, and 21.7%, respectively. However, only two gram-positive bacteria isolates were shown to be resistant to glycopeptide antibiotics. Conclusions: Bloodstream pathogens in hematological malignancies were broadly dispersed, most of which were gram-negative bacteria. Antibiotic resistance rates vary greatly between species. Our research serves as a valuable resource for the selection of empirical antibiotics.

Current status of diagnosis and treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in China: A national multicenter survey research / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To understand the current status of diagnosis and treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) /small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) among hematologists, oncologists, and lymphoma physicians from hospitals of different levels in China. Methods: This multicenter questionnaire survey was conducted from March 2021 to July 2021 and included 1,000 eligible physicians. A combination of face-to-face interviews and online questionnaire surveys was used. A standardized questionnaire regarding the composition of patients treated for CLL/SLL, disease diagnosis and prognosis evaluation, concomitant diseases, organ function evaluation, treatment selection, and Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor was used. Results: ①The interviewed physicians stated that the proportion of male patients treated for CLL/SLL is higher than that of females, and the age is mainly concentrated in 61-70 years old. ②Most of the interviewed physicians conducted tests, such as bone marrow biopsies and immunohistochemistry, for patient diagnosis, in addition to the blood test. ③Only 13.7% of the interviewed physicians fully grasped the initial treatment indications recommended by the existing guidelines. ④In terms of cognition of high-risk prognostic factors, physicians' knowledge of unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable and 11q- is far inferior to that of TP53 mutation and complex karyotype, which are two high-risk prognostic factors, and only 17.1% of the interviewed physicians fully mastered CLL International Prognostic Index scoring system. ⑤Among the first-line treatment strategy, BTK inhibitors are used for different types of patients, and physicians have formed a certain understanding that BTK inhibitors should be preferentially used in patients with high-risk factors and elderly patients, but the actual use of BTK inhibitors in different types of patients is not high (31.6%-46.0%). ⑥BTK inhibitors at a reduced dose in actual clinical treatment were used by 69.0% of the physicians, and 66.8% of the physicians had interrupted the BTK inhibitor for >12 days in actual clinical treatment. The use of BTK inhibitors is reduced or interrupted mainly because of adverse reactions, such as atrial fibrillation, severe bone marrow suppression, hemorrhage, and pulmonary infection, as well as patients' payment capacity and effective disease progression control. ⑦Some differences were found in the perceptions and behaviors of hematologists and oncologists regarding the prognostic assessment of CLL/SLL, the choice of treatment options, the clinical use of BTK inhibitors, etc. Conclusion: At present, a gap remains between the diagnosis and treatment of CLL/SLL among Chinese physicians compared with the recommendations in the guidelines regarding the diagnostic criteria, treatment indications, prognosis assessment, accompanying disease assessment, treatment strategy selection, and rational BTK inhibitor use, especially the proportion of dose reduction or BTK inhibitor discontinuation due to high adverse events.

Analysis of Related Factors Affecting the Risk Assessment of Death during Hospitalization of Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveTo explore the influencing factors of different scores on predicting death risk of extremely low birth weight infants （ELBWI）. MethodsA total of 186 cases of ELBWI admitted by the Children's Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University and the Lishui Branch of the Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University were admitted from January 1， 2019 to January 1， 2021， and 125 ELBWIs were finally included after screening by inclusion and exclusion criteria. There were 47 cases in the death group and 78 cases in the survival group. General data and the items of score for neonatal acute physiology version Ⅱ （SNAP-Ⅱ）， simplified version of the score for neonatal acute physiology perinatal extension （SNAPPE-Ⅱ）， clinical risk index for babies （CRIB）， clinical risk index for babies Ⅱ （CRIB-Ⅱ） and the national critical illness score （NCIS） were collected. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed and nomogram was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve （ROC）. ResultsIt was found that systolic blood pressure， maximum inhaled oxygen concentration， BE value and birth weight were important factors in ELBWI mortality risk assessment ［systolic blood pressure OR： 0.968， 95%CI： 0.938-0.999， P=0.043； maximum inhaled oxygen concentration OR： 1.020， 95%CI： 1.006-1.034， P=0.006； BE OR： 0.868， 95%CI： 0.786-0.959， P=0.005； birth weight OR： 0.994， 95%CI： 0.991-0.997， P=0.000］. ROC showed that the area under the curve of the above four variables is 0.71， and the 95% confidence interval is 0.610-0.799， which is better than CRIB score. ConclusionLower systolic blood pressure， higher inhaled oxygen concentration， higher BE and lower birthweight are important influencing factors to predict the death risk of ELBWI. The above four items should be included in the newly developed score assessment to obtain a more effective ELBWI prediction system.

A mathematical model for quality evaluation of total saponins of Panax japonicas based on hypolipidemic activity / 中草药·英文版

Objective: The chemical finger printing-based methods for evaluating TCMs quality can report partial of TCMs quality without linking to effective constituents. In this study, a mathematical model was established for the quality evaluation of total saponins of Panax japonicus (TSPJ), a folk medicine in China and Japan for treating diseases, through coupling the dynamic changes of chemical constitutions with corresponding activities. Methods: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprints were applied to establish the chromatographic database of TSPJ. The associated hypolipidemic activity database was determined by TG assay using HepG2 cell model. Correlation analyses of two databases were performed by partial least squares (PLS) for calculating regression coefficients, and the interval value of YZL value (the ratio of positive and negative peak-to-peak area coefficient) closely related to hypolipidemic activity was refined by the formula of Norminv function to value the quality of TSPJ. Results: In this study, the chromatographic data of 16 common peaks were obtained from 20 batches of TSPJ. After the estimate by this mathematical evaluation model, seven peaks were positively correlated with hypolipidemic activity, and nine peaks were negatively correlated with hypolipidemic activity. When the YZL value was less than 0.7861, the quality of sample was inferior, while YZL value was more than 6.6992, and the quality of samples was superior. The quality of another ten batches of TSPJ was further assessed to verify this method. Conclusion: These results indicated that the established model could be usefully applied to evaluate the quality of TSPJ in the hypolipidemic activity.

The prognostic effects of two comprehensive geriatric assessment methods in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia / 中华内科杂志

Objective:To evaluate the prognostic effects of two comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) methods in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).Methods:Ninety-seven patients with newly diagnosed AML at Beijing Hospital from August 2008 to December 2019 were included (≥60 years old). All patients were evaluated by two methods of CGA. One was IACA index proposed by Beijing Hospital, including instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), age, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), albumin; the other was proposed by Italian FIL study group (FIL-CGA), including activities of daily living (ADL), IADL, age, and modified cumulative illness rating score for geriatrics (MCIRS-G).Results:Among 97 patients, 54 patients received standard chemotherapy, 16 with decitabine, 2 with targeted therapy and 25 with the best supportive therapy. The overall response rate (ORR) in 72 treated patients were 67.7%, 33.3% and 0 respectively in fit, unfit and frail groups according to IACA index ( P=0.001). Based on FIL-CGA, the ORRs of fit, unfit and frail groups were 52.5%, 41.7% and 35.0% respectively ( P=0.418). The 1-year OS rates of fit, unfit and frail groups regarding IACA method were 78.7%, 27.7% and 0 respectively ( P<0.01). The 1-year OS rates of fit, unfit and frail groups regarding FIL-CGA method were 67.8%, 28.2% and 13.9% respectively ( P<0.01), while no significant difference was seen between unfit group and frail group ( P=0.111). The early death rates of fit, unfit and frail groups by IACA were 0, 6.0% and 28.6% respectively ( P=0.006), while those by FIL-CGA were 2.3%, 5.9%, 13.9% respectively ( P=0.123). Conclusion:Compared with FIL-CGA method, IACA predicts more effectively the treatment response, survival and early mortality in elderly patients with AML.

Diversity and Anti-Dermatophyte Activities of Endophytic Fungi from Datura metel / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the taxonomic structure and diversity of endophytic fungi from <italic>Datura metel </italic>and screen the strains with anti-dermatophyte activities， so as to provide resources for the development of new lead compounds against dermatomycosis. Method:Endophytic fungi were isolated from the roots， stems and leaves of <italic>D. metel</italic> after tissue block incubation and then identified by morphological analysis and rDNA-internal transcribed spacer（ITS） sequencing. Their anti-dermatophyte activities were detected by agar diffusion assay. Result:A total of 292 strains of endophytic fungi were isolated from <italic>D. metel</italic>， belonging to 34 genera， with<italic> Fusarium</italic> （72.97%） in roots， <italic>Fusarium </italic>（37.25%） and <italic>Plectosphaerella </italic>（28.43%） in stems， and <italic>Colletotrichum </italic>（39.66%） in leaves as the dominant species. The isolation rate （89.23%）， colonization rate （84.62%）， and diversity index （1.82） of endophytic fungi in leaves were significantly higher than those in roots （70.48%， 70.48% and 1.23） and stems （69.39%，68.03% and 1.64）. The determination of anti-dermatophyte activities of 35 endophytic fungal fermented filtrates showed that the strains exhibiting inhibitory activities against <italic>Microsporum canis</italic>， <italic>Trichosporon mucoides</italic>， <italic>Trichophyton rubrum</italic> and <italic>Candida albicans </italic>accounted for 97.14%， 71.43%， 45.71%， and 25.71%， respectively. Among them， six strains （17.14%）， namely <italic>Fusarium </italic>sp. R1， <italic>Penicillium </italic>sp. R5， <italic>Aspergillus </italic>sp. R7， <italic>Metarhizium </italic>sp.<italic> </italic>S18， <italic>Diaporthe </italic>sp. S19， and <italic>Glomerella </italic>sp.<italic> </italic>L57， all inhibited the four types of cutaneous fungal pathogens. Conclusion:The endophytic fungi in <italic>D. metel</italic> are diverse， and the proportion of endophytic fungi possessing anti-dermatophyte activities is high， allowing them to serve as potential resources for the development of new anti-dermatophyte agents.

Molecular Mechanism of Modified Guizhi Fulingwan Intervention on Uterine Fibroids in Rats Based on micRNA Expression Profiling / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the molecular mechanism of modified Guizhi Fulingwan in rats with uterine fibroids. Method:Seventy-two female adult SD rats of SPF grade were randomly divided into a model group， a normal group， and a preventive administration group. The model group and preventive administration group were established by estrogen and progestin loading method. After successful modeling， the rats in the model group were randomly divided into a western medicine group （mifepristone）， the high-dose traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） group， and a low-dose TCM group. All the rats were dosing as required once a day for 28 consecutive days. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE）staining was used to observe the morphological changes of the uterus. The micRNA gene chip was used to detect the expression profile of uterine micRNA gene. Differential expressions of micRNA were screened by bioinformatics methods. Gene function enrichment was used to predict the possible signaling pathways in rats with uterine fibroids by modified Guizhi Fulingwan. Result:Compared with the normal group， microRNA of the model group was 1 up-regulated and 9 down-regulated. Compared with the model group， microRNA of the high-dose group of TCM group was 2 up-regulated and 1 down-regulated， in the preventive administration group， 9 was up-regulated and 2 was down-regulated. Gene function enrichment analysis indicated that four signaling pathways were closely related to uterine fibroids. They were mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signaling pathway， Wnt signaling pathway， mammalian rapamycin target protein （mTOR） signaling pathway and vascular endothelial cell growth factor （VEGF） signaling pathway. Conclusion:Modified Guizhi Fulingwan affected the expression profile of micRNA in rat model of uterine fibroids induced by estrogen and progesterone， suggesting that modified Guizhi Fulingwan may involve in a variety of biological processes such as signal transduction and gene regulation in the treatment of uterine fibroids.

Sex-Specific Lower Extremity Biomechanics of Amateur Runners with Patellofemoral Pain / 医用生物力学

Objective To study the sex-specific lower extremity biomechanics of amateur runners with patellofemoral pain (PFP). Methods Fifteen male and ten female amateur runners with PFP were identified and enrolled in PFP group, twenty-five healthy amateur runners matched with the PFP group were recruited as control group. The kinematics and kinetics, surface electromyography (EMG) data from all the subjects in the running task were collected.Two-way analysis of variance was performed to determine the influence of group and sex on lower extremity biomechanics during running. Results Compared with control group, male amateur runners with PFP showed a greater peak knee flexion angle during the landing phase of running. Compared with control group, male and female amateur runners with PFP showed a greater peak hip adduction angle during the landing phase of running, while the peak hip adduction angle of female participants was significantly greater than that of male participants. Conclusions Amateur runners with PFP showed sex-specific lower extremity biomechanics in the running task, and the clinical intervention for PFP should be sex-specific.

Advance in glycosyltransferases, the important bioparts for production of diversified ginsenosides / 中国天然药物

Ginsenosides are a series of glycosylated triterpenoids predominantly originated from Panax species with multiple pharmacological activities such as anti-aging, mediatory effect on the immune system and the nervous system. During the biosynthesis of ginsenosides, glycosyltransferases play essential roles by transferring various sugar moieties to the sapogenins in contributing to form structure and bioactivity diversified ginsenosides, which makes them important bioparts for synthetic biology-based production of these valuable ginsenosides. In this review, we summarized the functional elucidated glycosyltransferases responsible for ginsenoside biosynthesis, the advance in the protein engineering of UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) and their application with the aim to provide in-depth understanding on ginsenoside-related UGTs for the production of rare ginsenosides applying synthetic biology-based microbial cell factories in the future.

Phase II Study of Preoperative IntraArterial Epirubicin, Etoposide, and Oxaliplatin Combined with Oral S-1 Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Borrmann Type 4 Gastric Cancer

Purpose@#A phase II study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of preoperative, intra-arterial perfusion of epirubicin, etoposide, and oxaliplatin combined with oral chemotherapy S-1 (SEEOX) for the treatment of type 4 gastric cancer. @*Materials and Methods@#A single-center, single-arm phase II trial was conducted on 36 patients with histologically proven type 4 gastric cancer without distant peritoneal or organ metastasis. Patients received 3, 21-day courses of SEEOX preoperative chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) and the secondary outcomes assessed were chemotherapeutic response, radical resection rate, pathological regression, toxicities, postoperative morbidity, and mortality. @*Results@#All patients were at an advanced stage of cancer (stage III or IV) and completed the entire course of treatment. Based on changes in tumor volume and peritoneal metastasis, the objective response rate was 55.6% (20/36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 38.5%–72.6%) and the disease control rate was 69.4% (25/36; 95% CI, 53.6%–85.3%). The radical resection rate was 75% (27/36; 95% CI, 60.1%–89.9%) and the proportion of R0 resections was 66.7% (21/36; 95% CI, 50.5%–82.8%). The pathological response rate was 33.3%, of which 13.9% showed complete pathological regression. The median survival was 27.1 months (95% CI, 22.24–31.97 months), and the 2-year OS was 48.5% (95% CI, 30.86%–66.1%). @*Conclusions@#Preoperative SEEOX is a safe and effective treatment for type 4 gastric cancer. Based on these preliminary data, a phase III study will be conducted to confirm the superiority of this regimen over standard treatment.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02949258

Phase II Study of Preoperative IntraArterial Epirubicin, Etoposide, and Oxaliplatin Combined with Oral S-1 Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Borrmann Type 4 Gastric Cancer

Purpose@#A phase II study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of preoperative, intra-arterial perfusion of epirubicin, etoposide, and oxaliplatin combined with oral chemotherapy S-1 (SEEOX) for the treatment of type 4 gastric cancer. @*Materials and Methods@#A single-center, single-arm phase II trial was conducted on 36 patients with histologically proven type 4 gastric cancer without distant peritoneal or organ metastasis. Patients received 3, 21-day courses of SEEOX preoperative chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) and the secondary outcomes assessed were chemotherapeutic response, radical resection rate, pathological regression, toxicities, postoperative morbidity, and mortality. @*Results@#All patients were at an advanced stage of cancer (stage III or IV) and completed the entire course of treatment. Based on changes in tumor volume and peritoneal metastasis, the objective response rate was 55.6% (20/36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 38.5%–72.6%) and the disease control rate was 69.4% (25/36; 95% CI, 53.6%–85.3%). The radical resection rate was 75% (27/36; 95% CI, 60.1%–89.9%) and the proportion of R0 resections was 66.7% (21/36; 95% CI, 50.5%–82.8%). The pathological response rate was 33.3%, of which 13.9% showed complete pathological regression. The median survival was 27.1 months (95% CI, 22.24–31.97 months), and the 2-year OS was 48.5% (95% CI, 30.86%–66.1%). @*Conclusions@#Preoperative SEEOX is a safe and effective treatment for type 4 gastric cancer. Based on these preliminary data, a phase III study will be conducted to confirm the superiority of this regimen over standard treatment.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02949258

Panax Notoginseng Saponins Inhibits Ventricular Remodeling after Myocardial Infarction in Rats Through Regulating ATF3/MAP2K3/p38 MAPK and NF κ B Pathway / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore whether Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) exhibits heart protective effect in myocardial infarction (MI) rats and to identify the potential signaling pathways involved.@*METHODS@#MI rats induced by ligating the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery were assigned to sham coronary artery ligation or coronary artery ligation. Totally 36 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham group (distilled water, n=9), MI group (distilled water, n=9), PNS group (PNS, 40 mg/kg daily, n=9) and fosinopril group (FIP, 1.2 mg/kg daily, n=9) according to a random number table. The left ventricular morphology and function were conducted by echocardiography. Histological alterations were evaluated by the stainings of HE and Masson. The serum levels of C reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) and the ratio of metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of MMP-9 (TIMP-1) were determined by ELISA. The levels of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3 (MAP2K3), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), phosphorylation of p38 MAPK (p-p38 MAPK), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β1), collagen I, nuclear factor kappa B p65 (NFκB p65), phosphorylation of NFκB p65 (p-NFκB p65), and phosphorylation of inhibitory kappa Bα (p-Iκ Bα) in hearts were measured by Western blot and immunohistochemical staining, respectively.@*RESULTS@#PNS improved cardiac function and fibrosis in MI rats (P<0.05). The serum levels of CRP, TNF-α, GDF-15 and the ratio of MMP9/TIMP1 were reversed by PNS in MI rats. The expressions of TGF-β1, collagen I, MAP2K3, p38 MAPK, p-p38 MAPK, NFκB p65, p-NFκB p65, and p-IκBα were down-regulated, while ATF3 increased with the treatment of PNS (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#PNS may improve cardiac function and fibrosis in MI rats via regulating ATF3/MAP2K3/p38 MAPK and NFκB signaling pathways. These results suggest the potential of PNS in preventing the development of ventricular remodeling in MI rats.

The efficacy and safety of daratumumab in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma / 中华内科杂志

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of daratumumab in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM).Methods:The efficacy and adverse events (AEs) of daratumumab based regimens were retrospectively analyzed in 37 patients with RRMM from Peking University People′s Hospital, Beijing Hospital and Fu Xing Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University in China. The deadline for inclusion was December, 2019.Results:Among the 37 patients, 35 patients were available for response evaluation. The overall response rate (ORR) was 68.6%, which was better in patients receiving 16 mg/kg daratumumab than in those with fixed doses of 800 mg daratumumab [ORR: 78.3%(18/23) vs. 40.0%(4/10)]. The percentage of infusion related reactions of daratumumab was 27.0%(10/37). The most common hematological AEs were lymphocytopenia and thrombocytopenia, with the incidences of grade 3 or more severe 59.5%(22/37) and 43.2%(16/37) respectively. Pulmonary infections(37.8%, 14/37) were the most common non-hematological AEs. One patient with positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and two patients dependent on dialysis were safely treated with daratumumab.Conclusion:Daratumumab is highly effective in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. Adverse reactions are mild and well tolerable.

Wound Age Estimation by Neutrophil Migration Distance / 法医学杂志

Objective To explore the application of neutrophil migration distance for wound age estimation of skeletal muscles in rats, and to provide methodological basis for follow-up study in future. Methods The skeletal muscle contusion model was established in rats, and the control group and the 2, 4, 6 h post-traumatic groups were set. The law of response of neutrophils that participated in the inflammation after injury was detected by immunohistochemical staining, and the relationship between neutrophil migration distance and injury time was detected by TissueFAXS PLUS software. Results The skeletal muscle was obviously infiltrated with neutrophils 2-6 h after injury. The positive rate of neutrophil was （28.75±0.94）% at 2 h post-traumatic, and reached the peak （45.50±3.63）% at 4 h post-traumatic, then decreased to （31.92±1.56）% at 6 h post-traumatic. The neutrophil migration distances increased with the progress of inflammation, and reached （124.80±12.32） μm, （229.03±21.45） μm and （335.04±16.75） μm at 2 h, 4 h and 6 h, respectively. Conclusion There is a relationship of neutrophil infiltrated number and migration distance and wound age within the 2-6 h after skeletal muscle injury, which could be used for the inference of skeletal muscle wound age.

The prognosis value of comprehensive geriatric assessment in elder patients with acute myeloid leukemia in a single center / 中华血液学杂志

Objective@#To evaluate the prognostic significance of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in Chinese elderly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients.@*Methods@#73 AML patients over the age of 60 were enrolled. CGA stratification included the following 3 instrument assessment: activity of daily living (ADL) ; instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) ; comorbidity score according to the Modified cumulative illness rating score for geriatrics (MCIRS-G) . According to CGA and age, the enrolled patients were grouped into 'fit’, 'unfit’ and 'frail’ categories.@*Results@#The median age of 73 elderly AML patients were 75 years old. According to CGA, 37 (50.1%) patients were classified as 'fit’, 14 (19.2%) as 'unfit’, and 22 (30.7%) as 'frail’. 33 (89.2%) patients in fit group received induction chemotherapy, or demethylation treatment, as 8 (57.9%) in unfit, 10 (45.5%) in frail. The overall response rate was 68.7%、62.5%, 75.0% in fit, unfit, and frail group, respectively (χ2=0.615, P=0.769) .The early mortality (8 weeks) in three groups were different: 5.4%, 7.1%, 27.3%, respectively (P<0.05) . The 1-year overall survival in the 'fit’, 'unfit’ and 'frail’ groups was 64.9%, 28.6% and 22.7%, respectively (P<0.05) . The CGA score, age, ECOG score, WHO classification (2016) were the prognostic factors of AML patients.@*Conclusion@#CGA can be used to determine the prognosis of elderly AML patients.

Clinical Efficacy of Yinchenhao Tang Combined with Sinisan in Treating Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease with Hyperhomocysteinemia / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of Yinchenhao Tang combined with Sinisan(YCSN) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy). Method: Totally 126 cases of NAFLD with HHcy in Beijing Shichahai Community Health Service Center were randomly divided into NAFLD control group, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) group, and modern medicine group, with 42 cases in each group. The TCM group was treated with YCSN orally, the modern medicine group was treated with polyene phosphatidylcholine capsules and folic acid tablets, and the NAFLD control group was treated with placebo. The course of treatment was 3 months. The clinical efficiency, liver function, Hcy, blood lipid, oxidative inflammation index and symptom score in two groups were observed before and after treatment. Result: The total effective rate of the TCM group was 92.86%, while that of the modern medicine group was 88.10%. There was no significant difference in the clinical efficiency between the two groups. There was no difference in the indexes of groups before treatment. After treatment,alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Hcy, total cholesterol (TC), total triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), malondialdehyde (MDA), high-sensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP), serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and symptom scores in the TCM group and the modern medicine group were significantly lower than those before the treatment (PPPPPPConclusion: YCSN can improve hyperhomocysteinemia, liver function, blood lipid, oxidation and inflammation in patients with NAFLD and HHcy.

Clinical value of comprehensive geriatric assessment scoring in predicting the outcome of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in patients aged 80 years and over / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and to evaluated the predictive value of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA)in advanced-aged DLBCL patients.Methods A total of 24 patients aged 80 years and over diagnosed with DLBCL in our hospital from March 2010 to July 2017 were enrolled in this study.CGA included three parts:age,activities of daily living(ADL)/instrumental activities of daily living(IADL)and comorbidity evaluated by the cumulative illness rating score for geriatrics(CIRS-G).According to CGA scores,all patients were classified into either the not-applicable group or the frail group.Results There were 10 and 14 patients in the not-applicable group and the frail group,respectively.Twenty-two patients received chemotherapy,and the incidences of toxicity after chemotherapy were comparable between the two groups.Nine patients achieved complete remission (CR),five patients partial remission(PR),and the overall response rate(ORR) was 63.6 ％.The not-applicable group seemed to have a higher complete remission rate than the frail group(60.0 ％ vs.25.0 ％,x2=2.764,P =0.192).However,the overall response rates were comparable between the two groups.Treatment-related deaths occurred in 2 and 3 patients(20.0 ％ vs.25.0 ％,x2 =0.078,P =1.000)in the not-applicable and frail groups,respectively.Relapse/progression-related deaths occurred in 3 and 5 patients in the not-applicable and frail groups(30.0％ vs.41.7％,x2 =0.321,P =0.675),respectively.The 2-year overall survival rates and progression-free survival rates were 56.3 ％ versus 35.2 ％ (x2 =0.635,P =0.426)and 42.2 ％ versus 16.7 ％ (x2 =2.156,P =0.142) in the not-applicable and frail groups,respectively.Conclusions Advanced-aged patients with DLBCL have a poor prognosis,which can be predicted by CGA to a certain extent.Further improvement in the current CGA scoring system is still needed to accurately predict the prognosis of DLBCL in advanced-aged patients and to guide treatment.

Short-term effects of ambient air pollution and cause-specific emergency department visits in Guangzhou / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective To understand the relationship between the concentration of air pollutants and daily emergency department visits for different diseases (circulatory system disease, digestive system disease, nervous system disease and respiratory system disease) in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Methods The daily average concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2, carbon monoxide (CO) and PM2.5 and the daily maximum 8-hour concentrations of O3, the daily average temperature, the relative humidity and cause -specific emergency department visits of the four major diseases from 2015 to 2017 were collected in Guangzhou. Semi-parametric generalized additive model was used to analyze the relationship between the concentration of pollutants and daily cause-specific emergency department visits. Results The daily average concentrations of SO2, NO2, CO, O3 and PM2.5 during the study period were 13.24 μg /m3, 45.96 μg /m3, 0.97 mg /m3, 123.77 μg /m3 and 36.22 μg /m3, respectively. For circulatory system disease，the independently significant associations of SO2 with emergency department visits in single-pollutant models (2.91%, 95% CI: 1.00%-4.85%), and multipollutant models (4.39%, 95% CI: 1.22%-7.67%) were observed. Conclusion The ambient SO2 increases the risk of emergency department visits due to circulatory diseases in Guangzhou. Comprehensive prevention and control measures should be taken to reduce the emission of SO2.