Risk factors of long-term mortality in patients with acute pulmonary embolism and the predictive value of echocardiography / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of long-term mortality in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE) and to explore the predictive value of echocardiography.Methods:A total of 109 APE patients admitted in First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University between December 2010 and November 2014 were enrolled in this study. APE was diagnosed by computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) or ventilation-perfusion pulmonary scintigraphy. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) parameters and clinical parameters within 48 h of onset were collected. All the patients were treated with standard anticoagulation, thrombolysis, or thrombectomy. Regular follow-up was carried out, with the average follow-up period of (7.20±1.04) years. The patients were divided into survival group and fatal group according to their follow-up results. The echocardiographic parameters and primary biochemical laboratory parameters within 48 h after onset were compared between the survival group and the fatal group by t test or χ 2 test. Cox regression analysis was conducted to analyze the influencing factors of long-term prognosis of patients with APE. Survival analysis was performed in patients with echocardiographic assessment of right ventricular (RV) enlargement and/or dysfunction and without RV enlargement and/or dysfunction by Kaplan-Meier method, and the survival curves were plotted. The comparison between the two groups was performed by log-rank test. Results:The average follow-up period was (7.20±1.04) years. Fourteen patients were lost in the follow-up, and 95 patients were included in the final analysis, among whom 58 survived and 37 died with a fatality rate of 39.0%. Cox regression analysis showed that age ( HR=2.32, 95% CI:1.31-4.13, P=0.004), malignancy ( HR=6.49, 95% CI:2.32-18.14, P<0.001), right atrial (RA)/left atrial (LA) area ratio ( HR=2.01, 95% CI:1.16-3.48, P=0.013), RV enlargement and/or dysfunction ( HR=5.90, 95% CI: 1.45-23.94, P=0.013), Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score ( HR=1.75, 95% CI: 1.04-2.96, P=0.035), low oxygen saturation ( HR=1.70, 95% CI:1.14-2.53, P=0.009) were independent risk factors associated with long-term mortality in patients with APE. Kaplan Meier survival curve analysis showed that the cumulative survival rates of patients with RV enlargement and/or dysfunction at 1, 3, 5 and 7 years were 92.8%, 66.7%, 59.4% and 52.2% respectively, and those without RV enlargement and/or dysfunction were 96.2%, 92.3%, 84.6% and 84.6%,respectively (log rank test, P=0.006). Conclusions:Patients with APE have high long-term mortality. Early echocardiographic RV enlargement and/or dysfunction, RA/LA area ratio, age, malignant tumor, CCI score and low oxygen saturation are independent risk factors related to long-term mortality in patients with APE. Ultrasound evaluation of patients with RV enlargement and/or dysfunction has a certain value in predicting long-term mortality in patients with pulmonary embolism.

Association between clinicopathological characteristics and gene mutations in 94 cases of cutaneous melanoma / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To investigate associations between clinicopathological characteristics and mutations in susceptibility genes in cutaneous melanoma (CMM) .Methods:A total of 94 patients with confirmed CMM were collected from People′s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from January to December in 2019, and their clinical and histopathological characteristics were retrospectively analyzed. In 48 paraffin-embedded melanoma tissue specimens, Sanger sequencing was performed to detect mutations in the BRAF, NRAS, c-KIT genes and the promoter region of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene, and the association between gene mutations and clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed. Measurement data were compared using t test, and enumeration data were compared using chi-square test or Fisher′s exact test. Results:Among the 94 patients with CMM, there were 46 (48.9%) males and 48 (51.1%) females, with the age being 58.5 ± 16.0 years; 41 (43.6%) patients were of Han nationality, and 53 (56.4%) were of ethnic minorities. Skin lesions were located at the acral sites in 50 (53.2%) patients, including 27 (28.7%) of Han nationality; non-acral skin lesions occurred in 44 (46.8%) , including 14 (31.8%) of Han nationality; there was a significant difference in the nationality distribution between the acral CMM group and non-acral CMM group ( χ2 = 5.25, P = 0.022) . Histopathological examination showed CMM of Clark grades Ⅳ or Ⅴ in 41 (43.6%) cases, ulcers in 52 (55.3%) cases, and lymph node metastasis in 32 (34.04%) cases at the first clinic visit. Gene sequencing revealed BRAF gene mutations in 11 (22.9%) of 48 cases, including c.1799 T>A (p.V600E) , c.1790 T>A (p.L597Q) and c.1394 C>T (p.S465F) ; NRAS gene mutation c.182 A>G (p.Q61R) was identified in 5 (10.4%) cases; c-KIT gene mutations were identified in 6 (12.5%) cases, including c.1727 T>C (p.L576P) and c.1669 T>C (p.W557R) ; mutations in the promoter region of hTERT gene were identified in 7 (14.6%) cases, including 4 cases with a mutation at 124 bp upstream of the ATG start codon (C228T) and 3 cases with a mutation at 146 bp upstream of the ATG start codon (C250T) . Among 26 patients aged < 60 years, BRAF gene mutations were found in 9, and the incidence of BRAF gene mutations was significantly higher in the patients aged < 60 years than in those aged ≥ 60 years (2/22, P < 0.05) , but significantly lower in the patients with acral CMM (3/27) than in those with non-acral CMM (8/21, P < 0.05) ; the incidences of the NRAS, c-KIT and hTERT gene mutations were all significantly higher in the patients with lymph node metastases (3/10, 4/10, 4/10, respectively) than in those without (2/38, 2/38, 3/38, respectively, all P < 0.05) . Conclusion:CMM lesion locations significantly differed among different ethnic groups; the BRAF gene mutation was associated with the age of patients and lesion locations of CMM; NRAS, c-KIT gene mutations and hTERT promoter mutations were closely related to lymph node metastasis.

Prospective study of apatinib combined with chemoradiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of apatinib in combination with chemoradiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).Methods:37 patients orally received apatinib at 250 mg/d during concurrent chemoradiotherapy until completion of radiotherapy, complete remission assessed by imaging examination, the onset of unacceptable toxicity or death. Baseline characteristics, objective response rates (ORR) and adverse events were assessed in all enrolled patients with complete baseline and safety data. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method. Prognostic factors were statistically identified using Cox regression models.Results:The ORR was 85%(95% CI: 72%-98%). The median PFS was 17.9 months and the 2-year OS rate was 62%(95% CI: 48%-80%). Ineffective short-term efficacy ( HR=0.035, 995% CI: 0.02-0.652, P=0.025) was an independent risk factor for poor OS. In addition, ineffective short-term efficacy ( HR=0.104, 95% CI: 0.017-0.633, P=0.014) and lymphocytopenia ( HR=17.539, 95% CI: 2.040-150.779, P=0.009) were independent risk factors for poor PFS. Common adverse events (>60%) included lymphocytopenia (76%), leukopenia (68%) and irradiation-induced mucosal injury (65%). The most common treatment-associated grade 3 adverse event was lymphopenia (49%). Conclusions:Apatinib combined with chemoradiotherapy yield significant anti-tumor activity for HNSCC with controllable toxicity. For patients with advanced HNSCC, short-term efficacy and lymphocytopenia may be potential predictors for clinical efficacy of apatinib combined with chemoradiotherapy.

CXCR6-based immunotherapy in autoimmune, cancer and inflammatory infliction

T cells, including both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, play a pivotal role in mediating various inflammation and immune disorders. A long-standing challenge in T cell-based immunotherapy is to precisely inactivate or delete the pathogenic T cells in inflammation and autoimmune diseases, or to selectively expand the immunocompetent T cell in tumor or other immune compromised situations, without inducing global immunosuppression or zealous immune activation respectively. To achieve this, a specific marker is needed to differentiate the pathogenic or immunocompetent T cell among the rests. Indeed, recent progress of immunology strongly suggests that CXC chemokine receptor 6 (CXCR6, CD186) is such a kind of marker. Here, we review the emerging role of CXCR6 as a novel target for immunotherapy and discuss the underlying mechanism. We propose that CXCR6-based immunotherapy will play a significant role in autoimmune, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), tumor, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and even ageing-related inflammatory infliction.

Convenient Approach to Improve Correlation between Geometry and Dosimetric Parameters for Automatic Segmentation in Radiotherapy / 中国医疗器械杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To design a series of geometric indexes, which can improve the correlation between geometric parameters and dosimetric parameters.@*METHODS@#48 cases of upper abdomen were selected. Manual and automatic segmentation were performed for two organs at risk, which were stomach and duodenum. Three overlapping structures, which were the overlaps with target expanded by 5 mm, 10 mm and 20 mm, were generated for each organ at risk. The geometric parameters of overlapping structures were calculated. The relationship between these geometric parameters and the dosimetric parameters of organs was investigated.@*RESULTS@#When the geometric parameters of overlapping structures related to the target expand 5 mm, 10 mm and 20 mm were larger than 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 respectively, the maximum dose differences of manual and automatic segmentation were less than 3 Gy. For the case with no overlaps between the organs and the target expansions, the overlap structure corresponding to target expanding 20 mm were recommended for safety considerations.@*CONCLUSIONS@#For organs at risk in the upper abdomen, the overlapping geometric parameters were closely related to the maximum dose of organs. Overlapping geometric parameters could predict whether the difference of maximum dose caused by automaticsegmentation was clinically acceptable or not.

Clinical analysis of early-onset infantile epileptic encephalopathy associated with synonymous variant of the ARHGEF9 gene / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the clinical characteristics of a child with early-onset infantile epileptic encephalopathy type 8 associated with synonymous variant of ARHGEF9 gene.@*METHODS@#Clinical data of the patient was summarized. The child and his parents were subjected to trio-whole exome sequencing.@*RESULTS@#The child has presented with global developmental delay, epilepsy, impulsive behavior, hypersensitivity to sound, and mental retardation. He was found to harbor a de novo synonymous variant c.741C>T (p.Cys247Cys) of the ARHGEF9 gene. RNA splicing analysis confirmed that the variant has led to abnormal splicing of exon 5, resulting in a 55-bp deletion.@*CONCLUSION@#The clinical features of ARHGEF9 gene-related early-onset infantile epileptic encephalopathy type 8 includes mental and motor developmental delay, epilepsy, auditory allergy, and hyperactivity impulsivity. For synonymous variant, in vitro study and transcriptional experiment may be carried out to evaluate its functional and splicing effect. Above finding has enriched the phenotypic and genotypic spectrum of the ARHGEF9 gene.

Co-regulation of circadian clock genes and microRNAs in bone metabolism / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Mammalian bone is constantly metabolized from the embryonic stage, and the maintenance of bone health depends on the dynamic balance between bone resorption and bone formation, mediated by osteoclasts and osteoblasts. It is widely recognized that circadian clock genes can regulate bone metabolism. In recent years, the regulation of bone metabolism by non-coding RNAs has become a hotspot of research. MicroRNAs can participate in bone catabolism and anabolism by targeting key factors related to bone metabolism, including circadian clock genes. However, research in this field has been conducted only in recent years and the mechanisms involved are not yet well established. Recent studies have focused on how to target circadian clock genes to treat some diseases, such as autoimmune diseases, but few have focused on the co-regulation of circadian clock genes and microRNAs in bone metabolic diseases. Therefore, in this paper we review the progress of research on the co-regulation of bone metabolism by circadian clock genes and microRNAs, aiming to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of bone metabolic diseases such as osteoporosis.

Association between acute stress response and peer bullying behaviors among middle school students / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore the association between acute stress response during the outbreak of COVID 19 and peer bullying behaviors during the normalized management of COVID 19 among middle school students, and to provide a basis for developing relevant measures for peer bullying prevention.@*Methods@#In December 2020, a total of 2 219 students from two junior middle schools in South Anhui(Xuancheng City) and North Anhui(Huaibei City), were selected to participate in this study by using the cluster sampling method. The occurrence of verbal bullying, relational bullying, physical bullying and cyberbullying behaviors among victims and perpetrators of bullying, and self rated acute stress response during the outbreak of COVID 19 (social isolation) were investigated. Multiple Logistic regression models were conducted to explore the relationship between different levels of acute stress response during the COVID 19 outbreak and peer bullying behaviors among middle school students.@*Results@#The reported rate of peer bullying, being bullied by others and bullying others during the COVID19 normalized management were 65.8%, 63.8% and 27.1%, respectively. The reporting rate of verbal bullying victimization was the highest (54.8%) and cyberbullying others was the lowest (4.6%). The mean score of acute stress response among middle school students during the COVID 19 outbreak was (6.50±1.67). Except for physically bullying others, the reported rate of other bullying behaviors was the highest in the high level acute stress response group ( P <0.05). Multiple Logistic regression models showed that high levels of acute stress response were associated with high risk of verbal bullying victimization ( OR =1.38), relational bullying victimization ( OR =2.28), physical bullying victimization ( OR =1.87) and cyberbullying victimization ( OR =2.30) after adjusting for related confounders. In the high level acute stress response group, verbal bullying ( OR =1.80), relational bullying ( OR =1.99), physical bullying ( OR =1.76) and cyberbullying ( OR =2.32) had higher risks of bullying others than in the low level acute stress response group ( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#High levels of acute stress response are associated with different peer bullying behaviors, with stronger associations with cyberbullying.

Clinical Evidence of Oral Chinese Patent Medicine for Ischemic Stroke： A Scoping Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

The method of scoping review was used to systematically search and sort out the clinical research of oral Chinese patent medicines for ischemic stroke，to understand the scope of relevant research and the distribution of evidence. Three medical catalogs were manually searched to obtain the oral Chinese patent medicines used for ischemic stroke，and 7 databases were retrieved to obtain the clinical research including these oral Chinese patent medicines. Then the clinical evidence results were visualized by description combined with chart analysis. A total of 68 oral Chinese patent medicines were retrieved，and 1 392 articles were included，with 367 published in core journals， involving 35 oral Chinese patent medicines. The research types included randomized controlled trials，cohort studies，case series，case reports，secondary studies，adverse drug reaction reports，pharmacoeconomic evaluations，drug interactions，consensus or guidelines，non-randomized intervention studies and cross-sectional studies，of which randomized controlled trials had the largest number （283， 77.1%），followed by secondary studies and case series （25， 6.7% for each）. Among the 283 randomized controlled trials，there were 159 clinical studies in the acute phase of ischemic stroke，65 in the non-acute phase，and 59 in the unclear phase. Ten intervention control types and 20 outcome index types were summarized. Among them， the composite outcome index and surrogate outcome index were used 217 times （76.7%） and 245 times （86.6%）， respectively，followed by the degree of neurological impairment （three scales）. Future clinical research of oral Chinese patent medicines for ischemic stroke should clarify the stage of the disease，and the research design should specify the advantages of oral Chinese patent medicines intervening in ischemic stroke. Furthermore， publicly-recognized positive controls should be employed，and important clinical outcome indexes should be selected.

Research progress of STAT3 on liver disease / 药学实践杂志

Signal transduction and transcriptional activator 3 (STAT3) is an important transcription factor that can be activated by many cytokines and growth factors. STAT3 plays a key role in cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation. It has been shown that hyperactivation of STAT3 exists in almost all animal models of liver injury and human liver diseases. Therefore, inhibition of STAT3 activation might become a promising strategy for prevention and treatment of acute liver injury and liver fibrosis. The research progress of STAT3 on liver injury, hepatitis, liver regeneration, liver fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma were mainly discussed in this review.

Reform and practice of precise teaching for experiment in medical laboratory technology / 中华医学教育探索杂志

In order to train professionals in medical laboratory technology who are directly engaged in medical examination and medical laboratory work and who have strong practical ability and can adapt to the development of precision medicine, the reform of precise teaching for experiment is implemented. Through the precise stratification of experimental projects and knowledge points, the design of precise teaching activity and the construction of precise evaluation system for experiments, guided by precision medicine during the experimental process, the standardization and precision training of basic skills for students are strengthened in clinical laboratory test. The students can more well adapt to the needs of society for technical and innovative talent in the new period. The precise teaching for experiment will become one of the main characteristics of medical laboratory technology education in our school.

Safety of PICC dressing replacement frequency in premature infants: a randomized controlled study / 中国新生儿科杂志

Objective:To study the safety of different peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) dressing replacement frequencies in preterm infants.Method:From June 2017 to February 2020, preterm infants were enrolled in this prospective randomized controlled study. Preterm infants with PICC were randomly assigned into 7 d, 11 d and 14 d dressing replacement groups using online randomization software. Polyurethane transparent dressing and the same dressing replacement method were used in all three groups. The incidences of catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) and positive skin bacterial culture at dressing site were compared among the three groups.Result:A total of 296 cases were enrolled, including 96 cases in the 7 d group, 108 cases in the 11 d group and 92 cases in the 14 d group. The incidences of CRBSI in three groups were 2.5/1 000 catheter day in 7 d group, 1.1/1 000 catheter day in 11 d group and 0.8/1 000 catheter day in 14 d group. The incidences of catheter pathogen colonization were 1.0% in 7 d group, 0.9% in 11 d group and 0% in 14 d group. The positive rates of skin bacterial culture at dressing site were 1.0% in 7 d group, 2.8% in 11d group and 2.2% in 14 d group. The incidences of PICC exit site infection in three groups were 1.0% in 7 d group, 0.9% in 11d group and 1.1% in 14 d group and no significant differences existed among the groups ( P>0.05). Gram-positive cocci were the main bacteria [91.7% (11/12)] of CRBSI and skin bacterial culture at dressing site and gram negative bacilli accounted for 8.3% (1/12). No fungal infection were found. Conclusion:It is safe to replace the PICC dressing in premature infants as needed within 14 days if the dressing is intact without curling, bleeding and exudation.

Research progress on implementation strategy of empowerment theory in patients with chronic heart failure / 中国实用护理杂志

With the development of human centered medical nursing model, empowerment as a new and effective nursing intervention model has been widely concerned. In this paper, from the overview of empowerment theory, the influencing factors of the implementation of empowerment theory in patients with chronic heart failure and the strategies to improve the implementation effect of empowerment theory for patients with chronic heart failure. The purpose of this review is to provide reference for the implementation of empowerment theory for patients with chronic heart failure in China.

Regulatory mechanism of long noncoding RNA in the occurrence and development of leukemia: a review / 生物工程学报

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of RNA molecules that are greater than 200 nt in length and do not have protein-coding capabilities or encode micropeptides only. LncRNAs are involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and other biological processes, and are closely associated with the occurrence, recurrence and metastasis of a variety of malignant hematologic diseases. This article summarizes the function, regulatory mechanism and potential clinical application of lncRNAs in leukemia. In general, lncRNAs regulate the occurrence and development of leukemia and the multi-drug resistance in chemotherapy through epigenetic modification, ribosomal RNA transcription, competitive binding with miRNA, modulating glucose metabolic pathway, and activating tumor-related signaling pathway. Studies on lncRNAs provide new references for understanding the pathogenesis of leukemia, uncovering new prognostic markers and potential therapeutic targets, and addressing the problems of drug resistance and post-treatment recurrence in patients in clinical treatment of leukemia.

Quinine oxidoreductase 1 inhibits the secretion of IL-8 in Mycoplasma pneumoniae lipid-associated membrane proteins stimulated the THP-1 monocyte line / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects and regulation mechanism of lipid-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs) derived from Mycoplasma pneumoniae( Mp) on the expression of quinine oxidoreductase 1 (NQO-1) in human monocyte cell line THP-1 cells, and to know the effect of NQO-1 to interleukin 8 secretion in LAMPs stimulated cells, so as to better understand the regulation mechanism upon Mp infection. Methods:Mp were cultivated and the precipitate was collected to extract LAMPs. The cytotoxicity of LAMPs to THP-1 cells was analyzed by using CCK8 test. THP-1 cells were cultured in vitro with different concentrations of LAMPs for different times, and the expression of NQO-1 protein was detected by Western blot. Nrf2 siRNA was used to investigate the role of Nrf2 in NQO-1 expression in LAMPs induced cells, and NQO-1 inhibitor Diminutol was performed to test whether they blocked interleukin 8 (IL-8) secretion when treated with LAMPs in THP-1 cells. Results:LAMPs extracted from Mp had no cytotoxicity to THP-1 cells. The expression of NQO-1 protein in LAMPs-stimulated THP-1 cells showed a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. The production of NQO-1 protein reached peaks when treated with 5.0 μg/ml or 7.5 μg/ml of LAMPs for 12 h. Silencing of Nrf2 by siRNA significantly decreased NQO-1 production, and blocking NQO-1 by Dim increased the level of IL-8 in LAMPs-stimulated cells. Conclusions:LAMPs derived from Mp induced the expression of NQO-1 protein in THP-1 cells via Nrf2, and NQO-1 can inhibit IL-8 secretion in LAMPs stimulated monocytes.

Effects of mechanical vibration on micoRNA-214-3p and serum interleukin-1β in ovariectomized rats with a fracture / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective:To observe the effect of mechanical vibration on the expression of microRNA-214-3p and serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the broken ends of fractured bones in ovariectomized rats.Methods:Thirty 3-month-old female Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, and a vibration group, each of 10. An operation of ovariotomy was performed in those of the model and vibration groups to establish osteoporosis model. Five months later a model of mid femur fracture was made with animals in all the groups. Five days after their fracture, the vibration group received 20 minutes of whole-body vibration treatment at 35Hz for 5 days a week, while the control group and the model group received natural rearing without any additional intervention At 2 and 6 weeks after the operation, the Lane-Sandhu X-ray scoring system was used to evaluate the quality of fracture healing, and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reactions and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to detect miR-214-3p in the fractured bones and the serum levels of IL-1β.Results:At 2 weeks and 6 weeks after the operation the average growth score of the broken ends in the model group was significantly lower than that of the control group, while that of the vibration group was significantly higher than the model group′s average. Compared with the control group at the same time point, the average miR-214-3p content of the model and vibration groups was significantly higher 2 and 6 weeks after the surgery. Compared with the model group, the average level of miR-214-3p of the fractured ends of the vibration group was significantly lower at 6 weeks. Two and six weeks after the surgery, the average IL-1β of the model group was significantly higher than the control group′s average, and that of the vibration group was significantly lower.Conclusion:Mechanical vibration can promote osteoporotic fracture healing by inhibiting the expression of miR-214-3p and reducing the level of IL-1β at the broken ends of fractured bones.

Screening of DNA methylation sites associated with melanoma and construction of an aberrant methylation profile: a preliminary study / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To screen aberrant DNA methylation sites associated with melanoma using gene chip technology, and to preliminarily construct a melanoma-specific methylation profile.Methods:The Illumina Human Methylation 450K whole-genome methylation chip was used to detect the whole-genome DNA in 6 melanoma tissues and their paralesional skin tissues, and DNA differentially methylated sites were obtained. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) -based pathway analysis were carried out to investigate gene functions.Results:Gene chip testing showed that there were 27 779 differentially methylated sites between melanoma tissues and paralesional tissues, of which 16 673 were hypermethylated sites and 11 106 were hypomethylated sites in melanoma tissues. According to more stringent screening criteria " P < 0.01 and |Δβ| > 0.2", a total of 4 883 differentially methylated sites were screened out after filtering out all single nucleotide polymorphism-related probes, probes located on the XY chromosomes and cross-reactive probes, 1 459 (30%) of which were located in the promoter region including TSS1500, TSS200, 5′UTR and 1st Exon. GO enrichment analysis showed that differentially methylated genes were involved in many biological processes, including cell growth, differentiation, adhesion, movement and migration, signal transduction, transcriptional regulation, etc. KEGG-based pathway analysis showed that differentially methylated genes were mainly involved in signaling pathways, such as focal adhesion pathway, cancer pathways, transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway, melanogenesis pathway, chemokine signaling pathway, adhesion junction pathway, calcium signaling pathway, cell adhesion molecule pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling pathway. Based on the criteira "the top 16 most differentially methylated genes related to hypermethylated sites in the promoter region, the genes with the highest methylation frequency (CpG sites ≥ 7) , the genes with certain functions or involved in a certain signaling pathway", 8 genes (KAAG1, DGKE, SOCS2, TFAP2A, GNMT, GALNT3, ANK2 and HOXA9) were selected as candidate biomarkers for melanoma. Conclusion:There are many hypermethylated genes in melanoma tissues, and 8 differentially methylated genes may serve as biomarkers for melanoma.

Analysis of factors related to rheumatoid arthritis in elderly patients with concurrent anemia / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To analyze factors related to rheumatoid arthritis and anemia in elderly people.Methods:Clinical data of 58 elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA)admitted to the Department of Rheumatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from May 2019 to May 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.Patients were divided into the anemia group and the non-anemia group based on the hemoglobin(Hb)index.Laboratory test results and general clinical data were compared between the two groups.Factors related to RA with concurrent anemia were analyzed by binary Logistic regression analysis.Association rules analysis was conducted using SPSS Clementine to identify strong correlations between red blood cells(RBC)and objective clinical parameters.Results:There was no significant difference in general clinical data between the two groups(all P>0.05). There were significant differences between the two groups in laboratory test results of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), total cholesterol(TC), apolipoprotein B(ApoB), albumin(Alb), superoxide dismutases(SOD), erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR), Fe, mean corpuscular hemoglobin(MCH)and mean hemoglobin concentration(MCHC)(all P<0.05). Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that PLR( OR=3.718, 95% CI: 1.119-8.742, P=0.022)and LDL-C( OR=2.319, 95% CI: 1.026-3.061, P=0.038)were independent risk factors for RA with concurrent anemia.Association rules analysis showed that decline in RBC was strongly correlated with changes in PLR, hs-CRP and LDL-C. Conclusions:RA with concurrent anemia in elderly patients is closely correlated with levels of molecules related to lipid metabolism and the inflammatory response.Close monitoring of lipid metabolism and inflammation is recommended during clinical treatment.

Construction and application of a competitive risk model for 131I treatment outcome of Graves disease / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To establish a competing risk model to predict the cumulative hazard risk probability of the outcomes (unhealed or hyperthyroidism recurrence) of Graves disease (GD) treated with 131I. Methods:From January 2020 to May 2021, 61 GD patients (13 males, 48 females; age (46.0±13.8) years) who received 131I treatment in Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University were enrolled. The outcomes of treatment were recovery, unhealed or hyperthyroidism recurrence (event 1), and hypothyroidism (event 2). Follow-up was started 1 month after 131I treatment and ended 1 year later. It was terminated in the following conditions: one of the two events occurred; no event occurred after 1 year of follow-up; the research deadline was up. The Fine-Gray test was used to analyze the factors related to event 1, and then the competitive risk model was established. Results:Thirty-nine patients had hypothyroidism, 17 patients were unhealed or had hyperthyroidism recurrence, 2 patients lost follow-up, and 3 patients had normal thyroid function after 1 year follow-up. Multivariate analysis showed that effective half-life (hazard ratio ( HR)=1.74, 95% CI: 1.10-2.75, β=0.55, P=0.019) and thyroid volume ( HR=1.12, 95% CI: 1.07-1.17, β=1.12, P<0.001) were risk factors for event 1, while the elasticity of thyroid was a protective factor ( HR=0.17, 95% CI: 0.06-0.54, β=-1.76, P=0.003). The C index of the nomogram constructed based on the multi-factor competitive risk model was 0.784(95% CI: 0.633-0.935). Conclusions:Thyroid volume, elastic value, and effective half-life are associated with treatment outcomes of 131I. The competitive risk model can predict the therapeutic outcomes of GD patients treated with 131I.

Intertrigo-like hand-foot syndrome unaffecting the site of surgery for axillary osmidrosis: the first case reported worldwide / 中华皮肤科杂志

A 25-year-old female patient presented with recurrent painful erythema and blisters on the palms and soles as well as in the axillary and inguinal regions for 1 month. Seven years ago, the patient underwent a small-incision sweat gland resection in the bilateral axillae for the treatment of axillary osmidrosis. One month ago, she underwent chemotherapy with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) after surgery for stage-ⅡB cervical synovial sarcoma. During the 3 sessions of chemotherapy, she developed painful edematous erythema on the palms, soles, axillae and groins, which gradually worsened along with the increase in the number of chemotherapy sessions. Skin examination showed large areas of edematous erythema with clear boundaries at bilateral palms, soles, and intertriginous sites including axillae and groins, with millet- to soybean-sized blisters and erosions on the surface; the skin lesions showed relatively high temperature and positive Nikolsky's sign with obvious tenderness; there was no skin lesions or tenderness at the site of small-incision surgery for axillary osmidrosis in bilateral axillae. Histopathological examination of the axillary skin lesions showed formation of blisters under the basal layer and necrosis of some sweat glands. The diagnosis of PLD-associated intertrigo-like hand-foot syndrome was confirmed. The history of surgery for axillary osmidrosis and normal skin at the surgical site in this case suggest that the pathogenesis of this disease may be related to toxic skin reactions to the drug excreted through sweat glands.