Diagnostic utility of salivary pepsin in laryngopharyngeal reflux: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objective: Salivary pepsin has emerged as a biomarker for Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR), which, however, has been questioned for its efficacy due to a lack of supporting medical data. Therefore, this study analyzed the diagnostic value of salivary pepsin for LPR and assessed a better cutoff value. Methods: Studies were searched in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library from their receptions to October 1, 2021. Then, RevMan 5.3 and Stata 14.0 were utilized to summarize the diagnostic indexes for further meta-analysis. Data were separately extracted by two reviewers according to the trial data extraction form of the Cochrane Handbook. The risk of bias in Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) was evaluated with the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Results: A total of 16 studies matched the criteria and were subjected to meta-analysis. The results revealed a pooled sensitivity of 61% (95% CI 50%-71%), a pooled specificity of 67% (95% CI 48%-81%), a positive likelihood ratio of 2 (95% CI 1.2-2.8), a negative likelihood ratio of 0.58 (95% CI 0.47-0.72), and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.67 (95% CI 0.63-0.71). Subgroup analyses indicated that the cutoff value of pepsin at 50 ng/mL had a higher degree of diagnostic accuracy than that of pepsin at 16 ng/mL in cohort studies. Conclusion: The review demonstrated low diagnostic performance of salivary pepsin for LPR and that the cutoff value of 50 ng/mL pepsin had superior diagnostic accuracy. Nevertheless, the diagnostic value may vary dependent on the utilized diagnostic criteria. Therefore, additional research is needed on the improved way of identifying salivary pepsin in the diagnosis of LPR, and also longer-term and more rigorous RCTs are warranted to further assess the effectiveness of salivary pepsin.

Value of CT texture analysis parameters in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective:To study the value of CT texture analysis (CTTA) parameters in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.Methods:From May. 2020 to Oct. 2021, 110 patients with thyroid nodules in the background of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in the Radiology Department of Nanjing Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine were selected, and CTTA was performed. CTTA parameters (entropy value, peak state and skewness) were counted. The pathological diagnosis results were taken as the "gold standard". Statistical pathological examination results were used to compare the general clinical characteristics and CTTA parameters of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was used to analyze the diagnostic value of CTTA parameters for thyroid nodules.Results:According to the clinicopathological examination, 43 of 110 patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis were malignant, accounting for 39.09%. Among them, 22 were papillary carcinoma, 13 were follicular carcinoma, 6 were medullary carcinoma, and 2 were malignant lymphoma; 67 cases were benign, accounting for 60.91%, including 32 nodular goiters, 20 Hashimoto’s nodules, 8 thyroid adenomas, and 7 focal inflammation. The levels of TSH, irregular shape, blurry border and calcification in patients with malignant thyroid nodules were higher than those in patients with benign thyroid nodules ( t/ χ2=13.167, 18.364, 20.180,17.621, P<0.001). In the background of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, there was no significant difference in the peak and skewness of CTTA parameters between benign and malignant thyroid nodules ( t=1.633, 1.382, P=0.105, 0.170). The entropy value of patients with malignant thyroid nodules was higher than that of patients with benign thyroid nodules, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=9.862, P<0.001). ROC analysis showed that the cut-off value of entropy value for diagnosing benign and malignant thyroid nodules was 6.28, AUC value was 0.909, 95% CI was 0.839-0.955, sensitivity was 86.05% (37/43), and specificity was 88.06% (69/67) . Conclusion:CTTA parameters in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients with benign and malignant thyroid nodules are different, and CTTA parameters have certain diagnostic value for benign and malignant thyroid nodules.

Value of cell paraffin block immunohistochemistry and pleural effusion CRKL and MIC-1 in the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion / 国际肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To study the value of cell paraffin block immunohistochemistry and pleural fluid Crk like protein (CRKL) and macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1) in the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion.Methods:A total of 98 patients with pleural effusion treated in Shantou Central Hospital from February 2020 to February 2021 were retrospectively selected as the research objects, including 58 benign cases and 40 malignant cases. The levels of CRKL and MIC-1 in pleural effusion were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The pleural effusion was analyzed by cell paraffin block immunohistochemistry. The levels of various indexes in benign group and malignant group were compared. The diagnostic value of cell paraffin block immunohistochemistry and pleural effusion CRKL and MIC-1 for benign and malignant pleural effusion was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:With pathological results as the gold standard, 54 cases of benign and 44 cases of malignant were diagnosed by cell paraffin block immunohistochemistry. The diagnostic accuracy was 75.5% (74/98) , and the sensitivity and specificity were 75.0% (30/40) and 75.9% (44/58) respectively. The levels of pleural effusion CRKL [2.84 (2.17, 3.98) ng/ml vs. 1.88 (0.94, 2.62) ng/ml], MIC-1 [2.28 (1.67, 2.98) ng/ml vs. 1.76 (1.22, 2.32) ] ng/ml] in the malignant group were higher than those in the benign group, with statistically significant differences ( Z=-4.57, P<0.001; Z=-3.09, P<0.001) . The optimal critical value of CRKL in pleural effusion for the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion was 2.33 ng/ml, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.66-0.85) , and the sensitivity and specificity were 67.5% (27 /40) , 74.1% (43/58) . The optimal critical value of MIC-1 in pleural effusion for the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion was 2.10 ng/ml, the AUC was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.64-0.85) , and the sensitivity and specificity were 60.0% (24/40) , 82.8% (48/58) . The AUC of MIC-1 and CRKL in pleural effusion combined with cell paraffin block immunohistochemistry for the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.75-0.91) , and the sensitivity and specificity were 85.0% (34/40) and 70.7% (41/58) . The sensitivity and AUC of combined diagnosis were significantly higher than those of CRKL and MIC-1 alone (sensitivity: χ2=4.26, P=0.046; χ2=6.27, P=0.012; AUC: Z=3.53, P<0.001; Z=4.14, P<0.001) . Conclusion:CRKL and MIC-1 in pleural effusion of patients with malignant pleural effusion are highly expressed, which can be used as indicators for the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion. Detection combined with cell paraffin block immunohistochemistry can improve the diagnostic value of malignant pleural effusion.

AI Cytomorphology Combined with DNA-image Cytometry for Identifying Benign and Malignant Pleural Effusion and Ascites / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of artificial intelligence (AI) cytology combined with DNA-image cytometry (DNA-ICM) auxiliary diagnostic system for the identification of benign and malignant pleural effusion and ascites. Methods Liquid-based cytology technology (LCT), DNA-ICM, AI, and AI combined with DNA-ICM were used to identify benign and malignant pleural effusion and ascites specimens in 360 cases, and their sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, Kappa value, Youden index and AUC were statistically analyzed. Results The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of AI combined with DNA-ICM in detecting benign and malignant pleural effusion and ascites were 95.23%, 94.12%, and 94.44%, respectively, which were higher than those of the three other separate detection methods (all P < 0.05). The kappa values of LCT, DNA-ICM, and AI were 0.646, 0.642, and 0.586; their Youden index values were 0.693, 0.687, and 0.676, and their AUC values were 0.846, 0.843, and 0.838, respectively. The Kappa value of AI combined with DNA-ICM was 0.869, the Youden index was 0.893, and AUC was 0.947, which were all higher than those of the three detection methods alone. Conclusion Among the three separate detection methods, LCT has the highest reliability, authenticity, and diagnostic value, and it can be used as a common method for the clinical identification of benign and malignant pleural effusion and ascites. The diagnostic performance of AI combined with DNA-ICM auxiliary diagnosis system in identifying benign and malignant pleural effusion and ascites is better than those of the three separate detection methods and can be used as a reliable method for the clinical identification of benign and malignant pleural effusion and ascites.

Diagnostic Value and Safety of Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy in Peripheral Pulmonary Lesions: A Meta-analysis / 中国肺癌杂志

BACKGROUND@#The incidence and mortality of lung cancer have always been at the forefront of malignant tumors. With the development of lung cancer detection techniques, more peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) have been detected. The diagnostic accuracy of procedures for PPLs keeps controversial. This study aims to systematically evaluate the diagnostic value and the safety of electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) in the diagnosis of PPLs.@*METHODS@#The relevant literatures in the diagnostic yield of PPLs by ENB were systematically retrieved from Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library and Web of Science. The software of Stata 16.0, RevMan 5.4 and Meta-disc 1.4 were used to conduct the meta-analysis.@*RESULTS@#A total of 54 literatures with 55 studies were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and diagnostic odds ratio of ENB in the diagnosis of PPLs were 0.77 (95%CI: 0.73-0.81), 0.97 (95%CI: 0.93-0.99), 24.27 (95%CI: 10.21-57.67), 0.23 (95%CI: 0.19-0.28) and 104.19 (95%CI: 41.85-259.37), respectively. The area under curve (AUC) was 0.90 (95%CI: 0.87-0.92). Meta-regression and subgroup analyses indicated that the potential heterogeneity resulted from study type, additional localization techniques, sample size, lesion size and type of sedation. The use of additional localization techniques and general anesthesia have improved the diagnostic efficiency of ENB in PPLs. The incidence of adverse reactions and complications associated with ENB was very low.@*CONCLUSIONS@#ENB provides well diagnostic accuracy and safety.

Performance des explorations cliniques et de l'échographie mammaire dans le diagnostic des tumeurs bénignes du sein en milieu peu équipé d'Afrique subsaharienne / Performance of clinical investigations and breast ultrasound in the diagnosis of benign breast tumors in low-resource settings in sub-Saharan Africa

Contexte et objectif. Malgré leur fréquence élevée, très peu d'études ont été menées sur les tumeurs bénignes du sein (TBS) en Afrique subsaharienne. L'objectif de la présente étude a été d'évaluer la valeur diagnostique des explorations clinique et échographique mammaire des TBS en milieu peu équipé. Méthodes. Il s'agissait d'une étude documentaire, sur les TBS suivies aux Cliniques Universitaires de Kinshasa, entre janvier 2016 et décembre 2021. La valeur diagnostique des explorations clinique et échographique mammaire des TBS (sensibilité, spécificité, valeur prédictive négative VPN, VPP, coefficient Kappa) a été calculée en prenant pour référence la découverte anatomopathologique des pièces biopsiques. Résultats. Au total, 81 dossiers de TBS ont été colligés. Le Fibroadénome 58 (71,6 %), la Maladie fibrokystique (MFK) 15 (18,5 %), l'Adénome tubuleux 6(7,4 %), la Tumeur Phyllode (TP) 1(1,2 %) et le kyste 1(1,2 %) étaient les tumeurs diagnostiquées à l'anatomopathologie, après tumorectomies. A l'examen clinique, la capacité diagnostique des TBS autres que le Fibroadénome était nulle. La spécificité, la VPN et le coefficient kappa étaient respectivement, de 60,0 %, 39,1 % et 32,2 % pour le diagnostic du Fibroadénome. L'échographie mammaire était faite dans 98,6 % tandis que la mammographie seulement dans 11,1 % des cas. La majorité des tumeurs étaient classées Breast Imaging reporting and Data system (BIRADS) 2 (70,0 %). La spécificité, la VPN et le coefficient kappa étaient respectivement, de 80,6 %, 40,9 % et 39,0 % pour le Fibroadénome, et de 84,4 %, 66,7 % et 1,9 % pour la MFK. La TP était classée BIRADS3. Conclusion. L'échographie mammaire très réalisée, est très performante dans la classification BIRADS des TBS; les cliniciens exerçant en milieu peu équipé peuvent donc sans équivoque suivre les recommandations sur la prise en charge des tumeurs classées BIRADS2 et BIRADS3 à l'échographie, bien que sa performance en ce qui concerne le diagnostic différentiel de ces tumeurs soit moindre.

Diagnostic value of cross-primer isothermal amplification technology in tuberculosis and its related influencing factors / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract： Objective　To analyze the value and influencing factors of cross-primer isothermal amplification technology(CPA) in clinical screening and diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). Methods　We collected 543 inpatients in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021, including 179 patients with tuberculosis, 187 patients with pneumonia and 177 patients with other diseases. The patients' sputum, alveolar lavage fluid, pleural effusion and midstream urine were detected by CPA, smear microscopy, culture method and gene detection. The value of CPA detection in the diagnosis of tuberculosis and its influencing factors were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0. Results　The total positive rate of CPA was 14.4% (78/543), and the positive rate of sputum samples accounted for 29.1% (39/134). Among the 78 cases of CPA positive patients, the tuberculosis group accounted for 69.2% (54/78), followed by pneumonia group 21.8% (17/78), and other diseases group accounted for 9.0% (7/78). Taking CPA test as the reference method, the "sensitivity" of smear microscopy was lower than that of genetic testing and culture, while the "specificity" was higher than that of culture and gene testing, and the "missed diagnosis rate" of smear microscopy was higher than that of genetic testing and culture. CPA test positive was related to gender, ESR and pneumonia. There is a good agreement between CPA test and culture method and gene test (Kappa>0.9), and a moderate agreement between CPA test and smear microscopy (Kappa=0.616). Conclusions　Sputum specimen is the best choice for CPA detection, while the value of pleural effusion detection is relatively limited. Sputum, alveolar lavage fluid and midcourse urine can be used as clinical specimens for screening and diagnosis of "tuberculosis group and other disease group", while sputum can be used for screening and diagnosis of "tuberculosis group and pneumonia group". Gender, ESR and pneumonia are the influencing factors of CPA positive patients. Therefore, CPA testing is worthy of clinical promotion, but more clinical research data are needed.

Diagnostic value of dual-source CT angiography for assessment of the degree of coronary stenosis / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To evaluate the value of dual-source CT angiography for evaluating the degree of coronary stenosis. Methods A total of 110 patients with a high likelihood of coronary stenosis identified by dual-source CT angiography or conventional coronary angiography were enrolled. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of dual-source CT angiography for diagnosis of coronary stenosis were evaluated with conventional coronary angiography as a gold standard. The agreement between dual-source CT angiography and conventional coronary angiography for evaluation of coronary stenosis was evaluated using Kappa statistic. Results A total of 1 401 coronary artery segments from 110 patients were displayed on conventional coronary angiography, while 1 382 segments were successfully visualized in dual-source CT angiography (98.64%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of dual-source CT angiography were 97.9%, 97.3%, 90.4% and 99.4% for diagnosis of coronary stenosis, and there was high consistence between dual-source CT angiography and conventional coronary angiography for grading coronary stenosis (Kappa statistic = 0.87, U = 58.36, P < 0.01). In addition, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of dual-source CT angiography were 94.7%, 96.8%, 83.7%, 99.0% and 96.5% for grading stenosis of coronary artery segments. Conclusion Dual-source CT angiography is accurate and reliable for diagnosis of coronary stenosis, which may be a non-invasive tool for assessment of coronary stenosis.

Diagnostic value of magnetic resonance spectroscopy for intracranial space-occupying lesions / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To evaluate the value of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in the diagnosis of intracranial space-occupying lesions. Methods A total of 126 patients with intracranial space-occupying lesions in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from 2019 to 2022 were enrolled and subjected to brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MRS examinations. The performance of MRI alone and in combination with MRS was evaluated and compared for diagnosis of intracranial space-occupying lesions. Results Tuberculoma (19.05%) and high-grade glioma (15.87%) were the intracranial space-occupying lesions most commonly diagnosed by MRI in combination with MRS. Radiologists confirmed the diagnosis of intracranial space-occupying lesions in 23.81% patients depending on MRI alone, and in 75.40% patients depending on MRI combined with MRS, with a 2.17-fold improvement (χ2 = 67.07, P<0.01). The combination of MRI and MRS improved the accuracy of imaging diagnosis of intracranial space-occupying lesions in 70 (55.67%) patients compared with MRI alone. In addition, MRI in combination with MRS significantly improved the accuracy of differential diagnosis of high-grade glioma, low-grade glioma, cerebral infarct, tuberculoma, recurrent tumor, and radiation necrosis compared with MRI alone (P<0.01). Conclusion The efficacy of imaging diagnosis of intracranial space-occupying lesions can be improved by MRI in combination with MRS relative to MRI alone. The combined use of MRI and MRS may serve as a non-invasive tool for diagnosis of intracranial space-occupying lesions. In addition, the combination facilitates the differentiation between low- and high-grade gliomas, between high-grade glioma and tuberculoma, and between recurrent tumor and radiation necrosis.

Value of magnetic resonance imaging in screening for prostate cancer / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To evaluate the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in screening for prostate cancer. Methods A total of 120 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of prostate cancer were enrolled in Nanjing Municipal First Hospital from March 2020 to March 2023, and 100 age-matched health volunteers during the study period served as controls. All patients and healthy individuals received prostate MRI scanning, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was estimated. Post-surgical pathology was used as a gold standard to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of MRI in screening for prostate cancer. The correlation between pathological staging and ADC values in prostate cancer patients was investigated using Spearman correlation analysis. Results The mean ADC values were (1.01 ± 0.15) × 10−3, (0.88 ± 0.21) × 10−3, (0.72 ± 0.11) × 10−3, and (0.59 ± 0.09) × 10−3 mm2/s, respectively, for stage A, B, C, and D prostate cancer patients, and the differences were significant (F = 38.99, P < 0.01).Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between pathological staging and ADC value (r = −0.81, P < 0.05). In addition, the sensitivity and specificity of MRI in prostate cancer screening were 92.50% and 91.00%, respectively. Conclusion MRI shows a high value in screening for prostate cancer, and the ADC value is of great significance for staging prostate cancer.

Etiological diagnosis value of metagenomic next generation sequencing in the patients with spinal infection / 中华传染病杂志

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of metagenomic next generation sequencing (mNGS) in the etiological diagnosis of patients with spinal infection, so as to provide reference for timely diagnosis and treatment.Methods:A total of 40 patients with suspected spinal infection admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases in Henan Provincial People′s Hospital from January 2020 to July 2022 were included. The results of tissue culture, histopathological examination and tissue mNGS detection were analyzed retrospectively. According to the clinical diagnose, the patients were divided into the spinal infection group (28 cases) and the non-spinal infection group (12 cases). The positive rate, sensitivity and specificity of mNGS and tissue culture in the pathogen detection of patients with spinal infection were compared. McNemar test was used for statistical analysis.Results:There were 23 males and 17 females in 40 patients. The positive rate of mNGS was higher than that of tissue culture (75.0%(30/40) vs 12.5%(5/40)), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=0.08, P<0.001). Based on clinical diagnostic criteria, the sensitivity of mNGS in the diagnosis of spinal infection was higher than that of tissue culture (82.1% vs 17.9%), with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=0.02, P<0.001), while the specificity compared to the tissue culture (33.3% vs 100.0%), the difference was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). Conclusions:mNGS has a high pathogen detection rate and sensitivity in the etiological diagnosis of patients with spinal infection, which could provide clinical guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with spinal infection.

Comparison between carotid ultrasound and digital subtraction angiography in the diagnosis of carotid artery stenosis in patients with cerebral infarction / Comparación entre la ecografía carotídea y la angiografía por sustracción digital en el diagnostic de estenosis de la arteria carótida en pacientes con infarto cerebral

SUMMARY: This study aimed to compare the clinical value of carotid ultrasound and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for carotid artery stenosis in patients with cerebral infarction. Sixty patients with cerebral infarction underwent carotid ultrasound and DSA. Carotid artery stenosis, degree of stenosis (mild, moderate, severe, and occlusion), and carotid artery plaques were recorded and compared. Carotid stenosis rate was 96.67 % (58/60) and 91.67 % (55/60) on DSA and carotid ultrasound, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant. Mild, moderate, and severe carotid artery stenosis and occlusion were diagnosed in 35, 28, 20, and 17 arteries, respectively, with DSA, and in 39, 25, 10, and 9 arteries, respectively, with carotid ultrasound. There was a statistically significant difference in the degree of carotid stenosis between the two methods (p<0.05). The kappa value of carotid plaques detected by carotid ultrasound and DSA was 0.776, indicating good consistency. Both carotid ultrasound and DSA are effective for screening carotid artery stenosis and carotid atherosclerotic plaques. While carotid ultrasound is faster and more convenient, DSA can more accurately detect the degree of stenosis and presence of occlusion. Thus, our recommendation is a combination of carotid ultrasound and DSA in clinical settings to improve the convenience and accuracy of diagnosis.

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo comparar el valor clínico de la ecografía carotídea y la angiografía por sustracción digital (DSA) para la estenosis de la arteria carótida en pacientes con infarto cerebral. Sesenta pacientes con infarto cerebral fueron sometidos a ecografía carotídea y DSA. Se registraron y compararon la estenosis de la arteria carótida, el grado de estenosis (leve, moderada, grave y oclusión) y las placas de la arteria carótida. La tasa de estenosis carotídea fue del 96,67 % (58/60) y del 91,67 % (55/60) en DSA y ecografía carotídea, respectivamente, y la diferencia no fue estadísticamente significativa. Se diagnosticaron estenosis y oclusión de la arteria carótida leve, moderada y grave en 35, 28, 20 y 17 arterias, respectivamente, con DSA, y en 39, 25, 10 y 9 arterias, respectivamente, con ecografía carotídea. Hubo una diferencia estadísticamente significativa en el grado de estenosis carotídea entre los dos métodos (p<0,05). El valor kappa de las placas carotídeas detectadas por ecografía carotídea y DSA fue de 0,776, lo que indica una buena consistencia. Tanto la ecografía carotídea como la DSA son eficaces para detectar la estenosis de la arteria carótida y las placas ateroscleróticas carotídeas. Si bien la ecografía carotídea es más rápida y conveniente, la DSA puede detectar con mayor precisión el grado de estenosis y la presencia de oclusión. Por lo tanto, nuestra recomendación es una combinación de ecografía carotídea y DSA en entornos clínicos para mejorar la conveniencia y precisión del diagnóstico.

To explore the characteristics of nerve injury in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and the predictive value of current perception threshold combined with nerve conduction velocity / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective:To analyze the characteristics of nerve injury in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and explore the diagnostic value of current perception threshold (CPT) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) for DPN.Methods:One hundred and thirty-six DPN patients admitted to Beijing Puren Hospital from June 2017 to December 2019 were selected, and 130 diabetic non-DPN patients admitted during the same period were used as controls. All the subjects were tested by CPT and NCV. Among them, the detection of NCV included sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) and motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV). Statistical analysis was performed on the relevant indicators of the two groups of subjects.Results:The CPT values of the upper limb median nerve and ulnar nerve at 2 000 Hz, 250 Hz, and 5 Hz, the superficial peroneal nerves at 250 Hz, and 5 Hz, and the CPT values of the sural nerve at 2 000 Hz and 250 Hz were higher than those of non-DPN patients, DPN injury mainly occurred in myelinated nerve fibers in the lower extremities [60.29%(82/136)], and the difference were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The SCV and MCV of the median nerve, ulnar nerve, and common peroneal nerve in the DPN group were lower than those in the non-DPN group, the SCV abnormal rate was higher than the MCV: 55.88%(76/136) vs. 37.50%(51/136); 58.82%(80/136) vs. 41.18% (56/136); 67.65%(92/136) vs. 50.00%(68/136), and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The area under the predictive value curve (AUC) of CPT for DPN was 0.815 (95% CI 0.735 ~ 0.895). The AUC of NCV for DPN was 0.875 (95% CI 0.813 ~ 0.944). The AUC of CPT and NCV for DPN was 0.923 (95% CI 0.876 ~ 0.970). Conclusions:DPT patients have abnormal CPT and NCV, and nerve damage occurs mostly in myelinated nerve fibers and SCV. Diagnosing DPN by combining CPT and NCV is helpful to improve the detection rate of DPN.

A study on the changes and clinical value of plasma RIP3 levels in neonatal late-onset sepsis / 中国新生儿科杂志

Objective:To study the changes of plasma receptor interacting protein 3 (RIP3) levels in neonatal late-onset sepsis (LOS) and to determine its clinical value.Methods:From October 2019 to April 2021, plasma samples and clinical data of LOS infants admitted to our hospital were prospectively studied. Infants with similar gestational ages admitted for non-infectious diseases were assigned into the control group. Enzyme-linked immunoassay was used to determine plasma RIP3 levels. The clinical value of plasma RIP3 in the diagnosis and treatment of neonatal LOS were analyzed.Results:A total of 152 cases (76 in the LOS group and 76 in the control group) were included in the study. No significant differences existed in the baseline data between the two groups. A total of 226 plasma samples were collected (76 samples from the LOS group before treatment, 74 samples after treatment and 76 samples from the control group). The plasma RIP3 level of LOS group before treatment (19.9±6.3 ng/ml) was significantly higher than the control group (11.4±3.5 ng/ml) and the after treatment group (11.9±3.5 ng/ml) ( P<0.05). The plasma RIP3 level had good diagnostic value for neonatal LOS (AUC=0.884). With cut-off value of 15.5 ng/ml, the plasma RIP3 showed the best diagnostic efficacy (Youden index 0.658, sensitivity 72.4%, specificity 93.4%, positive likelihood ratio 11.0, negative likelihood ratio 0.3). Conclusions:Plasma RIP3 level is closely related with neonatal LOS and may be used for the early diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation of neonatal LOS.

Clinical significance of transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant ovarian cysts / 中国辐射卫生

@#<b>Objective</b> To evaluate the clinical significance of transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant ovarian cysts. <b>Methods</b> Patients who were diagnosed with clinically suspected or palpable adnexal masses and underwent gray-scale ultrasonography, transvaginal color Doppler ultrasonography, and ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) during the period from 2018 to 2021 were enrolled in this study. The pulsatility index (<i>PI</i>) and resistance index (<i>RI</i>) were estimated, and an ovarian cyst with the lowest <i>PI</i> value of < 1.0 or the lowest <i>RI</i> value of < 0.4 was considered as malignant. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of gray-scale ultrasound and transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant ovarian cysts were estimated with FNAC as the gold standard. <b>Results</b> A total of 180 patients with ovarian cysts were recruited, and FNAC revealed that 81 of them had malignant lesions and 99 of them had benign lesions. The transvaginal color Doppler ultrasonograms showed that 75 patients (92.59%) with malignant lesions had blood-flow signals in their cysts and 42 patients (42.24%) with benign lesions had blood-flow signals in their cysts, with a significant difference in the proportion between the two groups (<i>χ</i>² = 49.29, <i>P</i> < 0.01). Among the 75 patients with blood-flow signals in malignant ovarian cysts, 75 had <i>PI</i> < 1.0 and 24 had <i>RI</i> < 0.4; among the 42 patients with blood-flow signals in benign ovarian cysts, 15 had <i>PI</i> < 1.0 and no one had <i>RI</i> < 0.4; there were significant differences in the proportions of <i>PI</i> < 1.0 and <i>RI</i> < 0.4 between the two groups (<i>χ</i>² = 62.68, <i>P</i> < 0.01; <i>χ</i>² = 16.91, <i>P</i> < 0.01). In addition, compared with the combination of gray-scale ultrasound and transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound, gray-scale ultrasound alone had significantly lower sensitivity (51.85% <i>vs</i> 81.48%; <i>χ</i>² = 16.00, <i>P</i> < 0.01), specificity (75.76% <i>vs</i> 93.94%; <i>χ</i>² = 12.73, <i>P</i> < 0.01), PPV (63.64% <i>vs</i> 91.67%; <i>χ</i>² = 15.90, <i>P</i> < 0.01), and NPV (65.79% <i>vs</i> 86.11%; <i>χ</i>² = 12.44, <i>P</i> < 0.01) for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant ovarian cysts. <b>Conclusion</b> Gray-scale ultrasound is effective for diagnosing ovarian cysts; however, gray-scale ultrasound combined with transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound can improve the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant ovarian cysts.

Diagnostic value of echocardiogram and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To compare echocardiogram and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Methods A total of 137 patients suspected of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were recruited. All patients received three-dimensional echocardiogram followed by cardiac MRI, and the detection rate of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was compared. Results A total of 96 eligible patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were finally enrolledin this study, including 70 males (72.9%) and 26 females (27.1%), with a mean age of 48.2 ± 10.2 years. There was a significant difference in the detection rate of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by echocardiogram (93.8%) and by cardiac MRI (100%) (χ2 = 4.30, P = 0.03). Among the 96 subjects, there was no significant difference in the mean value of maximum left ventricular wall thickness measured by echocardiogram and cardiac MRI (22.1 ± 8.9 vs 22.8 ± 9.2 mm; t = 1.23, P = 0.32). There was a significant difference in the mean thickness of the basal anterolateral free wall in the left ventricle (18.2 ± 7.8 vs 13.9 ± 7.1 mm; t = 9.40, P = 0.0007). Conclusion Cardiac MRI scanning is superior to echocardiogram for diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which may be used as an effective supplement to conventional echocardiogram.

Diagnostic value of mechanical power in patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome: an analysis using the data from MIMIC-Ⅲ / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To explore the diagnostic value of mechanical power (MP) in patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) based on the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-Ⅲv1.4 (MIMIC-Ⅲ v1.4).Methods:The information of ARDS patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation for no less than 48 hours who were hospitalized at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts from June 2001 to October 2012 in the MIMIC-Ⅲ v1.4 were collected. The demographics of patients, disease severity scores, ARDS etiology, prognostic indicators, pre-ventilation arterial blood gas analysis and respiratory parameters within 48 hours of ventilation were extracted. According to the lowest oxygenation index (PaO 2/FiO 2) before ventilation, the patients were divided into mild to moderate ARDS group (> 150 mmHg, 1 mmHg≈0.133 kPa) and moderate to severe ARDS group (≤ 150 mmHg), and the differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups were compared. The independent predictors associated with the severity of ARDS were analyzed using Logistic regression. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was plotted. The area under ROC curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate the diagnostic value of MP for moderate to severe ARDS. The Youden index was used to determine the diagnostic threshold of MP for moderate to severe ARDS. According to the cut-off value of MP based on Youden index, all ARDS patients were divided into high and low MP groups. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to analyze the 28-day survival status of patients. Results:A total of 403 ARDS patients were enrolled in the study, including 107 subjects with mild to moderate ARDS and 296 with moderate to severe ARDS. There were significant differences in age, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, the lowest PaO 2/FiO 2 before ventilation, the last PaO 2/FiO 2 before ventilation, 28-day mortality, the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, lung dynamic compliance (Cdyn) in the second 24 hours of ventilation and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), plateau pressure (Pplat), driving pressure (ΔP), respiratory rate (RR), lung static compliance (Cst), MP, inspired fraction of oxygen (FiO 2) within 48 hours of ventilation between the two groups. After adjusting variables such as age, SOFA score, the last PaO 2/FiO 2 before ventilation, and related respiratory mechanics parameters, multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that higher ΔP, PEEP and MP, and lower last PaO 2/FiO 2 before ventilation were independently associated with moderate to severe ARDS [odds ratio ( OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 1.137 (1.032-1.252), 1.333 (1.139-1.561), 1.102 (1.030-1.179), and 0.996 (0.993-0.998), respectively, all P < 0.01]. The ROC curve analysis showed that the best cut-off value of MP for the diagnosis of moderate to severe ARDS was 18.1 J/min with sensitivity of 81.42% and specificity of 60.75%, and the AUC was 0.745 (95% CI was 0.690-0.799). According to the cut-off value of MP obtained by ROC curve, all ARDS patients were divided into high MP group (> 18.1 J/min) and low MP group (≤ 18.1 J/min). The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the 28-day cumulative survival rate in the high MP group was significantly lower than that in the low MP group (73.8% vs. 85.1%; Log-Rank test: χ2 = 5.660, P = 0.017). Conclusion:MP is an independent predictor of the severity of ARDS, and it can be used to diagnose moderate to severe ARDS.

Diagnostic accuracy of muscle ultrasound and plasma monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 for ICU-acquired weakness in patients with sepsis / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To explore the diagnostic accuracy of muscle ultrasound and plasma monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) for ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) in patients with sepsis.Methods:A prospective observational study was conducted. Patients with sepsis admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Henan Provincial People's Hospital from April 2021 to October 2021 were enrolled. The demographic data were collected. The enrolled patients were evaluated with Medical Research Council (MRC) score every day until discharged from ICU. During this period, patients with total MRC score < 48 (for two consecutive times and a time interval of 24 hours) were divided into ICU-AW group, those with total MRC score ≥ 48 were served as non-ICU-AW group. On the 1st, 4th and 7th day following admission into ICU, ultrasound was used to measure the muscle linear thickness of the rectus femoris (RF-MLT), the cross sectional area of the rectus femoris (RF-CSA) and the muscle linear thickness of the vastus intermedius muscle (VI-MLT). And meanwhile, the plasmas samples of patients were collected to measure MCP-1 concentration by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The difference of each index was compared between the ICU-AW group and the non-ICU-AW group. The risk factors of ICU-AW in patients with sepsis were analyzed by binary Logistic regression. Besides, receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was plotted, the diagnostic value of ultrasound parameters and plasma MCP-1 level for ICU-AW in patients with sepsis was analyzed.Results:A total of 99 septic patients were enrolled, with 68 patients in the ICU-AW group and 31 patients in the non-ICU-AW group. Compared with the patients in the ICU-AW group, the patients in the non-ICU-AW group tended to be older, and had higher sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, higher acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHEⅡ) score, higher rates of septic shock, higher blood lactic acid and lower Glasgow coma score (GCS). Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that APACHEⅡ score and septic shock were the risk factors of ICU-AW for septic patients [odds ratio ( OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were 1.310 (1.138-1.509) and 0.232 (0.072-0.746), respectively, both P < 0.05]. The RF-MLT, RF-CSA and VI-MLT on the 1st, 4th and 7th ICU day was falling over time. Compared with the patients in the ICU-AW group, the patients in the non-ICU-AW group had smaller RF-MLT on the 7th day [cm: 0.32 (0.22, 0.47) vs. 0.45 (0.34, 0.63), P < 0.05] and higher 7-day RF-CSA atrophy rate [25.85% (10.37%, 34.28%) vs. 11.65% (2.28%, 22.41%), P < 0.05]. According to ROC curve analysis, 7-day RF-MLT had diagnostic value for ICU-AW of septic patients. Area under ROC curve (AUC) was 0.688 (95% CI was 0.526-0.849); when the cut-off value was 0.41 cm, the sensitivity and the specificity were 66.7% and 68.4%. The levels of plasma MCP-1 in the ICU-AW group were significantly higher than those in the non-ICU-AW group on the 1st, 4th and 7th day. ROC curve analysis showed that the plasma MCP-1 levels on the 1st, 4th and 7th day played a significant role to diagnose ICU-AW for septic patients, the AUC and 95% CI were 0.732 (0.629-0.836), 0.865 (0.777-0.953), 0.891 (0.795-0.986), respectively. When the cut-off values were 206.3, 410.9, 239.5 ng/L, the sensitivity was 87.1%, 64.0%, 82.4%, and the specificity was 54.4%, 96.1%, 86.2%, respectively. Conclusion:The muscle mass parameters on the 7th day of bedside ultrasound and plasma MCP-1 levels had certain diagnostic values for ICU-AW in patients with sepsis.

Clinical value of transcranial Dopler ultrasound in the detection of intracranial artery stenosis in patients with cerebral infarction / 中国基层医药

Objective:To evaluate the application value of transcranial Doppler in the detection of intracranial artery stenosis in patients with cerebral infarction.Methods:120 patients with cerebral infarction who received treatment in Zhuji Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from December 2018 to December 2020 were included in this study. The patients underwent CT angiography and transcranial Doppler examination. The results of CT angiography and transcranial Doppler examination for screening intracranial artery stenosis at different locations were evaluated. Taking CT angiography results as the gold standard, the efficacy of transcranial Doppler examination for screening intracranial artery stenosis at different locations was determined. The consistency of transcranial Doppler examination versus CT angiography in screening intracranial necrosis at different locations was evaluated. Results:The sensitivity of transcranial Doppler examination in the detection of intracranial artery stenosis at bilateral middle cerebral arteries, anterior cerebral artery, posterior cerebral artery, basilar artery, bilateral vertebral arteries, and internal carotid artery (Siphon segment) was 89.47%, 91.18%, 85.00%, 90.62%, 81.82%, 96.55%, respectively. The specificity of transcranial Doppler examination in the detection of intracranial necrosis at bilateral middle cerebral arteries, anterior cerebral artery, posterior cerebral artery, basilar artery, bilateral vertebral arteries, and internal carotid artery (Siphon segment) was 87.30%, 95.35%, 91.25%, 94.32%, 96.33%, and 87.88%, respectively. The Kappa value for judging the consistency between transcranial Doppler examination and CT angiography in the detection of intracranial artery stenosis at bilateral middle cerebral arteries, anterior cerebral artery, posterior cerebral artery, basilar artery, bilateral vertebral arteries, and internal carotid artery (Siphon segment) was 0.766, 0.858, 0.758, 0.833, 0.800, and 0.852, respectively.Conclusion:Transcranial Doppler examination has high sensitivity and specificity in the detection of intracranial artery stenosis at different locations. Its screening results are highly consistent with those from CT angiography. Transcranial Doppler examination is of high clinical application value.

Comparison of the application value of X-ray and MRI in the diagnosis of subacromial impingement syndrome / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective:To compare and analyze the value of X-ray examination and MRI in the diagnosis of subacromial impingement syndrome.Methods:Sixty patients with shoulder pain and weakness in Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2019 to May 2021 were selected. All patients underwent X-ray and MRI. Taking clinical diagnosis as the gold standard, the diagnostic efficacy of X-ray and MRI in subacromial impact syndrome was compared and analyzed.Results:The consistency between MRI and gold standard was good ( Kappa = 0.769, P<0.01), and the consistency between X-ray and gold standard was general ( Kappa = 0.464, P<0.01); there was no significant difference between X-ray examination and MRI examination of acromion morphological classification, subacromial space classification ( P>0.05); The sensitivity of MRI was higher than that of X-ray, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 4.00, P<0.05). There was no difference between MRI and X-ray, and the difference was not statistically significant ( χ2 = 0.25, P>0.05). Conclusions:X-ray and MRI are complementary to each other in the diagnosis of subacromial impingement syndrome. X-ray examination should be carried out first, and MRI should be carried out when necessary.