Study on the sensitivity of a volumetric modulated arc therapy plan verification equipment on multi-leaf collimator opening and closing errors and its gamma pass rate limit / 生物医学工程学杂志

To investigate the γ pass rate limit of plan verification equipment for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plan verification and its sensitivity on the opening and closing errors of multi-leaf collimator (MLC), 50 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma VMAT plan with clockwise and counterclockwise full arcs were randomly selected. Eight kinds of MLC opening and closing errors were introduced in 10 cases of them, and 80 plans with errors were generated. Firstly, the plan verification was conducted in the form of field-by-field measurement and true composite measurement. The γ analysis with the criteria of 3% dose difference, distance to agreement of 2 mm, 10% dose threshold, and absolute dose global normalized conditions were performed for these fields. Then gradient analysis was used to investigate the sensitivity of field-by-field measurement and true composite measurement on MLC opening and closing errors, and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to investigate the optimal threshold of γ pass rate for identifying errors. Tolerance limits and action limits for γ pass rates were calculated using statistical process control (SPC) method for another 40 cases. The error identification ability using the tolerance limit calculated by SPC method and the universal tolerance limit (95%) were compared with using the optimal threshold of ROC. The results show that for the true composite measurement, the clockwise arc and the counterclockwise arc, the descent gradients of the γ passing rate with per millimeter MLC opening error are 10.61%, 7.62% and 6.66%, respectively, and the descent gradients with per millimeter MLC closing error are 9.75%, 7.36% and 6.37%, respectively. The optimal thresholds obtained by the ROC method are 99.35%, 97.95% and 98.25%, respectively, and the tolerance limits obtained by the SPC method are 98.98%, 97.74% and 98.62%, respectively. The tolerance limit calculated by SPC method is close to the optimal threshold of ROC, both of which could identify all errors of ±2 mm, while the universal tolerance limit can only partially identify them, indicating that the universal tolerance limit is not sensitive on some large errors. Therefore, considering the factors such as ease of use and accuracy, it is suggested to use the true composite measurement in clinical practice, and to formulate tolerance limits and action limits suitable for the actual process of the institution based on the SPC method. In conclusion, it is expected that the results of this study can provide some references for institutions to optimize the radiotherapy plan verification process, set appropriate pass rate limit, and promote the standardization of plan verification.

Analysis on the pharyngeal microbiota in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux disease

Abstract Objective(s): In this study, the laryngopharynx microbiome alterations were characterized after proton pump inhibitor treatment in patients with Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease (LPRD) and healthy people. The potential outcome-predictive biomarker was explored. Methods: Patients with LPRD and healthy controls were enrolled. The composition of their laryngopharynx microbiota was analyzed both by traditional plate count of the main bacterial groups and PCR amplification followed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Shannon-Wiener index and evenness index based on Dice index were used to assess the bacterial diversity. Droplet digital PCR was used to determine the total bacterial RNA and relative abundance of Klebsiella oxytoca. Receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted to explore the potential of Klebsiella oxytoca as an outcome-predictive biomarker. Results: A total of 29 LPRD cases and 28 healthy subjects were enrolled. The composition of the laryngopharynx microbiota was almost similar, except Klebsiella oxytoca. The cluster analysis showed that the similarity between healthy and treatment-effective groups, as well as pretreatment and treatment-invalid groups, was close. Statistical analysis showed that there were differences in the diversity index and richness among the healthy, treatment-effective, pretreatment and treatment-invalid groups. The abundance of Klebsiella oxytoca in the treatment-effective LPRD group was lower than that of the treatment-invalid LPRD group. The abundance of Klebsiella oxytoca can distinguish treatment-effective and -invalid groups (AUC = 0.859) with a sensitivity of 77.78% and specificity of 90.91%. Conclusion: There were differences in the diversity of cecal contents microbial community between treatment-invalid and treatment-effective LPRD groups. Klebsiella oxytoca has potential to distinguish treatment outcomes. Level of evidence: How common is the problem? Level 1. Is this diagnostic or monitoring test accurate? (Diagnosis) Level 4. What will happen if we do not add a therapy? (Prognosis) Level 5. Does this intervention help? (Treatment Benefits) Level 4. What are the COMMON harms? (Treatment Harms) Level 4. What are the RARE harms? (Treatment Harms) Level 4. Is this (early detection) test worthwhile?(Screening) Level 4.

Preliminary application of artificial intelligence in the pathological diagnosis of periapical cysts / 口腔疾病防治

Objective@#To study the effect of artificial intelligence in the pathological diagnosis of periapical cysts and to explore the application of artificial intelligence in the field of oral pathology.@*Methods@#Pathological images of eighty-seven periapical cysts were selected as subjects to read, and a neural network with a U-net structure was constructed. The 87 HE images and labeled images of periapical cysts were divided into a training set (72 images) and a test set (15 images), which were used in the training model and test model, respectively. Finally, the target level index F1 score, pixel level index Dice coefficient and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to evaluate the ability of the U-net model to recognize periapical cyst epithelium.@*Results @# The F1 score of the U-net network model for recognizing periapical cyst epithelium was 0.75, and the Dice index and the areas under the ROC curve were 0.685 and 0.878, respectively.@*Conclusion@#The U-net network model constructed by artificial intelligence has a good segmentation result in identifying periapical cyst epithelium, which can be preliminarily applied in the pathological diagnosis of periapical cysts and is expected to be gradually popularized in clinical practice after further verification with large samples.

Comparison analysis of five ultrasound malignancy risk stratification guidelines for thyroid nodules / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To compare and analyze the clinical diagnostic values of five thyroid nodule malignant risk stratification guidelines.Methods:From October 2019 to October 2021, 926 cases of patients with 1 027 thyroid nodules were recruited in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi ′an Jiaotong University. All nodules were categorized individually according to 2015 American Thyroid Association for Ultrasound Malignancy Risk Stratification of Thyroid Nodules in Adults Guidelines(ATA guidelines), 2016 the Korean Society of Radiology and the Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data Systems(K-TIRADS), 2017 European Thyroid Association Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data Systems(Eu-TIRADS), 2017 American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (ACR TI-RADS), and 2020 Chinese Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (C-TIRADS). The pathological results were taken as the gold standard, the malignancy ratio of nodules of different categories in each system was calculated. ROC curves were plotted to evaluate the diagnostic efficiencies of different systems, and DeLong test was used to compare the areas under ROC curves. The sensitivity and specificity of different systems were calculated when the maximum point of the Youden index was the optimal cut-off value.Results:In the same stratified system, there were statistically significant differences in the malignant proportion of nodules of different grades ( P<0.05). The malignant proportion of nodules in the high-risk group showed no significant difference among different stratified systems ( P>0.05). Except for C-TIRADS, the malignant proportion of nodules was increased with the increase of diagnostic grade at each grade of the other four stratification systems. ROC curve showed that AUCs of ATA guidelines, K-TIRADS, EU-TIRADS, ACR TI-RADS and C-TIRADS were 0.814, 0.819, 0.814, 0.820 and 0.802, respectively, there was no statistical significance in AUC of different stratification systems (all P>0.05). The optimal truncation values in differentiating benign and malignant nodules were middle-risk malignant nodules, moderately suspicious malignant nodules, middle-risk malignant nodules, class 4 and class 4B. The diagnostic of five stratification systems showed that ATA guidelines had the highest sensitivity (0.784), C-TIRADS had the highest specificity (0.854). Conclusions:The five stratified systems have similar efficacy in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules, and all of them have good diagnostic value.

Clinical diagnostic value of combined detection of serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid galactomannan for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in non-neutropenic children / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical diagnostic value of combined detection of serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) galactomannan (GM) for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in children with non-neutropenia.Methods:An analysis was made on 100 children with non-neutropenia suspected of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in the respiratory ward of the Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 2019 to March 2020. All of them were tested by serum and BALF GM tests as well as sputum and BALF culture for fungi. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of serum and BALF GM in the diagnosis of IPA in non-neutropenic children were analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the clinical diagnostic value of serum and BALF GM tests for IPA in children with non-neutropenia.Results:The recruited 100 cases included one confirmed case, 85 clinically diagnosed cases and two suspected cases, while the 12 cases were excluded. The accuracy and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) of serum and BALF GM tests used alone and in combination in the clinical diagnosis of IPA in non-neutropenic children were 29.0% (95%CI: 20.1%-37.9%), 75.0% (95%CI: 66.5%-83.5%) and 81.0% (95%CI: 73.3%-88.7%), respectively. The AUC and 95%CI were 0.645 (95%CI: 0.513-0.778), 0.785 (95%CI: 0.644-0.926) and 0.819 (95%CI: 0.681-0.953), respectively.Conclusions:The combined detection of serum and BALF GM was better than a single indicator in the clinical diagnosis of IPA in non-neutropenic children, suggesting the combined detection was of great value in clinical diagnosis.

The value of urodynamic study in the differential diagnosis of patients with parkinsonian-type multiple system atrophy and Parkinson′s disease with lower urinary tract symptoms / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To investigate the urodynamic characteristics in parkinsonian-type multiple system atrophy (MSA-P) and Parkinson′s disease (PD) patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and to identify the differential diagnostic ability of urodynamic study.Methods:Sixty-eight MSA-P patients and 85 PD patients with LUTS who underwent urodynamic studies and were hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from February 2017 to December 2020 were reviewed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the discriminatory power of urodynamic parameters.Results:Compared with PD, patients with MSA-P had shorter disease duration [2.70 (2.05, 3.00) years vs 5.00 (4.00, 6.00) years, Z=-7.44, P<0.001]. In free uroflowmetry (UFM) and pressure-flow study (PFS), patients with MSA-P showed lower maximal flow rate [Qmax; UFM-Qmax 6.00 (3.00, 8.75) ml/s vs 9.00 (6.00, 14.00) ml/s, Z=-4.31, P<0.001; PFS-Qmax[6.00 (3.00, 8.75) ml/s vs 9.00 (6.00, 14.00) ml/s, Z=-4.03, P<0.001] and larger postvoid residual [PVR;UFM-PVR 207.50 (113.75, 280.00) ml vs 45.00 (10.00, 117.50) ml, Z =-6.03, P<0.001; PFS-PVR 269.00 (148.75, 337.50) ml vs 75.00 (20.00, 167.50) ml, Z=-6.55, P<0.001)] with decreased compliance [42.65% (29/68) vs 14.12% (12/85), χ 2=15.68, P<0.001], decreased detrusor pressure at maximun flow rate [PdetQmax; 13.00 (6.00, 27.75) cmH 2O vs 27.00 (15.00, 39.50) cmH 2O, Z=-4.65, P<0.001; 1 cmH 2O=0.098 kPa] and impaired contractility [43.00 (34.00, 59.25) vs 79.00 (46.50, 100.00), Z=-5.44, P<0.001]. Compared with the MSA-P patients, detrusor overactivity (DO) was prominent in PD [54.41% (37/68) vs 78.82% (67/85), χ 2=10.34, P=0.001]. The ROC curve results showed that PFS-PVR had highest area under the curve (AUC), which was 0.81 (95% CI 0.74-0.88, P<0.001), followed by UFM-PVR, bladder contractility index and PdetQmax (0.78, 0.76 and 0.72, respectively). Conclusions:Patients with MSA-P showed lower Qmax and larger PVR with decreased bladder compliance and impaired contractility, while patients with PD had higher incidence of DO. The ROC results showed that PFS-PVR had the highest AUC and specificity in the differential diagnosis of MSA-P and PD,indicating that urodynamic study is a useful tool in differential diagnosis of patients with MSA-P and PD with lower urinary tract symptoms.

Screening of radiation sensitive lipids in rat plasma at early stage after total body irradiation with 60Co γ-rays / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To explore the characteristics of lipid metabolism in rat plasma after total body irradiation(TBI) in order to provide scientific evidence of radiation biomarkers.Methods:For the non-targeted lipidomics study, 50 SD rats were divided into 6 groups and irradiated with 0, 1, 2, 3, 5 or 8 Gy 60Co γ-rays, respectively. For the targeted lipidomics study, 25 rats were divided into 5 groups and irradiated with 0, 0.5, 2.5, 4 or 6 Gy. Venous blood samples were collected and plasma were separated 4 h after TBI. Radiation-sensitive lipids were screened and their concentrations were determined. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and dose-response were analyzed. Results:A total of 15 radiation differential lipids were screened out based on non-targeted lipidomics study and 7 of them were identified as radiosensitive lipids by targeted lipidomics analysis. The ROC of radiosensitive lipids distinguished area under curve (AUC) of samples in 0 Gy group and > 0 Gy group, < 2 Gy group and ≥ 2 Gy group were all > 0.75. The AUC values were increased to 0.96 and 0.94 after the panel of radiation sensitive lipids ROC analysis. The concentrations of LysoPC(18: 2), LysoPC(22: 0), PC(18: 0/18: 2), PE(18: 2/16: 0) and PE(18: 2/18: 0) decreased with irradiation dose within 0-6 Gy.Conclusions:A total of 7 plasma radiosensitive lipids in rat plasma were identified 4 h after TBI, and the panel of them could be used for specific dose classification. Five of the lipids had good dose-response relationship.

Clinical characteristics of human cytomegalovirus pneumonia in children and the diagnosis value of detecting human cytomegalovirus DNA in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid / 中国小儿急救医学

Objective:To investigate the clinical features, therapy and prognosis of human cytomegalovirus(HCMV)pneumonia in pediatric patients, and to analyze the diagnosis value of detecting HCMV DNA in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)by real-time PCR.Methods:The clinical characteristics of 58 pediatric inpatients who were HCMV DNA positive in BALF were retrospectively reviewed.All the patients were from Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from January 2015 to December 2019.Clinical, radiologic, laboratory and microbiologic data was collected for each patient.The study cohort was divided into HCMV productive infection and latent infection consisting of 22 and 36 patients respectively, based on the HCMV active infection in lung or not.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to assess utility of detecting HCMV DNA in BALF and establish a threshold for diagnosis.Results:(1)Compared with patients in latent infection group, the children in productive infection group had a lower age of onset( P<0.05), a higher proportion of male( P<0.05), and more prolonged hospitalization stay( P<0.05). Pulmonary rales, hypoxemia and higher AST, CK, LDH in serum were easier to detect in productive infection group( P<0.05). Higher HCMV DNA copies in BALF was also detected( P<0.01). Patients in productive infection group had significantly more exposure to additional oxygen treatment or mechanical ventilation and systemic hormone therapy( P<0.05), while with poorer outcomes( P<0.05). (2) ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC for HCMV DNA in BALF in diagnosis of HCMV pneumonia was 0.708 with a threshold of 8.83×10 3 copies/mL, a sensitivity of 77.27%, and a specificity of 58.33%. Conclusion:Those who are diagnosed HCMV pneumonia have a lower age of onset with higher male proportion.These children suffered severer clinical signs.The patients with HCMV DNA copies higher than 8.83×10 3 copies/mL in BALF would be more likely to be diagnosed as HCMV pneumonia.

Predictive values of ALBI and EZ-ALBI scores for early survival of recipients with liver failure after liver transplantation / 器官移植

Objective To evaluate the predictive values of albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) and easy albumin-bilirubin (EZ-ALBI) scores for early survival (postoperative 3 months) of recipients with liver failure after liver transplantation. Methods Clinical data of 137 recipients diagnosed with liver failure and underwent liver transplantation were retrospectively analyzed. The optimal cut-off values of preoperative ALBI, EZ-ALBI and MELD scores to predict early survival of recipients with liver failure after liver transplantation were determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The risk factors of early death of recipients with liver failure after liver transplantation were identified by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The effects of different ALBI and EZ-ALBI levels upon early prognosis of recipients with liver failure after liver transplantation were analyzed. Results The optimal cut-off values of ALBI, EZ-ALBI and MELD scores were 0.21, -19.83 and 24.36, and the AUC was 0.706, 0.697 and 0.686, respectively. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that preoperative alanine aminotransferase(ALT)≥50 U/L, aspartate aminotransferase(AST)≥60 U/L, ALBI score≥0.21 and EZ-ALBI score≥-19.83 were the risk factors for early postoperative death of recipients with liver failure after liver transplantation (all P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that preoperative ALBI score≥0.21 was an independent risk factor for early postoperative death of recipients with liver failure after liver transplantation (P < 0.05). According to the optimal cut-off value of ALBI score, the early survival rates in the ALBI < 0.21 (n=46) and ALBI≥0.21(n=91) groups were 93.5% and 64.8%, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). According to the optimal cut-off value of EZ-ALBI score, the early survival rates in the EZ-ALBI < -19.83(n=60) and EZ-ALBI≥-19.83(n=77) groups were 88.3% and 63.6%, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions Preoperative ALBI score is of high predictive value for early survival of recipients with liver failure after liver transplantation, which could be utilized as a reference parameter for selecting liver transplant recipients.

The ratio of superior mesenteric artery diameter to superior mesenteric vein diameter based on non-enhanced computed tomography in the early diagnosis of spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection / 世界急诊医学杂志（英文）

@#BACKGROUND: Spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery (SMA) dissection (SISMAD) is a rare cause of abdominal pain. The aim of the study is to investigate the role of a new parameter, the ratio of the SMA diameter to the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) diameter (SMA/SMV) based on non-enhanced computed tomography (CT), in the early diagnosis of SISMAD. METHODS: In a registry study from December 2013 to June 2021, 97 abdominal pain SISMAD patients (SISMAD group) admitted to our hospital were enrolled. Meanwhile, the matched sex and age abdominal pain non-SISMAD patients at 1:2 were collected in reverse chronological order as the control group. Student's t-test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and Chi-square test were used to compare differences between the SISMAD and control groups. MedCalc was used to generate receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: A total of 291 abdominal pain patients, including 97 SISMAD patients and 194 non-SISMAD patients, were included in the current study. The maximum SMA diameter, perivascular exudation, and SMA/SMV based on non-enhanced CT were significant between the two groups (all P<0.05). ROC curves showed that for the maximum SMA diameter, the area under the curve (AUC), cut-off, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.926, 9.80, 93.8%, and 79.4%, respectively. For SMA/SMV, its AUC, cut-off, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.956, 0.83, 88.7%, and 92.3%, respectively. The diagnostic efficiency of SMA/SMV was better than that of the maximum SMA diameter (P<0.05). The combined parameters of SMA/SMV and maximum SMA diameter had the best diagnostic efficiency (AUC=0.970). CONCLUSION: SMA/SMV may be a potential marker for SISMAD.

Establish deferral criterion for HIV serological testing in blood donors / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To establish deferral criterion of HIV ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and electrochemiluminescence immunoassay(ECLIA) by using receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC) method to screen HIV reactive blood donors suitable for entering the re-entry process and improve the management efficiency of reactive blood donors. 【Methods】 The test results of 92 001 blood donors from February to September 2019 were analyzed, and 177 reactive samples were screened by conventional screening mode (twice ELISA and once nucleic acid), supplemented with electrochemiluminescence immunoassay assay (ECLIA), and confirmed by Western blotting (WB). Screening reactive samples were divided into three groups: group A was both serological and nucleic acid reactivity, group B was only serological reactive, and group C was only nucleic acid reactivity. Its efficacy in blood donor classification was assessed by drawing ROC curves with 99% specific corresponding S/CO low values as the deferral criterion of the corresponding serological method. 【Results】 1) A total of 177 HIV reactive samples were detected in conventional mode, including 34 in group A, 142 in Group B and 1 in Group C. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 100%, 0.75% and 100%, respectively. ECLIA detection mode (once ECLIA and once NAT), a total of 67 HIV reactive samples including 34 in group A, 32 in group B and 1 in group C, with positive predictive values of 100%, 3.7% and 100%, respectively.2) The HIV test results showed diversity, with 36 true positive samples including 1 HIV elite controller and 3 early HIV infections (1 HIV ELISA antigen/antibody window and 2 ELISA HIV antibody window), and 32 serological and NAT cases were reactive infections.3) The deferral limit of ELISA 1 and ELISA 2 in conventional screening mode were 20.25 and 9.85, respectively, can screen 97.14% (34/35) of all true positive samples in group A and B, except for one ELISA HIV antibody window (ELISA 2 reactivity). The positive predictive values were 93.94% and 92.85%, respectively. The ECLIA deferral limit of 7.83 can screens all true positive samples in Groups A and B (35/35)in ECLIA mode. The positive predictive value was 94.59%. 【Conclusion】 The establishment of deferral limits in this study can effectively screen HIV-positive blood donors, and the number of screened blood donors is greatly reduced, which is helpful to fine and scientific management of HIV-reactive blood donors. The deferral limit values of different testing reagents are quite different, so each laboratory should choose appropriate testing methods to establish the deferral limit values suitable for the laboratory according to its own testing ability, so as to provide technical support for optimizing the process of returning blood donors to the team.

Effect of urinary albumin/creatinine ratio on type 2 diabetic retinopathy and its cut-off value for early diabetic retinopathy diagnosis / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effect of urinary albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) on diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to find the cut-off value of UACR for diagnosing DR.Methods:A prospective cohort study of 2 490 patients with type 2 diabetes was conducted with a mean follow-up of 7 years ranging from 3 to 10 years. Dilated fundus examination was performed once a year, and patient history and clinical data were collected and analyzed. Patients were divided into three groups according to the UACR: Q1, normal urinary albumin group (UACR<30 mg/g), Q2, microalbuminuria group (30 mg/g≤UACR≤299 mg/g), and Q3, macroalbuminuria group (UACR>300 mg/g), respectively. Cox regression analysis was used to explore the influence of UACR and other factors on DR, and ROC curve was drawn to evaluate the value of UACR in diagnosis of DR.Results:Cox regression analysis showed that UACR was the risk factor of DR( HR=1.108, 95% CI 1.023-1.241, P<0.001). It showed that the patients in Q3 group had the highest risk of proliferative DR ( HR=3.128, 95% CI 2.025-4.831, P<0.001), the patients in Q2 group followed( HR=1.918, 95% CI 1.355-2.714, P<0.001), and the patients in Q1 group were the lowest. ROC curve analysis showed that area under UACR curve was 0.746(95% CI 0.681-0.812, P<0.001), and the cut-off value, sensitivity, and specificity for the diagnosis of PDR were 54.12mg/g, 0.769, and 0.653, respectively. Conclusion:The UACR can predict the progression of PDR in type 2 diabetes patients, therefore it may be used as a preliminary predictor for the progression of DR.

Diagnostic Value of Bcl-2, miR-451 and Th17 Cells in Esophageal Cancer and Their Relation with Recurrence / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of Bcl-2, miR-451 and Th17 cells in esophageal cancer and their relation with recurrence. Methods We selected 101 patients with esophageal cancer as the experimental group and 95 healthy patients as the control group. The correlation between the clinicopathological characteristics and the level of each peripheral blood index was analyzed. The ROC curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of each peripheral blood index. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the relation between each index and tumor recurrence. Results Peripheral blood Bcl-2, miR-451 and Th17 cells in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group (all P < 0.05); differentiation degree, clinical stage, tumor diameter and lymph node metastasis were positively correlated with the levels of Bcl-2, miR-451, and Th17 cells (all P < 0.05). Bcl-2, miR-451 and Th17 cells in relapsed patients were higher than those in non-relapsed patients (all P < 0.05); after controlling other factors such as differentiation degree, clinical stage, tumor size and lymph node metastasis, the levels of Bcl-2, miR-451 and Th17 cells were significantly correlated with recurrence (all P < 0.05). Conclusion Bcl-2, miR-451 and Th17 cells in peripheral blood of esophageal cancer patients are abnormally expressed and their expression are closely related to differentiation degree, clinical stage and recurrence. The combined detection could provide an objective basis for clinical diagnosis and prognosis assessment.

The application value of urine γ-synuclein in the diagnosis of bladder cancer / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To explore the application value of urine γ-synuclein (SNCG) in the diagnosis of bladder cancer.Methods:A total of urine samples from 129 patients with bladder cancer (malignant lesion group), 157 patients with urinary system benign lesions (benign lesion group), and 177 healthy people (the healthy control group) from January 2017 to April 2020 in the Fifth Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University and Shanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital were collected. The concentration of SNCG in the collected urine was detected by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to determine its sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for the diagnosis of bladder cancer.Results:The urine SNCG concentration in malignant lesion group [4.28 ng/ml (0.53-8.79 ng/ml)] was higher than that in healthy controls [1.44 ng/ml (0.56-3.51) ng/ml, H = 122.9, P < 0.01] and benign lesion group [1.97 ng/ml (0.51-5.87) ng/ml, H = 88.2, P < 0.01], and the concentration of urine SNCG in benign lesion group was higher than that in healthy controls ( H = 17.1, P < 0.01). ROC area under the curve (AUC) of urine SNCG in differentiating benign lesion group from healthy controls was 0.871(95% CI 0.819-0.923, P < 0.01), the best cut-off value was 2.79 ng/ml, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity was 0.798 and 0. 977, respectively. AUC of urine SNCG in differentiating malignant lesion group from benign lesion group was 0.823(95% CI 0.769-0.877, P < 0.01), the best cut-off value was 3.54 ng/ml, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity was 0.713 and 0.917, respectively. AUC of urine SNCG in differentiating malignant lesion group from healthy controls plus benign lesion group was 0.848 (95% CI 0.797-0.899, P < 0.01), the best cut-off value was 2.87 ng/ml, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity was 0.791 and 0.901, respectively. Conclusions:The concentration of SNCG in urine of patients with bladder cancer is higher than that of patients with benign urinary lesions and healthy people. Urine SNCG has a good application value in the diagnosis of bladder cancer.

Analysis of clinical characteristics and risk factors of 120 patients of severe acute pancreatitis with secondary fungal infection / 中华消化杂志

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and risk factors of fungal infections secondary to severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), so as to provide experience for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:From January 2013 to August 2020, at The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 48 SAP patients with secondary fungal infection (infection group) were enrolled. At the same period, 72 SAP patients without fungal infection (non-infection group) were selected as control group. The location of fungal infection, bacterial species distribution, anti-fungal treatment of the infection group, and the prognosis of the two groups were analyzed. Independent sample t test, Wilcoxon rank sum test and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. The factors that may affect the secondary fungal infection of SAP were analyzed by binary logistic regression analysis in order to detect the independent risk factors of SAP with secondary fungal infection, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluate their value in predicting SAP with secondary fungal infection. Results:There were 74 fungal infection sites in the infection group, mainly respiratory infections (25.7%); 54 fungal strains were isolated and all of which were Candida infection, mainly Candida albicans (48.1%). In the infection group, 36 patients received antifungal therapy, among whom 20 patients (55.6%) died; the remaining 12 patients did not receive antifungal therapy, six of them died, in total 26 (54.2%) patients died. In the non-infection group there were nine patients (12.5%) died. There was a significant difference in mortality between the infection group and the non-infection group (54.2% vs. 12.5%, χ2=24.20, P<0.01). Compared with the non-infection group, the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHEⅡ) score at admission, time of fasting and drinking, time of urinary catheter catheterization and deep venous catheterization, types and duration of broad-spectrum antibiotics usage, hospital stay, time of invasive ventilator using and indwelling time of abdominal drainage tube were higher in the infection group ((16.92±5.70) point vs. (13.32±4.73) point, (16.38±6.87) d vs. (9.51±4.90) d, (15.65±9.68) d vs. (10.40±9.45) d, (19.48±10.43) d vs. (12.74±10.28) d, (4.13±1.02) type vs. (2.35±1.78) type, (30.54±12.94) d vs.(19.10±9.48) d, (36.10±26.27) d vs.(21.93±9.91) d, 6.00 d (0.00 d, 21.75 d) vs. 0.00 d(0.00 d, 7.00 d), 9.00 d (0.00 d, 18.00 d) vs. 0.00 d (0.00 d, 0.00 d)), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=-3.61, -6.56, -3.08, -3.82, -6.86, -5.06 and -3.95, Z=-2.71 and -4.19, all P<0.01). The results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that APACHEⅡ score at admission, time of fasting and drinking, and broad-spectrum antibiotic usage were independent risk factors of SAP with secondary fungal infection (odds ratio=1.181, 2.589 and 1.205, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.036 to 1.347, 1.409 to 4.757 and 1.060 to 1.370), and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The area under curve values of APACHEⅡ score, broad-spectrum antibiotics usage and time of fasting and drinking were 0.695 (95% CI 0.596 to 0.794), 0.853 (95% CI 0.784 to 0.923) and 0.907 (95% CI 0.798 to 0.923), respectively; and the cut-off values at 17.5 point, 3.5 types, and 11.5 d were most effective in predicting secondary fungal infection of SAP. Conclusions:Respiratory tract is the most common site for secondary fungal infections in SAP. Candida albicans infection is more common. SAP patients with APACHE Ⅱ score >17 point at admission, time of fasting and drinking >11 d and more than three kinds of broad-spectrum antibiotics application are prone to secondary fungal infections in the later stage.

The Chinese version of the Chelsea Critical Care Physical Assessment Tool applied in critically ill patients / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To explore the threshold and diagnostic value of Chinese version of the Chelsea Physical Function Assessment Tool (CPAx-Chi) for ICU acquired weakness(ICU-AW).Methods:To learn the details and precautions of the CPAx-Chi scale, and then two researchers used the CPAx-Chi scale and MRC-Score scale to independently evaluate 200 patients who come from a comprehensive ICU in a top first-class hospital in Gansu Province simultaneously. The best cut-off point and value of the CPAx-Chi scale in the diagnosis of ICU-AW were determined by calculating the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, the Youden index(YI) and the consistency test that are all based on the MRC-Score≤48.Results:The ROC Area Under Curve(AUC) of the CPAx-Chi scale diagnosis ICU-AW which based on the MRC-Score≤48 were as follows: ROC AUC of group A was 0.899 (95% CI 0.862-1.025); ROC AUC of group B was 0.874 (95% CI 0.824-0.925). When the best cut-off point of CPAx-Chi scale for diagnosis ICU-AW was 31.5, the maximum YI=0.643, the sensitivity was 87%, and the specificity was 77% in group A; and the maximum YI= 0.62, the sensitivity was 75%, and the specificity was 87% in group B. Meanwhile, when the best cut-off point of CPAx-Chi scale for diagnosis ICU-AW was 30.5, the maximum YI=0.62, the sensitivity was 79%, and the specificity was 83% in group B. Taking the CPAx -Chi≤31 as the best cut-off point, the score differences in ICU-AW group and the non-ICU-AW group were not detected, A group ( F value was 4.53, P=0.035) or B group ( F value was 6.51, P=0.011). The consistency of CPAx -Chi≤31 and MRC-Score≤48 in the diagnosis of ICU-AW was high, and the Kappa=0.845 ( P=0.02) in the group A; the Kappa=0.839( P=0.04) in the group B, and the group differences were detected. Conclusions:CPAx-Chi≤31 is the best cut-off point for diagnosing ICU-AW, and has good sensitivity and specificity. CPAx-Chi scale can be popularized and applied in the critical care medicine in China.

Analysis of risk factors and establishment of prediction model for post transplantation diabetes mellitus in renal transplant recipients / 器官移植

Objective To analyze the risk factors for the occurrence of post transplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM) in renal transplant recipients, establish a prediction model for PTDM and evaluate its prediction value. Methods Clinical data of 915 renal transplant recipients were retrospectively analyzed. According to the occurrence of PTDM, all recipients were divided into the PTDM group (n=78) and non-PTDM group (n=837). The main indexes of recipients were collected. The risk factors for the occurrence of PTDM in renal transplant recipients were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis. The prediction model for PTDM was established and its prediction value was evaluated. Results Family history of diabetes mellitus, body mass index (BMI), preoperative 2 h postprandial blood glucose and preoperative glycosylated hemoglobin were the independent risk factors for the occurrence of PTDM in renal transplant recipients. The prediction model for PTDM was logit (P)=2.199×family history of diabetes (yes=1, no=0)+0.109×BMI+0.151×2 h postprandial blood glucose (mmol/L)+0.508×glycosylated hemoglobin (%)-9.123. The results of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of these 4 predictors combined for predicting PTDM in renal transplant recipients was 0.830 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.786-0.873], the cut-off value was 0.0608, the sensitivity was 0.821, the specificity was 0.700, and the Youden index was 0.521 (P < 0.05). Conclusions Family history of diabetes mellitus, BMI, preoperative 2 h postprandial blood glucose and preoperative glycosylated hemoglobin are the independent risk factors for the occurrence of PTDM in renal transplant recipients. The prediction model for PTDM combined with4 predictors yield relatively high prediction value for PTDM.

Expression and Diagnostic Value of NPTX1 in Thymoma Patients / 中国肺癌杂志

BACKGROUND@#Thymomas are the most common primary malignant tumors of anterior mediastinal. However, there are no specific laboratory indicator for the diagnosis the diagnosis of thymoma. The aim of this study was to screen out a tumor marker for diagnosis of thymoma by mRNA microarray analysis and confirmed it.@*METHODS@#By mRNA microarray analysis of 31 thymomas and peritumoral thymic tissues, we found that the transcription level of neuronal pentraxin 1 (NPTX1) gene was up-regulated more than 4 times in thymomas. To further verify the above results, we detected the transcription and expression level of NPTX1 in 60 thymoma and 30 thymic cyst patients by quantitative Real-Time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Furthermore, the diagnostic value of NPTX1 in thymoma by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The transcription level of NPTX1 mRNA in thymoma tissues was significantly higher than that in the thymic tissues of control group [(2.88±1.02) vs (1.35±0.47), P<0.001); The expression level of NPTX1 in thymoma tissues was significantly higher than that in the thymic tissues of control group (2 vs 1, P<0.001); The preoperative serum level of NPTX1 protein in thymoma patients were significantly higher than that in the thymic cyst patients of control group [(1,018.29±209.38) pg/mL vs (759.95±66.02) pg/mL, P<0.001]; At the threshold of 842.22 pg/mL, sensitivity and specificity of NPTX1 as a serologic marker were 85.00% and 93.33%, respectively for thymoma. ROC showed that the area the under curve (AUC) of NPTX1 was 0.902.@*CONCLUSIONS@#NPTX1 was highly expressed in thymoma patients, and had diagnostic value for thymoma.

The efficiency study on different scoring models in predicting delayed graft function after renal transplantation / 器官移植

Objective To analyze the prediction efficiency of scoring models at home and abroad on delayed graft function (DGF) after renal transplantation in China. Methods The clinical data of 112 donors and 220 recipients undergoing renal transplantation were prospectively analyzed. The DGF predicted by KDRI model, Jeldres model, and model of our center was compared with actual DGF incidence of renal transplant recipients. The prediction efficiency of each model was analyzed. The predictive accuracy was compared by the area under curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results The DGF incidence of 220 renal transplant recipients was 14.1% (31/220). DGF prediction using KDRI model showed that 41 cases were high risk donors, the AUC was 0.57, the sensitivity was 0.37, the specificity was 0.66, and the positive predictive value was 22%. DGF prediction using Jedres model showed that 22 cases were high risk recipients, the AUC was 0.56, the sensitivity was 0.13, the specificity was 0.92 and the positive predictive value was 20%. DGF prediction using the model of our center showed that 25 cases were high risk donors, the AUC was 0.80, the sensitivity was 0.53, the specificity was 0.84, the positive predictive value was 40%. Conclusions Compared with the KDRI and Jedres models, the prediction model of our center has higher AUC and sensitivity with a better prediction efficiency on DGF. Therefore, it is a suitable evaluation system of donors from donation after citizen's death in Chinese.

Application value of computer-aided diagnosis in diagnosing pneumoconiosis / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application value of computer-aided diagnosis technology based on deep residual network in the diagnosis of occupational pneumoconiosis(hereinafter referred to as pneumoconiosis). METHODS: A total of 5 424 digital radiography chest images were collected from occupational health examiners using a convenient sampling method.These images were used to establish a data set. After training with the data set, the pneumoconiosis computer-aided diagnosis system was used to independently diagnose the test set images(50 positive and negative cases each) and output a positive probability value. Six diagnostic physicians with varied ages and different experiences performed independent diagnosis on the test set and assisted diagnosis with reference to computer results. The diagnostic accuracy was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC) value, sensitivity, and specificity.The Kappa consistency test was used to evaluate the diagnostic consistency. RESULTS: The AUC value, sensitivity, specificity, and Kappa value of pneumoconiosis diagnosis increased after using computer-aided diagnosis. The sensitivity increased from 0.74 to 0.85(P<0.05)and the Kappa value increased from 0.64 to 0.79(P<0.05). The AUC value increased from 0.90 to 0.95, and the specificity increased from 0.89 to 0.94, but there were no statistical difference(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Computer-aided diagnosis can improve the sensitivity and consistency of pneumoconiosis screening and reduce the differences in diagnosis among physicians.