Genomic analysis and biomarker discovery of thymic cancer based on whole exome sequencing: A retrospective cohort study / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective To examined gene mutations in thymic carcinoma (TC) patients and to explore prognostic correlates and potential targets for therapy. Methods We retrospectively included TC patients in Sichuan Cancer Hospital between January 2015 and Febuary 2021.Whole-exome sequencing was performed on tumor tissues from TC patients and their control peripheral blood samples, and the raw data were subjected to bioinformatics analysis and statistical analysis. Results We finally included 24 TC patients with 16 males and 8 females at a median age of 55 (42-74) years. The highest frequency of single nucleotide mutations in this cohort were in the TTN gene (42%), HSPG2 (29%), and OBSCN (29%). Higher frequency of copy number variations occurred in ZNF276 gene (54%, loss), BEND3 (50%, loss), DHODH (50%, loss), and VAC14 (50%, loss). Microsatellite instability (MSI) phenotype was found in 25% of the patients, and the mean tumor mutation burden (TMB) was 9.86. Conclusion This study is the first comprehensive analysis of the mutation profile of thymic carcinoma in China to date. The mutation frequencies of TTN, OBSCN, and ZNF276 genes were high. The biomarker analysis suggests that patients may benefit from immunotherapy and have a long effective survival.

Nuclear factor-KB signaling pathway and gender differences in alcoholic liver fibrosis / 解剖学报

Objective To investigate the relationship between nuclear factor(NF)-κB signaling pathway and gender differences in alcoholic liver fibrosis. Methods C57BL/6 N mice at 7-8 weeks of age were randomly divided into: male normal group, male model group, female normal group and female model group of 20 mice each. The normal group was fed with control liquid diet for 8 weeks, and the model group was fed with alcoholic liquid diet for 8 weeks combined with 31.5% ethanol gavage (5g/kg twice a week) to establish an alcoholic liver fibrosis model. The mice were executed at the end of 8 weekends, and the alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity, estradiol (E

Recent progress of targeting Nrf2-ferroptosis to treat brain injury after ischemic stroke / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

Emerging evidences suggest that ferroptosis plays a vital role in the pathophysiological process of brain injury after Ischemic stroke. Accumulating evidence supports pharmacological inhibition of ferroptosis as a therapeutic target for brain injury after Ischemic stroke through activating nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which transcriptionally controls many key components of the ferroptosis pathway. In this review, briefly describe ferroptosis processes and the roles they play in contributing to brain injury after ischemic stroke in the brain. We then provide a critical overview of the relationship between Nrf2 signalling and ferroptosis. With a focus on discuss how therapeutic modulation of the Nrf2 pathway is a viable strategy to explore in the treatment of ferroptosis-driven brain injury after Ischemic stroke.

Targeting ferroptosis for treatment of Alzheimer' s disease / 中国药理学通报

Alzheimer' s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder histologically characterized by the presence of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) found in and around pyramidal neurons in cortical tissue. Mounting evidence suggests regional increased iron load and dyshomeostasis have been associated with oxidative stress, oxidation of proteins and lipids, and cell death, and appears to be a risk factor for more rapid cognitive decline, thereby involved in multiple aspects of the pathophysiology of AD. Ferroptosis is a newly identified iron-dependent lipid peroxidation-driven cell death and emerging evidences have demonstrated the involvement of ferroptosis in the pathological process of AD. Notably, some novel compounds targeting ferroptosis can relieve AD-related pathological symptoms in AD cells and animal model and exhibit potential clinical benefits in AD patients. This review systematically summarizes the growing molecular and clinical evidence implicating ferroptosis in the pathogenesis of AD, and then reviews the application of ferroptosis inhibitors in mouse/cell models to provide valuable information for future treatment and prevention of AD.

Research progress of targeted pulmonary vascular endothelial dysfunction in treatment of pulmonary hypertension / 中国药理学通报

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive and fatal disease. The dysfunction of pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs) is one of its important pathogenic factors. PAECs are monolayer flat epithelial cells, which play an important role in maintaining pulmonary vascular homeostasis. Studies have found that PAECs show damage and apoptosis at the early stage of PH development, while PAECs show anti-apoptotic characteristics at the late stage of PH development. The transition of PAECs into mesenchymal cells induced by hypoxic and inflammatory factors is also involved in the pathogenesis of PH. Carcinoid metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction, bone mor- phogenic type 2 receptor mutation, epigenetic changes and inflammation of PAECs are the main pathogenesis of pulmonary vascular endothelial dysfunction in PH patients. New therapeutic measures targeting PAECs dysfunction are expected to play an important role in the treatment of PH in the future.

Functional near infrared imaging of college students on speech fluency tasks in traumatized / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#The study aims to explore the neural mechanism of cognitive differences in college students with posttraumatic stress disorder under verbal fluency task based on functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), so as to provide neuroimaging support for the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD).@*Methods@#Posttaumatic Stress Disorder Checklist Combat(PCL-C) was used to screen the subjects, including 21 students in PTSD group (PCL-C≥38) and 30 students in control group from September to Novenber in 2020. A 53 channel near infrared spectroscopy device was used to collect cerebral blood oxygen signals under the verbal fluency task, and correlation analysis, Mann Whitney U test and independent sample t test were performed on the results.@*Results@#The difference in the total average score of PCL-C Scale between PTSD group and the control group(46.38±6.96，25.57±6.09) was statistically significant ( t=11.33, P <0.05). Correlation analysis showed that Avg-HbO in left dorsolateral prefrontal lobe was negatively correlated with PCL-C Score ( r=-0.37, P <0.05). Mann Whitney U test showed that in the left dorsolateral prefrontal lobe (Ch6), the Avg-HbO change in PTSD group [0.19(-0.09, 0.86)mmol/(L〖KG*7〗·mm)] was significantly lower than the control group [0.79( 0.37 , 1.47)mmol/(L ·mm)] ( Z=2.16, P <0.05), which was statistically significant.@*Conclusions@#The degree of PTSD was negatively correlated with the index of oxygenated hemoglobin in the left dorsolateral prefrontal lobe, and the oxygenated hemoglobin content in the PTSD group was lower than that in the normal group. In the future, fNIRS may be used to collect blood oxygen signals from the left dorsolateral prefrontal lobe in cognitive tasks to provide imaging evidence for the identification of PTSD.

Short-term efficacy of surgical treatment for multiple pulmonary nodules: A retrospective study in a single center / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective To summarize and analyze the clinical diagnosis, surgical treatment and prognosis of multiple pulmonary nodules (MPNs). Methods The clinical data of lung cancer patients who received surgical treatment in our hospital from 2018 to 2020 were collected. The short-term efficacy of surgical treatment for MPNs was analyzed. Results A total of 97 patients were enrolled, including 30 males and 67 females with an average age of 56.1±10.0 years at onset ill. There were 62 patients with double lesions, 22 patients with three lesions, 4 patients with four lesions, and 9 patients with more than four lesions. A total of 213 lesions were surgically treated, including 88 pure ground-glass nodules, 81 partially solid nodules, and 7 solid nodules. There were 87 simultaneous surgeries and 10 staged surgeries, with an average operation interval of 5.2 months. The pathological combination type included adenocarcinoma-adenocarcinoma in 96 (99.0%) patients, squamous cell carcinoma-squamous cell carcinoma in 1 (1.0%) patient, and no lymph node metastasis was found. The 2-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 92.1%, and the overall survival (OS) rate was 100.0%. Univariate analysis showed that high-risk lesion size>2 cm (P=0.316), residual lesions (P=0.782) and pathological combination type (P=0.913) had statistical effect on the 2-year DFS rate. Conclusion MPNs are mainly diagnosed with multiple primary lung cancers, and the pathological combination is mostly adenocarcinoma-adenocarcinoma combination. Imaging examination is of great help to the surgical approach selection, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of MPNs. During the operation, maximal preservation of lung function and complete resection of high-risk nodules should be taken as the principle, and the prognosis is satisfactory.

Progress in diagnosis and treatment of biliary anastomotic stricture after liver transplantation / 器官移植

In recent years, with the development of organ preservation, surgical techniques, perioperative management and immunosuppression regimens, the success rate of liver transplantation and survival rate of the recipients have been significantly enhanced. Liver transplantation has become the optimal treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease. However, biliary complications still commonly occur after liver transplantation, especially biliary anastomotic stricture. Severe biliary anastomotic stricture will not only increase the cost of treatment, but also lead to graft loss and even affect the survival rate of recipients. Therefore, timely diagnosis and treatment of biliary anastomotic stricture play a significant role in improving the survival rate of liver transplant recipients. In this article, the risk factors, clinical symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of biliary anastomotic stricture after liver transplantation were reviewed, aiming to provide novel ideas for the research, diagnosis and treatment of biliary anastomotic stricture after liver transplantation, and further enhance clinical efficacy of liver transplantation and the quality of life of recipients.

Research progress on chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Ajania plants / 中国中药杂志

Ajania belonging to the subtribe Artemisiinae of Anthemideae(Asteraceae) is a genus of semi-shrubs closely related to Chrysanthemum. There are 24 species of Ajania in northwestern China, most of which are folk herbal medicines with strong stress tolerance. Modern medical studies have demonstrated that the chemical constituents of Ajania mainly include terpenoids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, alkynes, and essential oils. These compounds endow the plants with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antimalarial, antioxidant, and insecticide effects. In this study, we reviewed the research progress in the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Ajania, aiming to provide reference for the further research and development of Ajania.

Discussion of the process of conducting an investigator-initiated research / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#The number of investigator initiated research (IIR) is increasing. But the recognition and management of IIR in China is still in its infancy, and there is a lack of specific and operable guidance for the implementation process. Based on our practical experiences, previous literature reports, and current policy regulations, the authors took prospective IIR as an example to summarize the implementation process of IIR into 14 steps, which are as the following: study initiation, ethical review, study registration, study filing, case report form design, database establishment, standard operating procedure making, investigator training, informed consent, data collection, data entry, data verification, data locking and data archiving.

The deubiquitinating enzyme 13 retards non-alcoholic steatohepatitis via blocking inactive rhomboid protein 2-dependent pathway

Nowadays potential preclinical drugs for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) have failed to achieve expected therapeutic efficacy because the pathogenic mechanisms are underestimated. Inactive rhomboid protein 2 (IRHOM2), a promising target for treatment of inflammation-related diseases, contributes to deregulated hepatocyte metabolism-associated nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) progression. However, the molecular mechanism underlying Irhom2 regulation is still not completely understood. In this work, we identify the ubiquitin-specific protease 13 (USP13) as a critical and novel endogenous blocker of IRHOM2, and we also indicate that USP13 is an IRHOM2-interacting protein that catalyzes deubiquitination of Irhom2 in hepatocytes. Hepatocyte-specific loss of the Usp13 disrupts liver metabolic homeostasis, followed by glycometabolic disorder, lipid deposition, increased inflammation, and markedly promotes NASH development. Conversely, transgenic mice with Usp13 overexpression, lentivirus (LV)- or adeno-associated virus (AAV)-driven Usp13 gene therapeutics mitigates NASH in 3 models of rodent. Mechanistically, in response to metabolic stresses, USP13 directly interacts with IRHOM2 and removes its K63-linked ubiquitination induced by ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2N (UBC13), a ubiquitin E2 conjugating enzyme, and thus prevents its activation of downstream cascade pathway. USP13 is a potential treatment target for NASH therapy by targeting the Irhom2 signaling pathway.

Exosomes derived from Nr-CWS pretreated MSCs facilitate diabetic wound healing by promoting angiogenesis via the circIARS1/miR-4782-5p/VEGFA axis / 中国天然药物

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes (Exos) were reported to a prospective candidate in accelerating diabetic wound healing due to their pro-angiogenic effect. MSCs pretreated with chemistry or biology factors were reported to advance the biological activities of MSC-derived exosomes. Hence, this study was designed to explore whether exosomes derived from human umbilical cord MSCs (hucMSCs) preconditioned with Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton (Nr-CWS) exhibited superior proangiogenic effect on diabetic wound repair and its underlying molecular mechanisms. The results showed that Nr-CWS-Exos facilitated the proliferation, migration and tube formation of endothelial cells in vitro. In vivo, Nr-CWS-Exos exerted great effect on advancing wound healing by facilitating the angiogenesis of wound tissues compared with Exos. Furthermore, the expression of circIARS1 increased after HUVECs were treated with Nr-CWS-Exos. CircIARS1 promoted the pro-angiogenic effects of Nr-CWS-Exos on endothelial cellsvia the miR-4782-5p/VEGFA axis. Taken together, those data reveal that exosomes derived from Nr-CWS-pretreated MSCs might serve as an underlying strategy for diabetic wound treatment through advancing the biological function of endothelial cells via the circIARS1/miR-4782-5p/VEGFA axis.

Recent research on the association between depressive disorder and gene polymorphisms in adolescents / 中国当代儿科杂志

Biogenetics plays an important role in the pathogenesis of depressive disorder in adolescents. Various genetic polymorphism studies have updated the understanding of adolescent depressive disorder. However, due to the influence of gene-environment interaction and age of puberty, the influence of gene polymorphisms on adolescent depressive disorder is complicated to clarify. Investigating and clarifying the relationship between gene polymorphisms and adolescent depressive disorder will promote the research on the pathogenesis of this disorder and provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of this disorder. This article reviews the genetic polymorphisms related to adolescent depressive disorder.

Clinical experience of REcanalisation and balloon-oriented puncture for Re-insertion of long- term dialysis catheter in nonpatent central veins / 中华肝脏病杂志

It is difficult to insert long-term dialysis catheters after severe stenosis or occlusion of the internal jugular vein and innominate vein. We used REcanalisation and balloon-oriented puncture for Re-insertion of dialysis catheter in nonpatent central veins (REBORN) in seven patients with severe central venous lesions, and all patients were inserted with long-term dialysis catheters successfully. None had severe complications such as pneumothorax, hemothorax, or pulmonary embolism during operation. All catheters functioned well after postoperative follow-up of 2 months. REBORN provides a novel approach to establish difficult dialysis pathways.

Updates and advances in the concept of gallbladder cancer treatment / 中华外科杂志

The gallbladder is the most common site of tumor occurrence among biliary tract cancer. Gallbladder cancer accounts for approximately 0.6% of new cancers and 0.9% of cancer-related deaths. The risk factors identified for the development of gallbladder cancer include being female,>65 years of age, asymptomatic gallstone disease,and obesity. Surgical resection is the only curative treatment for early-stage gallbladder cancer, and some intermediate or advanced gallbladder cancers can be radically cured by extended resection. However, the extent of liver resection or lymph node dissection and whether to combine it with bile duct removal, revascularisation,and multiple organ resection remain somewhat controversial. After neoadjuvant treatment, up to a third of patients with locally advanced gallbladder cancer benefit from secondary surgical treatment. Only a small proportion of patients with gallbladder cancer at high risk for recurrence will benefit from postoperative adjuvant therapy. With the advent of different target-targeted drugs and the use of genetic tests in biliary tract cancer, targeted therapy and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors may become the new standard of care for gallbladder cancer and need to be further explored.

Association between muscle mass and quality of life in Shaanxi adults / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To investigate the association between muscle mass and quality of life in adults in Shaanxi adults. Methods: The data in this analysis were part of the baseline survey of the Regional Ethnic Cohort Study in Northwest China from June 2018 to May 2019 in Shaanxi Province. The participants' quality of life, including physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS), was assessed by the 12-Item Short Form Survey, and the Body Fat Determination System measured muscle mass. A logistic regression model with adjustment for confounding factors was established to analyze the association between muscle mass and quality of life in different genders. Further, sensitivity and subgroup analyses were conducted to explore its stability. Finally, a restricted cubic spline was employed to investigate the dose-response relationship between muscle mass and quality of life in different genders. Results: A total of 20 595 participants were included, with an average age of 55.0, and 33.4% were male. After controlling for potential confounders, compared with the Q1 group, the risk of low PCS was reduced by 20.6% (OR=0.794, 95%CI: 0.681-0.925) and the risk of low MCS was lower reduced by 20.1% (OR=0.799, 95%CI: 0.689-0.926) in female Q5 groups. Compared with the Q1 group, the risk of low PCS was reduced by 24.4% (OR=0.756, 95%CI: 0.644-0.888) in the male Q2 group. However, no significant association between muscle mass and MCS in males has been found. In females, restricted cubic spline analysis showed a significant linear dose-response relationship between muscle mass and PCS and MCS. Conclusions: There is a positive association between muscle mass and quality of life in Shaanxi adults, especially females. With the increase in muscle mass, the physical and mental functions of the population continue to improve.

Application of brain functional connectivity and nonlinear dynamic analysis in brain function assessment for infants with controlled infantile spasm / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the role of brain functional connectivity and nonlinear dynamic analysis in brain function assessment for infants with controlled infantile spasm (IS).@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on 14 children with controlled IS (IS group) who were admitted to the Department of Neurology, Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, from January 2019 to January 2023. Twelve healthy children, matched for sex and age, were enrolled as the control group. Electroencephalogram (EEG) data were analyzed for both groups to compare the features of brain network, and nonlinear dynamic indicators were calculated, including approximate entropy, sample entropy, permutation entropy, and permutation Lempel-Ziv complexity.@*RESULTS@#Brain functional connectivity showed that compared with the control group, the IS group had an increase in the strength of functional connectivity, and there was a significant difference between the two groups in the connection strength between the Fp2 and F8 channels (P<0.05). The network stability analysis showed that the IS group had a significantly higher network stability than the control group at different time windows (P<0.05). The nonlinear dynamic analysis showed that compared with the control group, the IS group had a significantly lower sample entropy of Fz electrode (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Abnormalities in brain network and sample entropy may be observed in some children with controlled IS, and it is suggested that quantitative EEG analysis parameters can serve as neurological biomarkers for evaluating brain function in children with IS.

Effect of proximal fibula osteotomy on tension of lateral knee soft tissue in patients with knee osteoarthritis / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the short-term efficacy of proximal fibula osteotomy in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, and to analyze the effect of osteotomy on the tension of the lateral knee soft tissue of patients and verify the reliability of the Arch string theory.@*METHODS@#A total of 71 patients with varus knee osteoarthritis from December 2019 to March 2022 were included, 3 patients dropped out, and 68 patients completed all trials, collected 27 males and 41 females, aged from 51 to 79 years old, with an average of (68.0±7.0 ) years old. The follow-up time ranged from 4 to 12 weeks, with an average of (3.76±1.94) weeks. After admission, the patient underwent Proximal fibula osteotomy, and the tension of lateral knee soft tissue, visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain, the western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and other indicators were recorded before surgery and 1 month after surgery in the weight-bearing state.@*RESULTS@#According to the VAS, the curative effect of a single index was evaluated by referring to the score before and after treatment by Bao Zongzhao. Thirty seven cases were markedly effective, 27 cases were effective, and 4 cases were ineffective. After surgery, 3 patients presented with weakness of dorsalis pedis extension and 1 presented with paresthesia of dorsalis pedis, which disappeared after symptomatic treatment . The VAS and WOMAC score at 1 month after operation were lower than those before operation, and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.001). The tension of lateral knee soft tissue 1 month after operation was lower than that before operation, and the difference had statistical significance(P<0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#Proximal fibula osteotomy is safe and effective in the treatment of varus knee osteoarthritis in the short term. One month after osteotomy, the tension of lateral knee soft tissue increases under weight-bearing state, but the long-term changes still need further observation and follow-up.

Research progress of pubic symphysis diastasis / 中国修复重建外科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To review the research progress of pubic symphysis diastasis and provide effective reference for orthopedic surgeons in the diagnosis and treatment of pubic symphysis diastasis.@*METHODS@#The anatomy, injury mechanism, treatment, and other aspects of pubic symphysis diastasis were summarized and analyzed by reviewing the relevant research literature at domestically and internationally in recent years.@*RESULTS@#The incidence of pubic symphysis diastasis is high in pelvic fractures, which is caused by the injury of the ligaments and fibrocartilage disc around the pubic symphysis by external force. The treatment plan should be individualized according to the pelvic stability and the needs of patients, aiming to restore the stability and integrity of the pelvis and improve the quality of life of patients after surgery.@*CONCLUSION@#At present, the research on pubic symphysis diastasis still needs to be improved. In the future, high-quality, multi-center, and large-sample studies are of great significance for the selection of treatment methods and the evaluation of effectiveness for patients with pubic symphysis diastasis.

Analysis of the clinicopathological characteristics of thymoma patients and the influencing factors for prognosis / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective     To analyze the clinicopathological characteristics of thymoma patients and the influencing factors for prognosis. Methods     Thymoma patients who received treatment in Sichuan Cancer Hospital from March 2015 to March 2021 were collected. Clinical data of the patients were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. Results     A total of 177 patients were included. There were 89 males and 88 females aged 17-88 (52.3±13.0) years, including 160 surgical patients and 17 non-surgical patients. There were 160 patients survived, 17 died of thymoma, and 5 had recurrence and metastasis. Overall, the 1-year, 3-year and 5-year progression-free survival rates were 94.4%, 88.7%, 88.1%, respectively; the 1-year, 3-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 94.9%, 91.5%, 91.0%, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that World Health Organization classification, clinical symptoms, Masaoka-Koga staging, treatment methods and surgery were statistically associated with progression-free survival; clinical symptoms, age, treatment methods and surgery were statistically associated with overall survival (P<0.05). Patients with younger age (P=0.018), without clinical symptoms (P=0.039), and with surgical treatment (P=0.004) had higher overall survival rates; those patients undergoing surgery had a higher progression-free survival rate (P=0.002). Conclusion     Age, clinical symptoms and surgical treatment are independent factors influencing the prognosis of patients with thymoma.