Age-related T1 mapping, fat fraction, diffusion and perfusion parameters of the lumbar vertebrae in healthy children under 3.0 T MRI.

AIM: Compare the T1 mapping, fat fraction, diffusion and perfusion parameters of the lumbar vertebrae of different age groups to establish normal values for healthy children and observe the trends in these parameters with age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 146 healthy children (0-14 years) were included in this prospective study and underwent 3.0 T lumbar MRI examination. The study cohort was divided into five age groups (Group A âˆ¼ E) according to development milestones in children. T1 mapping, Dixon and IVIM (intravoxel incoherent motion)sequence images were used to measure the parameters of lumbar vertebrae 2-4. RESULTS: The normal values of each parameter were measured and compared across different age groups. The T1 value was negatively correlated with age (r=-0.619, p<0.001). The fat fraction (FF%) was positively correlated with age (r=0.635, p<0.001). There was a negative correlation between the D value and age (r=-0.406, p<0.001). The D∗ value was positively correlated with age (r=0.54, p<0.001). The f value was positively correlated with age (r=0.775, p<0.001). The inflexion points of the T1 value and FF% curves were at approximately 3 years old (36 months).The inflexion points of the IVIM-related parameter curves were approximately 5 years old (60 months). CONCLUSION: The age-dependent differences in the vertebral body parameters of this pediatric cohort suggest changes in the bone marrow composition and cellular structure of the vertebral body during physiological growth in children. The establishment of normal values of children's lumbar spine can facilitate the clinical study of diseases.

[Exogenous leptin improves cerebral ischemia-reperfusion-induced glutamate excitotoxic injury in mice by up-regulating GLT-1 and GLAST expression in astrocytes].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of exogenous leptin against focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in mice and explore the underlying mechanism. METHODS: A total of 100 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 5 groups, including a sham-operated group, cerebral I/R model group, and 3 leptin treatment groups with intraperitoneal injections of 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 leptin immediately after occlusion of the internal carotid artery. At 24 h after reperfusion, neurological function scores of the mice were assessed, and TTC staining was used to determine the area of cerebral infarction. The pathological changes in the cortical brain tissue of the mice were observed using HE staining, and degenerative damage of the cortical neurons were assessed with Fluoro-Jade C staining. The expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein in cortical brain tissues was detected using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. In another 45 C57BL/6 mice with sham operation, I/R modeling, or leptin (1 mg/kg) treatment, glutamic acid in the cortical brain tissue was detected using glutamate assay, and cortical glutamate-aspartate transporter (GLAST) and glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) protein expressions were detected using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Compared with the I/R model mice, the leptin-treated mice had significantly lower neurological deficit scores, smaller cerebral infarct area, milder pathologies in the cortical brain tissue, and lessened cortical neuronal damage with normal morphology and less excessive proliferation of the astrocytes. Leptin treatment significantly up-regulated the expressions of GLT-1 and GLAST and lowered the content of glutamic acid in the brain tissue of the I/R mice. CONCLUSION: Exogenous leptin has obvious neuroprotective effect against cerebral I/R injury in mice, mediated probably by controlling excessive astrocyte proliferation and up-regulating cortical GLT-1 and GLAST expressions to reduce glutamate-mediated excitotoxic injury of the astrocytes.

[Research progress in dual immune regulation of neutrophils in periodontal inflammation].

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition of the periodontal tissues triggered by bacterial biofilm, leading to manifestations such as gingival bleeding, tooth mobility, and eventual exfoliation. Neutrophils exhibit a dual role throughout the course of periodontitis, both in defense against pathogens and in potentially detrimental effects on periodontal tissues. This article elucidates the intricate mechanisms underlying the dual functions of neutrophils in periodontitis, including respiratory burst, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation, degranulation, and phagocytosis. By providing a comprehensive understanding of neutrophils involvement in periodontitis, this study aims to empower clinicians with insights into the pathogenesis of periodontitis, thereby fostering novel strategies for its prevention and treatment.

[Porphyromonas gingivalis persisters induce the immuno-inflammatory responses in macrophages by upregulating the forkhead box1 signaling pathway].

Objective: To investigate the effects of Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) persisters (Ps) on immuno-inflammatory responses in macrophages, and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Pg cells were cultured to the stationary phase (72 h), and subsequently treated by high concentration of metronidazole at 100 mg/L, amoxicillin at 100 mg/L and the combination of them for different time period, named as metronidazole group, amoxicillin group and (metronidazole+amoxicillin) group. Pg cells without treatment were used as Blank control. The survival profile of PgPs cells was measured by colony-forming unit assay. The living state of PgPs was observed by Live/Dead staining. Then, Pg and metronidazole-treated PgPs (M-PgPs) were used to treat macrophages, named as Pg group and M-PgPs group. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the bacteria in the macrophages. The expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines in macrophages were determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The location of forkhead box transcription factor 1 (FOXO1) was detected by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. After inhibiting or enhancing the FOXO1 expressions using inhibitors (Fi) or activators (Fa) respectively, the macrophages were treated with Pg and M-PgPs, divided as Blank group, Pg group, M-PgPs group, Fi group, (Fi+Pg) group, (Fi+M-PgPs) group, Fa group, (Fa+Pg) group and (Fa+M-PgPs) group. Then, the expression pattens of proinflammatory cytokines were assessed. Results: Remarkable number of lived PgPs was observed, both in planktonic culture and Pg biofilms either treated with metronidazole, amoxicillin or both, and those persisters could form new colonies. Pg and M-PgPs were able to enter into the macrophages and the protein expression levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) [Pg group: (2 392±188), (162±29), (5 558±661), (789±155) µg/L; M-PgPs group: (2 415±420), (155±3), (5 732±782), (821±176) µg/L] were significantly upregulated than those in Blank group [(485±140), (21±9), (2 332±87), (77±7) µg/L] (P<0.01). Moreover, Pg and M-PgPs could facilitate the nuclear translocation and accumulation of FOXO1. In addition, the relative mRNA expression levels of FOXO1, B-cell lymphoma 6 and Krüppel-like factor 2 were upregulated when compared to Blank group (P<0.05). Furthermore, the protein expression levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in Fi+Pg group [(1 081±168), (70±8), (1 976±544), (420±47) µg/L] were remarkably lower than Pg group [(4 411±137), (179±6), (5 161±929), (934±24) µg/L] (P<0.05). Similarly, the protein expression levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in Fi+M-PgPs group [(1 032±237), (74±10), (1 861±614), (405±32) µg/L] were remarkably lower than M-PgPs group [(4 342±314), (164±17), (4 438±1 374), (957±25) µg/L] (P<0.05). On the contrary, the protein expression levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in Fa+Pg group [(8 198±1 825), (431±28), (8 919±650), (2 186±301) µg/L] and Fa+M-PgPs group [(8 159±2 627), (475±26), (8 995±653), (2 255±387) µg/L] were significantly higher than Pg group and M-PgPs group, respectively (P<0.05). Conclusions: PgPs are highly tolerant to metronidazole and amoxicillin. The M-PgPs could enhance the immuno-inflammatory responses in macrophages by upregulating the FOXO1 signaling pathway, while this effect exhibits no significant difference with Pg.

[Primary observational study of tocilizumab in children with severe acute necrotizing encephalopathy].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab in the treatment of critically ill children with acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE). Methods: It is a retrospective cohort study. The children with ANE admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit of 4 Chinese tertiary hospitals from December 2022 to November 2023 were divided into conventional treatment group and tocilizumab group, and the comparison between groups was performed by using Mann - Whitney U test or Chi-square test. Results: Among 21 cases of severe ANE, there were 11 males with the onset age of 65 (27, 113) months. The duration from onset to PICU admission was 2 (1, 2) days. There were 13 cases of ultra-high fever (greater than 40 ℃), including 18 cases of convulsions, and 19 cases with a GCS score of less than 8 points. The causative agent was novel coronavirus Omicron in 7 cases and influenza A in 14 cases. All cases had central respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. Of the 21 cases, 18 were shock, 15 were coagulopathy, 10 were kidney injury and 13 were liver dysfunction. Of these hospitalized patients, 8 children with ANE were treated with tocilizumab. Eight cases received continuous blood purification (CBP) treatment, 5 of them were combined with plasmapheresis. Serum cytokine levels were elevated in 21 children with ANE, including (interleukin, IL)-6 and IL-8 (61 (22, 1 513) and 68 (5, 296) ng/L). There were 14 cases (67%) deaths, including 11 cases in the conventional treatment group and 3 cases in the tocilizumab group. There was no significant difference in the mortality rate between the two groups (P=0.056). Tocilizumab-related rash or other adverse events were not observed. Conclusions: The motality of critically ill ANE patients was high. The combination of Tocilizumab with conventional treatment did not reduce the motality of severe ANE patients, and no adverse reactions of tocilizumab were observed.

Knowledge of Patients' Activation Level Changes Expert US Physicians' Communication in GERD Management.

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common. Treatment is to manage symptoms, but medication nonadherence is common. To date, little emphasis has been on understanding patient behaviors and reasons for medication nonadherence. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional survey study among expert gastroenterologists specializing in esophageal disease. Survey studies consisted of a 6-item questionnaire measuring physician knowledge of patient activation, the Clinician Support for Patient Activation Measure (CS-PAM), and an adapted 20-item Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC). All question stems were specified to GERD management. RESULTS: Thirty-six experts participated. Most indicated hearing the term patient engagement before this survey (88.9%), but fewer were aware of the term patient activation (33.3%). Respondents were then made aware of the clinical significance of patient activation and asked, based on this knowledge, the likelihood that patients' activation level before the clinic would impact their communication. Responses varied between "to a great extent" and "not at all." Overall, CS-PAM activation scores were high, indicating a high level of support for patient activation. Lastly, respondents indicated their frequency of participating in partnership-building behaviors with patients. More than half (52.8%) of expert physicians "almost always" asked how GERD affected their lives, while less often asked patients about their health habits (22.2%), help set specific goals to improve their eating or exercise lifestyle (19.4%), or refer patients to a dietician, health educator, or counselor for their GERD (11.1%). CONCLUSION: Patient activation is an important strategy and may provide a behavioral approach to address medication adherence in GERD.

A first-in-human phase I study of a novel MDM2/p53 inhibitor alrizomadlin in advanced solid tumors.

BACKGROUND: The mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) oncogene exerts oncogenic activities in many cancers and represents a potential therapeutic target. This trial evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary efficacy of alrizomadlin (APG-115), a novel MDM2/p53 inhibitor, in patients with advanced solid tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with histologically confirmed advanced solid tumors who had progressed to standard treatment or lacked effective therapies were recruited. Alrizomadlin was administered once daily every other day for 21 days of a 28-day cycle until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. RESULTS: A total of 21 patients were enrolled and treated with alrizomadlin; 57.1% were male and the median age was 47 (25-60) years. The maximum tolerated dose of alrizomadlin was 150 mg and the recommended phase II dose was 100 mg. One patient in the 200-mg cohort experienced dose-limiting toxicity of thrombocytopenia and febrile neutropenia. The most common grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events were thrombocytopenia (33.3%), lymphocytopenia (33.3%), neutropenia (23.8%), and anemia (23.8%). Alrizomadlin demonstrated approximately linear pharmacokinetics (dose range 100-200 mg) and was associated with increased plasma macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1, indicative of p53 pathway activation. Of the 20 assessable patients, 2 [10%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2% to 31.7%] patients achieved partial response and 10 (50%, 95% CI 27.2% to 72.8%) showed stable disease. The median progression-free survival was 6.1 (95% CI 1.7-10.4) months, which was significantly longer in patients with wild-type versus mutant TP53 (7.9 versus 2.2 months, respectively; P < 0.001). Among patients with MDM2 amplification and wild-type TP53, the overall response rate was 25% (2/8) and the disease control rate was 100% (8/8). CONCLUSIONS: Alrizomadlin had an acceptable safety profile and demonstrated promising antitumor activity in MDM2-amplified and TP53 wild-type tumors. This study supports further exploration of alrizomadlin with recommended doses of 100 mg q.o.d. in 21 days on and 7 days off regimen.

Brain targeting efficacy of novel drug delivery system in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVE: Alzheimer's disease (AD), a common degenerative disease of the central nervous system in the elderly, has become the third largest health killer after cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and tumors. Based on the fact that Alzheimer's disease is a disease with multiple etiologies and complex pathology, a single target is bound to have a limited curative effect, and the synergy of multiple links and multiple targets is expected to achieve a better curative effect. The aim of this study is to investigate the brain targeting of a drug modified by chitosan, based on the new nanodrug delivery system for treating Alzheimer's disease developed by the research group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chitosan with good biocompatibility, biosorption, and degradation products that can protect and promote the regeneration of nerve cells was selected to combine with galantamine, a natural representative cholinesterase inhibitor, to develop a new nano drug delivery system for nasal delivery of anti-Alzheimer's disease with a multi-target synergistic effect. Synchronous analysis was conducted on the blood and brain tissue drug concentrations after intravenous and nasal administration of the original drug solution and system solution. The brain targeting index (DTI) is used to evaluate the brain targeting effect of the nano-drug delivery system after intranasal administration. RESULTS: The blood concentration of galantamine original drug solution and galantamine system solution after intravenous injection and nasal show that in the two administration methods of intravenous injection and nasal administration, under the same administration method, the time point of the system reaching the highest blood drug concentration is much higher than that of the original drug. The content of galantamine in plasma samples and tissue samples indicate that after intravenous administration and intranasal administration of the galantamine system, at the same time point, the drug concentration in brain tissue was far greater than that of the original drug of galantamine, and the duration was also longer. The concentration of drugs in brain tissue decreased gradually in the order of olfactory bulb, olfactory tract, brain, and cerebellum. In the brain tissues of the olfactory bulb, olfactory tract, cerebrum, and cerebellum, the drug concentration of the galantamine system after intravenous injection is lower than that after nasal administration. CONCLUSIONS: This study concludes that compared with the original drug solution, the nano drug delivery system has significant brain targeting for nasal administration, and intravenous injection also has brain targeting. In the olfactory bulb, olfactory tract, brain, and cerebellum, the brain targeting index at the olfactory bulb is the highest, and the targeting is the best.

[Sero-epidemiological study and infection rate evaluation of pertussis in Henan Province].

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological distribution characteristics, influencing factors, and infection rates of pertussis in the population of Henan Province. Methods: From 2022 to 2023, a cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate the permanent population in Henan Province. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect anti-pertussis toxin IgG (PT-IgG), analyze the antibody positivity rate (≥20 IU/ml) and median concentration (MC), and estimate the pertussis infection rate based on PT IgG ≥40 IU/ml. The rank sum test was used to compare antibody levels among groups, and the χ2 test was used to compare antibody positive rates and infection rates among groups. Results: A total of 4 810 research subjects were included in this study. The overall positive rate of PT-IgG was 12.10% and MC was 3.04 (0.35, 10.36) IU/ml. There were significant differences both in positive rates and antibody levels of PT-IgG among different regions or age groups (region positive rate: χ2=134.06, P<0.001, MC: H=337.74, P<0.001; age group positive rate: χ2=45.27, P<0.001, MC: H=134.49, P<0.001). Both the positive rate of PT-IgG (25.26%) and MC (8.01 IU/ml) were the highest within one year after completing a full course of vaccination. There were significant differences in positive rates and antibody levels among people receiving different types of pertussis vaccines (positive rate: χ2=12.38, P=0.006, MC: H=17.93, P<0.001). The antibody positivity rate (35.71%) and MC (8.88 IU/ml) of the people who received cell-free pertussis inactivated poliomyelitis influenza type b (combined) vaccine throughout the course were higher than those who received other types of vaccines. The natural infection rate of pertussis was evaluated for individuals aged≥3 years who had no history of pertussis vaccine immunization within the year prior to sampling. With a high vaccination rate, the estimated infection rate of pertussis in the population was 5 757.22/100 000. The infection rates in the 3-year-old (1 940.16/100 000) and 4-year-old (1 765.68/100 000) populations were at a low level among the entire population, reaching their peak at the age of 6 (12 656.71/100 000). Subsequently, although the infection rate continued to decline, it remained at a high level and peaked again at the age of 40-49 years (8 740.39/100 000). There was a statistically significant difference in the estimated infection rate of pertussis among different age groups (χ2=53.21, P<0.001). Conclusion: The PT-IgG level of pertussis in the population of Henan Province is generally at a low level. The estimated infection rate of pertussis is much higher than the reported incidence rate. A booster dose of pertussis vaccine is recommended at 6 years old.

[Circ_0000263 improves radiosensitivity of Hela cells by inhibiting the activity of telomerase protein through miR-338-3p/TERT].

Objective: To explore the effect and molecular mechanism of circ_0000263 on HeLa cell activity, apoptosis, telomerase activity, and radiosensitivity. Methods: The Hela cells were divided into si-NC, si-circ, vector, circ_0000263, anti-NC, anti-miR-338-3p, miR-NC, miR-338-3p, si-circ+anti-NC, si-circ+ anti-miR-338-3p, si-circ+vector, si-circ+TERT, sh-NC, sh-circ groups. Reverse transcription-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expressions of circ_0000263 and miR-338-3p. Cell clone formation array was used to detect cell survival; cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) to detect cell proliferation; flow cytometry to detect apoptosis; western blot method to detect the expressions of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Cleaved-casp3, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) proteins; double luciferase assay to detect the targeting relationships of circ_0000263 and miR-338-3p, miR-338-3p and TERT; telomere repeat amplification enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (TRAR-ELISA) to detect telomerase activity. Results: Circ_0000263 was highly expressed in Hela cells, miR-338-3p was low expressed, and TERT was highly expressed; circ_0000263 was also highly expressed in Hela cells treated with radiation (P＜0.05). Knockdown of circ_0000263 inhibited the clone formation and cell proliferation ability of HeLa cells, and enhanced the radiosensitivity and apoptosis of HeLa cells. In contrast, knockdown of circ_0000263 decreased PCNA protein expression level and enhanced Cleaved-casp3 protein expression level in HeLa cells (P＜0.05). The apoptosis rate in the si-circ group was (13.19±1.12)%, which was higher than (6.80±0.62)% of si-NC group (P＜0.05). The apoptosis rate in the si-circ+4 Gy group was (24.82±1.57)%, which was higher than (17.00±0.96)% of si-NC+4 Gy group (P＜0.05). Circ_0000263 targeted regulated miR-338-3p, and miR-338-3p targeted regulated TERT. MiR-338-3p was lowly expressed in HeLa cells, and knockdown of circ_0000263 elevated miR-338-3p expression level in HeLa cells. Circ_0000263 regulated TERT expression and inhibited telomerase activity through miR-338-3p. MiR-338-3p/TERT can restore the effect of circ_0000263 on the radiosensitivity of Hela cells. The apoptosis rate in the si-circ+anti-NC group was (27.37±0.89)%, which was higher than (18.22±1.18)% of the si-circ+anti-miR-338-3p group (P＜0.05). The apoptosis rate in the si-circ+vector group was (27.55±0.48)%, which was higher than (20.10±0.68)% of si-circ+TERT group (P＜0.05). After 72 hours of radiation by 4 Gy, the cell survival fraction of si-circ+anti-NC group was 0.41±0.02, which was lower than 0.66±0.03 of the si-circ+anti-miR-338-3p group (P＜0.05); the cell survival fraction of si-circ+vector group was 0.42±0.05, which was lower than 0.70±0.03 of si-circ+TERT group (P＜0.05). Conclusion: Inhibiting the expression of circ_0000263 supresses the proliferation of Hela cells by regulating miR-338-3p/TERT, promotes apoptosis, inhibits telomerase activity, increases the radiosensitivity of cancer cells, and provides a theoretical basis for improving the radiosensitivity of Hela cells.

[A real-world study of the clinical application of the Paris system for reporting urinary cytology in cancer hospital].

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical value of the Paris system for reporting urinary cytology (TPS) in the diagnosis of urothelial carcinoma (UC). Methods: A total of 1 744 cytological diagnostic records (from 751 cases) were collected retrospectively. All specimens were voided urines and histopathology as the gold standard. The sensitivity and specificity of urinary cytological diagnosis of UC and risk of high grade malignant (ROHM) in each diagnostic category were compared. Results: There were 360 cases with histopathology. The percentage of negative for high-grade urothelial carcinoma (NHGUC) was 30.1% (226/751), atypical urothelial cells (AUC) was 29.8% (224/751), suspicious for high-grade urothelial carcinoma (SHGUC) was 16.8% (126/751), high grade urothelial carcinoma (HGUC) was 21.2% (159/751), and non-urothelial malignancy (NUM) was 2.1% (16/751). The histpathologic ROHM corresponding to each cytological diagnosis category were 27.3% for NHGUC, 32.7% for AUC, 74.7% for SHGUC, 96.6% for HGUC and 100.0% for NUM, respectively. ROHM of SHGUC was significantly higher than that of AUC group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P＜0.001). ROHM of HGUC group was significantly higher than that of SHGUC group, and the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.001). With SHGUC as the cut-off value, the sensitivity and specificity of cytological diagnosis of HGUC were 76.7% (165/215) and 85.7% (18/21), and with HGUC as the cut-off value, the sensitivity and specificity of cytological diagnosis of HGUC were 53.0% (114/215) and 100.0% (21/21), respectively. Conclusions: Urine cytology has high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of HGUC. The malignant risk of TPS varies with different diagnosis category. The high malignant risk population in cancer hospital leads to the relatively high malignant proportion and ROHM in each diagnosis category. Urinary cytology TPS reporting system is helpful to clinical management and has good clinical application value.

[Effect of residual dental follicle after removal of impacted mandibular third molar on the periodontal health of adjacent second molar].

Objective: To investigate whether residual dental follicles in the alveolar socket after extraction of impacted mandibular third molars affect the periodontal health of adjacent mandibular second molars, in order to provide clinical reference for the management of residual dental follicles after third molar extraction. Methods: A total of 82 patients who underwent bilateral impacted mandibular third molar extraction at the Department of Oral Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology Wuhan University, from November 1, 2020, to November 30, 2022, were included in the study. Using a self-controlled method, each patient's bilateral mandibular third molars were randomly divided into two groups: Group A underwent third molar extraction with thorough removal of residual dental follicle tissue, while Group B underwent third molar extraction without any treatment of the remaining dental follicle tissue. Operation time and adverse reactions were recorded. Clinical and radiographic examinations were performed at 6-month follow-up to evaluate the periodontal parameters and alveolar bone height of the bilateral mandibular second molars, and differences between the two groups were compared. Results: All patients had successful bilateral mandibular third molar extractions, and no serious complications occurred intraoperatively or postoperatively. There were no statistically significant differences in surgical time, postoperative pain, or facial swelling between the two groups (P>0.05). At the 6-month follow-up, the probing depth on the distal aspect of the mandibular second molars in Group A [2.67 (2.00, 3.67) mm] was significantly less than that in Group B [4.00 (3.00, 5.00) mm] (Z=-6.55, P<0.001). The clinical attachment loss on the distal aspect of the mandibular second molars in Group A [1.00 (0.00, 3.00) mm] was less than that in Group B [3.00 (2.00, 5.00) mm] (Z=-5.99, P<0.001). The distance from the alveolar crest to the cementoenamel junction on the distal aspect of the mandibular second molars in Group A [(1.86±1.34) mm] was less than that in Group B [(3.04±1.89) mm] (t=6.87,P<0.001). In patients aged≥20 years, the probability of recovery of alveolar bone height to normal level on the distal aspect of the mandibular second molars in Group A [42.3% (11/26)] was significantly higher than that in Group B [0 (0/26)] (P<0.01), while there was no statistically significant difference between Group A [63.3% (19/30)] and Group B [46.7% (14/20)] in patients aged<20 years (P>0.05). Conclusions: Residual dental follicles in the alveolar socket after extraction of impacted mandibular third molars adversely affect the periodontal health of adjacent teeth. Thorough removal of residual dental follicles during impacted mandibular third molar extraction is beneficial for the postoperative recovery of alveolar bone height of the distal aspect of the mandibular second molars, especially in patients aged≥20 years.

[Establishment of a predictive nomogram for clinical pregnancy rate in patients with endometriosis undergoing fresh embryo transfer].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a nomogram model for predicting clinical pregnancy rate in patients with endometriosis undergoing fresh embryo transfer. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the data of 464 endometriosis patients undergoing fresh embryo transfer, who were randomly divided into a training dataset (60%) and a testing dataset (40%). Using univariate analysis, multiple logistic regression analysis, and LASSO regression analysis, we identified the factors associated with the fresh transplantation pregnancy rate in these patients and developed a nomogram model for predicting the clinical pregnancy rate following fresh embryo transfer. We employed an integrated learning approach that combined GBM, XGBOOST, and MLP algorithms for optimization of the model performance through parameter adjustments. RESULTS: The clinical pregnancy rate following fresh embryo transfer was significantly influenced by female age, Gn initiation dose, number of assisted reproduction cycles, and number of embryos transferred. The variables included in the LASSO model selection included female age, FSH levels, duration and initial dose of Gn usage, number of assisted reproduction cycles, retrieved oocytes, embryos transferred, endometrial thickness on HCG day, and progesterone level on HCG day. The nomogram demonstrated an accuracy of 0.642 (95% CI: 0.605-0.679) in the training dataset and 0.652 (95% CI: 0.600-0.704) in the validation dataset. The predictive ability of the model was further improved using ensemble learning methods and achieved predicative accuracies of 0.725 (95% CI: 0.680-0.770) in the training dataset and 0.718 (95% CI: 0.675-0.761) in the validation dataset. CONCLUSIONS: The established prediction model in this study can help in prediction of clinical pregnancy rates following fresh embryo transfer in patients with endometriosis.

Mepolizumab in CRSwNP/ECRS and NP: the phase III randomised MERIT trial in Japan, China, and Russia.

BACKGROUND: This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, 52-week Phase III study (MERIT; NCT04607005) assessed mepolizumab efficacy and safety in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP)/eosinophilic CRS (ECRS) in Japan, Russia, and China, for which data are limited. METHODOLOGY: Eligible patients (enrolled at 60 centres) had blood eosinophil count >2%, endoscopic bilateral NP score ≥5, nasal obstruction visual analogue scale (VAS) score >5, ≥2 sinonasal symptoms, and either previous sinus surgery or systemic corticosteroid use/intolerance. Patients were randomised (1:1) to receive mepolizumab 100 mg subcutaneously or placebo every 4 weeks, plus standard of care. Co-primary endpoints: change from baseline in total endoscopic NP score (ENPS) (Week 52) and nasal obstruction VAS score (Weeks 49-52). Post hoc analyses conducted in a modified intent-to-treat (mITT) population excluded patients from two study sites, related to Good Clinical Practice violations by the Site Management Organisation overseeing these sites. These were considered the primary efficacy analyses. RESULTS: In the mITT population, mepolizumab (n=80) versus placebo (n=83) significantly improved nasal obstruction VAS score from baseline to Week 49-52 and was associated with a trend of total ENPS improvements at Week 52. Mepolizumab/placebo on-treatment adverse events (AEs) occurred in 68/84 and 65/85 patients in the safety population (treatment-related AEs: 2/84 and 5/85, respectively), and on-treatment serious AEs in 0/84 and 4/85 patients, respectively (no fatalities reported). CONCLUSIONS: Mepolizumab was effective and well-tolerated in patients with CRSwNP/ECRS from Japan, Russia, and China.

Effect of admission time of arrival on quality of in-hospital care in acute ischemic stroke patients in China.

OBJECTIVES: The quality of care for patients may be partly determined by the time they are admitted to the hospital. This study was conducted to explore the effect of admission time and describe the pattern and magnitude of weekly variation in the quality of patient care. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective observational study. METHODS: Data were collected from the Medical Care Quality Management and Control System for Specific (Single) Diseases in China. A total of 238,122 patients treated for acute ischemic stroke between January 2015 and December 2017 were included. The primary outcomes were completion of the ten process indicators and in-hospital death. RESULTS: The quality of in-hospital care varied according to hospital arrival time. We identified several patterns of variation across the days of the week. In the first pattern, the quality of four indicators, such as stroke physicians within 15 min, was lowest for arrivals between 08:00 and 11:59, increased throughout the day, and peaked for arrivals between 20:00 and 23:59 or 00:00 and 03:59. In the second pattern, the quality of four indicators, such as the application of antiplatelet therapy within 48 h, was not significantly different between days and weeks. There was no difference in in-hospital mortality between the different admission times. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of admission time on the quality of in-hospital care of patients with acute ischemic stroke showed several diurnal patterns. Detecting the times when quality is relatively low may lead to quality improvements in health care. Quality improvement should also focus on reducing diurnal temporal variation.

[A study of the correlation between gray matter atrophy in multiple sclerosis and impairment of cognitive function domains].

Objective: To quantify cerebral cortical and deep gray matter atrophy in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and explore its correlation with impairment in domains of cognitive function. Methods: Twenty patients with MS and 16 healthy controls (HC) matched for age, sex, and education level were included. Using FreeSurfer software, based on 3D-MRI technology, the differences in cortical thickness and deep gray matter volume between the two groups were comparatively analyzed. A neuropsychological scale that included six domains of cognitive function was scored on both study groups to analyze the correlation between cortical thickness and volume of deep gray matter in MS patients with impairment in cognitive function domains. Results: Impairment in domains of cognitive function: cognitive impairment was present in 60% MS patients in this study, mainly manifesting as impairment of verbal memory, verbal fluency, visuospatial memory, and information processing speed function (all P<0.05). Of these, the majority had impaired visuospatial memory function (55.0%), and the least number of patients had impaired information processing speed (15.0%). Changes in cortical thickness: compared with the HC group, the MS group showed that cortical atrophy was mainly concentrated in the frontoparietal region, including significant thinning of cortical thickness in the left inferior parietal gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, and the right superior parietal gyrus (all P<0.05). Among them, atrophy of the left inferior parietal gyrus was significantly positively correlated with the impairment of verbal memory, verbal fluency, and information processing speed (all P<0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the right superior frontal gyrus atrophy and verbal memory, verbal fluency, and visuospatial memory impairment (all P<0.05). Changes in deep gray matter volume: compared with the HC group, deep gray matter volume in the MS group decreased significantly in the bilateral thalamus, bilateral putamen, bilateral pallidum (all P<0.01), and right nucleus accumbens (P<0.05). Among them, left thalamus atrophy was significantly positively correlated with visuospatial memory impairment (r=0.45, P=0.046), and left putamen atrophy was both significantly positively correlated with visuospatial memory (r=0.45, P=0.047) and information processing speed impairment (r=0.50, P=0.026). Conclusions: Early structural brain changes in MS are dominated by gray matter atrophy. Deep gray matter is more prominent than cortical atrophy.

[Preparation and preliminary application of the polyclonal antibody against Toxoplasma gondii dense granule protein 24].

OBJECTIVE: To prepare and characterize the mouse polyclonal antibody against the dense granule protein 24 (GRA24) of Toxoplasma gondii, and explore its preliminary applications. METHODS: The GRA24 coding sequences of different T. gondii strains were aligned using the MEGA-X software, and the dominant peptide of the GRA24 protein was analyzed with the Protean software. The base sequence encoding this peptide was amplified using PCR assay and ligated into the pET-28a vector, and the generated GRA24 truncated protein was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21. After induction by isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG), the expression and purification of the recombinant GRA24 protein was analyzed using sodium dodecyl sulfate - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). BALB/c mice were immunized by subcutaneous injection with the purified recombinant GRA24 truncated protein to generate the polyclonal antibody, and the titer of the polyclonal antibody was measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The specificity of the polyclonal antibody was tested using Western blotting, and the intracellular localization of the polyclonal antibody was investigated using immunofluorescence assay (IFA). RESULTS: SDS-PAGE showed successful construction of the recombinant expression plasmid, and Coomassie brilliant blue staining showed the generation of the high-purity recombinant GRA24 truncated protein. ELISA measured that the titer of the polyclonal antibody against the GRA24 truncated protein was higher than 1:208 400, and Western blotting showed that the polyclonal antibody was effective to recognize the endogenous GRA24 proteins of different T. gondii strains and specifically recognize the recombinant GRA24 truncated protein. Indirect IFA showed that the GRA24 protein secreted 16 hour following T. gondii invasion in host cells. CONCLUSIONS: The polyclonal antibody against the T. gondii GRA24 protein has been successfully prepared, which has a widespread applicability, high titers and a high specificity. This polyclonal antibody is available for Western blotting and IFA, which provides the basis for investigating the function of the GRA24 protein.

[Auxiliary diagnostic value of T cells spot test of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection for pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis among the elderly].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the auxiliary diagnostic value of T cells spot test of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (T-SPOT.TB) for pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis among the elderly. METHODS: A total of 173 elderly patients at ages of 60 years and older and with suspected tuberculosis that were admitted to People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region during the period from October 2022 through February 2024 were enrolled, and all patients underwent T-SPOT.TB, acid fast staining and GeneXpert MTB/RIF tests. The etiological tests of MTB served as a gold standard, and the diagnostic values of T-SPOT.TB, acid fast staining and GeneXpert MTB/RIF tests for pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis were compared among the elderly patients. RESULTS: Of the 173 elderly patients suspected of tuberculosis, there were 44 patients definitely diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis, 30 cases with extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, and 99 cases without tuberculosis. The sensitivities of T-SPOT.TB, acid fast staining and GeneXpert MTB/RIF tests were 86.5%, 27.0% and 54.1% for diagnosis of tuberculosis. The sensitivities of T-SPOT.TB were 86.4% and 86.7% for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, with an 80.8% specificity for diagnosis of tuberculosis. The sensitivities of GeneXpert MTB/RIF were 56.8% and 50.0% for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, with a 100.0% specificity each, and the sensitivities of acid fast staining were 31.8% and 20.0% for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, with a 100.0% specificity each. In addition, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were 0.836, 0.635 and 0.770 for diagnosis of tuberculosis with T-SPOT.TB, acid fast staining and GeneXpert MTB/RIF tests among the elderly patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: T-SPOT.TB has a high auxiliary diagnostic value for both pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis among elderly patients.

[Therapeutic effectiveness of modified endoscopic retrograde appendicitis therapy for acute appendicitis of different severities in children].

Objective: To investigate the effects of modified endoscopic retrograde appendicitis therapy (mERAT) on the treatment of children with different severities of acute appendicitis. Methods: This study was a case-control study. A total of 586 children with acute appendicitis, who were admitted to the Pediatric Department of Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University between January 2019 and November 2023, were selected as the research subjects. According to the severity of the disease, the patients were divided into simple appendicitis group, suppurative appendicitis group and perforated appendicitis group. The baseline data, hospitalization treatment and costs, outcomes, and recurrence in each group were analyzed, and the difference in the effectiveness of mERAT between the groups were compared by Kruskal-Wallis H test and χ2 test. Results: Among 586 children, there were 338 males and 248 females. The age at onset was 7.0 (4.6, 9.4) years. There were 475 cases of simple appendicitis, 78 cases of suppurative appendicitis, and 33 cases of perforated appendicitis. There were no significant differences in age and gender among the three groups (F=0.59, χ2=3.31, both P>0.05). However, there were statistically significant differences in body temperature, white blood cell counts, neutrophil percentage, lymphocyte percentage, nausea or vomiting, right lower abdominal pain, umbilical pain, right lower abdominal tenderness, and right lower abdominal rebound pain (H=7.56, 161.52, 169.11, and 169.61, χ2=12.05, 13.82, 12.05, 7.74, 20.35, and 94.61, all P<0.05). Also, the treatment time, postoperative hospital stay, total hospital stay, and cost showed statistically significant differences (H=4.70, 33.66, 34.99, 30.37, all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the initial treatment success rate (98.1% (466/475) vs. 98.7% (77/78) vs. 90.9% (30/33), P=0.057). During the 30 (23, 36) months of follow-up, the recurrence rate was 7.9% (35/433) in the simple appendicitis group, 20.8% (15/72) in the suppurative appendicitis group, and 30.0% (9/30) in the perforated appendicitis group, with a statistically significant difference (χ2=23.56, P<0.001). Among the children with recurrent appendicitis, 15 cases still chose mERAT, of them 11 cases (31.2%) had simple appendicitis, 2 cases (2/15) had suppurative appendicitis, and 2 cases (2/9) had perforated appendicitis.The latest time to recurrence in the 3 groups was 32, 35 and 10 months, respectively. Conclusion: Treatment with mERAT has a good effect in pediatric simple appendicitis, but has a higher recurrence rate despite a better initial treatment success rate in suppurative appendicitis and perforated appendicitis.

[Clinical characteristics of acute macular neuroretinopathy in China associated with COVID-19 infection].

Objective: To investigate the clinical features of acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN) following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: This retrospective case series study included 15 patients (28 eyes) diagnosed with AMN at the Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, from November 2022 to January 2023. The AMN group comprised 4 males and 11 females, with a mean age of (31.36±8.08) years. A control group of 15 individuals [5 males, 10 females; mean age (33.20±5.10) years] who had COVID-19 but did not develop AMN was also included. Data collected for all patients included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), slit-lamp examination, dilated fundus examination, color fundus photography, fluorescein fundus angiography (FFA), and optical coherence tomography (OCT) results. Serum cytokine levels, including interleukins (ILs), interferons (IFNs), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), were measured for both groups. Results: Among the 28 eyes, severe vision loss (BCVA≤0.3) was observed in 3 eyes (10.7%), moderate vision loss (BCVA>0.3 and≤0.5) in 2 eyes (13.3%), and mild vision loss (BCVA>0.5 and≤1.0) in 23 eyes (82.1%). OCT findings in all 28 eyes revealed hyperreflectivity of the outer nuclear layer and disruption of outer retinal structure. Additionally, 3 eyes (10.7%) exhibited cotton wool spots in the posterior pole, 2 eyes (7.1%) showed mild cystoid macular edema with intraretinal hyperreflective dots, and 1 eye (3.6%) presented with paracentral acute middle maculopathy. FFA indicated retinal vasculitis in 2 cases (4 eyes, 14.3%). Serum levels of IL-4, IL-5, IFN-α, and IFN-γ were significantly higher in the AMN group compared to the control group: IL-4 [4.49 (3.66, 6.08) vs. 1.40 (0.62, 1.68) pg/ml], IL-5 [7.34 (5.04, 14.06) vs. 0.17 (0.11, 1.86) pg/ml], IFN-α [8.42 (6.31, 14.89) vs. 0.50 (0.30, 0.83) pg/ml], and IFN-γ [17.93 (12.75, 32.44) vs. 7.43 (0.00, 14.74) pg/ml], with all differences being statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusion: AMN following COVID-19 can present with wedge-shaped dark red lesions in the macular area, often accompanied by cotton wool spots and retinal vasculitis. Additionally, there is a significant elevation in various inflammatory cytokines in the serum.