Impact of Duration of Diagnostic Workup on Prognosis for Early Lung Cancer

IntroductionGrowth assessment for pulmonary nodules is an important diagnostic tool; however, the impact on prognosis due to time delay for follow-up diagnostic scans needs to be considered.MethodsUsing the data between 2003 and 2019 from the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program, a prospective cohort study, we determined the size-specific, 10-year Kaplan-Meier lung cancer (LC) survival rates as surrogates for cure rates. We estimated the change in LC diameter after delays of 90, 180, and 365 days using three representative LC volume doubling times (VDTs) of 60 (fast), 120 (moderate), and 240 (slow). We then estimated the decrease in the LC cure rate resulting from time between computed tomography scans to assess for growth during the diagnostic workup.ResultsUsing a regression model of the 10-year LC survival rates on LC diameter, the estimated LC cure rate of a 4.0 mm LC with fast (60-d) VDT is 96.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 95.2%–96.7%) initially, but it would decrease to 94.3% (95% CI: 93.2%–95.0%), 92.0% (95% CI: 90.5%–93.4%), and 83.6%(95% CI: 80.6%–86.6%) after delays of 90, 180, and 365 days, respectively. A 20.0-mm LC with the same VDTs has a lower LC cure rate of 79.9% (95% CI: 76.2%–83.5%) initially and decreases more rapidly to 71.5% (95% CI: 66.4%–76.7%), 59.8% (95% CI: 52.4%–67.1%), and 17.9% (95% CI: 3.0%–32.8%) after the same delays of 90, 180, and 365 days, respectively.ConclusionsTime between scans required to measure growth of lung nodules affects prognosis with the effect being greater for fast growing and larger cancers. Quantifying the extent of change in prognosis is required to understand efficiencies of different management protocols.     

血清白细胞介素-17与视神经脊髓炎谱系疾病的关系

目的研究视神经脊髓炎谱系疾病（NMOSD）血清中白细胞介素17（IL-17）在发病中的意义及其与疾病严重程度的相关性。方法酶联免疫吸附法检测36例NMOSD急性期病人（NMOSD组）与30名健康志愿者（HCs组）血清IL-17;对NMOSD组血清IL-17水平与扩展残疾状况评分（EDSS）、脊髓受累节段数、病灶是否增强及水通道蛋白4抗体（AQP4-Ab）滴度等临床指标的相关性进行分析。结果NMOSD组血清IL-17水平为（35.54±10.71）,较HCs组（HCs）（27.03±7.09）明显升高（P＜0.001）。NMOSD组血清IL-17水平与EDSS评分、脊髓受累节段数呈正相关（P＜0.01）,病灶有强化者血清IL-17水平较病灶无强化者明显升高（P＜0.01）,AQP4-Ab对血清IL-17水平无影响（P>0.05）。多元回归分析显示血清IL-17水平与EDSS评分、脊髓受累节段数存在正相关性（P＜0.01和P＜0.05）。结论IL-17可能参与了NMOSD的发病过程,与疾病严重程度相关,可以作为病情判断及疾病潜在进展的预测指标之一。     

ARL4C stabilized by AKT/mTOR pathway promotes the invasion of PTEN-deficient primary human glioblastoma

Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) deficiency in primary human glioblastoma (GBM) is associated with increased invasiveness and poor prognosis with unknown mechanisms. Therefore, how loss of PTEN promotes GBM progression remains to be elucidated. Herein, we identified that ADP-ribosylation factor like-4C (ARL4C) was highly expressed in PTEN-deficient human GBM cells and tissues. Mechanistically, loss of PTEN stabilized ARL4C protein due to AKT/mTOR pathway-mediated inhibition of ARL4C ubiquitination. Functionally, ARL4C enhanced the progression of GBM cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, microarray profiling and GST pull-down assay identified that ARL4C accelerated tumor progression via RAC1-mediated filopodium formation. Importantly, targeting PTEN potently inhibited GBM tumor progression in vitro and in vivo, whereas overexpression of ARL4C reversed the tumor progression impaired by PTEN overexpression. Clinically, analyses with patients' specimens validated a negative correlation between PTEN and ARL4C expression. Elevated ARL4C expression but PTEN deficiency in tumor was associated with poorer disease-free survival and overall survival of GBM patients. Taken together, ARL4C is critical for PTEN-deficient GBM progression and acts as a novel prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic candidate. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

老年性痴呆患者隐匿性肺炎风险预测模型的构建和验证

目的分析老年性痴呆患者隐匿性肺炎的危险因素并构建预测模型。方法回顾性分析2019年1月—2020年12月安徽医科大学第三附属医院收治的明确诊断为老年性痴呆合并肺部感染患者病历资料,从确诊患者中随机挑选部分患者作为建模组,并根据是否具备隐匿性分为隐匿性肺炎组、非隐匿性肺炎组,其余病例作为验证组。分别采用单因素和logistic回归多因素分析老年痴呆患者发生隐匿性肺炎的危险因素,应用R4.0.3软件构建nomogram图并对模型进行验证。结果共纳入216例患者。其中148例(隐匿性肺炎75例、非隐匿性肺炎73例)用于建模,68例(隐匿性肺炎37例、非隐匿性肺炎31例)用于验证。糖尿病(OR=2.565,95%CI:1.094～6.015)、重度痴呆(OR=3.079,95%CI:1.116～8.494)、痴呆病程≥10年(OR=5.782,95%CI:2.139～15.627)、年龄≥80岁(OR=2.737,95%CI:1.011～7.413)、长期卧床(OR=4.835,95%CI:1.716～13.625)为痴呆合并隐匿性肺炎的独立危险因素(均P0.05)。通过该5项危险因素构建预测模型并进行验证,验证结果显示:建模组曲线下面积(AUC)为0.841,验证组AUC为0.756,提示该模型诊断能力良好;Hosmer-Lemeshow检验显示模型拟合优度良好;decision曲线分析显示该模型有较高的获益性。结论年龄≥80岁、重度痴呆、痴呆病程≥10年、糖尿病、长期卧床是老年性痴呆患者发生隐匿性肺炎的独立危险因素,通过列线图模型个体化可预测老年性痴呆患者发生隐匿性肺炎的概率,从而尽早干预,改善预后。     

中老年人群代谢综合征与脑白质病变发生的相关性

目的:探讨中老年人群代谢综合征（Metabolic syndrome,MetS）与脑白质病变（white matter lesions,WML）发生的相关性。方法:临床纳入50岁以上MetS病人852例,经MRI影像检查诊断为WML。将病人按照WML部位分为脑室旁白质病变（PVWML）组和深部白质病变（DWML）组,并按照WML程度分为轻、中、重度。结果:MetS与非MetS病人相比,PVWML和DWML病变程度差异均有有统计学意义（P<0.01）。调整了年龄和性别后,logistic回归分析显示,MetS与PVWML和DWML的发生风险均有关,而MetS组分个数越多,PVWML和DWML的患病风险也越高（P<0.01）。结论:MetS可以增加WML的发生风险。     

不同能量密度非剥脱点阵激光早期防治兔耳增生性瘢痕的疗效观察

目的 初步探讨早期防治兔耳增生性瘢痕形成的最佳激光能量密度及其可能的治疗机制。方法 12只健康新西兰大耳白兔,在10只兔耳部进行增生性瘢痕造模,成功形成61处增生性瘢痕,随机分为2组（1周组30处和3周组31处）。这两组兔耳瘢痕又分别随机分为A组（密度100 PPA、能量10 mJ激光）、B组（100 PPA、50 mJ激光）、C组（169 PPA、10 mJ激光）、D组（169 PPA、50 mJ激光）、E组（不接受激光处理）。除去3周组E组外,余均为每组6处瘢痕。2只大耳白兔未行瘢痕造模,作为F组（空白对照组）。免疫组化观察干预后1周兔耳皮肤组织中MMP-13表达情况,干预后3周兔耳皮肤组织行HE、Masson染色,观察瘢痕结构,计算瘢痕增生指数。各组瘢痕增生指数的比较采用Kruskal-Wallis H检验,MMP-13平均吸光度的比较采用单因素方差分析。结果 HE染色显示,A、B、C、D各组真皮层厚度较F组（正常皮肤组织）增厚,胶原纤维数量增加,但较E组（未处理瘢痕组）真皮厚度明显变薄,胶原纤维数量减少,排列相对有秩。A、B、C、D组间真皮层厚度未见明显差异。6组间瘢痕增生指数差异有统计学意义（H = 22.757,P < 0.05）。两两多重比较显示,B、C、D组瘢痕增生指数（2.597 ± 0.344、2.850 ± 0.282、2.658 ± 0.134）均显著低于E组（3.460 ± 0.583,均P < 0.05）。Masson染色显示,A、B、C、D各组真皮层厚度较E组明显变薄,胶原纤维排列不规则,但A、B、C、D各组间真皮层厚度及胶原纤维数量未见明显差别。免疫组化显示,在相同激光密度条件下,高能量（50 mJ）组的MMP-13表达水平明显高于低能量（10 mJ）组（P < 0.05）;而相同激光能量条件下,A组MMP-13水平显著高于C组（P < 0.01）,但B组与D组间差异无统计学意义（P > 0.05）。结论 非剥脱点阵激光对于早期增生性瘢痕的干预有效。相同密度下,50 mJ能量激光干预效果优于10 mJ能量激光,推测高能量激光能更好刺激细胞外基质的重组以及上调MMP-13的表达,从而早期防治增生性瘢痕。     

Specific Needs of Medical Students for Organ Donation Courses: A Qualitative Study in China

BackgroundGlobal promotion of organ transplantation is contingent upon continuous improvement of the donation rate. Organ donation education is an important measure for changing public awareness and promoting organ donation. Therefore, it is important and urgent to conduct a systematic study of the organ donation courses offered in China and around the world. The aim of this study was to learn the views and needs of Chinese medical students and provide a reference for international peers.MethodsSemistructured, in-depth interviews and purposive sampling were used in this study. A total of 18 university students majoring in medicine and nursing were selected according to the principle of data saturation and interviewed. The data were sorted and analyzed with phenomenology.ResultsThese interviewees generally agreed that an organ donation course should be offered. They were in urgent need of knowledge regarding organ donation procedures and relevant policies and eager for a practical and experience-based teaching method design. The Chinese medical students surveyed also believed that the course should also be available to clinical practitioners, nonmedical students, and the public.ConclusionMedical students’ demand for an organ donation course should be considered. To fully stimulate their interest in learning and to provide support and a guarantee for continuous improvement of transplant operations promotion and donation rate worldwide, specific organ donation courses and flexible training should be created.     

生长激素在肝纤维化患者中的应用

生长激素不但能在生长过程中起重要作用,而且在碳水化合物,脂类代谢过程中起重要作用。慢性肝病的一个重要特征是生长激素抵抗现象,其表现为血清中生长激素的浓度较高而胰岛素样生长因子-1的水平降低。使用生长激素治疗慢性肝病,可提高患者血清中胰岛素样生长因子-1和胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白-3升高,改善患者的生长激素抵抗现象,改善肝功能,纠正低蛋白血症。该文就使用生长激素治疗慢性肝病和肝纤维化的研究现状做一简要综述。