Objective: To establish and validate a nomogram-based predictive model for idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with the collected clinical and biochemical data of patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) including 249 patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism (UPA) and 107 patients with IHA, who were treated at the Department of Endocrinology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from November 2013 to November 2022. Plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) and plasma renin concentration (PRC) were measured by chemiluminescence. Stepwise regression analysis was applied to select the key predictors of IHA, and a nomogram-based scoring model was developed. The model was validated in another external independent cohort of patients with PA including 62 patients with UPA and 43 patients with IHA, who were diagnosed at the Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. An independent-sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ2 test were used for statistical analysis. Results: In the training cohort, in comparison with the UPA group, the IHA group showed a higher serum potassium level [M(Q1, Q3), 3.4 (3.1, 3.8) mmol/L vs. 2.7 (2.1, 3.1) mmol/L] and higher PRC [4.0 (2.1, 8.2) mU/L vs. 1.5 (0.6, 3.4) mU/L] and a lower PAC post-saline infusion test (SIT) [305 (222, 416) pmol/L vs. 720 (443, 1 136) pmol/L] and a lower rate of unilateral adrenal nodules [33.6% (36/107) vs. 81.1% (202/249)]; the intergroup differences in these measurements were statistically significant (all P<0.001). Serum potassium level, PRC, PAC post-SIT, and the rate of unilateral adrenal nodules showed similar performance in the IHA group in the validation cohort. After stepwise regression analysis for all significant variables in the training cohort, a scoring model based on a nomogram was constructed, and the predictive parameters included the rate of unilateral adrenal nodules, serum potassium concentration, PAC post-SIT, and PRC in the standing position. When the total score was ≥14, the model showed a sensitivity of 0.65 and specificity of 0.90 in the training cohort and a sensitivity of 0.56 and specificity of 1.00 in the validation cohort. Conclusion: The nomogram was used to successfully develop a model for prediction of IHA that could facilitate selection of patients with IHA who required medication directly.
Objective: To exploring the clinical features of SF3B1-mutated myelodysplastic syndrome with excess blasts (MDS-EB) and analyzing the association between SF3B1 mutation, and efficacy and prognostic significance for patients with MDS-EB. Methods: This was a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 266 patients with MDS-EB diagnosed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between April 2016 and November 2021 were analyzed. The observed indicators included blood routine counts, mutated genes, overall response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and leukemia-free survival (LFS). The Kaplan-Meier method was used to depict the survival curves. The Log-rank test method was equally used to compare survival across groups and performed the Cox proportional hazard regression model for prognostic analysis. Results: In 266 patients with MDS-EB, 166 (62.4%) were men, and the median age was 57 (17-81) years. Moreover, there were included 26 and 240 patients in the SF3B1-mutated and SF3B1 wild-type groups. Patients in the SF3B1-mutated group were older [median age 65 (51, 69) years vs. 56 (46, 66) years, P=0.033], had higher white blood cell (WBC) counts [3.08 (2.35, 4.78) × 109/L vs. 2.13 (1.40, 3.77) × 109/L], platelet (PLT) counts [122.5 (50.5, 215.0) ×109/L vs. 49.0 (24.3, 100.8) × 109/L], absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) [1.83 (1.01, 2.88) × 109/L vs. 0.80 (0.41, 1.99) × 109/L]and occurrence of DNMT3A mutation [23.1% (6/26) vs. 6.7% (16/240)] (all P<0.05). The ORR were similar in both groups after 2 and 4 cycles of therapy (P=0.348, P=1.000). Moreover, the LFS (P=0.218), PFS (P=0.179) and OS (P=0.188) were similar across the groups. Univariate Cox analysis revealed that SF3B1 mutation did not affect the prognosis of patients with MDS-EB (OS: P=0.193; PFS: P=0.184). Conclusions: Patients with SF3B1 mutation were older, with greater WBC, PLT, and ANC, and SF3B1 mutation easily co-occurred with DNMT3A mutation. From this model, there were no significant differences in efficacy and survival of MDS-EB with or without SF3B1 mutation.
Objective: To investigate the misdiagnosis of area postrema syndrome (APS) manifesting as intractable nausea, vomiting and hiccups in neuromyelitis optic spectrum disease (NMOSD) and reduce the risk of misdiagnosis. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from NMOSD patients attending the Department of Neurology at the First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital between January 2019 and July 2021. SPSS25.0 was then used to analyze the manifestations, misdiagnosis, and mistreatment of APS. Results: A total of 207 patients with NMOSD were included, including 21 males and 186 females. The mean age of onset was 39±15 years (range: 5-72 years). The proportion of patients who were positive for serum aquaporin 4 antibody was 82.6% (171/207). In total, 35.7% (74/207) of the NMOSD patients experienced APS during the disease course; of these patients, 70.3% (52/74) had APS as the first symptom and 29.7% (22/74) had APS as a secondary symptom. The misdiagnosis rates for these conditions were 90.4% (47/52) and 50.0% (11/22), respectively. As the first symptom, 19.2% (10/52) of patients during APS presented only with intractable nausea, vomiting and hiccups; 80.8% (42/52) of patients experienced other neurological symptoms. The Departments of Gastroenterology and General Medicine were the departments that most frequently made the first diagnosis of APS, accounting for 54.1% and 17.6% of patients, respectively. The most common misdiagnoses related to diseases of the digestive system and the median duration of misdiagnosis was 37 days. Conclusions: APS is a common symptom of NMOSD and is associated with a high rate of misdiagnosis. Other concomitant symptoms often occur with APS. Gaining an increased awareness of this disease/syndrome, obtaining a detailed patient history, and performing physical examinations are essential if we are to reduce and avoid misdiagnosis.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are one of the global public health issues concerning health of human beings. Dyslipidemia is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular events, while elevation of plasma cholesterol levels is associated with the onset of over 50% coronary heart disease. The incidence risks of cardiovascular diseases are higher in HIV/AIDS patients than those in normal populations. In addition to conventional risk factors, viral duplication and suboptimal treatments increase risks of atherosclerotic coronary vascular disease (ASCVD) in HIV/AIDS patients. Thus, a deep knowledge of lipid metabolism and dysregulation profiles, an efficient control of conventional ASCVD risk factors, as well as strengthened measures to lipid management, are of significance to improve long-term prognosis and life quality for HIV/AIDS patients. However, up to date, there is no particular consensus on lipid management for HIV/ADIS populations under long-term antiretroviral therapies (ART). Hereby, based on current status quo of ART in China and frontier achievements of fundamental researches and clinical trials, we invited domestic experts in fields of infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases to compose this expert consensus on the integrated management of lipid in HIV/AIDS patients in China.
Colon ischemia is relatively common in the aging population, but standardized diagnosis and treatment recommendations for this disease are still lacking. A board of experts was convened by the Committee of Geriatric Gastroenterology, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, to discuss and elaborate on a guideline for colon ischemia management in the elderly in China based on its experts' experience during clinical practice and recent remarkable global progress regarding colon ischemia. The purpose of this guideline is to establish standardized management of colonic ischemia lesions in the elderly and improve their clinical outcomes.