American journal of translational research最新文献

Stem cells possess unique self-renewal and differentiation capacities, that are central to cell replacement and tissue regeneration. The therapeutic potential of stem cell applications has garnered increasing attention in recent years for a spectrum of human diseases, from ischemic disorders to oncological challenges. Despite their potential, a comprehensive understanding of the biological behavior, efficacy, and safety of these cells remains elusive, hindering their clinical adoption. This review focuses on the use of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging as a cutting-edge tool for bridging this knowledge gap. PET imaging, a noninvasive diagnostic method, has been highlighted for its ability to monitor cellular dynamics after stem cell transplantation. A variety of molecular probes within the PET framework enable the longitudinal and quantitative evaluation of post-transplant cellular behavior. This discourse systematically delineates various PET probes specifically designed for the in vivo tracking of the stem cell life cycle. These probes offer a pathway to a deeper understanding and more precise evaluation of stem cell behavior post-transplantation. Implementing PET imaging probes can revolutionize the clinical understanding of stem cell behavior, advancing and widening clinical therapeutic applications.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of Internet-based multidisciplinary continuity care on the quality of life of home-based patients with PICC catheters for malignant tumors.

Method: This study is a retrospective research analysis. A total of 131 patients with malignant tumors who received PICC catheterization at Xijing Hospital from Jan. 2023 to Dec. 2023 were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into two groups: 61 in the control group who received conventional nursing care, and 70 in the observation group who received multidisciplinary continuous nursing care via an Internet platform in addition to conventional nursing. The Strategies Used by Patients to Promote Health (C-SUPPH), the Quality-of-Life Core Questionnaire (QLQ-C30), the Exercise of Self-care Agency Scale (ESCA), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) were adopted for investigation and analysis. Six months after intervention, the two groups' ego-efficacy, living quality, self-care ability and psychological status, as well as treatment compliance and satisfaction with care were compared.

Results: Post-intervention, both groups showed significant improvements in ego-efficacy and self-care ability scores (all P<0.05). The observation group scored higher in all dimensions of ego-efficacy and self-care ability compared to the control group (all P<0.05). Furthermore, the observation group demonstrated significant improvements across all dimensions of quality of life (P<0.05), whereas the control group only showed improvement in social function (P<0.05). The observation group also exhibited lower scores for anxiety and depression post-intervention compared to the control group (all P<0.05). Additionally, the observation group had a significantly lower incidence of complications and higher post-intervention treatment compliance and satisfaction with nursing (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Multidisciplinary continuing nursing care delivered via an Internet platform significantly enhances self-management efficiency, quality of life, and self-care ability of home-based patients with PICC catheters for malignant tumors. This care model also effectively improves patients' mental health and increases their compliance with treatment and satisfaction with nursing.

Background: Breast cancer (BRCA) is one of the most common cancers in women and is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. TNFSF12, originally a member of the TNF superfamily, is considered a key molecule that is associated with poor prognosis of many cancers. However, its role in progression of BRCA remains unclear.

Methods: In this study, the expression profile and clinical information of TNFSF12 across various cancers were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Differences in TNFSF12 expression levels between carcinoma and paraneoplastic cancers were compared, and its association with prognosis was examined. Functional enrichment analysis was conducted to explore the potential signaling pathways and biological functions linked with TNFSF12. Moreover, the correlation between TNFSF12 and immune cell infiltration, response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and response to chemotherapy were evaluated. TNFSF12 level in BRCA and normal serum was detected by ELISA.

Results: TNFSF12 was lowly expressed in BRCA and is significantly associated with PAM50. TNFSF12 low expression correlates with poor overall survival, particularly among HER2-positive patients. Patients with high level of TNFSF12 expression are usually accompanied with elevated levels of various immune cells, including CD8 T cells, cytotoxic cells, DCs, eosinophils, iDCs, mast cells, neutrophils, NK CD56bright cells, NK cells, pDC, T cells, Tem, and TFH Th17 cells, and exhibit sensitivity to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Functional enrichment analysis indicates significant activation of KRAS signaling, TNFA signaling via NFKB, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in the high TNFSF12 expression group, while MTORC1 signaling, MYC, G2M checkpoint, and E2F targets are inhibited. Furthermore, patients in the low expression group demonstrate higher sensitivity to paclitaxel and rapamycin, whereas those in the high expression group show increased sensitivity to erlotinib and foretinib. ELISA analysis also confirmed a significant decrease of TNFSF12 protein levels in BRCA patients.

Conclusion: This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the close correlation between TNFSF12 and prognosis, immune response, as well as the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic agents in BRCA patients.

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic utility of targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) in the diagnosis of lower respiratory tract infections.

Methods: Patients with lower respiratory tract infection in East Area of Yantai Yantaishan Hospital from December 2021 to September 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Sputum samples were tested using both tNGS technology and conventional microbiological examination. Data were collected on general clinical features and test outcomes. The study evaluated the efficacy of tNGS by comparing its positive detection rate against traditional methods and analyzing detection differences among patients with varying clinical characteristics. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the diagnostic accuracy of both testing methods.

Results: A total of 281 patients were included, with corresponding sputum specimens. The tNGS method showed a higher positivity rate of 90.0%, significantly outperforming the conventional method's rate of 70.82% (P<0.05). Among 199 patients with concordant positive results, 38.22% fully agreed, while 53.40% completely disagreed between the two methods. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Candida albicans, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most frequently detected pathogens, respectively. tNGS significantly reduced the time required for pathogen detection (P<0.001) and identified a higher rate of mixed infections compared to conventional methods (49.11% vs 2.85%, P<0.001). Positive tNGS detection rates significantly differed between patients with abnormal vs normal C-reactive protein or procalcitonin levels. The AUC for tNGS was 0.867, indicating superior diagnostic accuracy over the conventional method (P<0.05).

Conclusions: tNGS technology demonstrates a high positivity rate and rapid pathogen detection in lower respiratory tract infections, with notable advantages in identifying mixed infections. This method shows potential for enhancing diagnostic accuracy and treatment decisions in clinical settings.

Objective: To investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from 752 T2DM patients treated at Shaoyang Central Hospital between September 2020 and September 2023. Patients were divided into two groups: those with T2DM alone and those with T2DM and PAD. We compared demographic data, biochemical indices, and ankle-brachial index (ABI) values. Pearson correlation and multivariate logistic regression with a forward likelihood ratio method assessed the relationship and risk factors. The predictive value of serum 25(OH)D levels for PAD was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results: The T2DM+PAD group was older and had a longer duration of diabetes compared to the T2DM group. This group also had lower BMI, diastolic blood pressure, and ABI values, but higher levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and total cholesterol (TC) (all P<0.05). Serum 25(OH)D levels were significantly lower in the T2DM+PAD group (P<0.05). ABI negatively correlated with age, diabetes duration, LDL-C, and TC, and positively with BMI and 25(OH)D levels (all P<0.05). Older age, lower BMI, higher LDL-C, and lower 25(OH)D levels were independent risk factors for PAD (ORs: 1.060, 0.781, 1.083, and 0.959, respectively; all P<0.05). The risk of PAD was significantly higher in the 25(OH)D deficiency group (P<0.05). The AUC for serum 25(OH)D in predicting PAD occurrence was 0.629.

Conclusion: Lower serum 25(OH)D levels are associated with higher risk of PAD in patients with T2DM. Early identification and management of 25(OH)D deficiency may be crucial for preventing PAD in this population.

Objectives: To explore the correlation between obesity-related indices and hypertension, as well as their predictive ability for hypertension, to provide new insights for the prevention and treatment of the disease.

Methods: This retrospective study included participants aged over 18 years from Chongqing General Hospital, spanning January 2023 to January 2024. Based on the presence or absence of hypertension, 160 participants were divided into two groups: an observation group (with hypertension, n=83) and a control group (without hypertension, n=77). Demographic and obesity-related indices were collected to assess their correlation with hypertension.

Results: The mean waist circumference (WC) was significantly higher in the observation group 82.46 (78.87-84.35) compared to the control group 82.64 (78.00-84.87), albeit with a typographical error in reporting (P=0.012). The mean A Body Shape Index (ABSI) was significantly higher in the observation group 0.778 (0.078-0.081) compared to the control group 0.076 (0.083-0.087) (P=0.004). The mean body roundness index (BRI) was also significantly higher in the observation group 3.38 (3.07-3.84) than in the control group 3.40 (2.98-3.87) (P=0.02). Logistic regression revealed ABSI (OR=1.15, 95% CI 1.06-1.28, P=0.014), BRI (OR=1.14, 95% CI 1.03-1.23, P=0.048), and WC/BRI (OR=1.13, 95% CI 1.04-1.34, P=0.031) as statistically significant risk factors. The area under the curve values for ABSI, BRI, WC/BRI, and their combination were 0.572, 0.629, 0.652, and 0.731, respectively.

Conclusion: ABSI, BRI, and WC/BRI may serve as independent risk factors for hypertension. These indices, individually or combined, could aid in predicting the risk of hypertension.

Objective: To investigate the association between preoperative serum levels of albumin (ALB) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) with postoperative outcome in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

Methods: A thorough literature search was conducted across Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases, identifying 20 eligible studies encompassing 61,296 participants. Studies were primarily observational and case-control in nature, with some randomized controlled trials also included. The random effects model was utilized to synthesize the effect sizes, while study quality was appraised using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool.

Results: Findings revealed that CRC patients with preoperative ALB levels below 3.5 g/dl were at an elevated risk for postoperative complications (OR = 2.56, 95% CI: 2.12-3.08), increased mortality (OR = 4.54, 95% CI: 2.02-10.20), and a poorer prognostic survival risk (HR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.58-2.77). Additionally, elevated ALP levels were associated with a higher risk of poor overall survival (HR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.44-1.94). However, publication bias was noted in some studies.

Conclusion: Preoperative hypoalbuminemia and elevated ALP levels are significantly linked to adverse postoperative events and reduced survival in CRC patients, suggesting their potential as prognostic biomarkers.

Objective: To investigate the effects of ligustrazine on neuropathic pain (NPP) in rats with sciatic nerve injury and to provide new scientific insight for broadening the clinical application of ligustrazine.

Methods: Human spinal cord cell line STR cells were transfected with TLR4-mimic or mimic negative control (mimic-NC). After transfection, the STR cells were treated with different concentrations of ligustrazine (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 μm) for 24 h or 48 h. Cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay and colony formation assay. A rat model was further constructed to evaluate mechanical and cold pain sensitivity behaviors by fiber mechanical stimulation and freezing spray. The extracellular fluids of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and central amygdala (CeA) were collected by intracranial dual-site simultaneous microdialysis. The contents of glutamic acid (Glu), aspartate (Asp), glycine (Gly), and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in extracellular fluids were detected by HPLC.

Results: Compared to the 0 μm group, ligustrazine concentration at 0.5 μm significantly decreased the relative cell viability of STR cells and promoted the cell apoptosis rate. Ligustrazine at 0.25 μm significantly reduced the colony number of STR cells (all P<0.05). Compared to the control group, 1 μM ligustrazine significantly increased the protein expression of Bax and cleaved caspase 3 in STR cells but decreased the protein expression of Bcl-2 (all P<0.001). Compared to the control group, 2 μM ligustrazine treatments significantly reduced the protein levels of TLR4 and p-Akt in STR cells (all P<0.001). However, 2 μM ligustrazine treatments did not change the protein expression of Akt (P>0.05). Compared to the control group, the level of TLR4 in STR cells transfected with TLR4-mimic was significantly increased (P<0.001). Compared to the control group, transfection of TLR4-mimic reversed the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of ligustrazine on STR cells (all P<0.001).

Conclusion: The analgesic effect of Ligustrazine on neuropathic pain caused by spinal cord injury may be related to its inhibition of the release of excitatory amino acid transmitters Glu and Gly through the TLR4/NF-κB pathway, regulation of the dynamic balance of excitatory and inhibitory amino acid neurotransmitters, and alleviation of the central sensitization effect caused by the excitotoxicity of Glu.

Objective: To investigate the effects of dexmedetomidine on renal function, inflammatory markers, and cognitive outcome, and to identify factors influencing early postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in elderly patients undergoing hip replacement surgery.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 162 elderly patients who underwent hip replacement surgery at Cangzhou Central Hospital from March 2022 to May 2023. Patients were divided into a control group (without dexmedetomidine) and an experimental group (with dexmedetomidine). Measurements included creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score, and the incidence of POCD seven days postoperatively. Univariate and logistic regression analyses were employed to investigate the predictors of early POCD.

Results: Significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of renal function, inflammatory markers, and cognitive outcome (Cr, BUN, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6 and MoCA scores) (all P<0.05). The experimental group showed a significantly lower incidence of POCD at seven days post-surgery (P<0.05). Logistic regression identified having a neuron-specific enolase (NSE) level seven days post-surgery ≥7.0 pg/ml as a risk factor for early POCD (P=0.001, OR=3.987, 95% CI: 1.789-8.886), whereas intraoperative use of dexmedetomidine was a protective factor (P=0.041, OR=0.424, 95% CI: 0.187-0.964).

Conclusion: The use of dexmedetomidine in hip replacement surgery can mitigate postoperative renal injury and inflammatory response, enhance cognitive outcome, and significantly reduce the incidence and risk of early POCD in elderly patients.

Objective: To compare the effects of proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA) internal fixation and artificial hip replacement (AHR) on serum inflammatory factors and hip function recovery in elderly patients with intertrochanteric fractures (IFs).

Methods: One hundred and thirty patients with IFs who underwent surgery at the People's Hospital of Pingyang between July 2018 and July 2020 were enrolled. Sixty-five patients received PFNA internal fixation (fixation group) and 65 received AHR (replacement group). Surgical indicators and complications were recorded in both groups. The Harris Hip Scale was used to score hip joint function, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) to assess pain, the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) to evaluate life quality, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β.

Results: The replacement group experienced notably shorter hospitalization times, less complete weight-bearing time, and earlier time to walk compared to the fixation group (all P<0.05). The replacement group also showed a lower incidence of poor fracture healing and complications (both P<0.05). Additionally, on postoperative days 3, 15, and 45, the replacement group had notably lower VAS scores (all P<0.05). Furthermore, the replacement group exhibited higher Harris Hip Scale scores at 1, 2, and 3 months post-surgery (all P<0.05). Higher postoperative SF-36 scores were also observed in the replacement group (P<0.05). On postoperative day 30, both groups presented decreases in TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β levels compared to preoperative levels, with even lower levels in the replacement group (all P<0.05).

Conclusions: AHR can help elderly patients with IFs ambulate earlier, speed up hip function recovery, reduce inflammation, and improve life quality with fewer postoperative complications, making it worthy of clinical promotion.