1.Accuracy of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy–Detected Fumarate Peak for Diagnosing Fumarate Hydratase Deficiency in Uterine Leiomyomas: A Prospective Study
Guiqin LIU ; Wenxin YU ; Shihang PAN ; Yuansheng LUO ; Jingli CHEN ; Mengying ZHU ; Zaoyu WANG ; Yang SONG ; Jin ZHANG ; Jianrong XU ; Yan ZHOU ; Jun MA ; Guangyu WU
Korean Journal of Radiology 2026;27(5):440-451
Objective:
To evaluate the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in discriminating fumarate hydratase-deficient (FH-d) uterine leiomyomas (ULs) from FH-preserved ULs.
Materials and Methods:
This study consisted of three stages, with independent cohorts recruited for each stage: 1) sample-size estimation was retrospectively performed on UL specimens (diameter ≥3 cm; age, 20–40 years) from our database with immunohistochemistry (IHC) for 2-succinocysteine (2-SC) as the reference, without genetic testing, 2) MRS sequence optimization in confirmed FH germline mutation participants with ultrasound-detected ULs (diameter ≥3 cm), without IHC analysis, and 3) prospective diagnostic test accuracy was evaluated in consecutive participants with ultrasound-detected ULs (diameter ≥3 cm;age, 20–40 years), using IHC for 2-SC for determining the FH status and subsequent genetic testing in those with positive 2-SC results to identify whether FH mutations were germline or somatic in origin. The choline and fumarate peaks in MRS were classified as positive, negative, or technical failure (TF). TFs were analyzed separately and excluded from the primary diagnostic accuracy calculations. T1-, T2-, and diffusion-weighted images were interpreted as hyperintense or hypointense. The enhancement rate and apparent diffusion coefficient were also acquired. Diagnostic performance was compared between MRS and various magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features.
Results:
The optimal MRS parameters for the fumarate peak were echo time (TE) = 140 ms and an average of 256. Among the 360 prospective participants, 37 were confirmed to have FH-dULs. MRS showed positive fumarate peaks in 35 of 37 FH-dULs.After excluding six TFs, the positive fumarate peak on MRS showed 94.6% (35/37) sensitivity, 99.7% (316/317) specificity, and 99.2% (351/354) accuracy, all of which were significantly superior to those of other MRI features (P ≤ 0.002).
Conclusion
A positive fumarate peak on MRS may be a useful imaging biomarker for diagnosing FH-dULs.
2.High-throughput single-microbe RNA sequencing reveals adaptive state heterogeneity and host-phage activity associations in human gut microbiome.
Yifei SHEN ; Qinghong QIAN ; Liguo DING ; Wenxin QU ; Tianyu ZHANG ; Mengdi SONG ; Yingjuan HUANG ; Mengting WANG ; Ziye XU ; Jiaye CHEN ; Ling DONG ; Hongyu CHEN ; Enhui SHEN ; Shufa ZHENG ; Yu CHEN ; Jiong LIU ; Longjiang FAN ; Yongcheng WANG
Protein & Cell 2025;16(3):211-226
Microbial communities such as those residing in the human gut are highly diverse and complex, and many with important implications for health and diseases. The effects and functions of these microbial communities are determined not only by their species compositions and diversities but also by the dynamic intra- and inter-cellular states at the transcriptional level. Powerful and scalable technologies capable of acquiring single-microbe-resolution RNA sequencing information in order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of complex microbial communities together with their hosts are therefore utterly needed. Here we report the development and utilization of a droplet-based smRNA-seq (single-microbe RNA sequencing) method capable of identifying large species varieties in human samples, which we name smRandom-seq2. Together with a triple-module computational pipeline designed for the bacteria and bacteriophage sequencing data by smRandom-seq2 in four human gut samples, we established a single-cell level bacterial transcriptional landscape of human gut microbiome, which included 29,742 single microbes and 329 unique species. Distinct adaptive response states among species in Prevotella and Roseburia genera and intrinsic adaptive strategy heterogeneity in Phascolarctobacterium succinatutens were uncovered. Additionally, we identified hundreds of novel host-phage transcriptional activity associations in the human gut microbiome. Our results indicated that smRandom-seq2 is a high-throughput and high-resolution smRNA-seq technique that is highly adaptable to complex microbial communities in real-world situations and promises new perspectives in the understanding of human microbiomes.
Humans
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Gastrointestinal Microbiome/genetics*
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Bacteriophages/physiology*
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High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
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Sequence Analysis, RNA/methods*
;
Bacteria/virology*
3.The Icarian flight of antibody-drug conjugates: target selection amidst complexity and tackling adverse impacts.
Han LIU ; Hongye ZENG ; Xiaojing QIN ; Wenjing NING ; Lin XU ; Shiting YANG ; Xue LIU ; Wenxin LUO ; Ningshao XIA
Protein & Cell 2025;16(7):532-556
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) represent a promising class of targeted cancer therapeutics that combine the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the potency of cytotoxic payloads. Despite their therapeutic potential, the use of ADCs faces significant challenges, including off/on-target toxicity and resistance development. This review examines the current landscape of ADC development, focusing on the critical aspects of target selection and antibody engineering. We discuss strategies to increase ADC efficacy and safety, including multitarget approaches, pH-dependent antibodies, and masked peptide technologies. The importance of comprehensive antigen expression profiling in both tumor and normal tissues is emphasized, highlighting the role of advanced technologies, such as single-cell sequencing and artificial intelligence, in optimizing target selection. Furthermore, we explore combination therapies and innovations in linker‒payload chemistry, which may provide approaches for expanding the therapeutic window of ADCs. These advances pave the way for the development of more precise and effective cancer treatments, potentially extending ADC applications beyond oncology.
Humans
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Immunoconjugates/adverse effects*
;
Neoplasms/immunology*
;
Animals
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Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use*
;
Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use*
4.Targeted therapies and immunotherapies for unresectable cholangiocarcinoma.
Shengbai XUE ; Weihua JIANG ; Jingyu MA ; Haiyan XU ; Yanling WANG ; Wenxin LU ; Daiyuan SHENTU ; Jiujie CUI ; Maolan LI ; Liwei WANG
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(16):1904-1926
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a fatal malignancy with steadily increasing incidence and poor prognosis. Since most CCA cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, systemic therapies, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, play a crucial role in the management of unresectable CCA. The recent advances in targeted therapies and immunotherapies brought more options in the clinical management of unresectable CCA. This review depicts the advances of targeted therapies and immunotherapies for unresectable CCA, summarizes crucial clinical trials, and describes the efficacy and safety of different drugs, which may help further develop precision and individualization in the clinical treatment of unresectable CCA.
Humans
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Cholangiocarcinoma/drug therapy*
;
Immunotherapy/methods*
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Bile Duct Neoplasms/drug therapy*
;
Molecular Targeted Therapy/methods*
5.A survey on ketosis in 79 large-scale dairy cattle farms in China
Wenxin QIAN ; Shucheng GAO ; Guangchang MA ; Shengyu HAN ; Xiaochen JIA ; Liany-ing WANG ; Yunlong BAI ; Chuang XU
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(8):1792-1800
To clarify the current situation of ketosis in dairy cattle on large-scale pastures in China and provide new insights,a questionnaire survey was conducted to analyze the incidence,preven-tion,treatment methods,and associated costs of ketosis in 79 large-scale pastures.The results showed that the average incidence of ketosis in dairy cows was 3.97%,with a cure rate of 92.40%.The order of importance of methods for preventing and controlling ketosis was as follows:feed for-mulation optimization>blood ketone monitoring>negative energy balance monitoring>feed in-take monitoring>milk yield monitoring.The most important treatment methods are intravenous glucose>propylene glycol butyl phosphate>vitamins>choline.The most important diagnostic methods are blood ketone testing>milk ketone testing>negative energy balance testing>clinical symptoms>blood glucose testing.Economic analysis revealed that treatment costs were lower on larger farms and higher milk yields farms.Continuous optimization of feeding management,preven-tion,and control measures should be implemented on large-scale farms in China to reduce the oc-currence of ketosis in dairy cows.Additionally,more effective diagnostic and treatment methods should be employed to improve the cure rate and overall farm income.
6.Effect of NF-κB on plasmin-regulated γ-ENaC expression in mouse col-lecting duct M-1 cells
Wenxin ZHANG ; Lei LI ; Wanyue GE ; Zaiping XU ; Yunlai WANG ; Fan XU
Chinese Journal of Pathophysiology 2025;41(4):723-731
AIM:To investigate the effect of plasmin on epithelial sodium channel γ-subunit(γ-ENaC)acti-vation in mouse M-1 cells and the role of nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB).METHODS:Mouse M-1 cells were divided into three experimental parts.In the first part,the cells were divided into a control group,a plasmin group,and a plasmin+BAY 11-7082(NF-κB inhibitor)group to explore the effects of plasmin on inflammatory factors and γ-ENaC.In the sec-ond part,the cells were divided into a control group,a BAY 11-7082 group and a BAY 11-7082+plasmin group.M-1 cells were pretreated with BAY 11-7082 to explore the role of NF-κB in the regulation of γ-ENaC expression by plasmin.In the third part,the cells were divided into a control group,a plasmin group and an interleukin-6(IL-6)group.M-1 cells were treated with plasmin or IL-6 to explore the regulatory effect of IL-6 downstream of NF-κB on γ-ENaC.After drug interven-tion,the levels of IL-6,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1)and IL-1β in cell culture supernatants were detected by ELISA.The protein levels of phosphorylated inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB α(p-IκBα)/IκBα,p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65,and γ-ENaC was detected by Western blot.The distribution of γ-ENaC on the membrane was detected by immunofluorescence staining.RESULTS:Compared with control group,the levels of IL-6,TNF-α,MCP-1 and IL-1β in the supernatants of cells treated with 10 mg/L plasmin for 24 h were increased(n=3,P<0.01),the protein levels of p-IκBα/IκBα,p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 and γ-ENaC were increased(n=5,P<0.01),and the distribution of γ-ENaC on the membrane was increased.Compared with plasmin group,the levels of IL-6,TNF-α,MCP-1,IL-1β,p-IκBα/IκBα,p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 and γ-ENaC,and the γ-ENaC distribution on the membrane were lowered in plasmin and BAY 11-7082 coculture group(n=3,P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with control group,the ratio of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 decreased in BAY 11-7082 group(n=5,P<0.05),whereas there was no significant change in γ-ENaC.After stimulation with plasmin,the levels of p-IκBα/IκBα,p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 and γ-ENaC in-creased(n=5,P<0.05 or P<0.01),and the γ-ENaC distribution on the membrane increased.Treatment with IL-6,downstream of NF-κB,increased the protein expression of γ-ENaC(n=5,P<0.05)and the distribution of γ-ENaC on the membrane after 24 h of intervention.CONCLUSION:The regulation of γ-ENaC expression by plasmin in mouse M-1 cells is related to the abnormal increase in inflammatory factors after NF-κB activation.
7.Screening of ferroptosis genes related to the prognosis of cervical cancer and construction of a prognostic model
Yue CHEN ; Wenxin CHEN ; Yi JIANG ; Dong ZHANG ; Boqun XU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2025;32(2):259-267
Objective To screen ferroptosis genes related to the prognosis of cervical cancer and to construct a prognosis model. Methods Ferroptosis genes were obtained from FerrDb database, and cervical cancer related data were obtained from The Genome-Wide Association Study Catalog database and The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Transcriptome-Wide Association Study, colocalization analysis and differential expression analysis were conducted to screen out candidate ferroptosis genes; Gene Ontology functional and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis were conducted on candidate genes. Univariate Cox regression analysis was used to further screen out genes related to the prognosis of cervical cancer. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the relationship between genes and the overall survival of patients. The expression levels of genes in pan-cancer were analyzed through the TIMER database. Two prognostic models were conducted, Model 1 included age and tumor stage, while Model 2 incorporated age, tumor stage, and prognostic genes. The predictive capabilities of the two models were compared. Results A total of 91 candidate genes related to ferroptosis were obtained. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that 15 genes were associated with the prognosis of cervical cancer. CA9, SCD, TFRC, QSOX1 and CDO1 were risk factors affecting the prognosis of cervical cancer patients (P<0.05), while PTPN6, ALOXE3, HELLS, IFNG, MIOX, ALOX12B, DUOX1, ALOX15, AQP3 and IDO1 were protective factors (P<0.05). The mRNA expression levels of the 15 genes showed significant upregulation or downregulation in at least 7 types of cancers, among which TFRC was associated with the largest number of cancer types. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that HELLS, DUOX1 and ALOXE3 were associated with poor prognosis in cervical cancer. The AUC of the model 1 for predicting 1-year and 3-year overall survival rates of cervical cancer patients was 0.455 and 0.478, and the AUC of Model 2 was 0.854 and 0.595. Model 2 (C-index = 0.727) had better predictive ability than Model 1 (C-index = 0.502). Conclusion The prognostic model composed of 15 prognostic-related genes selected based on bioinformatics has better predictive performance for the survival outcomes of cervical cancer patients, providing important reference value for the prognostic assessment of cervical cancer patients.
8.Association of dining locations with nutritional status among Chinese children aged 6-17 years
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(5):642-646
Objective:
To analyze the association of eating dining locations and their association with nutritional status among Chinese children aged 6-17 years,so as to provide reference for guiding children s reasonable diet.
Methods:
Stratified random cluster sampling was used to select children aged 6 to 17 years from 28 cities and rural areas of 14 provinces in East, North, Central, South, Southwest, Northwest, Northeast of China, and a total of 52 535 children were included in the study from 2019 to 2021. Information including dining locations, demographic characteristics, dietary intakes and physical activity were collected through a questionnaire survey. Fasting body height and weight were measured in the morning. Unordered multiclass Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between dining locations and nutritional status in children.
Results:
Regarding children s dining locations, 66.3% ate breakfast at home,25.8% ate breakfast at school,7.9% ate breakfast outside (small dining tables, restaurants, stalls, etc.); 67.7% ate dinner at home,29.0% ate dinner at school,3.3% ate dinner outside; and 63.6% ate lunch at school,30.8% ate lunch at home,5.7% ate lunch outside. The prevalence rates of overweight/obesity and undernutrition were 28.6% and 9.3%, respectively. The adjusted multiclass Logistic regression analysis (controlling for age, region, parental education, household income, total energy intake, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) demonstrated that, compared to eating at home, school based breakfast and dinner consumption was associated with significantly lower overweight/obesity risks for both genders (boys: breakfast OR =0.70, 95% CI =0.65-0.75; dinner OR =0.80, 95% CI = 0.74- 0.86; girls: breakfast OR = 0.89 , 95% CI = 0.82-0.96; dinner OR =0.88, 95% CI =0.81-0.95), whereas eating lunch away from home significantly increased overweight/obesity risks (boys: OR =1.32, 95% CI =1.17-1.48; girls: OR =1.43, 95% CI =1.26- 1.62 ), with all associations being statistically significant ( P <0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, boys who ate breakfast away from home showed a significantly reduced risk of undernutrition ( OR =0.80,95% CI =0.66-0.97), while those consuming lunch away from home had an increased risk ( OR =1.26, 95% CI =1.01-1.57) ( P <0.05).
Conclusions
The choice of dining locations for children is becoming more diverse, and a relatively high proportion of children eat meals outside the home and at school. Eating out have a higher risk of malnutrition for children. School feeding may be beneficial to children s physical health.
9.Clinical study on modified Xiaoxuming Decoction combined with conventional Western medicine therapy for the treatment of wind phlegm obstructing collaterals syndrome in the recovery period of ischemic stroke
Weiyu XU ; Furong LYU ; Xiaoyan WANG ; Yongyi JI ; Wenxin DANG ; Meng LUO ; Zhengzheng WEN ; Yihan LIU ; Rui ZUO
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;47(10):1365-1369
Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Xiaoxuming Decoction combined with conventional Western medicine therapy in the treatment of patients with ischemic stroke in the recovery period.Methods:A randomized controlled clinical study was conducted. A total of the 118 patients with wind phlegm obstructing collaterlas syndrome during the recovery period of ischemic stroke in our hospital from September 2023 to July 2024 were selected as the observation subjects. They were divided into two groups using a random number table method, with 59 patients in each group. The control group was treated with conventional Western medicine therapy, while the TCM group was treated with modified Xiaoxuming Decoction on the basis of the control group. Both groups were treated for 2 months and followed up for 1 month. TCM syndrome scoring was performed before and after treatment, Barthel Index was used to evaluate daily living ability, and carotid artery ultrasound detector was used to evaluate the stability of carotid vascular plaques. Inter group comparisons were performed using t test, χ2 test, or repeated measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA). Results:RM-ANOVA showed that the time effect and inter group effect of TCM syndrome integration in the TCM group were significantly different from those in the control group ( Ftime=55.56, Ptime<0.001); Fbetween=18.94, Pbetween<0.001); there was no statistical significance in the interaction effect compared to the control group ( Finteraction=0.24, Pinteraction=0.866); the time effect, inter group effect, and interaction effect of Barthel Index in the TCM group were significantly different from those in the control group ( Ftime=44.57, Ptime<0.001); Fbetween=18.94, Pbetween<0.001; Finteraction=7.45, Pinteraction<0.001). The number of patients with unstable plaques in the TCM group after 3 months of treatment was lower than that in the control group ( χ2=4.52, P=0.033). Conclusion:The combination of modified Xiaoxuming Decoction and conventional Western medicine therapy can effectively improve the clinical symptoms and daily living ability of patients in the recovery period of ischemic stroke, improve the stability of cervical vascular plaques, and the clinical efficacy becomes more significant over time.
10.Study on the clinical features and medication analysis of the elderly cognitive impairment population based on real-world data
Yueying ZHANG ; Zhongwen QI ; Tong LI ; Jiaqi HUI ; Wenxin ZOU ; Fengqin XU
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;47(12):1744-1751
Objective:To conduct a multi-center cross-sectional study of elderly patients with cognitive impairment based on real-world data; To analyze the clinical characteristics and core medication law of the disease population.Methods:The medical records of elderly patients diagnosed with cognitive impairment from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2024 were retrieved from Chinese Evidence-based TCM Database. Excel 2010 software was used to collect general information, TCM syndrome elements and syndrome types, use frequency of Chinese materia medica, property, taste, meridian tropism, efficacy classification and other information, using PivotTable to establish Chinese materia medica matrix. IBM SPSS Modeler 18.0 software was used to display the frequency of co-occurrence among high-frequency Chinese materia medica, and the association rules were analyzed based on the Apriori algorithm. R language 4.4.1 was used for clustering analysis on Chinese materia medica and the cluster pedigree and correlation heat map were drawn.Results:A total of 1 194 elderly patients with cognitive impairment were enrolled, with a mean age of (79.51±7.65) years, and the highest frequency of comorbidities was hypertension (891 cases, 74.62%); AD was the most frequent diagnosis of cognitive impairment (367 times, 30.74%). The proportion of mild cognitive impairment in the low value group of Systemic Immune Inflammation Index (SII) was relatively high, and the high value group of SII was mainly vascular dementia and AD. Wind-phlegm blocking syndrome (106 times, 13.73%) topped the list; phlegm was the most frequent element of pathogenicity (353 times, 45.73%), and meridians and collaterals (194 times, 25.13%). Totally 328 prescriptions were included, involving 308 kinds of Chinese materia medica. The total recorded frequency of Chinese materia medica was 5 665, with tonifying herbs constituting the most frequently used category, accounting for 1 633 times; the medicinal property of drugs for treating elderly patients with cognitive disorders was mostly warm (103 times, 33.44%), the taste was mostly bitter (141 times, 45.78%), and attributed to the liver meridian (145 times, 47.08%); among the two and three association rules, the drug pairs with the highest confidence were Gastrodiae Rhizoma→Uncariae Ramulus cum Uncis (97.22%) and Hyperici Perforati Herba→Acanthopanacis Senticosi Radix et Rhizoma seu Caulis+Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus (97.06%); five medicinal combinations were obtained by high frequency drug clustering analysis.Conclusions:Elderly patients with cognitive impairment are mainly diagnosed with AD. There may be a potential correlation between SII level and the progression of cognitive impairment. The drugs are used to tonify the kidney and replenish essence, detoxify and unblock collaterals, replenish qi and activate blood circulation, and awaken the brain and open the orifices. Shengmai Decoction, Renshen Yangrong Decoction and other TCM classic prescriptions can be used in clinic.


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