Objective To investigate the effectiveness of the integrated schistosomiasis control programme in Sichuan Province during the stage moving from transmission interruption to elimination (2015—2023), so as to provide insights into formulation of the schistosomiasis control measures during the post-elimination stage. Methods Schistosomiasis control data were retrospectively collected from departments of health, agriculture and rural affairs, forestry and grassland, water resources, and natural resources in Sichuan Province from 2015 to 2023, and a database was created to document examinations and treatments of human and livestock schistosomiasis, and snail survey and control, conversion of paddy fields to dry fields, ditch hardening, rivers and lakes management and building of forests for snail control and schistosomiasis prevention. The completion of schistosomiasis control measures was investigated, and the effectiveness was evaluated. Results A total of 20 545 155 person-times received human schistosomiasis examinations in Sichuan Province during the period from 2015 to 2023, and 232 157 person-times were seropositive, with a reduction in the seroprevalence from 2.10% (44 299/2 107 003) in 2015 to 1.12% (9 361/837 896) in 2023 (χ² = 7.68, P < 0.001). The seroprevalence of human schistosomiasis appeared a tendency towards a decline in Sichuan Province over years from 2015 to 2023 (b = −8.375, t = −10.052, P < 0.001); however, no egg positive individuals were identified during the period from 2018 to 2023, with the prevalence of human Schistosoma japonicum infections maintained at 0. Expanded chemotherapy was administered to 2 754 515 person-times, and medical assistance of advanced schistosomiasis was given to 6 436 persontimes, with the treatment coverage increasing from 46.80% (827/1 767) in 2015 to 64.87% (868/1 338) in 2023. Parasitological tests for livestock schistosomiasis were performed in 35 113 herd-times, and expanded chemotherapy was administered to 513 043 herd-times, while the number of fenced livestock decreased from 121 631 in 2015 to 103 489 in 2023, with a reduction of 14.92%. Snail survey covered 433 621.80 hm² in Sichuan Province from 2015 to 2023, with 204 602.81 hm² treated by chemical control and 4 637.74 hm² by environmental modifications. The area of snail habitats decreased from the peak of 5 029.80 hm² in 2016 to 3 709.72 hm² in 2023, and the actual area of snail habitats decreased from the peak of 8 585.48 hm² in 2016 to 473.09 hm² in 2023. The mean density of living snails remained low across the study period except in 2017 (0.62 snails/0.1 m²). Schistosomiasis control efforts by departments of agriculture and rural affairs in Sichuan Province included conversion of paddy fields to dry fields covering 153 346.93 hm², hardening of 6 110.31 km ditches, building of 70 356 biogas digesters, replacement of cattle with 227 161 sets of machines, and captive breeding of 21 161 070 livestock from 2015 to 2023, and the control efforts by departments of water resources included rivers and lakes management measuring 5 676.92 km and renovation of 2 331 irrigation areas, while the control efforts by departments of forestry and grassland included building of forests for snail control and schistosomiasis prevention covering 23 913.33 hm², renovation of snail control forests covering 8 720 hm² and newly building of shelterbelts covering 764 686.67 hm². All 63 endemic counties (cities and districts) had achieved the criterion for schistosomiasis elimination criteria in Sichuan Province by the end of 2023. Conclusion Following the integrated control efforts from 2015 to 2023, remarkable achievements have been obtained in the schistosomiasis control programme in Sichuan Province, with all endemic counties successfully attaining the schistosomiasis elimination target at the county level.

Objective:To explore the expression of family with sequence similarity 83 member A (FAM83A) in colorectal cancer, and the effect of FAM83A knockdown on the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells and the related mechanism.Methods:The expression of FAM83A in the tissues of 102 patients with colorectal cancer and its adjacent tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. HCT116 cells were divided into experimental group and control group. The experimental group cells were transfected with FAM83A-siRNA plasmid, and the control group cells were transfected with MOCK-siRNA plasmid. The mRNA content of FAM83A in each group was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR. The expressions of FAM83A, P13K, p-AKT and p-mTOR in each group were detected by Western blot. CCK8 assay and clonogenesis assay were used to detect cell proliferation.Results:The positive rate of FAM83A in colorectal cancer patients was 88.23% (90 cases /102 cases), and the expression rate of FAM83A in paracancer tissues was 10.78% (11 cases /102 cases). The expression rate of Fam83a in colorectal cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in paracancer tissues, with statistical significance ( P<0.001). After siRNA transfection, the mRNA expression levels of FAM83A in HCT116 cells of the experimental group and control group were 1.23±0.20 and 0.43±0.12, respectively, and the protein expression levels of FAM83A were 1.19±0.11 and 0.23±0.08, respectively. The expression levels of P13K were 1.21±0.17 and 0.28±0.09, the expression levels of p-AKT were 1.35±0.23 and 0.57±0.18, and the expression levels of p-mTOR were 1.48±0.20 and 1.05±0.14. The expression of P13K, p-Akt and p-mTOR was down-regulated (all P<0.05). The absorbance of HCT116 cells in the experimental group and the control group was 1.09±0.22 and 2.21±0.27, respectively. The cloning rate of HCT116 cells in the experimental group and the control group was 21.6%±2.4% and 62.7%±4.1%, respectively. The proliferation ability of HCT116 cells in the experimental group decreased significantly ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:The expression of FAM83A is significantly increased in colorectal cancer tissues, which may be related to the malignant degree of colorectal cancer. FAM83A affects the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells through the P13K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Objective:Molecular mechanisms underlying compound heterozygous mutations in a patient with inherited antithrombin (AT) deficiency.Methods:The proband was admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University in November 2018 with a one-day history of sudden syncope and limb twitching. Peripheral venous blood was collected from the proband and members of his lineages, totaling nine persons across three generations, and a family lineage survey was conducted. AT activity (AT:A) was measured using a chromogenic substrate assay, while AT antigen (AT:Ag) was detected through an immunoturbidimetric assay. Mutation sites were identified by means of Sanger sequencing of the SERPINC1 gene, and silico tools were applied to predict the mutational conservation and hydrophobicity changes. Recombinant plasmid expression vectors were constructed and transfected into HEK293T cells for in vitro overexpression studies. The recombinant AT protein was characterized using Western Blotting, ELISA, and cellular immunofluorescence assays.Results:The proband was a 21-year-old man with type Ⅰ AT deficiency. His AT:A was 33%, along with a corresponding reduction in AT:Ag. The genetic analysis revealed there was a heterozygous insertion mutation at c.318_319insT (p.Asn107*) and a heterozygous missense mutation at c.922G>T (p.Gly308Cys) in exons 2 and 5, respectively. These mutation sites were entirely conserved among the homologous species. Additionally, hydrophobicity studies showed that the p.Gly308Cys mutation will decrease the hydrophilicity of amino acid residues 307-313. The in vitro expression studies indicated a reduction of approximately 46.98%±2.94% and 41.35%±1.48% in the amount of recombinant protein AT-G308C in transfected cell lysates and culture supernatants, respectively. Treatment with the proteasome inhibitor (MG132) restored the cytoplasmic levels of AT-G308C protein to a level similar to that of wild-type protein. However, neither cell lysate nor culture supernatant demonstrated the presence of the recombinant protein AT-N107*. Conclusions:The heterozygous insertion mutation of p.Asn107* and the heterozygous missense mutation of p.Gly308Cys have been associated with reduced AT levels in proband. The p.Asn107* heterozygous insertion mutation may initiate the degradation of mRNA via nonsense mutation-mediated mechanisms, which would remove the defective transcripts, as well as the p.The Gly308Cys heterozygous missense mutation may cause the AT protein to undergo proteasome-dependent degradation by modifying the hydrophobicity of nearby residues in the cytoplasm.

The pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy(DN)is very complex.Ferroptosis as a kind of new way of cell death has become a research hotspot in recent years.It is widely known that DN is closely related to ferroptosis.Deactivation of system Xc--GSH-GPX4 axis,iron overload,lipid peroxidation and mitochondrial dysfunction play important role in occurrence and development of ferroptosis of DN,antioxidant protein may be a potential target for the treatment of ferroptosis of DN.Different pathways and interactions may alleviate the occurrence and development of ferroptosis by activating antioxidant protein such as GPX4,Nrf2,Sirtuin family protein and ferritin.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has the characteristics of multi-component,multi-target and multi-pathway overall regulation.The active components and compounds of TCM have potential application value in improving renal injury and ferroptosis of DN by enhancing the expression of antioxidant protein,which provides a new research direction for delaying the progress of DN.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic value and safety of transbronchial lung biopsy and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in pulmonary complications in patients with hematological tumors.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 68 patients with hematological tumors combined with lung lesions from The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital and The Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen from May 2016 to May 2022, including 37 males, 31 females, with a median age of 56 years (age range 21-90 years), among which 20 patients were >65 years old. Diagnostic fiberoptic bronchoscopy was performed with signs including fever, cough, hypoxemia, hemoptysis, unexplained dyspnea, and imaging changes. Patients with pulmonary masses were evaluated for transbronchial lung biopsy, including inner and outer leaf mass and high-density shadow of lung leaves, pathological and special staining of biopsy tissue (Grocott staining), BAL acquisition of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) for microbiological smear/culture, cytomegalovirus, Pneumocystis jirovecii and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) smear, TB DNA, TB and fungal culture. Etiological analysis of pulmonary complications and observation of the complications associated with fiberoptic bronchoscopy in patients with hematological tumors were conducted. Results:BALF test was performed in all patients after bronchoscopy, bronchoscopic lung tissue biopsy was performed in 46 cases. The total number of confirmed pathogenic infections was 40, including 12 cases of fungal infections, 9 cases of bacterial infections (2 cases each of E. faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 1 case of Staphylococcus aureus, 1 case of Klebsiella pneumoniae, 1 case of E. coli, 1 case of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, and 1 case of Streptococcus mitis), 9 cases of viral infection (5 cases of cytomegalovirus, 3 cases of parainfluenza virus type Ⅲ, and 1 case of respiratory syncytial virus), 4 confirmed cases of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, 3 cases of suspected mixed infection of Pneumocystis jirovecii and fungi, 1 case of Cryptococcus, 2 cases of suspected TB infection. No pathogenic organisms were found in 28 cases, including 6 cases of mechanized pneumonia, 6 cases associated with a history of hematological tumors, and 16 cases of other unidentified pathogens. All patients did not experience death or other serious complications caused by bronchoscopy complications. Conclusion:Pulmonary complications are common in patients with hematological tumors, and the application of transbronchial lung biopsy has good safety. Early examination of fiberoptic bronchoscopy can provide pathogenic diagnostic evidence of bacterial, fungal, Pneumocystis jirovecii and viral infections, thus improving the diagnostic rate.

Objective : To investigate the 90 day prognosis of acute ischemic stroke patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy in the real world and analyze the related factors of prognosis． Methods: A total of 1 033 acute ischemic stroke patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy in tertiary hospitals of Anhui province were retrospectively investigated．The 90 day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score was evaluated by follow-up telephone，0 ～2 points were good prognosis and 3 ～6 points were poor prognosis. Results : A total of 770 patients were followed up，with an average age of (67. 7 ± 11. 8) years．The good prognosis rate was 32. 1% and the mortality rate was 31. 8% . With the increase of age，the good prognosis rate showed a downward trend while the mortality rate showed an upward trend．The best cut-off value for age prediction of 90-day mortality was 69 years old．There was no gender difference in the good prognosis rate between women (70. 6 ± 10. 6) years and men (65. 6 ± 12. 2) years，but females experienced a higher mortality than males (37. 1% vs 27. 9% ) before adjusting for age． Comparison was made among provincial，municipal and county hospitals，only the good prognosis rate of provincial hospitals was significantly higher than that of county hospitals (37．2% vs 15. 6% ) ．In the grouping of annual number of endovascular treatment cases，the good prognosis rate of only ≥40 cases group was significantly higher．There was no significant difference in mortality among the groups． Conclusion At present，the good prognosis is low and the mortality is high for the whole acute ischemic stroke patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy．Age was positively correlated with poor prognosis and mortality．The higher mortality rate in women than in men is due to the higher average age of onset in women．The good prognosis rate of provincial hospitals and hospitals with annual number of endovascular treatment ≥40 cases is higher than that of other hospitals.

Neonatal persistent pulmonary hypertension refers to the continuous increase of pulmonary artery pressure, right heart pressure, right-to-left shunt at foramen ovale and ductus arteriosus level, severe hypoxemia and even respiratory failure after birth.At present, the drug treatments of neonatal persistent pulmonary hypertension include inhaling nitric oxide, sildenafil, milrinone, endothelin receptor antagonists bosentan, prostaglandins and their analogs.This review briefly summarized the progress on the treatment of neonatal persistent pulmonary hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the molecular pathogenesis for a pedigree affected with hereditary coagulation factor XII (FXII) deficiency. METHODS: Potential variant of the F12 gene was analyzed by PCR and Sanger sequencing. Expression plasmids were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis based on the wild-type and transiently transfected into 293T cells. FXII:C and FXII:Ag of the expression products were determined in the supernatant and cell lysate. Western blotting was used to verify the identify of the protein. RESULTS: Gene sequencing revealed that the proband has carried 46TT genetype and heterozygous p.Glu502Lys variants in exon 13, and a heterozygous p.Gly542Ser variant in exon 14 of the F12 gene. Transfection experiment suggested that the FXII:C and FXII:Ag of p.Glu502Lys variant in the supernatant were 28% and 24%, compared with the wild-type (100%) and FXII:Ag of cell lysates was 39% compared to the wild-type (100%). The FXII:C and FXII:Ag of p. Gly542Ser variant in the supernatant were 32% and 17% and the FXII:Ag of cell lysates was 59%. CONCLUSION The 46TT genetype, p.Glu502Lys and p.Gly542Ser variants of the F12 gene probably underlie the low FXII level in the proband. As shown by in vitro experiment, the p.Glu502Lys and p.Gly542Ser variants can both inhibit the synthesis and secrection of the FXII protein.
Exons ; Factor XII ; genetics ; Factor XII Deficiency ; genetics ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Pedigree

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the phenotype and genetic basis for a pedigree affected with hereditary coagulation factor XI deficiency. METHODS: Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), fibrinogen (FIB), FXI activity (FXI:C) and the antigen of FXI (FXI:Ag) were determined for the proband and members from his pedigree. Sanger sequencing was used to analyze all exons, exon-intronic boundaries, as well as the 5'- and 3'- untranslated regions of the F11 gene. Suspected variants were verified in her family members and confirmed by reverse sequencing. The impact of the variants on the protein function was predicted by using PolyPhen-2 and SIFT software. The protein structure and amino acid interaction were analyzed by using Swiss-PdbViewer. RESULTS: The APTT, FXI:C and FXI:Ag of the proband and her sister were significantly reduced to 73.0 s, 10.0%, 15.0% and 87.1 s, 2.0% and 11.5%, respectively. APTT of some family members was slightly prolonged, and FXI:C and FXI:Ag also decreased to various extents. DNA sequencing revealed that the proband and her sister have carried compound heterozygous variants of c.738G>A (p.Trp228stop) and c.938G>T (p.Ser295Ile) respectively in exons 7 and 9 of the F11 gene. Her father, sister and daughter were heterozygous for the c.738G>A (p.Trp228stop) variant, while her mother and nephew were heterozygous for the c.938G>T (p.Ser295Ile). Both PolyPhen-2 and SIFT predicted that the p.Ser295Ile variant is likely to be deleterious and can affect the protein function. Modeling analysis indicated that the p.Ser295Ile variant may lead to disruption of a hydrogen bond, resulting in alteration of protein structure and instability. CONCLUSION The compound heterozygous c.738G>A (p.Trp228stop) and c.938G>T (p.Ser295Ile) variants of the F11 gene probably underlie the decreased FXI level in this pedigree.
Factor XI Deficiency ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Variation ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Mutation ; Pedigree

Since December 2019, the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has been reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province. Almost 70% of patients susceptible to 2019-nCoV are over age of 50 years, with extremely large proportion of critical illness and death of the elderly patients. Meanwhile, the elderly patients are at high risk of osteoporotic fractures especially osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF). During the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic, orthopedists are confronted with the following difficulties including how to screen and protect OVCF patients, how to accurately diagnose and assess the condition of OVCF patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, and how to develop reasonable treatment plans and comprehensive protective measures in emergency and outpatient clinics. In order to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of patients with OVCF diagnosed with COVID-19, the authors jointly develop this expert consensus. The consensus systematically recommends the standardized emergency and outpatient screening and confirmation procedures for OVCF patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and protective measures for emergency and outpatient clinics. Moreover, the consensus describes the grading and classification of OVCF patients diagnosed with COVID-19 according to the severity of illness and recommends different treatment plans and corresponding protective measures based on the different types and epidemic prevention and control requirements.