Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of amplification intervention with hearing aids for restoring binaural auditory function in patients with unilateral moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss. Methods:This study selected 30 patients with normal hearing in one ear and moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss in the other ear. They were fitted with hearing aids for the worse ear and underwent more than half a year and one year of adaptation training. The Chinese translation of the Twelve-item version of SSQ（C-SSQ12）, angle identification test, speech recognition score（SRS） at different signal-to-noise ratios（SNR=5 and SNR=10） and audiometric thresholds were used to compare the results before and after hearing aid use to evaluate the effectiveness of the unilateral hearing loss intervention. Results:The results of the audiometric thresholds, C-SSQ12 scores, angle identification test, and SRS at SNR=5 and SNR=10 in the worse ear of the unilateral hearing loss patients after hearing aid use were all statistically significant compared to before hearing aid use（P<0.01）. Conclusion:Amplification intervention with hearing aids has significant effects on restoring binaural auditory function in patients with unilateral moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss.
Humans ; Hearing Aids ; Hearing Loss, Unilateral/therapy* ; Middle Aged ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/rehabilitation* ; Adult ; Female ; Male ; Auditory Threshold ; Young Adult ; Aged

Given the increasing concern regarding antibacterial resistance, the antimicrobial properties of naphthoquinones have recently attracted significant attention. While 1,4-naphthoquinone and its derivatives have been extensively studied, the antibacterial properties of 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives remain relatively unexplored. This study presents a comprehensive in vitro and in vivo analysis of the antibacterial activity of 35 naturally sourced and chemically synthesized derivatives of 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone. Kirby-Bauer antibiotic testing identified three compounds with activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), with one compound (PNP-02) demonstrating activity comparable to vancomycin in minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and time-kill assays. Microscopic and biochemical analyses revealed that PNP-02 adversely affects the cell wall and cell membrane of MRSA. Mechanistic investigations, including proteomic sequencing analyses, Western blotting, and RT-qPCR assays, indicated that PNP-02 compromises cell membrane integrity by inhibiting arginine biosynthesis and pyrimidine metabolism pathways, thereby increasing membrane permeability and inducing bacterial death. In an in vivo mouse model of skin wound healing, PNP-02 exhibited antibacterial efficacy similar to vancomycin. The compound demonstrated low toxicity to cultured human cells and in hemolysis assays and remained stable during serum incubation. These findings suggest that PNP-02 possesses promising bioactivity against MRSA and represents a potential novel antibacterial agent.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/genetics* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry* ; Naphthoquinones/administration & dosage* ; Animals ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Mice ; Humans ; Staphylococcal Infections/microbiology* ; Molecular Structure

Objective:By analyzing the clinical phenotypic characteristics and gene sequences of two patients with Treacher Collins syndrome（TCS）, the biological causes of the disease were determined. Then discuss the therapeutic effect of hearing intervention after bone bridge implantation. Methods:All clinical data of the two family members were collected, and the patients signed the informed consent. The peripheral blood of the proband and family members was extracted, DNA was extracted for whole exome sequencing, and Sanger sequencing was performed on the family members for the mutation site.TCOF1genetic mutations analysis was performed on the paitents. Then, the hearing threshold and speech recognition rate of family 2 proband were evaluated and compared under the sound field between bare ear and wearing bone bridge. Results:In the two pedigrees, the probands of both families presented with auricle deformity, zygomatic and mandibular hypoplasia, micrognathia, hypotropia of the eye fissure, and hypoplasia of the medial eyelashes. The proband of Family 1 also presents with specific features including right-sided narrow anterior nasal aperture and dental hypoplasia, which were consistent with the clinical diagnosis of Treacher Collins syndrome. Genetic testing was conducted on both families, and two heterozygous mutations were identified in the TCOF1 gene: c. 1350_1351dupGG（p. A451Gfs*43） and c. 4362_4366del（p. K1457Efs*12）, resulting in frameshift mutations in the amino acid sequence. Sanger sequencing validation of the TCOF1 gene in the parents of the proband in Family 1 did not detect any mutations. Proband 1 TCOF1 c. 1350_1351dupGG heterozygous variants have not been reported previously. The postoperative monosyllabic speech recognition rate of family 2 proband was 76%, the Categories of Auditory Performance（CAP） score was 6, and the Speech Intelligibility Rating（SIR） score was 4. Assessment using the Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale（MAIS） showed notable improvement in the patient's auditory perception, comprehension, and usage of hearing aids. Evaluation using the Glasgow Children's Benefit Inventory and quality of life assessment revealed significant improvements in the child's self care abilities, daily living and learning, social interactions, and psychological well being, as perceived by the parents. Conclusion:This study has elucidated the biological cause of Treacher Collins syndrome, enriched the spectrum of TCOF1 gene mutations in the Chinese population, and demonstrated that bone bridge implantation can improve the auditory and speech recognition rates in TCS patients.
Child ; Humans ; Mandibulofacial Dysostosis/genetics* ; Quality of Life ; Speech ; Parents ; Mutation ; Nuclear Proteins/genetics* ; Phosphoproteins/genetics*

Abstract: Objective To analyze the accuracy and feasibility of GeneXpert MTB/RIF (GeneXpert) detection in the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the characteristics of rifampicin-resistant rpoB gene mutations. Methods A total of 4 234 sputum samples from suspected tuberculosis patients diagnosed in Sanya tuberculosis designated hospitals from 2015 to 2021 were selected and subjected to sputum smear, solid culture, drug sensitivity test by solid proportion method and GeneXpert detection. Results The positive detection rates of sputum smear, solid culture and GeneXpert of 4 234 sputum samples were 29.24% (1 238/4 234), 32.17% (1 362/4 234) and 35.40% (1 499/4 234), respectively. The positive detection rate of GeneXpert was higher than that of sputum smear, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=36.775, P<0.01). It was slightly higher than solid culture, and the difference was not statistically significant (χ2=9.908, P=0.02). Taking solid culture results as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of GeneXpert for detecting MTB were 91.04% (1 240/1 362) and 90.98% (2 613/2 872), respectively. According to the proportional drug susceptibility test results as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of GeneXpert in detecting rifampicin resistance were 96.96% (96/99) and 98.86% (1 128/1 141), respectively, with the consensus rate of 98.71%. The accuracy of rifampicin resistance in GeneXpert group without probe mutation was significantly lower than that in group with probe mutation. There was a statistical difference in probe mutation frequency between newly treated and retreated cases. The analysis of rpoB gene mutation frequency characteristics showed: Probe E (50.00%) > Probe A (22.12%) > Probe D (14.42%) > Probe B (6.73%) > combined probe (5.77%) > Probe C (0.96%). Conclusions GeneXpert detection can quickly and effectively diagnose rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis, which is helpful for early clinical diagnosis and treatment. In this region, the rpoB gene mutation probes of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis mainly occurr in Probe E and Probe A, with the least mutations in Probe C.

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are the most widely used method to identify genetic risk loci associated with orofacial clefts (OFC). However, despite the increasing size of cohort, GWASs are still insufficient to detect all the heritability, suggesting there are more associations under the current stringent statistical threshold. In this study, we obtained an integrated epigenomic dataset based on the chromatin conformation of a human oral epithelial cell line (HIOEC) using RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, H3K27ac ChIP-seq, and DLO Hi-C. Presumably, this epigenomic dataset could reveal the missing functional variants located in the oral epithelial cell active enhancers/promoters along with their risk target genes, despite relatively less-stringent statistical association with OFC. Taken a non-syndromic cleft palate only (NSCPO) GWAS data of the Chinese Han population as an example, 3664 SNPs that cannot reach the strict significance threshold were subjected to this functional identification pipeline. In total, 254 potential risk SNPs residing in active cis-regulatory elements interacting with 1 718 promoters of oral epithelium-expressed genes were screened. Gapped k-mer machine learning based on enhancers interacting with epithelium-expressed genes along with in vivo and in vitro reporter assays were employed as functional validation. Among all the potential SNPs, we chose and confirmed that the risk alleles of rs560789 and rs174570 reduced the epithelial-specific enhancer activity by preventing the binding of transcription factors related to epithelial development. In summary, we established chromatin conformation datasets of human oral epithelial cells and provided a framework for testing and understanding how regulatory variants impart risk for clefts.
Chromatin ; Cleft Lip/genetics* ; Cleft Palate/genetics* ; Epithelium ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans

To analyze the endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) and histopathological features of esophageal epithelial malignant tumors misdiagnosed as esophageal submucosal tumors (SMT), data of patients diagnosed as having esophageal SMT preoperatively but confirmed as esophageal epithelial malignant tumor by pathology after operation in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from January 2012 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, and the clinical data including age, gender, size and location of the lesion, origin and echo of the lesion under EUS, endoscopic treatment and postoperative pathology were recorded. Among the 11 patients, there were 9 males and 2 females, aged (65.5±6.2) years. The length diameter of 9 lesions was ≤2 cm, and 8 lesions were located in the middle thoracic esophagus. Among the 11 patients, 10 underwent EUS before operation. The lesions originated from submucosa in 6 cases, muscularis propria in 2 cases and muscularis mucosa in 2 cases. The echo of the lesions was hypoechoic in 9 cases and isoechoic in only 1 case. Of the 11 patients, 3 underwent endoscopic mucosal resection, 6 underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection, and 2 underwent submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection. The histopathological types included 3 cases of moderately to poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, 3 cases of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma, 2 cases of adenoid cystic carcinoma (including 1 case of adenoid cystic carcinoma colliding with squamous cell carcinoma), 2 cases of adenocarcinoma, and 1 case of esophageal sarcomatoid carcinoma with basaloid squamous cell carcinoma. Endoscopic manifestations of submucosal eminence in esophageal epithelial malignant tumors are extremely rare. EUS is helpful for differential diagnosis, and diagnostic treatment can make a definite diagnosis.

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to explore the functions and potential mechanism of miR-451a in breast cancer (BC). Methods: Quantitative reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the expression of miR-451a in human normal mammary cells (MCF-10A) and BC cells. Colony formation assay, terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling assay and transwell assays were conducted to validate the effect of miR-451a on proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of BC cells, respectively. RNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays were applied to investigate the upstream and downstream mechanisms of miR-451a in BC cells. Results: MiR-451a was expressed at a low level in BC cells. Overexpression of miR-451a repressed BC cells proliferation, migration and invasion. Moreover, long non-coding RNA AC092127.1 acted as a sponge of miR-451a to enhance the expression level of AE binding protein 2 (AEBP2) that was demonstrated to be the target gene of miR-451a in BC cells. Finally, rescue experiments validated that miR-451a and AEBP2 involved in AC092127.1-mediated BC cell growth, migration and invasion. Conclusion In a word, AC092127.1/miR-451a/AEBP2 axis contributes to BC cell growth, migration and invasion. Our results may help to find novel potential targets for BC treatment.

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to explore the functions and potential mechanism of miR-451a in breast cancer (BC). Methods: Quantitative reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the expression of miR-451a in human normal mammary cells (MCF-10A) and BC cells. Colony formation assay, terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling assay and transwell assays were conducted to validate the effect of miR-451a on proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of BC cells, respectively. RNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays were applied to investigate the upstream and downstream mechanisms of miR-451a in BC cells. Results: MiR-451a was expressed at a low level in BC cells. Overexpression of miR-451a repressed BC cells proliferation, migration and invasion. Moreover, long non-coding RNA AC092127.1 acted as a sponge of miR-451a to enhance the expression level of AE binding protein 2 (AEBP2) that was demonstrated to be the target gene of miR-451a in BC cells. Finally, rescue experiments validated that miR-451a and AEBP2 involved in AC092127.1-mediated BC cell growth, migration and invasion. Conclusion In a word, AC092127.1/miR-451a/AEBP2 axis contributes to BC cell growth, migration and invasion. Our results may help to find novel potential targets for BC treatment.

Objective:To investigate the safety and efficacy of endoscopic treatment for sporadic non-ampullary descending duodenal adenoma, and to analyze high-risk endoscopic features of malignant adenoma.Methods:Data of 54 patients diagnosed as having non-ampullary descending duodenal adenoma in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from November 2012 to September 2019 were retrospectively studied. The patients were divided into two groups, the high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia/adenocarcinoma (HGIN/AC) group and the low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN) group according to pathological grade. Clinical features including gender, age, size and color of lesions, therapeutic methods, complications and postoperative follow-up results were analyzed.Results:A total of 54 patients were divided into the HGIN/AC group ( n=12) and the LGIN group ( n=42). There were significant differences in size or color of lesions between the two groups (both P<0.05). All 54 patients received endoscopic treatment. Biopsy, endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection were performed on 8, 32 and 14 cases, respectively. A small perforation was found and clipped during operation without any complications. There were 2 cases of delayed hemorrhage, and the bleeding stopped under endoscopic treatment. The mean follow-up time was 2-58 months with no recurrence. Conclusion:Endoscopic treatment is safe and effective for non-ampullary descending duodenal adenoma. Lesions of size larger than 10 mm and those with a red surface have higher malignant tendency.

Objective:To analyze the mutation sites and characteristics of phospholipase CE1( PLCE1) gene in children with primary nephrotic syndrome(PNS) in Zhuang, Guangxi, China, so as to explore the expression status of PLCE1 protein in peripheral blood of PNS patients. Methods:(1)Blood samples of 154 Zhuang children with PNS and 98 healthy children of Zhuang nationality from July 2015 to September 2017 in Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical College for Nationalities were collected to sequence PLCE1 gene with FastTarget target gene capture method in the combination with next generation sequencing.Based on the comparison between mutation results and information from the database, the pathogenicity, phenotype and distribution characteristics of these mutation sites were discovered and appraised.(2)The concentration of PLCE1 protein in serum samples were measured by enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay, then the data of PNS group and healthy control group were compared and analyzed statistically with SPSS 25.0. Results:(1)A total of 18 low-frequency mutations of PLCE1 were observed, 5 of them(c.670C>T, c.578T>C, c.923G>T, c.4916C>T, and c. 5927_5929del) were found only in the PNS group, and 3 of them occurred in both PNS group and healthy control group: c.176C>T, c.389T>C, and c. 4304C>T.Five newly discovered mutations (c.923G>T, c.958T>A, c.1151C>T, c.2341A>G, and c. 3592G>C)were discovered and only c. 923 G>T is pathogenic mutation of PLCE1.(2)The concentration of PLCE1 protein in healthy control group was 414.65 (231.20, 729.81) ng/L and the level of PLCE1 in PNS group was 237.84 (116.14, 535.85) ng/L, ( Z=-3.212, P<0.001), and the value of PNS group was lower than that in the healthy control group. Conclusions:(1)As a new pathogenic mutation of PLCE1, c.923G>T was found.(2)The phenotype of PLCE1 gene mutation in Zhuang children with PNS was diverse, and they may differ by race and region.(3) PLCE1 protein of serum may act as a protective protein to guarantee various life activities of cells by participating in multiple signal transduction pathways.