1.Clinical characteristics and genetic analysis of 22 Chinese pedigrees affected with Neurofibromatosis type I.
Bingjie HU ; Xianhong DING ; Yang LU ; Hongliang CHEN ; Shuaishuai CHEN ; Mengyi XU ; Yicheng FANG ; Bo SHEN
Chinese Journal of Medical Genetics 2026;43(1):19-30
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the genetic variants and phenotypic characteristics of patients with Neurofibromatosis type I (NF1).
METHODS:
Twenty two NF1 patients who presented at Enze Medical (Center) Group in Taizhou between 2018 and 2024 were selected as the study subjects. Clinical phenotype and family history were collected for the patients. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was carried out for the 22 probands to screen the variants of NF1 gene. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing of their family members. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Hospital (Ethics No.: K20230902).
RESULTS:
The 22 probands were diagnosed between the age of 5 months to 47 years old, and have all shown cafe au lait spots on their skin. Seventeen patients exhibited the phenotype at birth, and 11 had various degrees of neurofibromatosis. Among them, probands 1 and 13 underwent surgical resection of the tumor but had recurred, while proband 12 had amputation due to the huge size and serious impact of the neurofibroma and had no recurrence. Five patients had various degrees of scoliosis. In total 22 germline mutations and one somatic mutation were identified among the 22 families, with 5 variants unreported previously, including 1 nonsense mutation c.1603C>T (Q535*), 3 frameshift mutations [c.7268_7269delCA (Thr2423fs), c.2293del (Arg765Alafs*26), and c.5433_5438delinsGC (Phe1812ArgfsTer50)], and 1 deletion involving exons 41-44 of the NF1 gene and adjacent introns. Proband 13 was found to harbor germline mutation c.6796C>T (Gln2266Ter) and somatic mutation c.1019_1020del (Ser340Cysfs Ter12) in the peripheral blood and tumor tissue, respectively. Among the 22 NF1 probands, 6 had received treatment due to severe illness. Proband 1 had tumor resection in the right upper limb, but was found to have malignant lung tumor and died during follow-up. Proband 12 had multiple recurrence of neurofibroma in the left ring finger. Proband 4 underwent spinal correction surgery due to severe scoliosis. Proband 11 had died due to a central nervous system disease. Among the 22 germline mutations, 6 had led to the occurrence of truncated proteins, which may have a more severe impact on the phenotype.
CONCLUSION
This study investigated the genetic variants and clinical phenotypes of 22 NF1 families and identified 5 novel variants of the NF1 gene, which has expanded the genotypic and phenotypic spectra of the NF1. Preliminary studies have identified an association between truncated mutations, young age, and severe phenotypes, which may provide important clues for prognosis evaluation. For the clinical diagnosis and treatment of NF1, it is necessary to consider the phenotypic characteristics and genetic testing in combination with genetic counseling and long-term follow-up.
Humans
;
Neurofibromatosis 1/pathology*
;
Male
;
Female
;
Pedigree
;
Adult
;
Child
;
Child, Preschool
;
Middle Aged
;
Adolescent
;
Infant
;
Young Adult
;
Neurofibromin 1/genetics*
;
Phenotype
;
Asian People/genetics*
;
Mutation
;
Exome Sequencing
;
East Asian People
2.Association of microRNA gene polymorphisms with risk, clinicopathological characteristics and therapeutical efficacy among Chinese patients with Crohn's disease.
Yanlun ZHANG ; Xiaoxiao SHAO ; Daopo LIN ; Yuan XU ; Guolong MA ; Yi JIANG
Chinese Journal of Medical Genetics 2026;43(2):111-122
OBJECTIVE:
To assess the association of microribonucleic acid (miRNA) gene polymorphisms with the risk and clinicopathological characteristics of Crohn's disease (CD) and the influence of miRNA gene variants on the response to ustekinumab (UST) treatment among CD patients.
METHODS:
From January 2018 to February 2025, 312 patients diagnosed with CD and 527 gender- and age-matched normal controls were selected as the study subjects at the Department of Gastroenterology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. Genotypes of miR-155 (rs767649), miR-21 (rs13137), miR-124 (rs531564) and miR-146a (rs57095329, rs2431697) were determined with multiplex polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction (PCR-LDR) technique. The patients were divided into different subgroups according to the Montreal Classification Criteria for CD. Harvey-Bradshaw index (HBI) and simplified endoscopic score for CD were respectively applied to assess the clinical and endoscopic disease activity of CD. Unconditional logistic regression model was employed to analyze the distribution of miRNA gene polymorphisms between the two groups, as well as their influence on the clinicopathological characteristics of CD patients. Among them, 185 CD patients received first-line UST treatment, with the first sufficient dose of UST (6 mg/kg) administered intravenously. Based on the changes in HBI at week 8, the response of patients to UST treatment was evaluated. Unconditional logistic regression model was employed to analyze the distribution of miRNA gene polymorphisms between clinically responsive group (the decline of HBI ≥ 3 scores compared to week 0) and non-responsive group. All of the P values were adjusted by Bonferroni correction. This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (Ethics No.: 2025-K-12-01).
RESULTS:
No significant difference was found in the distribution of miRNA gene polymorphisms between the two groups (all P > 0.05). The variant genotype (TC+CC) of rs2431697 was more common among patients with terminal ileal-type and ileocolic-type CD than those with the colonic-type CD (OR = 4.98, 95%CI: 1.49~16.68, P = 0.009, adjusted P = 0.045). However, the opposite conclusion was drawn for the homozygous variant genotype (TT) of rs13137 and variant genotype (GC+CC) of rs531564 (OR = 0.37, 95%CI: 0.18~0.76, P = 0.007, adjusted P = 0.035; OR = 0.36, 95%CI: 0.18~0.73, P = 0.004, adjusted P = 0.020). Compared to patients with non-stricturing and penetrating CD, the variant genotype (AG+GG) and variant allele (G) of rs57095329 were more common in those with stricturing and penetrating CD (OR = 4.06, 95%CI: 2.46~6.71, P < 0.001, adjusted P < 0.005; OR = 3.12, 95%CI: 2.06~4.73, P < 0.001, adjusted P < 0.005). However, the frequencies of variant genotype (AT+TT) and variant allele (T) of rs13137 were lower among patients with stricturing and penetrating CD than in those without (OR = 0.25, 95%CI: 0.15~0.41, P < 0.001, adjusted P < 0.005; OR = 0.45, 95%CI: 0.33~0.63, P < 0.001, adjusted P < 0.005). Additionally, the variant genotype (AG+GG) and variant allele (G) of rs57095329 were more common among those with moderately to severely endoscopic activity than those with mildly endoscopic activity (OR = 2.01, 95%CI: 1.19~3.42, P = 0.009, adjusted P = 0.045; OR = 2.04, 95%CI: 1.28~3.25, P = 0.003, adjusted P = 0.015). In total 117 cases had shown clinical response by week 8, while 68 cases showed no response. Compared with t he clinically non-responsive group, the variant genotype (TC+CC) and variant allele (C) of rs2431697 were more common in the clinically responsive group (OR = 3.86, 95%CI: 1.80~8.32, P = 0.001, adjusted P = 0.005; OR = 2.60, 95%CI: 1.34~5.06, P = 0.005, adjusted P = 0.025). However, the variant genotype (TA+AA) of rs767649 was less frequent in the clinically responsive group than the non-responsive group (OR = 0.40, 95%CI: 0.21~0.74, P = 0.004, adjusted P = 0.020). The same conclusion was drawn for the variant genotype (AT+TT) and variant allele (T) of rs13137 when the clinically responsive group was compared with the non-responsive group (OR = 0.30, 95%CI: 0.14~0.63, P = 0.002, adjusted P = 0.010; OR = 0.54, 95%CI: 0.35~0.82, P = 0.005, adjusted P = 0.025).
CONCLUSION
Genetic polymorphisms of miRNAs are not associated with the risk of developing CD. The miR-146a (rs57095329) variant may increase the endoscopic activity of CD and the risk for stenosis or penetration. However, the miR-146a (rs2431697) variant may increase the risk of ileal involvement. The miR-21 (rs13137) variant may reduce the risk of ileal involvement and the risk of stenosis or penetration. The miR-124 (rs531564) variant may reduce the risk of ileal involvement. Among patients receiving UST treatment, the miR-146a (rs2431697) variant may increase the clinical response by week 8. However, both the miR-155 (rs767649) and miR-21 (rs13137) variants may decrease the clinical response by week 8.
Humans
;
MicroRNAs/genetics*
;
Crohn Disease/pathology*
;
Male
;
Female
;
Adult
;
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
;
Middle Aged
;
Asian People/genetics*
;
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
;
Genotype
;
Young Adult
;
Case-Control Studies
;
Adolescent
;
East Asian People
3.Preliminary analysis of mRNA m7G modifications in human Adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction.
Ziyan LIU ; Xiaoyan WANG ; Binbin HU ; Shiqi ZHANG ; Yakun LANG ; Yu FAN
Chinese Journal of Medical Genetics 2025;42(2):187-197
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the potential role of mRNA m7G modification in the pathogenesis of human adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG).
METHODS:
Pathological tissue specimens from four AEG patients who underwent surgical treatment at the People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University between 2018 and 2019 were selected. Tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues were collected from these patients. RNA was extracted from both tissue types and subjected to m7G methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (m7G-MeRIP-seq) to analyze the patterns of m7G modification, the characteristics of differential m7G modification sites, the differentially expressed mRNA, and the correlation between m7G modification and mRNA expression levels. Differential m7G-modified genes (MSH6, BRCA1, and SOX9) were further validated using methylated RNA immunoprecipitation quantitative PCR (MeRIP-qPCR), while the expression of METTL1 and WDR4 genes was examined by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University (Ethics No. 20150083).
RESULTS:
m7G-MeRIP-seq analysis revealed that m7G modifications in both AEG and adjacent normal tissues were predominantly located in the GC-rich region surrounding the internal start codon of mRNA. Differential m7G modification sites between the two groups were closely associated with cancer-related genes. mRNA library analysis showed that differentially expressed mRNA were predominantly upregulated in AEG tissues and downregulated in adjacent normal tissues. Cross-analysis indicated that genes with hypermethylation tended to exhibit upregulated expression, while genes with hypomethylation were typically downregulated in AEG tissues. MeRIP-qPCR validation confirmed that the mRNA expression of MSH6, BRCA1, and SOX9 were significantly upregulated in AEG tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues (AEG vs. normal, P < 0.05). RT-qPCR results demonstrated that the mRNA expression levels of METTL1 and WDR4 were also upregulated in AEG tissues (AEG vs. normal, P < 0.000 5).
CONCLUSION
These findings suggest that mRNA m7G modification plays a significant role in the development of AEG. Furthermore, proteins as METTL1 and WDR4 may facilitate AEG progression by regulating mRNA m7G modification. These results provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying AEG and may inform future therapeutic strategies for this malignancy.
Humans
;
RNA, Messenger/metabolism*
;
Adenocarcinoma/pathology*
;
Esophagogastric Junction/metabolism*
;
Esophageal Neoplasms/metabolism*
;
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
;
Female
;
Male
;
Middle Aged
;
DNA Methylation
;
Methyltransferases/metabolism*
;
Stomach Neoplasms/genetics*
4.Pathological characteristics and genetic analysis of a stillborn harboring compound heterozygous nonsense variants of TH gene.
Haofeng NING ; Zheng YANG ; Xiaonan WANG ; Yanchou YE ; Zheng CHEN ; Jianlan YIN
Chinese Journal of Medical Genetics 2025;42(11):1393-1397
OBJECTIVE:
To carry out pathological and genetic analyses on a fetus with intrauterine growth restriction and death during second trimester after induced abortion.
METHODS:
A fetus undergone induced abortion due to intrauterine growth restriction and death during second trimester at the the Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University in 2024 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the pregnancy were collected. DNA was extracted from tissues from the aborted fetus and peripheral blood samples from its parents. Chromosomal microarray analysis and whole exome sequencing were carried out. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing. Following abortion, routine autopsy and pathological analysis were conducted. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the hospital (Ethics No.: KY-2025-334-01).
RESULTS:
The aborted fetus was a male and harbored compound heterozygous nonsense variants of the TH gene (c.457C>T/p.Arg153* and c.694C>T/p.Gln232*), for which both parents were heterozygous carriers. Autopsy and pathological analysis revealed that the fetus had pathological features including loose arrangement of myocardial fibers and congestion in the liver.
CONCLUSION
Biallelic null variants of the TH gene may cause heart failure by affecting the development of cardiovascular system, which in turn may lead to intrauterine death. This study has provided new clues for the molecular diagnosis of stillbirth and recurrent pregnancy loss.
Humans
;
Female
;
Pregnancy
;
Male
;
Heterozygote
;
Codon, Nonsense/genetics*
;
Fetal Growth Retardation/pathology*
;
Adult
;
Stillbirth/genetics*
5.Linking tetrahydrobiopterin depletion to ferroptosis: A novel mechanism of neurological injury in Hyperphenylalaninemia.
Huizhong LI ; Yanli SHEN ; Zhou WEI
Chinese Journal of Medical Genetics 2025;42(12):1518-1522
Hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) is an inherited metabolic disorder caused by deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase, characterized by significantly elevated phenylalanine levels. Conventional mechanisms, such as neurotransmitter deficiency and dysmyelination, fail to fully explain the progressive neurological damages associated with HPA. Meanwhile, ferroptosis, an emerging form of iron-dependent regulated cell death, has proven to play an important role in neurodegenerative diseases. We hereby propose a hypothesis that tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) depletion in HPA may lead to the collapse of intracellular antioxidant defenses. This process could induce ferroptosis, thereby serving as a pivotal mechanism underlying HPA-related neurological injury. This review has systematically summarized the pathological mechanisms of HPA, the biological features of ferroptosis, and the bridging role of BH4 between them, thereby establishing a novel "HPA-BH4-ferroptosis" theoretical framework and providing a rationale for developing new therapeutic strategies targeting ferroptosis.
Ferroptosis
;
Humans
;
Biopterins/deficiency*
;
Phenylketonurias/pathology*
;
Animals
6.Histopathologic findings of psoriatic lesions of patients accessing care at Ospital ng Manila Medical Center, Manila Philippines: A five year retrospective study (2010-2015)
Ma. Christina T. Lacaba ; Benedicto Dl. Carpio ; Eileen Regaldo-morales ; Armelia Andrea Lapitan-toorres
Journal of the Philippine Medical Association 2025;103(2):23-30
INTRODUCTION
Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated polygenic skin disorder characterized by epidermal hyperplasia. Cardinal histopathological features are as follows: hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis, neutrophils in the stratum corneum and spinous layer, hypogranulosis with suprapapillary thinning, acanthosis, clubbed rete ridges, dilated capillaries, and perivascular lymphocytes. As histopathology may be more definitive compared to clinical manifestations, being able to diagnose psoriasis accurately through histopathology may enable early diagnosis and treatment. This could ideally mean a decrease in its progression, prevention of complications, and improvement of quality of life for psoriatic persons.
OBJECTIVESTo examine, grade, and compare histopathologic f indings of psoriatic lesions with established parameters from previous literature.
METHODSThis is a retrospective descriptive study that will examine, grade, and compare all histopathologic findings of psoriatic lesions of patients who have accessed care at Ospital ng Manila Medical Center from 2010-2015 with established parameters from previous literature.
RESULTSAll 41 cases (100%) showed parakeratosis, followed in decreasing order by 19 cases (46.34%) with Munro's microabscesses, 15 cases (36.59%) with pustules of Koga, 15 cases (36.59%) with hypogranulosis, and 11 cases (26.83%) with spongiosis. Using the visual analogue scale of Moorchung Net al (2013), 28 cases (68.29%) showed mild inflammatory infiltrates, followed in decreasing order by 19 cases (46.34%) with mild epidermal hyperplasia, 12 cases (29.27%) with mild capillary proliferation, and 4 cases (9.77%) with mild suprapapillary thinning.
CONCLUSIONSFindings of the current study showed histopathologic features of both early and fully developed lesions based on established psoriasis histopathological parameters. Recognized histopathological features were not consistently found in well-developed lesions.
Human ; Psoriasis ; Histopathology ; Pathology
7.Deep needling at Xiaguan (ST7) combined with electroacupuncture and warm acupuncture for adenoid hypertrophy in children: a randomized controlled trial.
Cong DENG ; Qian MO ; Xiaolin ZHUO ; Yimei GUAN
Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion 2025;45(2):179-184
OBJECTIVE:
To observe the clinical efficacy of deep needling at Xiaguan (ST7) combined with electroacupuncture and warm acupuncture for adenoid hypertrophy (AH) in children.
METHODS:
Seventy-two children with AH were randomly divided into an observation group (36 cases, 5 cases dropped out, 1 case was eliminated) and a control group (36 cases, 4 cases dropped out, 2 cases were eliminated). The observation group received deep needling at Xiaguan (ST7) combined with electroacupuncture and warm acupuncture. The needle depth of Xiaguan (ST7) was 20-30 mm. Electroacupuncture was applied at Xiaguan (ST7), Yingxiang (LI20), Yintang (GV24+), Baihui (GV20), with continuous wave, in frequency of 2 Hz. Warm acupuncture was applied at Zusanli (ST36). The treatment was performed 30 min each time, once a week for 12 weeks. The control group was treated with mometasone furoate aqueous nasal spray, one spray per nostril each time, once a day for 12 weeks. The symptom score, adenoid-to-nasopharynx ratio (A/N), and 18-item health-related quality-of-life survey for children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA-18) score were observed before and after treatment in the two groups, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated after treatment.
RESULTS:
After treatment, the total scores of symptom, A/N, and OSA-18 scores were decreased compared with those before treatment in both groups (P<0.01), the above indexes in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05). The total effective rate in the observation group was 93.3% (28/30), which was higher than 83.3% (25/30) in the control group (P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Deep needling at Xiaguan (ST7) combined with electroacupuncture and warm acupuncture could effectively improve symptoms, reduce adenoid volume, and improve the quality of life in children with AH.
Humans
;
Male
;
Female
;
Acupuncture Points
;
Electroacupuncture
;
Acupuncture Therapy
;
Child
;
Child, Preschool
;
Hypertrophy/therapy*
;
Adenoids/pathology*
;
Treatment Outcome
;
Combined Modality Therapy
8.Effects of moxibustion at "Feishu" (BL13) and "Xinshu" (BL15) on myocardial circPAN3, FOXO3, BNIP3 levels and myocardial fibrosis in rats with chronic heart failure.
Lan LI ; Bing GAO ; Jing HU ; Pan LIU ; Liya LI ; Ruihua LI ; Jing WANG
Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion 2025;45(11):1600-1608
OBJECTIVE:
To observe the effects of moxibustion at "Feishu" (BL13) and "Xinshu" (BL15) on the circular RNA of exon 2-5 of the Pan3 gene (circPAN3), forkhead box O3 (FOXO3), and Bcl-2/adenovirus E1B19kDa-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) in rats with chronic heart failure (CHF), and explore the potential mechanisms of moxibustion in alleviating myocardial fibrosis.
METHODS:
Ten rats of 60 male SPF-grade SD rats were randomly assigned into a normal group. The remaining rats underwent left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) ligation to establish the CHF model. Forty successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into a model group, a moxibustion group, a rapamycin (RAPA) group, and a moxibustion+RAPA group, with 10 rats in each group. The moxibustion group received mild moxibustion at bilateral "Feishu" (BL13) and "Xinshu" (BL15), 30 min per session. The RAPA group received intraperitoneal injection of the autophagy activator RAPA (1 mg/kg). The moxibustion+RAPA group first received RAPA injection, followed by mild moxibustion at bilateral "Feishu" (BL13) and "Xinshu" (BL15). All interventions were administered once daily for 4 consecutive weeks. After the intervention, cardiac ultrasound was used to measure ejection fraction (EF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (FS). Serum placental growth factor (PLGF) level was determined by ELISA. Myocardial tissue morphology and collagen volume were assessed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson's trichrome staining. The expression levels of circPAN3, FOXO3, and BNIP3 mRNA in myocardial tissue were detected by real-time PCR, while FOXO3 and BNIP3 protein expression levels were analyzed by Western blot.
RESULTS:
Compared with the normal group, the model group exhibited myocardial cell disorder, severe fibrosis, and increased collagen volume (P<0.01), along with significantly decreased EF, FS, and circPAN3 mRNA expression in myocardial tissue (P<0.01), and the serum PLGF level, as well as FOXO3 and BNIP3 mRNA and protein expression in myocardial tissue were increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the moxibustion group showed reduced myocardial fibrosis, decreased collagen volume (P<0.01), increased EF, FS, and circPAN3 mRNA expression in myocardial tissue (P<0.01), and decreased serum PLGF level as well as FOXO3 and BNIP3 mRNA and protein expression in myocardial tissue (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the RAPA group showed further deterioration in these parameters (P<0.01). Compared with the RAPA group, the moxibustion+RAPA group exhibited alleviation of myocardial fibrosis, reduced collagen volume (P<0.01), increased EF, FS, and circPAN3 mRNA expression in myocardial tissue (P<0.01), and decreased serum PLGF level as well as FOXO3 and BNIP3 mRNA and protein expression in myocardial tissue (P<0.01).
CONCLUSION
Moxibustion could alleviate myocardial fibrosis in CHF rats, possibly through upregulation of myocardial circPAN3 expression, downregulation of FOXO3 and BNIP3 expression, and inhibition of excessive myocardial autophagy.
Animals
;
Moxibustion
;
Heart Failure/metabolism*
;
Male
;
Rats
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Myocardium/pathology*
;
RNA, Circular/metabolism*
;
Membrane Proteins/metabolism*
;
Forkhead Box Protein O3/metabolism*
;
Acupuncture Points
;
Humans
;
Fibrosis/genetics*
;
Chronic Disease/therapy*
;
Mitochondrial Proteins
9.Automatic brain segmentation in cognitive impairment: Validation of AI-based AQUA software in the Southeast Asian BIOCIS cohort.
Ashwati VIPIN ; Rasyiqah BINTE SHAIK MOHAMED SALIM ; Regina Ey KIM ; Minho LEE ; Hye Weon KIM ; ZunHyan RIEU ; Nagaendran KANDIAH
Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore 2025;54(8):467-475
INTRODUCTION:
Interpretation and analysis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in clinical settings comprise time-consuming visual ratings and complex neuroimage processing that require trained professionals. To combat these challenges, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques can aid clinicians in interpreting brain MRI for accurate diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases but they require extensive validation. Thus, the aim of this study was to validate the use of AI-based AQUA (Neurophet Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea) segmentation software in a Southeast Asian community-based cohort with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.
METHOD:
Study participants belonged to the community-based Biomarker and Cognition Study in Singapore. Participants aged between 30 and 95 years, having cognitive concerns, with no diagnosis of major psychiatric, neurological or systemic disorders who were recruited consecutively between April 2022 and July 2023 were included. Participants underwent neuropsychological assessments and structural MRI, and were classified as cognitively normal, with MCI or with dementia. MRI pre-processing using automated pipelines, along with human-based visual ratings, were compared against AI-based automated AQUA output. Default mode network grey matter (GM) volumes were compared between cognitively normal, MCI and dementia groups.
RESULTS:
A total of 90 participants (mean age at visit was 63.32±10.96 years) were included in the study (30 cognitively normal, 40 MCI and 20 dementia). Non-parametric Spearman correlation analysis indicated that AQUA-based and human-based visual ratings were correlated with total (ρ=0.66; P<0.0001), periventricular (ρ=0.50; P<0.0001) and deep (ρ=0.57; P<0.0001) white matter hyperintensities (WMH). Additionally, volumetric WMH obtained from AQUA and automated pipelines was also strongly correlated (ρ=0.84; P<0.0001) and these correlations remained after controlling for age at visit, sex and diagnosis. Linear regression analyses illustrated significantly different AQUA-derived default mode network GM volumes between cognitively normal, MCI and dementia groups. Dementia participants had significant atrophy in the posterior cingulate cortex compared to cognitively normal participants (P=0.021; 95% confidence interval [CI] -1.25 to -0.08) and in the hippocampus compared to cognitively normal (P=0.0049; 95% CI -1.05 to -0.16) and MCI participants (P=0.0036; 95% CI -1.02 to -0.17).
CONCLUSION
Our findings demonstrate high concordance between human-based visual ratings and AQUA-based ratings of WMH. Additionally, the AQUA GM segmentation pipeline showed good differentiation in key regions between cognitively normal, MCI and dementia participants. Based on these findings, the automated AQUA software could aid clinicians in examining MRI scans of patients with cognitive impairment.
Humans
;
Cognitive Dysfunction/pathology*
;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods*
;
Male
;
Middle Aged
;
Female
;
Aged
;
Artificial Intelligence
;
Software
;
Dementia/diagnostic imaging*
;
Aged, 80 and over
;
Adult
;
Singapore
;
Neuropsychological Tests
;
Brain/pathology*
;
Cohort Studies
;
Gray Matter/pathology*
;
Southeast Asian People
10.Circulating tumor DNA- and cancer tissue-based next-generation sequencing reveals comparable consistency in targeted gene mutations for advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
Weijia HUANG ; Kai XU ; Zhenkun LIU ; Yifeng WANG ; Zijia CHEN ; Yanyun GAO ; Renwang PENG ; Qinghua ZHOU
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(7):851-858
BACKGROUND:
Molecular subtyping is an essential complementarity after pathological analyses for targeted therapy. This study aimed to investigate the consistency of next-generation sequencing (NGS) results between circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)-based and tissue-based in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and identify the patient characteristics that favor ctDNA testing.
METHODS:
Patients who diagnosed with NSCLC and received both ctDNA- and cancer tissue-based NGS before surgery or systemic treatment in Lung Cancer Center, Sichuan University West China Hospital between December 2017 and August 2022 were enrolled. A 425-cancer panel with a HiSeq 4000 NGS platform was used for NGS. The unweighted Cohen's kappa coefficient was employed to discriminate the high-concordance group from the low-concordance group with a cutoff value of 0.6. Six machine learning models were used to identify patient characteristics that relate to high concordance between ctDNA-based and tissue-based NGS.
RESULTS:
A total of 85 patients were enrolled, of which 22.4% (19/85) had stage III disease and 56.5% (48/85) had stage IV disease. Forty-four patients (51.8%) showed consistent gene mutation types between ctDNA-based and tissue-based NGS, while one patient (1.2%) tested negative in both approaches. Patients with advanced diseases and metastases to other organs would be suitable for the ctDNA-based NGS, and the generalized linear model showed that T stage, M stage, and tumor mutation burden were the critical discriminators to predict the consistency of results between ctDNA-based and tissue-based NGS.
CONCLUSION
ctDNA-based NGS showed comparable detection performance in the targeted gene mutations compared with tissue-based NGS, and it could be considered in advanced or metastatic NSCLC.
Humans
;
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology*
;
Circulating Tumor DNA/blood*
;
High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods*
;
Female
;
Male
;
Lung Neoplasms/pathology*
;
Middle Aged
;
Mutation/genetics*
;
Aged
;
Adult
;
Aged, 80 and over


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