Objective To investigate the prognostic value of C5L2 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods The data of 175 patients with HCC who underwent curative resection at Zhongshan Hospital,Fudan University from Oct.,2012 to Sep.,2013 were analyzed retrospectively.The correlation between C5L2 and clinicopathologic characteristics were explored.COX regression model was used to determine the influence of clinical parameters on predicting recurrence,and the prognostic value of combined application of C5L2 and AFP were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier method.In vitro,the expression of C5L2 were tested in 5 HCC cell lines,and Hep3B and Huh7 were chosen for down-regulation and up-regulation of C5L2,respectively,the abilities of invasion and migration were examined by transwell and the potential mechanism was explored.Results The C5L2 expression was correlated to gender,tumor size and recurrence,and the recurrence rate of low C5L2 expression group was higher.Also,the multivariate analysis showed that C5L2 low expression was an independent risk factor for recurrence.Moreover,the combined application of C5L2 and AFP could estimate prognosis more effectively.Knockdown of C5L2 in Hep3B promoted the invasiveness and motility,and increased the level of β-catenin and MMP2;conversely,overexpression of C5L2 in Huh7 inhibited the invasiveness and motility,and decreased the level of β catenin and MMP2.Conclusions C5L2 could be regarded as an auxiliary indicator for prognosis of HCC,thereby the evaluation of C5L2 could help with making effective and comprehensive management for HCC patients.

Objective:To verify the performance of the next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform and evaluate the application of NGS, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and super amplification refractory mutation system (super-ARMS) in the detection of circulating free DNA (cfDNA) mutations in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods:A total of 75 patients with NSCLC in the respiratory department of Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University were enrolled. The standards, cfDNA from 25 patients with newly diagnosed and untreated NSCLC, and self-made mixed samples mixed with hemoglobin (1 000 mg /dl), bilirubin (500 mg/l), fat emulsion (2%), enterococcus gDNA and Escherichia coli gDNA were used to verify the blank limit, analytical sensitivity, precision, accuracy and specificity of NGS platform. The cfDNA mutations of 75 NSCLC patients were detected by ddPCR and NGS, and the mutation positive rates of the two platforms were compared. The linear relationship between the two platforms was compared by Pearson correlation test. 12 patients were selected by simple random sampling for the detection of plasma super-ARMS platform. The performance of three platforms in the detection of plasma cfDNA mutation in patients with NSCLC was compared.Results:The blank limit of NGS platform was set to 0.00%, the analytical sensitivity was 0.2%, the intra-assay precision and inter-assay precision were 100%. The test results were not affected by endogenous hemoglobin, bilirubin or fat emulsion in plasma or exogenous DNA interference, and the analysis specificity was good. The mutation positive rates of plasma cfDNA in 75 NSCLC patients detected by ddPCR and NGS were 61.33% and 60.00%, respectively. The complete coincidence rate was 89.33%, which suggests there was a positive correlation between the mutation abundance of NGS and ddPCR ( r=0.984, P=0.001). Among the plasma of 12 NSCLC patients, the results of NGS, ddPCR and super-ARMS were completely consistent in 7 cases, including 2 wild-types and 5 mutants. Conclusion:The NGS platform was verified to be useful for cfDNA mutation detection in patients with NSCLC. The ddPCR, NGS and super-ARMS have their own advantages in detecting cfDNA mutations in patients with NSCLC.

Objective:To analyze the changes of thyroid volume before and after supplementation with lipiodol pills in children with goiter, and to evaluate the recovery effect of lipiodol pills supplementation on children with goiter in the short term.Methods:In October 2018, 4 townships and towns in Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture with relatively serious historical conditions and high goiter rate of children aged 8 to 10 were selected for thyroid examination in 19 primary schools within the jurisdiction. Sixty children with goiter were selected as research subjects; at the same time, 138 children of the same age with normal thyroid B-ultrasound examination results were selected as control in the same period. Under the condition of normal diet, children with goiter were intervened by taking 200 mg lipiodol pills at one time. After 6 months, the thyroid volume of children with goiter and control children was measured by B-ultrasound.Results:Fifty-three children with goiter were finally included, with a sex ratio of 1.00 ∶ 1.04 (26 ∶ 27). There were 138 control children in the same period, with a sex ratio of 1.00 ∶ 1.30 (60 ∶ 78). Six months after taking lipiodol pills, the median thyroid volume of children with goiter was 3.7 ml, which was significantly different from that before supplementing with lipidol pills (5.8 ml, Z = - 7.95, P < 0.001), and not significantly different from that of control children (4.1 ml) in the same period ( Z = - 0.91, P = 0.365). Among them, 90.6% (48/53) of children with goiter recovered to the normal range, and 100.0% (15/15), 81.8% (18/22) and 93.8% (15/16) children's thyroid recovered returned to the normal range in the 8-, 9-, and 10-year-old age groups, respectively, and the highest proportion was in the 8-year-old age group. Stratified by age and gender, the thyroid volume of children with goiter in all age groups and gender after supplementation with lipiodol pills was lower than that before supplementation with lipiodol pills ( P < 0.001), but there was no difference compared with the control children in the same period ( P > 0.05). After supplementing with lipiodol pills, the diameters of thyroid in children with goiter were significantly lower than those before supplementing with lipiodol pills ( P < 0.001). Compared with the control children in the same period, there were significant differences in the right width, left length and right long diameter of the thyroid ( P < 0.05). Conclusion:Supplementing lipiodol pills can restore the thyroid volume of 8 - 10 year old children with goiter to normal range in a short term, and can effectively treat simple goiter.

Objective:To investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of whole exome sequencing (WES), as a molecular diagnosis technique, for adult patients with genetic diseases.Methods:The present retrospective analysis included 445 adult patients (ages 18-80 years) with suspected genetic diseases who underwent whole exome sequencing (WES) from August 2021 to December 2022. The pathogenicity classification of each variant was assessed in accordance with the recommendations developed by the American Society of Medical Genetics and Genomics.Results:The overall positive rate of WES among adult patients with suspected genetic diseases was 28.08% (125/445). The highest positive rate was observed in the age group of 41-50 years (34.33%, 23/67). Among the diagnosed genetic diseases, those affecting the cardiovascular system (63.16%, 84/133), nervous system (18.05%, 24/133), and endocrine system (13.53%, 18/133) ranked as the top three. The most common genetic diseases identified through WES in adult patients were hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (18.80%, 25/133), dilated cardiomyopathy (16.54%, 22/133), Marfan syndrome (15.04%, 20/133), epilepsy (9.02%, 12/133), and familial hypercholesterolemia (4.51%, 6/133). The main causative genes identified included FBN1 (14.29%, 19/133), MYBPC3 (9.02%, 12/133), MYH7 (9.02%, 12/133), LDLR (3.76%, 5/133), TTN (3.76%, 5/133), and TNNI3 (3.01%, 4/133).Conclusion:Applying the WES technique in clinical practice can improve the diagnostic rate of adult genetic diseases, especially in adult patients with suspected genetic conditions involving the cardiovascular system, nervous system, and endocrine system.

Background With the change of the national energy development layout, Qingyang has seen a situation where oil exploitation and agriculture go hand in hand, which may lead to local soil pollution if not taken seriously. Objective To evaluate the distribution characteristics, possible sources, and ecological risks of heavy metals in farmland soils around the main production areas of Changqing Oilfield. Methods A total of 60 farmland soil samples were collected from Zhengning County, Zhenyuan County, and Qingcheng County of Qingyang City, and the contents of heavy metals such lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) in farmland soil were detected according to GB 15618-2018 Soil environmental quality—Risk control standard for soil contamination of agricultural land (on trial). The soil background value of Gansu Province was used as the denominator in the calculation of pollution index, and the pollution characteristics and ecological characteristics of selected five heavy metals in farmland soil were evaluated by single-factor pollution index (P_i), Nemerow comprehensive pollution index (P_N), and potential ecological risk index. Results The levels of Pb, As, and Hg in farmland soils around Changqing Oilfield, the levels of Cr and Cd in Qingcheng County, and the level of Cd in Zhengning County were higher than the corresponding soil background values of Gansu Province, but lower than the national soil environmental quality standard. The single-factor pollution indexes (P_i) were: Hg, 2.14; Pb, 1.24; As, 1.13; Cr, 0.78; Cd, 0.67, which indicated that Hg were graded as moderate pollution, Pb and As were slight pollution, and Cd and Cr were not polluted. The Nemerow comprehensive pollution indexes (P_N) were: Cr, 0.92; Cd, 1.08; As, 1.20; Pb, 1.68; Hg, 3.85, which indicated that Cr was graded as no pollution, Cd, Pb and As were mild pollution, and Hg was severe pollution. The variation coefficients of Hg and Cd in Zhenyuan County and that of Hg in Qingcheng County were 60.00%, 50.00%, and 50.00%, respectively, which were all greater than 50%, indicating that the pollution of above heavy metals in the location was subject to human activities. The potential ecological risk indexes (E_r) of Pb, Cr, Cd, As, and Hg were 6.20, 1.55, 20.05, 11.28, and 81.64, respectively, indicating that Hg was graded as strong ecological risk, and the other four heavy metals were mild ecological risk. The comprehensive potential ecological risk index (R_RI) was 124.48. Combined with the potential ecological risk index of Hg, the comprehensive potential ecological risk of the five heavy metals in local farmland soils was considered to be at a strong ecological risk level. Conclusion Although the average values of selected five heavy metals in farmland soils surrounding the main production areas of Changqing Oilfield are qualified with the national soil environmental quality standards, they exceed corresponding soil background values of Gansu Province, and there are signs of human influence and potential ecological risks of different degrees.