BACKGROUND: Research has indicated that the disease burden of alopecia areata (AA) in China exceeds the global average. Therefore, accurate and updated epidemiological information is crucial for policymakers. In this study, we aimed to comprehensively assess the disease burden of AA in China. METHODS: The following four key indicators were utilized: the prevalence of cases; disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs); the age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR); and the age-standardized DALY rate (ASDR) of AA according to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2021. We analyzed the epidemiological burden of AA in China during 2021, examined changes between 1990 and 2021, and performed a Bayesian age-period-cohort analysis to predict trends over the course of the next decade (2022-2030). Additionally, a Gaussian process regression model was applied to estimate the relationship between the gross domestic product (GDP) and the ASPR and ASDR of AA at the provincial level between 1992 and 2021. RESULTS: In 2021, the estimated number of patients with AA in China was approximately 3.49 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 3.37-3.62 million); of these patients, 1.20 million (95% UI, 1.16-1.25 million) were male and 2.29 million (95% UI, 2.20-2.37 million) were female. This large number of patients with AA resulted in a total of 114,431.25 DALYs (95% UI, 74,780.27-160,318.96 DALYs). Additionally, the ASPR and ASDR were 224.61 per 100,000 population (95% UI, 216.73-232.65 per 100,000 population) and 7.41 per 100,000 population (95% UI, 4.85-10.44 per 100,000 population), respectively; both of these rates were higher than the global averages. The most affected demographic groups were young and female individuals 25-39 years of age. Slight regional disparities were observed, with the northern and central regions of China bearing comparatively higher burdens. Between 1990 and 2021, the health loss and disease burden caused by AA in China remained relatively stable. The ASPR and ASDR of AA increased with the GDP when the annual GDP was less than 2 trillion Chinese yuan; however, a downward trend was observed as the GDP surpassed 2 trillion Chinese yuan. A slight upward trend in the disease burden of AA in China is predicted to occur over the next decade. CONCLUSIONS AA continues to be a public health concern in China that shows no signs of declining. Targeted efforts for young individuals and females are necessary because they experience a disproportionately high burden of AA.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Alopecia Areata/epidemiology* ; Global Burden of Disease ; Female ; Male ; Adult ; Disability-Adjusted Life Years ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Bayes Theorem ; Child ; Quality-Adjusted Life Years ; Child, Preschool

Peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) have emerged as a promising modality in precision oncology, enabling targeted delivery of cytotoxic payloads while minimizing off-target toxicity. The integration of covalent warheads, such as those based on sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange (SuFEx) chemistry, enhances drug-target residence time and tumor accumulation. However, existing screening methods for covalent peptide (CP) libraries require post-translational warhead conjugation, limiting throughput. Here, we present an integrated mRNA display platform that incorporates covalent warheads during ribosomal synthesis, enabling efficient screening of ultra-diverse covalent macrocyclic peptide libraries (>10¹³ variants). This approach, using site-specific incorporation of N-chloroacetyl-d-phenylalanine and fluorosulfate-l-tyrosine, accelerated the discovery of irreversibly binding (K _i = 3.58 μmol/L) Nectin-4-targeting peptide CP-N1-N₃ via proximity-triggered SuFEx. The peptide was further conjugated to cytotoxic payloads, yielding the covalent PDC CP-N1-MMAE with potent cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ ≈ 43 nmol/L) against MDA-MB-468 cells. This platform establishes a new paradigm for precision covalent drug discovery.

Background::Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has emerged as the leading cause of death from prostate cancer (PCa) in recent decades, bringing a great disease burden worldwide. Men with preexisting CVD have an increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events when treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The present study aimed to explore the prevalence and risk evaluation of CVD among people with newly diagnosed PCa in China.Methods::Clinical data of newly diagnosed PCa patients were retrospectively collected from 34 centers in China from 2010 to 2022 through convenience sampling. CVD was defined as myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, heart failure, stroke, ischemic heart disease, and others. CVD risk was estimated by calculating Framingham risk scores (FRS). Patients were accordingly divided into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups. χ2 or Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical variables. Results::A total of 4253 patients were enrolled in the present study. A total of 27.0% (1147/4253) of patients had comorbid PCa and CVD, and 7.2% (307/4253) had two or more CVDs. The enrolled population was distributed in six regions of China, and approximately 71.0% (3019/4253) of patients lived in urban areas. With imaging and pathological evaluation, most PCa patients were diagnosed at an advanced stage, with 20.5% (871/4253) locally progressing and 20.5% (871/4253) showing metastasis. Most of them initiated prostatectomy (46.6%, 1983/4253) or regimens involving ADT therapy (45.7%, 1944/4253) for prostate cancer. In the present PCa cohort, 43.1% (1832/4253) of patients had hypertension, and half of them had poorly controlled blood pressure. With FRS stratification, as expected, a higher risk of CVD was related to aging and metabolic disturbance. However, we also found that patients with treatment involving ADT presented an originally higher risk of CVD than those without ADT. This was in accordance with clinical practice, i.e., aged patients or patients at advanced oncological stages were inclined to accept systematic integrative therapy instead of surgery. Among patients who underwent medical castration, only 4.0% (45/1118) received gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonists, in stark contrast to the grim situation of CVD prevalence and risk.Conclusions::PCa patients in China are diagnosed at an advanced stage. A heavy CVD burden was present at the initiation of treatment. Patients who accepted ADT-related therapy showed an original higher risk of CVD, but the awareness of cardiovascular protection was far from sufficient.

Objective:To explore the clinical application pathway of the CT generative adversarial networks (CTGANs) algorithm in mandibular reconstruction surgery, aiming to provide a valuable reference for this procedure.Methods:A clinical exploratory study was conducted, 27 patients who visited the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between January 2022 and January 2024 and required mandibular reconstruction were selected. The cohort included 16 males and 11 females, with the age of (46.6±11.5) years; among them, 7 cases involved mandibular defects crossing the midline. The CTGANs generator produced 100 images, and the mean squared error (MSE) was calculated for differences between any two generated images. Preoperative cone-beam CT data from 5 patients were used to construct a labeled test database, divided into groups: normal maxilla, normal mandible, diseased mandible, and noise (each group containing 70 cross-sectional images). The CTGANs discriminator was used to evaluate the loss values for each group, and one-way ANOVA and intergroup comparisons were performed. Using the self-developed KuYe multioutcome-option-network generation system (KMG) software, the three-dimensional (3D) completion area of the mandible under cone-beam CT was defined for the 27 patients. The CTGANs algorithm was applied to obtain a reference model for the mandible. Virtual surgery was then performed, utilizing the fibular segment to reconstruct the mandible and design the surgical expectation model. The second-generation combined bone-cutting and prebent reconstruction plate positioning method was used to design and 3D print surgical guides, which were subsequently applied in mandibular reconstruction surgery for the 27 patients. Postoperative cone-beam CT was used to compare the morphology of the reconstructed mandible with the surgical expectation model and the mandibular reference model to assess the three-dimensional deviation.Results:The MSE for the CTGANs generator was 2 411.9±833.6 (95% CI: 2 388.7-2 435.1). No significant difference in loss values was found between the normal mandible and diseased mandible groups ( P>0.05), while both groups demonstrated significantly lower loss values than the maxilla and noise groups ( P<0.001). All 27 patients successfully obtained mandibular reference models and surgical expectation models. In total, 14 162 negative deviation points and 15 346 positive deviation points were observed when comparing the reconstructed mandible morphology with the surgical expectation model, with mean deviations of -1.32 mm (95% CI:-1.33- -1.31 mm) and 1.90 mm (95% CI: 1.04-1.06 mm), respectively. Conclusions:The CTGANs algorithm is capable of generating diverse mandibular reference models that reflect the natural anatomical characteristics of the mandible and closely match individual patient morphology, thereby facilitating the design of surgical expectation models. This method shows promise for application in patients with mandibular defects crossing the midline.

Objective A competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network associated with long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) specific for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) was constructed based on bioinformatics methods, and the functional mechanism of actinfilament-associated protein 1-antisense RNA1 (AFAP1-AS1) in LUAD was analyzed, in order to provide a new direction for the study of LUAD therapeutic targets. Methods The gene chip of LUAD was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and lncRNA and mRNA with differential expression between LUAD and normal tissues were screened using GEO2R online software, and their target genes were predicted by online databases to construct ceRNA networks and perform enrichment analysis. In cell experiments, AFAP1-AS1 was genetically knocked down and siRNA was constructed and transfected into LUAD cells A549 by cell transfection. CCK8, transwell, scratch assay and flow cytometry were used to detect the ability of cells to proliferate, invade, migrate and apoptosis. Results A total of 6 differentially expressed lncRNA and 494 differentially expressed mRNA were identified in the microarray of LUAD. The ceRNA network involved a total of 6 lncRNA, 22 miRNA, and 55 mRNA. Enrichment analysis revealed that mRNA was associated with cancer-related pathways. In cell assays, knockdown of AFAP1-AS1 inhibited cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, and AFAP1-AS1 promoted apoptosis. Conclusion In this study, we construct a lncRNA-mediated ceRNA network, which may help to further investigate the mechanism of action of LUAD. In addition, through cellular experiments, AFAP1-AS1 is found to have potential as a therapeutic target for LUAD.

BACKGROUND:Disseminated intravascular coagulation(DIC)is associated with increased mortality in sepsis patients.In this study,we aimed to assess the clinical ability of sepsis-induced coagulopathy(SIC)and sepsis-associated coagulopathy(SAC)criteria in identifying overt-DIC and pre-DIC status in sepsis patients. METHODS:Data from 419 sepsis patients were retrospectively collected from July 2018 to December 2022.The performances of the SIC and SAC were assessed to identify overt-DIC on days 1,3,7,or 14.The SIC status or SIC score on day 1,the SAC status or SAC score on day 1,and the sum of the SIC or SAC scores on days 1 and 3 were compared in terms of their ability to identify pre-DIC.The SIC or SAC status on day 1 was evaluated as a pre-DIC indicator for anticoagulant initiation. RESULTS:On day 1,the incidences of coagulopathy according to overt-DIC,SIC and SAC criteria were 11.7％,22.0％and 31.5％,respectively.The specificity of SIC for identifying overt-DIC was significantly higher than that of the SAC criteria from day 1 to day 14(P＜0.05).On day 1,the SIC score with a cut-off value＞3 had a significantly higher sensitivity(72.00％)and area under the curve(AUC)(0.69)in identifying pre-DIC than did the SIC or SAC status(sensitivity:SIC status 44.00％,SAC status 52.00％;AUC:SIC status 0.62,SAC status 0.61).The sum of the SIC scores on days 1 and 3 had a higher AUC value for identifying the pre-DIC state than that of SAC(0.79 vs.0.69,P＜0.001).Favorable effects of anticoagulant therapy were observed in SIC(adjusted hazard ratio[HR]=0.216,95％confidence interval[95％CI]:0.060-0.783,P=0.018)and SAC(adjusted HR=0.146,95％CI:0.041-0.513,P=0.003). CONCLUSION:The SIC and SAC seem to be valuable for predicting overt-DIC.The sum of SIC scores on days 1 and 3 has the potential to help identify pre-DIC.

Objective This paper aims to construct a scientific and standardized index system for evaluating the applica-tion effect of Diagnosis-Intervention Packet(DIP)in medical institutions.It seeks to determine the weights of indicators at all lev-els to provide a basis for evaluating the effectiveness of DIP used in various regions as well as a reference for improving DIP poli-cy.Methods This paper used literature analysis to develop an indicator pool preliminarily.The Delphi method was used to con-duct a questionnaire survey with 22 experts to establish the index system.It also used the Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP)to determine the weight of each index.Results A total of two rounds of expert consultation questionnaires were conducted.The questionnaire exhibited high expert positive coefficients by 91.00％and 100.00％and higher authority coefficients of both 0.91 for two rounds.The coordination coefficients of the two rounds of expert consultation met the standard,and the expert opinions reached a consistence.Additionally,the questionnaire established comprised three primary indicators(efficiency of medical in-surance fund,medical service management,patient benefit,and satisfaction),9 secondary indicators,and 38 tertiary indicators.The AHP was used to determine the weight of indicators at all levels.Among the primary indicators,patient benefit and satisfac-tion had the highest weight(0.446 9).Among the secondary indicators,patients'medical cost burden had the highest weight(0.287 6).Among the tertiary indicators,the inpatient satisfaction had the highest weight(0.1592).The Cronbach's α coeffi-cients of the two rounds were＞0.7.Conclusion This paper utilized Delphi method and AHP to establish the evaluation system for assessing the implementation effectiveness of DIP.The approach is highly scientific and authoritative.It can be used to evalu-ate the application effect of DIP and provide an effective tool for medical insurance and hospital managers at all levels to assess DIP payment policies.

Objective To study the effects of different pellet feed hardness on the growth and reproduction,feed utilization rate,and environmental dust in laboratory mice.Methods One hundred of fifty 50 3-week-old SPF-grade C57BL/6JGpt and 150 ICR laboratory mice were randomly divided into three groups,with an equal number of males and females.They were fed diets with different hardness of 18.62 kg,23.15 kg,and 27.89 kg.Body weight,feed utilization rate,and dust levels in cages were recorded and calculated for mice aged 3-10 weeks.Forty-five 6-week-old male mice and ninety 4-week-old female mice from each strain were randomly divided into three groups and fed pellet feeds with three different hardness levels.After 2 weeks of adaptation to the same hardness feed,the mice were paired at a 1:2 male-to-female ratio and monitored for reproductive data for 3 months.Results At the age of 4 weeks,the body weight of male C57BL/6JGpt mice in 23.15 kg group was significantly higher than that in the 18.62 kg and 27.89 kg groups(P＜0.01),and the body weight of females in the 18.62 kg group was significantly higher than that in the 27.89 kg group(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in body weight among ICR mice aged 3-10 weeks across different feed hardness groups(P＞0.05).For both strains,feed utilization rate for males was higher than that for females across different feed hardness groups at all weeks of age(P＜0.01).Compared to the 27.89 kg group,both the 18.62 kg and 23.15 kg groups showed a significant increase in the 50-mesh dust levels in cages for both strains aged 4-8 weeks(except for 7-week-old C57BL/6JGpt mice)(P＜0.05).For both C57BL/6JGpt and ICR mice,there was no significant difference in basic reproductive performance such as interval between the first litter and the monthly production index among the three feed hardness groups during the experimental period(P＞0.05).However,the monthly production index of C57BL/6JGpt mice first increased and then decreased with the increase of feed hardness,while that of ICR mice increased with increasing feed hardness,though these differences were not statistically significant(P＞0.05).Conclusion Different strains and genders had different tolerance to feed hardness.C57BL/6JGpt mice are more adapted to lower hardness feeds,while ICR mice are better suited to slightly higher hardness feeds.

ObjectiveTo explore the effectiveness and safety of Yiqi Huoxue Formula （益气活血方， YHF） in the adjuvant treatment of chronic pulmonary heart disease （CPHD） and heart failure （HF）with qi deficiency and blood stasis pattern. MethodsOne hundred and twenty patients with CPHD and HF with qi deficiency and blood stasis pattern were allocated randomly into treatment group and control group， with 60 case in each group. The control group was given conventional basic western medicine， while the treatment group was given oral administration of YHF granules in addition， one dose per day. The treatment course for both groups was 8 weeks. The TCM symptom scores， Minnesota Life Quality Scale （MLHF-Q） scores， echocardiographic indicators including right ventricular end-diastolic diameter （RVEDD）， left ventricular end-diastolic diameter （LVEDD）， left atrial end-diastolic diameter （LAEDD） and pulmonary artery mean pressure （PAMP）， six-minute walking distance （6MWD）， and plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide （NT-ProBNP） level were compared between the groups. The effectiveness regarding cardiac function and TCM syndromes were compared between the two groups after treatment， and the occurrence of adverse events was observed. ResultsWith two drop-outs both in the treatment group and control group， and 58 cases in each group were included in the outcome analysis. The total effective rate regarding cardiac function and TCM syndromes in the treatment group were 91.38% （53/58） and 96.55% （56/58）， respectively， significantly higher than the corresponding 70.69% （41/58） and 48.27% （28/58） in the control group （P＜0.05）. After treatment， the TCM symptom scores and RVEDD level were significantly reduced in the treatment group， and MLHF-Q score， plasma NT-ProBNP level and PAMP level decreased significantly， while 6MWD increased in both groups （P＜0.01）. Compared to those in the control group， the TCM symptom scores， MLHF-Q score， plasma NT-ProBNP level and PAMP level significantly decreased， while 6MWD increased in the treatment group （P＜0.01）. There were no obvious abnormalities in the blood， urine， stool routine and liver and kidney function indicators in both groups. One adverse reaction each occurred in both groups， and there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence rates（P＞0.05）. ConclusionYHF combined with conventional western medicine can significantly improve the clinical efficacy， improve the clinical symptoms and cardiac function， increase the quality of life and exercise tolerance， and is relatively safe.

Objective To explore the correlation of serum Chemerin level with disease activity and the ratio of T helper 17/regulatory T cells(Th17/Treg)in patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA).Methods A total of 180 patients with RA who were admitted to our hospital were regarded as the observation group.According to the DAS28 score,the observation group was divided into the high activity group(60 cases),the moderate activity group(60 cases)and the low activity group(60 cases).Another 180 healthy people who underwent physical examination in our hospital during the same period were regarded as the control group.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect serum levels of Chemerin,interleukin-9(IL-9),interleukin-10(IL-10)and interleukin-17(IL-17).Flow cytometry was used to detect the Th17/Treg ratio.Spearman correlation analysis was applied to analyze the correlation between serum Chemerin level and DAS28 score.Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between serum Chemerin level and Th17,Treg cell percentage and Th17/Treg ratio.Results The results of this study showed that the serum level of Chemerin was higher in the observation group than that in the control group(P＜0.05).The serum Chemerin level was positively correlated with DAS28 score(P＜0.05).Serum Chemerin levels and DAS28 scores decreased in turn in the high,moderate and low activity groups(P＜0.05).The percentage of Th17 cells and the ratio of Th17/Treg were higher in the observation group than those in the control group,and the percentage of Treg cells was lower in the observation group than that in the control group(P＜0.05).The level of IL-10 was lower in the observation group than that in the control group,while levels of IL-17 and IL-9 were higher in the observation group than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that serum Chemerin level was positively correlated with the percentage of Th17 cells and the ratio of Th17/Treg,and negatively correlated with the percentage of Treg cells(P＜0.05).Conclusion Serum Chemerin level is elevated in patients with RA,which is closely related to disease activity and Th17/Treg ratio.