Chemotherapy is currently the mainstay of systemic management for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but chemoresistance significantly impacts patient outcomes. Our research indicates that Doxorubicin (Dox)-resistant TNBC cells exhibit increased glycolysis and ATP generation compared to their parental cells, with this metabolic shift contributing to chemoresistance. We discovered that ALKBH3, an m¹A demethylase enzyme, is crucial in regulating the enhanced glycolysis in Dox-resistant TNBC cells. Knocking down ALKBH3 reduced ATP generation, glucose consumption, and lactate production, implicating its involvement in mediating glycolysis. Further investigation revealed that aldolase A (ALDOA), a key enzyme in glycolysis, is a downstream target of ALKBH3. ALKBH3 regulates ALDOA mRNA stability through m¹A demethylation at the 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR). This methylation negatively affects ALDOA mRNA stability by recruiting the YTHDF2/PAN2-PAN3 complex, leading to mRNA degradation. The ALKBH3/ALDOA axis promotes Dox resistance both in vitro and in vivo. Clinical analysis demonstrated that ALKBH3 and ALDOA are upregulated in breast cancer tissues, and higher expression of these proteins is associated with reduced overall survival in TNBC patients. Our study highlights the role of the ALKBH3/ALDOA axis in contributing to Dox resistance in TNBC cells through regulation of ALDOA mRNA stability and glycolysis.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between leucine-rich α2 glycoprotein (LRG) and endoscopic activity in patients with Crohn′s disease (CD), based on the assessment of inflammation in small intestinal lesion by double-balloon enteroscope (DBE).Methods:From 15 August 2022 to 22 August 2023, the clinical data of 139 patients with small bowel CD diagnosed by DBE at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University were prospectively collected, which included fecal calprotectin (FC), C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell count, hemoglobin, albumin, Crohn′s disease activity index (CDAI), and simple endoscopic score for Crohn′s disease (SES-CD). According to the SES-CD, endoscopic activity was classified as mucosal healing (0), endoscopic remission (0 to 2), mild activity (3 to 6), moderate activity (7 to 15), and severe activity (≥16). LRG levels were detected in all patients. Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the correlation between LRG, clinical biochemical parameters and endoscopic scores. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was performed to determine the optimal cut-off value of LRG for evaluating endoscopic mucosal healing. Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and Bonferroni corrected test were used for statistical analysis. Results:Among 139 patients with small bowel CD, the LRG level was 17.3 (13.0, 25.2) mg/L, and SES-CD was 5 (1, 9); 32 patients achieved mucosal healing, 50 patients achieved endoscopic remission; 39 patients had mild activity, 40 patients had moderate activity, and 10 patients had severe activity. The SES-CD was negatively correlated with both hemoglobin and albumin ( r=-0.177 (95% confidence interval, 95% CI: -0.334 to -0.011), -0.293 (95% CI: -0.438 to -0.133)), with statistical significance ( P=0.037, <0.001). The SES-CD was positively correlated with CRP, CDAI, LRG and FC ( r=0.344 (95% CI: 0.188 to 0.482), 0.429 (95% CI: 0.282 to 0.556), 0.525 (95% CI: 0.393 to 0.636), 0.661 (95% CI: 0.556 to 0.745)), with statistical significant (all P<0.001). For the 64 small bowel CD patients with CRP in the normal reference value, SES-CD was positively correlated with CDAI, LRG and FC ( r=0.296 (95% CI: 0.054 to 0.505), 0.364 (95% CI: 0.129 to 0.559), 0.547 (95% CI: 0.348 to 0.699)), with statistical significance ( P=0.017, =0.003, <0.001). The LRG level of patients with endoscopic mucosal healing was significantly lower than that of patients with endoscopic remission (11.5 (10.1, 17.2) mg/L vs. 17.3 (13.4, 23.5) mg/L), with statistical significance ( Z=-3.25, P<0.001). ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of LRG in predicting endoscopic mucosal healing was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.73 to 0.89), with an optimal cut-off value of 15.27 mg/L. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 0.757, 0.718, 0.900 and 0.469, respectively. The accuracy of the combination of LRG and FC (AUC was 0.88, 95% CI: 0.82 to 0.94) in predicting endoscopic mucosal healing was higher than that of LRG alone (AUC was 0.81, 95% CI: 0.73 to 0.89), and the difference was statistically significant ( P=0.011). Conclusion:Based on the results of DBE, LRG may be a reliable biomarker for predicting endoscopic remission and mucosal healing in patients with small bowel CD.

Objective To investigate the anti-tumor mechanism of natural compound toosendanin(TSN)combined with olaparib in triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC).Methods Human TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231 was cultured in vitro.Effects of TSN combined with olaparib on autophagy levels and cell viability in MDA-MB-231 cells were evaluated using 0.5,1.0,and 5.0 μmol/L olaparib alone or in combination.Surgical specimens from four TNBC patients who had residual tumors after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were selected to establish patient-derived organoid(PDO)models.The drug sensitivity of TSN combined with olaparib in TNBC patients was detected.Whether TSN combined with olaparib can exert autophagy inhibitory effects and tumor-killing effects in organoid model was verified.Results Olaparib induced autophagy in MDA-MB-231 cell line,and the combination of TSN and olaparib inhibited the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells(P＜0.01).In the TNBC PDOs model,the therapeutic effect of olaparib combined with TSN can significantly reduce the proliferation ability of tumor cells compared with olaparib alone.Conclusion The tumor-killing effect of TSN combined with olaparib is superior to that of olaparib alone,and the mechanism may be related to autophagy inhibition.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological features including immunophenotype, molecular characteristics, differential diagnosis and prognosis of SMARCB1-deficient renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) without sickle cell trait.Methods:The clinicopathological data of 12 cases of SMARCB1-deficient RMC without sickle cell trait were collected from 7 domestic institutions during the period of 2015 to 2024. Their clinical characteristics, morphological features and immunohistochemical properties were observed and analyzed. High-throughput DNA-targeted next-generation sequencing was performed, and follow-up data were gathered along with relevant literature review.Results:Among the 12 patients, 5 were female and 7 were male. The patients age ranged from 27 to 84 years with a median age of 58.5 (46.0, 71.0) years. None of them had sickle cell disease or other hemoglobinopathies. Eight cases occurred in the left kidney and 4 cases were located in the right kidney. The average maximum diameter of the tumor was 6.1 (4.0,7.5) cm, with a range of 2.0 to 14.9 cm (the median maximum diameter 5.5 cm). Histologically, the tumors showed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, arranged in solid and tubular patterns. Papillary structure was noted in 5 cases, cribriform structure in 3 cases, rhabdoid differentiation in 3 cases, and sarcomatoid differentiation in 2 cases. Inflammatory desmoplastic stromal reaction was observed in 8 cases, among which stromal myxoid degeneration was seen in 6 cases. Tumor necrosis was apparent in 6 cases. The tumor cells had abundant eosinophilic or clear cytoplasm and prominent nucleoli. The nuclear grading was grade 3 or 4 according to the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP). Immunohistochemical staining showed that the tumor cells of all 12 cases expressed PAX8 and loss of SMARCB1/INI1 protein expression, and 5 of 10 cases expressed OCT3/4. Seven samples had valid archived paraffin tissues for high-throughput DNA-targeted next-generation sequencing. The results showed that all 7 cases had pathogenic mutations in the SMARCB1 gene. The mutation sites included exon5 c.595A>T (p.K199*), exon2 c.200_207del (p.S67*), exon2 p.G69VfsTer16, exon7 c.986G>T (p.S329I), exon7 c.886A>T (p.K296*), exon6 c.635T>A (p.L212*), exon5 c.577del (p.M193Wfs16), and exon6 c.784del (p.V262Sfs5). Follow-up data were obtained for 6 of 12 patients. Among them, 1 patient had lung and bone metastases, 1 patient had liver and bone metastases and 1 patient had multiple bone metastases at the time of diagnosis; 1 patient had bone metastases 5 months after surgery. One patient died of postoperative complications 10 days after surgery, 4 patients died of tumors (the survival time ranged from 4 to 8 months), and 1 patient had no recurrence or metastasis during the 8-month follow-up after surgery.Conclusions:SMARCB1-deficient RMC without sickle cell trait is a highly aggressive and poorly differentiated renal cell carcinoma. It has similar histomorphology, immunophenotype, molecular characteristics and prognosis to RMC, which further supports that it is a sporadic subtype of RMC related to sickle cell trait.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological features, immunophenotype, molecular characteristics, and differential diagnosis of MED15-TFE3 gene fusion renal cell carcinoma (MED15-TFE3 RCC).Methods:A total of 12 MED15-TFE3 RCCs, diagnosed from 2016 to 2023, were collected from the Department of Pathology of Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China for clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses and follow-up. In addition, its diagnosis and differential diagnosis were also explored.Results:There were five males and seven females. The patients′ ages ranged from 16 to 60 years, with an average age of 40.4 years. The follow-up time ranged from 15 to 92 months, and no recurrence or metastasis was observed. Histologically, 6 cases exhibited extensive cystic structures with almost no solid sheet components, while the remaining 6 cases displayed a cysto-solid growth pattern. The cytoplasm of the tumor cells appeared flocculent, with a clear or faintly eosinophilic appearance, and nucleoli were inconspicuous. Psammoma bodies were observed in 12 cases. There was deposition of basement membrane-like material in 5 cases. All cases showed strong expression of TFE3, GPNMB, Cathepsin K, Melan A, and PAX8, while no expression of CAⅨ or CK7. FISH analyses showed that all 12 cases were positive for the MED15-TFE3 fusion, while the MED15-TFE3 fusion gene and specific fusion sites were detected in 2 cases using RNA-seq.Conclusions:MED15-TFE3 RCC is a type of TFE3-rearranged renal cell carcinoma that exhibits both identifiable diagnostic characteristics and highly deceptive morphology. Its distinct extensive cystic structure can be easily confused with multilocular cystic renal neoplasm of low malignant potential, necessitating careful differentiation in routine practice.

Objective To explore the predictive value of the triglycerides/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(TG/HDL-C)ratio com-bined with the mean platelet volume/platelet count(MPV/PC)ratio for in-stent restenosis(ISR)after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)in elderly patients with coronary heart disease.Methods A total of 240 elderly patients with coronary heart disease admitted at the Pingmei Shenma Medical Group General Hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 were selected and divided into the ISR(36 cases)and non-ISR(204 cases)groups based on whether ISR occurred 6 months after PCI.The clinical data,TG/HDL-C ratio,and MPV/PC ratio of the two groups were compared,and Pearson's correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the TG/HDL-C and MPV/PC ratios.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between the TG/HDL-C ratio,MPV/PC ratio,and ISR after PCI.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and area under the curve(AUC)were used to evaluate the predictive value of the TG/HDL-C and MPV/PC ratios for ISR after PCI in older patients with coronary heart disease.Results There were statisti-cally significant differences in the comparisons of diabetes,hypertension,the degree of coronary artery stenosis,and stent diameter between the two groups(P<0.05);the ISR group had higher TG levels,MPV levels,TG/HDL-C ratios,and MPV/PC ratios,and lower HDL-C and PC levels compared to the non-ISR group(P<0.05);the TG/HDL-C ratio was positively correlated with the MPV/PC ratio(P<0.05);the TG/HDL-C and MPV/PC ratios were independently associated with ISR after PCI in older patients with coronary heart disease(P<0.05);and the AUC for predicting ISR after PCI in older patients with coronary heart disease was 0.759 and 0.784 for the TG/HDL-C and MPV/PC ratios,respectively,and the combined prediction showed an AUC of 0.921,which was superior to that of either alone.Conclusion The TG/HDL-C and MPV/PC ratios were significantly correlated with ISR in elderly patients with coronary heart disease after PCI,and their combined predictive value was reliable.

Objective To explore the predictive value of the triglycerides/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(TG/HDL-C)ratio com-bined with the mean platelet volume/platelet count(MPV/PC)ratio for in-stent restenosis(ISR)after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)in elderly patients with coronary heart disease.Methods A total of 240 elderly patients with coronary heart disease admitted at the Pingmei Shenma Medical Group General Hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 were selected and divided into the ISR(36 cases)and non-ISR(204 cases)groups based on whether ISR occurred 6 months after PCI.The clinical data,TG/HDL-C ratio,and MPV/PC ratio of the two groups were compared,and Pearson's correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the TG/HDL-C and MPV/PC ratios.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between the TG/HDL-C ratio,MPV/PC ratio,and ISR after PCI.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and area under the curve(AUC)were used to evaluate the predictive value of the TG/HDL-C and MPV/PC ratios for ISR after PCI in older patients with coronary heart disease.Results There were statisti-cally significant differences in the comparisons of diabetes,hypertension,the degree of coronary artery stenosis,and stent diameter between the two groups(P<0.05);the ISR group had higher TG levels,MPV levels,TG/HDL-C ratios,and MPV/PC ratios,and lower HDL-C and PC levels compared to the non-ISR group(P<0.05);the TG/HDL-C ratio was positively correlated with the MPV/PC ratio(P<0.05);the TG/HDL-C and MPV/PC ratios were independently associated with ISR after PCI in older patients with coronary heart disease(P<0.05);and the AUC for predicting ISR after PCI in older patients with coronary heart disease was 0.759 and 0.784 for the TG/HDL-C and MPV/PC ratios,respectively,and the combined prediction showed an AUC of 0.921,which was superior to that of either alone.Conclusion The TG/HDL-C and MPV/PC ratios were significantly correlated with ISR in elderly patients with coronary heart disease after PCI,and their combined predictive value was reliable.

Objective:To evaluate the impact of roxadustat on thyroid function and to identify the associated factors in patients undergoing maintenance peritoneal dialysis (PD).Methods:This study was a single-center retrospective study. PD patients who received roxadustat or recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) treatment at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital between January 2020 and June 2024 were included. The general and clinical information as well as laboratory indexes were collected. Serum free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were compared before and after treatment initiation. Hemoglobin (Hb) responses were also observed between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the factors associated with thyroid function changes.Results:A total of 120 patients were enrolled, with an age of (55.17±16.42) years, including 66 males (55.0%). There were 81 patients received roxadustat (roxadustat group) and 39 patiens received rHuEPO (rHuEPO group). Compared to the rHuEPO group, the roxadustat group had a higher proportion of patients with diabetes ( χ 2= 4.172, P=0.041), a shorter PD vintage ( Z=-3.406, P=0.002), a lower serum level of total cholesterol ( Z=-2.082, P=0.037) and a lower level of fasting blood glucose ( Z=-2.589, P=0.010). Following treatment with roxadustat, the levels of FT4 ( Z=-5.349, P<0.01) and TSH ( Z=-3.720, P<0.01) decreased significantly. In contrast, no significant changes in FT4 or TSH levels were observed in the rHuEPO group (both P>0.05). For both roxadustat and rHuEPO groups, there were no significant changes in FT3 levels after treatment (both P>0.05). Multivariate analysis identified that higher baseline TSH (TSH≥2.27 μIU/ml, OR=1.581, 95% CI 1.196-2.089, P=0.001) and roxadustat exposure ( OR=3.432, 95% CI 1.410-8.355, P=0.007) as independent associated factors of subsequent TSH decline, and identified that higher baseline FT4 (FT4≥14.9 pmol/L, OR=1.390, 95% CI 1.162-1.662, P=0.001) and roxadustat exposure ( OR=5.798, 95% CI 2.225-15.113, P=0.001) as independent associated factors of subsequent FT4 decline. The degrees of hemoglobin changes after roxadustat or rHuEPO treatment did not differ significantly between roxadustat group and rHuEPO group ( t=-1.062, P=0.290). Of the 31 patients who underwent a second thyroid function test during roxadustat treatment, 24 continued with the original regimen, while 7 discontinued roxadustat. Among 24 patients who maintained roxadustat treatment, TSH ( Z=-0.400, P=0.689) and FT4 ( t=0.143, P=0.888) remained stable between the second and third tests. All 7 patients who discontinued roxadustat treatment showed TSH rebound and the changes of TSH levels were more significant than that in continuers ( Z=-2.505, P=0.012). FT4 recovery occurred in only 3 of them, with no significant difference in FT4 change between discontinuers and continuers ( Z=-0.685, P=0.493). Conclusions:Roxadustat commonly suppresses TSH and FT4, but not FT3, in PD patients. Baseline levels of TSH and FT4 are key associated factors of the inhibitory effect of roxadustat on thyroid function. This suppression does not intensify with prolonged exposure and is reversible after discontinuation, with TSH levels normalizing more quickly than FT4. Roxadustat-induced thyroid suppression does not compromise its efficacy in treating renal anemia.

Objective:To compare enrichment and nucleic acid detection method for hepatitis E virus (HEV) in simulated cola samples.Methods:Cola samples experimentally contaminated with HEV were enriched using positively charged filter membrane-direct lysis (Method 1), tangential flow ultrafiltration membrane-direct lysis (Method 2), and Method 3 and 4 (with the addition of a PCR inhibitor removal step on the basis of Method 1 and 2, respectively), and were assayed by real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR(RT-qPCR), and the recoveries and inhibition rates were compared. Digital RT-PCR(RT-dPCR) and RT-qPCR were applied to detect the recovery of HEV in different medium and low concentrations of experimentally contaminated cola samples; and the inhibition rate and sensitivity of HEV RNA detection in different matrices.Methods 3 was selected for virus enrichment of 8 commercially available cola specimens, RT-qPCR and RT-dPCR for HEV RNA detection.Results:The HEV recoveries of method 3 and 4 (10.44% and 10.16%) were higher than those of method 1 and 2 (4.89% and 0.32%), and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The inhibition rates of method 3 and 4 were smaller than the inhibition rates of method 1 and 2. The recoveries of HEV in medium concentration artificially contaminated cola samples by RT-qPCR and RT-dPCR were 17.04% and 16.28%, respectively, and for low concentration artificially contaminated cola samples were 6.91% and 4.65%, respectively, and the differences in recoveries between the two assays at the same concentration were not statistically significant ( P=0.260, P=0.107 ); Cola matrix inhibits the detection of both RT-qPCR and RT-dPCR assays. Eight commercially available cola specimens were negative for HEV. Conclusions:Detection of HEV in cola beverages can be done by positively charged filter membrane-direct lysis + inhibitor removal (method 3) or tangential flow ultrafiltration membrane-direct lysis + inhibitor removal (method 4) enrichment, followed by RT-dPCR or RT-qPCR, with a high recovery of virus detection.

Objective:To establish a digital reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction（dRT-PCR）detection method for hepatitis E virus（HEV）using nanoplates，and to provide technical reference for HEV monitoring in shellfish by combining virus enrichment pretreatment methods.Methods:The annealing temperature，primer and probe concentrations of HEV dRT-PCR were optimized，and the specificity of the method was evaluated；the sensitivity of this method for detecting HEV in water samples and oyster extracts was compared. The inhibition rate and recovery rate of HEV detection in artificially contaminated oyster samples were calculated，commercially available oyster samples were tested，and compare them with real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR（qRT-PCR）method.Results:The optimized annealing temperature for HEV dRT-PCR was determined to be 60 ℃，and the final concentrations of primers and probes were 0.4 μmol/L，0.4 μmol/L，and 0.2 μmol/L，respectively，indicating good specificity. The sensitivity of both methods for detecting HEV RNA in water samples was higher than that in oyster extracts. The recovery rates of HEV in oyster specimens contaminated with HEV fecal suspension by dRT-PCR and qRT-PCR were 18.76% and 18.36%，respectively，with no statistically significant difference（ P>0.05）；the inhibition rates were 17.26% and 9.58%，respectively，with statistically significant differences（ P<0.05）；55 commercially available oyster samples were tested，and both methods detected HEV RNA positivity in the same sample. Conclusion:The dRT-PCR method established in this study，combined with “proteinase K digestion，PEG/NaCl precipitation，and chloroform/n-butanol extraction” pretreatment，has a good recovery effect on HEV in shellfish food containing a large amount of PCR inhibitors，and can achieve absolute quantification. It has certain application value in monitoring and risk assessment of HEV in shellfish food.