Abstract: Heterologous boost COVID-19 vaccination can solved the problem of decreased efficacy caused by single dose of vaccine. Heterologous booster with adenoviral-vectored COVID-19 vaccine (Ad5-nCoV) following primary immunization with inactivated COVID-19 vaccines is a widely-used vaccination strategy in clinic, while different routes of Ad5-nCoV administration exist and pose a question which route could be more optimal. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated and compared the vaccine immunity induced in mice immunized according to three different vaccination regimens: “3×phosphate buffered solution(3× PBS)”, “2×inactivated vaccine + 1×inactivated vaccine (3×INA)”, “2×inactivated vaccine + 1×Ad5-nCoV (intramuscular)[2×INA+Ad5(im)]”and“2×inactivated vaccine + 1×Ad5-nCoV (intranasal)[2×INA+Ad5(in)]”. We found that heterologous booster with Ad5-nCoV, irrespective of the route of administration, induced significantly higher levels of anti-Spike IgG and subclasses (IgG1and IgG2c), Spike-specific T cells, class-switched Spike+ memory B cells (MBCs) than homologous booster with 3rd dose of inactivated COVID-19 vaccine. Of note, compared with the intramuscular given, intranasal given of Ad5-nCoV as a booster dose clearly induced higher levels of serum and bronchoalveolar bavage fluid anti-spike immunoglobulin A, and moreover, induced stronger infiltration of major innate effector cells like neutrophils, natural killer cells and dendritic cells into the lung tissue, which suggested that mucosal vaccine responses are generated upon intranasal booster with Ad5-nCoV. Altogether, our study analyzed the vaccine immunity induced by different COVID-19 vaccines administered using different regimens, which may guide the clinical use of other types of prophylactic vaccines aiming to mount improved vaccine responses.

Objective:To observe the protective effects of Zhiganqing Prescription on the liver of C57BL/6J non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) mice induced by high fat diet and its effects on PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway, insulin resistance (IR) and gluconogenesis.Methods:A total of 48 8-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were divided into control group ( n=8) and modeling group ( n=40) according to random number table method. The control group was fed with ordinary diet, and the model group was fed with high-fat diet. The NAFLD model was established after 8 weeks of feeding. The modeling group was divided into model group, Pioglitazone group, Zhiganqing Prescription low-, medium-, and high-dosage group ( n=8 in each group) according to random number table method, and drug intervention lasted for 8 weeks. The body mass of mice was measured regularly during administration. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels were measured at 0 and 8 weeks of administration, and oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) were conducted. After the experiment, serum levels of GPT, GOT, TC, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, FINS and C-P were detected and HOMA-IR was calculated. The pathological morphology of liver was observed by HE and PAS staining. The expression levels of PI3K and p-Akt were detected by IHC staining. The protein expression levels of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, FoxO1, p-FoxO1, G6PC and PCK1 were detected by Western blot. Results:Compared with model group, the body weight of mice in each administration group decreased at 4, 6 and 8 weeks ( P<0.05 or P<0.01). At the 8th week of administration, the levels of FBG and OGTT AUC in each administration group decreased ( P<0.05 or P<0.01), the levels of GPT, TC, TG and LDL-C decreased ( P<0.01), and the GOT levels in Zhiganqing Prescription medium- and high-dosage groups decreased ( P<0.01). The HDL-C level in Zhiganqing Prescription medium-dosage group decreased ( P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the HOMA-IR level in Zhiganqing Prescription low- and medium-dosage groups decreased ( P<0.05 or P<0.01). The levels of FINS and C-P in each administration group increased ( P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the expressions of PI3K protein and p-Akt/Akt, p-FoxO1 /FoxO1 protein in liver tissues increased ( P<0.05 or P<0.01). The protein expressions of G6PC and PCK1 decreased ( P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusion:Zhiganqing Prescription can effectively control the body mass, blood glucose, liver function and blood lipids of NAFLD mice, improve IR and gluconeogenesis, the mechanism of which may be related to the activation of PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway.

Background: The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing worldwide, and anemia, one of the most prevalent extraintestinal manifestations of IBD, is still often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Aims: To analyze the correlations of clinical factors with anemia in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in 60 cases of UC admitted from September 2019 to May 2020 at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Sixty healthy subjects were served as controls. Data of fasting venous blood sample analysis on admission were collected, and the correlations of indicators for anemia with the clinical factors were analyzed. Results: The indicators for anemia, including red blood cell (RBC) count, hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) etc. were significantly decreased in UC patients than in healthy controls (all P<0.05). RBC was lower in females than in males (P<0.05); RBC and HCT were lower in patients with pancolitis than in those with proctitis or left hemi-colon colitis (all P<0.05); RBC, Hb and HCT were lower in severe active UC than in mild active UC (all P<0.05). RBC, Hb, HCT and MCH were negatively correlated with two disease activity indicators for IBD, C-reactive protein (CRP) and/or erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Gender, as well as the disease extent, activity and severity are important clinical factors for anemia in patients with UC.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of short non-coding RNAs consisting of about 22 nucleotides that downregulate gene expression at posttranscriptional level through binding to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of target mRNAs. With the increase in research about miRNAs, it is found that miRNAs could modulate the differentiation and secretion of immunocytes as well as the function of intestinal mucosal barrier. Besides, miRNAs could regulate the composition of intestinal microbiome, and could be used as crucial biomarkers for the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this paper, the roles of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of IBD were reviewed through intestinal immunity and barrier function.

Objective:To determine the safety of prophylactic irradiation dose CTV 60Gy optimized to CTV 50Gy for II b region in patients with stage N 0-N 1 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and the dose advantage and clinical value for parotid gland protection, and to understand the diagnostic value of PET-CT and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for suspicious positive lymph nodes in the neck (5 mm≤maximum short diameter<10 mm). Methods:Clinical data of 157 patients with primary non-metastatic NPC (N 0-N 1) admitted to our hospital from June 2015 to March 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. 104 patients underwent II b clinical target volume optimization guided by multimodal imaging system. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan - Meier method. Univariate/multivariate regression analysis was performed to analyze the pattern of cervical lymph node recurrence. Paired t-test was used to compare the differences in target volume and parotid gland dose parameters before and after dose optimization. Results:Sixty patients underwent single-neck optimization in stage N 1, 25 patients received double-neck optimization (only those with retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis), and 19 patients underwent double-neck optimization in stage N 0. Three patients had cervical regional recurrence, all in-field. The 5-year overall survival rate was 93.3%. The lymph node recurrence-free survival rate, local recurrence-free survival rate, distant metastasis-free survival rate and disease-free survival rate were 97.1%, 91.3%, 88.5% and 80.8%, respectively. Cervical lymph node recurrence was associated with local recurrence in the nasopharynx, regardless of retropharyngeal lymph node status. Fourteen patients had suspicious positive cervical lymph nodes in II b region, with a mean maximum short diameter of 7.1 (5~9) mm on the largest cross-sectional plane, and 11 of them were positive on PET-CT, with a mean SUV max of 2.96 (2.5~3.3). There was no significant difference in GTV after optimization ( P>0.05). D mean, D max, D 50% and V 26Gy of parotid gland were significantly lower than those of conventional plan (all P<0.01). Conclusions:It is safe to optimize CTV 60Gy to CTV 50Gy in II b region in patients with N 0-N 1 NPC, and the exposure dose to normal tissues around the parotid gland and neck is significantly reduced. For small lymph nodes that do not meet the diagnostic criteria, it needs to be individualized in combination with multimodality imaging systems, such as PET-CT and DWI.

Ceria nanoparticles(CeO2 NPs)have become popular materials in biomedical and industrial fields due to theirpotential applications in anti-oxidation,cancer therapy,photocatalytic degradation of pollutants,sensors,etc.Many methods,including gas phase,solid phase,liquid phase,and the newly proposed green synthesis method,have been reported for the synthesis of CeO2 NPs.Due to the wide application of CeO2 NPs,concerns about their adverse impacts on human health have been raised.This review covers recent studies on the biomedical applications of CeO2 NPs,including their use in the treatment of various diseases(e.g.,Alzheimer's disease,ischemic stroke,retinal damage,chronic inflammation,and cancer).CeO2 NP toxicity is discussed in terms of the different systems of the human body(e.g.,cytotoxicity,genotoxicity,respiratory toxicity,neurotoxicity,and hepatotoxicity).This comprehensive review covers both fundamental discoveries and exploratory progress in CeO2 NP research that may lead to practical developments in the future.

[摘 要] 目的：检测食管鳞状细胞癌（ESCC）患者血清中高迁移率族蛋白B1（HMGB1）和吲哚胺-2，3-双加氧酶（IDO）的表达水平并探讨两者与临床病理特征及淋巴细胞亚群的相关性。方法：选取2021年3月至2022年8月在河北医科大学第四医院初次住院治疗的95例ESCC患者作为ESCC组，另选取40例健康体检人群作为对照组。ELISA法检测全部研究对象的血清HMGB1和IDO水平及不同组ESCC细胞培养上清中HMGB1、IDO和p65水平，流式细胞术检测全部研究对象外周血淋巴细胞亚群水平。WB法检测仅敲低HMGB1基因表达或敲低HMGB1后再加入NF-κB信号通路激活剂对ESCC细胞HMGB1、IDO和p65表达的影响。结果：ESCC组患者血清HMGB1和IDO水平明显高于对照组（均P<0.01）；血清HMGB1和IDO表达水平升高是ESCC临床进展的独立危险因素（均P<0.01），二者联合检测对ESCC临床进展预测价值更高（P<0.01）；血清HMGB1和IDO与ESCC患者的T分期、N分期和临床分期有明显关联（均P<0.05）； ESCC组患者血清HMGB1与外周血CD3+ T细胞、CD4+ T细胞、B细胞和NK细胞绝对计数值呈显著负相关，而与Treg细胞百分率呈显著正相关（均P<0.05），血清IDO与外周血CD3+ T细胞百分率和绝对计数值、CD4+ T细胞百分率和绝对计数值、CD8+ T细胞和B细胞绝对计数值呈显著负相关，而与Treg细胞百分率呈显著正相关（均P<0.05）；血清HMGB1和IDO表达水平呈显著正相关（P<0.01）。si-HMGB1组KYSE30和ECA109细胞及其培养上清液中IDO和p65表达水平明显低于si-NC组和si-HMGB1+PMA组（均P<0.05）。结论：血清HMGB1和IDO与ESCC临床进展和机体免疫功能密切相关，具有成为ESCC肿瘤标志物和免疫治疗新靶点的潜力。HMGB1可能通过NF-κB信号通路促进IDO表达，进行双靶点联合治疗可能会取得更好的疗效。

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation of hemoglobin (Hb) level with prognosis of elderly patients diagnosed as sepsis. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Information on the cases of elderly patients with sepsis in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-IV (MIMIC-IV), including basic information, blood pressure, routine blood test results [the Hb level of a patient was defined as his/her maximum Hb level from 6 hours before admission to intensive care unit (ICU) and 24 hours after admission to ICU], blood biochemical indexes, coagulation function, vital signs, severity score and outcome indicators were extracted. The curves of Hb level vs. 28-day mortality risk were developed by using the restricted cubic spline model based on the Cox regression analysis. The patients were divided into four groups (Hb < 100 g/L, 100 g/L ≤ Hb < 130 g/L, 130 g/L ≤ Hb < 150 g/L, Hb ≥ 150 g/L groups) based on these curves. The outcome indicators of patients in each group were analyzed, and the 28-day Kaplan-Meier survival curve was drawn. Logistic regression model and Cox regression model were used to analyze the relationship between Hb level and 28-day mortality risk in different groups. RESULTS: A total of 7 473 elderly patients with sepsis were included. There was a "U" curve relationship between Hb levels within 24 hours after ICU admission and the risk of 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis. The patients with 100 g/L ≤ Hb < 130 g/L had a lower risk of 28-day mortality. When Hb level was less than 100 g/L, the risk of death decreased gradually with the increase of Hb level. When Hb level was ≥ 130 g/L, the risk of death gradually increased with the increase of Hb level. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that the mortality risks of patients with Hb < 100 g/L [odds ratio (OR) = 1.44, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.23-1.70, P < 0.001] and Hb ≥ 150 g/L (OR = 1.77, 95%CI was 1.26-2.49, P = 0.001) increased significantly in the model involving all confounding factors; the mortality risks of patients with 130 g/L ≤ Hb < 150 g/L increased, while the difference was not statistically significant (OR = 1.21, 95%CI was 0.99-1.48, P = 0.057). The multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that the mortality risks of patients with Hb < 100 g/L [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.27, 95%CI was 1.12-1.44, P < 0.001] and Hb ≥ 150 g/L (HR = 1.49, 95%CI was 1.16-1.93, P = 0.002) increased significantly in the model involving all confounding factors; the mortality risks of patients with 130 g/L ≤ Hb < 150 g/L increased, while the difference was not statistically significant (HR = 1.17, 95%CI was 0.99-1.37, P = 0.053). Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the 28-day survival rate of elderly septic patients in 100 g/L ≤ Hb < 130 g/L group was significantly higher than that in Hb < 100 g/L, 130 g/L ≤ Hb < 150 g/L and Hb ≥ 150 g/L groups (85.26% vs. 77.33%, 79.81%, 74.33%; Log-Rank test: χ² = 71.850, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Elderly patients with sepsis exhibited low mortality risk if their 100 g/L ≤ Hb < 130 g/L within 24 hours after admission to ICU, and both higher and lower Hb levels led to increased mortality risks.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis/diagnosis* ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Prognosis ; Hemoglobins ; ROC Curve