1.Research progress on myosteatosis in liver transplant recipients
Junfeng CAI ; Jingdong HE ; Yuxin JIANG ; Leibo XU
Organ Transplantation 2026;17(1):61-67
Myosteatosis is one of the common complications in patients with end-stage liver disease, which is significantly associated with poor outcomes after liver transplantation. Currently, diagnostic criteria of myosteatosis have not been established, and CT is the most commonly used for diagnosis. The pathogenesis of myosteatosis is multifactorial, and the pathophysiological mechanisms linking it to end-stage liver disease are not fully understood. An increasing number of scholars have recognized that the severity of myosteatosis is closely related to its clinical consequences, but there are no effective treatment options available. This article reviews the pathophysiological mechanisms and diagnostic methods of myosteatosis, and its impact on the prognosis of liver transplant recipients, and discusses current treatment strategies to provide references for the perioperative management of liver transplant recipients.
2.Assessment of health exposure risks from preservatives in beverages sold near primary schools in Anshun
XU Lin, QU Guangsheng, DAI Qian, LU Shunhua, CAI Guixiang, ZHANG Jialin, WEI Gang
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(1):129-133
Objective:
To quantitatively assess the health risk of preservatives from beverages around primary schools in Anshun City, and to provide scientific basis for precise food safety supervision.
Methods:
From December 2023 to July 2024, 602 beverage samples were randomly collected from within 100 meters of 19 primary schools in Anshun City. The content of benzoic acid, sorbic acid, and dehydroacetic acid was detected according to GB 5009 series standards. Combined with children s physiological parameters (body weight 30 kg, daily intake 0.15 L), the Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Hazard Index (HI) models were used to evaluate health risks.
Results:
The total detection rate of preservatives from beverages around primary schools was 63.0%, and the total over limit rate was 9.0%. The detection rate of preservatives in flavored beverages was the highest (72.6%), and the highest over limit rate of preservatives in special purpose beverages was the highest (17.2%). The single preservative HQ (benzoic acid up to 0.47 ) and mixed HI (up to 0.55) of all samples were below 1(safety threshold). However, the HQ value of benzoic acid in flavored beverages (0.47) was 2.9 times that of sorbic acid (0.16), contributing significantly to health risk. Sensitivity analysis showed that if the daily consumption increased to 0.3 L, the HI value of flavored beverages would rise to 1.11, exceeding the safety threshold. Enterprise scale analysis showed that the exceedance rate of special purpose beverages in large enterprises reached 30.0%, while micro enterprises, accounting for a dominant market share (52.2%), constituted the main source of children s daily exposure to their products.
Conclusions
The overall health risk of perservatives in beverages sold near primary schools in Anshun City is controllable, but there is a noticeable risk of gradient. The risk of children’s exposure to preservatives through beverage consumption should not be ignored.
3.Identification of telomere-related diagnostic markers in osteoarthritis based on bioinformatics analysis and machine learning
Sheng XU ; Jia YE ; Xiaochong CAI
The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 2025;29(3):359-372
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most prevalent joint disorders, with aging considered a primary, irreversible factor contributing to its progression. Telomere-related cellular senescence may be a crucial factor influencing the OA process, yet biomarkers for OA based on telomere-related genes have not been clearly identified. The datasets GSE51588, GSE12021, and GSE55457 were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Initially, R software was utilized to identify differentially expressed genes between OA and normal samples. Subsequently, differentially expressed telomere-related genes (DETMRGs) were obtained, and their functional enrichment was analyzed. Feature genes for OA diagnosis were selected from DETMRGs using a combination of least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, support vector machine-recursive feature elimination, and Random Forest algorithms. The diagnostic value of these feature genes was then validated through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and decision curve analysis. Additionally, CIBERSORT and xCell were employed to assess the infiltration of immune cells in OA tissues.Finally, potential drugs targeting candidate genes were predicted. Three telomererelated genes, PGD, SLC7A5, and TKT, have been identified as biomarkers for OA diagnosis and were confirmed through ROC diagnostic tests. The immune infiltration of mast cells, neutrophils, common lymphoid precursors, and eosinophils associated with PGD, SLC7A5, and TKT was reduced. Recognizing telomere-related genes PGD, SLC7A5, and TKT as potential diagnostic biomarkers for OA is significant, as it offers valuable insights into the role of telomere-related genes in OA. This discovery also provides valuable information for the diagnosis and treatment of OA.
4.Primary biliary cholangitis comorbid with other connective tissue diseases: Thoughts and challenges
Siyan CAI ; Yi WEI ; Xu WANG ; Li WANG ; Fengchun ZHANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(5):817-822
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic progressive autoimmune liver disease that is often comorbid with other connective tissue diseases (CTDs), and such comorbidity can significantly alter the natural course or clinical phenotype of PBC or CTDs, limiting available therapeutic drugs and complicating clinical decision-making. Due to the involvement of the interdisciplinary subjects of hepatology, rheumatology, and clinical immunology and a paucity of large-scale cohort data and in-depth basic research, there is a limited understanding of such comorbidity in clinical practice, which increases the complexity of clinical diagnosis and treatment. This article summarizes the comorbidity of PBC with common CTDs such as Sjögren’s syndrome, systemic sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, and analyzes related immune mechanisms, clinical manifestations, diagnostic challenges, treatment strategies, and prognosis. It is expected to establish PBC-CTD comorbidity cohorts through future multidisciplinary collaborations, focus on genetic background, immune mechanisms, and multi-omics approaches, elucidate pathogenesis and novel therapeutic targets, and improve the prognosis of patients by optimizing treatment strategies through precision medicine and artificial intelligence.
5.A case-crossover study on association between ambient temperature and injury incidence in Shenzhen City
Yan MA ; Qijiong ZHU ; Weicong CAI ; Ping XU ; Zhixue LI ; Jianxiong HU ; Wenjun MA ; Tao LIU ; Ying XU ; Ji PENG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(5):536-542
Background Under the background of global warming, research on association between ambient temperature and risk of injury is needed. Objective To examine the effect of temperature on injury in Bao'an district, Shenzhen and identify the sensitive population, thereby providing a scientific basis for formulating prevention and control strategies and measures of injury. Methods The injury reports from the Injury Surveillance System and the meteorological data of Bao'an District between 2018 to 2022 were collected. The meteorological data were sourced from the fifth generation of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) land reanalysis data. Based on time-stratified case-crossover design, conditional logistic regression combined with distributed lag nonlinear model was used to evaluate the exposure-response association between ambient temperature and injury. The stratified analyses were further conducted by gender, age, and causes of injury. Results A total of
6.Analysis of the current situation of retinopathy of prematurity in Xiamen region and its influencing factors
Shuangshuang YE ; Wenhui LI ; Baozhu XU ; Tingyu GU ; Ruirui SUN ; Hexie CAI
International Eye Science 2025;25(7):1195-1200
AIM: To investigate the current status of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP)in premature infants in Xiamen and analyze its influencing factors, aiming to provide a scientific basis for clinical treatment and preventive strategies.METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on the case data of 363 preterm infants with a gestational age of <32 wk who underwent fundus examination at Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University from February 11, 2020 to February 25, 2023. The incidence of ROP was statistically analyzed based on the screening results. All premature infants were divided into ROP group(37 cases, 64 eyes)and non-ROP group(326 cases, 652 eyes). General clinical data and perinatal-related information of the two groups were compared, and multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing the occurrence of ROP in premature infants.RESULTS: A total of 363 premature infants were included in this study. The fundus screening results showed that a total of 37 cases(64 eyes)of premature infants were detected with ROP, including 10 cases(10 eyes)monocular and 27 cases(54 eyes)binocular, with an overall incidence of 10.2%(37/363). The severity was determined according to the ROP international classification standard(ROP is divided into 5 stages, with stage I being the least severe and stage V the most severe). Among the 64 eyes, 30 eyes(46.9%)were in stage I, 20 eyes(31.3%)were in stage II, 10 eyes(15.6%)were in stage III, 4 eyes(6.3%)were in stage IV, and there were no cases in stage V. By comparing the clinical data of the two groups, no significant differences were found in gender, mode of delivery, singleton or multiple births, premature rupture of membranes, history of asphyxia, patent ductus arteriosus(PDA), or neonatal respiratory distress syndrome(NRDS)between the two groups(all P>0.05). However, premature infants in the ROP group had significantly younger gestational age and lower birth weight compared to those in the non-ROP group(all P<0.05). Additionally, the ROP group had higher proportions of longer hospital stays, bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD), neonatal sepsis, anemia, oxygen therapy for more than 1 wk, oxygen concentration above 40%, and blood transfusion treatment(all P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that combined neonatal sepsis(OR=166.985, 95% CI: 35.239-791.277, P<0.001), anemia(OR=8.111, 95% CI: 2.064-31.871, P=0.003), oxygen use time >1 wk(OR=10.216, 95% CI: 2.543-41.039, P=0.001), oxygen therapy concentration >40%(OR=7.647, 95% CI: 1.913-30.566, P=0.004), and receiving blood transfusion therapy(OR=5.879, 95% CI: 1.412-24.470, P=0.015)were the main risk factors affecting the occurrence of ROP in preterm infants, and the higher birth weight of preterm infants was a protective factor for ROP(OR=0.093, 95% CI: 0.022-0.394, P=0.001).CONCLUSION: The incidence of ROP in premature infants is relatively high, and there are multiple influencing factors. Low birth weight, neonatal sepsis, anemia, oxygen therapy, and blood transfusion treatment are high-risk factors for ROP in premature infants. Clinical attention should be given to such infants, and fundus screening should be conducted in a standardized manner to provide early treatment, thereby further reducing the risk of ROP in premature infants.
7.Development of classification and grading performance evaluation indicators for public health staff in district CDCs based on job competencies
Xiaohua LIU ; Dandan YU ; Huilin XU ; Dandan HE ; Yizhou CAI ; Nian LIU ; Linjuan DONG ; Xiaoli XU
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(1):84-88
ObjectiveTo explore the establishment of performance assessment indicators for the classification and grading of public health staff in district-level Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs), and to provide a basis for such evaluations. MethodsThrough literature review and group interviews, performance evaluation indicators were developed based on competency evaluation. Experts were invited to evaluate the weight of performance evaluation indicators for public health staff from different categories, with the average value used to represent the weight of each indicator. ResultsTwenty-nine experts from universities in Shanghai, municipal CDCs, and district CDCs participated, yielding an expert authority coefficient of 0.86. The performance evaluation indicators for department managers were categorized into three levels, with 4 indicators at the primary level, 16 indicators at the secondary level, and 42 indicators at the tertiary level, while those for general staff included 4 primary indicators, 15 secondary indicators, and 36 tertiary indicators. Significant differences were observed in the weight coefficients of the primary indicators (internal operations, professional work, and learning and growth) between department managers and general staff. The top three secondary indicators for department managers were department management, monitoring and prevention, and level of expertise. For mid-level and senior staff, the top three secondary indicators were monitoring and prevention, level of expertise, and research work. The top three secondary indicators for junior staff were monitoring and prevention, professional expertise, and professional attitude. No significant statistical differences were found among tertiary indicators. ConclusionThe developed performance evaluation indicators are reliable. Staff at different levels and classifications should be evaluated using different performance evaluation standards to accurately reflect individual performance and contributions.
8.Mechanism of Shengmai Injection Against Cerebral Ischemia Based on Proteomics
Jingtong LIU ; Shaowei HU ; Mengli CHANG ; Jing XU ; Qingqing CAI ; Xinghong LI ; Liying TANG ; Huanhuan WANG ; Hongwei WU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(9):57-67
ObjectiveTo evaluate pharmacological effects of Shengmai injection(SMI)on cerebral ischemia and study its neuroprotective mechanism. MethodsMale specific pathogen-free (SPF) Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a sham group, a model group, a low-dose SMI group(3 mL·kg-1), a middle-dose SMI group(6 mL·kg-1), a high-dose SMI group(12 mL·kg-1), and a Ginaton group(4 mL·kg-1)according to the random number table method, with 12 rats in each group. The rat model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion(MCAO/R)was prepared via the suture method. The administration groups were intraperitoneally injected with corresponding concentrations of SMI or Ginaton injection after reperfusion, which was conducted for 3 consecutive days. The sham group and model group were administered the equivalent volume of physiological saline. The pharmacological effects of SMI on brain injury in MCAO/R rats were evaluated by neurological function scores, cerebral infarction area, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, Nissl staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, and Western blot. The dominant link and key protein of SMI treating cerebral injury were explored using proteomic analysis. The related mechanisms of SMI were further validated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot, and chloride ion fluorescence probe with oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R)-treated PC12 cells and MCAO/R rats. ResultsCompared with the sham group, the model group showed significantly increased neurological function scores, cerebral infarction area, neuronal apoptosis rate, and expression levels of apoptosis related proteins (P<0.05, P<0.01)and significantly decreased density of Nissl bodies and neurons(P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the SMI groups exhibited significantly decreased neurological function scores, cerebral infarction area, neuronal apoptosis rate, and expression levels of apoptosis related proteins (P<0.05, P<0.01)and significantly increased density of Nissl bodies and neurons (P<0.05). The proteomic analysis results showed that oxidative stress and inflammatory response were important processes of SMI intervening in MCAO/R injury, and the chloride intracellular channel protein 1 (CLIC1) was one of key proteins in its action network. The levels of representative indicators of oxidative stress and inflammatory response in the MCAO/R rats of the SMI groups were significantly reduced, compared with those in the model group(P<0.05, P<0.01), and the expression levels of CLIC1 and downstream NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) decreased (P<0.01). In addition, the experimental results based on the OGD/R PC12 cells showed that SMI significantly increased the cell survival rate(P<0.01) and significantly decreased the intracellular chloride ion concentration(P<0.05). ConclusionSMI has neuroprotective effects. Oxidative stress and inflammatory response are key processes of SMI intervening in MCAO/R injury. The potential mechanism is closely related to the regulation of CLIC1.
9.Mechanism of Wumen Zhiqiao gancao decoction inhibiting pathological angiogenesis in degenerative intervertebral discs by regulating HIF-1α/VEGF/Ang signal axis
Zeling HUANG ; Zaishi ZHU ; Yuwei LI ; Bo XU ; Junming CHEN ; Baofei ZHANG ; Binjie LU ; Xuefeng CAI ; Hua CHEN
China Pharmacy 2025;36(7):807-814
OBJECTIVE To explore the effect and mechanism of Zhiqiao gancao decoction (ZQGCD) on pathological angiogenesis of degenerative intervertebral disc. METHODS The rats were randomly divided into sham operation group (normal saline), model group (normal saline), hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) inhibitor (YC-1) group [2 mg/(kg·d), tail vein injection], and ZQGCD low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups [3.06, 6.12, 12.24 g/(kg·d)], with 8 rats in each group. Except for sham operation group, lumbar disc degeneration model of rat was constructed in all other groups. After modeling, they were given relevant medicine once a day, for consecutive 3 weeks. After the last medication, pathological changes and angiogenesis of the intervertebral disc tissue in rats were observed; the levels of inflammatory factors [interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)] and the expressions of angiogenesis-related proteins [HIF-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2), angiotensin 1(Ang 1), Ang 2] in the com intervertebral disc tissue in rats were all determined. In cell experiment, the primary nucleus pulposus cells were isolated and cultured from rats, and cellular degeneration was induced using 50 ng/mL TNF-α. The cells were divided into blank control group (10% blank control serum), TNF-α group (10% blank control serum), YC-1 group (10% blank control serum+0.2 mmol/L YC-1), and 5%, 10%, 15% drug-containing serum group (5%, 10%, 15% drug-containing serum). After 24 hours of intervention, the nucleus pulposus cells were co-cultured with HUVEC. The expressions of Collagen Ⅱ, matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) in nucleus pulposus cells were detected. HUVEC proliferation, migration and tube forming ability were detected, and the expression levels of the HIF-1α/VEGF/Ang signal axis and angiogenesis- related proteins (add MMP-2, MMP-9) in HUVEC were detected. RESULTS Animal experiments had shown that compared with model group, the positive expression of CD31 in the intervertebral disc tissues of rats in each drug group was down-regulated (P< 0.05), the levels of inflammatory factors and angiogenesis-related proteins were decreased significantly (P<0.05), and the pathological changes in the intervertebral disc were alleviated. Cell experiments had shown that compared with TNF-α group, the expression of Collagen Ⅱ in nucleus pulposus cells of all drug groups was significantly up-regulated (P<0.05), and the expression of MMP-3 was significantly down-regulated (P<0.05); the proliferation, migration and tubulogenesis of HUVEC were significantly weakened (P<0.05). The mRNA and protein expressions of HIF-1α, VEGF, Ang 2 as well as the expression of angiogenesis-related proteins (except for the expression of Ang 2 mRNA and HIF-1α, VEGFR2, Ang 2 protein in 5% drug- containing serum group) were significantly down-regulated (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS ZQGCD may inhibit the HIF-1α/VEGF/ Ang signal axis to weaken the angiogenic ability of vascular endothelial cells, improve pathological angiogenesis in the intervertebral disc, and delay the degeneration of the intervertebral disc.
10.Organizational Readiness for Change and Factors Influencing the Implementation of Shared Medical Appointment for Diabetes in Primary Healthcare Institutions
Wei YANG ; Yiyuan CAI ; Jiajia CHEN ; Run MAO ; Lang LINGHU ; Sensen LYU ; Dong XU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2025;16(2):479-491
The success of implementation research is closely tied to the institution's pre-implementation readiness. This study aims to explore the organizational readiness for change (ORC) and its influencing factors on primary healthcare settings in the implementation of the "Shared Medical Appointment for Diabetes (SMART) in China: design of an optimization trial" and to enhance ORC and provide insights to support the effective implementation of the program. Qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys were conducted to evaluate the ORC level and its influencing factors in 12 institutions implementing the SMART program. The Scale for Assessing the Institution's Readiness to Implement Evidence-Based Practices was utilized to measure ORC levels. Qualitative interviews were conducted among change implementers to gather information regarding the status of influencing factors. Thematic analysis was applied to extract factors from the interview data, and an assessment questionnaire was developed to measure the perceived impact of these factors. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method was employed to identify the influencing factors of ORC and pathways leading to high-level ORC. Seventy implementers from 12 institutions, encompassing administrators, clinicians, and health managers, participated in the interviews and surveys. The median and interquartile of the ORC scores were 105.20 (101.23, 107.33). The fsQCA indicated that a clear understanding of specific tasks and responsibilities, the active engagement of key participants, sufficient preliminary preparation, and the use of audits and feedback mechanisms were critical pathways to a high-level ORC. Conversely, institutions lacking key participants, preliminary preparation, or marginal influence demonstrated a low-level ORC. Before implementing innovation, Coherence and Cognitive Participation were identified as critical factors in influencing ORC. Strong leadership from key participants played pivotal role in enhancing readiness for change and was essential for improving implementation fidelity and overall program success.


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