Objective Through integrative bioinformatics analysis of multi-source transcriptomic data, potential biomarkers to asthma epithelial cells were identified. The expression of these candidate target was subsequently validated in lung tissues and epithelial cells from asthma models. Methods The gene expression profile data of epithelial cells from three asthma patient cohorts and corresponding healthy controls were integrated from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differential expression analysis and gene co-expression network analysis were performed to identify key genes and biological pathways associated with asthma. The key genes were validated in lung tissues and epithelial cells in asthma animal models. Results Differential gene expression analysis revealed 1121 upregulated and 1484 downregulated genes in epithelial cells from asthma patients compared with healthy controls. The biological pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the upregulated genes were mainly involved in glycosylation processes, whereas the downregulated genes were mainly associated with immune cell differentiation process. The gene co-expression network analysis revealed that module 9, enriched in glycosylation-related pathways, was significantly positively correlated with asthma, whereas module 17, associated with insulin and other signaling pathways, showed a significant negative correlation with asthma. We identified the genes of polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 5 (GALNT5), pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 1 (PYCR1), and carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 5 (CEACAM5) as key genes within module 9, all of which were significantly upregulated in asthma. Finally, we validated that the expression levels of GALNT5, PYCR1, and CEACAM5 were significantly upregulated in epithelial cells from asthmatic lung tissue. Additionally, using a rat asthma model, we further confirmed that the protein levels of these three genes were significantly upregulated in lung tissues of the model group. Conclusion Through data integration and experimental validation, this study identified key genes and biological pathways closely associated with asthma pathogenesis. These findings provide a novel theoretical basis and potential targets for the diagnosis and treatment of asthma.
Asthma/metabolism* ; Humans ; Epithelial Cells/metabolism* ; Animals ; Biomarkers/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Transcriptome ; Gene Regulatory Networks ; Rats ; Computational Biology

Objective This study aims to achieve high-yield functional expression of the human voltage-gated potassium channel K_V3.1 using an Escherichia coli cell-free protein synthesis system, thereby providing a novel synthetic approach for drug screening, structural analysis and functional characterization of K_V3.1. Methods K_V3.1 was expressed in an Escherichia coli cell-free protein synthesis system for 10 hours in the presence of peptide surfactant A₆K. The secondary structure of K_V3.1 was analyzed by circular dichroism spectroscopy. The potassium channel activity of the recombinant protein liposome K_V3.1-A₆K was investigated using fluorescent dyes Oxonol VI as indicators, which are capable of reflecting alterations in membrane potential. Results Soluble K_V3.1 protein was successfully synthesized, achieving a purified yield of up to 1.2 mg/mL via an Escherichia coli cell-free protein synthesis system. Circular dichroism spectroscopy revealed that K_V3.1 exhibited characteristic α-helical secondary structures. Membrane potential fluorescence assays demonstrated that the K_V3.1-A₆K proteoliposomes, which were reconstructed with surfactant peptide A₆K, exhibited remarkable potassium ion permeability. Conclusion This study successfully achieved high-yield expression of human K_V3.1 with activity using an Escherichia coli-based cell-free protein synthesis system. This innovative method not only significantly enhances the expression yield of K_V3.1, but also maintains its functional activity, thereby establishing a novel and efficient synthetic platform for drug screening and advancing our understanding of structure-function relationships in K_V3.1 research.
Humans ; Escherichia coli/metabolism* ; Shaw Potassium Channels/biosynthesis* ; Cell-Free System ; Circular Dichroism ; Protein Biosynthesis ; Recombinant Proteins/metabolism* ; Membrane Potentials ; Shab Potassium Channels

BACKGROUND: Molecular subtyping is an essential complementarity after pathological analyses for targeted therapy. This study aimed to investigate the consistency of next-generation sequencing (NGS) results between circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)-based and tissue-based in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and identify the patient characteristics that favor ctDNA testing. METHODS: Patients who diagnosed with NSCLC and received both ctDNA- and cancer tissue-based NGS before surgery or systemic treatment in Lung Cancer Center, Sichuan University West China Hospital between December 2017 and August 2022 were enrolled. A 425-cancer panel with a HiSeq 4000 NGS platform was used for NGS. The unweighted Cohen's kappa coefficient was employed to discriminate the high-concordance group from the low-concordance group with a cutoff value of 0.6. Six machine learning models were used to identify patient characteristics that relate to high concordance between ctDNA-based and tissue-based NGS. RESULTS: A total of 85 patients were enrolled, of which 22.4% (19/85) had stage III disease and 56.5% (48/85) had stage IV disease. Forty-four patients (51.8%) showed consistent gene mutation types between ctDNA-based and tissue-based NGS, while one patient (1.2%) tested negative in both approaches. Patients with advanced diseases and metastases to other organs would be suitable for the ctDNA-based NGS, and the generalized linear model showed that T stage, M stage, and tumor mutation burden were the critical discriminators to predict the consistency of results between ctDNA-based and tissue-based NGS. CONCLUSION ctDNA-based NGS showed comparable detection performance in the targeted gene mutations compared with tissue-based NGS, and it could be considered in advanced or metastatic NSCLC.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology* ; Circulating Tumor DNA/blood* ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods* ; Female ; Male ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Middle Aged ; Mutation/genetics* ; Aged ; Adult ; Aged, 80 and over

Objective To observe the effect of Jiawei Jianshen prescription on idiopathic membranous nephropathy(IMN)with spleen-kidney deficiency and its influence on phospholipase A2 receptor(PLA2R)titer.Methods A total of 60 patients with IMN who were hospitalized or outpatients in Liuzhou Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital from January 2021 to July 2022 were selected and divided into control group and treatment group by simple random sampling method,with 30 cases in each group.The control group was given basic treatment alone,and the treatment group was given Jiawei Jianshen prescription + basic treatment.Blood urea nitrogen(BUN),serum creatinine(SCr),serum albumin(ALB),24h urinary protein quantitative and PLA2R titer were compared between two groups before and after treatment.The therapeutic effect of two groups was evaluated.Results The total effective rate of treatment group was significantly higher than that of control group(χ2=60.000,P<0.001).After treatment,the scores of edema,abdominal distension,fatigue,soreness and weakness of waist and knees in treatment group were significantly lower than those in control group(P<0.05).24h urinary protein and PLA2R titer in treatment group were significantly lower than those in control group,and ALB was significantly higher than that in control group(P<0.05).Conclusion Jiawei Jianshen prescription can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of IMN patients with spleen-kidney deficiency,increase serum ALB level,reduce 24h urinary protein quantity and PLA2R titer.

Objective:To analyze the risk factors for central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) aged 55 years and above, and to construct a predictive model with columnar graph.Methods:This retrospective study included 406 PTC patients aged 55 and above, treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from Nov. 2019 to Feb. 2022. Data on demographic characteristics, disease features, and laboratory test results were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify risk factors for CLNM and develop a clinical prediction model and nomogram.Results:The study involved 406 patients, divided into a modeling group (285 patients) and a validation group (121 patients). The predictive model identified independent risk factors for CLNM. In the modeling group, the model demonstrated a ROC AUC of 0.769, with 82.6% sensitivity, 63.0% specificity, and 67.7% accuracy. The validation group showed 66.7% sensitivity, 74.5% specificity, and 72.7% accuracy, with an AUC of 0.760. Hosmer-Lemeshow tests indicated good fit in both groups. Decision curve analysis confirmed the model's clinical decision-making value, showing better performance than traditional strategies and good generalizability and reliability.Conclusions:Sex, maximum tumor diameter, bilateral involvement of thyroid lobes, clinically evident cervical lymph nodes, and local invasion are independent predictive factors for CLNM in patients over 55 with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). A clinical risk stratification nomogram model based on these risk factors demonstrates good predictive performance.

Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics of C-TI-RADS 3 thyroid nodules with a diameter greater than 2 cm and explore their correlation with gender,nodule ingredient,contralateral cancer presence,diffuse echo changes,TPOAB and TGAB.Methods A retrospective analysis was made on the clinical and pathological information of 94 patients with thyroid nodules who were admitted to our department from September 2022 to March 2023.All the patients underwent cytological and/or histopathological examinations.The proportions of TBS I category,benign tumors,low-risk tumors,and malignant tumors were calculated.The proportion of TBS type Ⅰ,benign tumors,low-risk tumors,and malignant tumors was quantified.Subsequently,a comparative analysis was conducted among the benign,low-risk,and malignant groups in terms of clinical characteristics including gender distribution,nodule composition,contralateral cancer occurrence,diffuse echo changes presence,as well as TPOAB and TGAB levels.Results Seven cases in TBS I category were excluded.Among the remaining 87 cases with confirmed pathology results for nodules,there were 72 benign cases(38 cytology cases and 34 histology cases),5 low-risk thyroid tumors(2 cytology cases and 3 histology cases),10 malignant cases(8 PTC cases,1 FTC case,and 1 MTC case).There was a significant difference in nodule ingredient(cystic/solid)between different pathological types(x2=10.369,P=0.006).However,no statistical significance was found in terms of gender,diffuse echo changes,contralateral cancer presence,TPOAB or TGAB(P＞0.05).Further analysis showed that the proportion of solid component was higher in low-risk tumors than in benign nodules(x2=9.571,P=0.002).No statistical significance was found between malignant nodules and low-risk nodules(x2=2.143,P=0.143),or between malignant nodules and benign nodules(x2=2.165,P=0.141).Conclusion Although TI-RADS 3 nodules are generally considered as potentially benign according to various versions of thyroid imaging reporting and data system,malignant nodules still account for a certain proportion.Attention should be paid to thyroid nodules with a typical ultrasonic signs,such as cystic nodules,thyroid follicular tumors and medullary thyroid carcinoma.Ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration cytopathology is necessary for evaluating benign and malignant nodules.It is necessary to pay attention to unsatisfactory or undiagnosable specimens to improve the accuracy of diagnosis.

Objective:To summarize the characteristics of color doppler flow imaging (CDFI) of ocular toxocariasis (OT) in children.Methods:A retrospective clinical study. From July 2014 to June 2020, 61 OT patients with 61 eyes diagnosed through clinical and laboratory testing in the Department of Ophthalmology of Beijing Tongren Hospital of Capital Medical University were included in the study. There were 45 males with 45 eyes and 16 females with 16 eye (male: female=2.81:1). Age were (6.93±2.50) years. The right eye and left eye were 29 and 32 eyes, respectively. Both eyes of the patient underwent two-dimensional ultrasound and CDFI examination. Two dimensional ultrasound was used to estimate the axial length (AL) of the affected eyes and healthy eyes on the opposite side. Among them, 52 cases were measured for AL using optical biometry and/or A-mode ultrasound. Vitreoretinal surgery was performed within one week after ultrasound examination. Two-dimensional ultrasound was used to observe the morphology of vitreous opacity, its connection to the eyeball wall, and whether posterior vitreous detachment and retinal detachment have occurred. CDFI examination was used to observe the presence of blood flow signals on the pathological membrane. The detection rates of different forms of vitreous opacity and traction retinal detachment were calculated. The location of proliferative lesions in the eye was analyzed. Paired t-test was performed to compare the AL of the affected eye and the healthy eye on the opposite side. Perform Kappa consistency test on the location of proliferative lesions was used during CDFI examination and vitreoretinal surgery. Results:All affected eyes have varying degrees of vitreous opacity. Among them, 23 eyes (37.7%, 23/61) showed typical "Christmas tree" like turbidity; 27 eyes (44.3%, 27/61) had clustered and striped echoes; 9 eyes (14.8%, 9/61) had weak punctate and strip echoes. Two eyes (3.3%, 2/61) showed a large amount of dense punctate and strip-shaped echoes. There were 50 eyes (82.0%, 50/61) with traction retinal detachment, of which 46 eyes (92.0%, 46/50) had visible blood flow signals on the detached retina, and the remaining 4 eyes (8.0%, 4/50) had no blood flow signals. During CDFI and surgery, there were 5 (8.2%, 5/61) and 4 (6.6%, 4/61) eyes with visible proliferative lesions in the periphery, respectively; 18 (29.5%, 18/61) and 14 (23.0%, 14/61) eyes were distributed in the posterior pole, respectively; there were 38 (62.3%, 38/61) and 43 (70.5%, 43/61) eyes with both peripheral and posterior polar regions, respectively. The consistency between CDFI and surgery in detecting the location of proliferative lesions was good ( κ=0.832, 95% confidence interval 0.691-0.973, P<0.001). The two-dimensional ultrasound measurement results showed that the AL of the affected eye was shorter than that of the contralateral healthy eye in 46 cases (75.4%, 46/61). Among the 52 patients who underwent AL biometry, the AL of the affected eye was shorter than that of the contralateral healthy eye by (0.63±0.68) mm, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-6.738, P<0.05). Conclusions:CDFI can clearly display various intraocular lesions (vitreous opacity and traction retinal detachment) and eyeball sizes in children with OT. Vitreous opacity is often manifested as "Christmas tree" like, clustered, strip-shaped.

ObjectiveTo investigate the levels of serum antibodies against novel coronavirus （SARS-CoV-2） in healthcare workers after one month of natural infection， to explore the influencing factors and their correlations with the levels of antibodies， and to provide reference for strengthening the protection of healthcare workers and preventive intervention in Pudong New Area in Shanghai. MethodsVenous blood samples were collected from 1 102 medical staff in Pudong hospitals one month after infection. The serum levels of new coronavirus specific antibodies IgM， IgG and neutralizing antibodies were detected by chemiluminescent immunoassay. The information of gender， age， position， infection severity， vaccination， basic diseases and use of immunosuppressants were obtained by questionnaire to explore the influencing factors and their correlation with the antibody level. ResultsOne month after natural infection， 99.00% （1 091/1 102） of the subjects were found to be positive for IgG antibody against the new coronavirus， 17.79% （196/1 102） of the subjects were IgM antibody positive， and 99.00% （1 091/1 102） of the samples were positive for the neutralizing antibody. The level of antibody might be influenced by the severity of infection， the time of the last dose of vaccination， and the long-term use of immunosuppressants. The more severe the disease， the stronger the neutralizing antibody response. The antibody level in the people who received the final dose of vaccine within 6 months was higher than that of the people who received the vaccine 6 months ago， and the difference was statistically significant. The antibody levels were low in the subjects who received long-term immunosuppressants. ConclusionThe specific IgM， IgG and neutralizing antibody were found， one month after infection， in the medical workers in Pudong New Area， Shanghai， and the antibody titers were high， which had a good protective effect. The antibody level of the people who were vaccinated within 6 months was higher， it is recommended that people who receive the last vacination more than 6 months should be re-vaccinated with the booster vaccine， to improve the autoimmunity against the novel coronavirus.

As a novel neuromodulation technology,the application of deep brain stimulation(DBS)in treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders has received widespread attention in recent years.Based on the current research frontiers,this review puts forward several unique and insightful issues of DBS in psychiatric disorders,including therapeutic targets,stimulation modes,closed-loop modulation,and long-term efficacy in order to provide suggestions and perspectives for future research directions.

Objective:To describe functional disability rate of anxiety disorders in Chinese community adults and explore related risk factors of functional disability.Methods:To conduct in-depth data analysis on China Mental Health Survey(CMHS).The diagnostic tool for anxiety disorders was the Composite International Diagnostic Inter-view-3.0,according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders,Fourth Edition(DSM-Ⅳ).The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule,2nd edition,was the functional disability assessment standard for anxiety disorders.Weighted 12-month functional disability rate of DSM-Ⅳ anxiety disorder with co-morbidities and only anxiety disorder in population and those in patients,as well as days of partial disability were calculated.The effects of anxiety disorders comorbid other mental disorders and physical diseases and demographic factors on the severity and occurrence of functional disability were analyzed by multiple linear regression and logis-tic regression.Results:The functional disability rate of anxiety disorder with comorbidities in population was 1.7％,and 42.2％in patients,in which constituent rate of grade-four disability was the highest as 84.1％.The functional disability rate of only anxiety disorder in population was 0.3％,and 17.8％in patients.The medians of days of partial disability days in the past 30 days were from 0 to 14.42.Multiple linear regression showed a positive association between comorbid anxiety disorder with other mental disorders and physical diseases(β=0.24),comor-bid other mental disorders and physical diseases(β=0.21),physical diseases(β=0.18),comorbid anxiety disor-der and physical diseases(β=0.15),comorbid anxiety disorder with other mental disorders(β=0.08),other men-tal disorders(β=0.07),only anxiety disorder(β=0.06),lower education level(β=0.12),lower economic status(β=0.08),older age(β=0.06),non-marital status(β=0.06),male(β=0.02)and the severity of functional dis-ability.Logistic regression showed that comorbid anxiety with other mental disorders and physical diseases(OR=64.07),comorbid anxiety disorders with other mental disorders(OR=36.75),comorbid other mental disorders with physical diseases(OR=20.60),comorbid anxiety with physical diseases(OR=18.88),anxiety disorder(OR=9.20),other mental disorders(OR=6.65),physical diseases(OR=4.00),65 years old and over(OR=4.40),50 to 64 years old(OR=2.33),low economic status(OR=2.10),illiterate and below primary school educational level(OR=1.89),middle economic status(OR=1.70),elementary school educational level(OR=1.59),non-marital status(OR=1.47),male(OR=1.16)were the risk factors of the occurrence of functional disability.Conclusion:Comorbidity of anxiety disorders and other mental disorders,and physical diseases increases severity and occurrence of functional disability.Comorbidity,male,gender,older age,lower economic and educa-tional level and non-marital are risk factors of anxiety disorder functional disability.