OBJECTIVETo study genotype-phenotype correlation of a family with late infantile metachromatic leukodystrophy(MLD).

METHODSClinical data were collected and ARSA gene was tested by PCR and sequencing in a pedigree.

RESULTSThe male proband onset with walking dysfunction at 19 months, arylsulfatase A activity of leucocyte from his peripheral blood was 20.2 nmol/mg.17h, and his cranial MRI showed wildly symmetrical demyelination. Homozygosis for novel c.622delC (p.His208Metfs46X) in exon 3 of ARSA gene was identified in proband, and heterozygous for the same mutation in parents and grandma of the proband.

CONCLUSIONLate infantile metachromatic leukodystrophy is characterized by rapid and progressive regression of neuropsychiatric and motor development. There is a significant correlation between the mutation of c.622delC(p.His208Metfs*46) in the ARSA gene and the phenotype presenting as O/O patients.

Base Sequence ; Cerebroside-Sulfatase ; deficiency ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Family Health ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukodystrophy, Metachromatic ; diagnostic imaging ; enzymology ; genetics ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Phenotype ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Radiography ; Sequence Deletion

ObjectiveTo analyze the research status and trends in low-level occupational benzene exposure. Methods Articles on low-level occupational benzene exposure from Chinese and English journals from January 1st, 2000, to December 31th, 2022 were retrieved using the Web of Science and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and a bibliometric analysis was conducted. Results A total of 327 articles were included in the analysis, comprising 216 English articles and 111 Chinese articles. i) The number of articles published in English fluctuates greatly over the years, without a trend of continuous growth or decline. Authors from 359 research institutions in 45 countries and regions have published relevant English articles in 97 kinds of journals, involving 281 grants from 226 foundations. The top three countries in terms of articles amount were the United States, Italy, and China, with 81, 46, and 43 papers, respectively. The English articles mainly focused on mechanistic research at the genetic level, such as hematotoxicity, oxidative stress, and DNA damage. ii) The number of Chinese articles increased gradually after 2012, with the growth peak in 2017. Authors from 127 research institutions in 26 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities published Chinese articles in 51 kinds of journals, involving 154 grants from 78 foundations. Chinese articles tended to focus on benzene-induced hematotoxicity and occupational health damage. Conclusion Most studies on low-level occupational benzene exposure were conducted in China, the United States and Italy, focused on hematotoxicity. Monitoring international research topics and hotspots of the field has certain reference value for related research in China.

Lymphatic metastasis is the main metastatic route for colorectal cancer, which increases the risk of cancer recurrence and distant metastasis. The properties of the lymph node metastatic colorectal cancer (LNM-CRC) cells are poorly understood, and effective therapies are still lacking. Here, we found that hypoxia-induced fibroblast activation protein alpha (FAPα) expression in LNM-CRC cells. Gain- or loss-function experiments demonstrated that FAPα enhanced tumor cell migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stemness, and lymphangiogenesis via activation of the STAT3 pathway. In addition, FAPα in tumor cells induced extracellular matrix remodeling and established an immunosuppressive environment via recruiting regulatory T cells, to promote colorectal cancer lymph node metastasis (CRCLNM). Z-GP-DAVLBH, a FAPα-activated prodrug, inhibited CRCLNM by targeting FAPα-positive LNM-CRC cells. Our study highlights the role of FAPα in tumor cells in CRCLNM and provides a potential therapeutic target and promising strategy for CRCLNM.