ObjectiveTo establish a high-performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） for the quantitative analysis of multiple components in Gegen Qinlian tablets， and to comprehensively evaluate the quality of samples from different manufacturers by integrating chemical pattern recognition and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution（TOPSIS）， in order to provide a reference basis for quality evaluation and control of Gegen Qinlian tablets. MethodsHPLC was employed to determine the contents of 10 components in 28 batches of Gegen Qinlian tablets collected from 6 manufacturers， and taking the detection results as variables， SIMCA 14.1 and SPSS 26.0 were employed for cluster analysis（CA）， principal component analysis（PCA）， and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） to identify key components affecting the quality. Then， TOPSIS analysis was employed to rank the quality of Gegen Qinlian tablets from the 6 manufacturers and establish a comprehensive quality evaluation method. ResultsA quantitative method for Gegen Qinlian tablets was established. After methodological validation， the method was found to be stable and reliable， and could be used for the quantitative analysis of this preparation. The contents of 3′-hydroxy puerarin， puerarin， 3′-methoxy puerarin， daidzein， coptisine hydrochloride， epiberberine， jatrorrhizine hydrochloride， berberine hydrochloride， palmatine hydrochloride and baicalin in 28 batches of samples were 3.58-7.35， 24.88-42.32， 4.20-9.36， 4.33-7.60， 2.52-6.44， 0.93-4.10， 0.58-3.05， 10.68-22.92， 0.82-4.82， 11.73-60.16 mg·g^-1， respectively. Among them， puerarin， berberine hydrochloride and baicalin all met the limit requirements for this preparation specified in the 2025 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. CA and PCA clustered the 28 batches of samples into 5 categories， PCA extracted 2 principal components with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 90.588%， and OPLS-DA screened out 4 differential markers with variable importance in the projection（VIP） values>1.0， namely baicalin， 3′-hydroxy puerarin， coptisine hydrochloride and palmatine hydrochloride， which might be the main components affecting the quality of Gegen Qinlian tablets. TOPSIS analysis showed that the comprehensive score of each evaluation index（C_i） values of different manufacturers were different. Among them， the C_i of manufacturer B was ranked higher， indicating potentially superior quality， while the C_i of manufacturer A was ranked lower， suggesting potentially inferior quality. ConclusionThis study establishes a quantitative method for Gegen Qinlian tablets， and the content uniformity of the same manufacturer is good， while there are differences in the contents of active components among different manufacturers. Through the chemical pattern recognition analysis， it is found that the content differences of Gegen Qinlian tablets may be related to baicalin， 3′-hydroxy puerarin， coptisine hydrochloride and palmatine hydrochloride.

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is currently classified as a class I carcinogen that can cause gastric cancer, research in recent years on how Hp infection causes the occurrence and progression of gastric cancer has attracted much attention. As the primary virulence factor of Hp, cytotoxicity-associated gene A (CagA) has been extensively studied and reported to function as a key excreted toxin for Hp to induce gastric infection, colonization and promote inflammatory-carcinogenic transformation of host cells. Patients infected with CagA-positive strains have a higher risk of developing tumors compared to those infected with CagA-negative strains. Based on previous studies, this article further elaborates on the import process, biological activity, and related molecular mechanisms of virulence protein CagA in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer induced by Hp infection.

Programmed cell death (PCD) is characterized as a cell death pathway governed by specific gene-encoding requirements, plays crucial roles in the homeostasis and innate immunity of organisms, and serves as both a pathogenic mechanism and a therapeutic target for a variety of human diseases. Z-DNA-binding protein 1 (ZBP1) functions as a cytosolic nucleic acid sensor, utilizing its unique Zα domains to detect endogenous or exogenous nucleic acids and its receptor-interacting protein homotypic interaction motif (RHIM) domains to sense or bind specific signaling molecules, thereby exerting regulatory effects on various forms of PCD. ZBP1 is involved in apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, and PANoptosis and interacts with molecules, such as receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3), to influence cell fate under various pathological conditions. It plays a crucial role in regulating PCD during infections, inflammatory and neurological diseases, cancers, and other conditions, affecting disease onset and progression. Targeting ZBP1-associated PCD may represent a viable therapeutic strategy for related pathological conditions. This review comprehensively summarizes the regulatory functions of ZBP1 in PCD and its interactions with several closely associated signaling molecules and delineates the diseases linked to ZBP1-mediated PCD, along with the potential therapeutic implications of ZBP1 in these contexts. Ongoing research on ZBP1 is being refined across various disease models, and these advancements may provide novel insights for studies focusing on PCD, potentially leading to new therapeutic options for related diseases.

BACKGROUND: Concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT) is the standard treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC), but there are still many patients who suffer tumor recurrence. However, valuable predictors of treatment outcomes remain limited. This study aimed to assess the value of the serum immune biomarkers to predict the prognosis. METHODS: We reviewed cervical cancer patients treated with CCRT between January 2014 and May 2018 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The systemic immune inflammation index (SII), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were calculated using blood samples. The relationship between immune markers and the treatment outcome was analyzed. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficiency. The Cox proportional hazards model and log-rank were used to predict overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: This study included 667 patients. Among them, 195 (29.2%) patients were defined as treatment failure, including 127 (19.0%) patients with pelvic failure, 94 (14.1%) distant failure, and 25 (3.7%) concurrent pelvic and distant failure. It revealed that the tumor stage, size, metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs), and serum immune biomarkers, such as SII, SIRI, and LDH, were significantly related to treatment outcomes. We demonstrated that the optimal cut-off of the SII, SIRI, and LDH were 970.4 × 10 9 /L, 1.3 × 10 9 /L, and 207.52 U/L, respectively. Importantly, this study presented that LDH level had the highest OR (OR = 4.2; 95% CI [2.3-10.8]). Furthermore, the OS and DFS for patients with pre-SII ≥970.5 × 10 9 /L were significantly worse than those with pre-SII <970.5 × 10 9 /L. Similarly, pre-SIRI ≥1.25 × 10 9 /L and pre-LDH ≥207.5 U/L were related to poor survival outcomes. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that the baseline SII, SIRI, and LDH levels can be used to accurately and effectively predict the treatment outcomes after CCRT and long-term prognosis. Our results may offer additional prognostic information in clinical, which helps to detect the potential recurrent metastasis in time.
Humans ; Female ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Chemoradiotherapy/methods* ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/blood* ; Treatment Outcome ; Disease-Free Survival ; Prognosis ; ROC Curve ; Biomarkers, Tumor/blood* ; Proportional Hazards Models

Objective To study the clinical efficacy of using bronchoalveolar lavage in severe lobar pneumonia and to analyze the high-risk factors affecting the duration of the disease.Methods The clinical data of children with severe lobar pneumonia diagnosed in the Department of Pediatrics,the First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University from January 2018 to January 2022 were retrospectively collected,and the children in the lavage group and the control group were matched 1:1 according to whether bronchoalveolar lavage was performed using the propensityscore matching(PSM)method to compare the therapeutic effects of the two groups.At the same time,the children in the lavage group were divided into the long-duration group and the short-duration group according to whether the duration of the disease was more than 2 weeks,and the reasons for the difference in the duration of the disease between the two groups were analyzed.Results ① After treatment,the children in the lavage group had cough relief time,fever reduction time,lung rales disappearance time,lung imaging manifestations reduction time,white blood cell(WBC),neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),C-reactive protein(CRP),erythrocytes sedimentation rate(ESR),and procalcitonin(PCT)were all lower than those in the control group,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).② In the lavage group,the CRP,lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),and fever peak value of children in the long-course group were significantly higher;The proportions of multi-pulmonary lobe infection,combined pleural effusion,and multiple pathogen infections were significantly higher than those in the short-course group.The difference was statistically significant among disease course groups(P<0.05).③ Two-category Logistic and receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC curve)analysis showed that LDH and CRP were independent risk factors for the disease duration in children in the lavage group>2 weeks,and the optimal critical values of LDH and CRP for predicting a disease duration of>2 weeks in children with severe lobar pneumonia were 333U/L and 32.6mg/L,respectively.Conclusion ① Bronchoalveolar lavage can shorten the treatment time of children with lobar pneumonia,speed up the recovery of inflammation,and significantly improve the efficacy.② Multiple pathogenic mixed infections,concurrent pleural effusion,LDH≥333 U/L,and CRP≥32.6 mg/L are independent risk factors for the disease duration>2 weeks after alveolar lavage in children with lobar pneumonia.We need to be alert to the possibility of prolonged disease course.

Radiopharmaceuticals are the cornerstone of molecular imaging and precision medicine, which play a huge role in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors, central nervous system diseases, cardiovascular and other diseases. On the basis of summarizing the advantages of radiopharmaceuticals and analyzing the development status at home and abroad, this article specifically introduces the general process of radiopharmaceutical research and development, and analyzes the key points of research and development. Finally, the future development of radiopharmaceuticals is prospected, with a view to providing reference for practitioners in fields related to the creation of new radiopharmaceuticals and accelerating the radiopharmaceutical development in China.

Background/Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has become an increasingly important health challenge, with a substantial rise linked to changing lifestyles and global obesity. Ursolic acid, a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, has been explored for its potential therapeutic effects. Given its multifunctional bioactive properties, this research further revealed the pharmacological mechanisms of ursolic acid on MASLD. Methods: Drug target chips and bioinformatics analysis were combined in this study to explore the potential therapeutic effects of ursolic acid on MASLD. Molecular docking simulations, surface plasmon resonance analyses, pull-down experiments, and co-immunoprecipitation assays were used to verify the direct interactions. Gene knockdown mice were generated, and high-fat diets were used to validate drug efficacy. Furthermore, initial CD4+ T cells were isolated and stimulated to demonstrate our findings. Results: In this study, the multifunctional extracellular matrix phosphorylated glycoprotein secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) was investigated, highlighting its capability to induce Th17 cell differentiation, amplifying inflammatory cascades, and subsequently promoting the evolution of MASLD. In addition, this study revealed that in addition to the canonical TGF-β/IL-6 cytokine pathway, SPP1 can directly interact with ITGB1 and CD44, orchestrating Th17 cell differentiation via their joint downstream ERK signaling pathway. Remarkably, ursolic acid intervention notably suppressed the protein activity of SPP1, suggesting a promising avenue for ameliorating the immunoinflammatory trajectory in MASLD progression. Conclusions Ursolic acid could improve immune inflammation in MASLD by modulating SPP1-mediated Th17 cell differentiation via the ERK signaling pathway, which is orchestrated jointly by ITGB1 and CD44, emerging as a linchpin in this molecular cascade.

Objective To identify the key genes and targeted protection methods affecting the survival of human islets. Methods Using bioinformatics method, the gene expression profile (GSE53454) was selected through screening and comparison from Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO) database. GEO2R tool was employed to screen the differentially expressed gene(DEG) between the human islets exposed (exposure group) and non-exposed (non-exposure group) to interleukin (IL)-1β and interferon (IFN)-γ for 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed by DAVID. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by STRING and Cytoscape apps. Results A total of 69 up-regulated DEGs and 2 down-regulated DEGs were identified. GO analysis showed that during the biological process, DEGs were enriched in the aspects of virus defense and inflammatory response. In cellular components, DEGs were significantly enriched in extracellular space, outside plasma membrane and extracellular regions. Regarding molecular functions, DEGs were significantly enriched in chemokine activity and cytokine activity. KEGG analysis revealed that DEGs were mainly enriched in multiple signaling pathways, such as cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, virus protein-cytokine and cytokine-receptor interaction, etc. Ten key genes (STAT1, CXCL10, IRF1, IL6, CXCL9, CCL5, CXCL11, ISG15, CD274, IFIT3) with high connectivity were selected by STRING analysis, all of which were significantly up-regulated in human islets exposed to IL-1β and IFN-γ. Six genes (STAT1, CXCL10, CXCL9, CXCL11, CCL5, IL6) were screened by KEGG enrichment analysis, mainly in Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. Conclusions STAT1, CXCL10, CXCL9, CXCL11, CCL5 and IL6 are the key genes affecting the survival of human islets, which are mainly enriched in Toll-like receptor signaling pathway and act as important targets for islet protection.

Objective:To explore the predictive value of 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters combined with inflammatory markers for the medium-term efficacy of chemotherapy in patients with primary gastrointestinal diffuse large B cell lymphoma (PGI-DLBCL). Methods:From April 2011 to May 2020, 67 patients (37 males, 30 females, age: 28-85 years) with PGI-DLBCL examined by 18F-FDG PET/CT before chemotherapy in Changhai Hospital, Navy Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were treated with cyclophosphamide+ doxorubicin+ vincristine+ prednisone (CHOP) or rituximab+ CHOP (R-CHOP) regimens, and the medium-term efficacy was evaluated after 2-4 cycles of chemotherapy. The effect outcome was divided into complete remission (CR) group and non-CR (NCR) group based on the Lugano lymphoma response evaluation criteria. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the differences of SUV max, peak of SUV (SUV peak), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) between two groups. The independent risk factors of NCR were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression and the binary logistic regression model was established according to the results. The model was tested with external validation data ( n=15). Results:Of 67 PGI-DLBCL patients, 28(41.8%) were CR and 39(58.2%) were NCR. SUV peak, MTV, TLG, PLR and NLR in NCR group (17.3(12.3, 28.1), 73.8(42.9, 141.7) cm 3, 887.5(300.9, 2 075.3) g, 203.9(155.7, 297.1), 3.9(3.0, 4.9)) were significantly higher than those in CR group (9.5(6.2, 15.2), 11.3(4.7, 23.2) cm 3, 85.2(35.5, 214.6) g, 149.3(102.8, 173.1), 2.2(1.8, 4.6); z values: from -6.41 to -2.33, all P<0.05). The logistic regression model was as follows: P=1/(1+ e - x), x=0.100×MTV+ 0.024×PLR-8.064. The prediction accuracy for NCR risk was 86.57%(58/67), with the accuracy of 13/15 tested by external validation data. Conclusion:MTV combined with PLR has a good predictive value for medium-term efficacy of CHOP/R-CHOP chemotherapy in patients with PGI-DLBCL.

ObjectiveTo understand the distribution characteristics of soil metal pollution around an abandoned rare earth ore in Jiangxi and the health impact on the surrounding residents. MethodsAccording to the distribution of abandoned rare earth ore， the village was divided into mining and non-mining areas. The prevalence of chronic diseases among residents over 15 years old in the village was collected through a self-designed questionnaire. Twenty-three soil samples were collected. The contents of rare earth metals （including lanthanum， cerium， praseodymium， and neodymium） and heavy metals （including arsenic （metalloids）， cadmium， and lead） in the soil samples were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry （ICP-MS）. ResultsThe metal content showed a cumulative increasing trend. One of the23 sampling sites showed mild cadmium pollution. Compared with non-mining farmland， the metal content of farmland soil around the abandoned rare earth mine was relatively higher. The residents' top six self-reported chronic diseases were hypertension， chronic bronchitis， diabetes， stroke， hyperlipidemia， and cataract. The prevalence of hypertension in mining area was higher than non-mining area （χ²=4.141， P=0.042）. The main related factors for hypertension in residents were the increase in age （OR=14.576， 95%CI： 2.773‒76.605） and body mass index （OR=3.147， 95%CI： 1.121‒8.835）. ConclusionAbandoned rare earth ore may have a potential impact on the health of surrounding residents.