OBJECTIVE: To identify and validate novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis of sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) and precise continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) using proteomics. METHODS: A prospective multicenter cohort study was conducted. Patients with sepsis admitted to five hospitals in Taizhou City of Zhejiang Province from April 2019 to December 2021 were continuously enrolled, based on the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI). Sepsis patients were divided into SA-AKI group and non-SA-AKI group, and healthy individuals who underwent physical examinations during the same period were used as control (NC group). Peripheral blood samples from participants were collected for protein mass spectrometry analysis. Differentially expressed proteins were identified, and functional enrichment analysis was conducted on these proteins. The levels of target proteins were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the predictive value of target protein for SA-AKI were evaluated by receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve). Additionally, sepsis patients and healthy individuals were selected from one hospital to externally verify the expression level of the target protein and its predictive value for SA-AKI, as well as the accuracy of CRRT treatment. RESULTS: A total of 37 patients with sepsis (including 19 with AKI and 18 without AKI) and 31 healthy individuals were enrolled for proteomic analysis. Seven proteins were identified with significantly differential expression between the SA-AKI group and non-SA-AKI group: namely cystatin C (CST3), β ₂-microglobulin (β ₂M), insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 4 (IGFBP4), complement factor I (CFI), complement factor D (CFD), CD59, and glycoprotein prostaglandin D2 synthase (PTGDS). Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these proteins were involved in immune response, complement activation, coagulation cascade, and neutrophil degranulation. ELISA results demonstrated specific expression of each target protein in the SA-AKI group. Additionally, 65 patients with sepsis (38 with AKI and 27 without AKI) and 20 healthy individuals were selected for external validation of the 7 target proteins. ELISA results showed that there were statistically significant differences in the expression levels of CST3, β ₂M, IGFBP4, CFD, and CD59 between the SA-AKI group and non-SA-AKI group. ROC curve analysis indicated that the area under the curve (AUC) values of CST3, β ₂M, IGFBP4, CFD, and CD59 for predicting SA-AKI were 0.788, 0.723, 0.723, 0.795, and 0.836, respectively, all exceeding 0.7. Further analysis of patients who underwent CRRT or not revealed that IGFBP4 had a good predictive value, with an AUC of 0.84. CONCLUSIONS Based on proteomic analysis, CST3, β ₂M, IGFBP4, CFD, and CD59 may serve as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of SA-AKI, among which IGFBP4 might be a potential biomarker for predicting the need for CRRT in SA-AKI patients. However, further clinical validation is required.
Humans ; Sepsis/complications* ; Acute Kidney Injury/blood* ; Proteomics ; Prospective Studies ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Male ; Female ; beta 2-Microglobulin/blood* ; Middle Aged ; Cystatin C/blood* ; Aged

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and security of metformin in the treatment of endocrine resistance and postmenopausal hormone receptor positive advanced breast cancer. Methods 60 cases of postmenopausal HR+advanced breast cancer whose first-line or second-line endocrine therapy failed were randomly divided into study group(n=30),treated with metformin combined with AI and control group(n=30),treated with placebo combined with AI. Standard RECIST guidelines were used to evaluate the clinical response. The objective response rate(ORR),clinical benefit rate(CBR),progression-free survival,and adverse reactions of two groups were compared. Results The ORR of two groups were 16.7%and 10%respectively and the difference was not statistically significant(P > 0.05). But CBR in study group was significantly higher than that in control group (63.3%vs 36.7%),and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). The median PFS in study group was slightly longer than that in control group (3.7 m vs 4.2 m),but there was no statistical difference. Multivariate regression analysis showed that PFS was only associated with the previous endocrine therapy. No serious adverse reactions occurred in two groups. Conclusion Metformin is expected to improve secondary endocrine resistance in breast cancer,but large prospective clinical studies are needed to confirm it.

Objective To explore the clinical and neuroimaging features of a frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 ( FTDP-17 ) pedigree caused by mutation of microtubule-associated protein tau ( MAPT) gene.Methods The proband and one patient from a FTDP-17 pedigree were assessed through standardized clinical evaluation , neuropsychology assessment , video-electroencephalogrom ,MRI, genetic sequencing , as well as 18 F fludeoxyglucose ( FDG) SPECT for brain metabolism and 11 C 2β-carbomethoxy-3β-( 4-fluoro ) tropane ( CFT ) PET for dopamine transporter ( DAT ) distribution, respectively.Results A FTDP pedigree with 15 patients (6 still alive) was recruited to this study.The proband and one affected patient were genotyped and confirmed as MAPT c .1788T>G mutation. Parkinsonism was the first symptom for both two patients . Personality, speech changes and dementia accompanied with brain atrophy were developed at the later stage in one patient .The 18 F FDG SPECT studies illustrated asymmetric hypometabolism of the temporal , frontal lobes and basal ganglia in two patients . Regarding to the 11 C CFT PET, one affected patient showed asymmetric decreased uptake of tracer in basal ganglia regions.Conclusions FTDP-17 can display a confusingly broad clinical phenotype , with the parkinsonism as the first symptom . Brain glucose metabolism and DAT distribution could be potential biomarkers in early diagnosis of FTDP-17.