1.Association Between MTHFR C677T Gene Polymorphism and Hypertension, Hyperhomocysteinemia and Hyperlipidemia in Tibet Region
Pengchang LI ; Danni MU ; Zhijuan LIU ; Xiaoxing LIU ; Puchi ZEJI ; Liping TIAN ; Honglei LI ; Li'an HOU ; Dandan LI ; Jie WU ; Ling QIU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(1):280-285
To explore the correlation between MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism and hypertension, hyperhomocysteinemia(Hcy), and hyperlipidemia in the Tibetan population of Tibet. Using a cluster sampling method, participants from high-altitude regions including Ngari Prefecture, Lhasa City, and Nyingchi City in Tibet were enrolled. Differences in MTHFR C677T genotype distribution among individuals with hypertension, HHcy, and hyperlipidemia were analyzed, and multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess the association between these conditions and the TT genotype. A total of 574 eligible subjects were included, with a mean age of 40.64±12.67 years. Males accounted for 46.7%(268/574) and females 53.3%(306/574). Regional distribution was 34.8%(200/574) from Nyingchi City, 33.1%(190/574) from Lhasa City, and 32.1%(184/574) from Ngari Prefecture. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 117.89±18.98 mm Hg and 79.74±14.88 mm Hg, respectively. The frequency of the TT genotype was significantly higher in the hypertension group than in the non-hypertension group(12.32% The MTHFR C677T TT genotype is significantly associated with hypertension and hyperhomocysteinemia in the Tibetan population, suggesting that this polymorphism may be a genetic risk factor for these diseases in high-altitude regions.
2.A novel carbonyl reductase for the synthesis of (R)-tolvaptan.
Yahui LIU ; Xuming WANG ; Shuo MA ; Keyu LIU ; Wei LI ; Lulu ZHANG ; Jie DU ; Honglei ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(1):321-332
Screening carbonyl reductases with the ability to catalyze the reduction of complex carbonyl compounds is of great significance for the biosynthesis of R-tolvaptan(R-TVP). In this study, the target carbonyl reductase in the crude enzyme extract of rabbit liver was separated, purified, and identified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel-filtration chromatography, ion exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography, and protein mass spectrometry. With the rabbit liver genome as the template, the gene encoding the carbonyl reductase rlsr5 was amplified by PCR and the recombinant strain was successfully constructed. After RLSR5 was purified by affinity chromatography, its enzymatic properties were characterized. The results indicated that the gene sequence of rlsr5 was 972 bp, encoding a protein with a molecular weight of 40 kDa. RLSR5 was a dimeric protein, and each monomer was composed of a (α/β)8-barrel structure. RLSR5 could asymmetrically reduce 7-chloro-1-[2-methyl-4-[(2- methylbenzoyl)amino]benzoyl]-5-oxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-1-benzazepine (prochiral ketone, PK) to synthesize R-TVP. The specific activity of the enzyme was 36.64 U/mg, and the optical purity of the product was 99%. This enzyme showcased the optimal performance at pH 6.0 and 30 °C. It was independent of metal ions, with the activity enhanced by Mn2+. This study lays a foundation for the biosynthesis of tolvaptan of optical grade.
Animals
;
Rabbits
;
Alcohol Oxidoreductases/biosynthesis*
;
Recombinant Proteins/metabolism*
;
Escherichia coli/metabolism*
;
Liver/enzymology*
3.The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring: Current Status and Challenges
Yuge WEI ; Ronghao LI ; Chenyi SUN ; Congmin ZHU ; Ting CHEN ; Hong YANG ; Honglei LIU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2025;16(6):1363-1370
Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) significantly impact clinical medication safety. The timely identification and prediction of ADRs rely on the efficient analysis of real-world data, such as electronic health records, social media, and spontaneous reporting databases. In recent years, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, particularly large language models, in natural language processing, causal reasoning, and complex data mining has provided new technological means for real-time ADRs monitoring and individualized prediction. This paper summarizes the latest research achievements in AI-driven ADRs monitoring. Focusing on diverse data sources, including structured databases and electronic health records, it elaborates on the advantages andchallenges of AI in ADRs event extraction, relationship identification, causal analysis, and risk prediction. The aim is to provide a theoretical reference for constructing more intelligent and efficient ADRs monitoring systems.
4.Research Progress on Mechanism of Chinese Herbal Monomers and Compound Formulas Against Lung Cancer Through Glucose Metabolic Reprogramming
Zhen WANG ; Honglei GUO ; Aidi WANG ; Lin MA ; Baoshan LIU
Cancer Research on Prevention and Treatment 2025;52(12):1021-1028
Glucose metabolic reprogramming is important in promoting the occurrence and development of malignant tumors and meeting the high demands of the malignant proliferation of tumor cells. An in-depth investigation of the mechanism of glucose metabolic reprogramming in lung cancer is important for the development of effective therapeutic strategies for lung cancer. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is characterized by multiple components, targets, and pathways and can exert antitumor effects through multiple mechanisms. This article illustrates systematically the mechanism of action of Chinese herbal monomers and compound formulas regulating glucose metabolic reprogramming in lung cancer and explores deeply their regulatory effects on key enzymes of glycolysis and metabolism-related signaling pathways, and their potential in overcoming the drug resistance of lung cancer. It aims to provide a reference basis for the study of therapeutic targets and mechanisms of action of TCM in prevention and treatment of lung cancer and theoretical sources for the research and development of new medicines.
5.Bibliographical cataloging for ancient TCM books
Hongtao LI ; Weina ZHANG ; Lin TONG ; Jingpeng DENG ; Qian ZHAO ; Honglei WANG ; Naiying LIU ; Mei SHI ; Qiang LIU ; Ying LIN ; Xiaohong ZHANG ; Lili FENG ; Mingrui ZHANG ; Yanqiu LUO ; Guangkun CHEN ; Yan DONG ; Bin LI ; Sihong LIU ; Bing LI ; Chen LI ; Meng LI ; Rui WANG ; He LU
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;47(6):729-740
With reference to the Information and Documentation-Resource Description (GB/T 3792-2021) and Bibliographical Description for Ancient Chinese Books (GB/T 3792.7-2008) and other cataloging standards and rules, drawing on the practical experience of cataloging ancient TCM books, Bibliographical Cataloging for Ancient TCM Books was formulated. This standard specifies the entry items and their order of ancient TCM books, cataloging identifier, cataloging text, cataloging information source, and cataloging item details. The standard can provide standardized and unified guiding principles and methods for the work of ancient TCM books, and promote the sharing and utilization of ancient TCM books.
6.Clinical characteristics and genetic analysis of a case with 47,XYY Disorder of sex development due to variant of NR5A1 gene.
Yanan LIU ; Jie LI ; Qiqi XU ; Ying YANG ; Linlin HE ; Honglei DUAN
Chinese Journal of Medical Genetics 2025;42(8):931-936
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the clinical phenotype and genetic etiology of a patient with tall stature and primary amenorrhea presenting with 47,XYY Disorder of sex development (DSD).
METHODS:
A female patient presenting with "tall stature and primary amenorrhea" at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital in July 2024 was selected as the study subject. A retrospective study design was employed to collect the patient's clinical data. Peripheral venous blood sample was collected. Following the extraction of genomic DNA, genetic testing was performed including chromosomal karyotyping analysis, copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq), multiplex PCR for the AZF regions and sex-determining genes Y (SRY), and whole-exome sequencing (WES). Candidate variants were validated by Sanger sequencing and classified for pathogenicity based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital (Ethics No.: 2022-451-01).
RESULTS:
The patient had a height of 188 cm and a body weight of 50 kg, in addition with infantile uterus, absent ovaries, and primary amenorrhea. G-banded karyotyping analysis of peripheral blood sample revealed 47,XYY. CNV-seq indicated Seq[GRCh37]Yp11.32q12×2. No deletion was detected in the AZF regions of Y chromosome, and SRY was positive. WES identified a heterozygous c.86C>A (p.Thr29Lys) variant of the NR5A1 gene, leading to substitution of threonine with lysine at position 29 of the encoded protein. Sanger sequencing confirmed the presence of the variant. According to the ACMG guidelines, this variant was classified as variant of uncertain significance (VUS) with supporting evidence (PS3_Moderate+PM5+PP3+PM2_Supporting+PS4_Supporting). Reviewing the nearly 60 years of previously reported cases, all 7 documented 47,XYY DSD patients were assigned a female social gender and presented with abnormal gonadal and external genitalia development. Among them, 5 cases underwent SRY testing, all of which were positive. Only 1 case underwent whole-exome sequencing (WES), but no pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were identified.
CONCLUSION
This DSD patient presented with the clinical features of tall stature and primary amenorrhea. The NR5A1 gene variant c.86C>A (p.Thr29Lys) probably underlay the Disorder of sex development in this patient. Above finding has enriched the spectrum of pathogenic variants of the NR5A1 gene.
Humans
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Female
;
Steroidogenic Factor 1/genetics*
;
DNA Copy Number Variations/genetics*
;
XYY Karyotype/genetics*
;
Karyotyping
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Phenotype
;
Sex Chromosome Disorders of Sex Development/genetics*
;
Sex Chromosome Disorders
7.The diagnostic value of artificial intelligence B-ultrasound image computer-aided diagnosis system in adult goiter
Zexu ZHANG ; Zongyu YUE ; Honglei XIE ; Yue SU ; Haowen PAN ; Jia LI ; Wenjing CHE ; Xin HOU ; Meng ZHAO ; Lanchun LIU ; Dandan LI ; Xian XU ; Weidong LI ; Fangang MENG ; Lijun FAN ; Lixiang LIU ; Ming LI ; Peng LIU
Chinese Journal of Endemiology 2024;43(11):922-927
Objective:To study the diagnostic value of artificial intelligence B-ultrasound image computer-aided diagnosis system (hereinafter referred to as intelligent ultrasound system) in adult goiter.Methods:In June 2022 and March 2023, two phases of thyroid disease survey were carried out in 4 cities in Anhui Province. One village was selected in each city, and 250 adults were selected as survey subjects in each village. Adult bilateral thyroid area was scanned by both intelligent ultrasound system and conventional ultrasound scanning equipment, and the effectiveness of intelligent ultrasound system in the diagnosis of goiter was analyzed based on the results of conventional ultrasound examination. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn, and Kappa test was used to analyze the consistency between intelligent ultrasound system and conventional ultrasound examination in the diagnosis of goiter. At the same time, Spearman correlation analysis and Bland-Altman method were used to evaluate the consistency of the two methods in measuring thyroid volume.Results:After screening and removing outliers and missing values, a total of 910 adults were included, including 253 males (27.80%) and 657 females (72.20%). The age was (45.92 ± 10.20) years old, ranging from 18 to 60 years old. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the intelligent ultrasound system for diagnosing adult goiter were 80.00%, 99.67%, and 99.56%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.996, which was consistent with the results of conventional ultrasound examination for diagnosing goiter ( κ = 0.67, P < 0.001). After controlling for variables such as gender, thyroid function, and thyroid nodules, the intelligent ultrasound system showed good consistency with conventional ultrasound examination in the diagnosis of goiter in females, adults with thyroid dysfunction, and adults without thyroid nodules ( κ = 0.66, 0.80, 0.80, P < 0.001). The consistency in the diagnosis of goiter in adults with thyroid nodules was moderate ( κ = 0.56, P < 0.001). Spearman correlation analysis showed a highly positive correlation between the measurement results of adult thyroid volume by intelligent ultrasound system and conventional ultrasound examination ( r = 0.88, P < 0.001). The Bland-Altman method results showed that only 4.62% (42/910) of points in adults were outside the 95% consistency limit, indicating good consistency between intelligent ultrasound system and conventional ultrasound examination in measuring thyroid volume (< 5%). The proportion of points outside the 95% consistency limit in males, adults with thyroid dysfunction, and adults with thyroid nodules was 6.72% (17/253), 5.83% (12/206), and 6.45% (12/186), respectively. Conclusions:The intelligent ultrasound system has certain diagnostic value for adult goiter and has good consistency with conventional ultrasound examination for thyroid volume measurement. However, the accuracy of diagnosis for males and adults with thyroid nodules still needs to be improved.
8.Exploration of the misunderstandings,challenges,and countermeasures of exemption from ethical review from the perspective of medical and health institutions
Honglei NIAN ; Hui JIANG ; Jihong LI ; Min LIU ; Jiyin ZHOU
Chinese Medical Ethics 2024;37(4):408-414
In the implementation of exemption from ethical review,medical institutions equate exemption from ethical review with no ethical review or simple review,misunderstand the scope of exemption from ethical review,confuse the concepts of de-identification and anonymization,and equate privacy with personal information.The implementation faced challenges such as the coordination of conditions for exempt review with other regulations,the lack of clear decision-making subjects for exempting from ethical review,the legality and compliance of using general informed consent for biological samples and information data,as well as non-traceability and the risk of being re-identified of anonymous information for exemption from ethical review.Measures such as improving relevant laws and regulations,perfecting the construction and management of information databases and biological sample libraries,strengthening the project management and process supervision of exemption from ethical review,and implementing scientific review can ensure the legal and compliant implementation of exemption from ethical review by medical and health institutions.
9.Prenatal diagnosis and outcome of pregnancy for women with high risks by screening of fetal free DNA from peripheral blood samples
Zhaoxia LI ; Honglei DUAN ; Wei LIU ; Ruifang ZHU ; Jie LI
Chinese Journal of Medical Genetics 2024;41(1):1-7
Objective:To analyze the results of prenatal diagnosis and outcome of pregnancy for women with a high risk for fetal aneuploidies.Methods:A total of 747 cases of prenatal diagnosis by amniocentesis due to high risks by non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) were selected from January 2015 to March 2022 in the Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University Medical School. The amniotic fluid samples were subjected to chromosomal karyotyping and/or chromosomal microarray analysis. All cases were followed up by searching the birth information or telephone calls, and the results were recorded. 2 test or F test were used for comparing the difference between the groups.Results:Among the 747 pregnant women with a high risk by NIPT, 387 were true positives, and the overall positive predictive value (PPV) was 51.81%. The PPVs for trisomy 21 (T21), trisomy 18 (T18), trisomy 13 (T13) and sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCA) were 80.24% (199/248), 60% (48/80), 14% (7/50) and 38.97% (106/272), respectively. The PPV for T21 was significantly higher than T18 and T13 ( χ2= 85.216, P<0.0001). The PPV for other chromosomal aneuploidies and copy number variations (CNVs) were 11.11% (5/45) and 40.74% (22/52), respectively. The PPV for increased X chromosomes was significantly higher than X chromosome decreases (64.29% vs. 22.22%, χ2= 5.530, P<0.05). The overall PPV for elder women (≥ 35 years old) was significantly higher than younger women (69.35% vs. 42.39%, χ2= 49.440, P<0.0001). For T21 and T18, the PPV of Z ≥ 10 group was significantly higher than that for 3 ≤ Z < 5 group or 5 ≤ Z < 10 group ( P<0.05). Among 52 cases with a high risk for CNVs, the PPV for the ≤ 5 Mb group was significantly higher than the 5 Mb < CNVs < 10 Mb or > 10 Mb groups (60% vs. 30%和60% vs. 23.53%, P<0.05). Among the 387 true positive cases, 322 had opted for induced labor, 53 had delivered with no abnormal growth and development, and 12 were lost during the follow-up. Conclusion:The PPVs for common chromosomal aneuploidies are related to the age and Z value of the pregnant women, which were higher in the elder group and higher Z value group. In addition, the PPV is associated with high risk types. The PPV for T21 was higher than T18 and T13, and that for 45, X was lower than 47, XXX, 47, XYY or 47, XXY syndrome. NIPT therefore has relatively high PPVs for the identification of chromosomal CNVs.
10.Consensus statement on research and application of Chinese herbal medicine derived extracellular vesicles-like particles (2023 edition).
Qing ZHAO ; Tong WANG ; Hongbin WANG ; Peng CAO ; Chengyu JIANG ; Hongzhi QIAO ; Lihua PENG ; Xingdong LIN ; Yunyao JIANG ; Honglei JIN ; Huantian ZHANG ; Shengpeng WANG ; Yang WANG ; Ying WANG ; Xi CHEN ; Junbing FAN ; Bo LI ; Geng LI ; Bifeng LIU ; Zhiyang LI ; Suhua QI ; Mingzhen ZHANG ; Jianjian ZHENG ; Jiuyao ZHOU ; Lei ZHENG ; Kewei ZHAO
Chinese Herbal Medicines 2024;16(1):3-12
To promote the development of extracellular vesicles of herbal medicine especially the establishment of standardization, led by the National Expert Committee on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles, research experts in the field of herbal medicine and extracellular vesicles were invited nationwide with the support of the Expert Committee on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles, Professional Committee on Extracellular Vesicle Research and Application, Chinese Society of Research Hospitals and the Guangdong Engineering Research Center of Chinese Herbal Vesicles. Based on the collation of relevant literature, we have adopted the Delphi method, the consensus meeting method combined with the nominal group method to form a discussion draft of "Consensus statement on research and application of Chinese herbal medicine derived extracellular vesicles-like particles (2023)". The first draft was discussed in online and offline meetings on October 12, 14, November 2, 2022 and April and May 2023 on the current status of research, nomenclature, isolation methods, quality standards and research applications of extracellular vesicles of Chinese herbal medicines, and 13 consensus opinions were finally formed. At the Third Academic Conference on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles, held on May 26, 2023, Kewei Zhao, convenor of the consensus, presented and read the consensus to the experts of the Expert Committee on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles. The consensus highlights the characteristics and advantages of Chinese medicine, inherits the essence, and keeps the righteousness and innovation, aiming to provide a reference for colleagues engaged in research and application of Chinese herbal vesicles at home and abroad, decode the mystery behind Chinese herbal vesicles together, establish a safe, effective and controllable accurate Chinese herbal vesicle prevention and treatment system, and build a bridge for Chinese medicine to the world.

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