Background/Aims: Dysregulated cholesterol metabolism is a hallmark of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that drives tumor initiation and progression. However, clinical targeting of cholesterol metabolism has yielded limited benefits due to stringent feedback in tumor cells. Identifying a central mediator capable of restoring cholesterol homeostasis within the cell’s intrinsically fine-tuned regulatory framework is urgently needed. Methods: We integrated a proteomic dataset from patients with cholesterol-dysregulated HCC into a global cholesterol metabolic regulatory network to identify potential therapeutic targets for disrupted cholesterol homeostasis. The prognostic significance of the candidate targets was further validated in an independent cohort through immunohistochemistry. Functional and mechanistic studies were conducted in vitro using HCC cell lines and in vivo using mouse models. The pharmacological efficacy of the candidate agent was evaluated in both subcutaneous and orthotopic HCC mouse models. Results: ER lipid raft-associated 1 (ERLIN1), a pivotal regulator of cholesterol metabolism reprogramming, was identified as an independent favorable prognostic indicator in HCC. ERLIN1 constrains HCC progression both in vitro and in vivo by stabilizing the INSIG1–SCAP–SREBP2 axis and maintaining the metabolic balance of intracellular cholesterol. Under hypoxia, impaired factor-inhibiting hypoxia-1-dependent hydroxylation of ASB11 at asparagine residues 90 and 92 enhances ASB11-mediated ERLIN1 degradation. Pharmacological targeting of this axis using zoledronic acid (ZoA) attenuated HCC progression by weakening the ASB11–ERLIN1 interaction and restoring cholesterol homeostasis. Conclusions ERLIN1 represents a druggable metabolic vulnerability in cholesterol-dysregulated HCC. Targeting the ASB11–ERLIN1 axis with the clinically approved ZoA reestablishes cholesterol homeostasis and offers a promising therapeutic strategy to overcome the current limitations of cholesterol-targeted HCC therapies.

Objective:To investigate the effect of DExH-box helicase 9(DHX9)O-linked N-acetylglucosamine(O-GlcNAc)modifi-cation(O-GlcNAcylation)on the proliferation of hepatitis B virus(HBV)-associated hepatoma cells.Methods:The pAdTrack-TO4-DHX9-3Flag recombinant adenovirus plasmid was constructed by molecular cloning and transfected into HEK293 cells for packaging and amplification of the recombinant adenovirus AdDHX9.The interaction between DHX9 and O-GlcNAc transferase(OGT)was con-firmed using co-immunoprecipitation.The co-localization between DHX9 and OGT was measured by immunofluorescence.The level of DHX9 O-GlcNAcylation was determined using succinylated wheat germ agglutinin(sWGA)and glycosylated immunoprecipitation(IP).The effect of DHX9 O-GlcNAcylation on the proliferation of HBV-associated hepatoma cells was assessed using the colony-forming assay and cell growth curves.Results:The recombinant adenovirus AdDHX9 was successfully obtained,and DHX9 expression was confirmed by Western blot.DHX9 interacted with OGT,and the two proteins were co-localized on the nucleus.The sWGA and gly-cosylated IP experiments showed that DHX9 underwent O-GlcNAcylation,which was further enhanced by HBV infection.The colony-forming assay demonstrated that the number of cell clones was increased in the AdDHX9 group(386.667±15.630)compared with the AdGFP control group(142.667±7.572,P<0.001).Moreover,cell growth curves demonstrated that the overall cell growth rate was en-hanced in the AdDHX9 group(22.860±0.770)compared with the AdGFP control group(13.670±0.517,P<0.001).Conclusion:HBV infection promotes DHX9 O-GlcNAcylation,which enhances the proliferation of HBV-associated hepatoma cells.

Objective:To construct univariate and multivariate relapse free survival (RFS) prediction models for breast cancer patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) and to compare and select the model with higher predictive performance.Methods:A total of 912 breast cancer patients treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University from January 2010 to December 2016 were included, of which 202 patients had T2DM and 710 patients did not. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was drawn based on whether patients had T2DM, and log-rank test was performed based on whether patients had T2DM. All patients were randomly divided into a training set ( n=640) and a validation set ( n=272) at a ratio of 7∶3. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional risk regression models were used to analyze RFS in breast cancer patients with the survival package. The "rms" package was employed to construct univariate and multivariate RFS prediction models for breast cancer patients with T2DM. Clinical decision curves and calibration curves were used to validate the models. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was used to compare and analyze the prediction performance of the two models. Results:There were no statistically significant differences between the training set and the validation set patients in terms of age, T2DM, surgical approach, axillary management methods, T stage, N stage, molecular sub-type, estrogen receptor (ER) 1, ER2, progesterone receptor (PR) , ER and PR consistency, Ki67, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) (all P>0.05) . There was a statistically significant difference in histological grade ( χ2=7.59, P=0.022) . Survival analysis showed that the 5-year RFS rate was 83.7% in patients with T2DM and 92.3% in patients without T2DM ( χ2=16.61, P<0.001) . Univariate analysis revealed that age ( HR=1.04, 95% CI: 1.03-1.06, P<0.001) , T2DM ( HR=2.31, 95% CI: 1.49-3.55, P<0.001) , surgical approach ( HR=2.39, 95% CI: 1.20-4.77, P=0.013) , axillary management methods ( HR=2.62, 95% CI: 1.72-3.98, P<0.001) , T stage (T 2: HR=2.13, 95% CI: 1.36-3.31, P<0.001; T 3: HR=6.90, 95% CI: 3.35-14.22, P<0.001) , N stage (N 2: HR=3.87, 95% CI: 2.12-7.07, P<0.001; N 3: HR=8.61, 95% CI: 4.71-15.75, P<0.001) , molecular sub-type (Luminal B: HR=2.74, 95% CI: 1.17-6.36, P=0.019; HER2 +: HR=3.64, 95% CI: 1.38-9.58, P=0.009; TNBC: HR=4.40, 95% CI: 1.71-11.34, P=0.002) , ER1 (>10%: HR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.37-0.90, P=0.016) , ER2 ( HR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.37-0.89, P=0.015) , and PR ( HR=0.56, 95% CI: 0.37-0.86, P=0.008) were all factors influencing RFS in breast cancer patients. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age ( HR=1.04, 95% CI: 1.02-1.06, P<0.001) , T2DM ( HR=1.82, 95% CI: 1.16-2.85, P=0.009) , T stage (T 2: HR=1.60, 95% CI: 1.01-2.54, P=0.046; T 3: HR=2.64, 95% CI: 1.22-5.72, P=0.014) , N stage (N 2: HR=3.72, 95% CI: 2.01-6.88, P<0.001; N 3: HR=5.34, 95% CI: 2.78-10.25, P<0.001) , and ER1 (>10%: HR=0.63, 95% CI: 0.39-0.99, P=0.046) were independent factors influencing RFS in breast cancer patients. Based on the 10 and 5 variables with P<0.05 in the univariate and multivariate analyses respectively, the nomograms of the univariate and multivariate prediction models were constructed to evaluate the influence of factors such as T2DM on the postoperative RFS of breast cancer patients. Clinical decision curves and calibration curves indicated that both models had high predictive value for RFS in breast cancer patients, and the predictive results were highly consistent with the actual observed results. ROC curve analysis showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the area under the curve (AUC) of the two models for predicting the RFS rates of breast cancer patients in the training set and validation set at 36, 60, and 84 months (all P>0.05) , indicating that the predictive efficacy of the two models was comparable. The multivariate model is more suitable for clinical application because it uses fewer variables. Conclusions:Breast cancer patients with T2DM have poorer prognosis. Age, T2DM, T stage, N stage, and ER1 are independent factors influencing postoperative RFS in breast cancer patients. The multi-factor prediction model of RFS in breast cancer patients based on T2DM is more suitable for clinical application due to its higher predictive efficacy and fewer variables.

Objective To evaluate the clinical effects of cast post and cores with traction design in coronal extrusion of upper anterior teeth with subgingival fracture.Methods Twenty-five upper anterior teeth with subgingival fracture were treated by root canal therapy,then cast post and cores with traction design and composite resin crown restorations were made for orthodontic extrusion.Position reten-tion and gingival margin modification were performed before crown restoration of these teeth.The correlation between extrusion length and extrusion time was evaluated,as well as the correlation between extrusion length and migration distance in coronal direction about the gingival margin.Crown-root ratio and post-root ratio below the alveolar crest was evaluated after the crown restorations were finished.Evaluation of restoration effects was carried out in 3,6,12 months follow-up period.Results Root resorption began to appear on one tooth at six weeks;the remaining 24 teeth were migrated to target position and prosthesis were finished.There was a positive correlation between the extrusion length(x)and extrusion time(y1),also between the extrusion length(x)and migration distance in coronal di-rection about the gingival margin(y2)by statistical analysis.There was no significant difference(P＞0.05)between the extrusion teeth and compared teeth on crown-root ratio.More than 1/2 of the ratio between the length of post to the length of root below the alveolar crest.The prognostic stability was satisfied in 3,6,12 months follow-up period.Conclusion There are satisfactory clinical application effects of cast post and cores with traction design in coronal extrusion of upper anterior teeth with subgingival fracture.

Objective To investigate the clinical and CT findings features of nonaneurysmal perimesencephalic subarachnoid hem-orrhage(NAPSAH).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 19 cases of NAPSAH confirmed by clinical treatment and follow-up,and their clinical and CT findings features were summarized.Results All patients exhibited mild clinical symptoms and had a good prognosis without complications.The sites of NAPSAH involved the anterior cistern in 17 cases,the suprasellar cistern in 8 cases,the interpeduncular cistern in 7 cases,the anterior cistern only in 1 case,and the suprasellar cistern only in 1 case;Among them,4 cases had vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia(VBD)and 3 cases had tortuous prolongation of vertebrobasilar artery.Conclusion The incidence of NAPSAH is low,the clinical symptoms are mild and good prognosis.It has typical imaging features.Most of its hemorrhage sites are confined to the anterior cistern,suprasellar cistern and interpeduncular cistern.Combining clinical and CT find-ings helpful to improve the accuracy of diagnosis.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial resistance profiles of bacterial strains isolated from pediatric intensive care units(PICU)in China for better antimicrobial therapy.Methods Clinical isolates were collected from 17 institutions,including tertiary care children's hospitals and pediatric department of tertiary general hospitals in China from January 1,2020 to December 31,2022.Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out according to a unified protocol using Kirby-Bauer method or automated systems.Results were interpreted according to the breakpoints released by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)in 2020.Results A total of 10 688 isolates were collected,including gram-positive organisms(39.2％)and gram-negative organisms(60.8％).The top three organisms were S.aureus(13.6％,1 453/10 688),A.baumannii(10.0％,1 067/10 688),and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus(9.9％,1 058/10 688).Multi-drug resistant organisms(MDROs)were very common in children.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA),carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales(CRE),carbapenem-resistant E.coli,carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae(CRKP),carbapenem-resistant A.baumannii(CRAB),and carbapenem-resistant P.aeruginosa(CRPA)was 41.1％,19.4％,8.8％,30.9％,67.4％,and 28.8％,respectively.Overall,more than 50％of Enterobacteriales isolates were resistant to cephalosporins,while nearly 25％of Enterobacteriales isolates were resistant to carbapenems.MDROs were highly resistant to commonly used antibiotics.More than 80％of CRE and CRAB strains were resistant to all beta-lactam antibiotics.CRE and CRAB showed low resistance rates to tigecycline and polymyxin.CRPA showed lower resistance rates to piperacillin,beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations than the resistance rates to third and fourth generation cephalosporins.All of the Staphylococcus and Enterococcus isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and tigecycline.None of PRSP strains isolated from meningitis and nonmeningitis samples were resistant to rifampicin,vancomycin,or linezolid.The prevalence of β-lactamase-negative ampicillin-resistant(BLNAR)strains was 43.3％in Haemophilus influenzae.Conclusions MDROs were prevalent in PICU.It is necessary to establish an effective multidisciplinary team(MDT)to control the antimicrobial resistance.

Objective To investigate the protective effects of Ligilactobacillus salivarius Li01(L.salivarius Li01)against DNA damage induced by Helicobacter pylori(Hp),Benzo(a)pyrene(BaP),and Hp+BaP,and to evaluate the probiotic properties of L.salivarius Li01.Methods After 1 week of adaptive feeding,specific pathogen-free male Mongolian gerbils were randomly assigned to groups and subjected to intragastric administration of Hp,BaP,and Hp+BaP for model induction.At week 32 post model establishment,therapeutic L.salivarius Li01 was administered intragastrically.At week 36,peripheral blood samples were collected from each group for the comet assay,while liver tissues were collected and tested for Cyp1a1 gene expression levels.Results Compared with those in the control group,the comet tail length,％tail DNA,and hepatic Cyp1a1 expression levels were significantly increased in the Hp,BaP,and Hp+BaP groups(P＜0.0001).Among these,the comet tail length,olive tail moment,％tail DNA,and hepatic Cyp1a1 expression levels were significantly higher in the Hp+BaP group than in the Hp and BaP groups(P＜0.05).Following intervention with L.salivarius Li01,the comet tail length,olive tail moment,％tail DNA,and hepatic Cyp1a1 expression levels were significantly reduced in each group(P＜0.001).Conclusions Hp infection,BaP exposure,and the Hp+BaP combination induced DNA damage in the peripheral lymphocytes of Mongolian gerbils,with the Hp+BaP combination showing synergistic damage.L.salivarius Li01 had a protective effect against DNA damage caused by Hp,BaP,and Hp+BaP.

BACKGROUND:Studies have reported that alendronate intake significantly increases bone mineral density in patients with osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE:To analyze and compare the changes in metabolites before and after alendronate intervention in ovariectomized rats by chromatography-mass spectrometry,and to further explore the specific mechanism and target of alendronate in the treatment of osteoporosis. METHODS:A total of 36 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into model group,alendronate sodium group and sham operation group.The osteoporosis model was established by ovariectomy in the first two groups.Four weeks after modeling,the rats in the alendronate group were intragastrically given alendronate sodium,while those in the sham operation group and model group were given equal volume of normal saline.After 12 weeks of continuous gavage,the metabolites of the lumbar spine were analyzed by chromatography-mass spectrometry,and the common differential metabolites were obtained,which were analyzed by bioinformatics such as Kyoto Gene and Genome Encyclopedia pathway. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Totally 17 different metabolites were obtained in the three groups.The enrichment analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes showed that alendronate sodium could regulate unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis,linoleic acid metabolism and other pathways to protect ovariectomized rats.These results indicate that alendronate sodium may exert its anti-osteoporosis effect by interfering with unsaturated fatty acid bioanabolism and linoleic acid metabolism,so as to achieve the purpose of preventing osteoporosis

Objective:To exploring the value of MR neuroimaging for quantitative assessment of the facial nerve and peripheral lymph nodes in patients with acute peripheral facial paralysis. Methods:Based on a prospective experimental design, 32 patients with idiopathic peripheral facial palsy were enrolled in the experiment. Based on MR neuroimaging technology, MR high-resolution thin-layer images of bilateral facial nerves were acquired. The diameters of different segments of the bilateral facial nerve were measured, including the labyrinthine segment, the geniculate ganglion, the horizontal segment, the vertical segment, the stem-mammary foramen segment, the trunk of the parotid segment, the temporal trunk, and the cervical trunk, as well as the quantitative indicators of peri-auricular and parotid lymph nodes（number, length and diameter of the largest lymph nodes）. Differences in quantitative indices of nerve diameter and peripheral lymph nodes between the paraplegic and healthy sides were compared using the paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results:The diameter of geniculate ganglion, mastoid foramen stem, parotid main trunk, temporal facial trunk, and cervical facial trunk were notably increased on the facial paralysis side compared to the contralateral side（P<0.05）. However, no significant differences were observed in the diameter of labyrinthine segment, horizontal segment, or vertical segment compared to the contralateral side. There were significantly more periauricular lymph nodes on the facial paralysis side than the contralateral side（P=0.001）. Conclusion:MR neuroimaging enables the quantitative assessment of structural changes in the facial nerve of patients with acute peripheral facial paralysis, demonstrating nerve enlargement in the geniculate ganglion, stylomastoid foramen segment, main trunk of the parotid segment, temporal facial trunk, and cervical facial trunk. Additionally, an increased number of periauricular lymph nodes is observed on the affected side. These findings may aid clinicians in assessing the efficacy of treatments and predict the prognosis of these patients.
Humans ; Facial Nerve/diagnostic imaging* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Prospective Studies ; Female ; Male ; Neuroimaging/methods* ; Lymph Nodes/diagnostic imaging* ; Facial Paralysis/diagnostic imaging* ; Adult ; Middle Aged

ObjectiveTo analyze the expression level of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 （TREM-1） in serum and ascites of patients with cirrhotic ascites， and to investigate its correlation with clinical features and inflammatory markers and its role in the diagnosis of infection and prognostic evaluation. MethodsA total of 110 patients with cirrhotic ascites who were hospitalized in The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang from January 2019 to December 2020 were enrolled， and according to the presence or absence of intra-abdominal infection， they were divided into infection group with 72 patients and non-infection group with 38 patients. The patients with infection were further divided into improvement group with 38 patients and non-improvement group with 34 patients. Clinical data and laboratory markers were collected from all patients. Serum and ascites samples were collected， and ELISA was used to measure the level of TREM-1. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between multiple groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. A Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between indicators. A multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the influencing factors for the prognosis of patients with cirrhotic ascites and infection. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic efficacy of each indicator， and the Delong test was used for comparison of the area under the ROC curve （AUC）. ResultsThe level of TREM-1 in ascites was significantly positively correlated with that in serum （r=0.50， P<0.001）. Compared with the improvement group， the non-improvement group had a significantly higher level of TREM-1 in ascites （Z=-2.391， P=0.017） and serum （Z=-2.544， P=0.011）， and compared with the non-infection group， the infection group had a significantly higher level of TREM-1 in ascites （Z=-3.420， P<0.001）， while there was no significant difference in the level of TREM-1 in serum between the two groups （P>0.05）. The level of TREM-1 in serum and ascites were significantly positively correlated with C-reactive protein （CRP）， procalcitonin （PCT）， white blood cell count， and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio （r=0.288， 0.344， 0.530， 0.510， 0.534， 0.454， 0.330， and 0.404， all P<0.05）. The ROC curve analysis showed that when PCT， CRP， and serum or ascitic TREM-1 were used in combination for the diagnosis of cirrhotic ascites with infection， the AUCs were 0.715 and 0.740， respectively. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CRP （odds ratio ［OR］=1.019， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.001‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.038， P=0.043） and serum TREM-1 （OR=1.002， 95%CI： 1.000‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.003， P=0.016） were independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with cirrhotic ascites and infection， and the combination of these two indicators had an AUC of 0.728 in predicting poor prognosis. ConclusionThe level of TREM-1 is closely associated with the severity of infection and prognosis in patients with cirrhotic ascites， and combined measurement of TREM-1 and CRP/PCT can improve the diagnostic accuracy of infection and provide support for prognostic evaluation.