1.Recognition of breath odor map of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules and Traditional Chinese Medicine syndrome elements based on electronic nose combined with machine learning: An observational study in a single center
Shiyan TAN ; Qiong ZENG ; Hongxia XIANG ; Qian WANG ; Xi FU ; Jiawei HE ; Liting YOU ; Qiong MA ; Fengming YOU ; Yifeng REN
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(02):185-193
Objective To explore the recognition capabilities of electronic nose combined with machine learning in identifying the breath odor map of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome elements. Methods The study design was a single-center observational study. General data and four diagnostic information were collected from 108 patients with pulmonary nodules admitted to the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery of Hospital of Chengdu University of TCM from April 2023 to March 2024. The patients' TCM disease location and nature distribution characteristics were analyzed using the syndrome differentiation method. The Cyranose 320 electronic nose was used to collect the odor profiles of oral exhalation, and five machine learning algorithms including random forest (RF), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), and eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) were employed to identify the exhaled breath profiles of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules and different TCM syndromes. Results (1) The common disease locations in pulmonary nodules were ranked in descending order as liver, lung, and kidney; the common disease natures were ranked in descending order as Yin deficiency, phlegm, dampness, Qi stagnation, and blood deficiency. (2) The electronic nose combined with the RF algorithm had the best efficacy in identifying the exhaled breath profiles of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules, with an AUC of 0.91, accuracy of 86.36%, specificity of 75.00%, and sensitivity of 92.85%. (3) The electronic nose combined with RF, LR, or XGBoost algorithms could effectively identify the different TCM disease locations and natures of pulmonary nodules, with classification accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity generally exceeding 80.00%.Conclusion Electronic nose combined with machine learning not only has the potential capabilities to differentiate the benign and malignant pulmonary nodules, but also provides new technologies and methods for the objective diagnosis of TCM syndromes in pulmonary nodules.
2.Causal Relationships Between Immune Cells and Risk of Gastric Cancer: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Jiawei HE ; Longnyu CAO ; Mengyuan TANG ; Hongquan CUI
Cancer Research on Prevention and Treatment 2025;52(2):172-176
Objective To analyze the causal relationship between immune cell phenotype and gastric cancer. Methods Bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was used to select 731 genetic variants involving immune cell phenotypes from the GWAS dataset as instrumental variables. Inverse-variance weighting method (IVW), weighted median method (WM), and MR-Egger regression were used for sensitivity analysis. Cochran Q test, MR-Egger regression, MR-PRESSO method, and remain-one method were also conducted. Results Changes in the absolute count of IgD+ B cells and CD14-CD16- cells were significantly associated with the risk of gastric cancer. A lower proportion of IgD+ B cells was associated with a lower risk of gastric cancer (OR=0.86, 95%CI: 0.79-0.94), while an increased number of CD4-CD8-T cells was associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer (OR=1.2, 95%CI: 1.1-1.3). Conclusion A causal relationship exists between immune cell phenotype and the risk of gastric cancer. Changes in specific immune markers may regulate the development of gastric cancer by affecting the tumor microenvironment.
3.Key Genes in Phenylpropanoid Biosynthesis Pathway of Lonicera macranthoides Based on Transcriptome and Metabolome Conjoint Analysis
Jiawei HE ; Jingyu ZHANG ; Juan ZENG ; Jiayuan ZHU ; Simin ZHOU ; Meiling QU ; Ribao ZHOU ; Xiangdan LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(8):167-175
ObjectiveBased on the conjoint analysis of transcriptome and metabolome, the key genes in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway of Lonicera macranthoides were explored, which provided a basis for further exploring the synthesis and regulation mechanism of phenylpropanoid compounds in "Xianglei" L. macranthoides. MethodsThe stem, leaves, and three flowering flowers of "Xianglei" L. macranthoides were selected as experimental materials to construct transcriptome and metabolome. The transcriptome and metabolomics were conjointly analyzed by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database and weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA), and the key genes in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway of L. macranthoides were explored. ResultsIn this study, 77 differential phenylpropanoids and 315 differential genes were found. Through the joint analysis of transcription and metabolism, nine key differential metabolites and four key genes related to them were finally discovered. Among them, cinnamic acid, 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid,sinapyl alcohol, and chlorogenic acid were higher in flowers, and the content of the iconic effective component, namely chlorogenic acid,decreased sharply during the withering period. Caffeic acid,ferulic acid, 5-hydroxyconiferaldehyde,p-coumaryl alcohol, and syringin were higher in leaves. These four key genes belong to the cinnamic alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) family, 4-coumaric acid: Coenzyme A (4CL) family, hydroxycinnamyl transferase (HCT) family, and L-phenylalanine ammonlyase (PAL) family genes. ConclusionAmong the four key genes excavated from L. macranthoides, TRINITY_DN42767_c0_g6 is related to the synthesis of p-coumaryl alcohol and sinapyl alcohol. TRINITY_DN43525_c4_g1 uses caffeic acid,ferulic acid,and cinnamic acid as substrates to catalyze the next reaction. TRINITY_DN47958_c3_g4 correlates with the synthesis of 3-p-coumaroyl quinic acid and caffeoyl-CoA, and TRINITY_DN52595_c1_g2 correlates with cinnamic acid synthesis. These findings provide a basis for further exploring the synthesis and regulation mechanism of phenylpropanoids in "Xianglei" L. macranthoides.
4.Construction and evaluation of a "disease-syndrome combination" prediction model for pulmonary nodules based on oral microbiomics
Yifeng REN ; Shiyan TAN ; Qiong MA ; Qian WANG ; Liting YOU ; Wei SHI ; Chuan ZHENG ; Jiawei HE ; Fengming YOU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(08):1105-1114
Objective To construct a "disease-syndrome combination" mathematical representation model for pulmonary nodules based on oral microbiome data, utilizing a multimodal data algorithm framework centered on dynamic systems theory. Furthermore, to compare predictive models under various algorithmic frameworks and validate the efficacy of the optimal model in predicting the presence of pulmonary nodules. Methods A total of 213 subjects were prospectively enrolled from July 2022 to March 2023 at the Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, and the Chengdu Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital. This cohort included 173 patients with pulmonary nodules and 40 healthy subjects. A novel multimodal data algorithm framework centered on dynamic systems theory, termed VAEGANTF (Variational Auto Encoder-Generative Adversarial Network-Transformer), was proposed. Subsequently, based on a multi-dimensional integrated dataset of “clinical features-syndrome elements-microorganisms”, all subjects were divided into training (70%) and testing (30%) sets for model construction and efficacy testing, respectively. Using pulmonary nodules as dependent variables, and combining candidate markers such as clinical features, lesion location, disease nature, and microbial genera, the independent variables were screened based on variable importance ranking after identifying and addressing multicollinearity. Missing values were then imputed, and data were standardized. Eight machine learning algorithms were then employed to construct pulmonary nodule risk prediction models: random forest, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, support vector machine, multilayer perceptron, eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), VAE-ViT (Vision Transformer), GAN-ViT, and VAEGANTF. K-fold cross-validation was used for model parameter tuning and optimization. The efficacy of the eight predictive models was evaluated using confusion matrices and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and the optimal model was selected. Finally, goodness-of-fit testing and decision curve analysis (DCA) were performed to evaluate the optimal model. Results There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in demographic characteristics such as age and sex. The 213 subjects were randomly divided into training and testing sets (7 : 3), and prediction models were constructed using the eight machine learning algorithms. After excluding potential problems such as multicollinearity, a total of 301 clinical feature information, syndrome elements, and microbial genera markers were included for model construction. The area under the curve (AUC) values of the random forest, LASSO regression, support vector machine, multilayer perceptron, and VAE-ViT models did not reach 0.85, indicating poor efficacy. The AUC values of the XGBoost, GAN-ViT, and VAEGANTF models all reached above 0.85, with the VAEGANTF model exhibiting the highest AUC value (AUC=0.923). Goodness-of-fit testing indicated good calibration ability of the VAEGANTF model, and decision curve analysis showed a high degree of clinical benefit. The nomogram results showed that age, sex, heart, lung, Qixu, blood stasis, dampness, Porphyromonas genus, Granulicatella genus, Neisseria genus, Haemophilus genus, and Actinobacillus genus could be used as predictors. Conclusion The “disease-syndrome combination” risk prediction model for pulmonary nodules based on the VAEGANTF algorithm framework, which incorporates multi-dimensional data features of “clinical features-syndrome elements-microorganisms”, demonstrates better performance compared to other machine learning algorithms and has certain reference value for early non-invasive diagnosis of pulmonary nodules.
5.Efficacy and safety of microneedle injection of extracellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells in treatment of melasma
Liping YI ; Yue MAI ; Min YIN ; Shanshan WU ; Jiawei HE ; Miaomiao LI ; Lei YI ; Shuaihua LI ; Huan ZHOU ; Peihui LI ; Shan YIN ; Qilei HE ; Jia ZHOU ; Changqing YAN ; Xiang LIU
Chinese Journal of Medical Aesthetics and Cosmetology 2024;30(6):536-540
Objective:To explore the effect and safety of mesenchymal stem cell exosome microneedle introduction in the treatment of melasma.Methods:Thirty cases of female patients with stable melasma in the Department of Dermatology, Changsha Meilai Medical Beauty Hospital, aged (36±5) years and with a disease duration of (42.4±20.7) months, from July 2021 to July 2022, were retrospectively included. According to Fitzpatrick skin typing, 23 cases of type Ⅲ and 7 cases of type Ⅳ were included. All patients were locally anesthetized with lidocaine cream for 30 min, and rolled with a 0.5 mm needle in a zigzag pattern with even force, in the order of the right cheek, the left cheek, the forehead, the nose, the mandible, and the upper lip. During the rolling process, 3 ml of MSC exosome medical liquid wound dressing was applied to the facial skin, and after it was fully absorbed, exosome was locally readministered in the area of melasma. Treatment ended with a slight redness at the site of application. 1 MSC exosome wound dressing was appllied as a cold compress for 15 min after treatment. Treatment was given once every 2 weeks for 6 consecutive sessions. All the patients were followed up at 4 and 12 weeks after the last session, and the area and severity index of melasma (MASI) were scored before and after the treatment, the clinical efficiency and patient satisfaction rate and the incidence of adverse reactions were also counted.Results:At 4 and 12 weeks after the end of treatment, the skin color of all 30 patients was brighter than that before treatment, and no recurrence of melasma symptoms seen. At 12 weeks after the end of treatment, the decrease rate of MASI score was 66.1%, among which the decrease rate of MASI score in patients with type Ⅲ melasma was 63.9%, and the decrease rate of MASI score in patients with type Ⅳ melasma was 63.9%. Among the 30 patients, 1 case was cured, 25 cases showed obvious improved, 4 cases were improved, and no cases were ineffective, with an effective rate of 86.7% (26/30). Five patients were very satisfied, 18 patients were satisfied, 6 patients were generally satisfied, and 1 patient was dissatisfied; the patient satisfaction rate was 76.7% (23/30). No serious adverse reactions occurred in all patients.Conclusions:MSC exosome microneedle introduction is safe and effective in the treatment of melasma without serious adverse reactions.
6.Oxalate regulates crystal-cell adhesion and macrophage metabolism via JPT2/PI3K/AKT signaling to promote the progression of kidney stones
Song QIANLIN ; Song CHAO ; Chen XIN ; Xiong YUNHE ; He ZIQI ; Su XIAOZHE ; Zhou JIAWEI ; Ke HU ; Dong CAITAO ; Liao WENBIAO ; Yang SIXING
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2024;14(6):851-862
Oxalate is an organic dicarboxylic acid that is a common component of plant foods.The kidneys are essential organs for oxalate excretion,but excessive oxalates may induce kidney stones.Jupiter micro-tubule associated homolog 2(JPT2)is a critical molecule in Ca2+mobilization,and its intrinsic mecha-nism in oxalate exposure and kidney stones remains unclear.This study aimed to reveal the mechanism of JPT2 in oxalate exposure and kidney stones.Genetic approaches were used to control JPT2 expression in cells and mice,and theJPT2 mechanism of action was analyzed using transcriptomics and untargeted metabolomics.The results showed that oxalate exposure triggered the upregulation of JPT2,which is involved in nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate(NAADP)-mediated Ca2+mobilization.Tran-scriptomic analysis revealed that cell adhesion and macrophage inflammatory polarization were inhibited by JPT2 knockdown,and these were dominated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/AKT signaling,respectively.Untargeted metabolomics indicated that JPT2 knockdown inhibited the produc-tion of succinic acid semialdehyde(SSA)in macrophages.Furthermore,JPT2 deficiency in mice inhibited kidney stones mineralization.In conclusion,this study demonstrates that oxalate exposure facilitates kidney stones by promoting crystal-cell adhesion,and modulating macrophage metabolism and in-flammatory polarization via JPT2/PI3K/AKT signaling.
7.Core-shell Electrospining Injectable Drug Delivery System for Lung Cancer Treatment Study
Cuiting GAO ; Ze HE ; Jiawei XING
Journal of Medical Research 2024;53(10):46-52
Objective To prepare a core-shell electrostatically spun short fiber capable of sequential drug release and its suspen-sion for local injection use,and to observe the effects of the short fiber on human non-small cell lung cancer cell line A549 and its trans-planted tumor in nude mice.Methods The structure and drug release characteristics of different(SF-HD:shell hydroxycamptothecin,core adriamycin;SF-DH:shell adriamycin,core hydroxycamptothecin)staple fibers were observed.A549 cells were treated with each group of staple fibers,and real-time cellular analysis and flow technology were used to observe growth and apoptosis.Nude mice were in-oculated with A549 cells above the right hind limb,and after successful modeling,they were randomly divided into blank,control,SF-HD,and SF-DH groups,and injected with 200ul of saline,blank short fiber suspension,SF-DH suspension,and SF-HD suspension above the center of the tumor,respectively.The day of injection was 0 day,and the volume of the tumors and the weight of the mice were measured every two days and plotted as a curve.After 5,10 and 21 days of injection,tumor tissues were taken and observed by HE stai-ning.Results Compared with SF-DH,SF-HD had more obvious effects in inhibiting the growth and promoting the apoptosis of A549 cells and their transplanted tumors.Conclusion The SF-HD group had a better inhibitory effect on A549 cells and their transplanted tumors.The slow-release system of electrostatically spun short fibers prepared in this study can achieve the effect of slow controlled re-lease over time and is a promising drug delivery system for research.
8.Correlation between apparent diffusion coefficient of sacroiliac joint and SPARCC score in ankylosing spondylitis patients with different grade sacroiliac joint inflammation
Ziwei ZHANG ; Jiawei WANG ; Qi ZENG ; He SUI ; Yu LI ; Chen LIANG ; Zhaoshu HUANG ; Xia ZHU ; Lingling SONG
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging Technology 2024;40(9):1390-1394
Objective To observe the correlation between apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)of sacroiliac joint and spondyloarthritis research consortium of Canada(SPARCC)score in ankylosing spondylitis(AS)patients with different grade sacroiliac joint inflammation.Methods MR examinations of sacroiliac joint were prospectively performed in 35 AS patients(AS group)and 30 healthy controls(HC group).The grade of sacroiliac joint inflammation and SPARCC score in AS group were evaluated according to MRI findings,and the patients were then further divided into bone marrow oedema(BMO)subgroup(n=19)and non-BMO subgroup(n=16)according to whether BMO presented under articular surface or not,and ADC of sacroiliac joint(ADCsacroiliac)were measured.Receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn,the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated to evaluate the efficacy of ADCsacroiliac for assessing AS sacroiliac joint inflammation grade.Pearson correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlation between ADCsacroiliac and SPARCC score in AS patients with different grade sacroiliac joint inflammation.Results ADCsacroiliac in BMO subgroup and non-BMO subgroup was(4.85±1.44)×10-4 and(4.30±0.64)×10-4 mm2/s,respectively,being not significantly different(P>0.05)but both higher than that in HC group([3.32±1.36]×10-4 mm2/s,both P<0.05).The sensitivity of ADCsacroiliac for assessing grade of sacroiliac joint inflammation in AS patients was 49.44%,51.94%,73.06%and 60.50%,with specificity of 75.00%,78.92%,83.33%and 66.67%,respectively,and AUC of 0.613,0.712,0.837 and 0.645,respectively.ADCsacroiliac was moderately-highly positively correlated with SPARCC score of AS patients with Ⅱ and Ⅲgrade sacroiliac joint inflammation(r=0.580,0.933,both P<0.05),but no obvious correlation was detected between ADCsacroiliac and SPARCC score of AS patients with Ⅰ or Ⅳ grade sacroiliac joint inflammation(both P>0.05).Conclusion ADCsacroiliac was positively correlated with SPARCC scores of AS patients with Ⅱ and Ⅲ grade sacroiliac joint inflammation,which could be regarded as a reliable quantitative parameter for monitoring sacroiliac joint BMO.
9.Mechanism of Aurantii Fructus and Its Active Components in Regulating Gastrointestinal Motility: A Review
Junbao YU ; Jiayuan ZHU ; Wenya MEI ; Jiawei HE ; Yuqing LONG ; Zhihui WANG ; Xiaorong LIU ; Xiangdan LIU ; Ribao ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(10):290-298
Gastrointestinal motility disorder is an important cause of digestive system diseases. Patients often suffer from nausea, vomiting, gastric retention, gastroparesis, constipation, and many other symptoms, and their quality of life is seriously reduced. Prokinetic agents are routinely used in clinical practice, but their long-term use is prone to problems such as reduced efficacy and increased adverse reactions. Since the incidence of gastrointestinal diseases has continued to rise globally in recent years, there is an urgent need for clinical development of safe and effective treatment strategies. Aurantii Fructus, a traditional Chinese medicine, has the effect of smoothing Qi and eliminating distention, and it has been used to treat gastrointestinal diseases for thousands of years. In modern clinical practice, it is mainly used for the treatment and auxiliary treatment of various gastrointestinal diseases such as functional dyspepsia, functional constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome. The efficacy is remarkable, and no adverse reactions have been reported at conventional doses. Therefore, it can greatly improve the symptoms of patients with gastrointestinal diseases and improve their quality of life. Modern research has revealed that there are many active components in Aurantii Fructus, among which flavonoids have the highest content and the most types. Flavonoids are the main active components in Aurantii Fructus to regulate gastrointestinal motility. Aurantii Fructus and its active components can affect gastrointestinal hormones, neural pathways, Cajal mesenchymal cells, and other multiple mechanisms. They can adjust gastrointestinal motility and correct gastrointestinal motility disorders, showing potential application value in the treatment of gastrointestinal motility disorders. However, a comprehensive analysis of Aurantii Fructus in this aspect is still lacking. This study summarized the pharmacological activities of active components of Aurantii Fructus extract and its flavonoids, volatile oils, alkaloids, and coumarin on the regulation of gastrointestinal motility and explored the latest research progress on its mechanism. Finally, the adverse reactions of Aurantii Fructus were summarized. It aims to provide a scientific basis for the research and clinical application of Aurantii Fructus and its active components in the regulation of gastrointestinal motility.
10.Efficacy and influencing factors of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in the treatment of chronic insomnia
Xiaoya CHEN ; Jiawei HE ; Yan LIU ; Yi WANG ; Jing YAO ; Xiaoqi HUANG
Sichuan Mental Health 2024;37(1):16-20
BackgroundChronic insomnia is characterized by a prolonged and recurrent course. The efficacy of repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a physical therapy method to improve sleep quality remains inadequately supported by evidence, particularly regarding its relationship with personality traits. ObjectiveTo explore the efficacy and influencing factors of rTMS in the treatment of chronic insomnia, and to provide insights into its therapeutic potential. MethodA total of 46 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for chronic insomnia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), and were treated at the Third Hospital of Mianyang from September 2022 to September 2023 were selected. Prior to treatment, participants underwent assessments using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item (HAMD-17) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality before treatment, at the end of the second week of treatment and one week post-treatment. ResultsAt the end of the second week of treatment, patients exhibited significantly improved total PSQI score and subscale scores related to subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance and daytime dysfunction (t=4.755~13.361, P<0.01), with 24 cases (54.35%) showing effective treatment outcomes. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that introverted and extroverted personality traits contributed significantly to the regression equation (B=0.317, P<0.01), explaining 29.90% of the total variation (R2=0.299). ConclusionrTMS treatment may effectively improve the sleep quality of patients with chronic insomnia, with its therapeutic effect appearing to associated with introverted and extroverted personality traits. [Funded by National Natural Science Project of China (number, 82372080)]

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