B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) is an inhibitory immune checkpoint, which typically interacts with herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM) and plays a crucial role in regulating immune balance. BTLA interacts with its ligand HVEM in a cis manner on the surface of the same immune cell to maintain immune tolerance, while trans interactions on the surface of different immune cells mediate immunosuppressive effects. Dysregulation of the BTLA/HVEM axis can impair the functions of immune cells, particularly T lymphocytes, promoting immune escape of tumor cells and ultimately leading to tumor progression. Researchers have found that BTLA and HVEM are abnormally expressed in various tumors and are associated with prognosis, suggesting that they may be potential targets for tumor immunotherapy. This review summarizes the molecular structures of BTLA and HVEM, immunomodulatory mechanisms, recent advances in hematologic malignancies, potential inhibitors of BTLA/HVEM interaction, and their applications in immunotherapy for hematologic malignancies.
Humans ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 14/chemistry* ; Receptors, Immunologic/immunology* ; Hematologic Neoplasms/genetics* ; Immunotherapy/methods* ; Animals

eIF3a is a N ⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) reader that regulates mRNA translation by recognizing m⁶A modifications of these mRNAs. It has been suggested that eIF3a may play an important role in regulating translation initiation via m⁶A during infection when canonical cap-dependent initiation is inhibited. However, the death of animal model studies impedes our understanding of the functional significance of eIF3a in immunity and regulation in vivo. In this study, we investigated the in vivo function of eIF3a using eIF3a knockout and knockdown mouse models and found that eIF3a deficiency resulted in splenic tissue structural disruption and multi-organ damage, which contributed to severe sepsis induced by Lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Ectopic eIF3a overexpression in the eIF3a knockdown mice rescued mice from LPS-induced severe sepsis. We further showed that eIF3a maintains a functional and healthy immune system by regulating B cell function and quantity through m⁶A modification of mRNAs. These findings unveil a novel mechanism underlying sepsis, implicating the pivotal role of B cells in this complex disease process regulated by eIF3a. Furthermore, eIF3a may be used to develop a potential strategy for treating sepsis.

OBJECTIVE: A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted to investigate the early postoperative analgesic effectiveness of using liposomal bupivacaine (LB) for local infiltration anesthesia (LIA) in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). METHODS: Between January 2024 and July 2024, a total of 80 patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) who met the selection criteria were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomly assigned to either the LB group or the "cocktail" group in a 1∶1 ratio using a random number table, with 40 patients in each group. Baseline characteristics, including gender, age, body mass index, operated side, Kellgren-Lawrence grade, and preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, and knee joint range of motion, showed no significant difference between the two groups ( P>0.05). Both groups received LIA and comprehensive pain management. The surgical duration, incision length, pain-related indicators [resting and activity visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, total dosage of oral morphine, WOMAC scores], knee joint range of motion, first ambulation time after operation, length of hospital stay, and postoperative adverse events. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups in surgical duration, incision length, first ambulation time after operation, length of hospital stay, total dosage of oral morphine, and pre-discharge satisfaction with surgery and WOMAC scores ( P>0.05). At 4, 12, and 24 hours after operation, the resting and activity VAS scores in the "cocktail" group were lower than those in the LB group; at 60 and 72 hours postoperatively, the resting VAS scores in the LB group were lower than those in the "cocktail" group, with the activity VAS scores also being lower at 60 hours; all showing significant differences ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups at other time points ( P>0.05). On the second postoperative day, the sleep scores of the LB group were significantly higher than those of the "cocktail" group ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in sleep scores on the day of surgery and the first postoperative day ( P>0.05). Additionally, the incidence of complications showed no significant difference between the two groups ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION The use of LB for LIA in UKA can provide prolonged postoperative pain relief; however, it does not demonstrate a significant advantage over the "cocktail" method in terms of short-term analgesic effects or reducing opioid consumption and early functional recovery after UKA. Nevertheless, LB may help reduce postoperative sleep disturbances, making it a recommended option for UKA patients with cardiovascular diseases and insomnia or other mental health issues.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Anesthesia, Local/methods* ; Anesthetics, Local/administration & dosage* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/methods* ; Bupivacaine/administration & dosage* ; Liposomes ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/surgery* ; Pain Measurement ; Pain, Postoperative/prevention & control* ; Prospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

In the context of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), characterized by dysregulated lipid metabolism in hepatocytes, the quest for safe and effective therapeutics targeting lipid metabolism has gained paramount importance. Sanhuang Xiexin Tang (SXT) and Baihu Tang (BHT) have emerged as prominent candidates for treating metabolic disorders. SXT combined with BHT plus Cangzhu (SBC) has been used clinically for Weihuochisheng obese patients. This retrospective analysis focused on assessing the anti-obesity effects of SBC in Weihuochisheng obese patients. We observed significant reductions in body weight and hepatic lipid content among obese patients following SBC treatment. To gain further insights, we investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of SBC in HFD-fed mice. The results demonstrated that SBC treatment mitigated body weight gain and hepatic lipid accumulation in HFD-fed mice. Pharmacological network analysis suggested that SBC may affect lipid metabolism, mitochondria, inflammation, and apoptosis-a hypothesis supported by the hepatic transcriptomic analysis in HFD-fed mice treated with SBC. Notably, SBC treatment was associated with enhanced hepatic mitochondrial biogenesis and the inhibition of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/NF-κB pathways. In conclusion, SBC treatment alleviates NAFLD in both obese patients and mouse models by improving lipid metabolism, potentially through enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis. These effects, in turn, ameliorate inflammation in hepatocytes.
Humans ; Mice ; Animals ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Organelle Biogenesis ; Retrospective Studies ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Obesity/metabolism* ; Liver ; Inflammation/metabolism* ; Body Weight ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipids ; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects*

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Therefore, exploring the mechanism of CVDs and critical regulatory factors is of great significance for promoting heart repair, reversing cardiac remodeling, and reducing adverse cardiovascular events. Recently, significant progress has been made in understanding the function of protein kinases and their interactions with other regulatory proteins in myocardial biology. Protein kinases are positioned as critical regulators at the intersection of multiple signals and coordinate nearly every aspect of myocardial responses, regulating contractility, metabolism, transcription, and cellular death. Equally, reconstructing the disrupted protein kinases regulatory network will help reverse pathological progress and stimulate cardiac repair. This review summarizes recent researches concerning the function of protein kinases in CVDs, discusses their promising clinical applications, and explores potential targets for future treatments.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Heart ; Humans ; Myocardium ; Protein Kinases

Objective:To investigate clinical features of congenital triangular alopecia.Methods:Clinical data were collected from 10 children with congenital triangular alopecia, who were diagnosed and treated in Xiamen Children′s Hospital from August 2020 to June 2021, and their clinical and dermoscopic features were analyzed.Results:All the 10 patients were males, aged from 2 months to 6 years and 4 months. Hair loss occurred at birth or within 1 month after birth in 6 children, and occurred between the age of 4 months and 6 years in 4. The alopecic area was located in the left frontotemporal region in 5 patients, in the right frontotemporal region in 3, and in the vertex region in 2. In all the patients, thin vellus hair could be seen in the alopecic areas, and the hair pull test was negative, while in 1 patient showed some normal terminal hair scattered in the alopecic area. Dermoscopy showed a lot of vellus hair surrounded by normal terminal hair in the alopecic area with a clear boundary, and no yellow or black dots, or 'exclamation mark’ hair was observed. Seven patients had visited department of dermatology due to hair loss, of whom 5 were diagnosed with alopecia areata, and 2 with sebaceous nevus.Conclusions:Congenital triangular alopecia is common in children, and mostly occurs in the left frontotemporal region. It is characterized by the replacement of normal terminal hair by thin vellus hair in the alopecic area. Dermoscopy is helpful in its diagnosis and differential diagnosis.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of intravesical instillation with Sufuning (SFN) lotion for prevention of postoperative recurrence of bladder cancer. Methods A total of 240 bladder cancer patients who were diagnosed as bladder cancer and accepted trans-urethral resection of bladder tumor from January 2010 to June 2016 in Shanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital were randomly divided into the experimental group (120 cases) and the control group (120 cases) according to the envelope method. The patients in the experimental group were treated with SFN lotion for immediate intravesical instillation(250 mg for once), and the patients in the control group were treated with pirarubicin (THP) for immediate intravesical instillation (30 mg for once). The patients of two groups were treated with intravesical chemotherapy once a week for 8 times, and the chemotherapy was performed once a month for 1 year. The recurrence rate, progression-free survival (PFS) rate, overall survival (OS) rate and recent side effects were compared between the two groups. Results The patients were followed up for 6 to 60 months. The median follow-up time was 36.5 months.In the experimental group,6 patients were lost and 8 patients were lost in the control group.The experimental group, the total recurrence rate was 26.3 % (30/114). The control group, the overall recurrence rate was 25.0 % (28/112) (χ2= 0.142, P = 0.781). Five years of PFS rate in the experimental group and the control group was 73.7 % (84/114) and 75.0 % (84/112) respectively, and there was no significant difference between the two groups (χ2= 2.011, P= 0.615). Five years of OS rate in the experimental group and the control group was 95.6 % and 92.9 % respectively, and there was no significant difference between the two groups (χ 2= 1.611, P= 0.425). The major side effects included chemical cystitis and hematuria. The incidence of chemical cystitis and hematuria in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group(χ2=5.991,P=0.018;χ2=4.925,P=0.036).There was a statistically significant difference of the hematological side effects (blood routine changes) between the two groups (χ 2= 4.891, P= 0.032). Conclusion It is safe and effective for intravesical instillation of SFN lotion to prevent the recurrence of bladder cancer.

Objective To investigate perioperative nursing of new generation optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the diagnosis of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods Nursing methods and clinical data of 42 patients who received OCT during PCI were retrospectively summarized.Results After OCT,the incidence rate of blood vessel complications such as coronary artery spasm,slow coronary blood flow were 7.1％.All the complications were relieved after intracoronary nitroglycerin injection,and no chest pain and ECG changes were observed.No complications such as acute heart failure,malignant arrhythmia,and coronary artery dissection were seen,and no contrast nephropathy after surgery was observed after reasonable hydration and nursing cooperation.Conclusion The new generation OCT can accurately determinate the characteristics of coronary artery lesions without blocking coronary flow,and the skilled coordination and strict observation of perioperative nursing are important factors for OCT examination.

Objective To investigate perioperative nursing of new generation optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the diagnosis of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods Nursing methods and clinical data of 42 patients who received OCT during PCI were retrospectively summarized.Results After OCT,the incidence rate of blood vessel complications such as coronary artery spasm,slow coronary blood flow were 7.1％.All the complications were relieved after intracoronary nitroglycerin injection,and no chest pain and ECG changes were observed.No complications such as acute heart failure,malignant arrhythmia,and coronary artery dissection were seen,and no contrast nephropathy after surgery was observed after reasonable hydration and nursing cooperation.Conclusion The new generation OCT can accurately determinate the characteristics of coronary artery lesions without blocking coronary flow,and the skilled coordination and strict observation of perioperative nursing are important factors for OCT examination.