Debates persist regarding the efficacy and safety of azvudine, particularly its real-world outcomes. This study involved patients aged ≥60 years who were admitted to 25 hospitals in mainland China with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between December 1, 2022, and February 28, 2023. Efficacy outcomes were all-cause mortality during hospitalization, the proportion of patients discharged with recovery, time to nucleic acid-negative conversion (T _NANC), time to symptom improvement (T _SI), and time of hospital stay (T _HS). Safety was also assessed. Among the 5884 participants identified, 1999 received azvudine, and 1999 matched controls were included after exclusion and propensity score matching. Azvudine recipients exhibited lower all-cause mortality compared with controls in the overall population (13.3% vs. 17.1%, RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.90; P = 0.001) and in the severe subgroup (25.7% vs. 33.7%; RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66-0.88; P < 0.001). A higher proportion of patients discharged with recovery, and a shorter T _NANC were associated with azvudine recipients, especially in the severe subgroup. The incidence of adverse events in azvudine recipients was comparable to that in the control group (2.3% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.170). In conclusion, azvudine showed efficacy and safety in older patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the SARS-CoV-2 omicron wave in China.

BACKGROUND: The epidemiological pattern and disease burden of type 2 diabetes have been shifting in China over the past decades. This analysis described the epidemiological transition of type 2 diabetes in the past three decades and projected the trend in the future three decades in China. METHODS: Age-, sex-, and year-specific incidence, prevalence, death, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for people with 15 years or older and diabetes or high fasting glucose in China and related countries from 1990 to 2021 were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease. We obtained the trends of age-, sex-, and year-specific rates and absolute numbers of incidence, prevalence, deaths, and DALYs attributable to type 2 diabetes in China from 1990 to 2021. Using the Lee-Carter model, we projected the incidence, prevalence, death, and DALYs attributable to type 2 diabetes to 2050 stratified by age and sex. RESULTS: The age-standardized incidence of type 2 diabetes was 341.5 per 100,000 persons (1.6 times in 1990) and the age-standardized prevalence was 9.96% (9960.0 per 100,000 persons, 2.5 times in 1990) in China 2021. In 2021, there were 0.9 million deaths and 26.8 million DALYs due to type 2 diabetes or hyperglycemia, as 2.9 and 2.7 times the data in 1990, respectively. The age-standardized rates of type 2 diabetes and hyperglycemia were projected to raise to 449.5 per 100,000 persons for incidence, 18.17% for prevalence, 244.6 per 100,000 persons for death, and 4720.2 per 100,000 persons for DALYs by 2050. The incidence of type 2 diabetes kept growing among individuals under the age of 20 years in the past three decades (128.7 per 100,000 persons in 1990 and 439.9 per 100,000 persons in 2021) and estimating 1870.8 per 100,000 in 2050. CONCLUSIONS The incidence, prevalence, and disease burden of type 2 diabetes grew rapidly in China in the past three decades. The prevention of type 2 diabetes in young people and the care for elder adults will be the greatest challenge for the country.
Humans ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/mortality* ; China/epidemiology* ; Prevalence ; Female ; Male ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Disability-Adjusted Life Years ; Aged, 80 and over

Objective:This study aimed to analyze the genetic subtypes and drug resistance transmission characteristics of HIV-1 among the preoperative population in Ningxia from 2018 to 2023, to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of the AIDS epidemic.Methods:Plasma samples and demographic information of HIV/AIDS patients receiving antiviral treatment in Ningxia from 2018 to 2023 were collected. Blood samples with a viral loads >200 copies/ml from preoperative testing were amplified, sequenced, and subjected to genotypic resistance testing to analyze their genetic subtypes and drug resistance characteristics. The TN93 model in MEGA11 software was used to calculate the genetic distance between each pair of all sequences, and a molecular transmission network was constructed in Cytoscape 3.10.0 with 1.9% as the genetic threshold.Results:Among 101 preoperative HIV/AIDS patients, CRF07_BC and CRF01_AE were the predominant subtypes. The majority were male (85.15%, 86/101), aged 41-60 years (45.54%, 46/101), residing in Yinchuan city (61.39%, 62/101), and infected via heterosexual transmission (71.29%, 72/101), with most cases being late-detected. Of 39 drug-resistant sequences, resistance to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) alone (18.81%, 19/101) and dual resistance to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)-NNRTIs (13.86%, 14/101) were most common. Among 44 sequences forming 13 transmission clusters, nine clusters harbored drug-resistant mutations. Four subtypes entered the molecular network, primarily involving heterosexual transmission, individuals with junior high school education or below, and men aged≥50 years.Conclusions:From 2018 to 2023, the preoperative HIV/AIDS patients had diversified genetic subtypes, with higher rates of overall drug resistance and late detection, stronger drug resistance and higher mortality rate. Strengthening molecular epidemiological research and developing targeted screening strategies are critical to improve early detection and reduce transmission risks.

Objective:To evaluate the long-term outcomes and predictors of coronary atherosclerotic lesions deemed functionally non-ischemic (quantitative flow ratio(QFR)>0.80) and deferred from intervention.Methods:This study is a post-hoc analysis of the FAVOR Ⅲ China trial, which enrolled 3 825 patients with stable or unstable angina pectoris or with myocardial infarction occurring at least 72 hours prior to screening, between December 5, 2018 and January 9, 2020 from 26 research centers in China. Coronary vessels with QFR>0.80 and without interventional treatment were analyzed in this study. The primary endpoint was 3-year target vessel revascularization. Vessels with revascularization (revascularized group) during follow-up were matched 1∶1 using propensity score matching to comparable vessels without revascularization (non-revascularized group). Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for target vessel revascularization (TVR).Results:A total of 6 212 functionally negative vessels with deferred intervention were included in the final analysis, among which 153 vessels (2.5%) underwent TVR during a 3-year follow-up. Prior to propensity score matching, 6 059 vessels comprised the non-revascularized group. At the vessel level, compared to the non-revascularized group, the revascularized group exhibited a significantly higher proportion of males (79.1% (121/153) vs. 70.2% (4 253/6 059), P=0.018), higher body mass index ((25.6±4.0) kg/m2 vs. (24.3±5.2) kg/m2, P=0.003), and a higher prevalence of hypertension (73.9% (113/153) vs. 65.1% (3 944/6 059), P=0.025). And 152 pairs of vessels were successfully matched. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified in-stent restenosis lesions ( HR=2.59, 95% CI 1.28-5.23, P=0.008) as an independent risk factor for target vessel revascularization. Conclusions:Coronary lesions classified as functionally non-ischemic at baseline are not entirely stable and may progress to lesions that requiring revascularization over time. In-stent restenosis emerges as a critical independent predictor of revascularization.

Objective:Investigate the impact of calcification on the long-term outcomes of patients with coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Patients who underwent PCI and had at least one CTO lesion at Fuwai Hospital between January 2010 and December 2013 were consecutively enrolled. Calcification was evaluated by coronary angiography, and patients were divided into two groups: moderate/severe calcification group and non/mild calcification group. Clinical follow-up was completed up to 5 years. Incidence of PCI-related complications and immediate procedural outcomes were compared between two groups, and the primary endpoint was the target lesion failure (TLF) at 5 years after PCI. Clinical follow-up endpoint events were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with log-rank test, and Cox multivariate regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between calcification and TLF.Results:The study included 2 659 CTO patients with an age of (57.2±10.5) years, of whom 442 (16.6%) were female, and among whom 13.5% (360/2 659) had moderate/severe calcification. Compared with the non/mild calcification group, the moderate/severe calcification group had a higher incidence of PCI-related complications (43.2% (156/361) vs. 32.5% (772/2 374), P<0.001) and procedural failure (34.3% (124/361) vs. 24.3% (577/2 374), P<0.001). Additionally, the moderate/severe calcification group showed a higher risk of the primary endpoint event (TLF) during the 5-year follow-up (19.8% vs. 15.3%, log-rank P=0.028). Higher incidence of cardiac death was observed in moderate/severe calcification group (5.7% vs. 2.7%, log-rank P=0.003). Cox multivariate regression analysis revealed that moderate/severe calcified plaques remained an independent risk factor for 5-year TLF after CTO-PCI ( HR=1.34, 95% CI: 1.01-1.79, P=0.043). Conclusion:Compared with CTO patients with non/mild calcification, those with moderate/severe calcification have higher procedural failure and complication rates, as well as poorer long-term prognosis, mainly due to an increase in cardiac death.

Gene therapy, harnessing the power of CRISPR-Cas9 and/or DNAzyme systems, stands as a pivotal approach in cancer therapy, enabling the meticulous manipulation of genes pivotal to tumorigenesis and immunity. However, the pursuit of precise gene therapy encounters formidable hurdles. Herein, a near-infrared upconversion theranostic nanomachine is devised and tailors for CRISPR-Cas9/DNAzyme systems mediate precise gene therapy. An ingenious logic DNAzyme system consists of Chain 1 (C1)/Chain 2 (C2) and endogenous lncRNA is designed. We employ manganese modified upconversion nanoparticles for carrying ultraviolet-responsive C1-PC linker-C2 (C₂P) chain and Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP), with outermost coats with hyaluronic acid. Upon reaching tumor microenvironment (TME), the released Mn²⁺ ions orchestrate a trifecta: facilitating endosomal escape, activating cGAS-STING signaling, and enabling T1-magnetic resonance imaging. Under near-infrared irradiation, Cas9 RNP/C₂P complex dissociates, releasing Cas9 RNP into the nucleus to perform gene editing of Ptpn2, while C1/C2 chains self-assemble with endogenous lncRNA to form a functional DNAzyme system, targeting PD-L1 mRNA for gene silencing. This strategy remodels the TME by activating cGAS-STING signaling and dual immune checkpoints blockade, thus realizing tumor elimination. Our theranostic nanomachine armed with the CRISPR-Cas9/DNAzyme logic systems, represents a resourceful and promising strategy for advancing cancer systemic immunotherapy and precise gene therapy.

Cardiac fibrosis is characterized by an elevated amount of extracellular matrix (ECM) within the heart. However, the persistence of cardiac fibrosis ultimately diminishes contractility and precipitates cardiac dysfunction. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are emerging as important regulators of cardiac fibrosis. Here, we elucidate the functional role of a specific circular RNA CELF1 in cardiac fibrosis and delineate a novel feedback loop mechanism. Functionally, circ-CELF1 was involved in enhancing fibrosis-related markers' expression and promoting the proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), thereby exacerbating cardiac fibrosis. Mechanistically, circ-CELF1 reduced the ubiquitination-degradation rate of BRPF3, leading to an elevation of BRPF3 protein levels. Additionally, BRPF3 acted as a modular scaffold for the recruitment of histone acetyltransferase KAT7 to facilitate the induction of H3K14 acetylation within the promoters of the Celf1 gene. Thus, the transcription of Celf1 was dramatically activated, thereby inhibiting the subsequent response of their downstream target gene Smad7 expression to promote cardiac fibrosis. Moreover, Celf1 further promoted Celf1 pre-mRNA transcription and back-splicing, thereby establishing a feedback loop for circ-CELF1 production. Consequently, a novel feedback loop involving CELF1/circ-CELF1/BRPF3/KAT7 was established, suggesting that circ-CELF1 may serve as a potential novel therapeutic target for cardiac fibrosis.