OBJECTIVES: To explore the value of serum cystatin C (CysC) levels in evaluating renal prognosis in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the clinical data of IgAN patients diagnosed by renal biopsy at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital from January, 2014 to December, 2018. Based on baseline serum CysC levels, the patients were divided into high serum CysC (>1.03 mg/L) group and normal serum CysC (≤1.03 mg/L) group. The composite endpoint for poor renal prognosis was defined as ≥50% decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and/or progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Lasso regression, multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to identify the risk factors and compare renal survival rates between the two groups. Smooth curves fitting and threshold effect analysis were used to explore the relationship between serum CysC levels and the outcomes. A nomogram model was constructed and its predictive performance was evaluated using concordance index, calibration curve, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under curve (AUC). RESULTS: A total of 356 IgAN patients were enrolled, who were followed up for 4.65±0.93 years. The composite endpoint occurred in 74 patients. High serum CysC was identified as an independent risk factor for poor renal prognosis in IgAN (HR=2.142, 95% CI 1.222 to 3.755), and the patients with high serum CysC levels had a lower renal survival rate (Log-rank χ²=47.970, P<0.001). In patients with serum CysC below 2.12 mg/L, a higher CysC level was associated with an increased risk of poor renal prognosis (β=3.487, 95% CI: 2.561-4.413, P<0.001), while above this level, the increase of the risk was not significant (β=0.676, 95% CI: -0.642-1.995, P=0.315). The nomogram model based on serum CysC and 3 other independent risk factors demonstrated good internal validity with a concordance index of 0.873 (95% CI: 0.839-0.907) and an AUC of 0.909 (95% CI: 0.873-0.945). CONCLUSIONS Serum CysC levels are associated with renal prognosis in IgAN patients, and high serum CysC an independent risk factor for poor renal prognosis.
Humans ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA/diagnosis* ; Cystatin C/blood* ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Retrospective Studies ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Nomograms ; Middle Aged

Recent studies have indicated that the expression of ubiquitin-specific protease 51 (USP51), a novel deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) that mediates protein degradation as part of the ubiquitin‒proteasome system (UPS), is associated with tumor progression and therapeutic resistance in multiple malignancies. However, the underlying mechanisms and signaling networks involved in USP51-mediated regulation of malignant phenotypes remain largely unknown. The present study provides evidence of USP51's functions as the prominent DUB in chemoresistant triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. At the molecular level, ectopic expression of USP51 stabilized the 78 kDa Glucose-Regulated Protein (GRP78) protein through deubiquitination, thereby increasing its expression and localization on the cell surface. Furthermore, the upregulation of cell surface GRP78 increased the activity of ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1), the main efflux pump of doxorubicin (DOX), ultimately decreasing its accumulation in TNBC cells and promoting the development of drug resistance both in vitro and in vivo. Clinically, we found significant correlations among USP51, GRP78, and ABCB1 expression in TNBC patients with chemoresistance. Elevated USP51, GRP78, and ABCB1 levels were also strongly associated with a poor patient prognosis. Importantly, we revealed an alternative intervention for specific pharmacological targeting of USP51 for TNBC cell chemosensitization. In conclusion, these findings collectively indicate that the USP51/GRP78/ABCB1 network is a key contributor to the malignant progression and chemotherapeutic resistance of TNBC cells, underscoring the pivotal role of USP51 as a novel therapeutic target for cancer management.

Objective:To study the current status of longitudinal extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) in extremely preterm infants (EPIs) and to develop a prediction model based on clinical data from multiple NICUs.Methods:From January 2017 to December 2018, EPIs admitted to 32 NICUs in North China were retrospectively studied. Their general conditions, nutritional support, complications during hospitalization and weight changes were reviewed. Weight loss between birth and discharge > 1SD was defined as longitudinal EUGR. The EPIs were assigned into longitudinal EUGR group and non-EUGR group and their nutritional support and weight changes were compared. The EPIs were randomly assigned into the training dataset and the validation dataset with a ratio of 7∶3. Univariate Cox regression analysis and multiple regression analysis were used in the training dataset to select the independent predictive factors. The best-fitting Nomogram model predicting longitudinal EUGR was established based on Akaike Information Criterion. The model was evaluated for discrimination efficacy, calibration and clinical decision curve analysis.Results:A total of 436 EPIs were included in this study, with a mean gestational age of (26.9±0.9) weeks and a birth weight of (989±171) g. The incidence of longitudinal EUGR was 82.3%(359/436). Seven variables (birth weight Z-score, weight loss, weight growth velocity, the proportion of breast milk ≥75% within 3 d before discharge, invasive mechanical ventilation ≥7 d, maternal antenatal corticosteroids use and bronchopulmonary dysplasia) were selected to establish the prediction model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the training dataset and the validation dataset were 0.870 (95% CI 0.820-0.920) and 0.879 (95% CI 0.815-0.942), suggesting good discrimination efficacy. The calibration curve indicated a good fit of the model ( P>0.05). The decision curve analysis showed positive net benefits at all thresholds. Conclusions:Currently, EPIs have a high incidence of longitudinal EUGR. The prediction model is helpful for early identification and intervention for EPIs with higher risks of longitudinal EUGR. It is necessary to expand the sample size and conduct prospective studies to optimize and validate the prediction model in the future.

Objective To analyze the diagnostic efficacy and clinical significance of magnifying endoscopy combined with narrow-band imaging(ME-NBI),acetate-indigo rouge staining and multi-slice spiral CT for early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions.Methods 202 patients with suspected early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions from February 2019 to March 2022 were regarded as the subjects of this study,all the patients underwent ME-NBI,acetate-indigo rouge staining,and multi-slice spiral CT examination;The diagnostic value of different examination methods for early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions was analyzed using the receiver operator characteristic curve(ROC curve),using the pathological results of gastric cancer as the gold standard,the diagnostic value of ME-NBI,acetate-indigo rouge staining combined with multi-slice spiral CT and their combination in early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions was analyzed using a four grid table.Results The image quality of ME-NBI and acetate-indigo rouge staining combined examinations was significantly higher than that of their respective independent examinations(P<0.05).There was significant difference in the degree of differentiation in the clinical features of patients with early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions(P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of ME-NBI for the diagnosis of early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions was 0.853,the accuracy was 85.64%,the sensitivity was 88.37%,and the specificity was 83.62%.The AUC of acetate-indigo rouge staining for the diagnosis of early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions was 0.814,the accuracy was 81.68%,the sensitivity was 83.72%,and the specificity was 80.17%.The AUC of multi-slice spiral CT for the diagnosis of early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions was 0.804,with an accuracy of 80.69%,a sensitivity of 82.56%,and a specificity of 79.31%.And the AUC of the three methods combined to diagnose early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions was 0.893,with an accuracy of 89.60%,a sensitivity of 93.02%,and a specificity of 87.07%.Conclusion ME-NBI,acetate-indigo rouge staining combined with multi-slice spiral CT has high diagnostic efficacy in early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions,and can be used in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE To establish a determination method for the related substances of LPM3480392, a novel Gi protein-biased opioid receptor(MOR) agonist. METHODS The separation was carried out with Waters Symmetry Shield RP18 (150 mm×4.6 mm, 3.5 μm) by gradient elution method, using a mixture of 0.002 5 mol·L–1 sodium 1-octanesulfonate monohydrate in 0.01 mol·L–1 potassium dihydrogen phosphate-water solution(containing 0.1% triethylamine, adjusted pH to 2.50 with phosphate acid) and acetonitrile as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min–1 and the UV detection wavelength was set at 210 nm. RESULTS The chromatographic peaks of LPM3480392 and impurity A, impurity B, impurity C, impurity E and impurity F could be completely separated, the linear relationship of LPM3480392 was good in 0.064 9−5.191 2 μg·mL–1, while impurity A, impurity B, impurity C, impurity E and impurity F showed good linear relationship within 0.066 6−7.610 4 μg·mL–1, 0.166 0−3.794 0 μg·mL–1, 0.209 2−4.463 2 μg·mL–1, 0.167 9−7.672 6 μg·mL–1 and 0.016 4−7.505 7 μg·mL–1, respectively. The recovery rate was within 93.0%−103.2%. CONCLUSION The method is suitable for the determination of related substances in LPM3480392, and can provide valuable reference for the follow-up research and development of LPM3480392.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between the promoter methylation level of Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1) gene and diabetic microangiopaopathy complicated with osteoporosis.Methods:Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) microangiopathopathy who were admitted to our hospital from Jan. 2019 to Dec. 2022 were collected as research objects, and divided into observation group (44 cases) and control group (58 cases) according to whether they were complicated with osteoporosis. Bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine (L1-4) was measured, and bone metabolism indexes, including serum calcium, serum phosphorus, 25-hydroxy vitamin D3[25-hydroxy vitamin D3, 25- (OH) D3], PTH, C-terminal telopeptide of typeI collagen (CTX), procollagen of aminoterminal propeptide (PINP) and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP) levels were detected; The promoter methylation level of DKK1 gene was determined.Results:The methylation level of DKK1 gene promoter in the observation group was 5.17%±0.73%, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (3.81%±0.61%), with statistical significance ( t=5.22, P<0.001). The 25- (OH) D3 level, PTH and lumbar bone density in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group, while the CTX and TRACP levels were significantly higher than those in the control group ( t was 5.58, 4.35, 4.12, 4.05 and 4.17, respectively, P<0.001). In all patients, the promoter methylation level of DKK1 gene was significantly positively correlated with CTX and TRACP ( r was 0.41 and 0.39, P was 0.006 and 0.027, respectively), and significantly negatively correlated with PTH and lumbar bone density ( r was -0.38 and -0.43, respectively). P=0.015 and 0.003, respectively). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of DKK1 methylation level to distinguish type 2 diabetes microangionopathy with and without osteoporosis was 0.841 (0.762-0.921), and the sensitivity and specificity were 86.4% and 72.4%, respectively. Conclusion:The methylation level of DKK1 gene promoter is associated with osteoporosis and bone metabolism in T2DM patients with microangiopathia.

Objective To investigate the correlation between serum Sortilin(SORT)and insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-1)levels and the occurrence and prognosis of cardiovascular disease(CVD)in maintenance hemodialysis(MHD)patients with end-stage renal disease(ESRD).Methods Eighty-four MHD patients with ESRD diagnosed and treated in the First People's Hospital of Kunshan from February 2017 to February 2018 were selected as the MHD group.With 5 years of follow-up,the MHD group was divided into the CVD group(n=35)and the non-CVD group(n=49)according to whether they had concurrent CVD,while 60 healthy individuals who underwent physical examination during the same period were used as the control group.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum SORT and IGF-1 levels.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the influencing factors of CVD in MHD patients with ESRD.The predictive value of serum SORT and IGF-1 for CVD in MHD patients with ESRD was analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic curve.The correlation between serum SORT and IGF-1 levels and the survival rate of MHD patients with ESRD was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.Results Compared to the control group,the MHD group had higher serum SORT level(413.37±55.41 ng/L vs 81.27±24.69 ng/L)and lower serum IGF-1 level(117.64±18.42 μg/L vs 421.34±14.58 μg/L),with significant differences(t=43.416,106.122,all P＜0.001).The age,dialysis time,and serum SORT level(488.73±55.41ng/L vs 359.54±58.29ng/L)of patients in the CVD group were higher than those in the non-CVD group,while serum IGF-1 level(88.25±17.92 μg/L vs 138.63±19.55μg/L)was lower than that of the non-CVD group,with significant differences(t=2.896,2.588,10.221,12.050,all P＜0.05).Age(OR=1.548,P＜0.001),dialysis time(OR=1.616,P＜0.001)and serum SORT(OR=1.353,P＜0.001)were independent risk factors for CVD in MHD patients,while serum IGF-1(OR=0.742,P=0.000)was a protective factor for CVD in MHD patients.The area under the curve(95％CI)of the combined serum SORT and IGF-1 test for predicting concomitant CVD in MHD patients was 0.931(95％CI:0.895～0.961),which was greater than that of the single detection[0.843(0.810～0.889),0.887(0.833～0.921)],and the differences were statistically significant(Z=5.117,4.895,all P＜0.001).The five-year cumulative survival rate of MHD patients in the SORT high expression group(48.39％)was lower than that in the low expression group(84.81％),while the five-year cumulative survival rate of MHD patients in the IGF-1 low expression group(51.52％)was lower than that in the high expression group(84.31％),and the differences were significant(Log-Rank x2=18.670,8.900,all P＜0.01).Conclusion The serum SORT levels increased while IGF-1 levels decreased in MHD patients.The combined detection of the two has high predictive value for the occurrence of CVD in MHD patients with ESRD,which is associated with poor survival prognosis in MHD patients with ESRD.

Objective To investigate the clinical value of high resolution vascular wall imaging(HRVWI)in the diagnosis and treatment of central nervous system vasculitis(CNSV)in children.Methods A total of 36 children with CNSV underwent HRVWI examination were selected.The HRVWI imaging features,involved vessel types and stenosis degree were analyzed retrospectively and compared with magnetic resonance angiography(MRA).Combined with some patients'follow-up and reviewed imaging after treatment.Results HRVWI showed that all of the 36 children with CNSV had cerebral arteritis,and the affected inflammatory ves-sels showed varying degrees of focal arterial wall thickening and enhancement,mainly uniform thickening and centripetal enhance-ment of the affected arterial wall.Most were mid-enhanced,and the stenosis degree was mostly at level 1(21/36).According to the type of involvement cerebrovascular,there were 26 cases of large-medium vessel type,6 cases of small vessel type and 4 cases of mixed type.Compared with MRA,HRVWI had a higher sensitivity in diagnosing CNSV(P＜0.05).13 cases were followed up after treat-ment,and HRVWI showed cerebral vasculitis relief in 8 cases and progression in 5 cases,consistent with changes in clinical symp-toms and laboratory indicators.Conclusion The imaging features of CNSV in children with different causes are different.HRVWI has a high sensitivity in the diagnosis of CNSV in children.HRVWI plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of CNSV in children.

Objective To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles of the common pathogens isolated from urine from 2015 to 2021 in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program.Methods The bacterial strains were isolated from urine and identified routinely in 51 hospitals across China in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021.Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by Kirby-Bauer method,automatic microbiological analysis system and E-test according to the unified protocol.Results A total of 261 893 nonduplicate strains were isolated from urine specimen from 2015 to 2021,of which gram-positive bacteria accounted for 23.8％(62 219/261 893),and gram-negative bacteria 76.2％(199 674/261 893).The most common species were E.coli(46.7％),E.faecium(10.4％),K.pneumoniae(9.8％),E.faecalis(8.7％),P.mirabilis(3.5％),P.aeruginosa(3.4％),SS.agalactiae(2.6％),and E.cloacae(2.1％).The strains were more frequently isolated from inpatients versus outpatients and emergency patients,from females versus males,and from adults versus children.The prevalence of ESBLs-producing strains in E.coli,K.pneumoniae and P.mirabilis was 53.2％,52.8％and 37.0％,respectively.The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant strains in E.coli,K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa and A.baumannii was 1.7％,18.5％,16.4％,and 40.3％,respectively.Lower than 10％of the E.faecalis isolates were resistant to ampicillin,nitrofurantoin,linezolid,vancomycin,teicoplanin and fosfomycin.More than 90％of the E.faecium isolates were ressitant to ampicillin,levofloxacin and erythromycin.The percentage of strains resistant to vancomycin,linezolid or teicoplanin was＜2％.The E.coli,K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa and A.baumannii strains isolated from ICU inpatients showed significantly higher resistance rates than the corresponding strains isolated from outpatients and non-ICU inpatients.Conclusions E.coli,Enterococcus and K.pneumoniae are the most common pathogens in urinary tract infection.The bacterial species and antimicrobial resistance of urinary isolates vary with different populations.More attention should be paid to antimicrobial resistance surveillance and reduce the irrational use of antimicrobial agents.

Objective To understand the distribution and changing resistance profiles of clinical isolates of Enterococcus in hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted for the clinical isolates of Enterococcus according to the unified protocol of CHINET program by automated systems,Kirby-Bauer method,or E-test strip.The results were interpreted according to the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)breakpoints in 2021.WHONET 5.6 software was used for statistical analysis.Results A total of 124 565 strains of Enterococcus were isolated during the 7-year period,mainly including Enterococcus faecalis(50.7％)and Enterococcus faecalis(41.5％).The strains were mainly isolated from urinary tract specimens(46.9％±2.6％),and primarily from the patients in the department of internal medicine,surgery and ICU.E.faecium and E.faecalis strains showed low level resistance rate to vancomycin,teicoplanin and linezolid(≤3.6％).The prevalence of vancomycin-resistant E.faecalis and E.faecium was 0.1％and 1.3％,respectively.The prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecalis increased from 0.7％in 2015 to 3.4％in 2021,while the prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecium was 0.3％.Conclusions The clinical isolates of Enterococcus were still highly susceptible to vancomycin,teicoplanin,and linezolid,evidenced by a low resistance rate.However,the prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecalis was increasing during the 7-year period.It is necessary to strengthen antimicrobial resistance surveillance to effectively identify the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and curb the spread of resistant pathogens.