AIM: To investigate the effect of interleukin-8(IL-8)on the regulation of monocyte chemotactic protein-1(MCP-1)secreted by lens epithelial cells(LEC)during cell migration in the development of posterior capsule opacification(PCO).METHODS: A rat lens capsule model was established and cultured in medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. Upon migration of LEC to 30%-50% of the posterior capsule, serum was removed. The capsule was subsequently divided into two groups: a control group and an IL-8(15 ng/mL)treatment group. LEC migration was captured at multiple time points. The secretion and mRNA expression of MCP-1 were quantified using ELISA and RT-qPCR, respectively. Immunofluorescence was used to assess MCP-1 expression in the different experimental groups. SRA01/04 cells were divided into three groups: control, IL-8(15 ng/mL), and IL-8(15 ng/mL)+200 μmol/L Bindarit(BND)groups, with migration measured by the Transwell assay. Additionally, SRA01/04 cells were divided into negative control(NC), NC+15 ng/mL IL-8, and 15 ng/mL IL-8+p65 siRNA groups, and MCP-1 secretion and mRNA expression were further analyzed by ELISA and RT-qPCR.RESULTS:LEC migration in the rat lens capsule cultured in vitro showed that the cells migration of the 15 ng/mL IL-8 group significantly increased at 48, 72 and 96 h(all P<0.05). ELISA results revealed that MCP-1 levels in SRA01/04 cells from the 15 ng/mL IL-8-treated group were markedly higher than those in the control group at both 12 and 24 h(all P<0.05). RT-qPCR analysis also demonstrated a significant increase in MCP-1 mRNA expression in the 15 ng/mL IL-8 group at both time points(all P<0.05). Immunofluorescence staining indicated greater MCP-1 expression in capsular epithelial cells of the 15 ng/mL IL-8 group at 24 h(P=0.007). Transwell assays further confirmed increased cell migration in the 15 ng/mL IL-8 group compared to the control group(P=0.001), while the migration reduced in the 15 ng/mL IL-8+200 μmol/L BND group compared to the 15 ng/mL IL-8 group(P=0.003). Moreover, ELISA and RT-qPCR results demonstrated a significant increase in MCP-1 secretion and mRNA expression in the NC+15 ng/mL IL-8 group at both 12 and 24 h compared to the NC group(all P<0.01). In contrast, MCP-1 secretion and mRNA expression were reduced in the 15 ng/mL IL-8+p65 siRNA group compared to the NC+15 ng/mL IL-8 group at both time points(all P<0.01).CONCLUSION: IL-8 promotes the migration of residual epithelial cells and regulates the secretion and expression of MCP-1 in LEC. The mechanism underlying IL-8's effects appears to be mediated through the activation of the NF-κB/p65 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the trends in diabetes mortality and potential years of life lost (PYLL) among residents of Huangpu District, Shanghai from 1993 to 2021, to analyze the long-term trends of diabetic patients with different characteristics and to provide a reference for scientific prevention and control of diabetes in aging urban areas. MethodsDiabetes mortality data were obtained from the Huangpu District cause of death registration records in the Shanghai death cause registration system. Indicators such as crude mortality rate, standardized mortality rate, potential years of life lost (PYLL), average years of life lost (AYLL), annual percentage change (APC), and average annual percentage change (AAPC) were used to analyze diabetes-related mortality and life loss. Statistical analyses were performed using software SPSS 21.0 and Joinpoint 5.0.2. ResultsFrom 1993 to 2021, the average annual crude mortality rate of diabetes in Huangpu District was 46.56/100 000, and the average annual standardized mortality rate was 20.44/100 000. The crude mortality rate and standardized mortality rate of diabetes for female residents were higher than those for males. The crude mortality rate showed an overall increasing trend [AAPC=2.81% (95%CI: 0.20%‒5.49%), P<0.05], while the increase in standardized mortality rate significantly slowed [AAPC=0.15% (95%CI: -2.27%‒2.63%)], P<0.05]. The mortality rate rose rapidly in the 70‒74 years age group and peaked in the 85‒ years age group (607.69/100 000). Diabetes accounted for a cumulative PYLL of22 741 person-years, with an average annual AYLL of 1.88 years and an average annual potential years of life lost rate (PYLLR) of 0.82‰. Male residents had higher PYLL, AYLL, and PYLLR than females. ConclusionDiabetes mortality rates in Huangpu District have increased year by year, resulting in significant life loss. However, the age-standardized mortality rate increase has markedly slowed. Efforts should focus on elderly diabetic patients aged ≥70 years, by leveraging platforms such as community-based chronic disease health support centers, efforts should be made to enhance diabetes screening service for middle-aged and elderly residents. Consequently, elderly diabetic patients’ awareness of diabetes and responce to related complications is improved, which would be conducive to controling the progression of complications and reducing the mortolity risk of diabetes.

As one of the pathogenic mechanisms contained in The Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor （《黄帝内经》）， “disease with latent pathogen induced by a new pathogen” means that the induced new pathogen resulted to a combination of the latent previous pathogen and the new pathogen， which caused the disease. Based on this， it is believed that the change of “nodule-cancer transformation” of pulmonary nodules is actually based on the deficiency of original qi， and the new pathogen induces the latent pathogens like phlegm coagulation， qi stagnation， blood stasis， toxicity， so healthy qi can not drive the pathogens out， and the long-time detention generated into cancerous turbidity， and deve-loped into cancerous tumour at the end. Therefore， based on the three-stage treatment of unformed cancer， dense cancerous toxin， and developed cancer， the clinical practice applied six methods of clearing， expelling， dissipating， tonifying， harmonizing， and transforming， taking into account both the manifestation and root cause， moving the treatment window of pulmonary nodules forward， attacking the pathogens when the toxin was not yet overbearing， supporting the healthy qi before declining， delaying the process of nodules-cancer transformation， and providing ideas for the prevention and treatment of pulmonary nodules “nodule-cancer transformation” in traditional Chinese medicine.

Most patients with differentiated thyroid cancer have a good prognosis after radioiodine-131 therapy,but a small number of patients are insensitive to radioiodine-131 therapy and even continue to develop disease.At present,some targeted drugs can improve progression-free survival in patients with radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer(RAIR-DTC),such as sorafenib and levatinib,have been approved for the treatment of RAIR-DTC.However,due to the presence of primary and acquired drug resistance,drug efficacy in these patients is unsatisfactory.This review introduces the acquired drug resistance mechanism of sorafenib in the regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase(PI3K)pathways and proposes related treatment strategies,in order to provide a reference for similar drug resistance mechanism of sorafenib and effective treatment of RAIR-DTC.

Based on the analysis of the existing problems and implementation dilemmas in family doctor contracting and first-return-visits faced by primary medical institutions in China, the authors propose countermeasures to provide reference for managers of primary health care institutions.

Objective:To explore the expression pattern of pyroptosis-related genes(PRGs)in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),and analyze the relationship between its expression and tumor prog-nosis and immune microenvironment.Methods:TCGA database was used to analyze the genetic changes and expression patterns of PRGs in primary HCC cells,and cluster analysis was used to i-dentify the pyrogenic subtypes of HCC.To compare the difference of prognosis and immune mi-croenvironment among HCC pyrodeath subtypes.Scorch death score quantified the comprehensive expression of PRGs in each sample,and analyzed the correlation between scorch death score and each immune score.Results:Two pyroptosis-associated subtypes of primary HCC were identi-fied,and the expression pattern of PRGs is closely related to the prognosis of cancer patients and the tumor microenvironment.The subtype with high expression of PRGs had a poor prognosis,and functional enrichment analysis found that some tumor-promoting pathways and PD-1 checkpoint pathways were significantly enriched in this subtype.And various cells and immune checkpoints re-lated to immunosuppression were also enriched in this subtype.By constructing PYROPTO-SIS_score to quantify the comprehensive expression of pyroptosis-related genes in each sample,it was found that PYROPTOSIS_score was significantly positively correlated with tumor-infiltrating macrophages,myeloid-derived suppressor cells,and Treg cells.Conclusion:These results sug-gest that pyroptosis may play a tumor-promoting as well as immunosuppressive role in HCC,pro-viding new insights into the assessment of tumor patient prognosis and the immune microenviron-ment.

Adaptive immunity is a critical component of the human immune system, playing an essential role in identifying antigens and orchestrating a tailored immune response. This review delves into the significant strides made in the development of epitope prediction tools, their integration into vaccine design, and their pivotal role in enhancing immunotherapy strategies. The review emphasizes the transformative potential of these tools in refining our understanding and application of immune responses. Adaptive immunity distinguishes itself from innate immunity by its ability to recognize specific antigens and remember past infections, leading to quicker and more effective responses upon subsequent exposures. This facet of immunity involves complex interactions between various cell types, primarily B cells and T cells, which recognize distinct epitopes presented by antigens. Epitopes are small sequences or configurations on antigens that are recognized by the immune receptors on B cells and T cells, acting as the focal points of immune recognition and response. Epitopes can be broadly classified into two types: linear (or sequential) epitopes and conformational (or discontinuous) epitopes. Linear epitopes consist of a sequence of amino acids in a protein that are recognized by B cells and T cells in their primary structure form. Conformational epitopes, on the other hand, are formed by spatially distinct amino acids that come together in the tertiary structure of the protein, often recognized by the immune system only when the protein folds into its native conformation. The role of epitopes in the immune response is critical as they are the primary triggers for the activation of B cells and T cells. When an epitope is recognized, it can stimulate B cells to produce antibodies, mobilize helper T cells to secrete cytokines, or prompt cytotoxic T cells to kill infected cells. These actions form the basis of the adaptive immune response, tailored to eliminate specific pathogens or infected cells effectively. The prediction of B cell and T cell epitopes has evolved with advances in computational biology, leading to the development of several sophisticated tools that utilize a variety of algorithms to predict the likelihood of epitope regions on antigens. Tools employing machine learning methods, such as support vector machines (SVMs), XGBoost, random forest, analyze large datasets of known epitopes to classify new sequences as potential epitopes based on their similarity to known data. Moreover, deep learning has emerged as a powerful method in epitope prediction, leveraging neural networks capable of learning high-dimensional data from vast amounts of immunological inputs to identify patterns that may not be evident to other predictive models. Deep learning models, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs) and ESM protein language model have demonstrated superior accuracy in mapping the nonlinear relationships inherent in protein structures and epitope interactions. The application of epitope prediction tools in vaccine design is transformative, enabling the development of epitope-based vaccines that can elicit targeted immune responses against specific parts of the pathogen. These vaccines, by focusing the immune response on highly specific regions of the pathogen, can offer high efficacy and reduced side effects. Similarly, in cancer immunotherapy, epitope prediction tools help identify tumor-specific antigens that can be targeted to develop personalized immunotherapeutic strategies, thereby enhancing the precision of cancer treatments. The future of epitope prediction technology appears promising, with ongoing advancements anticipated to enhance the precision and efficiency of these tools further. The integration of broader immunological data, such as patient-specific immune profiles and pathogen variability, along with advances in AI and machine learning, will likely drive the development of more adaptive, robust, and clinically relevant prediction models. This will not only improve the effectiveness of vaccines and immunotherapies but also contribute to our broader understanding of immune mechanisms, potentially leading to breakthroughs in the treatment and prevention of multiple diseases. In conclusion, the development and refinement of epitope prediction tools stand as a cornerstone in the advancement of immunological research and therapeutic design, highlighting a path toward more precise and personalized medicine. The ongoing integration of computational models with experimental immunology holds the promise of revolutionizing our approach to combating infectious diseases and cancer.

AIM: To determine the patient-related risk factors for pain during phacoemulsification.METHODS: Retrospective case-control study. A total of 62 patients(62 eyes)diagnosed as cataract in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from December 2023 to January 2024 were included. The numeric rating scale was used to assess the pain level within 5 min postoperatively. The highest pain value was used as the primary outcome during the procedure. Based on pain values, patients were divided into pain group(n=25)and pain-free group(n=37). Subsequently, patients in the pain group were further divided into mild(n=16), moderate(n=7), and severe groups(n=2). Spearman correlation and Logistic regression analysis were conducted to determine risk factors for pain during the phacoemulsification.RESULTS: Binary Logistic regression showed preoperative sleep durations and times of operations were important risk factors for intraoperative pain(all P<0.05). Spearman analysis showed that intraoperative pain was negatively correlated with sleep duration(rs=-0.386, P=0.002), and positively correlated with times of operations(rs=0.421, P<0.001). The results of the ordinal Logistic regression analysis showed that for every additional hour of sleep, the likelihood of experiencing one higher level of intraoperative pain decreased by 37.60%(OR=0.376, P=0.014). In contrast, the times of operations did not show a statistically significant difference(P=0.083). Receiver operating characteristic curve showed a joint prediction model of sleep duration and operative times with an area under the curve of 0.809, 84% sensitivity, and 73% specificity.CONCLUSION: The intraoperative pain during phacoemulsification is negatively correlated with sleep duration and positively correlated with times of operations.

Objective:To explore the potential categories of return-to-work self-efficacy of postoperative patients with thyroid cancer and analyze the influencing factors, so as to provide theoretical basis for implementing precise interventions of occupational rehabilitation.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. A convenient sampling method was used to select 257 postoperative patients with thyroid cancer in Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University from May 2022 to July 2023. The General Information Questionnaire, Return-To-Work Self-Efficacy Questionnaire and Cancer Fatigue Scale were used for investigation. Latent profile analysis was used to explore the potential categories of return-to-work self-efficacy of postoperative patients with thyroid cancer. Logistic regression and decision tree were used to analyze the influencing factors of different potential categories.Results:Finally, 250 postoperative patients with thyroid cancer were included. There were 76 males and 174 females, aged (37.91 ± 8.04) years old. The return-to-work self-efficacy of postoperative patients with thyroid cancer was divided into 2 potential categories: low return-to-work self-efficacy group (72.0%, 180/250) and high return-to-work self-efficacy group (28.0%, 70/250). Logistic regression showed education, thyrotropin suppressive therapy, cancer-related fatigue and age were factors influencing the potential categories of return-to-work self-efficacy of postoperative patients with thyroid cancer ( OR values were 0.951 - 19.820, all P<0.05). Decision tree model showed education level and cancer-related fatigue were the most important factors ( χ2 = 31.40, 16.95, both P<0.05). Conclusions:There were two potential categories of return-to-work self-efficacy of postoperative patients with thyroid cancer. Most of them had low levels of return-to-work self-efficacy. Health care professionals should focus on patients who are less educated and having cancer-related fatigue, meanwhile, should not ignore patients who are substandard thyrotropin suppressive therapy, and older. Implement precise interventions of occupational rehabilitation to improve the return-to-work self-efficacy of postoperative patients with thyroid cancer so as to help them reintegrate into society.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis infections among children in China from 2016 to 2021, so as to provide insights into enterobiasis control and formulation of the enterobiasis control strategy among children. Methods Publications pertaining to the prevalence of E. vermicularis infections among children were retrieved from Wanfang Data, CNKI, VIP and PubMed databases published from January 2016 to June 2023. Eligible publications were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the publication bias was evaluated using the assessment tool for prevalence studies proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence-Based Practice Resources in Australia. The study period, study areas, study subjects, sample size and number of infections were extracted from publications, and a pooled analysis was performed using a meta-analysis. A meta-regression analysis was performed with the prevalence of E. vermicularis infections as an independent variable, and sample size, source of samples, study area, study method, geographical area and province as dependent variables to identify the source of the study heterogeneity. Results A total of 66 studies were included, covering 23 provinces (municipalities, autonomous regions) in China, and with the investigations conducted between 2016 and 2021. Meta-analysis showed that the pooled prevalence of E. vermicularis infections was 4.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): (3.1%, 6.0%)] among children in China from 2016 to 2021, and the annual prevalence was 4.1% [95% CI: (2.2%, 6.5%)], 4.2% [95% CI: (2.4%, 6.6%)], 4.2% [95% CI: (2.2%, 6.8%)], 3.2% [95% CI: (1.5%, 5.4%)], 2.3% [95% CI: (0.9%, 4.3%)] and 1.1% [95% CI: (0.4%, 2.1%)] from 2016 to 2021. The pooled prevalence of E. vermicularis infections was 4.9% [95% CI: (3.4%, 6.8%)] in studies with a sample size of < 5 000 cases, which was higher than that in studies with a sample size of 5 000 cases and higher [2.1%, 95% CI: (0.2%, 3.6%)], and the pooled prevalence of E. vermicularis infections was 5.2% [95% CI: (2.9%, 8.2%)] among subjects from schools, which was higher than that among subjects from communities [4.2%, 95% CI: (2.7%, 6.0%)]. The pooled prevalence of E. vermicularis infections was 4.4% [95% CI: (2.8%, 6.2%)] among children included in comprehensive surveillance, which was higher than that among children included in specific surveillance [4.8%, 95% CI: (2.6%, 7.7%)], and the pooled prevalence of E. vermicularis infections was 5.7% [95% CI: (3.8%, 7.8%)] among children included in county-level surveys, which was higher than that among children included in city-[4.8%, 95% CI: (2.3%, 8.0%)] and province-level surveys [1.8%, 95% CI: (0.3%, 4.7%)]. In addition, the pooled prevalence of E. vermicularis infections was higher among children in southern China [11.3%, 95% CI: (7.5%, 15.7%)] than that in central China [5.2%, 95% CI: (2.8%, 8.2%)], eastern China [5.2%, 95% CI: (2.8%, 8.2%)] and southwestern China [2.6%, 95% CI: (1.4%, 4.1%)]. Meta-regression analysis identified geographical area and survey province as factors affecting the study heterogeneity. Conclusions Currently, the overall prevalence of E. vermicularis infections is moderate among children in China, and the prevalence varies greatly in regions, with a high prevalence rate in southern China and presence of small-scale clusters. Enterobiasis surveillance and health education pertaining to enterobiasis control are required with adaptations to local circumstance to reduce the prevalence of E. vermicularis infections among children.