Objective To analyse phenotype and genetic variation of two congenital hypodysfibrinogenemia(Fg)caused by compound heterozygous variants and preliminary investigate their molecular pathogenic mechanisms.Metheds The proband A and B and their family members(a total of 19 members in 3 generations)who visited the First Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University on 4 May 2023 and 20 May 2023 for"parkinson's disease"and"pre-bilateral eyelid excision"were enrolled for the study.Prothrombin time(TT)and fibrinogen(Fg)activity were measured by coagulation assay and Fg antigen(Fg∶Ag)was measured by immunoturbidimetric assay for the two family members,and Fg aggregation assay was catalysed using human thrombin.FGG gene was amplified by PCR and se-quenced directly.The variant sites were analysed using Chromas software.Multiple sequence comparison was performed by ClustalX-2.1-win software.Pathogenicity analysis of the variant sites was performed using bioinformatics software.The analysis for FGG protein model was performed using PyMOL software.Results Phenotypic results showed TT of proband A and B extended to 27.5 s and 26.1 s,and plasma Fg activity reduced to 0.6 g/L and＜0.5 g/L,respectively.Genetic sequencing identified heterozygous c.1129+62_65delAATA on intron 8 of FGG gene in the both probands,resulting in the formation of aberrant amino acids at p.γGly377-Gly388 and an early ter-mination codon at p.γTyr389 site.A heterozygous missense variant c.103C＞A(p.AαArg35Ser)was found in exon 2 of the FGA gene of proband A,and a heterozygous missense variant c.569A＞G(p.BβAsn190Ser)was found in exon 4 of the FGB gene of proband B.Compared to the control group,the both probands showed significant decreases in peak and rate of Fg aggregation.Multiple sequence comparison analyses showed that all the three variant sites were conserved.Three bioinformatics software predicted both the missense variants were pathogenic.Protein modelling analysis showed that the number of hydrogen bonds in p.γGly377-Gly388 variant region was altered,resulting in steric hinderance.Conclusion All the two types of compound heterozygous variants,i.e.,c.1129+62_65delAATA and p.AαArg35Ser,c.1129+62_65delAATA and p.BβAsn190Ser,have been reported for the first time in Chi-na and worldwide to date,and the three variants may be related to the reduced Fg level and function in the two pedigree.

Objective:To identify prognostic factors associated with survival rates in patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma after radical surgery, and to construct a Nomogram prediction model based on these factors, as well as to perform internal validation of the model.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on the clinical data of 162 patients (76 males and 86 females) with distal cholangiocarcinoma who underwent radical surgery at the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Ningxia Medical University General Hospital from January 2011 to July 2019. The study used univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis to identify independent risk factors and constructed a Nomogram prediction model using R software version 4.4.1. Additionally, the predictive accuracy of the model was evaluated through the C-index, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, and the calibration curve.Results:The median overall survival for the 162 patients was 18.4 months. The final multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that the following factors were independent risk factors for poor postoperative prognosis in patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma: patient age [> 60 years, P = 0.004, hazard ratios ( HR) = 1.876], tumor diameter (> 2.0 cm, P < 0.001, HR = 0.174), tumor differentiation degree [moderately differentiated/moderately to highly differentiated/highly differentiated, P = 0.017, HR = 1.407], lymph node metastasis (Yes, P = 0.002, HR = 0.551), and vascular invasion (Yes, P = 0.025, HR = 1.329) (all P < 0.05). Based on these independent risk factors identified through statistical analysis, the C-index of the constructed nomogram prediction model was 0.793. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values for the model predicting postoperative 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year overall survival rates were 0.932, 0.771, and 0.758,respectively. Conclusions:Patient age, tumor diameter, tumor differentiation degree, lymph node metastasis, and vascular invasion are independent risk factors for poor postoperative prognosis in patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma. The final Nomogram prediction model demonstrates good predictive ability and has certain practical application potential.

Objective To investigate the mutation spectrum of F7 gene and its clinical implications in patients with coagulation factorⅦ(FⅦ)deficiency in the southeastern Chinese population,and to analyze the correlations among genotype,FⅦ activity(FⅦ:C),and bleeding risk.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 66 probands diagnosed with FⅦ deficiency between 2010 and 2024 at The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.The clinical data,bleeding scores according to ISTH(Internation-al Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis),the results of coagulation function tests,and F7 gene sequencing data were collected and analyzed.Results Among the 66 probands,59 cases exhibited severe FⅦ deficiency,of whom 37 presented bleeding symptoms,pri-marily gingival bleeding,epistaxis,and menorrhagia.The most frequent mutation:sp.His408Gln,p.Cys10Profs * 16,and p.Cys389Gly,were clustered in exon 8.Prothrombin time(PT)showed a significant positive correlation with ISTH bleeding scores(P＜0.05),while FⅦ:C demonstrated weak predictive power for bleeding risk.Conclusion Exon 8 and the S1 peptide region of the F7 gene were identified as mutation hotspots,and PT was highlighted as an effective tool for evaluating bleeding risk.Although FⅦ:C levels exhibited only a limited correlation with bleeding risk,genetic mutation analysis provided crucial insights for the molecular diag-nosis and clinical management of FⅦ deficiency.

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), when released extracellularly, plays a pivotal role in the development of spinal cord synapses and exacerbates autoimmune diseases within the central nervous system. In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a condition that models multiple sclerosis, the levels of extracellular HMGB1 and interleukin-33 (IL-33) have been found to be inversely correlated. However, the mechanism by which IL-33 deficiency enhances HMGB1 release during EAE remains elusive. Our study elucidates a potential signaling pathway whereby the absence of IL-33 leads to increased binding of P300/CBP-associated factor with HMGB1 in the nuclei of astrocytes, upregulating HMGB1 acetylation and promoting its release from astrocyte nuclei in the spinal cord of EAE mice. Conversely, the addition of IL-33 counteracts the TNF-α-induced increase in HMGB1 and acetylated HMGB1 levels in primary astrocytes. These findings underscore the potential of IL-33-associated signaling pathways as a therapeutic target for EAE treatment.
Animals ; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/metabolism* ; Astrocytes/metabolism* ; Interleukin-33/metabolism* ; HMGB1 Protein/metabolism* ; Acetylation ; Mice, Knockout ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; p300-CBP Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Mice ; Spinal Cord/metabolism* ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Signal Transduction

Objective To investigate the mutation spectrum of F7 gene and its clinical implications in patients with coagulation factorⅦ(FⅦ)deficiency in the southeastern Chinese population,and to analyze the correlations among genotype,FⅦ activity(FⅦ:C),and bleeding risk.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 66 probands diagnosed with FⅦ deficiency between 2010 and 2024 at The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.The clinical data,bleeding scores according to ISTH(Internation-al Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis),the results of coagulation function tests,and F7 gene sequencing data were collected and analyzed.Results Among the 66 probands,59 cases exhibited severe FⅦ deficiency,of whom 37 presented bleeding symptoms,pri-marily gingival bleeding,epistaxis,and menorrhagia.The most frequent mutation:sp.His408Gln,p.Cys10Profs * 16,and p.Cys389Gly,were clustered in exon 8.Prothrombin time(PT)showed a significant positive correlation with ISTH bleeding scores(P＜0.05),while FⅦ:C demonstrated weak predictive power for bleeding risk.Conclusion Exon 8 and the S1 peptide region of the F7 gene were identified as mutation hotspots,and PT was highlighted as an effective tool for evaluating bleeding risk.Although FⅦ:C levels exhibited only a limited correlation with bleeding risk,genetic mutation analysis provided crucial insights for the molecular diag-nosis and clinical management of FⅦ deficiency.

Objective:To investigate the molecular pathogenic mechanism of venous thrombosis caused by heterozygous missense mutations in two protein C (PROC) genes through laboratory phenotype analysis, genetic mutation analysis, and in vitro expression experiments.Methods:Two probands presented with venous thromboembolism at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. Clinical data and blood samples were collected from the probands and their family members to evaluate the plasma protein C (PC) activity (PC∶A), PC antigen (PC∶Ag) levels, and other relevant coagulation parameters. The anticoagulant capacity was assessed using the thrombin generation test (TGT). The mutation sites of the PROC gene were identified using direct DNA sequencing. Bioinformatics software was used to analyze the conservation and pathogenicity of the mutated gene. PyMOL software was used for the analysis of the protein three-dimensional models and interactions between mutated amino acids. Wild-type and two mutant expression vectors were constructed and HEK293T cells were transiently transfected. Total cellular RNA was extracted from positively transfected cells to investigate the transcriptional levels of the mutant PROC gene. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot, and cellular immunofluorescence assays were used to investigate the translation levels of the mutant PROC protein.Results:Probands 1 and 2 exhibited PC∶A levels of 35% and 40% and PC∶Ag levels of 44% and 39%, with increasing D-dimer levels to 4.42 mg/L and 0.83 mg/L, respectively. Meanwhile, other coagulation parameters revealed no significant abnormalities. TGT demonstrated impaired anticoagulant function in both proband witnesses and their familial PC carriers. Sequencing analysis revealed heterozygous missense mutations c. 833T>C (p. Leu278Pro) in proband 1 and c. 1330T>C (p. Trp444Arg) in proband 2 within exon 9 of the PROC gene. Conservation analysis revealed that Leu278 and Trp444 were highly conserved across homologous species. Pathogenicity analysis indicated that both p. Leu278Pro and p. Trp444Arg mutations are deleterious. Protein modeling analysis demonstrated that both mutations induce structural alterations in the protein. In vitro expression experiments revealed that compared with the wild-type, both p. Leu278Pro and p. Trp444Arg mutations showed no significant differences in the mRNA expression level of the PC protein. However, both mutations caused significantly lower PC∶Ag content and protein expression levels in the cell culture supernatant compared with the wild-type, whereas higher levels were observed in the cell culture lysate. This indicates the association of both mutations with the secretion function of the PC protein.Conclusion:The heterozygous missense mutations p. Leu278Pro and p. Trp444Arg in exon 9 of the PROC gene in both probands are associated with decreased PC levels.

Objective:To investigate the molecular pathogenic mechanism of venous thrombosis caused by heterozygous missense mutations in two protein C (PROC) genes through laboratory phenotype analysis, genetic mutation analysis, and in vitro expression experiments.Methods:Two probands presented with venous thromboembolism at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. Clinical data and blood samples were collected from the probands and their family members to evaluate the plasma protein C (PC) activity (PC∶A), PC antigen (PC∶Ag) levels, and other relevant coagulation parameters. The anticoagulant capacity was assessed using the thrombin generation test (TGT). The mutation sites of the PROC gene were identified using direct DNA sequencing. Bioinformatics software was used to analyze the conservation and pathogenicity of the mutated gene. PyMOL software was used for the analysis of the protein three-dimensional models and interactions between mutated amino acids. Wild-type and two mutant expression vectors were constructed and HEK293T cells were transiently transfected. Total cellular RNA was extracted from positively transfected cells to investigate the transcriptional levels of the mutant PROC gene. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot, and cellular immunofluorescence assays were used to investigate the translation levels of the mutant PROC protein.Results:Probands 1 and 2 exhibited PC∶A levels of 35% and 40% and PC∶Ag levels of 44% and 39%, with increasing D-dimer levels to 4.42 mg/L and 0.83 mg/L, respectively. Meanwhile, other coagulation parameters revealed no significant abnormalities. TGT demonstrated impaired anticoagulant function in both proband witnesses and their familial PC carriers. Sequencing analysis revealed heterozygous missense mutations c. 833T>C (p. Leu278Pro) in proband 1 and c. 1330T>C (p. Trp444Arg) in proband 2 within exon 9 of the PROC gene. Conservation analysis revealed that Leu278 and Trp444 were highly conserved across homologous species. Pathogenicity analysis indicated that both p. Leu278Pro and p. Trp444Arg mutations are deleterious. Protein modeling analysis demonstrated that both mutations induce structural alterations in the protein. In vitro expression experiments revealed that compared with the wild-type, both p. Leu278Pro and p. Trp444Arg mutations showed no significant differences in the mRNA expression level of the PC protein. However, both mutations caused significantly lower PC∶Ag content and protein expression levels in the cell culture supernatant compared with the wild-type, whereas higher levels were observed in the cell culture lysate. This indicates the association of both mutations with the secretion function of the PC protein.Conclusion:The heterozygous missense mutations p. Leu278Pro and p. Trp444Arg in exon 9 of the PROC gene in both probands are associated with decreased PC levels.

Objective:To analyze a Chinese pedigree with Hereditary coagulation factor Ⅻ (FⅫ) deficiency duo to variants of F12 gene and explore its molecular pathogenesis. Methods:A patient who underwent laparoscopic cystectomy at the Department of Gynecology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University in June 2012 was selected as the study subject. Coagulation factor indexes of the proband and her family members (5 individuals from three generations) were determined. All exons, flanking sequences, 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions of the F12 gene of the proband and her family members were analyzed by direct sequencing. Three bioinformatics software was used to analyze the conservation, pathogenicity and protein model of the variant. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Hospital (Ethics No. 2012-17). Results:The activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), FⅫ activity (FⅫ: C) and FⅫ antigen (FⅫ: Ag) of the proband was 180.0 s, 1.0% and 2.1%, respectively. DNA sequencing revealed that she has harbored compound heterozygous variants of the F12 gene, namely c. 712_713insT (p.Cys238Leufs *73) in exon 8 and c. 1561G>A (p.Glu521Lys) in exon 13. Her mother and younger son were heterozygous for the p. Cys238Leufs*73 variant, while her older son was heterozygous for the p. Glu521Lys variant. Bioinformatic analysis suggested that Cys238 is highly conserved and p. Cys238Leufs*73 is a pathogenic variant, which eventually resulted in a truncated protein. Conclusion:The c. 712_713insT and c. 1561G>A compound heterozygous variants of the F12 gene probably underlay the decreased FⅫ level in this pedigree, among which c. 712_713insT (NM_000505) was unreported previously.

Objective:To analyze the gene mutations of 18 patients with plasminogen (PLG) deficiency and to explore the clinical manifestations caused by PLG gene mutations.Methods:This study belongs to observational study-descriptive study: case series.Clinical data from 18 patients with PLG deficiency admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from January 1st, 2021 to May 31st, 2025 were collected. The age ranged from 16 to 70 years old, with an average of 48 years old. Among them, there were 10 males and 8 females. Anticoagulant blood samples were taken before treatment to measure and analyze plasminogen activity (PLG:A), plasminogen antigen (PLG:Ag), protein C activity, protein S activity, fibrinogen, antithrombin activity, D-dimer, and fibrin (fibrinogen) degradation products. PCR direct sequencing was used to analyze the 19 exons and flanking sequences of the PLG gene in these patients, and reverse sequencing was employed to verify the suspected mutations.Results:For the 18 patients, cranial MRI showed fresh cerebral infarction lesions, and PLG:A levels ranged from 19% to 67%, while no other lab indicators showed significant abnormalities, all presenting with dysplasminogenemia. Genetic analysis revealed five types of PLG gene mutations: c.1858G>A (p.Ala620Thr) heterozygous mutation, c.1858G>A (p.Ala620Thr) homozygous mutation, c.398A>G (p.His133Arg) heterozygous mutation, c.2108G>A (p.Gly703Asp) heterozygous mutation, and c.1702G>A (p.Gly568Arg) heterozygous mutation. Among the above, the c.1858G>A heterozygous mutation was the most common, and c.398A>G and c.1702G>A were identified for the first time.Conclusion:Patients with plasminogen deficiency caused by PLG gene defects are prone to occur cerebral infarction events, which may be related to impaired fibrinolytic function due to PLG gene mutations.

Objective:To report a Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2 (CMT2) patient with SORD gene mutations, aiming to enhance the understanding of SORD gene-associated peripheral neuropathy. Methods:A CMT2 patient with SORD gene mutations was identified through whole exome sequencing in the Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology in January 2024, and the patients′ clinical features were elaborated in detail. 31-Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 31P-MRS) was employed to assess the phosphorus profile of the limbs, and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was utilized to detect peripheral blood SORD gene mRNA expression levels in the patient, the family members, and the normal control. Additionally, the genetic and clinical characteristics of SORD gene mutation-related CMT2 and distal hereditary motor neuropathy (dHMN) were reviewed by searching the CNKI and PubMed databases. Results:The male CMT2 patient was 15 years old, presented with early-onset lower limb muscle weakness and atrophy, hypoesthesia, reduced tendon reflexes, and flat feet. 31P-MRS examination indicated that the pH of the patient′s leg was lower than that of the upper limb. Whole exome sequencing showed the patient carrying complex heterozygous mutations c.757delG (p.Ala253GlnfsTer27) and c.218C>T (P.Ser73Leu) in the SORD gene. The mRNA expression of the SORD gene of the patient′s mother [0.623(0.614, 0.645)] was lower than that of the patient′s father [0.961(0.888,1.020), H=13.330, P=0.007] and normal people [1.001(0.917, 1.092), H=14.830, P=0.002]. Through literature review, it is found that 31 SORD gene mutations have been reported worldwide, among which c.757delG (p.Ala253GlnfsTer27) was found to be a hotspot mutation, and all patients exhibited an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. Conclusions:A patient with CMT2 caused by a compound heterozygous mutation c.757delG/c.218C>T in the SORD gene, with the main clinical symptoms of bilateral lower limb weakness, atrophy, sensory disturbance and reduced tendon reflexes is reported. Furthermore, 31P-MRS of the extremities is anticipated to both early and sensitively detect muscle lesions in patients with hereditary peripheral neuropathy.