This article reports a rare case of autoinflammatory disease presenting initially with skin induration and swelling after trauma as the initial manifestation, followed by progressive limb weakness. The patient was a middle-aged female who developed skin induration and swelling after trauma, which gradually progressed to limb weakness, dysarthria and bilateral facial paralysis, accompanied by livedo reticularis of the lower extremities, diffuse skin induration of the limbs, and beaded subcutaneous nodules in the right upper limb. The patient had a susceptibility to infection since childhood and a history of chronic livedo reticularis. Skin pathological examination revealed panniculitis. A comprehensive etiological screening for special infections and autoimmune diseases was completed with an unremarkable results, and whole-exome sequencing showed no abnormal findings. Following a multidisciplinary discussion combined with RNA sequencing results, the patient was diagnosed with an autoinflammatory disease, with a suspected type Ⅰ interferonopathy. Treatment with tofacitinib resulted in gradual improvement of clinical symptoms. This case highlights the importance of detailed medical history collection, systematic physical examination and multidisciplinary collaborative diagnosis and treatment, and underscores the pivotal role of molecular diagnosis in the confirmation of rare diseases. It can provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis and management of similar rare cases.

Objective To establish a highly sensitive and specific method for detecting human DNA based on real time quantitative PCR(qPCR)technique for the rapid detection of potential DNA con-tamination sources in DNA laboratories.Methods Primers and probes were designed with Primer Ex-pressTM software using the reference sequence of human 18S rRNA gene as a template,and the opti-mal prime-probe combination was screened by matrix method.The PCR products of the target se-quence of human 18S rRNA gene were used to construct the plasmid,and a plasmid standard was used to draw the standard curve of the qPCR system.According to the Minimum Information for Pub-lication of Quantitative Real-time PCR Experiments(MIQE)guidelines,the specificity,sensitivity,re-peatability and application effect of the qPCR system were evaluated.Results The sensitivity of the qPCR system established in this study was 5.3×10-5 ng/μL,which showed good specificity for human DNA samples.The correlation coefficient of the qPCR system was-0.999,and amplification efficiency was 100％.Both the intra-batch and inter-batch variation coefficients were less than 2％.Conclusion The established human DNA detection method based on qPCR technique has good specificity,high sen-sitivity,and robust stability.It can be used for rapid detection of DNA contamination and daily moni-toring of the accumulated human DNA in the laboratory environment.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of miR-483-5p on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells proliferation and stemness, as well as the attenuating effect of Pien Tze Huang (PZH). METHODS: Differentially expressed miRNA between HepG2 cells and hepatic cancer stem-like cells (HCSCs) were identified by a miRNA microarray assay. miR-483-5p mimics were transfected into HepG2 cells to explore the effects of miR-483-5p on cell proliferation and stemness. HepG2 cells and HCSCs were treated with PZH (0, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 mg/mL) to explore the effects of PZH on the proliferation and stemness, both in non-induced state and the state induced by miR-483-5p mimics. RESULTS: miR-483-5p was significantly up-regulated in HCSCs and its overexpression increased cell proliferation and stemness in HepG2 cells (P<0.05). PZH not only significantly inhibited proliferation in HepG2 cells, but also significantly suppressed the cell proliferation and self-renewal of HCSCs (P<0.05). The effects of miR-483-5p mimics on proliferation and stemness of HepG2 cells were partially abolished by PZH. CONCLUSIONS miR-483-5p promotes proliferation and enhances stemness of HepG2 cells, which were attenuated by PZH, demonstrating that miR-483-5p is a potential molecular target for the treatment of HCC and provide experimental evidence to support clinical use of PZH for patients with HCC.
Humans ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy* ; Hep G2 Cells ; Neoplastic Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects*

Despite therapy with potent antiviral agents, chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients remain at high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While metabolites have been rediscovered as active drivers of biological processes including carcinogenesis, the specific metabolites modulating HCC risk in CHB patients are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that baseline plasma from CHB patients who later developed HCC during follow-up exhibits growth-promoting properties in a case-control design nested within a large-scale, prospective cohort. Metabolomics analysis reveals a reduction in long-chain acylcarnitines (LCACs) in the baseline plasma of patients with HCC development. LCACs preferentially inhibit the proliferation of HCC cells in vitro at a physiological concentration and prevent the occurrence of HCC in vivo without hepatorenal toxicity. Uptake and metabolism of circulating LCACs increase the intracellular level of acetyl coenzyme A, which upregulates histone H3 Lys14 acetylation at the promoter region of KLF6 gene and thereby activates KLF6/p21 pathway. Indeed, blocking LCAC metabolism attenuates the difference in KLF6/p21 expression induced by baseline plasma of HCC/non-HCC patients. The deficiency of circulating LCACs represents a driver of HCC in CHB patients with viral control. These insights provide a promising direction for developing therapeutic strategies to reduce HCC risk further in the antiviral era.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 2 (PTPN2) is a promising target for sensitizing solid tumors to immune checkpoint blockades. However, the highly polar active sites of PTPN2 hinder drug discovery efforts. Leveraging small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology, we developed a novel glutathione-responsive nano-platform HPssPT (HA/PEIss@siPtpn2) to silence PTPN2 and enhance immunotherapy efficacy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HPssPT showed potent transfection and favorable safety profiles. PTPN2 deficiency induced by HPssPT amplified the interferon γ signaling in HCC cells by increasing the phosphorylation of Janus-activated kinase 1 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1, resulting in enhanced antigen presentation and T cell activation. The nano-platform was also able to promote the M1-like polarization of macrophages in vitro. The unique tropism of HPssPT towards tumor-associated macrophages, facilitated by hyaluronic acid coating and CD44 receptor targeting, allowed for simultaneous reprogramming of both tumor cells and tumor-associated macrophages, thereby synergistically reshaping tumor microenvironment to an immunostimulatory state. In HCC, colorectal cancer, and melanoma animal models, HPssPT monotherapy provoked robust antitumor immunity, thereby sensitizing tumors to PD-1 blockade, which provided new inspiration for siRNA-based drug discovery and tumor immunotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between physical activity and genetic risk and their combined effects on the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 318,085 biobank participants from the UK. Physical activity was assessed using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The participants were stratified into low-, intermediate-, and high-genetic-risk groups based on their polygenic risk scores. Multivariate Cox regression models and multiplicative interaction analyses were used. RESULTS: During a median follow-up period of 13 years, 9,209 participants were diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For low genetic risk, compared to low physical activity, the hazard ratios ( HRs) for moderate and high physical activity were 0.853 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: 0.748-0.972) and 0.831 (95% CI: 0.727-0.950), respectively. For intermediate genetic risk, the HRs were 0.829 (95% CI: 0.758-0.905) and 0.835 (95% CI: 0.764-0.914), respectively. For participants with high genetic risk, the HRs were 0.809 (95% CI: 0.746-0.877) and 0.818 (95% CI: 0.754-0.888), respectively. A significant interaction was observed between genetic risk and physical activity. CONCLUSION Moderate or high levels of physical activity were associated with a lower risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease across all genetic risk groups, highlighting the need to tailor activity interventions for genetically susceptible individuals.
Humans ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/epidemiology* ; Exercise ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Aged ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Risk Factors ; United Kingdom/epidemiology* ; Incidence ; Adult

Objective:To investigate the awareness of Chinese gastroenterologists regarding the treatment targets of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as defined by the STRIDE-Ⅱ consensus and to identify challenges encountered in clinical practice.Methods:A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted via an online questionnaire distributed to gastroenterologists between February 16 and March 31, 2024. The survey encompassed demographic data, recognition and adherence to the STRIDE-Ⅱ consensus, perceived importance of IBD treatment targets, and clinical challenges.Results:A total of 203 valid questionnaires were collected from 28 provinces (autonomous regions/municipalities). The majority of participants (177/203, 87.2%) reported routinely referencing the STRIDE-Ⅱ consensus in IBD management. Over 90% of physicians identified endoscopic mucosal healing as the core treatment target. Additionally, approximately 80% emphasized the importance of clinical remission, endoscopic remission, quality-of-life improvement, disability prevention, and normalization of growth in pediatric patients. The challenges reported by more than half of physicians in acheiving the goals of the treatment process included lack of a standardized definition for mucosal healing (69.5%), management of psychological comorbidities (89.2%), drug failure (74.4%), penetrating Crohn's disease (72.4%), perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease (65.0%), and IBD management during pregnancy (61.1%).Conclusions:Chinese gastroenterologists demonstrate high awareness and adherence to the STRIDE-Ⅱ consensus, prioritizing mucosal healing as the cornerstone of IBD management. However, numerous challenges remain in clinical practice, particularly regarding operational definitions of therapeutic endpoints and complex disease phenotypes.

Objective To develop and validate a machine learning-based predictive model to assess the in-hospital mortality risk of patients with myocardial infarction(MI)complicated by heart failure(HF)undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Methods This retrospective study analyzed MI patients with HF who underwent PCI at The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2019 to January 2023.Patient data,including demographic characteristics,vital signs,laboratory test results,imaging parameters and medication use,were collected and randomly divided into a training set(70％)and a validation set(30％).The extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost)model was used to identify variables significantly associated with in-hospital mortality,and the Shapley additive explanations(SHAP)model was applied to assess feature importance.A predictive model was then constructed using univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses.Model performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves,area under the curve(AUC)values,calibration curves,and decision curve analysis.Finally,a nomogram was developed for intuitive risk assessment.Results A total of 1 214 MI patients with HF were included in the study,with a median age of 64 years.The in-hospital mortality rate was 7.41％(90 deaths).XGBoost feature selection identified ten key predictive variables:age,myoglobin,albumin,fasting blood glucose,N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP),diabetes mellitus,creatinine,cystatin C,procalcitonin,and left ventricular ejection fraction.Based on these variables,a Logistic regression model was developed,with seven final predictors:age,diabetes mellitus,creatinine,fasting blood glucose,cystatin C,NT-proBNP,and albumin.The model demonstrated high predictive accuracy,with AUC value of 0.869(95％CI:0.84-0.89)in the training set and 0.827(95％CI:0.79-0.85)in the validation set.The calibration curve indicated that the predicted probabilities were consistent with the actual observed outcomes,and decision curve analysis showed that the model had a high net benefit across various decision thresholds.Conclusion This study developed a machine learning-based predictive model incorporating Logistic regression to assess the in-hospital mortality risk of MI patients with HF undergoing PCI.The model demonstrated high predictive performance and clinical utility.The nomogram derived from this model provides an intuitive tool for individualized risk assessment,aiding clinicians in the early identification of high-risk patients,optimizing intervention strategies,and improving patient outcomes.

Objective To construct and validate machine learning-based models to predict the risk of acute kidney injury(AKI)following percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI).Methods A total of 2 315 STEMI patients who underwent PCI between January 2020 and June 2023 were included;306(13.2％)of them developed AKI.Baseline variables were screened using LASSO regression,with the optimal λ value selected via 10-fold cross-validation to identify AKI-associated features.Subsequently,eight distinct machine learning models were constructed and evaluated for their predictive performance.SHAP value analysis was employed to assess the impact of key variables on model predictions.Results LASSO regression identified seven variables significantly associated with AKI,including age,multivessel disease,preoperative creatinine,heart failure,white blood cell count,hemoglobin,and albumin levels.Among all the models,the light gradient boosting machine(LGBM)and extreme gradient boosting(XGB)demonstrated the best predictive performance,with training set AUCs being 0.899(95％CI:0.877-0.921)and 0.893(95％CI:0.868-0.918),and validation set AUCs being 0.809(95％CI:0.763-0.856)and 0.871(95％CI:0.833-0.909),respectively.SHAP analysis revealed that albumin,age,preoperative creatinine,and white blood cell count were the primary contributors to AKI risk.Conclusion This study successfully developed and validated machine learning-based predictive models capable of effectively identifying the risk of AKI following PCI in STEMI patients,thus providing valuable support for clinical decision-making.

BACKGROUND: Spicy food consumption has been reported to be inversely associated with mortality from multiple diseases. However, the effect of spicy food intake on the incidence of vascular diseases in the Chinese population remains unclear. This study was conducted to explore this association. METHODS: This study was performed using the large-scale China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) prospective cohort of 486,335 participants. The primary outcomes were vascular disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD), major coronary events (MCEs), cerebrovascular disease, stroke, and non-stroke cerebrovascular disease. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the association between spicy food consumption and incident vascular diseases. Subgroup analysis was also performed to evaluate the heterogeneity of the association between spicy food consumption and the risk of vascular disease stratified by several basic characteristics. In addition, the joint effects of spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of vascular disease were also evaluated, and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the reliability of the association results. RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 12.1 years, a total of 136,125 patients with vascular disease, 46,689 patients with IHD, 10,097 patients with MCEs, 80,114 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 56,726 patients with stroke, and 40,098 patients with non-stroke cerebrovascular disease were identified. Participants who consumed spicy food 1-2 days/week (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = [0.93, 0.97], P <0.001), 3-5 days/week (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = [0.94, 0.99], P = 0.003), and 6-7 days/week (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = [0.95, 0.99], P = 0.002) had a significantly lower risk of vascular disease than those who consumed spicy food less than once a week ( Ptrend <0.001), especially in those who were younger and living in rural areas. Notably, the disease-based subgroup analysis indicated that the inverse associations remained in IHD ( Ptrend = 0.011) and MCEs ( Ptrend = 0.002) risk. Intriguingly, there was an interaction effect between spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of IHD ( Pinteraction = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS Our findings support an inverse association between spicy food consumption and vascular disease in the Chinese population, which may provide additional dietary guidance for the prevention of vascular diseases.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Vascular Diseases/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Cerebrovascular Disorders/epidemiology* ; East Asian People