Mitofusin 2 (MFN2) residing on the outer mitochondrial membrane is a pivotal factor participating in mitochondrial fusion and maintaining mitochondrial morphology. Due to its multifaceted cellular functions, MFN2 is implicated in the pathogenesis of diverse maladies, notably type 2 Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which has catalyzed a surge in pharmaceutical endeavors directed towards MFN2. This article reviews the function of MFN2 and its role in a variety of diseases, outlines the current status of drug discovery against MFN2, and summarizes potential drug molecules currently in preclinical research, aiming to provide some reference for the research and development of drugs and therapies targeting MFN2.

OBJECTIVES: To study the epidemiological characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in hospitalized children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Hebei Province. METHODS: Hospitalized children with CAP who tested positive for RSV and were admitted to Hebei Children's Hospital from various cities and counties across Hebei Province between January 2019 and December 2023 were included in the study. Clinical data were collected and analyzed to assess epidemiological characteristics. RESULTS: The clinical data of 43 978 children with CAP were collected, with an overall RSV detection rate of 25.98%. The detection rate was higher during the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) (30.60%) than in the non-NPIs period. Winter and spring were the primary epidemic seasons for RSV each year except in 2022. The detection rate in males (26.62%) was higher than in females (25.06%) (P<0.001). The highest detection rate (59.18%) was found in infants aged 29 days to <1 year. Single RSV infection was more common, with rhinovirus being the most frequent co-infection. CONCLUSIONS The overall RSV detection rate in Hebei Province is influenced by NPIs, being higher during their implementation. RSV predominantly circulates in winter and spring. The detection rate of RSV is higher in males and infants. RSV infection is primarily single, most often co-occurring with rhinovirus.
Humans ; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections/epidemiology* ; Female ; Male ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Seasons ; China/epidemiology* ; Infant, Newborn ; Community-Acquired Infections/epidemiology* ; Child

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 explore the differences in T lymphocyte subsets of the severe pneumonia(SP)patients among different age groups and analyze its relationship with the prognosis.METHODS A total of 100 patients with SP who were treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from Mar.2018 to Jun.2024 were enrolled in the study and were divided into the youth group with 22 cases(less than 40 years old),the middle age group with 36 cases(aging between 40 and 65 years old)and the old age group with 42 cases(more than 65 years old).The clinical data and the laboratory test indexes were compared among the three groups.The levels of CD3+,CD4+,CD8+and CD4+/CD8+before and after the treatment were compared among the three groups by repeated measures variance method.RESULTS The length of hospital stay of the old age group was longer than those of other two groups;the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation(APACHE)Ⅱ score,clinical pul-monary infection score(CPIS)and the levels of interleukin-6(IL-6),platelets(PLT),white blood cells(WBC),C-reactive protein(CRP)and lactic dehydrogenase(LDH)levels were higher in the old age group than in other two groups(P＜0.05).The levels of CD3+,CD4+,CD8+and CD4+/CD8+of all the three groups were elevated after the treatment,with the highest in the young group after the treatment for 2 months[the CD3+level(56.25±5.21)％,the CD4+level(35.65±2.43)％,the CD8+level(22.33±1.74)％,and the CD4+/CD8+(1.97±0.25)],the lowest in the old age group[after the treatment for 2 months the CD3+level(49.46±2.67)％,the CD4+level(28.45±3.45)％,the CD8+level(15.68±2.23)％,and the CD4+/CD8+(1.46±0.14)],there were significant differences(F=21.830,P=0.045;F=41.870,P=0.024;F=71.914,P=0.014;F=48.463,P=0.020).CONCLUSION The CD3+,CD4+,CD8+and CD4+/CD8+have great clinical significance in diagnosis of SP for different age groups of patients and assessment of illness condition.

Objective:To investigate the clinical data, drug resistance and treatment prognosis of Cryptococcus neoformans isolated from patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS) in a hospital in Shanghai. Methods:The clinical data of AIDS patients with Cryptococcus neoformans infection in Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center from January 2014 to December 2023, and the drug sensitivity to 5 antifungal drugs in vitro, treatment and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed. Results:From January 2014 to December 2023, there were 295 AIDS patients with Cryptococcus neoformans infection in our hospital, with 255 males and 40 females. CD4 + T lymphocyte counts ≤100 cells/μl were detected in 251 patients. A total of 384 strains of Cryptococcus neoformans were isolated from the 295 patients, with the highest detection rate in cerebrospinal fluid samples (65.9%, 253/384), followed by blood samples (29.4%, 113/384). The sensitivity of 384 strains of Cryptococcus neoformans to 5-fluorocytosine was the highest (98.5%, 379/384), followed by fluconazole (95.6%, 367/384) and amphotericin B (95.3%, 366/384). After treatment against cryptococcal infection, 252 patients (86.0%, 252/293) were discharged and 20 patients (6.8%, 20/293) died. The other 2 cases were not treated for cryptococcal infection. Conclusions:As Cryptococcus neoformans is an important pathogen of AIDS patients, clinicians should actively carry out laboratory examination of Cryptococcus and rational drug use according to the results of drug sensitivity test, while alert to the occurrence of drug resistance.

Objective To investigate the short- and long-term prognoses and the risk factors affecting “textbook outcome” (TO) after laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Methods The clinical and follow-up data of patients diagnosed with PDAC and treated with LPD from January 2019 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The prognosis was compared between TO and non-TO groups, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent prognostic factors for TO. Results A total of 284 patients were enrolled in this study, including 185 cases in the TO group and 99 cases in the non-TO group. The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of the TO and non-TO groups with PDAC were 87.3% vs. 85.9%, 52.5% vs. 38.4%, and 18.0% vs. 4.5%, respectively (P=0.020); the recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were 74.1% vs. 65.7%, 27.1% vs. 21.0%, and 10.0% vs. 0%, respectively (P=0.042). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that operation time >360 min (OR=0.561, 95%CI: 0.321-0.979, P=0.042), intraoperative blood loss >400 ml (OR=0.392, 95%CI: 0.175-0.879, P=0.023), hard or tough texture of pancreas (OR=2.240, 95%CI: 1.247-4.022, P=0.007), and main pancreatic duct diameter >3 mm (OR=1.931, 95%CI: 1.126-3.312, P=0.017) were independent prognostic factors for TO. Conclusion After the learning curve, more than 60% of patients with PDAC can achieve TO after LPD. The chances of achieving TO are significantly reduced when the operation time >360 min, the intraoperative blood loss >400 ml, the texture of pancreas was soft, and the diameter of the main pancreatic duct >3 mm.

The prelimbic cortex (PL) plays a critical role in processing both the sensory and affective components of pain. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we observed a reduction in hyperpolarization-activated cation current (I_h) in layer V pyramidal neurons of the contralateral PL in a mouse model of spared nerve injury (SNI). The expression of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated 2 (HCN2) channels was also decreased in the contralateral PL. Conversely, microinjection of fisetin, a partial agonist of HCN2, produced both analgesic and anxiolytic effects. Additionally, we found that cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) was activated in the contralateral PL, where it formed a complex with HCN2 and phosphorylated its C-terminus. Knockdown of CDK5 restored HCN2 expression and alleviated both pain hypersensitivity and anxiety-like behaviors. Collectively, these results indicate that CDK5-mediated dysfunction of HCN2 in the PL underlies nerve injury-induced mechanical hypersensitivity and anxiety.
Animals ; Hyperpolarization-Activated Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels/metabolism* ; Hyperalgesia/metabolism* ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5/metabolism* ; Neuralgia/metabolism* ; Male ; Anxiety/metabolism* ; Mice ; Potassium Channels/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Disease Models, Animal ; Pyramidal Cells/metabolism*

Objective To explore the symptom clusters in renal transplant recipients and con-struct a concurrent symptom network to identify core symptoms.Methods A total of 343 patients with followed up after renal transplantation were selected as the study subjects.A general information questionnaire and the Chinese version of the Modified Transplant Symptom Occurrence and Symptom Distress Scale were employed to analyze the occurrence of symptoms in patients.In this study,only symptoms with an incidence rate greater than 20％and Spearman correlation coefficient greater than 0.40 between symptom severity and total score were retained.Exploratory factor analysis was used to extract symptom clusters with a factor loading of ≥0.45 as the criterion.The R language was utilized to construct symptom network,based on which core symptoms and bridge symptoms were identified.Results A total of 5 symptom clusters were extracted in this study:the neuro-gastrointestinal symp-tom cluster,the mood-related symptom cluster,the hormone-related symptom cluster,the energy de-ficiency symptom cluster and the vision-related symptom cluster.The core symptoms were anxiety(rs=1.75),mood swings(rs=1.50)and muscle weakness(rs=1.27).The top three symptoms in terms of bridge strength were muscle weakness(rb=0.87),lack of vitality(rb=0.66)and fa-tigue(rb=0.65).Conclusion Multiple symptoms are presented in patients after renal transplanta-tion.Based on the results of symptom network analysis,clinicians can strengthen the assessment of core symptoms and bridge symptoms to develop precise intervention strategies and improve the effectiveness of symptom management.

Objective To investigate the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)of the EGF gene,including rs11569017(A>T),rs2237051(A>G),rs3733625(C>T),and rs4444903(A>G),and the risk of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)in a Han population of Yunnan.Methods A total of 439 patients with NSCLC and 520 healthy controls were recruited in Yunnan Province between January 2022 and December 2023.Genotyping of four SNP loci in the EGF gene was performed using TaqMan probes,followed by analysis of allele,genotype,genetic model,and haplotype distribution frequencies between NSCLC and control groups.Stratified analyses were further conducted based on NSCLC pathological types and clinical stages.Results The rs2237051 locus showed significant differences in allele(P=0.011)and genotype(P=0.042)frequencies between the squamous cell carcinoma(SCC)group and the control group.The frequency of the A allele was lower in the SCC group than in the control group(OR=0.71,95%CI 0.54～1.85),but there was no difference after Bonferroni correction(P>0.0125).Under the log-additive model,the rs2237051-2G/G+A/G genotype was associated with an increased risk of SCC(P=0.01;OR=1.42,95%CI 1.08～1.86).However,the association lost statistical significance after Bonferroni correction(P>0.0125).The haplotype rs11569017-rs2237051-rs3733625-rs4444903 has no difference between the two groups(P>0.0125).The stratified analysis revealed no significant associations between the genetic loci and different disease stages(P>0.0125).Conclusion In the Yunnan Han population,the individuals carrying the rs2237051-A allele of the EGF gene have a significantly lower risk of squamous lung cancer,but further functional experiments are needed to verify the protective mechanism.