ObjectiveTo evaluate the therapeutic effect of Huazhuo SanJie Chubi presciption （HSCD） on chronic gouty arthritis （CGA） rats with low-grade inflammation and to explore the underlying mechanism with a focus on macrophage polarization. MethodsThe 41 male 6-week-old SD rats were randomly allocated， using the random number table， to a normal group （n=8） and a model group （n =33）. CGA with low-grade inflammation was induced in the model group by daily gavage of potassium oxonate （250 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） and hypoxanthine （300 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， combined with intra-articular injection of a monosodium urate （MSU） crystal suspension （50 μL， 25 g·L^-¹） into the left ankle twice weekly. After 4 weeks of modeling， 3 rats were randomly selected from each group for model validation. The remaining successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into a model group， an HSCD group （10.35 g·kg^-1·d^-1， gavage once daily）， an M1 polarization agonist group （L-methionine sulfoximine， 300 mg·kg^-1， subcutaneous injection every other day）， an M1 polarization agonist + HSCD group， an M2 polarization inhibitor group （PD0325901， 10 mg·kg^-1·d^-1， gavage once daily）， and M2 polarization inhibitor + HSCD group. The corresponding drug or drug combination was administered according to group assignment， whereas rats in the normal and model groups received 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose sodium （CMC-Na） vehicle （10.35 g·kg^-1·d^-1， gavage once daily）. All interventions were continued for four weeks. During the intervention period， except for the normal group， potassium oxonate （250 mg·kg⁻¹） and hypoxanthine （300 mg·kg^-1） were co-administered by gavage every other day to maintain the model. At the end of treatment， serum uric acid （SUA）， ankle joint diameter and joint swelling index were measured. The levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein （hs-CRP）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， chemokine C-C motif ligand 2 （CCL2）， S100 calcium-binding protein A8/A9 （S100A8/A9）， interleukin-10 （IL-10） and arginase-1 （Arg-1） in serum and joint fluid were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. High-frequency ultrasound was used to assess MSU deposition in the ankle joint. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to evaluate synovial histopathological changes. Quantitative Real-time PCR and immunofluorescence were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of the M1 macrophage polarization markers inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS） and the M2 macrophage polarization marker scavenger receptor cysteine-rich type 1 protein M130 （CD163） in synovial tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly elevated SUA level and joint swelling index， and increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines， CCL2， and S100A8/A9 in both serum and joint fluid （P<0.05）， accompanied by MSU deposition and synovial inflammation in the ankle joint. The mRNA and protein expression levels of macrophage polarization M1/M2 markers iNOS and CD163 in synovial tissues were also significantly up-regulated （P<0.05）. Compared with model group， rats in HSCD group had significantly lower SUA levels， attenuated joint swelling， reduced serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines， and decreased levels of CCL2 and S100A8/A9 in both serum and joint fluid， accompanied with alleviated MSU deposition and synovial inflammation （P<0.05）. HSCD markedly downregulated the mRNA and protein expression of M1 marker iNOS （P<0.05）， whereas it had no significant effect on the expression of M2 marker CD163. Compared with the M1 polarization agonist group， the M1 polarization agonist + HSCD group showed significantly reduced joint swelling， lower serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines， and decreased levels of CCL2 and S100A8/A9 in joint fluid （P<0.05）. In addition， synovial inflammatory cell infiltration and angiogenesis were attenuated， and iNOS mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly reduced （P<0.05）. Compared with the M2 polarization inhibitor group， the M2 polarization inhibitor + HSCD group exhibited reduced joint swelling， decreased levels of CCL2 and S100A8/A9 in joint fluid and ameliorated synovial inflammation （P<0.05）， whereas the levels of anti-inflammatory mediators （IL-10， Arg-1） and CD163 mRNA and protein expression were not significantly increased. ConclusionHSCD alleviates low-grade inflammation in CGA rats， at least in part， by inhibiting macrophage polarization toward the M1 phenotype.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to observe the effect of Huazhuo Sanjie Chubi prescription （HSCD） on the gouty bone erosion model rats and investigate its action mechanism. MethodsThirty-six two-month-old male SD rats were randomly divided into the blank group with nine rats and the modeling group with 27 rats. The rats in the modeling group were administered hypoxanthine solution at 300 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 and potassium oxonate solution at 250 mg·kg^-1·d^-1， combined with intra-articular injection of 200 μL monosodium urate （MSU） crystal suspension at 25 g·L^-1 into the right ankle joint （joint injection once every three days）， so as to induce the gouty bone erosion model. After four weeks of modeling， three rats were selected from these two groups to validate the model. The modeled 24 rats were randomly divided into the model group， HSCD group （10.35 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， allopurinol group （20 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， and inhibitor group （LY294002， 10 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， with six rats per group. Except for the blank group， rats in all other groups continued to receive hypoxanthine solution at 300 mg·kg^-1 and potassium oxonate solution at 250 mg·kg^-1 via gavage concurrently with administration to maintain modeling intervention. The rats in the HSCD group and allopurinol group received administration by gavage at the above doses. The rats in the inhibitor group received an intraperitoneal injection at the above dose. The rats in the blank group and model group received saline （10.35 g·kg^-1·d^-1） by gavage for four consecutive weeks. After administration， ankle joint swelling of the rats in all groups was observed， and the diameters were measured. Bone volume fraction （BV/TV） and bone surface area to bone volume （BS/BV） were observed and quantitatively analyzed by Micro-CT. Histopathological changes in the ankle joint were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and safranin O-fast green staining. The uric acid in the rats' serum was determined by enzyme colorimetry. The levels of inflammatory factors， including tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin （IL）-1β， and IL-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The protein expressions of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand （RANKL） and phosphorylated （p）-phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase （PI3K） in ankle joint tissues of rats were detected by immunofluorescence staining. The mRNA levels of the proteins related to the bone erosion， including RANKL， tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase （TRAP）， cathepsin K （CTSK）， and matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9） in the ankle joint tissues of rats were determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. The expressions of the proteins related to the bone erosion， including RANKL， CTSK， TRAP， MMP-9， and the proteins related to the PI3K/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway， including PI3K， Akt， mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）， p-PI3K， phosphorylated protein kinase B （p-Akt）， and phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin （p-mTOR）， were detected by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the modeling group showed marked ankle swelling and increased diameter. Micro-CT revealed an uneven articular surface and honeycomb-like bone erosion in the ankle joint. Quantitative analysis showed decreased BV/TV and increased BS/BV （P<0.05）. HE staining revealed a narrowed joint space， rough and discontinuous cartilage surfaces， reduced and unevenly distributed chondrocytes， partial hypertrophy， and blurred tidemarks， confirming successful model establishment. After four weeks of intervention， compared with those in the blank group， the rats in the model group exhibited severe ankle swelling and increased diameters （P<0.05）. Micro‑CT showed that the ankle joint surface was irregular， and bone erosion exhibited a honeycomb‑like morphology. The microstructural parameters of the bone revealed a decreased BV/TV and an increased BS/BV （P<0.05）. Histopathological examination revealed a narrowed joint space and severe articular cartilage destruction. The levels of uric acid in the serum and inflammatory factors （IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α） were increased （P<0.05）. The mRNA and protein levels of the proteins related to bone erosion in joint tissue， including RANKL， CTSK， TRAP， and MMP-9， were upregulated （P<0.05）. The ratios of p-PI3K/PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， and p-mTOR/mTOR in the proteins related to the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway were increased （P<0.05）. RANKL and p-PI3K protein fluorescence intensities were elevated （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the model group， the above indicators in all other administration groups showed varying degrees of improvement. The HSCD group and inhibitor groups exhibited more significant effects in reducing ankle swelling， improving bone erosion， bone microstructure （significant decrease in BV/TV and increase in BS/BV）， and the pathology of cartilage erosion， lowering inflammatory factor levels， downregulating the proteins related to the bone erosion， and suppressing activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway （P<0.05）. The uric acid levels in rats' serum were reduced in both HSCD and allopurinol groups （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the HSCD group， the rats in the allopurinol group had larger ankle diameters （P<0.05）， more severe bone erosion and bone microstructure damage （P<0.05）， worse improvement of the pathology of cartilage erosion， higher levels of IL-6 and TNF-α （P<0.05）， elevated expressions of the proteins related to the bone erosion， higher expression ratio of proteins related to the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway （P<0.05）， and higher fluorescence intensities of RANKL and p-PI3K proteins （P<0.05）. The inhibitor group achieved comparable results to the HSCD group in improvements of bone microstructure and the reduction of IL-1β and IL-6， stronger suppression of TNF-α and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway activation （P<0.05）， but weaker effects on cartilage repair and serum uric acid reduction （P<0.05）. ConclusionHSCD effectively reduces uric acid levels in serum， suppresses inflammatory factor secretion， and downregulates the expressions of proteins related to bone erosion， including RANKL， CTSK， TRAP， and MMP-9 in the joint tissues. Its action mechanism of improving gouty bone erosion may be associated with inhibition of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the clinical and immunological significance of CCDC97 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Clinical data and RNA sequencing results from HCC patients were retrieved from TCGA and ICGC databases. Bioinformatics analysis and in vitro experiments were performed to investigate the role of CCDC97 in HCC. Results The expression level of CCDC97 was elevated in HCC patients and HCC cells, closely associated with pathological features and prognosis. CCDC97 was identified as a novel prognostic biomarker. It is linked to the spliceosome pathway, which is significantly active in tumors and potentially promotes carcinogenesis. CCDC97 is also highly expressed in various immune cells and is associated with microenvironment. Furthermore, knocking down CCDC97 in vitro suppressed cell migration, invasion, and proliferation. Conclusion CCDC97 plays a critical role in HCC progression and the immune microenvironment, making it a potential target for prognosis and therapeutic intervention.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism* ; Liver Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Tumor Microenvironment/genetics* ; Cell Movement/genetics* ; Cell Proliferation ; Prognosis ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics* ; Male

F-FDG PET/CT is an ideal auxiliary tool for early and accurate diagnosis of malignant tumors in children.This guideline aimed to standardize 18F-FDG PET/CT examination process for malignant tumors in children,hence providing references for nuclear medicine professionals.

Ovarian immature teratoma is a relatively rare malignant ovarian tumor that predominantly occurs in children, adolescents, and young adults. In clinical diagnosis and treatment, tumor marker detection and imaging examinations serve as crucial bases for differentiating mature and immature terotomas. A comprehensive preoperative evaluation followed by the selection of an appropriate surgical approach and extent is key to improving prognosis. Some studies have indicated that for stage Ⅰ ovarian immature teratoma, avoiding adjuvant chemotherapy under close follow-up does not increase the risk of recurrence or affect long-term survival of patients; however, for advanced-stage ovarian immature teratoma, standardized postoperative chemotherapy is still recommended. Some patients may experience benign-malignant transformation of malignant germ cell components after surgery, such as growing teratoma syndrome or squamous cell carcinoma transformation. Due to the rarity of ovarian immature teratoma, current understanding of its pathogenesis and clinical management remains limited. This paper provides a review focusing on key clinical issues related to ovarian immature teratoma and proposes corresponding diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations, aiming to offer references for promoting multidisciplinary collaboration and individualized treatment.

Objective:To analyze the association between remnant cholesterol (RC) and the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in community population in Shanghai.Methods:Using baseline and follow-up data from the Shanghai Suburban Adult Cohort and Biobank, individuals with ASCVD (including coronary heart disease, stroke, myocardial infarction, and peripheral artery disease) at baseline were excluded. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was employed to analyze the relationship between RC and ASCVD risk and the association under different LDL-C levels.Results:A total of 57 281 participants were included, with a median follow-up of 5.61 person-years. During the follow-up, 1 436 ASCVD events (2.51%) were recorded. After adjusting for potential confounders, individuals with moderate ( HR=1.18, 95% CI: 1.03-1.36) or high RC levels ( HR=1.32, 95% CI: 1.15-1.51) had an increased risk of ASCVD. The association was stronger in participants younger than 60 years-old (interaction P=0.048). Participants with RC ≥0.97 mmol/L and LDL-C <3.40 mmol/L demonstrated a 19% ( HR=1.19, 95% CI: 1.06-1.35) increased risk of ASCVD. When RC ≥0.97 mmol/L and LDL-C ≥3.40 mmol/L, ASCVD risk increased by 42% ( HR=1.42, 95% CI: 1.21-1.67). Conclusions:Elevated RC increases ASCVD risk, regardless of LDL-C levels. RC can serve as a valuable predictor and intervention target for ASCVD.

Objective:To investigate the pattern of Mesothelin(MSLN)-specific T-cell(CTLs)immune reconstitution after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.Methods:Two cases of Mesothelin-positive patients with acute myeloid leukemia(AML)were screened,and the number of MSLN-CTLs and its subpopulations,the expression of surface PD-1/CTLA-4/TIM-3 im-mune exhaustion molecules,and the functions of secreted cytokines TNF-α and IFN-γ were monitored by flow cytometry after trans-plantation.They were compared with WT1-CTLs and cytomegalovirus(CMV)CTLs.Meanwhile,the relationship between CTL recon-stitution and Minimal residual disease(MRD)and leukemia recurrence was analyzed.Results:After transplantation,MSLN-CTLs,WT1-CTLs and CMV-CTLs can be detected,and intracellular factors were secreted.The phenotypes of WT1 specific CD8+T cells,MSLN specific CD8+T cells and CMV specific CD8+T cells were mainly TEM subsets and TEMRA subsets,and the TEM subsets of CMV specific CD8+T cells were more obvious.Compared with CMV-CTLs,the proportions of T Naive,TCM and TEMRA subsets were relatively higher in MSLN-specific CD8+T cells and WT1-specific CD8+T cells,and the expression levels of PD-1,CTLA-4 and TIM-3 were higher in MSLN-CTLs and WT1-CTLs.The dynamic changes of MSLN-CTLs and WT1-CTLs after transplantation were related to leukemia load and the chimerism rate of donor and recipient.Conclusion:After allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation,im-mune recovery to MSLN is found,which is different from WT1-CTLs and CMV-CTLs.

Objective To compare and find an optimal model for predicting the risk of DKD occurrence in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods A total of 2005 patients with T2DM were enrolled in this study from The Second Hospital of Shijiazhuang City during December 2017 to December 2022.All the subjects were divided into a training set(n=1403)and a validation set(n=602)according to the ratio of 3∶1 by simple random sampling.With the occurrence of DKD as the outcome variablein the training set,important feature variables were screened by LASSO regression.Six different machine learning models were established according to the feature variables,thenthe optimal model was determined by comparison,and anonlinerisk predictor for DKD occurrence was constructed in patients with T2DM.Results Taking the occurrence of DKD as the outcome variable in the training set,the results of LASSO regression analysis showed that the optimal value of the model was 10-fold cross validation lambda.1se=0.01662473,and 15 characteristic variables with nonzero coefficient were screened out to be related to the occurrence of DKD.The data included sex,age,family history of DM,DM duration,LDL-C,HbA1c,WBC,PDW,Scr,urine α1-microglobulin,urine β2-microglobulin,urine microalbumin,hypertension,hypokalemia,and DR.In the training set and validation set,the prediction performance of XGBoost model was better than that of other models(AUC=0.872,0.893,95%CI 0.853～0.891,0.865～0.921),the sensitivity was 0.779,0.863,and the specificity was 0.721,0.758,respectively.The F1 scores were 0.774 and 0.787.DCA analysis showed that the XGBoost model had a greater net benefit and threshold probability.According to the XGBoost model,the online predictor of DKD risk in T2DM patients was laid out,and two patients were selected for application,the results showed that the predictive value of the model was 0.185 in non-DKD patients,and the predictive value was 0.510 in DKD patients.Conclusions The XGBoost model is the best model for predicting the occurrence of DKD in T2DM patients,and an online predictor was successfully built.

Objective:To analyze the association between remnant cholesterol (RC) and the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in community population in Shanghai.Methods:Using baseline and follow-up data from the Shanghai Suburban Adult Cohort and Biobank, individuals with ASCVD (including coronary heart disease, stroke, myocardial infarction, and peripheral artery disease) at baseline were excluded. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was employed to analyze the relationship between RC and ASCVD risk and the association under different LDL-C levels.Results:A total of 57 281 participants were included, with a median follow-up of 5.61 person-years. During the follow-up, 1 436 ASCVD events (2.51%) were recorded. After adjusting for potential confounders, individuals with moderate ( HR=1.18, 95% CI: 1.03-1.36) or high RC levels ( HR=1.32, 95% CI: 1.15-1.51) had an increased risk of ASCVD. The association was stronger in participants younger than 60 years-old (interaction P=0.048). Participants with RC ≥0.97 mmol/L and LDL-C <3.40 mmol/L demonstrated a 19% ( HR=1.19, 95% CI: 1.06-1.35) increased risk of ASCVD. When RC ≥0.97 mmol/L and LDL-C ≥3.40 mmol/L, ASCVD risk increased by 42% ( HR=1.42, 95% CI: 1.21-1.67). Conclusions:Elevated RC increases ASCVD risk, regardless of LDL-C levels. RC can serve as a valuable predictor and intervention target for ASCVD.

Objective To compare and find an optimal model for predicting the risk of DKD occurrence in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods A total of 2005 patients with T2DM were enrolled in this study from The Second Hospital of Shijiazhuang City during December 2017 to December 2022.All the subjects were divided into a training set(n=1403)and a validation set(n=602)according to the ratio of 3∶1 by simple random sampling.With the occurrence of DKD as the outcome variablein the training set,important feature variables were screened by LASSO regression.Six different machine learning models were established according to the feature variables,thenthe optimal model was determined by comparison,and anonlinerisk predictor for DKD occurrence was constructed in patients with T2DM.Results Taking the occurrence of DKD as the outcome variable in the training set,the results of LASSO regression analysis showed that the optimal value of the model was 10-fold cross validation lambda.1se=0.01662473,and 15 characteristic variables with nonzero coefficient were screened out to be related to the occurrence of DKD.The data included sex,age,family history of DM,DM duration,LDL-C,HbA1c,WBC,PDW,Scr,urine α1-microglobulin,urine β2-microglobulin,urine microalbumin,hypertension,hypokalemia,and DR.In the training set and validation set,the prediction performance of XGBoost model was better than that of other models(AUC=0.872,0.893,95%CI 0.853～0.891,0.865～0.921),the sensitivity was 0.779,0.863,and the specificity was 0.721,0.758,respectively.The F1 scores were 0.774 and 0.787.DCA analysis showed that the XGBoost model had a greater net benefit and threshold probability.According to the XGBoost model,the online predictor of DKD risk in T2DM patients was laid out,and two patients were selected for application,the results showed that the predictive value of the model was 0.185 in non-DKD patients,and the predictive value was 0.510 in DKD patients.Conclusions The XGBoost model is the best model for predicting the occurrence of DKD in T2DM patients,and an online predictor was successfully built.