Objective: To explore the potential application of PAK4-PROTAC targeted degradation drug (PpD) in renal cancer immunotherapy. Methods: TIMER 2.0 and TISIDB databases were used to analyze the relationship among PAK4 expression, tumor purity and abundance of immune cell infiltration in renal tumor microenvironment (TEM).Renal cancer cell lines OS-RC-2, 786-O and ACHN were treated with 0, 125 and 250 nmol/L PpD, and the effects of Jurkat cell co-culture on the results were investigated.The cell apoptosis was detected with flow cytometry, and the expression of programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) in renal cancer cells was detected with immunoblotting. Results: The high expression of PAK4 was positively related to immune purity, and inhibited the abundance of immune killer cells in TEM, such as CD8 T cells, CD4 T cells, natural killer cells and dendritic cells.With 250 nmol/L PpD treatment, there were 21.02% apoptotic cells in OS-RC-2, 29.67% apoptotic cells in 786-O, and 15.39% apoptotic cells in ACHN, respectively.However, with the same concentration of 250 nmol/L PpD treatment, cell apoptotic rate was sharply increased to 70.13% in OS-RC-2/Jurkat, 70.68% in 780-O/Jurkat, and 60.27% in ACHN/Jurkat co-culture models, respectively. Conclusion: PpD can promote apoptosis of renal cancer cells by reducing the expression of PAK4 protein, and enhance the killing effects of immune cells on tumor cells.

BACKGROUND: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of birth defect-related mortality. However, more recent CHD mortality data for China are lacking. Additionally, limited studies have evaluated sex, rural-urban, and region-specific disparities of CHD mortality in China. METHODS: We designed a population-based study using data from the Dataset of National Mortality Surveillance in China between 2008 and 2021. We calculated age-adjusted CHD mortality using the sixth census data of China in 2010 as the standard population. We assessed the temporal trends in CHD mortality by age, sex, area, and region from 2008 to 2021 using the joinpoint regression model. RESULTS: From 2008 to 2021, 33,534 deaths were attributed to CHD. The period witnessed a two-fold decrease in the age-adjusted CHD mortality from 1.61 to 0.76 per 100,000 persons (average annual percent change [AAPC] = -5.90%). Females tended to have lower age-adjusted CHD mortality than males, but with a similar decline rate from 2008 to 2021 (females: AAPC = -6.15%; males: AAPC = -5.84%). Similar AAPC values were observed among people living in urban (AAPC = -6.64%) and rural (AAPC = -6.12%) areas. Eastern regions experienced a more pronounced decrease in the age-adjusted CHD mortality (AAPC = -7.86%) than central (AAPC = -5.83%) and western regions (AAPC = -3.71%) between 2008 and 2021. Approximately half of the deaths (46.19%) due to CHD occurred during infancy. The CHD mortality rates in 2021 were lower than those in 2008 for people aged 0-39 years, with the largest decrease observed among children aged 1-4 years (AAPC = -8.26%), followed by infants (AAPC = -7.01%). CONCLUSIONS CHD mortality in China has dramatically decreased from 2008 to 2021. The slower decrease in CHD mortality in the central and western regions than in the eastern regions suggested that public health policymakers should pay more attention to health resources and health education for central and western regions.
Humans ; Heart Defects, Congenital/mortality* ; Male ; Female ; China/epidemiology* ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Adult ; Child ; Adolescent ; Infant, Newborn ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; Aged ; Rural Population

Intentional tooth replantation (ITR) is an advanced treatment modality and the procedure of last resort for preserving teeth with inaccessible endodontic or resorptive lesions. ITR is defined as the deliberate extraction of a tooth; evaluation of the root surface, endodontic manipulation, and repair; and placement of the tooth back into its original socket. Case reports, case series, cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials have demonstrated the efficacy of ITR in the retention of natural teeth that are untreatable or difficult to manage with root canal treatment or endodontic microsurgery. However, variations in clinical protocols for ITR exist due to the empirical nature of the original protocols and rapid advancements in the field of oral biology and dental materials. This heterogeneity in protocols may cause confusion among dental practitioners; therefore, guidelines and considerations for ITR should be explicated. This expert consensus discusses the biological foundation of ITR, the available clinical protocols and current status of ITR in treating teeth with refractory apical periodontitis or anatomical aberration, and the main complications of this treatment, aiming to refine the clinical management of ITR in accordance with the progress of basic research and clinical studies; the findings suggest that ITR may become a more consistent evidence-based option in dental treatment.
Humans ; Tooth Replantation/methods* ; Consensus ; Periapical Periodontitis/surgery*

Background::Heterotaxy (HTX) is a thoracoabdominal organ anomaly syndrome and commonly accompanied by congenital heart disease (CHD). The aim of this study was to analyze rare copy number variations (CNVs) in a HTX/CHD cohort and to examine the potential mechanisms contributing to HTX/CHD.Methods::Chromosome microarray analysis was used to identify rare CNVs in a cohort of 120 unrelated HTX/CHD patients, and available samples from parents were used to confirm the inheritance pattern. Potential candidate genes in CNVs region were prioritized via the DECIPHER database, and PNPLA4 was identified as the leading candidate gene. To validate, we generated PNPLA4-overexpressing human induced pluripotent stem cell lines as well as pnpla4-overexpressing zebrafish model, followed by a series of transcriptomic, biochemical and cellular analyses. Results::Seventeen rare CNVs were identified in 15 of the 120 HTX/CHD patients (12.5%). Xp22.31 duplication was one of the inherited CNVs identified in this HTX/CHD cohort, and PNPLA4 in the Xp22.31 was a candidate gene associated with HTX/CHD. PNPLA4 is expressed in the lateral plate mesoderm, which is known to be critical for left/right embryonic patterning as well as cardiomyocyte differentiation, and in the neural crest cell lineage. Through a series of in vivo and in vitro analyses at the molecular and cellular levels, we revealed that the biological function of PNPLA4 is importantly involved in the primary cilia formation and function via its regulation of energy metabolism and mitochondria-mediated ATP production. Conclusions::Our findings demonstrated a significant association between CNVs and HTX/CHD. Our data strongly suggested that an increased genetic dose of PNPLA4 due to Xp22.31 duplication is a disease-causing risk factor for HTX/CHD.

Objective To explore the relationship between C1q tumor necrosis factor related protein 13(CTRP13)and gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM),and the predictive value of CTRP13 for adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM patients.Methods A total of 163 pregnant women who underwent prenatal examination in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January to May 2023 were enrolled in GDM group(n=83)and normal glucose tolerance(NGT)group(n=80)according to the results of oral glucose tolerance test at 24-28 weeks of gestation.Collect general information,biochemical data,and adverse pregnancy outcomes from two groups of subjects.Analyze the correlation between serum CTRP13 and glucose and lipid metabolism indicators in GDM pregnant women.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to analyze the predictive value of CTRP13 for adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM pregnant women.Results The pre pregnancy body mass index,prenatal body mass index,triglycerides,total cholesterol,low density lipoprotein,fasting blood glucose,2-hours plasma glucose,glycosylated hemoglobin,fasting insulin,and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistanc index in GDM group was significantly higher than those in NGT group,while CTRP13 was significantly lower than that in NGT group(P＜0.05).Serum CTRP13 was negatively correlated with total cholesterol,triglycerides,low density lipoprotein,2-hours plasma glucose,and glycosylated hemoglobin in GDM patients(P＜0.05).The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as gestational hypertension and premature rupture of membranes in GDM group were significantly higher than those in NGT group(P＜0.05).The area under the curve of serum CTRP13 for predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM pregnant women was 0.805,with sensitivity and specificity of 75.80％and 76.00％,respectively.Conclusion Serum CTRP13 is associated with glucose and lipid metabolism in GDM pregnant women,and is a potential biomarker for predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM pregnant women.

Objective To analyze the correlation of the main chemical components,physical parameters and the color of Fructus Sophorae in nine-steam-nine-bask processing.Methods The contents of sophoracin,genistein,rutin and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural were simultaneously determined by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).The content of polysaccharide was determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry.The correlation of main components,physical parameters and the color was studied by the measurement of the physical parameters and the color(L*、a*、b*)combined with hierarchical cluster analysis(HCA),principal component analysis(PCA)and partial least squares(PLS).The criteria importance through intercriteria correlation(CRITIC)method was used to make a comprehensive evaluation of the nine-steam-nine-bask processing of Fructus Sophorae.Results The methods for the content determination and chromaticity measurement were accurate and reliable.The precision,stability and repeatability tests were good.The results of HCA and PCA showed that Fructus Sophorae,which was steamed-basked for one to four times,could be grouped into one category.Fructus Sophorae steamed-basked for five to nine times were classified into another category.PLS correlation analysis showed that the contents of polysaccharide and rutin were significantly correlated with physical parameters and color.The water absorption expansion and relative density were significantly correlated with the color.The comprehensive evaluation showed that nine-steam-nine-bask Fructus Sophorae was the best.Conclusion There is certain regularity in the overall changes of the content of main components,physical parameters and the color of Fructus Sophorae during nine-steam-nine-bask processing.The combination of the internal components,the color and physical parameters provides the basis for revealing the mechanism on nine-steam-nine-bask processing of Fructus Sophorae.

Objective:To evaluate the value of left echography (LVO) in the diagnosis of false ventricular aneurysm complicated with mural thrombus.Methods:The clinical data of 10 patients with suspected pseudoventricular aneurysm examined by thoracic echocardiography (TTE) in Wuhan Asian Heart Hospital from January 2018 to March 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent LVO examination to further diagnose pseudoventricular tumor and whether it was complicated with mural thrombosis. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) or cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) examination was used as the gold standard to analyze the diagnostic value of LVO in the diagnosis of pseudoventricular tumor.Results:Among the 10 suspected pseudoventricular tumors examined by TTE, LVO detected 6 cases of left ventricular pseudoaneurysm and 1 case of right ventricular pseudoaneurysm; CTA confirmed that 6 cases of left ventricular pseudoaneurysm detected by LVO were correctly diagnosed, 1 case of right ventricular pseudoaneurysm was misdiagnosed, CMR diagnosed right ventricular diverticula, LVO diagnosis accuracy was 6/7, and 4 cases of thrombi were detected. The detection rate was 4/4. The maximum transverse diameter of the tumor body of the communicating mouth/false ventricular aneurysm was 0.46±0.04. 1 patient underwent coronary artery bypass grafting and resection of false ventricular aneurysm. 1 patient underwent coronary artery interventional stent surgery; 4 routine conservative drug treatment, follow-up observation; One case of right ventricular diverticulum did not require special treatment.Conclusions:LVO contrast agent can clearly show the tumor body and location, measure the tumor entrance and size, and show mural thrombus. It is the first choice for the identification of false ventricular tumor. The diverticula was similar to the image of false ventricular aneurysm, and the sensitivity and specificity of right ventricular wall motion were higher in CMR than in LVO.

Acute myocarditis(AM)may rapidly progress to fulminant myocarditis(FM),but lacks special clinical presentation.Multimodal echocardiography combined conventional transthoracic echocardiography,two-dimensional and three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging,myocardial contrast echocardiography and so on is helpful to detecting AM in early stage and assessing the severity,being of great value for clinical decision-making and prognostic evaluation.The research progresses of multimodal echocardiography in AM were reviewed in this article.

Fulminant myocarditis occurs suddenly and progresses rapidly, often leading to severe heart failure, hypotension, or cardiogenic shock. Widespread myocardial calcification secondary to fulminant myocarditis is clinically rare, with sporadic reports both domestically and internationally. This article reports a case of a young female patient who presented with acute onset and rapidly deteriorating condition, with imaging indicating myocardial calcification by the second day of hospitalization, highlighting the unusual speed of progression.