BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant therapeutic strategies play a pivotal role in the comprehensive treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) generally exhibits a more favorable response to neoadjuvant therapy compared with lung adenocarcinoma (ADC). The aim of this study is to elucidate how baseline cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and tumor-associated endothelial cells (TAECs) influence the differential therapeutic outcomes of neoadjuvant treatment in SCC versus ADC. METHODS: We retrospectively collected pretreatment biopsy samples from 104 patients with stage II-III NSCLC who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) or neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (NAIC) at Shandong Cancer Hospital between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2023. Tissue microarrays were constructed using an automated arrayer, and multiplex immunofluorescence staining (α-SMA/CD31/CK/DAPI) was performed to identify CAFs (α-SMA+/CK-) and TAECs (CD31+/CK-). Quantitative analyses included CAFs and TAECs densities, the nearest neighbor distance (NND) between CAFs and TAECs, and their spatial proximity (30 μm). Differences in major pathological response (MPR) between groups, defined as residual viable tumor cells ≤10% in resected specimens after neoadjuvant therapy, were assessed using the χ² test. The Mann-Whitney U test was applied to analyze intergroup differences in quantitative indicators, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to evaluate the predictive performance of immune-related markers for MPR in the NAIC cohort. RESULTS: Among the 104 NSCLC patients who received neoadjuvant therapy, 35 underwent NAIC and 69 received NAC. Overall, patients with SCC were more likely to achieve MPR compared with those with ADC (50.0% vs 22.4%, P=0.006). This trend persisted in the NAIC subgroup (72.7% vs 30.8%, P=0.038), whereas no significant difference in MPR rates was observed between SCC and ADC in the NAC subgroup. At baseline, prior to NAIC or NAC, programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1)/programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) expression, CAFs and TAECs densities, CAFs-TAECs NND, and CAFs-TAECs proximity (30 μm) showed no significant differences between SCC and ADC. In patients with SCC receiving NAIC, baseline PD-L1/PD-1 expression, CAFs density, and TAECs density showed not significant differences between MPR and NMPR groups. However, the CAFs-TAECs distance was significantly greater in the MPR group (NND: 31.2 vs 24.7 μm, P=0.038), and the number of TAECs within 30 μm of CAFs was significantly lower (proximity: 1.1 vs 3.6, P=0.038). Univariate Cox regression analysis indicated that low TAECs density was associated with MPR following NAIC (OR=36.00, 95%CI: 2.68-1486.88, P=0.019). Furthermore, ROC analysis demonstrated that baseline CAFs-TAECs NND and proximity (30 μm) exhibited strong predictive performance for MPR in SCC patients treated with NAIC, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.893, sensitivity of 0.857, and specificity of 1.000. CONCLUSIONS CAFs are more spatially distant from TAECs and more prone to MPR after NAIC in SCC, which may be related to the reduced interaction of CAFs with TAECs and reduced tumor-associated angiogenesis.
Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/therapy* ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Endothelial Cells/drug effects* ; Aged ; Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts/drug effects* ; Immunotherapy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/drug therapy* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy* ; Adult

Intervention in chronically activated microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is a novel approach to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). The low permeability of the blood‒brain barrier (BBB) and non-selective distribution in the brain severely restrict AD drugs' disease-modifying efficacy. Here, an immunosuppressant TREM2-lowing antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and resveratrol co-loaded cationic liposome is developed as an immune reprogramming nanomodulator modified by acid-cleavable BBB-targeting peptide and microglia-targeting peptide (Res@TcMNP/ASO) for AD management. Res@TcMNP/ASO can enter brain endothelial cells via D-T7 peptides. Then D-T7 undergoes an acid-responsive cleavage, facilitating the escape of Res@MNP/ASO from endo/lysosomes to cross the BBB. The detached Res@MNP/ASO specifically targets M1-phenotype microglia via exposed MG1 peptides to prompt the simultaneous delivery of two drugs into activated microglia. This nanomodulator can not only restore the immune function of microglia through TREM2-lowing ASO but also mitigate the immune stimulation to microglia caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) through resveratrol, thereby synergistically inhibiting the chronic activation of microglia to alleviate neuroinflammation in AD. Our results indicate that this combination treatment can achieve significant behavioral and cognitive improvements in late APP/PS1 mice.

The KCNQ potassium channels play a crucial role in modulating neural excitability, and their dysfunction is closely associated with epileptic disorders. While variants in KCNQ2 have been extensively studied, KCNQ3-related disorders have rarely been reported. With advances in next-generation sequencing technologies, an increasing number of cases of KCNQ3-related disorders have been identified. However, the correlation between genotype and phenotype remains poorly understood. In this study, we established a variant library consisting of 24 missense mutations in KCNQ3 and introduced these mutations into three different template types: KCNQ3, KCNQ3-A315T (Q3*), and KCNQ3-KCNQ2 tandem (Q3-Q2). We then analyzed the effects of these mutations on the KCNQ3 channel function using patch-clamp recording. The most informative parameter across all three backgrounds was the current density of the mutant channels. The current density patterns in the Q3* and Q3-Q2 backgrounds were similar, with most mutations resulting in an almost complete loss of function (LOF), they were concentrated in the pore-forming domain of KCNQ3. In contrast, mutations in the voltage-sensing domain or C-terminus did not show significant differences from the wild-type channel. Interestingly, these LOF mutations were typically associated with self-limited familial neonatal epilepsy, while neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) were more closely associated with mutations that did not significantly differ from the wild-type. V_1/2, another important parameter of the electrophysiological properties, could not be accurately determined in the majority of KCNQ3 mutations due to its nearly complete LOF in the Q3* and Q3-Q2 backgrounds. Intriguingly, the V_1/2 of functional mutations were primarily leftward shifted, indicating a gain-of-function (GOF) effect, which was typically associated with NDD. In addition to previously reported mutations, we identified G553R as a novel GOF mutation. In the co-transfection background, parameters such as V_1/2 could be determined, but the dysfunctional effects of these mutations were mitigated by the co-expression of wild-type KCNQ3 and KCNQ2 subunits, resulting in no significant differences between most mutations and the wild-type channel. Furthermore, we applied KCNQ modulators to reverse the electrophysiological abnormalities caused by KCNQ3 variants. The LOF mutations were reversed by the application of Pynegabine (HN37), a KCNQ opener, while the GOF mutation responded well to Amitriptyline (AMI), a KCNQ inhibitor. These findings provide essential insights into the pathogenic mechanisms underlying KCNQ3-related disorders and may inform clinical decision-making.
KCNQ3 Potassium Channel/genetics* ; Humans ; Mutation, Missense/genetics* ; KCNQ2 Potassium Channel/genetics* ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; HEK293 Cells ; Animals ; Phenylenediamines/pharmacology* ; Carbamates

Purpose To evaluate the value of shear wave elastic imaging of liver and spleen in predicting high risk esophageal and gastric varices in cirrhosis.Materials and Methods Sixty-four patients with cirrhosis in the First Hospital of Lanzhou University from November 2019 to April 2022 were enrolled prospectively,and underwent gastroscopy,elastography and serological examination.According to gastroscopy,patients were divided into high-risk varices(HRV,30 cases)and non-HRV group(34 cases),the differences of each clinical index and shear wave elastic imaging parameter between the groups were compared.The diagnostic efficacy of liver and spleen stiffness measurement for HRV was analyzed.And the diagnostic models were established for exploring the diagnostic effectiveness of different models with respect to excluding HRV in compensated liver cirrhosis.Results There were significant differences in platelet[(74±24)×109/L vs.(124±50)×109/L],liver stiffness[(16.1±5.6)kPa vs.(13.6±5.5)kPa]and spleen stiffness[(41.7±8.9)kPa vs.(28.1±8.6)kPa]between HRV and non-HRV groups(t/Z/χ2=5.136,-1.832,-6.206,all P<0.05).The areas under the curve of liver stiffness and spleen stiffness for predicting HRV were 0.660 and 0.858,respectively.The Baveno Ⅵ combined with the spleen stiffness model had the best performance(30.0％)for excluding HRV.Conclusion The measurement of liver and spleen stiffness by shear wave elastography has great diagnostic value for predicting HRV in cirrhosis,and spleen stiffness is better than liver stiffness.

Objective:To analyze the expression level of hepcidin in urine of patients with type 2 diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in different stages and its relationship with DKD and related indicators.Methods:From June 2022 to December 2023, 139 inpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Department of Endocrinology, Zhoupu Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Health Medical College were selected as the research objects. The stage of DKD was judged by urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR): UACR <30 mg/g in stage A1, UACR ≥30 mg/g~≤300 mg/g in stage A2. DKD in stage A3 was UACR >300 mg/g. According to the stage of DKD, there were 50 patients with stage A1 (group A1), 47 patients with stage A2 (group A2), and 42 patients with stage A3 (group A3). Urinary hepcidin was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), serum creatinine and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were measured and compared. The correlation between urinary hepcidin and other markers, the risk factors of DKD and the evaluation of diagnostic value were analyzed. Measurement data with normal distribution were expressed as xˉ± s, mean comparison among the three groups, if the variance was homogeneous, the analysis of variance test was used; if the variance was not homogeneous, the Welch test was used; the proportion or rate of enumeration data among the groups was tested by χ2 test; Pearson correlation analysis was used for correlation analysis; binary Logistic regression model was used for multivariate analysis; The value of urinary hepcidin in the diagnosis of DKD was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve. Results:Urinary hepcidin was (5.3±1.0) μg/L in group A1, (7.7±2.5) μg/L in group A2, and (10.1±2.7) μg/L in group A3. There was significant difference among the three groups ( F=58.92， P<0.001), and urinary hepcidin increased with the severity of DKD; Urinary Hepcidin was related to UACR ( R=0.684, P<0.001), serum creatinine ( R=0.590, P<0.001), course of disease ( R=0.485, P<0.001), triglyceride ( R=0.264, P=0.002), age ( R=0.235, P<0.001), P=0.005), total cholesterol ( R=0.224, P=0.008), systolic pressure ( R=0.194, P=0.022), glomerular filtration rate ( R=-0.540, P<0.001) and BMI ( R=-0.175, P=0.040); There was no correlation with fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, ALT and diastolic blood pressure (all P>0.05). Secondly, the increase of urinary hepcidin level was a risk factor for DKD by binary Logistic regression analysis ( OR=4.147,95% CI: 2.154-7.984, P<0.001). Finally, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-off point of urinary hepcidin was 6.35 μg/L, with a sensitivity of 0.831 and a specificity of 0.880. Conclusion:Urinary hepcidin increases with the severity of DKD, which may be a biomarker for early diagnosis of DKD.

Objective:To investigate the impact of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) on the outcome of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).Methods:Patients with AIS visited the Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between June 2017 and December 2023 were included retrospectively. At 3 months after onset, the modified Rankin Scale was used to evaluate the outcome, with scores of 0-2 defined as good outcome and >2 defined as poor outcome. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the impact of NAFLD on the outcome of patients with AIS. Results:A total of 143 patients with AIS were enrolled, including 95 males (66.43%), aged 67.79±11.15 years. Ninety six patients (67.13%) had good outcome, and 47 (32.87%) had poor outcome. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, NAFLD was independently associated with the poor outcome in patients with AIS (odds ratio 2.500, 95% confidence interval 1.015-6.161; P=0.046). Conclusion:NAFLD is an independent risk factor for poor outcome in patients with AIS.

The clinical data of a child with WAGR syndrome combined with end-stage renal disease admitted to the Department of Nephrology, Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University in April 2023 was retrospectively analyzed.After a review of domestic and foreign literatures, the long-term renal function of children with WAGR syndrome was summarized.A boy, aged 11 years and 11 months, presented with a poor appetite as the initial symptom, and had markedly elevated creatinine and an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 14.96 mL/(min·1.73m 2).The inquiry about the medical history showed that the child was born with aniridia, had a history of nephroblastoma, and was mentally retarded.Gene sequencing revealed a copy number deletion of approximately 5.38 Mb in the short arm of chromosome 11, 11p14.2p13, which led to the diagnosis of WAGR syndrome.There is currently no cure for WAGR syndrome, while the detection rate of the disease has further increased with an improved understanding of the disease and extensive use of genetic testing.However, there is a lack of data on long-term renal function in children with WAGR syndrome in China.This report is the first instance of a child with WAGR syndrome progressing to end-stage renal failure in China, highlighting the significance of early identification and prompt molecular diagnosis of suspected WAGR syndrome in infancy and childhood and the importance of monitoring renal function and metabolism index of the diagnosed child from prepuberty to adulthood.In addition, the life-cycle management of children with WAGR syndrome is suggested.

Objective This paper aims to investigate and analyze the baseline conformity rate of bacterial culture exami-nation records in a tertiary specialized hospital.By doing this,this paper seeks to understand the current situation of medical re-cord writing of bacterial culture examination and explore the improvement path and relevant measures for enhancing the conformity rate of bacterial culture examination records.Methods According to the requirements of"Quality Control Index of Medical Re-cord Management(2021 Edition)",a retrospective analysis was conducted on 6 317 medical records that underwent bacterial culture examination in 2022.Results The execution rate of medical orders was 100.00％,the completeness rate of the report sheet was 100.00％,the record rate of medical records was 81.05％,the analysis rate of results was 33.07％,and the conformi-ty rate of bacterial culture examination records was 33.07％.Conclusion It is imperative to enhance the conformity rate of bac-terial culture examination records and improve the quality of medical records in terms of content.

Objective:Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common cause of adult blindness in China. Screening of DR is important for early detection, prevention, and treatment. However, there is still controversy in the research on the prevalence and risk factors of DR in China. This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of DR and related risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Beijing City.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted in in Dongcheng District and Tongzhou District, Beijing City. Patients with type 2 diabetes aged 18-80 years were selected from four communities, and all subjects underwent questionnaires, physical examinations, laboratory examinations and fundus photography. The logistic regression model was used to analyze the associated factors of DR.Results:A total of 1 531 subjects were included, with the median age of 66 years old and the average age of (65.6±7.4) years old, and the glycosylated hemoglobin level in the subjects was 7.2%±1.3%, and the glycosylated hemoglobin compliance rate was 56.0%(857/1 531). A total of 254 patients with diabetic retinopathy were detected, and the prevalence of DR was 16.6%(254/1 531). Among them, there were 218 cases of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy and 36 cases of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Compared with the non-DR group, there were statistically significant differences in fasting blood glucose ( Z=-3.74, P<0.001), glycosylated hemoglobin( Z=-10.664, P<0.001), urinary microalbumin excretion rate( Z=-7.767, P<0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol( Z=-2.589, P=0.01), and duration of diabetes( Z=-10.189, P<0.001) between the DR group and the non-DR group. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the duration of diabetes ( OR=1.08, 95% CI: 1.06-1.10, P<0.001), glycosylated hemoglobin ( OR=1.38, 95% CI: 1.23-1.55, P<0.001), and FPG ( OR=1.11, 95% CI: 1.03-1.19, P=0.008) were associated factors for DR. Conclusion:In this study, the prevalence of DR in 4 communities of type 2 diabetes in Beijing City was 16.6%. Besides, this study further confirmed that the duration of diabetes, fasting blood glucose levels, and glycosylated hemoglobin are associated factors for DR in patients with type 2 diabetes.