ObjectiveThe malaria parasites remodel the host erythrocyte structure by exporting parasite proteins that interact with the membrane skeleton proteins of red blood cells (RBCs), facilitating their intracellular survival and pathogenicity. Skeleton-binding protein 1 (SBP1) is a conserved exported protein across Plasmodium species. In Plasmodium falciparum, SBP1 has been reported to interact with erythrocyte membrane skeleton proteins 4.1R and spectrin, while its contribution to erythrocyte remodeling and parasite virulence in Plasmodium berghei (Pb) remains unclear. This study aims to determine whether PbSBP1 associates with the host cytoskeletal protein 4.1R and to investigate its role in the remodeling of host RBCs and the pathogenicity of Plasmodium berghei. MethodsIn Plasmodium berghei, the relationship between PbSBP1 and the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein 4.1R was examined using co-immunoprecipitation. A Pbsbp1 gene knockout mutant of Plasmodium berghei (Pbsbp1∆) was generated based on the principle of double crossover homologous recombination. The deformability of erythrocytes infected with Pbsbp1∆ parasites was assessed using microfluidic methods. Microchannels with an array of cylindrical pillars were used to detect modifications in infected RBC deformability. The infected RBCs were squashed between the rows and recovered between the columns and the transit velocity (μm/s) of infected RBCs travelling through the microchannel was recorded. The component of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton junctional complex, tropomodulin (TMOD), was fluorescently labeled, and the cytoskeletal network of infected erythrocytes was imaged using super-resolution stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) to analyze ultrastructural changes in the cytoskeleton of wild-type (WT) and Pbsbp1∆-infected erythrocytes. Actin-based junctional complexes were displayed as individual clusters by the labeled TMOD in the STORM images, and the cluster densities and distances between adjacent clusters of infected RBCs were calculated. Additionally, rodent malaria models (BALB/c mice) and experimental cerebral malaria models (C57BL/6 mice) were employed to monitor the growth of Pbsbp1∆ and WT parasites during the intraerythrocytic stage and their capacity to induce cerebral malaria in mice. ResultsPbSBP1 may participate in the remodeling of infected erythrocytes through direct or indirect interaction with the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein 4.1R. Microfluidic assays revealed that the deformability of erythrocytes infected with Pbsbp1∆ parasites was significantly enhanced compared to those infected with WT parasites. STORM imaging further demonstrated that the ultrastructure of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton in Pbsbp1∆-infected cells was altered relative to that in WT-infected erythrocytes. The distances between nearest neighbors of clusters had a tendency to increase while the cluster densities were decreased in Pbsbp1∆-infected RBCs compared to WT-infected RBCs. Subsequent phenotypic analysis indicated that the growth rate of Pbsbp1∆ parasites during the intraerythrocytic stage was significantly slower than that of WT parasites, and their ability to induce cerebral malaria in mice was also attenuated. These findings suggest that PbSBP1 is involved in the remodeling of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton, likely through its direct or indirect interaction with protein 4.1R, thereby regulating the deformability of infected erythrocytes and influencing the pathogenicity of the blood-stage parasites. ConclusionThis study establishes a role for PbSBP1 in host erythrocyte remodeling and parasite virulence, providing new research strategies for the prevention and treatment of malaria.

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rare neurodegenerative disease with complex clinical manifestations, presenting substantial challenges in clinical diagnosis and treatment. Its symptoms and the eight extraordinary meridians are potentially correlated; therefore, this article explores the association between MSA symptom clusters and the eight extraordinary meridians based on their circulation and physiological functions, as well as their treatment strategies. The progression from deficiency to damage in the eight extraordinary meridians aligns with the core pathogenesis of MSA, which is characterized by "the continuous accumulation of impacts from the vital qi deficiency leading to eventual damage". Liver and kidney deficiency and the emptiness of the eight extraordinary meridians are required for the onset of MSA; the stagnation of qi deficiency and the gradual damage to the eight extraordinary meridians are the key stages in the prolonged progression of MSA. The disease often begins with the involvement of the yin and yang qiao mai, governor vessel, thoroughfare vessel, and conception vessel before progressing to multiple meridian involvements, ultimately affecting all eight extraordinary meridians simultaneously. The treatment approach emphasizes that "the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect method will be needed in order to secure victory" and focuses on "eliminate pathogenic factors and reinforce healthy qi". Distinguishing the extraordinary meridians and focusing on the primary symptoms are pivotal to improving efficacy. Clinical treatment is aimed at the target, and tailored treatment based on careful clinical observation ensures precision in targeting the disease using the eight extraordinary meridians as the framework and core symptoms as the specific focus. Additionally, combining acupuncture, daoyin therapy, and other method may help prolong survival. This article classifies clinical manifestations based on the theory of the eight extraordinary meridians and explores treatment.

Objective To provide front-line practitioners with evidence-based guidelines for rapidly estimating the workload of mosquito control operations during mosquito-borne diseases outbreaks,to establish effective response strategies,and to facil-itate efficient deployment of human and material resources. Methods Under the auspices of the Preventive Medicine As-sociation of Hubei Province,a panel of experts was convened to develop the framework for this consensus. The drafting com-mittee conducted a systematic analysis and synthesis of field-based practices relevant to the outlined topics. The document was subsequently reviewed,debated,and refined through multiple rounds of discussions by experts from the Association's Committees on Disinfection & Vector Control and Epidemiology before finalization. Results This consensus document pro-vides recommendations on mosquito control methodologies, labor time estimation, operational organization, implementation strategies,as well as effectiveness evaluation and continuous improvement. Conclusion It offers a scientific basis for e-mergency mosquito control workload calculation and proposes standardized management protocols for organizing response ef-forts. This consensus is instrumental in guiding and improving the control of mosquito-borne diseases across diverse regions.

Objective:To explore the effect of Pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (PEG-rhG-CSF) with chemotherapy on breast cancer patients who got agranulocytosis of 3 to 4 degree, agranulocytosis with fever (FN) and the influential factors of relative dose intensity (RDI) chemotherapy scheme. Meantime, the value of CD34 + and CD45 in peripheral blood on predicting agranulocytosis of 3-4 degree were investigated.Methods:A total of 104 women with breast cancer were treated at Huzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital and Cancer Hospital of Zhejiang Province from Jan. 2022 to Sep. 2023. All subjects received primary prevention with PEG-rhG-CSF during chemotherapy. The clinical risk factors of agranulocytosis, FN and RDI were analyzed. The levels of CD34 + and CD45 in peripheral blood samples were analyzed by flow cytometry. Then the predictive value of the receiver characteristic curve (ROC) for Grade 3 to 4 agranulocytosis after primary prophylaxis with PEG-rhG-CSF for breast cancer chemotherapy was evaluated.Results:Among 104 breast cancer patients who received primary prevention of PEG-rhG-CSF during chemotherapy, 28 patients had agranulocytosis of 3 to 4 grade, 10 patients got FN, and 12 patients developed RDI<85%. The results of single factor analysis showed that CD34 +, CD45 and chemotherapy scheme were the influential factors of agranulocytosis of 3 to 4 degree, and low RDI of chemotherapy scheme ( OR=0.584, OR=0.999, OR=2.299, OR=0.100, OR=0.999, OR=3.088, P<0.05) . It also showed that CD34 + and chemotherapy scheme were the influential factors of FN ( OR=0.099, OR=2.667, P<0.05) . Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CD34 +, CD45 and intensive chemotherapy were the independent risk factors of agranulocytosis of 3 to 4 degree after primary prevention with PEG-rhG-CSF ( OR=0.602, OR=0.999, OR=20.174, P<0.05) . CD34 + and intensive chemotherapy scheme were the independent influential factors of FN and RDI of chemotherapy scheme after primary prevention with PEG-RHG-CSF ( OR=0.072, OR=33.934, OR=0.086, OR=54.788, P<0.05) . The area under the curve (AUC) of CD34 + were 0.767 (95% CI:0.659-0.876) , AUC of CD45 were 0.743 (95% CI:0.644-0.842) , and the AUC of combined two indexes was 0.825 (95% CI:0.730-0.920) , which was higher than that of single index. So AUC of CD34 + and CD45 can be used for predicting agranulocytosis of grade 3 to 4 in breast cancer patients receiving primary prophylaxis with PEG-rhG-CSF. Conclusions:The levels of CD34 + and CD45 in peripheral blood of breast cancer patients with agranulocytosis of grade 3 to 4 receiving primary prevention with PEG-rhG-CSF during chemotherapy are lower. Combined detection of CD34 + and CD45 in peripheral blood can predict the occurrence of agranulocytosis of grade 3 to 4 in breast cancer patients after primary prevention with PEG-rhG-CSF. Also it can provide a reliable basis for assessing the risk of grade 3 to 4 agranulocytosis.

Aim To investigate the effect of long-chain non-coding RNA(lncRNA)GS1-124K5.4 targeting regulation of PRDX6 on proliferation,migration and in-vasion of lung squamous carcinoma(LUSC)cells and the underlying mechanism.Methods The expression level of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 in lung cancer tissues and adjacent tissues of 60 patients with LUSC were de-termined by fluorescence in situ hybridization.The ex-pression level of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 in human nor-mal lung cells and LUSC cells were determined by qRT-PCR.Two kinds of LUSC cells(NCI-H 1703,SK-MES-1)with highest expression level of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 were selected for subsequent experi-ments.The distribution of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 in cells was studied by fluorescence in situ hybridization and prokaryotic separation.The effect of knockdown of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 on proliferation of NCI-H1703 and SK-MES-1 cells was studied by CCK-8 experiment and cell clone formation experiment;the effect of knockdown of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 on migration of NCI-H1703 and SK-MES-1 cells was studied by cell scratch experiment and Transwell cell migration experi-ment;and the effect of knockdown of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 on invasion of NCI-H1703 and SK-MES-1 cells was studied by Transwell invasion experiment.The protein to be bound by lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 was detected by RNA pull-down combined with mass spec-trometry and immune-precipitation.The effect of knockdown of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 targeting PRDX6 on proliferation,migration and invasion of NCI-H1703 and SK-MES-1 cells was studied.Results(1)The fluorescence intensity of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 in lung squamous cell carcinoma increased compared with that in adjacent tissues(P＜0.05),and the expression of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 was related with lymph node metastasis and clinical stage(P＜0.05).(2)The ex-pression level of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 in NCI-H1703,NCI-H520 and SK-MES-1 cells significantly increased(P＜0.05).(3)The result of fluorescence in situ hybridization experiment and nucleoplasm sepa-ration experiment showed that lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 was mainly distributed in cell nucleus.(4)The prolif-eration,migration and invasion ability of NCI-H1703 and SK-MES-1 cells with knockdown of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 significantly decreased(P＜0.05).(5)PRDX6 protein to be bound to LncRNA GS1-124K5.4 was determined by RNA pull-down combined with mass spectrometry and immunoprecipitation.(6)The prolif-eration,migration and invasion ability of NCI-H1703 and SK-MES-1 cells with overexpression of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 significantly increased(P＜0.05);the proliferation,migration and invasion ability of NCI-H1703 and SK-MES-1 cells with knockdown of PRDX6 significantly decreased(P＜0.05);the proliferation,migration and invasion ability of NCI-H1703 and SK-MES-1 cells with overexpression of lncRNAGS1-124K5.4 and knockdown of PRDX6 showed no signifi-cant change(P＞0.05).Conclusions LncRNA GS1-124K5.4 is highly expressed in lung squamous cell carcinoma,and it may promote the proliferation,migration and invasion of lung squamous carcinoma cells by targeting the expression of PRDX6 protein.

Metastasis is the leading cause of death from cutaneous melanoma. Identifying metastasis-related targets and developing corresponding therapeutic strategies are major areas of focus. While functional genomics strategies provide powerful tools for target discovery, investigations at the protein level can directly decode the bioactive epitopes on functional proteins. Aptamers present a promising avenue as they can explore membrane proteomes and have the potential to interfere with cell function. Herein, we developed a target and epitope discovery platform, termed functional aptamer evolution-enabled target identification (FAETI), by integrating affinity aptamer acquisition with phenotype screening and target protein identification. Utilizing the aptamer XH3C, which was screened for its migration-inhibitory function, we identified the Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4), as a potential target involved in melanoma migration. Further evidence demonstrated that XH3C induces cytoskeletal rearrangement by blocking the interaction between the bioactive epitope of CSPG4 and integrin α4. Taken together, our study demonstrates the robustness of aptamer-based molecular tools for target and epitope discovery. Additionally, XH3C is an affinity and functional molecule that selectively binds to a unique epitope on CSPG4, enabling the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.

In-depth study of the components of polymyxins is the key to controlling the quality of this class of antibiotics. Similarities and variations of components present significant analytical challenges. A two-dimensional (2D) liquid chromatography-mass spectrometr (LC-MS) method was established for screening and comprehensive profiling of compositions of the antibiotic colistimethate sodium (CMS). A high concentration of phosphate buffer mobile phase was used in the first-dimensional LC system to get the components well separated. For efficient and high-accuracy screening of CMS, a targeted method based on a self-constructed high resolution (HR) mass spectrum database of CMS components was established. The database was built based on the commercial MassHunter Personal Compound Database and Library (PCDL) software and its accuracy of the compound matching result was verified with six known components before being applied to genuine sample screening. On this basis, the unknown peaks in the CMS chromatograms were deduced and assigned. The molecular formula, group composition, and origins of a total of 99 compounds, of which the combined area percentage accounted for more than 95% of CMS components, were deduced by this 2D-LC-MS method combined with the MassHunter PCDL. This profiling method was highly efficient and could distinguish hundreds of components within 3 h, providing reliable results for quality control of this kind of complex drugs.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the impact of foam macrophages (FMs) on the intracellular survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and identify the molecular mechanisms influencing MTB survival. METHODS: An in vitro FM model was established using oleic acid induction. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were conducted to identify the key molecular pathways involved in FM-mediated MTB survival. RESULTS: Induced FMs effectively restricted MTB survival. Transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling revealed distinct changes in gene and metabolite expression in FMs during MTB infection compared with normal macrophages. Integrated analyses identified significant alterations in the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathway, indicating that its activation contributes to the FM-mediated restriction of MTB survival. CONCLUSIONS FMs inhibit MTB survival. The cAMP signaling pathway is a key contributor. These findings enhance the understanding of the role of FMs in tuberculosis progression, suggest potential targets for host-directed therapies, and offer new directions for developing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies against tuberculosis.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis/physiology* ; Transcriptome ; Metabolomics ; Foam Cells/microbiology* ; Humans ; Metabolome ; Tuberculosis/microbiology* ; Gene Expression Profiling

OBJECTIVE: To investigate chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection's effect on gestational liver function, pregnancy and delivery complications, and neonatal development. METHODS: A total of 157 HCV antibody-positive (anti-HCV[+]) and HCV RNA(+) patients (Group C) and 121 anti-HCV(+) and HCV RNA(-) patients (Group B) were included as study participants, while 142 anti-HCV(-) and HCV RNA(-) patients (Group A) were the control group. Data on biochemical indices during pregnancy, pregnancy complications, delivery-related information, and neonatal complications were also collected. RESULTS: Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) rates in Group C during early, middle, and late pregnancy were 59.87%, 43.95%, and 42.04%, respectively-significantly higher than Groups B (26.45%, 15.70%, 10.74%) and A (23.94%, 19.01%, 6.34%) ( P < 0.05). Median ALT levels in Group C were significantly higher than in Groups A and B at all pregnancy stages ( P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in neonatal malformation rates across groups ( P > 0.05). However, neonatal jaundice incidence was significantly greater in Group C (75.16%) compared to Groups A (42.25%) and B (57.02%) ( χ ² = 33.552, P < 0.001). HCV RNA positivity during pregnancy was an independent risk factor for neonatal jaundice ( OR = 2.111, 95% CI 1.242-3.588, P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS Chronic HCV infection can affect the liver function of pregnant women, but does not increase the pregnancy or delivery complication risks. HCV RNA(+) is an independent risk factor for neonatal jaundice.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Adult ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Infant, Newborn ; Viremia/virology* ; Hepatitis C ; Hepacivirus/physiology* ; Hepatitis C, Chronic/virology* ; Young Adult ; Alanine Transaminase/blood*

Infectious diseases continue to pose a threat to global public health. Successive global shocks caused by emerging and re-emerging pathogens have continuously challenged existing surveillance systems, highlighting the urgent need to build efficient and precise pathogen surveillance networks. Pathogen genomic databases have been developed rapidly in recent two decades, significantly improving the molecular identification, evolutionary analysis, and transmission tracking of pathogens, and changing disease surveillance strategies and patterns. This paper summarizes the developmental history and current state of pathogen genomic databases, and discusses their applications in public health, including pathogen variation surveillance, emerging or suspected pathogen identification, and epidemiological tracing. Furthermore, this paper systematically analyzes the limitations and key challenges faced by current global health prevention and control system, and suggests the focus of the development of online pathogen databases to address existing shortcomings, ultimately improve global infectious disease surveillance and early warning