Objective To investigate the relationship between tooth loss and the occurrence of esophageal cancer in a natural village in Wenfeng District, Anyang City, Henan Province. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted to observe the occurrence of tooth loss and esophageal cancer among the asymptomatic residents of the natural village for 16 years from January 2008 to July 2024. Data were analyzed by chi-square test, binary logistic regression, and restricted cubic spline. Results Among the total population of 711 cases, 136 cases were lost to follow-up and 575 cases were included in the final statistics, including 45 cases with esophageal cancer. Significant statistical difference was found between esophageal cancer patients with and without tooth loss (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that tooth loss was associated with the occurrence of esophageal cancer (OR=3.977, 95%CI: 1.543-10.255). After the adjustment for confounders, tooth loss remained significantly associated with the occurrence of esophageal cancer (OR=3.038, 95%CI: 1.035-8.914). A nonlinear dose-response relationship was observed between the number of teeth lost and the incidence of esophageal cancer. When the number of teeth lost was less than 12, the risk of esophageal cancer increased with the number of teeth lost. When more than 12 teeth were lost, the risk of esophageal cancer decreased as the number of teeth lost increased. Conclusion Tooth loss is a risk factor for the occurrence of esophageal cancer in this natural village. When the number of teeth lost is less than 12, the risk of esophageal cancer increases with the number of teeth lost.

BACKGROUND: Pre-transplant exposure to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) significantly increases the risk of allograft rejection after liver transplantation (LT); however, whether ICI-related rejection leads to increased graft loss remains controversial. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between ICI-related allograft rejection and perioperative graft loss. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of adult liver transplant recipients with early biopsy-proven T-cell-mediated rejection (TCMR) at Liver Transplantation Center of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital from June 2019 to September 2024. The pathological features, clinical characteristics, and perioperative graft survival were analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients who underwent early TCMR between June 2019 and September 2024 were included. Based on pre-LT ICI exposure, recipients were categorized into ICI-related TCMR (irTCMR, n = 12) and conventional TCMR (cTCMR, n = 16) groups. Recipients with irTCMR had a higher median Banff rejection activity index (RAI) (6 vs . 5, P = 0.012) and more aggressive tissue damage and inflammation. Recipients with irTCMR showed higher proportion of treatment resistance, achieving a complete resolution rate of only 8/12 compared to 16/16 for cTCMR. Graft loss occurred in 5/12 of irTCMR recipients within 90 days after LT, with no graft loss in cTCMRs recipients. Cox analysis demonstrated that irTCMR with an ICI washout period of <30 days was an independent risk factor for perioperative graft loss (hazard ratio [HR], 6.540; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.067-40.067, P = 0.042). CONCLUSION IrTCMR is associated with severe pathological features, increased resistance to treatment, and higher graft loss in adult liver transplant recipients.
Humans ; Liver Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Graft Rejection/immunology* ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Adult ; T-Lymphocytes/drug effects* ; Graft Survival/immunology* ; Aged

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a highly aggressive hematologic malignancy with a poor prognosis, despite advancements in treatment. Many patients struggle with relapse or refractory disease. Investigating the role of the super-enhancer (SE) regulated gene ubiquitin-specific protease 20 (USP20) in T-ALL could enhance targeted therapies and improve clinical outcomes. Analysis of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) data from six T-ALL cell lines and seven pediatric samples identified USP20 as an SE-regulated driver gene. Utilizing the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and BloodSpot databases, it was found that USP20 is specifically highly expressed in T-ALL. Knocking down USP20 with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) increased apoptosis and inhibited proliferation in T-ALL cells. In vivo studies showed that USP20 knockdown reduced tumor growth and improved survival. The USP20 inhibitor GSK2643943A demonstrated similar anti-tumor effects. Mass spectrometry, RNA-Seq, and immunoprecipitation revealed that USP20 interacted with hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A) and stabilized it by deubiquitination. Cleavage under targets and tagmentation (CUT&Tag) results indicated that USP20 co-localized with HIF1A, jointly modulating target genes in T-ALL. This study identifies USP20 as a therapeutic target in T-ALL and suggests GSK2643943A as a potential treatment strategy.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological distribution characteristics, influencing factors, and infection rates of pertussis in the population of Henan Province.Methods:From 2022 to 2023, a cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate the permanent population in Henan Province. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect anti-pertussis toxin IgG (PT-IgG), analyze the antibody positivity rate (≥20 IU/ml) and median concentration (MC), and estimate the pertussis infection rate based on PT IgG ≥40 IU/ml. The rank sum test was used to compare antibody levels among groups, and the χ2 test was used to compare antibody positive rates and infection rates among groups. Results:A total of 4 810 research subjects were included in this study. The overall positive rate of PT-IgG was 12.10% and MC was 3.04 (0.35, 10.36) IU/ml. There were significant differences both in positive rates and antibody levels of PT-IgG among different regions or age groups (region positive rate: χ2=134.06, P<0.001, MC: H=337.74, P<0.001; age group positive rate: χ2=45.27, P<0.001, MC: H=134.49, P<0.001). Both the positive rate of PT-IgG (25.26%) and MC (8.01 IU/ml) were the highest within one year after completing a full course of vaccination. There were significant differences in positive rates and antibody levels among people receiving different types of pertussis vaccines (positive rate: χ2=12.38, P=0.006, MC: H=17.93, P<0.001). The antibody positivity rate (35.71%) and MC (8.88 IU/ml) of the people who received cell-free pertussis inactivated poliomyelitis influenza type b (combined) vaccine throughout the course were higher than those who received other types of vaccines. The natural infection rate of pertussis was evaluated for individuals aged≥3 years who had no history of pertussis vaccine immunization within the year prior to sampling. With a high vaccination rate, the estimated infection rate of pertussis in the population was 5 757.22/100 000. The infection rates in the 3-year-old (1 940.16/100 000) and 4-year-old (1 765.68/100 000) populations were at a low level among the entire population, reaching their peak at the age of 6 (12 656.71/100 000). Subsequently, although the infection rate continued to decline, it remained at a high level and peaked again at the age of 40-49 years (8 740.39/100 000). There was a statistically significant difference in the estimated infection rate of pertussis among different age groups ( χ2=53.21, P<0.001). Conclusion:The PT-IgG level of pertussis in the population of Henan Province is generally at a low level. The estimated infection rate of pertussis is much higher than the reported incidence rate. A booster dose of pertussis vaccine is recommended at 6 years old.