[Objective] To analyze the infection status of hepatitis E virus (HEV) among blood donors in Zhengzhou, so as to provide data support for formulating local blood screening strategies. [Methods] Random samples from blood donors from January to December 2022 were tested for HEV RNA using PCR technology. Reactive samples were sequenced for gene analysis, and the donors were followed up. [Results] Among 21 311 samples, 3(0.14‰) were reactive for HEV RNA, all of whom were male. Genetic sequencing results revealed that one strong positive sample was genotype 4, while sequencing failed for the other two due to low viral load. A follow-up of 25 strong positive donors showed that ALT significantly increased on day 7 after donation, anti-HEV IgM and anti-HEV IgG turned positive. On day 21, ALT returned to normal, and on day 35, HEV RNA turned negative. Notably, anti-HEV IgM and anti-HEV IgG persisted until day 482. [Conclusion] There is HEV infection among blood donors in Zhengzhou, and it is necessary to expand the screening scope to comprehensively explore the prevalence and genotype distribution of HEV among blood donors.

Objective: To investigate the changes in oropharyngeal airway parameters and hyoid position in skeletal ClassⅡ adult female patients with different vertical skeletal types who were treated with maxillary anterior teeth retraction with maximum anchorage, and to provide a reference for orthodontic clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods: This study was reviewed and approved by the Medical Ethics Committee, and informed consent was obtained from patients. Sixty adult female patients with skeletal ClassⅡ were selected and divided into a skeletal ClassⅡ normodivergent group and a skeletal ClassⅡ hyperdivergent group based on the patients’ mandibular plane angle. In both groups, the bilateral maxillary first premolars were extracted and the maxillary anterior teeth were retracted with maximum anchorage. Cone beam CT(CBCT) images were collected before and after treatment, and three-dimensional measurement software was used to analyze oropharyngeal airway-related parameters. Results: After retraction of the maxillary anterior teeth with maximum anchorage, the 10 parameters related to the oropharyngeal airway did not exhibit statistically significant differences in the normodivergent group (P>0.05), but the perpendicular distance from the highest point of the hyoid bone to the vertical line passing through the sella (H-X) value decreased (P<0.001). In the hyperdivergent group, the oropharyngeal area at the level of the epiglottis tip (OPA-E), anterior-posterior diameters of the oropharynx at the level of the epiglottis tip (E-AP), most constricted axial area of the oropharynx (OPA-MCA), and anterior-posterior diameters of MCA area of the oropharynx (MCA-AP) decreased after treatment (P<0.001). In addition, the oropharyngeal volume (OPV) decreased after treatment (P<0.05), and the perpendicular distance from the highest point of the hyoid bone to the horizontal line passing through the sella (H-Y) and the highest point of the hyoid bone to the epiglottis base (H-Eb) values increased after treatment (P<0.05). Conclusion After retraction of the maxillary anterior teeth with maximum anchorage, there is no change in the oropharyngeal airway in skeletal ClassⅡ normodivergent female adult patients, while skeletal ClassⅡhyperdivergent female adult patients have a risk of reduction in the oropharyngeal airway after maximuim anchorage retraction of the maxillary anterior teeth.

ObjectiveTo explore the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal （HPG） axis by modified Erxian decoction in rats with perimenopausal syndrome （PMS） and to further analyze the expression of proteins related to the silent information regulator 1 （SIRT1）/hypothalamic kisspeptin （Kisspeptin）/gonadotropin-releasing hormone （GnRH） signaling pathway in the arcuate nucleus region （ARC） of the hypothalamus， so as to reveal the potential target of action and molecular biological mechanism of modified Erxian decoction for the treatment of perimenopausal syndrome. MethodsAn animal model was established via the incomplete castration method， with successful modeling confirmed by the exfoliated cervical cell smear method. The 48 rats were divided into six groups based on the randomization principle after successful modeling， including a sham operation group， a model group， an estradiol valerate group （0.09 mg∙kg^-1∙d^-1）， high-， medium-， and low-dose modified Erxian decoction groups （7.614， 3.807，1.903 5 g∙kg^-1∙d^-1）， with 8 rats in each group. The estradiol valerate group and the high-， medium- and low-dose modified Erxian decoction groups were continuously administered by gavage for 28 days， and the indicators were detected 24 hours after the last administration. Body weights and uterine indices were measured. The pathological changes of the uterus were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was performed to measure the levels of estradiol （E₂）， follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， and gonadotropin-releasing hormone （GnRH）. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were used to determine the expression levels of SIRT1， Kisspeptin， kisspeptin receptor （GPR54）， and GnRH in the ARC region of the hypothalamus and gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor （GnRH-R） in pituitary. ResultsCompared with the sham operation group， rats in the model group had a significantly increased body weight （P0.01）， reduced wet weight and index of uterus （P0.01）， endometrial thinning or atrophy， glandular atrophy， and a decreasing number of glands. Additionally， serum levels of E₂ and the expression of SIRT1 in the ARC region of the hypothalamus significantly decreased （P0.01）. Serum levels of FSH， LH， and GnRH， the expression of Kisspeptin， GPR54， and GnRH in the ARC region of the hypothalamus， and GnRH-R in pituitary significantly increased （P0.01）. Compared with the model group， the estradiol valerate group and the high-， medium-dose modified Erxian decoction groups had significantly reduced body weight， serum levels of FSH， LH， and GnRH， and expression of Kisspeptin， GPR54， and GnRH in the ARC region of the hypothalamus and GnRH-R in pituitary （P0.05， P0.01） and significantly increased wet weight and index of uterus， serum level of E₂， and expression of SIRT1 in the ARC region of the hypothalamus （P0.05， P0.01）. In addition， they showed thickened endometrium， increased number of endometrial glands， and improved glandular atrophy. ConclusionModified Erxian decoction regulates the function of the HPG axis through multi-targets， and its mechanism of action may be related to the up-regulation of the expression of SIRT1 in the ARC region of the hypothalamus， the inhibition of the over-activation of the Kisspeptin/GnRH signaling pathway， the regulation of the expression of GnRH-R in the pituitary， the restoration of secretion balance of gonadotropins， and the elevation of the estrogen level. This study provides an experimental basis for the interpretation of the scientific connotation of modified Erxian decoction in the treatment of perimenopausal syndrome and a theoretical reference for the development of a novel therapeutic strategy based on the SIRT1/Kisspeptin/GnRH pathway.

Objective To observe the effects of Jianpi Qutan Huayu Prescription on oxidative stress and inflammatory response in mini-pigs with atherosclerosis(AS);To explore its mechanism based on the NOX5-ERK1/2 signaling pathway.Methods Twelve Bama mini-pigs were randomly divided into control group,model group,and Jianpi Qutan Huayu Prescription low-and high-dosage groups,with 3 pigs in each group.A high-fat diet was used to feed for 24 weeks to construct an AS model,and the treatment group was also supplemented with Jianpi Qutan Huayu Prescription in the feed.The general condition of mini-pigs(body length,abdominal circumference,body mass,food intake,and fecal water content)was measured at week 0,16,and 24 of administration,HE staining was used to observe the morphology of aortic tissue,while oil red O staining was used to observe lipid deposition in aortic and myocardial tissue,transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructure of aortic tissue,and a fully automated biochemical analyzer was used to detect serum contents of TC,HDL-C,and LDL-C.ELISA was used to detect the contents of serum reactive oxygen species(ROS),interleukin(IL)-6,IL-10,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,hypersensitivity-C-reactive protein(hs-CRP),vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1),and intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1).Western blot was used to detect the expressions of NADPH oxidase 5(NOX5),extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2(ERK1/2),p-ERK1/2,VCAM-1,and proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA)proteins.Results Compared with the control group,the abdominal circumference,body mass,and food intake of mini-pigs in the model group increased at 16 and 24 weeks(P<0.01),there was significant thickening of the inner membrane of aorta,destruction of endothelial cells,lipid deposition,edema of smooth muscle cells,and significant swelling of mitochondria,serum TC,LDL-C contents and the contents of ROS,IL-6,IL-10,TNF-α,hs-CRP,VCAM-1,and ICAM-1 increased,while the content of HDL-C decreased(P<0.01);the expressions of NOX5,p-ERK1/2,VCAM-1,and PCNA proteins in aortic tissue increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,Jianpi Qutan Huayu Prescription low-and high-dosage groups showed a decrease in abdominal circumference,body mass,and food intake at 16 and 24 weeks(P<0.05,P<0.01),the plaque area and lipid deposition were reduced,and the damage to endothelial cells was alleviated,serum TC,LDL-C contents and the contents of ROS,IL-6,IL-10,TNF-α,hs-CRP,ICAM-1,and VCAM-1 decreased,and the content of HDL-C increased(P<0.01,P<0.05);the expressiond of NOX5,p-ERK1/2,VCAM-1,and PCNA proteins in aortic tissue decreased(P<0.01,P<0.05).Conclusion Jianpi Qutan Huayu Prescription can effectively alleviate AS in mini-pigs,and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting the activation of the NOX5-ERK1/2 signaling pathway and alleviating oxidative stress-induced inflammatory response.

Objective To explore the characteristics of TCM in the treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricemia based on data mining.Methods Clinical literature on the TCM treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricemia in CNKI,Wanfang Data,VIP and SinoMed was retrieved.After screening,the prescriptions obtained were input into Excel 2019 database,and SPSS Modeler 18.0,SPSS Statistics 26.0 and Cytoscape 3.9.1 were used for frequency analysis,association rule analysis,clustering analysis and factor analysis.Results A total of 133 articles meeting the criteria were included,and 140 prescriptions were included,involving 202 kinds of Chinese materia medica,with a total frequency of 1 387 times.22 drugs,such as Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma,Coicis Semen,Dioscoreae Spongiosae Rhizoma,Astrctylodis Rhizoma,were frequently used in the treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricemia.The commonly used drugs were drugs for urine excretion to strain off dampness,tonics,clearing heat,promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis.The medicinal property was mainly warm,the medicinal taste was mainly sweet,and the meridians were mainly liver,spleen,stomach and kidney meridians.21 groups of medicinal combinations were obtained by high frequency drug association rule analysis,among which the core drug pairs were Coicis Semen-Astrctylodis Rhizoma,Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma-Dioscoreae Spongiosae Rhizoma-Coicis Semen,Coicis Semen-Astrctylodis Rhizoma-Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma,etc.Clustering analysis obtained 5 clustering methods,and factor analysis obtained 7 common factors.Conclusion In the TCM treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricemia,the main methods are urine excretion to strain off dampness,strengthening spleen and tonifying qi,and the main drugs are Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma,Coicis Semen,Dioscoreae Spongiosae Rhizoma,Astrctylodis Rhizoma,which can provide reference for clinical treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricemia.

Objective To investigate the clinical features and risk factors of primary biliary cholangitis(PBC)comorbid with metabolic associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)and the interaction between the two diseases.Methods A total of 187 patients who were diagnosed with PBC,MAFLD,or PBC with MAFLD in The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from January 2019 to December 2022 were enrolled and divided into PBC group with 70 patients,PBC+MAFLD group with 38 patients,and MAFLD group with 79 patients.Related data were collected,including general information,clinical symptoms,serological parameters,transient elastography(FibroScan),and non-invasive fibrosis markers,which were compared between the three groups.A one-way analysis of variance or the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups,the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups,and the binary Logistic regression analysis was used for multivariate analysis.Results There were significant differences between the three groups in sex,age,height,weight,body mass index(BMI),and history of autoimmune diseases(P<0.05).In the PBC+MAFLD group,female patients accounted for 89.5%,with a mean age of 57.26±12.72 years and a BMI of 23.35±3.70 kg/m2,and in the PBC group,the detection rate of autoimmune diseases was 25.7%(18 patients).There were significant differences between the three groups in the incidence rates of weakness,poor appetite,pruritus,jaundice,varices,ascites,and splenomegaly(all P<0.05).The PBC+MAFLD group had the common symptoms of weakness in 18 patients(47.4%),poor appetite in 15 patients(39.5%),abdominal pain in 14 patients(36.8%),and abdominal distension in 16 patients(42.1%);the MAFLD group had the common symptoms of abdominal pain in 34 patients(43%)and abdominal distension in 32 patients(40.5%);the PBC group had the common symptoms of weakness in 37 patients(52.9%),poor appetite in 25 patients(35.7%),jaundice in 25 patients(35.7%),abdominal pain in 18 patients(25.7%),abdominal distension in 25 patients(35.7%),varices in 19 patients(27.9%),ascites in 23 patients(32.9%),and splenomegaly in 44 patients(62.9%).The PBC+MAFLD group had a controlled attenuation parameter(CAP),which was higher than that of the PBC group,and the PBC group had significantly higher levels of liver stiffness measurement,aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index(APRI),and fibrosis-4(FIB-4)than the MAFLD group(all P<0.05).The factors without multicollinearity were included in the regression analysis,and with the PBC group as the reference group,FIB-4(odds ratio[OR]=0.218,95%confidence interval[CI]:0.069-0.633,P<0.05)and history of autoimmune diseases(OR=0.229,95%CI:0.067-0.810,P<0.05)were influencing factors for the onset of PBC with MAFLD;with the MAFLD group as the reference group,ALT(OR=0.157,95%CI:0.025-1.000,P<0.05)and TBil(OR=0.995,95%CI:0.990-0.999,P<0.05)were influencing factors for the onset of PBC with MAFLD.Conclusion PBC with MAFLD lacks specific clinical manifestations,and PBC patients tend to have more severe clinical manifestations and a higher incidence rate of liver function decompensation.PBC comorbid with MAFLD may not aggravate the disease progression of PBC.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors and prognostic value of the textbook outcome (TO) in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgical resection.Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study. A total of 253 patients with AGC who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with gastrectomy and D2 lymphadenectomy in the Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from January 2010 to December 2019 were retrospectively included. There were 195 males and 58 females, aged (60.3±10.0) years (range: 27 to 75 years). The patients were then divided into the TO group ( n=168) and the non-TO group ( n=85). Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the independent predictors of TO. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis were used to analyze independent prognosis factors for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Propensity score matching was performed to balance the TO and non-TO groups, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rates and draw survival curves. Results:Among the 253 patients, 168 patients (66.4%) achieved TO. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score ( OR=0.488, 95% CI: 0.278 to 0.856, P=0.012) and ypN stage ( OR=0.626, 95% CI:0.488 to 0.805, P<0.01) were independently predictive of TO. Multivariate analysis revealed that TO was an independent risk factor for both OS ( HR=0.662, 95% CI: 0.457 to 0.959, P=0.029) and DFS ( HR=0.687, 95% CI: 0.483 to 0.976, P=0.036). After matching, the 5-year OS rate (42.2% vs. 27.8%) and the 5-year DFS rate (37.5% vs. 27.8%) were significantly higher in the TO group than in the non-TO group (both P<0.05). Furthermore, patients in the non-TO group benefited significantly from postoperative chemotherapy (both P<0.05), but those in the TO group did not (both P>0.05). Conclusion:TO is an independent prognosis factor in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery for AGC and is associated with postoperative chemotherapy benefits.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors and prognostic value of the textbook outcome (TO) in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgical resection.Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study. A total of 253 patients with AGC who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with gastrectomy and D2 lymphadenectomy in the Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from January 2010 to December 2019 were retrospectively included. There were 195 males and 58 females, aged (60.3±10.0) years (range: 27 to 75 years). The patients were then divided into the TO group ( n=168) and the non-TO group ( n=85). Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the independent predictors of TO. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis were used to analyze independent prognosis factors for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Propensity score matching was performed to balance the TO and non-TO groups, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rates and draw survival curves. Results:Among the 253 patients, 168 patients (66.4%) achieved TO. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score ( OR=0.488, 95% CI: 0.278 to 0.856, P=0.012) and ypN stage ( OR=0.626, 95% CI:0.488 to 0.805, P<0.01) were independently predictive of TO. Multivariate analysis revealed that TO was an independent risk factor for both OS ( HR=0.662, 95% CI: 0.457 to 0.959, P=0.029) and DFS ( HR=0.687, 95% CI: 0.483 to 0.976, P=0.036). After matching, the 5-year OS rate (42.2% vs. 27.8%) and the 5-year DFS rate (37.5% vs. 27.8%) were significantly higher in the TO group than in the non-TO group (both P<0.05). Furthermore, patients in the non-TO group benefited significantly from postoperative chemotherapy (both P<0.05), but those in the TO group did not (both P>0.05). Conclusion:TO is an independent prognosis factor in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery for AGC and is associated with postoperative chemotherapy benefits.

Background::Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a fatal cardiovascular disease, the pathogenesis of which has not yet been clarified. This study aimed to identify and validate the diagnostic markers of TAA to provide a strong theoretical basis for developing new methods to prevent and treat this disease.Methods::Gene expression profiles of the GSE9106, GSE26155, and GSE155468 datasets were acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the "limma" package in R. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE), random forest, and binary logistic regression analyses were used to screen the diagnostic marker genes. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was used to estimate immune cell infiltration in TAA.Results::A total of 16 DEGs were identified. The enrichment and functional correlation analyses showed that DEGs were mainly associated with inflammatory response pathways and collagen-related diseases. Collagen type I alpha 1 chain ( COL1A1) and synaptotagmin like 2 ( SYTL2) were identified as diagnostic marker genes with a high diagnostic value for TAA. The expression of COL1A1 and SYTL2 was considerably higher in TAA vascular wall tissues than in the corresponding normal tissues, and there were significant differences in the infiltration of immune cells between TAA and normal vascular wall tissues. Additionally, COL1A1 and SYTL2 expression were associated with the infiltration of immune cells in the vascular wall tissue. Single-cell analysis showed that COL1A1 in TAA was mainly derived from fibroblasts and SYTL2 mainly from cluster of differentiation (CD)8 + T cells. In addition, single-cell analysis indicated that fibroblasts and CD8 + T cells in TAA were significantly higher than those in normal arterial wall tissue. Conclusions::COL1A1 and SYTL2 may serve as diagnostic marker genes for TAA. The upregulation of SYTL2 and COL1A1 may be involved in the inflammatory infiltration of the vessel wall and poor extracellular matrix remodeling, promoting the progression of TAA.

Objective To analyze the diversity and composition changes of gut fungal communities between mouse model of total parental nutrition(TPN)and normal control mice.Methods After mouse model of TPN was constructed,fresh feces were collected from TPN mice(n=5)and normal control mice(n=5).Internal transcribed spacer(ITS)DNA sequencing was applied to determine intestinal fungi,and then bioinformatics analysis was conducted to identify the differences in fungal diversity,structure,and functional properties between the 2 groups of mice.Results There were significant differences in Alpha diversity(P＜0.05)and Beta diversity(P＜0.01)of intestinal fungi between the 2 groups.In the TPN model group,the relative abundances of Candida,Penicillium,Aspergillus and Talaromyces were obviously reduced(all P＜0.01).LEfSe analysis indicated that the above 4 strains were notably enriched in the normal control mice.Conclusion TPN mice exhibit characteristic changes in the composition of gut fungal flora compared to normal control mice.Dysfunction of gut fungal community may promote the occurrence of TPN related complications,and regulating the balance of gut fungal community may become a new strategy for preventing TPN related complications.