Objective:To assess the prevalence of pathogenic variants in the acid alpha-glucosidase ( GAA) gene among newborns in Nanjing and provide a reference for early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of Pompe disease. Methods:This retrospective study conducted on 30 043 live births at Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital) from March 2022 to October 2024. Heel blood samples were collected within 48 h after birth to make dried blood spots. Chip-capture-based next-generation sequencing was used to detect pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) GAA variants. Suspected cases underwent Sanger sequencing validation and GAA enzyme activity assay to summarize the carrier status of pathogenic variants in the GAA gene among newborns. Descriptive statistical analysis was used. Results:Among the 30 043 newborns, 232 carriers (one P/LP variant) and four presumptive cases (two P/LP variants) were identified. The GAA activity of suspected cases 1 and 2 was normal, and the two variants were in cis, leading to a clinical diagnosis of carriers. Presumptive case 3 had a GAA activity of 0.17 μmol/(L·h), below the normal range [2.63-21.69 μmol/(L·h)]; the two variants were in trans, without clinical manifestations of Pompe disease follow-up to 2 years and 1 month, resulting in a clinical diagnosis of a potential patient. Presumptive case 4 had a GAA activity of 0.36 μmol/(L·h), below the normal range; the two variants were in cis, and two pseudodeficiency variants [c.1726G>A(p.G576S) and c.2065G>A(p.E689K)] were also found, leading to a final clinical diagnosis of a carrier. Therefore, a total of 235 carriers of P/LP GAA variants were identified, with a carrying rate of 1/128 (235/30 043), and one potential patient was identified with an incidence rate of 1/30 043. The top five common GAA variants were c.2132_2133delinsGG, c.503G>A, c.-32-13T>G, c.2662G>T, and c.2238G>C, with allele frequencies of 0.078% (47/60 086), 0.038% (23/60 086), 0.020% (12/60 086), 0.018% (11/60 086), and 0.017% (10/60 086), respectively. Protein structure prediction results showed that c.2132_2133delinsGG resulted in a shortened two β-sheet in GH31(β/α) 8 barrel catalytic domain and altered signal peptide and prepeptide conformation. c.503G>A would extend one β-sheet and add an additional β-sheet in the N-terminal domain. Conclusion:Newborn genetic screening combined with GAA activity measurement can exclude the interference of pseudodeficiency alleles, improve screening efficiency and accuracy, and provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis and genetic counseling of Pompe disease.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated the occurrence of secondary tumors as a rare but significant complication of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy, underscoring the need for a detailed investigation. Given the limited variety of secondary tumor types reported to date, a comprehensive characterization of the various secondary tumors arising after CAR-T therapy is essential to understand the associated risks and to define the role of the immune microenvironment in malignant transformation. This study aims to characterize the immune microenvironment of a newly identified secondary tumor post-CAR-T therapy, to clarify its pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets. METHODS: In this study, the bone marrow (BM) samples were collected by aspiration from the primary and secondary tumors before and after CD19 CAR-T treatment. The CD45 + BM cells were enriched with human CD45 microbeads. The CD45 + cells were then sent for 10× genomics single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to identify cell populations. The Cell Ranger pipeline and CellChat were used for detailed analysis. RESULTS: In this study, a rare type of secondary chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) were reported in a patient with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who had previously received CD19 CAR-T therapy. The scRNA-seq analysis revealed increased inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and an immunosuppressive state of monocytes/macrophages, which may impair cytotoxic activity in both T and natural killer (NK) cells in secondary CMML before treatment. In contrast, their cytotoxicity was restored in secondary CMML after treatment. CONCLUSIONS This finding delineates a previously unrecognized type of secondary tumor, CMML, after CAR-T therapy and provide a framework for defining the immune microenvironment of secondary tumor occurrence after CAR-T therapy. In addition, the results provide a rationale for targeting macrophages to improve treatment strategies for CMML treatment.
Humans ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/therapy* ; Tumor Microenvironment/genetics* ; Antigens, CD19/metabolism* ; Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic/genetics* ; Immunotherapy, Adoptive/adverse effects* ; Male ; Single-Cell Analysis/methods* ; Female ; Sequence Analysis, RNA/methods* ; Receptors, Chimeric Antigen ; Middle Aged

Objective:To assess the prevalence of pathogenic variants in the acid alpha-glucosidase ( GAA) gene among newborns in Nanjing and provide a reference for early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of Pompe disease. Methods:This retrospective study conducted on 30 043 live births at Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital) from March 2022 to October 2024. Heel blood samples were collected within 48 h after birth to make dried blood spots. Chip-capture-based next-generation sequencing was used to detect pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) GAA variants. Suspected cases underwent Sanger sequencing validation and GAA enzyme activity assay to summarize the carrier status of pathogenic variants in the GAA gene among newborns. Descriptive statistical analysis was used. Results:Among the 30 043 newborns, 232 carriers (one P/LP variant) and four presumptive cases (two P/LP variants) were identified. The GAA activity of suspected cases 1 and 2 was normal, and the two variants were in cis, leading to a clinical diagnosis of carriers. Presumptive case 3 had a GAA activity of 0.17 μmol/(L·h), below the normal range [2.63-21.69 μmol/(L·h)]; the two variants were in trans, without clinical manifestations of Pompe disease follow-up to 2 years and 1 month, resulting in a clinical diagnosis of a potential patient. Presumptive case 4 had a GAA activity of 0.36 μmol/(L·h), below the normal range; the two variants were in cis, and two pseudodeficiency variants [c.1726G>A(p.G576S) and c.2065G>A(p.E689K)] were also found, leading to a final clinical diagnosis of a carrier. Therefore, a total of 235 carriers of P/LP GAA variants were identified, with a carrying rate of 1/128 (235/30 043), and one potential patient was identified with an incidence rate of 1/30 043. The top five common GAA variants were c.2132_2133delinsGG, c.503G>A, c.-32-13T>G, c.2662G>T, and c.2238G>C, with allele frequencies of 0.078% (47/60 086), 0.038% (23/60 086), 0.020% (12/60 086), 0.018% (11/60 086), and 0.017% (10/60 086), respectively. Protein structure prediction results showed that c.2132_2133delinsGG resulted in a shortened two β-sheet in GH31(β/α) 8 barrel catalytic domain and altered signal peptide and prepeptide conformation. c.503G>A would extend one β-sheet and add an additional β-sheet in the N-terminal domain. Conclusion:Newborn genetic screening combined with GAA activity measurement can exclude the interference of pseudodeficiency alleles, improve screening efficiency and accuracy, and provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis and genetic counseling of Pompe disease.

Objective: To compare the clinical outcomes and biomechanical characteristics of 1-, 2-, and 3-level pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO), and establish selection criteria based on preoperative radiographic parameters. Methods: Patients undergone PSO to treat ankylosing spondylitis from February 2009 to May 2019 in Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were enrolled. According to the quantity of osteotomy performed, the participants were divided into group A (1-level PSO, n = 24), group B (2-level PSO, n = 19), and group C (3-level PSO, n = 11). Clinical outcomes were assessed before surgery and at the final follow-up. Comparisons of the radiographic parameters and quality-of-life indicators were performed among and within these groups, and the selection criteria were established by regression. Finite element analysis was conducted to compare the biomechanical characteristics of the spine treated with different quantity of osteotomies under different working conditions. Results: Three-level PSO improved the sagittal parameters more significantly, but resulted in longer operative time and greater blood loss (p < 0.05). Greater stress was found in the proximal screws and proximal junction area of the vertebra in the model simulating 1-level PSO. Larger stress of screws and vertebra was observed at the distal end in the model simulating 3-level PSO. Conclusion Multilevel PSO works better for larger deformity correction than single-level PSO by allowing greater sagittal parameter correction and obtaining a better distribution of stress in the hardware construct, although with longer operation time and greater blood loss. Three-level osteotomy is recommended for the patients with preoperative of global kyphosis > 85.95°, T1 pelvic angle > 62.3°, sagittal vertical alignment > 299.55 mm, and pelvic tilt+ chin-brow vertical angle > 109.6°.

Objective:To explore the predictive value of secretogranin II (SCG2) for the prognosis of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNET) and to construct a nomogram prediction model based on SCG2.Methods:One hundred and thirty-three patients with pNET who underwent radical surgery at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from August 2013 to December 2021 were retrospectively collected. The cohort, including 60 males and 73 females with a mean age of (53.70±12.08) years, was divided into a training set ( n=93) and a validation set ( n=40). Clinical data such as gender, age, tumor size, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, liver metastasis, surrounding tissue invasion, tumor histological grade, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CA) 19-9 levels were gathered. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect SCG2 expression. Patient survival information was obtained through outpatient records or telephone follow-up. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze prognostic factors. A nomogram was created based on the multivariate Cox regression analysis results. The calibration curve and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to evaluate the nomogram's accuracy and discrimination. Results:The SCG2 expression in pNET patients with AJCC stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ was higher than in those with stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ. Similarly, patients with histological grade G3 had higher SCG2 levels compared to those with grades G1-G2. SCG2 expression was also elevated in patients older than 60 years compared to those 60 years or younger, and in patients with CA19-9>30 U/L compared to those with CA19-9≤30 U/L. These differences were all statistically significant (all P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that lymph node metastasis ( HR=3.132, 95% CI: 1.212-8.096, P=0.017), liver metastasis ( HR=2.685, 95% CI: 1.002-7.192, P=0.049), histological grade G3 ( HR=3.692, 95% CI: 1.229-11.088, P=0.011), and high SCG2 expression ( HR=52.181, 95% CI: 38.476-108.118, P=0.002) were associated with significantly higher risks of shorter disease free survival. Additionally, patients with longer tumor diameters ( HR=1.297, 95% CI: 1.088-1.545, P=0.004), histological grade G3 ( HR=19.625, 95% CI: 5.276-88.634, P<0.001), and high SCG2 expression ( HR=39.454, 95% CI: 17.317-97.263, P<0.001) had a higher risk of shorter overall survival. A nomogram prediction model was constructed using these above factors. The calibration curve demonstrated good alignment between predicted and actual outcomes in both the training and validation sets. The areas under the ROC curves for the disease-free survival and overall survival nomogram models for predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival of pNET patients in both sets were above 0.8. Conclusion:High SCG2 expression is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in pNET patients. The nomogram model based on SCG2 has high predictive efficacy for pNET patient prognosis.

Objective:To observe the efficacy and safety of letermovir in preventing cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) .Method:From September 2022 to September 2023, retrospective analysis was conducted for the relevant clinical data of 50 recipients of allo-HSCT at First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Hospital. Letermovir prophylaxis was offered for preventing cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation post-transplantation. They were historically compared with previous patients at the same center without letermovir prophylaxis. The incidence of CMV reactivation, overall survival rate, engraftment status and other adverse events within 100 days post-transplant were compared between two groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized for controlling confounding factors. Univariate analyses were performed with t and chi-square tests while survival analysis conducted with Kaplan-Meier method.Result:In letermovir group, CMV reactivation was detected in 3 cases (6%) versus 23 cases (46%) in control group. Letermovir significantly reduced the incidence of post-transplant CMV reactivation ( P<0.01). Within Day 100 post-transplant, there was one death in letermovir group with an overall survival rate of 98%. In control group, three deaths occurred with an overall survival rate of 94%. The median survival time of deceased cases was 64 (58-81) day. No statistically significant inter-group difference existed in overall survival rate ( P=0.617). In letermovir group, secondary implantation failure was observed in 3 cases (6%) and it was lower than 12 cases (24%) in control group. Statistically significant inter-group difference existed in secondary implantation failure rate ( P=0.023). However, regarding timing of neutrophil engraftment ( P=0.054) and platelet engraftment ( P=0.649), there were no significant inter-group statistical differences. Hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) occurred in letermovir group (17 cses, 34%) and control group (27cases, 54%). The incidence of HC was significantly lower in letermovir group than that in control group ( P=0.044). However, no statistically significant inter-group difference existed in the incidence of post-transplant EBV infection or acute graft-versus-host disease. Conclusion:Letermovir may significantly lower the incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation after allo-HSCT. It is both effective and safe for preventing CMV disease and improving early outcomes.

Objective:To understand the regional prevalence and hotspot mutations through analysis of genetic screening results for newborns with pseudohypertrophic muscular dystrophy.Methods:A total of 22 813 newborns (12 065 males and 10 748 females) born at the Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from March 18, 2022, to October 31, 2023, were selected. The Dystrophin gene ( DMD) was detected using chip capture next-generation sequencing technology, followed by bioinformatics analysis. Pathogenic mutations identified were validated using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and Sanger sequencing. Serum creatine kinase levels were also tested in suspected male patients. Descriptive analysis was applied for this study. Results:Among the 10 748 girls, 14 carriers of DMD gene were detected (0.013%), of which, nine cases were validated in the family; one case was a de novo mutation, five were inherited from the mother, and three were inherited from the father. The screening identified nine suspected patients among the boys (0.075%), and eight of them were confirmed by family validation, in which three were de novo mutations, and five were inherited from the mother. Among all identified DMD mutations, deletions were the most common one, accounting for 52.2% (12/23), incluling four cases of deletion at 49-51 exon. Conclusions:Newborn genetic screening based on chip capture next-generation sequencing technology combined with bioinformatics analysis is helpful in early detection of patients and carriers of pseudohypertrophy muscular dystrophy. According to the preliminary statistics, the incidence rate of DMD/BMD in this area is 1/1 341 male infants and the hotspot mutation is exon 49 to 51 deletion.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe neuromuscular genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle atrophy, with most patients succumbing to heart or respiratory failure around the age of 20. This article systematically reviews the discovery, pathological research, diagnosis, and development of newborn screening for DMD. Since the 19th century, pioneers such as Bell, Conte, Meryon, Duchenne, and Gowers have laid the foundation for understanding this disease through their discoveries and descriptions of DMD. In the 1980s, molecular biology research further elucidated the pathological mechanisms of DMD and established diagnostic methods. Since the 1970s, newborn screening for DMD has flourished, evolving through various stages including creatine kinase testing, muscle-type creatine kinase isoenzyme testing, and genetic screening. With ongoing research, early screening and diagnostic protocols for DMD have been continuously refined and gradually implemented in clinical practice.

Objective To evaluate the application value of golden angle radial sparse parallel(Grasp)sequence in contrast-enhanced MRI of liver.Methods The imaging data of 30 patients who underwent gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid contrast-enhanced MRI of liver were collected.With the same equipment,images were collected by Grasp sequence and breath-hold sequence separately,with an interval of less than 3 months.The subjective and objective scores of the late arterial phase and portal venous phase images were evaluated.Results There were no significant differences in all subjective scores of the late arterial phase and portal venous phase images between the two sequences(P＞0.05).The signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)of the late arterial phase images in the Grasp sequence was lower than that in the breath-hold sequence(148.4±52.8 vs 195.6±68.4),and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.01).Although the SNR of the portal venous phase in the Grasp sequence was lower than that in the breath-hold sequence,the difference was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).There was no statistical difference in the other objective scores between the two sequences(P＞0.05).Conclusion The image quality of Grasp sequence in contrast-enhanced MRI of liver can meet the diagnositic requirements,and it is suitable for patients with poor breath-hold capacity,which has important application value.

Objective: To compare the clinical outcomes and biomechanical characteristics of 1-, 2-, and 3-level pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO), and establish selection criteria based on preoperative radiographic parameters. Methods: Patients undergone PSO to treat ankylosing spondylitis from February 2009 to May 2019 in Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were enrolled. According to the quantity of osteotomy performed, the participants were divided into group A (1-level PSO, n = 24), group B (2-level PSO, n = 19), and group C (3-level PSO, n = 11). Clinical outcomes were assessed before surgery and at the final follow-up. Comparisons of the radiographic parameters and quality-of-life indicators were performed among and within these groups, and the selection criteria were established by regression. Finite element analysis was conducted to compare the biomechanical characteristics of the spine treated with different quantity of osteotomies under different working conditions. Results: Three-level PSO improved the sagittal parameters more significantly, but resulted in longer operative time and greater blood loss (p < 0.05). Greater stress was found in the proximal screws and proximal junction area of the vertebra in the model simulating 1-level PSO. Larger stress of screws and vertebra was observed at the distal end in the model simulating 3-level PSO. Conclusion Multilevel PSO works better for larger deformity correction than single-level PSO by allowing greater sagittal parameter correction and obtaining a better distribution of stress in the hardware construct, although with longer operation time and greater blood loss. Three-level osteotomy is recommended for the patients with preoperative of global kyphosis > 85.95°, T1 pelvic angle > 62.3°, sagittal vertical alignment > 299.55 mm, and pelvic tilt+ chin-brow vertical angle > 109.6°.