Objective To investigate the gene expression and regulatory mechanisms of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) under inflammatory conditions, aiming to elucidate the role of MEFs in inflammatory responses and provide a foundation for discovering anti-inflammatory drugs that act by modulating MEF function. Methods MEFs cultured in vitro were divided into the following groups: lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-treated group, inflammatory conditioned medium (CM)-treated group, and control group, which were treated with LPS, CM, and equal volume solvent, respectively. Transcriptome sequencing was used to analyze the effects of two stimuli on gene expression profile of MEFs. Real time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was employed to verify the transcription levels of highly expressed genes of MEFs induced by CM. ELISA was performed to determine the concentrations of cytokines in cell supernatants. Finally, the regulatory effects of CM on the activation of signaling pathways in MEFs were analyzed by immunoblotting. Results Transcriptome analysis showed that both LPS and CM induced the transcription of a large number of genes in MEFs. Compared with LPS, CM potentiated the mRNA transcription of some acute phase proteins, inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), prostaglandin synthetases, and colony-stimulating factors. The transcriptome analysis was verified by RT-qPCR. The results of ELISA showed that CM treatment significantly increased the secretion of interleukin 6 (IL-6), C-C motif chemokine ligand (CCL2), and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL1) by MEFs compared with LPS. Mechanism study showed that both LPS and CM induced the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), extracellular regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), and TANK-binding kinase (TBK) in MEFs, and CM strongly stimulated the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in MEFs. Conclusion Both LPS and CM can induce transcription and protein secretion of various inflammation-related genes in MEFs. CM can partly enhance LPS-induced activation of MEFs, and the mechanism may be related to the enhancement effect of CM on the activation STAT3 signaling pathway.
Animals ; Fibroblasts/immunology* ; Mice ; Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Inflammation/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects* ; Cytokines/genetics* ; Culture Media, Conditioned/pharmacology* ; Cells, Cultured

Immune checkpoint blockade therapy has demonstrated remarkable efficacy in treating various malignancies; however, its clinical application remains challenged by low response rates and immune-related adverse events. Immunoglobulin superfamily member 11 (IGSF11), an inhibitory immune checkpoint molecule, serves as a specific ligand for the V-domain immunoglobulin suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA). Through the IGSF11/VISTA axis, it suppresses T cell function and represents a promising novel target for cancer immunotherapy. IGSF11 is widely expressed across multiple tumor types, though its regulatory mechanisms vary depending on the malignancy. Studies have confirmed that blocking the IGSF11-VISTA interaction or specifically inhibiting IGSF11 exerts antitumor effects. While IGSF11 is closely associated with patient prognosis, its prognostic significance differs among cancer types. This review systematically summarizes the structural characteristics of IGSF11, its regulatory mechanisms, interaction with VISTA, and functional role within the tumor microenvironment.
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Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Neoplasms/metabolism* ; B7 Antigens/chemistry* ; Animals ; Molecular Targeted Therapy ; Tumor Microenvironment

Objective To investigate the expression of calumenin(CALU)in gastric cancer and its effect on metastasis and invasion of gastric cancer,and analyze its relationship with the prognosis of gastric cancer patients.Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database was used to analyze the expression level of CALU in gastric cancer and its impact on patient prognosis.A total of 102 pairs of gastric cancer and paracancerous tissue samples were collected from 189 gastric cancer patients who underwent partial gastrectomy in First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from January 2018 to December 2022.The expression of CALU in gastric cancer and paracancerous tissues was detected by immunohistochemical assay,and the relationship of its expression with clinicopathological parameters was statistically analyzed.After gastric cancer cells with CALU knockdown and overexpression were constructed,and the efficiencies of knockdown and overexpression were evaluated by Western blotting as well as RT-qPCR.Transwell assay was applied to determine the effect of CALU on the migration and invasion abilities of gastric cancer cells.Results Bioinformation analysis found that CALU was significantly highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues(P<0.05),and its expression level was negatively correlated with the prognosis of patients(P<0.05).Immunohistochemical results showed that the expression level of CALU was obviously highly in gastric cancer tissues than the paracancerous tissues(P<0.01),and its level was positively correlated with the depth of infiltration(P<0.01),lymph node metastasis(P<0.01),and TNM stage(P<0.05).Statistical analysis revealed that the clinical data of 102 patients showed that CALU expression was positively correlated with the TNM stage(P=0.021)and T stage(P<0.001)and N stage(P=0.028).CALU knockdown significantly inhibited the migration and invasion abilities of gastric cancer cells(P<0.01),while over-expression obtained the opposite results.Conclusion CALU is highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues and promotes metastasis and invasion of gastric cancer and thus leads to poor prognosis in patients.

A 44-year-old male presented with a 19-year history of urinary calculi and a 1-year history of polydipsia and weight loss. Laboratory tests revealed hyperparathyroidism and evidence of glucagonoma-associated diabetes. Imaging studies identified masses in the pancreatic head and body/tail, suggestive of glucagonoma and a parathyroid adenoma. Furthermore, the patient exhibited hypercalcitoninemia and elevated cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels. Genetic testing revealed a heterozygous MEN1 mutation [c.65T>G (p.Leu22Arg)], confirming the diagnosis of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN-1). The patient subsequently underwent near-total parathyroidectomy and total pancreatectomy. Postoperative immunohistochemical staining of the pancreatic tail tumor was positive for glucagon and calcitonin. The patient′s postoperative hormone levels (calcitonin, glucagon, adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol) normalized, suggesting a rare pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (pNET) that was co-secreting multiple hormones. Postoperative management included pancreatic enzyme supplementation, calcium supplementation, vitamin D supplementation, and insulin for glycemic control. Follow-up evaluations at 10 months demonstrated a stable clinical condition, well-controlled blood glucose and biochemical parameters, and an acceptable quality of life. This case study highlights that the presence of pNETs should be considered in patients with MEN-1 and multiple abnormal hormone levels. Timely surgical management of the involved glands and postoperative complications can effectively improve prognosis.

Objective:To investigate the ability of 18F-fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) PET/CT imaging to identify involved myocardium in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) compared with cardiac MRI. Methods:A prospective study was conducted on 50 patients (32 males, 18 females, age (43±13) years) with HCM confirmed by ultrasound or cardiac MRI in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital from July 2021 to January 2022. All patients underwent both cardiac 18F-FAPI PET/CT and MRI. The SUV max and maximum target-to-background ratio (TBR max) of the left ventricular myocardium were obtained using post-processing software. Regions with 18F-FAPI uptake not less than predefined thresholds (SUV max 40%, 50%, 60%) were defined as myocardium with positive uptake. The FAPI amount was defined as the product of TBR max and the extent of FAPI-positive uptake (FAPI%). Cardiac MRI post-processing software was used to measure the extent of left ventricular myocardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) (expressed as LGE%), native T 1 value, extracellular volume fraction (ECV), and myocardial deformation characteristics. Spearman rank correlation analysis was employed to assess the correlation between 18F-FAPI imaging parameters and cardiac MRI parameters, as well as the correlation between FAPI amount and the 5-year risk score for sudden cardiac death (SCD). Linear regression analysis was utilized to identify factors associated with FAPI amount. Results:When the threshold for 18F-FAPI-positive uptake in the left ventricular myocardium was set at 60%, the correlations between FAPI amount, FAPI%, and MRI parameters were optimal ( rs values: from -0.465 to 0.460, all P<0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that HCM duration ( β=0.128, 95% CI: 0.022-0.233, P=0.008), serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels ( β=0.190, 95% CI: 0.099-0.280, P<0.001), and left ventricular ejection fraction ( β=-0.005, 95% CI: -0.011 to 0.000, P=0.041) were independent predictors of FAPI amount. FAPI amount was positively correlated with the 5-year SCD risk score across different thresholds (40%: rs=0.32, P=0.026; 50%: rs=0.29, P=0.039; 60%: rs=0.29, P=0.040). Conclusions:When the threshold for 18F-FAPI-positive uptake is set at 60%, 18F-FAPI PET/CT imaging can more effectively identify the involved myocardium in HCM. FAPI amount is correlated with the 5-year SCD risk score in patients with HCM.

Objective:To explore the value of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) derived left ventricular late gadolinium enhancement (LV LGE) for the primary prevention of malignant ventricular arrhythmias in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) patients.Methods:This was a single-center retrospective study. Consecutive ARVC patients who underwent CMR at Fuwai Hospital between January 2016 and September 2020, with no history of malignant ventricular arrhythmias at diagnosis, were enrolled. Clinical data and CMR characteristics were collected. The primary endpoint was defined as new-onset malignant ventricular arrhythmias related events, including sustained ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation/flutter, sudden cardiac death, cardiac arrest, and appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator discharge. Follow-up via telephone interviews and medical records was conducted to confirm endpoint occurrences, and patients were categorized into event-free and event groups based on endpoint status. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analysis were performed to identify independent risk factors for malignant ventricular arrhythmias in ARVC patients. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on the ARVC 5-year risk score (cutoff: 25%) and the median value of LV LGE percentage (cutoff: 13%). Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted, and log-rank tests were used to compare the difference in the incidence of primary endpoint events between subgroups. Receiver operating characteristic curves and likelihood ratio test were used to evaluate the incremental prognostic value of LV LGE percentage beyond the ARVC 5-year risk score.Results:A total of 172 ARVC patients were enrolled, aged (39.0±16.6) years, including 73 females (42.4%). During a follow-up of 53.1 (25.4, 76.9) months, 51 patients (29.7%) experienced malignant ventricular arrhythmias related events, including 3 cases of sudden cardiac death, 1 cardiac arrest, 33 sustained ventricular tachycardia and 14 appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator discharges. Multivariable Cox regression analysis indicated that the ARVC 5-year risk score ( HR=1.028, 95% CI 1.015-1.041, P<0.001) and LV LGE percentage ( HR=1.059, 95% CI 1.032-1.087, P<0.001) were independent risk factors of the primary endpoint events. Kaplan-Meier analysis using composite stratification (ARVC 5-year risk score cutoff: 25%; LV LGE percentage cutoff: 13%) demonstrated that patients with both high risk scores (≥25%) and extensive LV LGE (≥13%) had the highest risk of primary endpoint events. Notably, among patients with ARVC 5-year risk scores <25%, those with LV LGE≥13% had a higher incidence of primary endpoint events than those without (log-rank P=0.037). The composite prediction model combining the 5-year risk score and left ventricular LGE percentage demonstrated significantly improved predictive performance (area under the curve ( AUC)=0.82, 95% CI 0.75-0.90; likelihood ratio test all P<0.001) compared to single-variable models (left ventricular LGE percentage alone: AUC=0.71, 95% CI 0.63-0.82, P=0.01; 5-year risk score alone: AUC=0.71, 95% CI 0.62-0.81, P=0.02). Conclusion:LV LGE percentage independently predict new-onset malignant ventricular arrhythmias in ARVC patients and provided incremental prognostic value based on the existing ARVC 5-year risk score.

Objective To compare the ability of single-phase,dual-phase,and triphasic models in forecasting postoperative pancreatic fistula(POPF)after pancreaticoduodenectomy(PD)using radiomics based on triphasic enhanced CT.Methods A total of 181 patients who underwent multi-phase enhanced CT prior to PD were retrospectively selected,and the collection phase included non-contrast,arterial phase(AP),and equilibrium phase(EP).3D Slicer software was utilized to segment the region of interest(ROI)for the postoperative pancreatic remnant on each phase.Radiomics feature extraction was performed using R software,followed by feature selection through least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)regression with five-fold cross-validation to prevent model overfitting.The effective features selected were combined in a weighted linear manner to obtain a Radiomics score(Radscore).The patients were divided into training set and test set in a 7︰3 ratio.Logistic regression was employed to construct seven POPF prediction models(three single-phase,three dual-phase,and one triphasic models)based on different phase combinations.The diagnostic performance of the models was evaluated using the area under the curve(AUC)of receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,accuracy(ACC),sensitivity(SEN),and specificity(SPE).The DeLong test was applied to compare the differences in AUC among different models.Results After LASSO regression,24 effective features associated with POPF were selected from different phases.In the test set,the triphasic model exhibited the highest AUC and ACC(AUC=0.76,ACC=0.808).The calibration curve demonstrated the strongest agreement between the estimated probabilities and observed probabilities for the triphasic model.The decision curve analysis(DCA)curve indicated that the triphasic model had the largest threshold range with a higher net benefit.Conclusion Compared with single-phase and dual-phase models,the triphasic model based on enhanced CT provides better prediction of POPF after PD,aiding clinical decision-making and improve prognosis.

The article reports the diagnosis and treatment of a patient with congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus(NDI) caused by vasopressin V2 receptor(AVPR2) mutation. The proband presented with polyuria and polydipsia since early childhood. Urinary retention and bilateral hydronephrosis developed during the last year. The diagnosis of NDI was confirmed through an indirect water deprivation test and copeptin measurement. Genetic testing revealed a hemizygous truncating mutation in the AVPR2 gene. This article introduces the diagnostic approach for diabetes insipidus and elaborates the clinical value of copeptin in the differential diagnosis between NDI and central diabetes insipidus. A literature review was conducted to summarize the pathogenic mechanisms, clinical features, treatment, prognosis, and management of complications in NDI with AVPR2 mutation.

Objective:To construct a visual analysis system for the operation efficiency of medical equipment,improve the quality of medical services while improving the management level and efficiency of medical equipment.Method:Using the hospital LAN and Internet of Things technology,using advanced indoor positioning technology,three-dimensional high-precision map technology,installing active Bluetooth technology tags in movable high-value medical examination equipment,using LoRa long-distance wireless communication technology,real-time collection of equipment operation status,use frequency,fault information and other data,docking the hospital's business system,with the help of data visualization technology,designed to be able to real-time data,Historical data is integrated into a visual medical equipment operation efficiency analysis system that analyzes graphical interfaces in different dimensions.Results:The system realized the tracking,positioning,monitoring and traceability of the operation status and real-time movement trajectory of medical equipment through maps,ring charts,bar charts,line charts,stand-alone operation status charts,equipment operation status rankings,etc.,providing multi-dimensional,accurate and real-time equipment operation information for the use and management of medical equipment to ensure the high-quality development of the hospital.Conclusion:Through the accurate analysis of the operation efficiency of medical equipment,hospitals can better control medical costs and improve economic and social benefits.

Objective To differentiate disguised visual acuity,(VA)by analyzing discrepancies across diversified visual acuity tests.Methods Volunteers were recruited,and VA(V,and V2)was measured before and after the experiment.Volunteers independently selected an experimental VA(Vt)and were assigned to either the disguised group or the control group.A specially designed heterogeneous optotype chart and a single-optotype chart with variable test distances were used to measure VA(t1,t2,t3),while a standard logarithmic VA chart was used to measure VA(t4).Based on the maximum VA discrepancy(△t),t4 was classified as"real"(≤ 1 line),"disguised"(≥ 2 lines),or"suspicious"(＞1 and＜2 lines with anomaly).Results A total of 126 valid cases were collected,including 30 in the control group and 96 in the disguised group,with VA ranging from 0.2～1.5.All 88 opinions classified as"disguised"were from the disguised group,and all 29 classified as"real"were from the control group.Of the 7 cases deemed"suspicious,"6 were from the disguised group.The sensitivity,specificity,and overall diagnostic accuracy were 91.7％,96.7％(P＜0.0001),and 92.9％(P＜0.0001),respectively.In the disguised group,38 cases exhibited unexplained identifying anomalies.Conclusion A VA discrepancy of ≥ 2 lines is a reliable indicator for detecting disguised visual acuity.Identifying anomalies may serve as a novel and sensitive marker for recognizing visual disguise.