Objective To develop a size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography(SE-HPLC) method for determining the purity of Coxsackievirus A10(CVA10) vaccine bulk solution and to verify and apply the method.Methods The chromatographic conditions were as follows: The mobile phase was 5 mmol/L PBS with 150 mmol/L NaCl(pH 7. 20), and the detection wavelength was 280 nm; the injection volume was 100 μL at the column temperature of 28 ℃. The chromatographic columns[TSKgel G5000 PWXL(7. 8 mm × 300 mm), TSKgel GMPWXL(7. 8 mm × 300 mm), ZenixSEC-300(7. 8 mm ×300 mm), and MonomixMC10-SEC(7. 8 mm × 300 mm)]and flow rates(0. 4, 0. 6 and 0. 8 mL/min) were screened.Subsequently, the specificity, repeatability, intermediate precision, linear range and robustness of the method were verified and the limit of detection(LOD) and limit of quantitation(LOQ) were determined. The optimized method was used to monitor the stability of samples in vaccine bulk solution purification process and CVA10 antigen at 4 ℃.Results The column with the best separation was TSKgel G5000 PWXL(7. 8 mm × 300 mm), and the optimal detection flow rate was 0. 6 mL/min. The method could completely separate the virus antigen peak from other impurity peaks. The relative standard deviations(RSDs)of retention time, peak area and peak height in repeatability verification were 0. 05%, 0. 35% and 0. 13%, respectively, while the RSDs of those in intermediate precision verification were 0. 07%, 0. 81% and 0. 34%, respectively. The peak area showed a good linear relationship with the sample protein concentration, with a regression equation of y = 26. 77 x + 6. 00, R~2= 0. 999.The LOQ was 0. 125 μg/mL and the LOD was 0. 031 μg/mL. This method could tolerate the column temperature ranging from 24 to 32 ℃ and the mobile phase pH values ranging from 7. 0 to 7. 4.Conclusion The established SE-HPLC method has good specificity, repeatability, intermediate precision, linear range and robustness, which is suitable for the detection of virus antigen purity in CVA10 vaccine bulk solution.

Objective This study aimed to reveal critical genes regulating peri-implantitis during its development and construct a diagnostic model by using random forest(RF)and artificial neural network(ANN).Methods GSE-33774,GSE106090,and GSE57631 datasets were obtained from the GEO database.The GSE33774 and GSE106090 da-tasets were analyzed for differential expression and functional enrichment.The protein-protein interaction networks(PPI)and RF screened vital genes.A diagnostic model for peri-implantitis was established using ANN and validated on the GSE33774 and GSE57631 datasets.A transcription factor-gene interaction network and a transcription factor-micro-RNA(miRNA)regulatory network were also established.Results A total of 124 differentially expressed genes(DEGs)involved in the regulation of peri-implantitis were screened.Enrichment analysis showed that DEGs were mainly associated with immune receptor activity and cytokine receptor activity and were mainly involved in processes such as leukocyte and neutrophil migration.The PPI and RF screened six essential genes,namely,CD38,CYBB,FCGR2A,SELL,TLR4,and CXCL8.The receiver oper-ating characteristic curve(ROC)indicated that the ANN model had an excellent diagnostic performance.FOXC1,GA-TA2,and NF-κB1 may be essential transcription factors in peri-implantitis,and hsa-miR-204 may be a key miRNA.Con-clusion The diagnostic model of peri-implantitis constructed by RF and ANN has high confidence,and CD38,CYBB,FCGR2A,SELL,TLR4,and CXCL8 are potential diagnostic markers.FOXC1,GATA2,and NF-κB1 may be essential transcription factors in peri-implantitis,and hsa-miR-204 plays a vital role as a critical miRNA.

Objective This study aims to investigate the role of genes related to fatty acid metabolism in periodon-titis through machine learning and bioinformatics methods.Methods Periodontitis datasets GSE10334 and GSE-16134 were downloaded from the GEO database,and the fatty acid metabolism-related gene sets were obtained from the GeneCards database.Differentially expressed fatty acid metabolism-related genes(DEFAMRGs)in periodontitis were screened using the"limma"R package.Functional enrichment and pathway analyses were conducted.Recursive Feature Elimination,Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator,and Boruta algorithm were used to determine hub DEFAMRGs and construct diagnostic models with internal and external validation.Subtypes of periodontitis relat-ed to hub DEFAMRGs were constructed using consis-tency clustering analysis.CIBERSORT was used to ana-lyze immune cell infiltration in gingival tissues and ex-plore the correlation between hub DEFAMRGs and im-mune cells.Results A total of 113 periodontitis DE-FAMRGs were screened out as a result.The enrichment analysis results indicate that DEFAMRGs are mainly associat-ed with immune inflammatory responses and immune cell chemotaxis.Finally,8 hub DEFAMRGs(BTG2,CXCL12,FABP4,CLDN10,PPBP,RGS1,LGALSL,and RIF1)were identified and a diagnostic model(AUC=0.967)was con-structed,based on which periodontitis was divided into two subtypes.In addition,there is a significant correlation be-tween hub DEFAMRGs and different immune cell populations,with mast cells and dendritic cells showing higher cor-relation.Conclusion This study provides new insights and ideas for the occurrence and development mechanism of periodontitis and proposes a diagnostic model based on hub DEFAMRGs to provide new directions for diagnosis and treatment.

Objective:To investigate the function and underlying mechanism of cysteine and glycine-rich protein 2(CSRP2)in neuroblastoma(NB).Methods:The correlation between the expression level of CSRP2 mRNA and the prognosis of NB children in NB clinical samples was analyzed in R2 Genomics Analysis and Visualization Platform.The small interfering RNA(siRNA)targeting CSRP2 or CSRP2 plasmid were transfected to NB cell lines SK-N-BE(2)and SH-SY5Y.Cell proliferation was observed by crystal violet staining and real-time cellular analysis.The ability of colony formation of NB cells was ob-served by colony-forming unit assay.Immunofluorescence assay was used to detect the expression of the proliferation marker Ki-67.Flow cytometry analysis for cell cycle proportion was used with cells stained by propidium iodide(PI).Annexin V/7AAD was used to stain cells and analyze the percentage of cell apoptosis.The ability of cell migration was determined by cell wound-healing assay.The level of protein and mRNA expression of CSRP2 in NB primary tumor and NB cell lines were detected by Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR(RT-qPCR).Results:By analyzing the NB clinical sample databases,it was found that the expression levels of CSRP2 in high-risk NB with 3/4 stages in international neuroblas-toma staging system(INSS)were significantly higher than that in low-risk NB with 1/2 INSS stages.The NB patients with high expression levels of CSRP2 were shown lower overall survival rate than those with low expression levels of CSRP2.We detected the protein levels of CSRP2 in the NB samples by Western blot,and found that the protein level of CSRP2 in 3/4 INSS stages was significantly higher than that in 1/2 INSS stages.Knockdown of CSRP2 inhibited cell viability and proliferation of NB cells.Overexpression of CSRP2 increased the proliferation of NB cells.Flow cytometry showed that the proportion of sub-G1,G0/G1 and S phase cells and Annexin V positive cells were increased after CSRP2 deficiency.In the cell wound-healing assay,the healing rate of NB cells was significantly attenuated after knockdown of CSRP2.Further mechanism studies showed that the proportion of the proliferation marker Ki-67 and the phospho-rylation levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2(ERK1/2)were significantly decreased after CSRP2 knockdown.Conclusion:CSRP2 is highly expressed in high-risk NB with 3/4 INSS stages,and the expression levels of CSRP2 are negatively correlated with the overall survival of NB patients.CSRP2 significantly increased the proliferation and cell migration of NB cells and inhibited cell apoptosis via the activation of ERK1/2.All these results indicate that CSRP2 promotes the progression of NB by activating ERK1/2,and this study will provide a potential target for high-risk NB therapy.

Objective To investigate the relationship between cytochrome P450 3A5*3(CYP3A5*3)gene polymorphism and adverse reactions of apatinib monotherapy in advanced gastric cancer patients.Methods A total of 86 patients with advanced gastric cancer who received apatinib monotherapy at Nanjing First Hospital from January 2020 to June 2022 were selected,and 2 ml of peripheral venous blood from patients was collected.The genotype of CYP3A5*3 was identified using PCR-RFLP combined sequencing method,and its correlation with adverse reactions was analyzed by apatinib.Results Among the 86 patients,there were 29 cases of mutant heterozygous genotype(AG genotype)and 51 cases of mutant homozygous genotype(GG genotype),with a mutation type accounting for 93.02％.The incidence of hypertension and leukopenia in patients with the CYP3A5*3 GG genotype was significantly higher than in patients with the AA+AG genotype(χ2=6.154,6.947,P=0.043,0.027).Other adverse reactions related to apatinib treatment were not found to be associated with the CYP3A5*3 genotype(P＞0.05).In addition,no correlation was found between severe adverse reactions and the CYP3A5*3 genotype(P＞0.05).Conclusion The CYP3A5*3 GG genotype significantly increased the risk of hypertension and leukopenia caused by apatinib monotherapy,and no correlation was found with the risk of serious adverse reactions.

Objective: To investigate the effects of dietary habits on general and abdominal obesity in community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder according to sex. Methods: A total of 270 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder registered at mental health welfare centers and rehabilitation facilities were recruited. General obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m 2 , and abdominal obesity was defined as a waist circumstance ≥ 90 cm in men and ≥ 85 cm in women. Dietary habits were evaluated using dietary guidelines published by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare. Demographic and clinical characteristics along with dietary habits and information related to obesity were collected. Factors related to obesity were evaluated separately by sex. Results: Dietary habits differed according to sex, in that scores for healthy eating habits were lower in men than in women. In men, the prevalences of general and abdominal obesity were 17.0% and 37.3%, respectively. In women, the prevalences of general and abdominal obesity were 23.1% and 38.5%, respectively. Regression analysis showed that the scores of regular eating habits were negatively associated with general and abdominal obesity in men, and the scores of healthy eating habits were negatively associated with general and abdominal obesity in women. Conclusion Among patients with schizophrenia, regular eating habits might reduce the risk of obesity in men, and healthy eating habits might reduce the risk of obesity in women. Nutrition education should be provided to community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia to prevent obesity in this population.

We developed and assessed the performance of a new multiplex real-time PCR assay for the detection of all Chlamydia species and simultaneous differentiation of Chlamydia psittaci and Chlamydia pneumoniae—two important human respiratory pathogens—in human clinical specimens. Next-generation sequencing was used to identify unique targets to design real-time PCR assays targeting all Chlamydia species, C. psittaci, and C. pneumoniae. To validate the assay, we used a panel of 49 culture isolates comprising seven C. psittaci genotypes, eight C. pneumoniae isolates, seven other Chlamydia species, and 22 near-neighbor bacterial and viral isolates, along with 22 specimens from external quality assessment (EQA) panels and 34 nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs and cerebrospinal fluid, stool, and sputum specimens previously identified as positive or negative for C. psittaci or C. pneumoniae. The assays were 100% specific, with limits of detection of 7.64– 9.02 fg/μL. The assay results matched with historical assay results for all specimens, except for one owing to the increased sensitivity of the new C. psittaci assay; the results of the EQA specimens were 100% accurate. This assay may improve the timely and accurate clinical diagnosis of Chlamydia infections and provide a greater understanding of the burden of disease caused by these agents.

CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is a transcriptional regulator that binds to a complex DNA motif in various orientations and plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression, chromatin restructuring, and developmental processes. Mutations in the CTCF are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Here we report the first Korean case with a de novo heterozygous variant in the CTCF (c.1025G>A; p.Arg342His). She showed global developmental delay, failure to thrive, and dysmorphic face, which are phenotypes consistent with previous reports in the autosomal dominant intellectual developmental disorder 21 (MIM 615502). She also showed clinical features not previously reported, such as antral web and tracheobronchomalacia.Our case follows suit and expands understanding of this rare disorder by reporting common features and, on the other hand, unreported concomitant congenital anomalies.

Objective:To explore any effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on neurons, behavior, cerebral blood flow (CBF), vascular regeneration, and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and CD34 protein in rats modeling cerebral infarction.Methods:Thirty-two adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a sham surgery group (Sham group), a model group (modeled with middle cerebral artery occlusion, MCAO group), an anode transcranial direct current stimulation group (A-tDCS group), and a cathode transcranial direct current stimulation group (C-tDCS group), each of 8. MCAO models were established in the rats of the MCAO, A-tDCS and C-tDCS groups using thread fixation. Twenty-four hours after successful modeling, both the Sham and MCAO groups were connected with electrodes without current stimulation, while the A-tDCS and C-tDCS groups were given 20 minutes of 200μA anodic or cathodic electrical stimulation daily, 5 days a week for 12 days. Before and 24 hours after the modeling, and then after the 12 days of treatment, the four groups received Longa neurobehavioral scoring. Moreover, three days after the modeling as well as after the 12 days of treatment, changes in CBF were observed using MRI. Any blood vessel regeneration was observed using immunofluorescence methods, and the expression of VEGF and CD34 proteins were detected using western blotting.Results:The rats in the MCAO, A-tDCS and C-tDCS groups exhibited various degrees of neurological deficit after the modeling. After the 12 days of treatment the average neurobehavioral scores of the A-tDCS and C-tDCS groups were significantly lower than that of the MCAO group, with the A-tDCS group′s average significantly lower than that of the C-tDCS group. Three days after the modeling, 3D-arterial spin labeling scanning showed a significant decrease in CBF around the ischemic lesion in the MCAO, A-tDCS and C-tDCS groups, but that had increased to varying degrees after 12 days of treatment. The changes in the A-tDCS and C-tDCS groups were significantly larger than in the MCAO group on average, with the former group improving significantly more than the latter. After the 12 days of treatment, new vascularization and the expression of VEGF and CD34 proteins were significantly higher in the A-tDCS and C-tDCS groups than in the MCAO group, with the change in the former group again significantly greater than in the latter.Conclusions:tDCS can relieve the symptoms of neurological deficits in rats with cerebral infarction, promote vascular regeneration, CBF, and expression of VEGF and CD34 proteins. Anodic is superior to cathodic stimulation.

Objective:To analyze the incidence of stillbirth and the associated factors in pregnancy among pregnant residents in Wuhan.Methods:A previous birth cohort was retrospectively reviewed. The cohort was based on Wuhan Maternal and Child Information System, and the perinatal information of pregnant residents in Wuhan from January 1, 2011, to September 30, 2017 and information of selected cases was collected, including socio-demographic characteristics, pregnant history, and healthcare information during pregnancy and labor. Data on stillbirth, including fetal death in uterus and in labor, were selected for this study. Chi-square test was adopted for comparing the differences in pregnancy-related factors between live birth and stillbirth, and binary logistic regressions for exploring the influencing factors associated with the occurrence of stillbirth. Results:A total of 509 057 deliveries in Wuhan were included in this study, including 505 839 live births and 3 218 stillbirths (3 155 after exclusion of fetal death in labor), with an overall incidence of stillbirth of 6.32‰(3 218/509 057), and an annual incidence between 4.90‰ to 8.11‰. Statistically significant differences were found between the live birth and stillbirth group in the following items: maternal age [<25 years old: 19.28% (97 544/505 839) vs 19.36% (623/3 218); 25-30 years old: 48.45% (245 077/505 839) vs 45.15% (1 453/3 218); 30-35 years old: 26.09% (131 952/505 839) vs 26.29% (846/3 218); >35 years old: 6.18% (31 266/505 839) vs 9.20% (296/3 218)], educational background [middle school or below: 22.90% (115 833/505 839) vs 22.03% (709/3 218); high school: 36.37% (183 978/505 839) vs 38.72% (1 246/3 218); college or above: 40.73% (206 028/505 839) vs 39.25% (1 263/3 218)], occupation [brainworker or professionals: 33.51% (169 514/505 839) vs 31.54% (1 015/3 218); manual or freelance worker: 66.38% (335 763/505 839) vs 68.34% (2 199/3 218)], residential area [urban area: 70.00% (354 365/505 839) vs 76.32% (2 456/3 218); rural area: 30.00% (151 474/505 839) vs 23.68%(762/3 218)], and time of conception [spring (March to May): 24.27% (122 746/505 839) vs 24.08% (775/3 218); summer (June to August): 24.09% (121 867/505 839) vs 23.87% (768/3 218); fall (September to November): 26.69% (135 012/505 839) vs 25.08% (807/3 218); winter (December to next February): 24.95% (126 214/505 839) vs 26.97% (868/3 218)] (all P<0.05), but no significant difference was found in fetal gender ( P>0.05). Besides, gravidity [once: 49.32% (249 484/505 839) vs 47.02% (1 513/3 218); over twice: 50.68% (256 355/505 839) vs 52.98% (1 705/3 218)], parity [once: 73.60% (372 316/505 839) vs 77.07% (2 480/3 218); over twice: 26.40% (133 523/505 839) vs 22.93% (738/3 218)], history of stillbirth [0.33% (842/256 355) vs 0.65% (11/1 705)], hypertensive disorders in pregnancy [3.25% (16 464/505 839) vs 5.59% (180/3 218)], first trimester vaginal bleeding [2.02% (10 251/505 839) vs 2.61% (84/3 218)], placenta previa [0.98% (4 963/505 491) vs 2.64% (53/2 009)], and oligohydramnios [2.52% (12 764/505 839) vs 1.90% (61/3 218)] differed significantly between the two groups (all P<0.05). However, no significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of the proportion of women with gestational diabetes mellitus and previous spontaneous abortion (both P>0.05). After exclusion of fetal death in labor from the 3 218 stillbirths, the same results were achieved. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that women who were over 30 years old (30-35 years old: OR=1.42, 95% CI: 1.30-1.56; >35 years old: OR=2.59, 95% CI: 2.25-2.98), with a high school degree or below (middle school or below: OR=1.37, 95% CI: 1.21-1.55; high school: OR=1.28, 95% CI: 1.16-1.42), manual or freelance worker ( OR=1.18, 95% CI: 1.07-1.31), in the urban area ( OR=1.43, 95% CI:1.31-1.57), and gravidity ≥ 2 times ( OR=1.32, 95% CI: 1.21-1.43), primiparity ( OR=1.76, 95% CI: 1.58-1.96), gestational hypertension ( OR=2.80, 95% CI: 2.40-3.27), vaginal bleeding in the first trimester ( OR=1.35, 95% CI: 1.08-1.68), placenta previa ( OR=10.86, 95% CI: 8.84-13.35) and history of stillbirth ( OR=2.27, 95% CI: 1.30-3.98) were all risk factors of stillbirth. Conclusion:Pregnant women who were over 30 years old, less educated, manual worker or freelance or with a history of adverse pregnancy, vaginal bleeding in the first trimester, hypertension in pregnancy, and placenta previa are at higher risk of stillbirth