AIM:To explore the efficacy and safe-ty of fecal microbiota transplantation combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)for malig-nant tumor patients with failed multi line anti-tu-mor treatment and concomitant cachexia,and to explore the changes in blood immunity and intesti-nal microbial environment in patients.METHODS:Five patients with malignant tumors who failed multi line anti-tumor treatment were enrolled and treated with ICIs combined with fecal microbiota transplantation.The efficacy was evaluated every 2-3 cycles,and adverse reactions were observed.Fe-cal 16srRNA gene sequencing and serum immuno-logical indicators were dynamically detected.RE-SULTS:Except for one patient who died 2.5 months after transplantation due to excessive tumor bur-den at enrollment,the overall survival of the re-maining four patients were extended(7.4,8.3,28.5,52.3 months).One patient with multiple intra-cranial metastases of lung adenocarcinoma signifi-cantly reduced the intracranial metastasis after in-testinal microbiota transplantation and almost dis-appeared.The serum IL-2,IL-10,TGF-β and other indicators of patients increased rapidly and then slowly decreased with the increase of transplanta-tion time,and finally were higher than before trans-plantation,with statistical differences.16srRNA gene sequencing analysis revealed significant differ-ences in the overall distribution of gut microbiota in patients after transplantation,gradually ap-proaching healthy transplant donors.All patients did not experience grade 2 or above adverse reac-tions,and the safety was good.CONCLUSION:For patients with malignant tumors,the combination of fecal microbiota transplantation and immuno-therapy may improve their quality of life,serum im-mune environment,and intestinal microbiota com-position,have a positive impact on survival progno-sis,and are safe and controllable,opening up new treatment methods for end-stage patients.

AIM:To explore the efficacy and safe-ty of fecal microbiota transplantation combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)for malig-nant tumor patients with failed multi line anti-tu-mor treatment and concomitant cachexia,and to explore the changes in blood immunity and intesti-nal microbial environment in patients.METHODS:Five patients with malignant tumors who failed multi line anti-tumor treatment were enrolled and treated with ICIs combined with fecal microbiota transplantation.The efficacy was evaluated every 2-3 cycles,and adverse reactions were observed.Fe-cal 16srRNA gene sequencing and serum immuno-logical indicators were dynamically detected.RE-SULTS:Except for one patient who died 2.5 months after transplantation due to excessive tumor bur-den at enrollment,the overall survival of the re-maining four patients were extended(7.4,8.3,28.5,52.3 months).One patient with multiple intra-cranial metastases of lung adenocarcinoma signifi-cantly reduced the intracranial metastasis after in-testinal microbiota transplantation and almost dis-appeared.The serum IL-2,IL-10,TGF-β and other indicators of patients increased rapidly and then slowly decreased with the increase of transplanta-tion time,and finally were higher than before trans-plantation,with statistical differences.16srRNA gene sequencing analysis revealed significant differ-ences in the overall distribution of gut microbiota in patients after transplantation,gradually ap-proaching healthy transplant donors.All patients did not experience grade 2 or above adverse reac-tions,and the safety was good.CONCLUSION:For patients with malignant tumors,the combination of fecal microbiota transplantation and immuno-therapy may improve their quality of life,serum im-mune environment,and intestinal microbiota com-position,have a positive impact on survival progno-sis,and are safe and controllable,opening up new treatment methods for end-stage patients.

Objective:To investigate the effects of β-glucan on the activation and functions of mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) induced under different conditions.Methods:Mouse bone marrow from the tibia and fibula was in vitro induced into FL-DCs and GM-DCs by FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt-3L) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in combination with IL-4 into, respectively. These cells were stimulated with whole glucan particles (WGP) and flow cytometry was performed to detect the expression of surface molecules such as CD40, CD80, MHCⅠ, MHCⅡ, CD8α, and CD11b on them. ELISA was used to detect the levels of IL-12p40, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 in cell culture supernatants. The expression of each cytokine and chemokine receptor at the mRNA level was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. CD8 + and CD4 + T cells in OT-Ⅰ and OT-Ⅱ mice were sorted out by magnetic bead sorting kit and co-cultured with FL-DCs and GM-DCs in the presence of ovalbumin (OVA). And then, the proliferation and differentiation of T cells were detected by flow cytometry. Results:WGP significantly promoted the expression of CD40, CD80, MHCⅠ, MHCⅡ and CD8α on FL-DCs and GM-DCs ( P<0.05). The secretion of IL-12p40 and TNF-α by FL-DCs and GM-DCs was significantly enhanced after WGP treatment ( P<0.05), while there are significant differences in the secretion of IL-6 and IL-10 between FL-DCs and GM-DCs. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR showed that WGP promoted the expression of chemokine receptors CXCR5 and CCR7 by GM-DCs ( P<0.001 and P<0.01), and the expression of CCR7 by FL-DCs ( P<0.0001). WGP promoted CD4 + T cells to secrete more IFN-γ and IL-17α when they were co-cultured with FL-DCs or GM-DCs ( P<0.05). Conclusions:WGP induces the maturation of BMDCs and improves the ability of BMDCs to activate effector T cells. Besides, WGP prompts the differentiation of BMDCs that are induced under different conditions to different Th cells.

Objective:To analyze the clinical phenotype and genetic basis for a child featuring familial short stature.Methods:A child who was admitted to Huzhou Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital on October 7, 2021 for growth retardation and pectus carinatum was selected as the study subject. Physical exam and medical imaging was performed. The child was subjected to whole exome sequencing, and candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing and bioinformatic analysis.Results:The child, a 1-year-old male, had manifested with slightly short stature ( Z = -2.03), midfacial dysplasia, and multiple skeletal dysplasia such as pectus carinatum, irregular vertebral morphology, and defect of lumbar anterior bones. His mother, maternal grandmother and great-maternal grandfather also had short stature. WES revealed that the child has harbored a heterozygous c. 2858dupA (p.Asp953GlufsTer476) frameshifting variant of the ACAN gene, which was inherited from his mother. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the c. 2858dup (p.Sp953Glufster476) variant was classified as likely pathogenic (PVS1+ PM2_Supporting). The patient has shown marked improved height after receiving 11 months of treatment with human recombinant growth hormone (supplemental dose) starting from 20 months of age. Conclusion:The ACAN: c. 2858dup (p.Asp953GlufsTer476) variant probably underlay the pathogenesis of short stature in this child.

Objective:To investigate humoral and antigen-specific T cell immune responses induced by oral administration of WGP-OVA in C57BL/6 mice.Methods:C57BL/6 mice were orally administered with PBS,WGP and WGP-OVA for 17 days,respec-tively.The serum immunoglobulin levels including IgG1,IgG2a,IgG3 and IgM of mice were detected using LEGENDplexTM Multi-An-alyte Flow Assay Kit.HE staining was used to compare the size of lymphoid nodules in spleens.FACS was used to analyze the percent-age of F4/80+macrophages and F4/80+SIINFEKL+macrophages in inguinal lymph nodes(ILNs).In addition,the T cell-mediated im-munity stimulated by the WGP-OVA oral vaccine was analyzed by ILNs-infiltrating antigen-specific CD8+T cell using MHC Tetramer assay.Results:Oral administration of WGP-OVA significantly increased the contents of IgG1,IgG2a,IgG3 and IgM in the serum,and enlarged the lymphoid nodules in spleens,compared to those orally administered with PBS.Oral administration of WGP-OVA pro-moted the ILNs-infiltration of F4/80+macrophages,and enhanced the antigen-presentation of OVA in macrophages in ILNs.Moreover,the expansion of OVA specific CD8+CTLs in ILNs was also stimulated by WGP-OVA.Conclusion:WGP-OVA involved in both the humoral and antigen-specific T cell immune responses in C57BL/6 mice.

Objective:To investigate the effect of tripartite motif-containing 23 (Trim23) on the differentiation and maturation of dendritic cells and the possible mechanism.Methods:Mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) were prepared from bone marrow cells of C57BL/6 mice with the presence of Flt3L. Real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression of Trim23 in BMDCs after LPS stimulation. An overexpression vector for full-length Trim23 (Trim23 OE) was constructed and transfected into BMDCs, and the pcDNA3.1 empty vector was used as control. Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of CD80, CD86, CD40 and MHCⅡ on the surface of vector-transfected BMDCs after LPS stimulation and ELISA was used to detect the secretion of IL-12p40, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 by these cells. CD8 + and CD4 + T cells were isolated from spleen and lymph nodes of OT-Ⅰ and OT-Ⅱ mice by magnetic beads and co-cultured with LPS-treated BMDCs in the presence of ovalbumin (OVA). Flow cytometry was used to detect the proliferation and differentiation of CD8 + and CD4 + T cells. Western blot was performed to analyze the phosphorylation of p38, ERK1/2 and AKT in BMDCs. Two overexpression vectors for Trim23 mutants lacking RING or ARF domain (Trim23 ΔRING and Trim23 ΔARF) were constructed and transfected into BMDCs. Then flow cytometry and ELISA were used to detect the expression of surface molecules and cytokines. Results:The expression of Trim23 in BMDCs was significantly down-regulated after LPS stimulation. The expression of MHCⅡ, CD86 and CD80 and the secretion of TNF-α and IL-6 decreased significantly in BMDCs overexpressing Trim23. Furthermore, overexpression of Trim23 inhibited the ability of BMDCs to induce the proliferation and differentiation of CD4 + T cells and the proliferation of CD8 + T cells. Western blot showed that the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK1/2 decreased significantly in Trim23-overexpressing BMDCs. Compared with wildtype Trim23, overexpression of Trim23 ΔRING had no significant influence on the expression of surface molecules (MHCⅡ and CD86) and the secretion of cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) in BMDCs stimulated by LPS. Conclusions:Trim23 overexpression inhibited the maturation and immune activation of BMDCs via MAPK signal pathway and its RING domain. This study provided reference for targeting Trim23 to improve the immune response of dendritic cell-based tumor vaccines.

Objective:To detect the differential expression of microRNA(miRNA) in abdominal fat of mice fed with high fat and to explore the role of highly expressed miR-335 in lipid metabolism.Methods:MicroRNA microarray was used to detect the differential expression of miRNAs in abdominal fat of mice fed with high fat. The target genes of miR-335 were predicted by Targetscan, the target genes of ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphordiester-ase 4(ENPP4) and fatty acid desaturase1(FADS1) were verified with double luciferase reporter system and point mutation test. miR-335 mimics was transfected into 3T3L1 cells to detect the expression of target gene mRNA and protein; Realtime PCR was used to detect the expression levels of miR-335 and target genes in different tissues of mice.Results:After high-fat feeding, the size of mice in the model group was significantly larger than the control group, and the serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels of mice were significantly increased( P=0.016, P=0.014). miRNAs were differentially expressed in adipose tissues of mice fed with high fat, and the expression of miR-335 increased significantly( P=0.024). Double luciferase reporter system showed that miR-335 combined with the predicted target sites of ENPP4 and FADS1 through the " seed region" to inhibit the expression of ENPP4 and FADS1 genes, and the point mutation test confirmed the binding target sites between miR-335 and ENPP4/FADS1. MiR-335 mimics were transfected into 3T3L1 cells, the expression level of FADS1 mRNA decreased significantly( P=0.038), and the protein levels of ENPP4 and FADS1 decreased significantly( P=0.033, P=0.007). Realtime PCR showed that, miR-335 was significantly higher expressed in liver, brown adipose tissue, and brain after high-fat feeding, especially in white adipose tissue( P=0.002). The expression of ENPP4 and FADS1 in brain( P=0.006, P=0.034) and brown adipose tissue( P=0.014, P=0.037) decreased significantly, and the expression of ENPP4 in liver also decreased significantly after high-fat diet( P<0.001). Conclusion:miR-335 is a miRNA related to lipid metabolism and fat deposition. ENPP4 and FADS1 are the target genes of miR-335.

Objective To investigate the effects of lncRNA FENDRR on the proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of LUSC H226 cells and its molecular mechanism. Methods The expression levels of FENDRR in normal lung epithelial cells BEAS, lung adenocarcinoma A549 and H1299 cells and LUSC H226 cells were detected by qRT-PCR. H226 cells were transfected with FENDRR-siRNA as the experimental group, or with FENDRR-siNC as a negative control group. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 assay. Cell migration and invasion were detected by Transwell assay. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The protein expression levels of MEK, p-MEK, ERK and p-ERK were determined by Western blot. Results FENDRR levels in H226 cells were significantly lower than those in normal lung epithelial cells. Compared with the negative control group, the knockdown of FENDRR could significantly promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of H226 cells, inhibit the cell apoptosis, and increase the protein levels of p-MEK and p-ERK. The addition of ERK inhibitor U0126 rescued the effect of FENDRR knockdown on H226 cells. Conclusions The knockdown of lncRNA FENDRR can promote the proliferation, migration and inhibit the apoptosis of H226 cells through ERK/MAPK pathway.

Objective:To investigate the effects of β-glucan combined with agonistic anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody (5C11) on the immune functions of dendritic cells (DCs) and the possible molecular mechanism.Methods:Mononuclear cells were separated from fresh concentrated white cells (granulocytes) of healthy subjects using Ficoll density gradient centrifugation, and induced by GM-CSF and IL-4 to differentiate into immature DCs. Following various stimulation (5C11 alone, β-glucan alone, 5C11 combined with β-glucan), flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of CD40, CD80, CD83, CD86 and MHC-Ⅱ molecule HLA-DR on the surface of DCs. ELISA was used to detect the secretion of cytokines including IL-12, IL-6, TNF-α and IL-10. Western blot was used to detect the phosphorylation of proteins related to MAPK signaling pathway.Results:Flow cytometry suggested that β-glucan significantly induced the expression of co-stimulatory molecule CD40 on the surface of DCs ( P<0.05). After the DCs were co-stimulated with β-glucan and 5C11, CD80, CD83 and CD86 expression were further significantly increased, and a strong synergistic effect on CD83 expression, a key marker of DC maturation, was observed ( P<0.01). ELISA showed that β-glucan combined with 5C11 could significantly promote the secretion of cytokines such as IL-12, IL-6 and TNF-α by DCs, and have a synergistic effect on the secretion of IL-12, a critical cytokine in regulating DC functions ( P<0.01). Western blot indicated that the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and p44/42 MAPK in DCs was increased significantly after combined treatment, and the phosphorylation started earlier and lasted longer compared to that in DCs stimulated with 5C11 or β-glucan alone ( P<0.01). Conclusions:This study suggested that β-glucan combined with 5C11 had a synergistic effect on promoting the maturation and improving the immune functions of DCs, providing a new strategy for the preparation of anti-tumor DC vaccines.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for a child featuring delayed intellectual development. METHODS: The child and his parents were subjected to conventional G-banding karyotyping and single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP-array) analysis. Suspected copy number variations (CNVs) were verified in both parents. RESULTS: No karyotypic abnormality was found with the child and his parents. SNP-array results for both parents were normal. The child was found to harbor a de novo 172 kb deletion at 18q21.2 with a physical position of 52 957 042-53 129 237. The deletion only involved one OMIM gene, namely TCF4, resulting in removal of its exons 6 to 8. CONCLUSION The SNP-array assay has facilitated with the diagnosis of this child. Deletion of 18q21.2 region probably accounts for the Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) in this patient.
Child ; Chromosome Deletion ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18 ; genetics ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Developmental Disabilities ; genetics ; Facies ; Humans ; Hyperventilation ; genetics ; Intellectual Disability ; genetics ; Phenotype ; Transcription Factor 4 ; genetics