ObjectiveThis study aims to compare the modeling effects of submaxillary gland antigen and salivary gland antigen in the establishment of Sjögren syndrome (SS) mouse models, and to characterize the phenotypic and immunological features of these models in comparison with spontaneous SS-prone non-obese diabetic (NOD)/LtJ mice. MethodsAdult C57BL/6J mice (equal numbers of males and females) were immunized with submaxillary gland antigen or salivary gland antigen, respectively, combined with Freund's adjuvant to induce SS models. Mice immunized with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) combined with Freund's adjuvant served as the control group. Immunization was induced via multiple subcutaneous injections in the back with antigen combined with Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) on Days 1 and 7. A booster immunization was administered via multiple subcutaneous injections in the back with antigen combined with Freund's incomplete adjuvant (FIA) on Day 14. Female NOD/LtJ mice were used as the spontaneous SS model group, with ICR mice as the corresponding control strain for comparative analysis. Body weight, water intake, and salivary flow rate of mice were dynamically monitored for 4 weeks. At the end of the experiment, tissue and serum samples were collected, the weights of submaxillary glands, thymus, and spleen were measured, and organ indices (organ-to-body weight ratios) were calculated. Pathological morphological analysis of the submaxillary gland and spleen was performed with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Serum interleukin-17 (IL-17) level was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of SS type A (SSA) and SS type B (SSB) in submaxillary gland tissues. ResultsFemale mice in the submaxillary gland antigen group exhibited significantly increased water intake (P<0.05) and reduced salivary flow rate (P<0.05) compared with the female control group. No statistically significant differences were observed in the submaxillary gland index, thymus index and spleen index (P>0.05). Focal lymphocytic infiltration was observed in the submaxillary glands, and the splenic marginal zone was enlarged. Serum IL-17 levels were significantly increased (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in submaxillary gland SSA/SSB expression levels (P>0.05). Compared with the female control group, female mice in the salivary gland antigen group showed no statistically significant differences in water intake, salivary flow rate, submaxillary gland index, and spleen index (P>0.05), whereas the thymus index was significantly reduced (P<0.01). Mild inflammatory cell infiltration and glandular atrophy were observed in the submaxillary glands, and the splenic white pulp and marginal zone were slightly enlarged. Serum IL-17 levels and submaxillary gland SSB mRNA expression levels were significantly increased (P<0.01), whereas no significant change was observed in submaxillary gland SSA expression levels (P>0.05). Compared with the male control group, mild submaxillary gland atrophy was observed in male mice in the submaxillary gland antigen group, whereas no obvious changes were found in other modeling-related indicators (P>0.05). Compared with the ICR control group, NOD/LtJ model mice exhibited elevated water intake (P<0.05), significantly reduced salivary flow rate (P<0.01), no significant differences in the submaxillary gland index or spleen index (P>0.05), but a significantly increased thymus index (P<0.05). Marked focal infiltration was observed in the submaxillary glands, the splenic marginal zone was obviously enlarged, and serum IL-17 concentrations as well as submaxillary gland SSA/SSB expression levels were significantly increased (P<0.05). ConclusionSubmaxillary gland antigen and salivary gland antigen can induce SS-related features in female C57BL/6J mice. The SS-related phenotype is more pronounced in the submaxillary gland antigen group than in the salivary gland antigen group, but weaker than that in spontaneously SS-prone female NOD/LtJ mice. Immunization of male C57BL/6J mice with submaxillary or salivary gland antigens fails to induce an obvious SS phenotype.

ObjectiveTo investigate the status of overlapping hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus （HCV） infection and the serological characteristics of such patients. MethodsA total of 8 637 patients with HCV infection who were hospitalized from January 1， 2010 to December 31， 2020 and had complete data of HBV serological markers were enrolled， and the composition ratio of patients with overlapping HBV serological markers was analyzed among the patients with HCV infection. The patients were divided into groups based on age and year of birth， and serological characteristics were analyzed， and the distribution of HBV-related serological characteristics were analyzed across different HCV genotypes. ResultsThe patients with HCV/HBV overlapping infection accounted for 5.85%， and the patients with previous HBV infection accounted for 48.10%； the patients with protective immunity against HBV accounted for 14.67%， while the patients with a lack of protective immunity against HBV accounted for 31.39%. The patients were divided into groups based on age： in the 0 — 17 years group， the patients with protective immunity against HBV accounted for 61.41% （304 patients）； the 18 — 44 years group was mainly composed of patients with previous HBV infection （698 patients， 37.31%）， the 45 — 59 years group was predominantly composed of patients with previous HBV infection （1 945 patients， 50.38%）， and the ≥60 years group was also predominantly composed of patients with previous HBV infection （1 486 patients， 61.66%）. The patients were divided into groups based on the year of birth： in the pre-1992 group， the patients with previous HBV infection accounted for 51.63% （4 112 patients）； in the 1992 — 2005 group， the patients with protective immunity against HBV accounted for 54.72% （168 patients）； in the post-2005 group， the patients with protective immunity against HBV accounted for 64.38% （235 patients）. In this study， 6 301 patients underwent HCV genotype testing： the patients with genotype 1b accounted for the highest proportion of 51.71% （3 258 patients）， followed by those with genotype 2a （1 769 patients， 28.07%）， genotype 3b （63 patients， 1.00%）， genotype 3a （10 patients， 0.16%）， genotype 4 （21 patients， 0.33%）， and genotype 6a （5 patients， 0.08%）. ConclusionWith the implementation of hepatitis B planned vaccination program in China， there has been a significant reduction in the proportion of patients with previous HBV infection among the patients with HCV/HBV overlapping infection， but there is still a relatively high proportion of patients with a lack of protective immunity against HBV.

Hepatic fibrosis is a complex dynamic process caused by multiple chronic pathogenic factors， characterized by excessive accumulation of liver extracellular matrix and abnormal liver structure and function. If anti-fibrotic treatment is not performed in time， it can progress to liver cirrhosis and even liver cancer. Hepatic fibrosis has a complex pathogenesis， and previous studies mainly focused on the activation of hepatic stellate cells. Recent studies have shown that myeloid cells have the potential of multi-directional differentiation and can also participate in the development and progression of hepatic fibrosis. This article systematically reviews the role and regulatory mechanism of myeloid cells in hepatic fibrosis， in order to provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and targeted therapy.

Obesity， a global chronic disease， is associated with adipose tissue dysfunction， which is one of the contributing factors to obesity. The cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP） signaling pathway， a key regulator of lipid metabolism， plays a pivotal role in obesity development. Various of traditional Chinese medicine monomers， such as flavonoids， lignans， phenols， and terpenoids， as well as traditional Chinese medicine compound formulas like Xiaoyao powder， Shengmai powder， and Zexie decoction， can maintain energy homeostasis， balance adipose tissue function， regulate glucose metabolism， improve insulin resistance， and suppress inflammatory responses through cAMP signaling pathway regulation， thereby intervening in lipid metabolism for obesity treatment. Although a substantial amount of basic research has preliminarily elucidated the potential mechanisms by which traditional Chinese medicine intervenes in obesity through the cAMP signaling pathway， clinical translational research remains inadequate. There is an urgent need for large-sample， high-quality randomized controlled trials to validate these findings.

This article reports a rare case of autoinflammatory disease presenting initially with skin induration and swelling after trauma as the initial manifestation, followed by progressive limb weakness. The patient was a middle-aged female who developed skin induration and swelling after trauma, which gradually progressed to limb weakness, dysarthria and bilateral facial paralysis, accompanied by livedo reticularis of the lower extremities, diffuse skin induration of the limbs, and beaded subcutaneous nodules in the right upper limb. The patient had a susceptibility to infection since childhood and a history of chronic livedo reticularis. Skin pathological examination revealed panniculitis. A comprehensive etiological screening for special infections and autoimmune diseases was completed with an unremarkable results, and whole-exome sequencing showed no abnormal findings. Following a multidisciplinary discussion combined with RNA sequencing results, the patient was diagnosed with an autoinflammatory disease, with a suspected type Ⅰ interferonopathy. Treatment with tofacitinib resulted in gradual improvement of clinical symptoms. This case highlights the importance of detailed medical history collection, systematic physical examination and multidisciplinary collaborative diagnosis and treatment, and underscores the pivotal role of molecular diagnosis in the confirmation of rare diseases. It can provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis and management of similar rare cases.

Objective To gain insights into the biological characteristics of different populations of Culex tritaeniorhynchus within and around the Yellow Sea wetland from the perspective of the occurrence of resistance, we investigated the levels of resistance to deltamethrin and kdr gene mutation in the wetland and its peripheral areas. Methods Specimens were collected from Cx. tritaeniorhynchus populations at two monitoring sites in the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area, and also from two populations in Yancheng City and the Liuhe District of Nanjing, and the resistance of these mosquitoes to deltamethrin was determined using the CDC biotest bottle method. For each concentration of deltamethrin assessed, a random subset of exposed specimens was selected for amplification of the kdr gene fragment, followed by Sanger sequencing to identify and analyze resistance-associated mutations. Results The LC50 levels of deltamethrin among mosquitoes from the four populations in Luhe, Yancheng, the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and the Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area were 2.048 5, 7.798 2, 3.473 3, and 17.695 5 mg/mL, respectively, with corresponding concentrations of deltamethrin ranging from 0.005 to 5.000,0.050 to 50.000,0.050 to 25.000 and 0.050 to 50.000 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the ranges of the KT50 values were 11.76-107.43, 67.05-216.30,29.77-107.43 and 28.40-329.51 min; the 1-h knockdown rates were 34.58%-99.15%, 9.52%-43.80%, 55.09%-73.01%, and 10.09%-68.07%; and the 24-h mortality rates were 12.15%-67.52%,9.52%-79.56%,13.17%-82.21%, and 11.01%-78.99%, respectively. With respect to kdr gene mutation, we assayed a total of 63,70,59, and 57 mosquitoes for the four populations, for which we detected L1014F mutation frequencies of 14.29%, 35.00%, 20.34%, and 31.58%, respectively, with a majority of these mutations being heterozygous for resistance. In addition, five adult mosquitoes were identified has having synonymous mutations at site 1011[i. e. , AAT(asparagine)mutation to AAC(asparagine)]. Conclusions Our findings revealed the clear resistance of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus to deltamethrin in the Yancheng region of the Yellow Sea wetland, and the resistance phenotype and kdr frequency of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment were comparable to those of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment, thereby indicating that the resistance of different populations of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus was homogeneous under the pressure of different insecticide selection within and around the wetland. However, the underlying mechanisms need to be further studied.

Objective To explore the epidemiological characteristics of gouty arthritis in Northwest China from 2023 to 2025, and to formulate preventive intervention measures. Methods By retrospectively analyzing the case data of medical institutions in Northwest China from January 2023 to June 2025 (a total of 8 139 cases), the incidence trend and population distribution characteristics of gouty arthritis in this area were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors. Results From 2023 to 2025, the prevalence rate of gouty arthritis in adult residents in Northwest China was 3.74% (304/8 139). Among the sites affected by gouty arthritis, the metatarsophalangeal joint accounted for the highest proportion (P<0.05). From the perspective of age distribution, the prevalence rate was the highest in 40-59 years old group (5.90%), followed by 66-80 years old group (4.21%) and >80 years old group (2.75%). The incidence rate in 40-65 years old group was higher than that in the other age groups (P<0.05). High blood uric acid and creatinine, alcohol drinking, obesity, high purine diet, concurrent chronic kidney disease and metabolic syndrome were risk factors affecting gouty arthritis in Northwest China (P<0.05). Conclusion High blood uric acid level, high creatinine level, alcohol drinking, obesity, high purine diet, concurrent chronic kidney disease and metabolic syndrome are risk factors influencing gouty arthritis in Northwest China. Based on the above factors, this study proposes comprehensive prevention strategies from the individual, community and public health levels to provide a scientific basis for reducing the incidence rate of gouty arthritis.

ObjectiveTo summarize the application experience of the "Three-Separation" model in the pre-service training of laboratory animal practitioners and scientifically evaluate its training effectiveness. MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on 8 009 practitioners who participated in pre-service training at the Fujian Provincial Laboratory Animal Training Base from January 2010 to December 2025. Among them, 1 250 trainees from January 2010 to December 2017 were included in the control group (traditional training model), and 6 759 trainees from January 2018 to December 2025 were included in the evaluation group ("Three-Separation" model, based on separating job requirements, differentiating exam content, and categorizing exam methods). Meanwhile, a questionnaire survey was conducted to evaluate training effectiveness, yielding 1 624 valid questionnaires (585 from the control group and 1 039 from the evaluation group). The "Three-Separation" model simultaneously optimized fee structures to improve affordability and inclusiveness. The comprehensive competencies and training satisfaction of the two groups after training were compared and analyzed using the independent sample t-test, χ² test, and Wilcoxon rank-sum test. ResultsThe overall satisfaction rate of the evaluation group was 92.49% (961/1 039), significantly higher than that of the control group (77.78%, 455/585), with a highly significant difference (χ²=72.50, P<0.001). The evaluation group showed a more favorable distribution of positive, neutral, and negative ratings in dimensions such as course pertinence, time flexibility, assessment rationality, and reasonableness of fees, and the positive rating rates were highly significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.001). The comprehensive pass rate of the evaluation group (95.53%) was significantly higher than that of the control group (86.24%), with a highly significant difference (P<0.001). ConclusionThe scientific application of the "Three-Separation" model can accurately match the competency requirements of different positions, optimize the training and assessment system, reduce participation barriers by making training fees more affordable and accessible, effectively improve the comprehensive quality and training satisfaction of laboratory animal practitioners, achieve better teaching outcomes, and provide replicable and promotable practical references for the standardized upgrading of the training system in the laboratory animal industry and other industries.

Objective:To investigate the early right heart function management strategy and prognosis after left ventricular assist device(LVAD) implantation in patients with preoperative right ventricular dysfunction.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted. From March 2022 to April 2024, a total of 28 patients with end-stage heart failure underwent LVAD implantation at Nanjing First Hospital and were admitted to the intensive care unit(ICU) after surgery. Among them, patients with preoperative right ventricular dysfunction were enrolled. All patients were implanted with Corheart 6 implantable left ventricular assist device. The clinical data, occurrence of postoperative right heart failure and postoperative survival situations of enrolled patients were collected and analyzed.Results:A total of 12 patients were included in this study, including 11 males and 1 female, the mean age was(58.4±7.6) years old. Upon postoperative admission to ICU, the most commonly used positive inotropic agent was epinephrine(9 cases), followed by dobutamine(8 cases). By the second day after surgery, the most frequently utilized vasoactive medications were epinephrine and phosphodiesterase type Ⅲ inhibitors, both with 9 cases of usage. None of the enrolled patients utilized temporary mechanical circulatory assist devices. The LVAD pump speed of the patients enrolled in the study was set at approximately 2 700 revolutions per minute, and the pump flow was approximately 3 liters per minute. During the first two days after the operation, the fluid balance of the enrolled patients ranged from(-523.4±775.6)ml to(-1 248.0±1 023.9)ml. At 48 h following the operation, the mean pulmonary artery pressure(MPAP)[(26.2±4.8) mmHg vs.(32.1±6.5) mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), P=0.042] and the pulmonary artery wedge pressure(PAWP)[(15.6±5.5)mmHg vs.(24.9±5.9) mmHg, P=0.003) ] of the enrolled patients were significantly decreased compared to preoperative levels, while the cardiac index(CI) was significantly improved[(2.7±0.2)L·min -1·m -2 vs.(2.1±0.5)L·min -1·m -2,P=0.024]. Echocardiography showed that the left atrial diameter(LAD)[(51.5±7.6)mm vs.(57.2±9.0)mm, P=0.005] and left ventricular end diastolic diameter(LVDd)[(73.5±11.5)mm vs.(78.3 ± 12.3)mm, P=0.012) ] were significantly reduced post LVAD implantation as compared to before LVAD implantation, while there was no significant difference in tricuspid annular plane systolic excusion(TAPSE). Postoperative total bilirubin(TBIL) decreased significantly compared to preoperative levels[(15.5±5.0)μmol/L vs.(27.5±17.0)μmol/L, P=0.038]. Three patients experienced right heart failure after the LVAD implantation, with an incidence rate of 25%. Nevertheless, the right heart failure was rectified during the ICU treatment period. The mean ICU treatment time for all enrolled patients was(8.6±2.9) days, the average postoperative hospital stay was(24.3±4.8) days. All enrolled patients survived at 3 months after LVAD implantation. Conclusion:Despite the presence of right ventricular dysfunction in patients before LVAD implantation, with strict fluid management, reasonable LVAD parameters, and appropriate vasoactive drugs, they are able to smoothly pass through the perioperative period, achieve the goals of left ventricular decompression, increase cardiac output, improve perfusion of the end organs, and obtain favorable short-term therapeutic effects.

Objective:To analyze the safety and efficacy of multi-vessel minimally invasive cardiac surgery-coronary artery bypass graft(MICS-CABG) through perioperative angiography results and complications.Methods:Clinical data of 1 073 patients who underwent multi-vessel MICS-CABG surgery at Peking University Third Hospital from December 2015 to June 2024 were collected using an ambispective cohort study. Among them, 745 were males(69.4%), with a median age of 65 years(58, 71), and a median ejection fraction of 0.66(0.56, 0.71). Double-vessel or triple-vessel lesions accounted for 932 cases(86.9%), while left main lesions were present in 449 cases(41.8%). The primary outcome was the evaluation of graft patency based on perioperative angiography or coronary artery computed tomography angiography results, while major cardiovascular adverse events during the perioperative period, surgical complications, and other surgical information were secondary outcomes. The clinical efficacy of multi-vessel MICS-CABG was evaluated.Results:In this study, the median number of grafts was 3, and complete revascularization was performed in 1 006 cases(93.8%); total arterial revascularization was performed in 308 cases(28.6%). Perioperative mortality was 11 cases(1.0%), and the main adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events(MACCE) was 50 cases(4.8%). Three cases(0.3%) had poor wound healing, and 79 patients(7.4%) required transfusion. Postoperative coronary angiography was performed in 907 patients(84.5%) and coronary CTA was performed in 52 patients(4.8%), for an overall review rate of 89.4%(959/1073). The overall patency rate of the bridge vessel was 96.9%, and the patency rate of the left internal mammary artery was 98.2%.Conclusion:Multi-vessel MICS-CABG demonstrates excellent perioperative safety and is capable of achieving complete revascularization for the 3 regions of the heart. The quality of the anastomosis and the postoperative patency rate of the grafts is satisfactory.