OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic etiology of 46 Chinese pedigrees affected with Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) and provide genetic counseling and reproductive intervention. METHODS: Whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were carried out on 87 patients from the 46 pedigrees to analyze the variants of EXT1 and EXT2 genes. Pathogenicity of the variants was assessed based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP). Prenatal diagnosis and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) were provided for couples with identified pathogenic mutations. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the hospital (Ethics No.: LL-SC-SG-2014-010). RESULTS: In total 17 and 22 pathogenic variants were respectively identified in the EXT1 and EXT2 genes, among which 5 EXT1 and 12 EXT2 variants were unreported previously. Three patients with no family history were found to harbor de novo variants of the EXT1 gene. Twenty nine couples had opted for PGT or underwent prenatal diagnosis following natural conception, and 17 healthy babies were born. CONCLUSION This study has clarified the genetic etiology of 45 HME pedigrees and identified 17 novel variants, which has enriched the mutational spectrum of the EXT1 and EXT2 genes. Reproductive intervention through PGT and prenatal diagnosis have prevented the recurrence of HME in these families.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Pedigree ; Exostoses, Multiple Hereditary/diagnosis* ; N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases/genetics* ; Adult ; Exostosin 1 ; Asian People/genetics* ; Genetic Testing ; Exostosin 2 ; Mutation ; China ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Pregnancy ; Genetic Counseling ; Preimplantation Diagnosis ; Exome Sequencing ; East Asian People

ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of entecavir （ETV） versus tenofovir alafenamide fumarate （TAF） on renal function in previously untreated patients with chronic hepatitis B （CHB）. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 167 previously untreated CHB patients who received ETV or TAF treatment for at least 48 weeks at the outpatient service of Department of Infectious Diseases in The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from September 2019 to November 2023， and according to the antiviral drug used， they were divided into ETV group with 117 patients and TAF group with 50 patients. In order to balance baseline clinical data， propensity score matching （PSM） was used for matching and analysis at a ratio of 2∶1， and the two groups were compared in terms of estimated glomerular filtration rate （eGFR） and the incidence rate of abnormal renal function at week 48. According to eGFR at week 48， the patients were divided into normal renal function group and abnormal renal function group. The independent-samples t test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups， and the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for abnormal renal function， and the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to assess the performance of each indicator in predicting abnormal renal function. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the cumulative incidence rate of abnormal renal function， and the log-rank test was used for comparison. The analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to compare the dynamic changes of eGFR during antiviral therapy in CHB patients. ResultsAfter PSM matching， there were 100 patients in the ETV group and 50 patients in the TAF group. There were no significant differences in baseline clinical data between the ETV group and the TAF group （all P>0.05）， with an eGFR level of 112.29±9.92 mL/min/1.73 m² in the ETV group and 114.72±12.15 mL/min/1.73 m² in the TAF group. There was a reduction in eGFR from baseline to week 48 in both groups， and compared with the TAF group at week 48， the ETV group had a significantly lower eGFR （106.42±14.12 mL/min/1.73 m² vs 112.25±13.44 mL/min/1.73 m²， t=-2.422， P=0.017） and a significantly higher incidence rate of abnormal renal function （17.00% vs 4.00%， χ²=5.092， P=0.024）. After the patients were divided into normal renal function group with 131 patients and abnormal renal function group with 19 patients， the univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences between the two groups in age （Z=-2.039， P=0.041）， treatment drug （ETV/TAF） （χ²=5.092， P=0.024）， and baseline eGFR level （t=4.023， P<0.001）， and the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that baseline eGFR （odds ratio ［OR］=0.896， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 0.841 — 0.955， P<0.001） and treatment drug （OR=5.589， 95%CI： 1.136 — 27.492， P=0.034） were independent influencing factors for abnormal renal function. Baseline eGFR had an area under the ROC curve of 0.781 in predicting abnormal renal function in CHB patients， with a cut-off value of 105.24 mL/min/1.73 m²， a sensitivity of 73.68%， and a specificity of 82.44%. The Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that the patients with baseline eGFR≤105.24 mL/min/1.73 m² had a significantly higher cumulative incidence rate of abnormal renal function than those with baseline eGFR>105.24 mL/min/1.73 m² （χ²=22.330， P<0.001）， and the ETV group had a significantly higher cumulative incidence rate of abnormal renal function than the TAF group （χ²=4.961， P=0.026）. With the initiation of antiviral therapy， both the ETV group and the TAF group had a significant reduction in eGFR （F=5.259， P<0.001）， but the ETV group only had a significant lower level of eGFR than the TAF group at week 48 （t=-2.422， P=0.017）； both the baseline eGFR≤105.24 mL/min/1.73 m² group and the baseline eGFR>105.24 mL/min/1.73 m² group had a significant reduction in eGFR （F=5.712， P<0.001）， and there was a significant difference in eGFR between the two groups at baseline and weeks 12， 24， 36， and 48 （t=-13.927， -9.780， -8.835， -9.489， and -8.953， all P<0.001）. ConclusionFor CHB patients initially treated with ETV or TAF， ETV antiviral therapy has a higher risk of renal injury than TAF therapy at week 48.

Objective:To investigate the current status of sense of coherence in patients with cancer under-going proton and heavy ion radiotherapy and analyze its related factors.Methods:A total of 241 patients with cancer undergoing proton and heavy ion radiotherapy in a certain hospital were selected.The Sense of Coherence Scale(SOC-13),Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire(MCMQ),General Self-Efficacy Scale(GSES),Re-silience Scale Specific to Cancer(RS-SC),and Social Support Rating Scale(SSRS)were used for the survey.Results:The total score of SOC-13 was(67.7±12.3).The results of multiple linear regression showed that age,total scores of GSES and SSRS were positively associated with the SOC-13 total scores(β=0.19,0.27,0.15),while place of residence and yielding scores were negatively associated with the SOC-13 total scores(β=-0.22,-0.30).Conclusion:It suggests that patients who experience adverse reactions to radiotherapy and unemployed/resigned have lower sense of coherence.Sense of coherence in patients with cancer undergoing proton and heavy ion radiotherapy are correlated with their age,place of residence,and self-efficacy,social sup-port and yielding levels.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor was initially developed and marketed as a novel oral hypoglycemic agent.Currently,it has been recommended as one of the main therapeu-tic agents for chronic heart failure by national and international guidelines,and it has a significant cardioprotective effect on heart failure with reduced ejection fraction,heart failure with im-proved ejection fraction,heart failure with mildly reduced ejec-tion fraction,and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.However,cardiac tissues do not express sodium-glucose cotrans-porter 2,and the underlying mechanisms of clinical cardiovascu-lar benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors remain unclear.This review intends to summarize the cardiovascular benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in clinical trials and the recommendations suggested by national and inter-national heart failure guidelines and to elucidate further the po-tential mechanisms of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor-mediated cardioprotective effects.

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of scoliosis among middle school students through school-based screening, and to analyze the correlations between axial trunk rotation (ATR) angle and Cobb angle among those with scoliosis considering gender, age, body mass index (BMI) and curve type, so as to provide references for early prevention and treatment.Methods:Random cluster sampling was used to enroll 9501 middle school students from 11 schools in the Hanyang District of Wuhan. They underwent a six-step scoliosis screening with a forward bending test, scoliometer measurements, and confirmatory X-ray examinations. The students exhibiting scoliosis were stratified by gender, age, BMI, and curve type. The correlation between ATR angle and Cobb angle was subsequently analyzed within each subgroup.Results:Scoliosis was observed in 358 of the students (150 boys and 208 girls), a positive screening rate of 3.8%. Moreover, the positive screening rate was significantly higher among the girls (4.8%) than among the boys (2.9%). There was a moderate Spearman correlation ( r=0.69) between the ATR and Cobb angles in 358 of the students with scoliosis, both the boys ( r=0.69) and the girls ( r=0.70). When it came to age, there was a positive correlation between the ATR and Cobb angles for students aged 13 to 16 irrespective of their BMI classification, except that there was no significant correlation between the two angles for those classified as obese. In terms of Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) classification, there was a positive correlation for those in types Ia, Ib, Ic, IIa, IIb, IIc and IId, but there was no significant correlation between the two angles for those in type III. Conclusions:Scoliosis is prevalent among the group of adolescents studied. Society, schools and parents need to prioritize prevention, heightened awareness, timely diagnosis and early treatment, particularly for girls. The ATR angle may serve as a practical surrogate for estimating Cobb angle severity in scoliosis screening for single-curve or double-curve cases. However, ATR measurements may yield false-negative results among those with triple-curve deformities or the obese, underscoring the need for supplementary diagnostic methods among such populations.

Acute pancreatitis(AP)is a common and severe digestive disease in dogs,characterized by a high recurrence rate and complications that significantly impact canine health.This study in-vestigates the mechanism by which adipose-derived stem cells(ADSCs)regulate the CHOP/Bcl-2 pathway to mitigate acute pancreatic injury in dogs.Twenty Beagle dogs were randomly divided in-to four groups:a Sham group,an AP model group,an ADSCs treatment group,and a conditioned medium(CM)treatment group.The AP model was established by injecting a mixed solution of trypsin and sodium taurocholate into the AP model group.The ADSCs treatment group received intravenous injections of ADSCs immediately following surgery,while the CM treatment group re-ceived conditioned medium preparations.Pancreatic tissue was collected 24 hours post-surgery,and changes in the CHOP/Bcl-2 pathway were assessed using histopathology,transmission electron microscopy,western blotting,fluorescence quantification,immunofluorescence,and TUNEL stai-ning.The results indicated that AP induced significant interstitial edema,hemorrhage,inflammato-ry cell infiltration,chromatin contraction,and endoplasmic reticulum swelling,the expression lev-els of GRP78 and CHOP were found to be elevated,whereas the expression of Bcl-2 was downreg-ulated.Additionally,the expression levels of BAX,JNK,Caspase-3,and Caspase-12 increased,leading to an increased rate of cell apoptosis.Such changes result in an elevated apoptosis rate and a further decrease in Bcl-2 expression.Both ADSCs and CM therapy were found to alleviate the path-ological damage in pancreatic tissue,resulting in downregulation of CHOP and apoptosis-related markers,upregulation of Bcl-2,and a reduction in the apoptosis rate.The results of this study sug-gest that ADSCs may mitigate acute pancreatic injury induced by trypsin and sodium taurocholate in AP dogs by modulating the CHOP/Bcl-2 pathway.Targeted modulation of the transcriptional activity of CHOP may offer novel therapeutic approaches for AP.

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of scoliosis among middle school students through school-based screening, and to analyze the correlations between axial trunk rotation (ATR) angle and Cobb angle among those with scoliosis considering gender, age, body mass index (BMI) and curve type, so as to provide references for early prevention and treatment.Methods:Random cluster sampling was used to enroll 9501 middle school students from 11 schools in the Hanyang District of Wuhan. They underwent a six-step scoliosis screening with a forward bending test, scoliometer measurements, and confirmatory X-ray examinations. The students exhibiting scoliosis were stratified by gender, age, BMI, and curve type. The correlation between ATR angle and Cobb angle was subsequently analyzed within each subgroup.Results:Scoliosis was observed in 358 of the students (150 boys and 208 girls), a positive screening rate of 3.8%. Moreover, the positive screening rate was significantly higher among the girls (4.8%) than among the boys (2.9%). There was a moderate Spearman correlation ( r=0.69) between the ATR and Cobb angles in 358 of the students with scoliosis, both the boys ( r=0.69) and the girls ( r=0.70). When it came to age, there was a positive correlation between the ATR and Cobb angles for students aged 13 to 16 irrespective of their BMI classification, except that there was no significant correlation between the two angles for those classified as obese. In terms of Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) classification, there was a positive correlation for those in types Ia, Ib, Ic, IIa, IIb, IIc and IId, but there was no significant correlation between the two angles for those in type III. Conclusions:Scoliosis is prevalent among the group of adolescents studied. Society, schools and parents need to prioritize prevention, heightened awareness, timely diagnosis and early treatment, particularly for girls. The ATR angle may serve as a practical surrogate for estimating Cobb angle severity in scoliosis screening for single-curve or double-curve cases. However, ATR measurements may yield false-negative results among those with triple-curve deformities or the obese, underscoring the need for supplementary diagnostic methods among such populations.

Acute pancreatitis(AP)is a common and severe digestive disease in dogs,characterized by a high recurrence rate and complications that significantly impact canine health.This study in-vestigates the mechanism by which adipose-derived stem cells(ADSCs)regulate the CHOP/Bcl-2 pathway to mitigate acute pancreatic injury in dogs.Twenty Beagle dogs were randomly divided in-to four groups:a Sham group,an AP model group,an ADSCs treatment group,and a conditioned medium(CM)treatment group.The AP model was established by injecting a mixed solution of trypsin and sodium taurocholate into the AP model group.The ADSCs treatment group received intravenous injections of ADSCs immediately following surgery,while the CM treatment group re-ceived conditioned medium preparations.Pancreatic tissue was collected 24 hours post-surgery,and changes in the CHOP/Bcl-2 pathway were assessed using histopathology,transmission electron microscopy,western blotting,fluorescence quantification,immunofluorescence,and TUNEL stai-ning.The results indicated that AP induced significant interstitial edema,hemorrhage,inflammato-ry cell infiltration,chromatin contraction,and endoplasmic reticulum swelling,the expression lev-els of GRP78 and CHOP were found to be elevated,whereas the expression of Bcl-2 was downreg-ulated.Additionally,the expression levels of BAX,JNK,Caspase-3,and Caspase-12 increased,leading to an increased rate of cell apoptosis.Such changes result in an elevated apoptosis rate and a further decrease in Bcl-2 expression.Both ADSCs and CM therapy were found to alleviate the path-ological damage in pancreatic tissue,resulting in downregulation of CHOP and apoptosis-related markers,upregulation of Bcl-2,and a reduction in the apoptosis rate.The results of this study sug-gest that ADSCs may mitigate acute pancreatic injury induced by trypsin and sodium taurocholate in AP dogs by modulating the CHOP/Bcl-2 pathway.Targeted modulation of the transcriptional activity of CHOP may offer novel therapeutic approaches for AP.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor was initially developed and marketed as a novel oral hypoglycemic agent.Currently,it has been recommended as one of the main therapeu-tic agents for chronic heart failure by national and international guidelines,and it has a significant cardioprotective effect on heart failure with reduced ejection fraction,heart failure with im-proved ejection fraction,heart failure with mildly reduced ejec-tion fraction,and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.However,cardiac tissues do not express sodium-glucose cotrans-porter 2,and the underlying mechanisms of clinical cardiovascu-lar benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors remain unclear.This review intends to summarize the cardiovascular benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in clinical trials and the recommendations suggested by national and inter-national heart failure guidelines and to elucidate further the po-tential mechanisms of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor-mediated cardioprotective effects.

Objective:To investigate the current status of sense of coherence in patients with cancer under-going proton and heavy ion radiotherapy and analyze its related factors.Methods:A total of 241 patients with cancer undergoing proton and heavy ion radiotherapy in a certain hospital were selected.The Sense of Coherence Scale(SOC-13),Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire(MCMQ),General Self-Efficacy Scale(GSES),Re-silience Scale Specific to Cancer(RS-SC),and Social Support Rating Scale(SSRS)were used for the survey.Results:The total score of SOC-13 was(67.7±12.3).The results of multiple linear regression showed that age,total scores of GSES and SSRS were positively associated with the SOC-13 total scores(β=0.19,0.27,0.15),while place of residence and yielding scores were negatively associated with the SOC-13 total scores(β=-0.22,-0.30).Conclusion:It suggests that patients who experience adverse reactions to radiotherapy and unemployed/resigned have lower sense of coherence.Sense of coherence in patients with cancer undergoing proton and heavy ion radiotherapy are correlated with their age,place of residence,and self-efficacy,social sup-port and yielding levels.