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

Osteoarthritis (OA), a highly prevalent degenerative joint disease worldwide, is defined by articular cartilage degradation, abnormal bone remodeling, and persistent chronic inflammation. It severely compromises patients’ quality of life, and currently, there is no radical cure. Abnormal mechanical stress is widely regarded as a core driver of OA pathogenesis, and the exploration of mechanical signal perception and transduction mechanisms has become crucial for deciphering OA’s pathophysiological processes. Piezo1, a key mechanosensitive cation channel belonging to the Piezo protein family, has recently gained significant attention due to its pivotal role in mediating cellular responses to mechanical stimuli in joint tissues. This review systematically examines Piezo1’s expression patterns, regulatory mechanisms, and pathological functions in OA, with a particular focus on its dual roles in modulating chondrocyte homeostasis and bone metabolism disorders, while also delving into the underlying molecular signaling pathways and potential therapeutic implications. Piezo1, consisting of approximately 2 500 amino acids and forming a unique trimeric propeller-like structure, is widely expressed in chondrocytes, osteocytes, mesenchymal stem cells, and synovial cells. It exhibits permeability to cations such as Ca²⁺, K⁺, and Na⁺, and directly responds to membrane tension changes induced by mechanical stimuli like fluid shear stress and mechanical overload. In OA patients and animal models, Piezo1 expression is significantly upregulated, especially in cartilage regions subjected to abnormal mechanical stress (e.g., human temporomandibular joint cartilage). This overexpression is closely associated with aggravated cartilage degeneration, increased chondrocyte apoptosis, accelerated cellular senescence, and intensified inflammatory responses. Mechanical overload and pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β) are key inducers of Piezo1 upregulation: IL-1β activates the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway to enhance Piezo1 expression, forming a pathogenic positive feedback loop that inhibits chondrocyte autophagy, promotes apoptosis, and further accelerates joint degeneration. Mechanistically, Piezo1 mediates OA progression through multiple interconnected pathways. When activated by mechanical stress, Piezo1 triggers excessive Ca²⁺ influx, leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and mitochondrial dysfunction, which directly induce chondrocyte apoptosis. This process involves the activation of downstream signaling cascades such as cGAS-STING and YAP-MMP13/ADAMTS5. YAP, a transcriptional regulator, upregulates the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and aggrecanase (ADAMTS5), thereby accelerating cartilage matrix degradation. Additionally, Piezo1-driven Ca²⁺ overload promotes the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and upregulates senescence markers (p16 and p21), accelerating chondrocyte senescence via the p38MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Senescent chondrocytes secrete senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors (e.g., IL-6, IL-1β), further amplifying joint inflammation. In terms of bone metabolism, Piezo1 maintains joint homeostasis by promoting the differentiation of fibrocartilage stem cells into chondrocytes and balancing bone formation and resorption through regulating the FoxC1/YAP axis and RANKL/OPG ratio. Therapeutically, targeting Piezo1 shows promising potential. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that Piezo1 inhibitors (e.g., GsMTx4) can reduce joint damage and alleviate pain in OA mice. Simultaneously, siRNA-mediated co-silencing of Piezo1 and TRPV4 (another mechanosensitive channel) decreases intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration, inhibits chondrocyte apoptosis, and promotes cartilage repair. Conditional knockout of Piezo1 using Gdf5-Cre transgenic mice alleviates cartilage degeneration in post-traumatic OA models by downregulating MMP13 and ADAMTS5 expression. Despite existing challenges, such as off-target effects of inhibitors, inefficient local drug delivery, and interindividual genetic variability, strategies like developing selective Piezo1 antagonists, optimizing targeted nanocarriers, and combining Piezo1-targeted therapy with physical therapy provide viable avenues for clinical translation. The authors propose that Piezo1 serves as a critical therapeutic target for OA, and future research should focus on deciphering its context-dependent regulatory networks, developing tissue-specific intervention strategies, and validating their efficacy and safety in clinical trials to address the unmet medical needs of OA patients.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to observe the syndrome improvement and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome）. MethodsThrough a multi-center randomized controlled methodology design，confirmed influenza cases were collected from October 2022 to April 2023 in the pediatrics department of eight hospitals，such as Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. A total of 180 children with influenza and heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome conforming to the standard were recruited through the clinic. The sick children meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into groups by a block-randomized method. The children in the experimental group were treated with Qingxuan Daozhi formula for five days，and those in the control group were treated with Oseltamivir Phosphate Granules for five days. The primary efficacy indicator was the negative conversion rate of influenza antigen detection. Secondary efficacy indicators were the Canadian acute respiratory illness and flu scale （CARIFS） and the incidence of complications，severe cases， and critical cases. Follow-up observation was conducted on the day of enrollment，48 hours after medication，72 hours after medication， and （6+1） d after medication. ResultsOne hundred and eighty participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group （90 cases） or the control group （90 cases）. All participants were followed up during the study. Comparison of influenza antigen detection results in the primary efficacy indicators showed that the average time of negative influenza antigen conversion in the experimental group was （5.29±1.25） d，and that in the control group was （5.40±1.68） d，without a statistically significant difference. After five days of intervention，52 cases in the experimental group and 51 cases in the control group converted to negative，without a statistically significant difference. CARIFS score results in the secondary efficacy indicators showed that during 72 hours after intervention，there were statistically significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in three dimensions， including headache，muscle soreness， and the need for extra care （P<0.05）. On the （6+1） days after the intervention，the differences in both the experimental group and the control group were statistically significant in 10 dimensions， including sore throat，bad sleep，uncomfortable feeling，poor spirit and fatigue，crying more than usual，the need for extra care，symptom，function，influence on parents，and total score （P<0.05）. The comparison results within the group in the dimensional scores of symptom， function， and influence on parents，as well as the CARIFS total score showed that with the delay of follow-up time，scores of both groups decreased significantly，with a statistically significant difference （P<0.01）. Inter-group comparison results showed that the mean score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group at the time of enrollment. With the progress of intervention，the score of the experimental group was significantly decreased compared with that of the control group. At the end of follow-up，the mean score of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group，with no statistically significant difference. In terms of the incidence of complications，severe cases， and critical cases， there were no complications，severe cases， and critical cases in the two groups，without a statistically significant difference. ConclusionThe symptom improvement effect and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome） are not inferior to Oseltamivir Phosphate granules， and children's acceptance is better. It can be more widely used in clinical treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome）.

Liver diseases have become a major challenge threating the global health, posing a heavy burden on both social and personal well-being. In recent years, the development of the gut-liver axis theory has provided new research perspectives and intervention strategies for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases. Natural products, recognized as biological molecules with diverse sources, rich activities, and minimal side effects, demonstrate great potential in regulating intestinal flora and improving liver health. Studies have shown that natural products such as saponins, polyphenols, polysaccharides, and alkaloids can regulate the composition and metabolites of intestinal flora, thereby intervening in liver diseases. In this paper, we systematically review the role of natural products in the regulation of the intestinal flora-gut-liver axis and summarize recent research progress in the prevention and treatment of liver diseases. Furthermore, we outline the challenges and limitations currently facing the study in this field. Finally, this paper makes an outlook on the clinical application of natural products in treating liver diseases and discusses future research directions, aiming to give new insights into the mechanisms by which natural products regulate the intestinal flora-gut-liver axis and the applications of these products in the prevention and treatment of liver diseases.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Liver Diseases/prevention & control* ; Biological Products/pharmacology* ; Polyphenols/pharmacology* ; Saponins/pharmacology* ; Intestines/microbiology* ; Alkaloids/pharmacology* ; Polysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Liver

Objective To explore the application value of serological markers in the screening of malignant tumor bone metastasis.Methods A total of 113 patients with malignant tumor bone metastasis first diag-nosed in a hospital from June 2023 to February 2024 were selected as case group.Another 80 patients with malignant tumor without bone metastasis diagnosed in the same period were selected as the control group.The levels of serological markers[serum calcium(Ca),parathyroid hormone(PTH),Ca/PTH,procollagen type 1 amino-terminal propeptide(P1NP),beta-C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen(β-CTX)and N-terminal mid-fragment of osteocalcin]were compared between the two groups.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to analyze the value of serological markers in screening for bone metastases of lung canc-er,prostate cancer and breast cancer.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the related factors of malignant tumor bone metastasis.Results The levels of Ca,Ca/PTH,β-CTX and P1NP in case group were significantly higher than those in control group,while PTH in case group was lower than that in control group,with statistical significance(P<0.05).ROC curve results showed that Ca,PTH,Ca/PTH,P1NP and β-CTX had high efficacy in screening malignant tumor bone metastases,and the area under the curve(AUC)was 0.718,0.699,0.712,0.648 and 0.593,respectively.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that Ca/PTH and P1NP were the influencing factors of bone metastasis in malignant tumor(OR=5.036,1.013,P<0.05).The AUC of Ca,PTH and Ca/PTH screening for bone metastasis of lung cancer were 0.781,0.652 and 0.669,respectively.The AUC of β-CTX and P1NP screening for bone metastasis of prostate cancer were 0.800 and 0.815 respectively.The AUC of Ca and P1NP screening for breast cancer with bone metastasis was 0.751 and 0.794,respectively.Conclusion Serological markers(Ca,PTH,Ca/PTH,P1NP and β-CTX)are valuable in screening for malignant tumor bone metastasis.

Bone metastasis is a serious complication in the course of malignant tumors and has a poor prog-nosis.The incidence of breast cancer,prostate cancer and lung cancer is the highest.A highly sensitive and highly specific test method for the early diagnosis of malignant bone metastases of these tumors,which is es-sential for reducing the incidence of bone-related events and improving the prognosis of patients with malig-nant tumors,is urgently needed.At present,the diagnosis of bone metastasis in patients with malignant tumors mainly relies on imaging.However,due to limitations in the development of imaging technology,its clinical use is still limited by sensitivity,cost-effectiveness,availability,and others.Close clinical follow-up and monitoring of patients diagnosed with malignant tumors are essential for effective patient management.Based on the current literature,this review aims to summarize the early diagnosis and detection methods for bone metastases in breast cancer,prostate cancer and lung cancer,including imaging techniques,pathology,bio-chemistry and molecular methods,and to review the development trends of future diagnostic techniques.

Objective To investigate the correlation between serum galectin-3(Gal-3),fibroblast growth factor-21(FGF-21)and the lung function and and the Modified British Medical Research Council dyspnea in-dex(mMRC)score in invalids with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).Methods A total of 79 patients with COPD who received treatment in the hospital from April 2021 to April 2023 were selected as the observation group,and 60 healthy individuals in the hospital during the same period were selected as control group.The expressions of Gal-3 and FGF-21 in serum were detected and compared.The first second forced ex-piratory volume(FEV1),FEV1/forced vital capacity(FVC)and mMRC score in two groups were compared,and the correlation between the expression levels of Gal-3 and FGF-21 and FEV1,FEV1/FVC and mMRC score in COPD patients was analyzed.Results The expression levels of serum Gal-3 and FGF-21 in the obser-vation group were higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The pulmonary function indexes in ser-um of observation group were higher than those in the control group,while the mMRC score was lower than that in the control group(P＜0.05).The expression levels of Gal-3 and FGF-21 were positively correlated with FEV1 and FEV1/FVC(P＜0.05),was negatively correlated with mMRC score(P＜0.05).Conclusion The expression of serum Gal-3 and FGF-21 in COPD invalids is abnormal,and the expression levels of serum Gal-3 and FGF-21 in COPD patients were correlated with FEV1,FEV1/FVC and mMRC score,which could be used as important reference indicators for diagnosis and disease evaluation of COPD.

Purpose To investigate the predictive value of the methylation regulator heterogeneous nuclear ribonu-cleoprotein C(HNRNPC)in the extracellular vesicles(EVs)derived from cervical cancer cells for tumor invasion and metastasis.Methods In vitro experiments were conducted using a human normal cervical epithelial cell line(Hcer-Epic),three cervical cancer cell lines(HeLa,SiHa and CaSki)and human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HU-VECs).HNRNPC protein expression was assessed by Western blot.CaSki cells were transfected with either sh-NC or sh-HNRNPC,and EVs were subsequently isolated from culture supernatant.The effects of EVs on the proliferation,migration and invasion of SiHa cells,as well as on angiogenesis in HUVECs,were investigated respectively.For tissue microarray analysis,normal cervical tissues(n=8),low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions(LSIL,n=32)and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions(HSIL,n=37),and cervical carcinoma specimens(n=153)were ob-tained from our institution.Based on HNRNPC immunoscores,cervical cancer patients were divided into two groups:high(n=99)and low(n=54)HNRNPC expression group,and their clinicopathological features and prognosis were compared.Results Compared with HcerEpic cells,the expression of HNRNPC increased in SiHa,HeLa and CaSki cells.In SiHa cells treated with EVs from CaSki cell,the group receiving EVs from sh-HNRNPC-transfected CaSki cells showed significantly reduced proliferation,colony formation,migration,and invasion compared with the sh-NC-EVs group(P＜0.05).Similarly,in HUVECs treated with CaSki-EVs,compared with sh-NC-EVs group,the sh-HNRNPC-EVs group demonsteated significantly lower protein expression of PCNA and VEGFA and reduced angiogene-sis length(P＜0.05).HNRNPC expression gradually increased during the transformation of cervical epithelial cells(F=106.9,P＜0.001),and was significantlyelevated in HSIL and cervical cancer tissues compared with normal tis-sues(P＜0.001).Moreover,in cervical cancer,high HNRNPC expression was significantly related to poorer cellular differentiation,larger tumor size,parametrial and vaginal infiltration,advanced FIGO stage,and pelvic lymph node metastasis(P＜0.05).Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that that patients with high HNRNPC expression had significant-ly shorter overall survival post-surgery compared with those with low expression(P＜0.05).Conclusion EVs contai-ning HNRNPC contribute to cervical cancer progression by promoting tumor growth,invasion,and angiogenesis,there-by accelerating metastasis.In addition,high HNRNPC expression in cervical cancer tissue is related to poor prognosis of patients,indicating that EV-associated HNRNPC may serve as a potential therapeutic target.

WDFY1 is a member of the protein family containing the WD repeat and FYVE structural domains,acting as a junction that assists the recruitment of downstream molecules by Toll-like receptor 3/4(TLR3/TLR4)and promotes the body's natural anti-viral and anti-bacterial immune response.In recent years,the role of WDFY1 has been successively reported in various disease models,such as neurological diseases,autophagy and tumors.This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the current state of WDFY1 research,encompassing its expression distribution,cell biological function and its role in disease development,and take a prospect on the potential of WDFY1 as a target in rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND: The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) has been shown to be positively correlated with cardiovascular disease in previous studies. However, it is unclear whether elderly people with long-term high AIP levels are more likely to develop coronary heart disease (CHD). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between AIP trajectory and CHD incidence in elderly people. METHODS: 19,194 participants aged ≥ 60 years who had three AIP measurements between 2018 and 2020 were included in this study. AIP was defined as log₁₀ (triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol). The group-based trajectory model was used to identify different trajectory patterns of AIP from 2018 to 2020. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI of CHD events between different trajectory groups from 2020 to 2023. RESULTS: Three different trajectory patterns were identified through group-based trajectory model: the low-level group (n = 7410, mean AIP: -0.25 to -0.17), the medium-level group (n = 9981, mean AIP: 0.02-0.08), and the high-level group (n = 1803, mean AIP: 0.38-0.42). During a mean follow-up of 2.65 years, a total of 1391 participants developed CHD. After adjusting for potential confounders, compared with the participants in the low-level group, the HR with 95% CI of the medium-level group and the high-level group were estimated to be 1.24 (1.10-1.40) and 1.43 (1.19-1.73), respectively. These findings remained consistent in subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS There was a significant correlation between persistent high AIP level and increased CHD risk in the elderly. This suggests that monitoring the long-term changes in AIP is helpful to identify individuals at high CHD risk in elderly people.