Objective : To investigate the effects of branched-chain amino acid(BCAA) on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and its potential mechanism. Methods : 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were divided into the Control, differentiation medium(DM), low-concentration BCAA, and high-concentration BCAA groups. A CCK-8 assay was utilized to evaluate pre-adipocyte survival under various BCAA concentrations. Oil-red O staining was used to observe the formation of lipid droplets in adipocytes. Intracellular triglyceride(TG) and total cholesterol(TC) were detected by enzymatic method. RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of Stat3 and adipocyte differentiation-related genes. Results : CCK-8 results showed that the viability of 3T3-L1 cells was not affected when the BCAA concentration was ≤ 10 mmol/L. Compared with the DM group, the low-concentration BCAA groups(0.5 and 1.0 mmol/L) had significantly larger intracellular lipid droplets, increased number of lipid droplets, and elevated levels of the intracellular TC(0.88vs0.68 mmol/g; 0.83vs0.68 mmol/g,P<0.01) and TG(0.77vs0.40 mmol/g; 0.62vs0.40 mmol/g,P<0.01). Nevertheless, the cell differentiation in the high-concentration group(5.0 and 10.0 mmol/L) significantly decreased compared with that in the DM group. Further, levels of PPARγ, C/EBPα, Adiponectin, and FABP4 mRNA and protein expression significantly increased in the low-concentration group, but significantly decreased in the high-concentration group than that in the DM group(P<0.01). In addition, low concentrations of BCAA promoted stat3 phosphorylation, while high concentrations inhibited its phosphorylation(P<0.01). Conclusion BCAA have a dual role in regulating the differentiation of preadipocytes through Stat3, i.e. low concentrations of BCAA induce cell differentiation by promoting Stat3 phosphorylation; whereas high concentrations of BCAA inhibit Stat3 phosphorylation and cell differentiation.

Objective To analysis the relationship between the lactate-to-albumin ratio(LAR)and the 28-day prognosis in patients with sepsis.Methods Based on the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-Ⅳ(MIMIC-Ⅳ)database,patients with sepsis aged≥18 years were selected.Patients were divided into survival and death groups according to their 28-day prognosis.The LAR was divided into quartiles:Q1(LAR<0.45),Q2(0.45≤LAR<0.70),Q3(0.70≤LAR<1.18),and Q4(LAR≥1.18);and into two groups based on the median LAR:low LAR group(LAR≤0.70)and high LAR group(LAR>0.70).Demographic characteristics,comorbidities,laboratory indicators,clinical treatments,and disease severity scores of patients were extracted.LAR was included as a continuous variable and a four-category variable in multiple Logistic regression models,with trend tests performed.Subgroup analyses were conducted based on gender,age,comorbidities,and sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA)score.Receiver operator characteristic curve(ROC curves)were plotted to analyze the predictive efficacy of lactate,albumin(Alb),LAR and SOFA score for the prognosis of sepsis patients.Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted to compare the difference of 28-day cumulative survival rates of sepsis patients in the high and low LAR groups.Results A total of 9 169 patients with sepsis were included,with 6 799 in the survival group and 2 370 in the death group.Compared with the survival group,the death group had older age[years:70.80(58.64,82.25)vs.65.07(53.56,76.92)],higher levels of potassium,creatinine,blood urea nitrogen(BUN),white blood cell count(WBC),lactate,LAR,SOFA score,simplified acute physiology scoreⅡ(SAPSⅡ),and higher proportions of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),heart failure,use of vasopressors within 48 hours,and continuous renal replacement therapy(CRRT)[potassium(mmol/L):5.0(4.5,5.7)vs.4.8(4.4,5.4),creatinine(μmol/L):132.60(88.40,212.16)vs.97.24(70.72,159.12),BUN(mmol/L):11.42(7.14,18.56)vs.7.85(5.25,13.57),WBC(×109/L):13.1(8.7,19.1)vs.11.4(7.6,16.4),lactate(mmol/L):2.9(1.8,5.1)vs.2.0(1.4,3.1),LAR:1.03(0.63,1.88)vs.0.62(0.42,0.98),SOFA score:9(6,12)vs.6(4,8),SAPSⅡscore:52(42,64)vs.38(30,47),COPD:8.19%(194/2 370)vs.6.57%(447/6 799),heart failure:29.96%(710/2 370)vs.26.31%(1 789/6 799),use of vasopressors within 48 hours:62.19%(1 474/2 370)vs.37.56%(2 554/6 799),CRRT:19.45%(461/2 370)vs.9.56%(650/6 799),all P<0.05],while lower levels of body weight,chloride,calcium,hemoglobin(Hb),platelet count(PLT),Alb and lower proportions of hypertension were observed in the death group[body weight(kg):75.8(63.6,92.3)vs.78.7(66.5,95.0),chloride(mmol/L):104(98,109)vs.104(100,108),calcium(mmol/L):1.07(1.00,1.15)vs.1.09(1.03,1.15),Hb(g/L):103(87,120)vs.105(90,121),PLT(×109/L):173(104,246)vs.174(118,243),Alb(g/L):29(24,34)vs.33(28,37),hypertension:35.36%(838/2 370)vs.38.34%(2 607/6 799),all P<0.05].In the Logistic regression model adjusted for all confounding factors,the odds ratio(OR)and 95%confidence interval(95%CI)of LAR were 1.74(1.64-1.85),P<0.001;when LAR was treated as a four-category variable,the OR values of Q2,Q3,and Q4 increased progressively compared with Q1,being 1.49(1.22-1.82),2.27(1.88-2.75),and 5.05(4.20-6.08),respectively,P<0.001.Subgroup analyses showed that LAR was an independent risk factor for the 28-day prognosis of sepsis in different subgroups based on gender,age,comorbidities,and SOFA score(all P<0.001),with no interaction effects with the subgroup variables(all P>0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC of LAR predicted the 28-day prognosis of patients with sepsis was 0.688(0.675-0.700),higher than that of lactate[0.655(0.642-0.668)]and Alb[0.636(0.623-0.649)],both P<0.001,and not significantly lower than that of SOFA score[0.699(0.687-0.712),P=0.108].Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the 28-day cumulative survival rate was significantly higher in the low LAR group than in the high LAR group(Log-Rank test:χ2=533.24,P<0.001).Conclusion LAR is an independent risk factor for the 28-day prognosis of sepsis patients.Higher LAR is associated with adverse outcomes,and its predictive efficacy is superior to that of lactate and albumin.

Objective:To understand the current status of epidemiological investigation task force construction and the performance of infectious disease epidemic response in county (district) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) in China, analyze the influencing factors and provide scientific evidence to improve the construction of grassroot epidemiological investigation task force.Methods:A survey was conducted in epidemiological investigation staff in county (district) CDCs in 31 provinces (autonomous regions/municipalities) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in China. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect information based on the epidemiological dynamic data collection platform of China CDC. A descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted, and multiple linear regression models were used to identify the factors associated with the performance of infectious disease epidemic response.Results:A total of 24 934 epidemiological investigation task force members from 2 897 county (district) CDCs were surveyed in the study. In the epidemiological investigation task force, women, those with bachelor's degree and public health workers accounted for 62.46%, 71.36%, and 49.05% respectively. Up to 91.72% of the task force members had participated in field epidemic response. The average score of awareness of epidemic investigation procedures was 60.00, while the average score of key skill proficiency in the investigation was 42.22. The epidemic response performance showed correlations with area, gender, age, education level, major, and field epidemiology training programs, those who had received longer training showed higher competency scores (all P<0.001). Conclusions:Progress has been made in the construction of epidemiological investigation task force in grass-root CDCs in China, but further improvements are needed, especially in the knowledge awareness and investigation skills of the task force. Field epidemiology training demonstrated substantial impact on the improvement of epidemic response performance, indicating that it is necessary to further strengthen the training in grassroot public health workers for the better response to infectious disease epidemics.

Objective:To understand the current status of epidemiological investigation task force construction and the performance of infectious disease epidemic response in county (district) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) in China, analyze the influencing factors and provide scientific evidence to improve the construction of grassroot epidemiological investigation task force.Methods:A survey was conducted in epidemiological investigation staff in county (district) CDCs in 31 provinces (autonomous regions/municipalities) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in China. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect information based on the epidemiological dynamic data collection platform of China CDC. A descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted, and multiple linear regression models were used to identify the factors associated with the performance of infectious disease epidemic response.Results:A total of 24 934 epidemiological investigation task force members from 2 897 county (district) CDCs were surveyed in the study. In the epidemiological investigation task force, women, those with bachelor's degree and public health workers accounted for 62.46%, 71.36%, and 49.05% respectively. Up to 91.72% of the task force members had participated in field epidemic response. The average score of awareness of epidemic investigation procedures was 60.00, while the average score of key skill proficiency in the investigation was 42.22. The epidemic response performance showed correlations with area, gender, age, education level, major, and field epidemiology training programs, those who had received longer training showed higher competency scores (all P<0.001). Conclusions:Progress has been made in the construction of epidemiological investigation task force in grass-root CDCs in China, but further improvements are needed, especially in the knowledge awareness and investigation skills of the task force. Field epidemiology training demonstrated substantial impact on the improvement of epidemic response performance, indicating that it is necessary to further strengthen the training in grassroot public health workers for the better response to infectious disease epidemics.

Objective To analysis the relationship between the lactate-to-albumin ratio(LAR)and the 28-day prognosis in patients with sepsis.Methods Based on the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-Ⅳ(MIMIC-Ⅳ)database,patients with sepsis aged≥18 years were selected.Patients were divided into survival and death groups according to their 28-day prognosis.The LAR was divided into quartiles:Q1(LAR<0.45),Q2(0.45≤LAR<0.70),Q3(0.70≤LAR<1.18),and Q4(LAR≥1.18);and into two groups based on the median LAR:low LAR group(LAR≤0.70)and high LAR group(LAR>0.70).Demographic characteristics,comorbidities,laboratory indicators,clinical treatments,and disease severity scores of patients were extracted.LAR was included as a continuous variable and a four-category variable in multiple Logistic regression models,with trend tests performed.Subgroup analyses were conducted based on gender,age,comorbidities,and sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA)score.Receiver operator characteristic curve(ROC curves)were plotted to analyze the predictive efficacy of lactate,albumin(Alb),LAR and SOFA score for the prognosis of sepsis patients.Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted to compare the difference of 28-day cumulative survival rates of sepsis patients in the high and low LAR groups.Results A total of 9 169 patients with sepsis were included,with 6 799 in the survival group and 2 370 in the death group.Compared with the survival group,the death group had older age[years:70.80(58.64,82.25)vs.65.07(53.56,76.92)],higher levels of potassium,creatinine,blood urea nitrogen(BUN),white blood cell count(WBC),lactate,LAR,SOFA score,simplified acute physiology scoreⅡ(SAPSⅡ),and higher proportions of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),heart failure,use of vasopressors within 48 hours,and continuous renal replacement therapy(CRRT)[potassium(mmol/L):5.0(4.5,5.7)vs.4.8(4.4,5.4),creatinine(μmol/L):132.60(88.40,212.16)vs.97.24(70.72,159.12),BUN(mmol/L):11.42(7.14,18.56)vs.7.85(5.25,13.57),WBC(×109/L):13.1(8.7,19.1)vs.11.4(7.6,16.4),lactate(mmol/L):2.9(1.8,5.1)vs.2.0(1.4,3.1),LAR:1.03(0.63,1.88)vs.0.62(0.42,0.98),SOFA score:9(6,12)vs.6(4,8),SAPSⅡscore:52(42,64)vs.38(30,47),COPD:8.19%(194/2 370)vs.6.57%(447/6 799),heart failure:29.96%(710/2 370)vs.26.31%(1 789/6 799),use of vasopressors within 48 hours:62.19%(1 474/2 370)vs.37.56%(2 554/6 799),CRRT:19.45%(461/2 370)vs.9.56%(650/6 799),all P<0.05],while lower levels of body weight,chloride,calcium,hemoglobin(Hb),platelet count(PLT),Alb and lower proportions of hypertension were observed in the death group[body weight(kg):75.8(63.6,92.3)vs.78.7(66.5,95.0),chloride(mmol/L):104(98,109)vs.104(100,108),calcium(mmol/L):1.07(1.00,1.15)vs.1.09(1.03,1.15),Hb(g/L):103(87,120)vs.105(90,121),PLT(×109/L):173(104,246)vs.174(118,243),Alb(g/L):29(24,34)vs.33(28,37),hypertension:35.36%(838/2 370)vs.38.34%(2 607/6 799),all P<0.05].In the Logistic regression model adjusted for all confounding factors,the odds ratio(OR)and 95%confidence interval(95%CI)of LAR were 1.74(1.64-1.85),P<0.001;when LAR was treated as a four-category variable,the OR values of Q2,Q3,and Q4 increased progressively compared with Q1,being 1.49(1.22-1.82),2.27(1.88-2.75),and 5.05(4.20-6.08),respectively,P<0.001.Subgroup analyses showed that LAR was an independent risk factor for the 28-day prognosis of sepsis in different subgroups based on gender,age,comorbidities,and SOFA score(all P<0.001),with no interaction effects with the subgroup variables(all P>0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC of LAR predicted the 28-day prognosis of patients with sepsis was 0.688(0.675-0.700),higher than that of lactate[0.655(0.642-0.668)]and Alb[0.636(0.623-0.649)],both P<0.001,and not significantly lower than that of SOFA score[0.699(0.687-0.712),P=0.108].Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the 28-day cumulative survival rate was significantly higher in the low LAR group than in the high LAR group(Log-Rank test:χ2=533.24,P<0.001).Conclusion LAR is an independent risk factor for the 28-day prognosis of sepsis patients.Higher LAR is associated with adverse outcomes,and its predictive efficacy is superior to that of lactate and albumin.

Objective To investigate the correlation between blood glucose variability index(GLUCV)and postoperative delirium(POD)in elderly patients undergoing knee arthroplasty.Methods A total of 112 elderly patients undergoing elective knee arthroplasty were analyzed retrospectively,16 males and 96 females,aged 65-80 years,BMI 22.0-28.0 kg/m2,ASA physical status Ⅰ or Ⅱ.They were di-vided into two groups according to whether they had POD within 5 days after operation:POD group and non-POD group.The score of the last preoperative mini-mental state examination(MMSE),operation time,the duration of the intraoperative regional cerebral oxygen saturation(rScO2)value decreased by more than 13％of the rScO2 basic value(△rScO2＞13％),the preoperative hemoglobin(Hb)and C-reactive protein(CRP)concentration,the fingertip blood glucose concentration before entry,before anesthesia induction,5 minutes after anesthesia induction,1 minute after skin incision,and before leaving the chamber were col-lected,and the GLUCV was calculated.The risk factors of POD in elderly patients undergoing knee arthro-plasty were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression,and the odds ratio(OR)and 95％confidence interval(CI)were calculated.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to calculate the area under the curve(AUC)and analyze the predictive value of GLUCV.Results Thirty patients(26.8％)showed POD symptoms within 5 days after surgery.Compared with the non-POD group,the operation time and duration of intraoperative △rScO2＞13％in the POD group were significantly prolonged(P＜0.05),the CRP concentration and GLUCV were significantly increased(P＜0.05).Multi-variate logistic regression analysis showed that prolonged time of △rScO2＞13％(OR=3.542,95％CI 1.380-9.093,P=0.011),elevated CRP concentration(OR=1.984,95％CI 1.078-3.650.P=0.015),and elevated GLUCV(OR=5.257,95％CI 1.690-16.353,P=0.008)were risk factors of POD in elderly patients undergoing knee arthroplasty.ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the AUC of GLUCV in predicting POD in elderly patients undergoing knee arthroplasty was 0.747(95％CI 0.650-0.844,P＜0.001),while the optimal cutoff value was 23.4％,the sensitivity was 71.4％,and the specificity was 63.3％.Conclusion GLUCV is closely related to POD,and GLUCV level has a good pre-dictive effect on POD in elderly patients undergoing knee arthroplasty.

Objective·To investigate the pathological and physiological changes underlying noise-induced cochlear nucleus damage and the regulating function of astrocytes on the damage,using a combination of morphological analysis,and molecular biology techniques.Methods·Forty-eight male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into two groups and exposed to 110 dB SPL(sound pressure level)broadband noise for 2 hours.Auditory brainstem response(ABR)tests were performed on the mice on days 1,7,14,30,and 90 after the noise exposure.Immunofluorescence staining of cochlear nuclear tissue was conducted to observe cochlear nuclear neurons and auditory synapses,as well as astrocyte activation levels.In addition,the damage to the cochlear nuclear neurons and synapses caused by noise was verified through Western blotting.Results·A significant decrease in cochlear nuclear Bushy cells after noise exposure was observed.The Western blotting results showed that there was severe loss of nerve fibers in cochlear nuclear neurons,indicating that noise caused significant damage to cochlear nucleus neurons.Moreover,a significant loss of auditory synapses labeled with vesicular glutamate transporter 1(Vglutl)was observed,which was the severest on day 14 after noise exposure and slowly recovered on day 90.Interestingly,astrocytes in the cochlear nucleus displayed obvious clustering and activation after noise exposure.By staining with glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP),most astrocytes were distributed around the cochlear nucleus,granule cell area,and auditory nerve root before noise exposure,and they had a small size.However,on day 14 after noise exposure,a large number of activated astrocytes aggregated in the ventral cochlear nucleus,and they all showed a pattern of growth around the synapses.Conclusion·Noise exposure leads to significant damage in the cochlear nucleus,and it is possible that astrocytes are involved in its damage and repair processes.These findings will provide a crucial foundation for further understanding the mechanisms of sound signal analysis,integration,and neural plasticity in the cochlear nucleus.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and all-cause mortality influencing factors of patients with Keshan disease.Methods:Clinical data of patients with Keshan disease from Keshan disease areas in Sichuan Province and Yunnan Province were collected and retrospectively analyzed for clinical characteristics and survival status during regular follow-up. According to the survival status of patients, the survey subjects were divided into a survival group and a death group. All-cause mortality (referring to the death caused by various reasons throughout the follow-up period) was used as the study endpoint. Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival curve analysis and log-rank χ 2 test were performed, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used for all-cause mortality factor analysis. Results:A total of 176 patients with Keshan disease were collected, including 92 cases in Sichuan Province and 84 cases in Yunnan Province. Among all the patients, there were 105 males, accounting for 59.66%, and 71 females, accounting for 40.34%. The age was (53.89 ± 13.19) years old. Thirty-five cases died from all causes, with a mortality rate of 19.89%. There were significant differences in age ( t = 2.09, P = 0.038), New York Heart Association (NYHA) cardiac function grading (χ 2 = 14.62, P < 0.001) and ventricular premature contraction (χ 2 = 6.82, P = 0.009) between the survival group and the death group. K-M survival curve analysis showed that patients with Keshan disease complicated by premature ventricular contraction and high NYHA cardiac function grading (Ⅲ and Ⅳ) had higher all-cause mortality (log-rank χ 2 = 8.72, 22.49, P < 0.05). Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that NYHA cardiac function grading and ventricular premature contraction ( HR = 3.09, 2.71, P < 0.05) were predictive influencing factors for all-cause mortality in patients with Keshan disease. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that NYHA cardiac function grading ( HR = 6.57, P = 0.002) and ventricular premature contraction ( HR = 2.98, P = 0.050) were independent factors for all-cause mortality in patients with Keshan disease. Conclusions:Among 176 patients with Keshan disease, the number of patients with poor cardiac function (NYHA cardiac function grading Ⅲ and Ⅳ) and arrhythmia is high. NYHA cardiac function grading and ventricular premature contractions are independent influencing factors for all-cause mortality in patients with Keshan disease.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics, prognosis and gene mutation in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in Keshan disease area of Sichuan Province, and to explore the risk factors for all-cause death in DCM patients.Methods:In June 2016, 55 DCM patients diagnosed at the local disease prevention and control center through clinical manifestations, electrocardiogram examination, and echocardiography were selected as the survey subjects in Mianning County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, and Renhe District, Panzhihua City, Keshan disease areas of Sichuan Province. Baseline clinical data were analyzed and long-term follow-up was conducted. The follow-up period ended June 15, 2021, with the endpoint of all-cause death. Univariate Cox regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of all-cause death in patients, and Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival curve was used to analyze the survival time of patients. At the same time, peripheral venous blood was collected from 27 DCM patients. After separating white blood cells, DNA was extracted, and whole exome sequencing was performed to screen potential pathogenic genes.Results:Among the 55 DCM patients, 40 were males and 15 were females. The age was (54.09 ± 12.38) years old. The heart function classification of New York Heart Association (NYHA) was mainly grade Ⅱ and Ⅲ, accounting for 94.55% (52/55). The follow-up time for 55 DCM patients was (7.02 ± 2.96) years, and 17 patients experienced all-cause death, accounting for 30.91% (17/55), including 15 males and 2 females. Compared with the survival group, the death group had a lower incidence of syncope (χ 2 = 6.57, P = 0.010), but higher rates of bilateral lower limb edema (χ 2 = 6.43, P = 0.017), pulmonary congestion (χ 2 = 7.61, P = 0.006), intraventricular conduction block (χ 2 = 6.41, P = 0.011), and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) use (χ 2 = 6.57, P = 0.010), as well as increased left ventricular diameter ( t = 2.36, P = 0.022). Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that bilateral lower limb edema [hazard ratio ( HR) = 4.61, P = 0.042] and intraventricular conduction block ( HR = 3.20, P = 0.019) were risk factors for all-cause death of DCM patients. The results of K-M survival curve analysis showed that patients with bilateral lower limb edema and intraventricular conduction block had higher all-cause death rates (log-rank χ 2 = 5.02, 6.24, P = 0.025, 0.012). Whole exome sequencing results showed that 4 patients were detected to carry pathogenic or suspected pathogenic gene mutations, with a positive rate of 14.81% (4/27), involving three genes: β-myosin heavy chain 7 (MYH7), calreticulin 3 (CALR3), and gelsolin (GSN). Conclusions:The all-cause death rate of DCM patients in the Keshan disease area of Sichuan Province is relatively high. Dead patients are prone to bilateral lower limb edema, pulmonary congestion, and intraventricular conduction block, as well as increased left ventricular diameter. Bilateral lower limb edema and intraventricular conduction block are independent predictive risk factors for all-cause death in DCM patients. MYH7, CALR3 and GSN are involved in the pathogenesis of DCM.

Objective To screen and verify the genes that play key role in the occurrence and development of esophageal cancer by u-sing bioinformatics and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR)methods to find new markers for diagnosis of esophageal cancer(ESCA).Methods Using the TCGA database and Wayne plot analysis,the cross genes between the differentially expressed genes of ESCA and the genes which have the most significant impacts on disease-free survival(DFS)rate in esophageal cancer patients were preliminarily identified.Following conducting protein-protein interaction(PPI)network analysis on the overlapping genes,GO and KEGG functional analysis was performed to screen the potential key genes as the diagnostic markers of esophageal cancer.qRT-PCR was used to quantitatively analyze the expression of mRNA of the key gene in peripheral blood.Statistical analysis was con-ducted based on the clinico-pathological characteristics of the patients to determine its potential value as a new diagnostic marker for e-sophageal cancer.Results After overlapping of differentially expressed genes of ESCA and disease-free survival genes in the TCGA database,39 upregulated genes and 20 downregulated genes were found to be differentially expressed,all of which affected disease-free survival rate.After conducting PPI network analysis,15 upregulated genes with core interactions were identified,and the downregulat-ed genes did not form any interaction network.Further enrichment analysis of these 15 core interacting genes through GO and KEGG,revealed that fibronectin 1(FN1)may be a potential biomarker for ESCA diagnosis.The qRT-PCR results showed that compared with the healthy control group,the mRNA expression level of FN1 in the peripheral blood of esophageal cancer patients was significantly ele-vated.After analyzing the clinical characteristics of patients,it was found that the patients with poor differentiation and high clinico-pathological staging had significantly increased peripheral blood FN1 mRNA levels.The model with FN1 mRNA expression levels can distinguish esophageal cancer patients from healthy individuals.Conclusion FN1 mRNA may be a potential non-invasive diagnostic biomarker for esophageal cancer.