1.Screening of biomarkers for fibromyalgia syndrome and analysis of immune infiltration
Yani LIU ; Jinghuan YANG ; Huihui LU ; Yufang YI ; Zhixiang LI ; Yangfu OU ; Jingli WU ; Bing WEI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(5):1091-1100
BACKGROUND:Fibromyalgia syndrome,as a common rheumatic disease,is related to central sensitization and immune abnormalities.However,the specific mechanism has not been elucidated,and there is a lack of specific diagnostic markers.Exploring the possible pathogenesis of this disease has important clinical significance. OBJECTIVE:To screen the potential diagnostic marker genes of fibromyalgia syndrome and analyze the possible immune infiltration characteristics based on bioinformatics methods,such as weighted gene co-expression network analysis(WGCNA),and machine learning. METHODS:Gene expression profiles in peripheral serum of fibromyalgia syndrome patients and healthy controls were obtained from the gene expression omnibus(GEO)database.The differentially co-expressed genes were screened in the expression profile by differential analysis and WGCNA analysis.Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination(SVM-RFE)machine learning algorithm were further used to identify hub biomarkers,and draw receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC)to evaluate the accuracy of diagnosing fibromyalgia syndrome.Finally,single sample gene set enrichment analysis(ssGSEA)and gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA)were used to evaluate the immune cell infiltration and pathway enrichment in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Eight down-regulated differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were obtained after differential analysis of the GSE67311 dataset according to the conditions of log2|(FC)|>0 and P<0.05.After WGCNA analysis,497 genes were included in the module(MEdarkviolet)with the highest positive correlation(r=0.22,P=0.04),and 19 genes were included in the module(MEsalmon2)with the highest negative correlation(r=-0.41,P=6×10-5).After intersecting DEGs and the module genes of WGCNA,seven genes were obtained.Four genes were screened out by LASSO regression algorithm and five genes were screened out by SVM-RFE machine learning algorithm.After the intersection of the two,three core genes were identified,which were germinal center associated signaling and motility like,integrin beta-8,and carboxypeptidase A3.The areas under the ROC curve of the three core genes were 0.744,0.739,and 0.734,respectively,indicating that they have good diagnostic value and can be used as biomarkers for fibromyalgia syndrome.The results of immune infiltration analysis showed that memory B cells,CD56 bright NK cells,and mast cells were significantly down-regulated in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome compared with the control group(P<0.05),and were significantly positively correlated with the above three biomarkers(P<0.05).The enrichment analysis suggested that there were nine fibromyalgia syndrome enrichment pathways,mainly related to olfactory transduction pathway,neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction,and infection pathway.The above results showed that the occurrence and development of fibromyalgia syndrome are related to the involvement of multiple genes,abnormal immune regulation,and multiple pathways imbalance.However,the interactions between these genes and immune cells,as well as their relationships with various pathways need to be further investigated.
2.Advancements in the role of iris parameters in implantable collamer lens implantation
Huihui JIN ; Jiaqing HUANG ; Xian WU ; Yingjie NI ; Chaoyang HONG ; Peijin QIU ; Ting SHEN
International Eye Science 2025;25(7):1037-1045
Phakic intraocular lens implantation has become one of the important means of correcting refractive errors today. Among them,the implantable collamer lens(ICL)is favored for its wide range of correction, excellent optical quality, and high safety, but the risks of postoperative complications such as glaucoma and anterior subcapsular opacification still exist. Vault is an important indicator for evaluating the safety after ICL implantation, and its ideal state is crucial for preventing complications. Studies have shown that iris morphology has a significant impact on vault. In order to further optimize surgical outcomes and improve surgical safety, this review comprehensively reviews the research progress of iris-related parameters in ICL implantation and discusses the importance of various parameters in preoperative evaluation and postoperative follow-up.
3.The role of epigenetic modifications regulating phase separation in neurodevelopment and neurodisease
Heli LIU ; Huihui JIANG ; Haitao WU
Military Medical Sciences 2024;48(2):148-153
The important role of liquid-liquid phase separation in a series of biological processes,including regulation of gene transcription and translation,stress response,autophagy and the establishment of synaptic structure,has been widely accepted.Abnormal phase separation is associated with many human diseases,including neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.Studies have shown that some proteins associated with epigenetic modifications are also subject to liquid-liquid phase separation,suggesting that epigenetic modifications regulate the development and disease of the nervous system by regulating phase separation.This review summarized the important roles of epigenetic modification and phase separation in neurodevelopment and neurodiseases,and focused on the important roles of proteins related to epigenetic modification with phase separation characteristics.Understanding the correlation between epigenetic modification and phase separation will help fully understand the underlying mechanisms of neurodevelopment and neurodiseases,and will further provide new targets and strategies for the treatment of related diseases.
4.Exploring the Mechanism of Pinggan Yishen Decoction Against Target Organ Damage in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats Based on UPLC-Q-TOF/MS and Network Pharmacology
Weiting ZHANG ; Qiong WANG ; Yadong FAN ; Huihui WANG ; Shanshan CHEN ; Siqi ZHANG ; Yiying CHEN ; Lei WU ; Guoliang DAI ; Bingbing SONG ; Zhuyuan FANG
Journal of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;40(9):949-961
OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanisms by which Pinggan Yishen Decoction(PGYSD)contributes to alleviating target organ damage in spontaneously hypertensive rats.METHODS The chemical components of PGYSD were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF/MS)and were analyzed by target a-nalysis and functional enrichment combined with network pharmacology methods to predict the potential mechanism of PGYSD in trea-ting hypertension and its target organ damage.Spontaneously hypertensive rats were randomly divided into the model group,low-dose PGYSD group(2 g·kg-1),high-dose PGYSD group(5 g·kg-1),and valsartan group(7.2 mg·kg-1),with 6 rats in each group.Wistar-Kyoto rats were used as the control group,and the control group and the model group were gavaged with normal saline for 8 consecutive weeks.HE and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological damage and fibrosis degree of rat heart and tho-racic aorta.Immunohistochemical staining and Western blot were used to detect the expression level of EGFR in the heart,liver and kidney of rats.Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the co-localization of EGFR and EEA1 in the heart,liver and kidney of rats.RESULTS Twenty-six components of PGYSD were detected by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS.Network pharmacology revealed that EG-FR,PIK3R1 and EP300 may be key therapeutic targets of action of PGYSD for the treatment of hypertension and its target organ dam-age,and that the treatment of hypertension and its target organ damage by PGYSD may be closely related to EGFR tyrosine kinase in-hibitor resistance,lipids and atherosclerosis and HIF-1 signaling pathway.The high-dose group of PGYSD significantly reduced sys-tolic blood pressure and mean blood pressure in rats(P<0.05,P<0.01),attenuated pathological damage and fibrosis in the heart and thoracic aorta(P<0.01,P<0.001),significantly reduced the expression level of EGFR in the liver and kidney of rats(P<0.01),and treated fibrosis in liver and kidney,reduced the co-localization of EGFR and EEA1 in the kidney of rats(P<0.001),attenuated fibro-sis in kidney.CONCLUSION The paper integrates UPLC-Q-TOF/MS,network pharmacology and spontaneously hypertensive rat model and preliminarily explores the effect mechanism of PGYSD in the treatment of hypertension and its target organ damage,provi-ding a scientific basis for further mechanism research and clinical application of PGYSD in the treatment of hypertension.
5.Prevalence and 5-year mortality of dementia and association with geriatric syndromes in elderly population in Beijing
Shimin HU ; Fang LI ; Shaochen GUAN ; Chunxiu WANG ; Xiaowei SONG ; Hongjun LIU ; Jinghong MA ; Yan ZHAO ; Chunxiao LIU ; Huihui LI ; Yanlei ZHANG ; Jian WU ; Xianghua FANG
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2024;45(11):1573-1581
Objective:To investigate the prevalence and mortality of dementia and assess the impact of geriatric syndromes (GS) on the risk for dementia and death in elderly population in Beijing.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the elderly population aged ≥65 years and selected by a multi-stage sampling in Beijing during 2013-2015. Cognitive function was screened using the Chinese Revised Version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Then, neurological examination and psychiatric assessment were performed for those with the MMSE score lower than the cut-off value. The information about GS prevalence was also collected. The study also collected death records for all individuals from baseline until December 31, 2019. Based on the age and gender distribution from Beijing data of the 2010 Six th National Population Census, the dementia prevalence in the study population was directly standardized. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of different forms of dementia with GS, and Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratio ( HR) and 95% CI of death. Results:During 2013-2015, a total of 2 935 individuals completed dementia assessments, of which 167 were diagnosed with dementia. The standardized prevalence of dementia was 5.9% (95% CI: 5.0%-17.4%). The individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) accounted for 58.7% and 28.1% of total individuals with dementia, respectively. Aging, lower education level, urinary incontinence, and fall were risk factors for AD, while disability of activity of daily life dependence, hypertension, and stroke were found to be risk factors for VaD. After a median follow-up of 5.44 person-years, 399 deaths were recorded. The 5-year mortality risk was 2.87 (95% CI: 1.92-4.17) times and 4.93 (95% CI: 3.23-7.53) times higher for the elderly individuals with AD and VaD, respectively, compared to non-demented individuals. After adjusting for demographic, GS, and cardiovascular risk factors, the mortality risk in the elderly individuals with AD showed no significant difference compared with non-demented individuals ( HR=1.32, 95% CI: 0.89-1.97), while the mortality risk in those with VaD was 2.46 (95% CI: 1.49-4.05) times higher than that in non-demented individuals. Conclusions:The prevalence of dementia in Beijing increased significantly in the context of population aging, especially the prevalence of AD. The presence of GS increased the risks for AD and VaD, as well as the risk for death. Close attention needs to be paid to GS management in dementia prevention in elderly population.
6.Relationship between SFRP and the therapeutic effect of sodium hyaluronate in patients with knee osteoarthritis
Xiaoshuai ZENG ; Huihui LI ; Huiming WU ; Haifeng LIU
China Modern Doctor 2024;62(21):66-69
Objective To investigate the relationship between the level of secretory curl related protein(SFRP)and the therapeutic effect of sodium hyaluronate in patients with knee osteoarthritis(KOA).Methods A total of 89 patients with KO A from May 2021 to June 2023 in Wenzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital were selected as observation group.All patients were treated with sodium hyaluronate.According to the treatment effect,they were divided into obvious/improved group and poor effect group.67 healthy examinees were selected as control group during the same period..The levels of SFRP1,SFRP2 and SFRP5 in each group were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay,and the therapeutic effect of sodium hyaluronate in patients with KOA was analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to analyze the evaluation efficiency of SFRP level in the treatment effect of patients with KOA.Results SFRP1,SFRP2 and SFRP5 in observation group were lower than those in control group(P<0.05);89 patients were treated with sodium hyaluronate,and 67 patients showed good treatment outcomes(75.28%),and SFRP1,SFRP2 and SFRP5 in obvious/improved group were higher than those in poor effect group(P<0.05).Multivariate results showed that SFRP1,SFRP2,SFRP5 and the Western Ontario and MeMaster Universities osteoarthritis index were the influential factors for the treatment effect of patients with KOA(P<0.05).ROC curve results showed that the sensitivity and specificity of SFRP1,SFRP2 combined with SFRP5 in the treatment of KOA patients was higher than that of a single index(P<0.05).Conclusion The levels of SFRP1,SFRP2 and SFRP5 are low in patients with KOA,and their expression levels are closely related to the therapeutic effect of sodium hyaluronate.The combined determination of different indicators can improve the sensitivity and specificity of prognosis.
7.Correlation Study of Calpain and Noise-induced Cochlear Synaptopathy in Inner Hair Cells
Ruijie CAI ; Hongchao LIU ; Weijun ZHOU ; Huihui LIU ; Hao WU
Journal of Audiology and Speech Pathology 2024;32(5):448-453
Objective To investigate the related factor underlying the differential vulnerability of inner hair cell(IHC)ribbon synapses to noise exposure.Methods Twenty-eight C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into the noise exposure group(NED1)and the control group(CTR)with 14 mice in each group.The noise exposure group was exposed to bandpass noise of 2~20 kHz at 103 dB SPL for two hours while the control group was bred in a quiet environment.Before and after noise exposure,auditory brainstem response was conducted to detect the audi-tory function,whole-mount immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the number of inner hair cell ribbon synapses in different turns.The calcium influx of inner hair cells in the apical and middle turn using whole-cell patch clamp recording was analyzed.Furthermore,the immunofluorescence intensity of calpain in inner hair cells from dif-ferent mouse cochlear turns using whole-mount immunofluorescence staining was compared.Western blotting was used to verify that CtBP2 was degraded by calpain.Results After noise exposure,the ABR threshold of 11.3,16.0,22.6,32.0 kHz increased significantly and the number of ribbon synapses of inner hair cells at the middle turn and basal turn of the cochlea decreased significantly.However,whole-cell patch clamp recordings showed that calcium ion channels were fewer but single-channel current was higher at the apical turn of the cochlea.The open probability of calcium ion channels in IHCs showed no significant difference between the apical turn and the middle turn of the cochlea.But the expression level of calpain of the inner hair cells at the middle and basal turn of the basi-lar membrane was significantly higher than that at the apical turn after noise exposure.The western blotting results also showed that CtBP2 was cleaved in a Ca2+-dependent manner by calpain.Conclusion Calpain may be the main related factor that accounts for the vulnerability of ribbon synapses in inner hair cells in the high frequency region of basal membrane.
8.Contrast-enhanced CT radiomics combined with clinical and hematology indicators for diagnosing lymph node metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Xinmiao YANG ; Changhua LIANG ; Qingxia WU ; Ben PAN ; Hanyu WEI ; Siyu ZHEN ; Ziqing YANG ; Huihui WANG
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging Technology 2024;40(11):1682-1687
Objective To observe the value of contrast-enhanced CT radiomics combined with clinical and hematology indicators for predicting lymph node(LN)metastasis(LNM)of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).Methods Totally 218 ESCC patients were retrospectively enrolled.Stage pN1 and pN2 were clustering as LNM(n=90),while stage pN0 were taken as non-LNM(n=128).The patients were divided into training set(n=174)and test set(n=44)at the ratio of 8∶2.In training set,clinical and LN imaging features which could be used to independently judge LNM were screened and a clinical-imaging model was constructed.The hematological indicators that might be associated with ESCC LNM were screened,and a hematological model was constructed.Radiomics features in LN ROI and ESCC volume of interest(VOI)were extracted based on venous-phase contrast-enhanced CT images,and those might be associated with LNM were screened,and a radiomics model was constructed.Finally a combined model was constructed based on all the above features.The efficacy of each model for diagnosing LNM was evaluated with the area under the curve(AUC)of receiver operating characteristic curves,and the clinical net benefit was evaluated using decision curve analysis(DCA).Results Body mass index(BMI)and internal necrosis of target LN were both independent judging factors for ESCC LNM(both P<0.05),and AUC of clinical-imaging model for diagnosing LNM in training and test sets was 0.747 and 0.687,respectively.Seven hematological indicators were included in hematological model,and AUC in training and test sets was 0.623 and 0.583,respectively.Ten LN radiomics features and 15 ESCC radiomics features were included in radiomics model,and AUC in training and test sets was 0.769 and 0.745,respectively.AUC of the combined model for diagnosing LNM in training and test sets was 0.822 and 0.739,respectively,better than other models in training set(all P<0.05),but no significantly different in test set(all P>0.05).DCA showed that combined model had higher net gain than the other models in 0.55-0.80 threshold probability interval.Conclusion Combined model based on venous-phase contrast-enhanced CT radiomics and clinical and hematology indicators could relatively effectively evaluate ESCC LNM,which might bring some promotions in clinical benefit.
9.Role of astrocytes in the repair of auditory synapses in the cochlear nucleus after noise damage
Weijun ZHOU ; Sidi LIU ; Ruijie CAI ; Hongchao LIU ; Meijian WANG ; Hao WU ; Huihui LIU ; Zhaoyan WANG
Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University(Medical Science) 2024;44(4):454-461
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.
10.Scoping review of continuous bladder irrigation practice following transurethral resection of the prostate
Jingxiong WU ; Wenwen CHEN ; Huihui FANG ; Chen ZHU ; Xiangyun LU
Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing 2024;30(21):2929-2935
Objective:To comprehensively and systematically collect and review domestic and international studies on the practices of continuous bladder irrigation (CBI) following transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), including the topics, research methods, and evaluation techniques used in these studies, and to provide clinical nursing staff with a reference.Methods:Nine Chinese and English databases were systematically searched, including CNKI, Wanfang, SinoMed, VIP, Embase, Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science. The search covered all literature up to April 10, 2023. The practices of CBI were extracted and systematically analyzed, and the results were reported in a standardized manner using a scoping review methodology.Results:A total of 23 eligible studies were included, comprising two English articles and 21 Chinese articles. The types of studies included 12 randomized controlled trials and 11 quasi-experimental studies. The interventions were categorized into single and comprehensive measures, including methods such as adjusting the temperature and flow rate of bladder irrigation, selection of indwelling catheters, traditional Chinese medicine-based nursing, perioperative psychological care, and rapid recovery protocols. The evaluation metrics used in the studies were classified into three levels: symptom indicators, process indicators, and management indicators.Conclusions:Research on CBI following TURP has achieved a certain scale, with a variety of intervention methods currently available. However, there is still a lack of high-quality evidence. Future studies should focus on enhancing research design, developing standardized quality assessment tools for bladder irrigation, and improving innovative irrigation devices to enhance clinical nursing quality.

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