1.Evaluation of public health governance capacity in Zhejiang Province
Haiyan LI ; Ting CHEN ; Chengyue LI ; Huihui HUANGFU ; Wei WANG ; Qunhong SHEN ; Chaoyang ZHANG ; Zheng CHEN ; Chuan PU ; Lingzhong XU ; Anning MA ; Zhaohui GONG ; Tianqiang XU ; Panshi WANG ; Hua WANG ; Chao HAO ; Zhi HU ; Peiwu SHI ; Mo HAO
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2026;38(2):153-158
ObjectiveTo systematically assess the public health governance capacity in Zhejiang Province, to conduct an in-depth analysis of its strengths and weaknesses, so as to provide scientific basis and strategic recommendations for further enhancement. MethodsA systematic collection of policy documents, public information reports, and research literature related to public health governance capacity in Zhejiang Province from 2002 to 2023 was conducted (encompassing a total of 1 263 policy documents, 138 pieces of information reports and 631 research articles). Based on the evaluation criteria suitable for public health systems previously developed by the research team, the basic status and magnitude of change in public health governance capacity in Zhejiang Province was evaluated. Additionally, normative gap analyses were employed to identify the strengths and weaknesses. ResultsZhejiang Province ranked 4th nationwide in terms of public health governance capacity with a score of 733.4 points (1 000.0-point maximum). The province has effectively implemented the principle of health first (scoring 698.5 points in the assessment of health-first strategy implementation) and attached sufficient importance to health-related goals (scoring 658.2 points in the scientific rationality of goal setting). However, the implementation of inter-departmental coordination and incentive mechanisms only scored 178.7 points, the feasibility of management and monitoring mechanisms scored even lower at only 144.0 points, and the coverage of incentive mechanisms scored 286.0 points. ConclusionZhejiang Province has effectively implemented its health first strategy and attached great importance to health targets, but still needs to strengthen cross-departmental coordination mechanisms and health-oriented incentives.
2.The relationship between memory bias, mental imagery, attention bias and depression in college students
Xiliang XU ; Jiayun WANG ; Pengfei YUE ; Huihui XI
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(3):266-271
Objective:To explore the relationship between memory bias, mental imagery, attention bias and depression in college students.Methods:From May to July 2024, a questionnaire was randomly distributed among 72 undergraduate students.The Beck depression inventory and Beck anxiety inventory were used to evaluate the depression and anxiety levels of all participants.The eye tracker was used to record the eye movement data of participants when observing emotional facial images.After the eye movement experiment, the scenario-based event completion task and prospective imagery task were used to collect the memory bias and mental imagery scores of all participants.SPSS 23.0 software was used for Spearman correlation analysis, and PROCESS 3.5 macro program was used for mediating effect test.Results:The scores of college students' negative memory bias, negative mental imagery, negative attention bias and depression were 0.40±0.15, 25.86±9.39, 0.41±0.14, 11.00(5.00, 20.00), respectively.Negative memory bias in college students was significantly and positively correlated with negative mental imagery, negative attention bias and depression ( r=0.832, 0.627, 0.834, all P<0.01).Negative mental imagery in college students was significantly and positively correlated with negative attention bias and depression ( r=0.692, 0.969, both P<0.01).Negative attention bias in college students was significantly and positively correlated with depression ( r=0.693, P<0.01).Negative mental imagery and negative attention bias had significant single chain mediating effect between negative memory bias and depression in college students, accounting for 16.61%(0.146/0.879), 15.70%(0.138/0.879)and 4.89%(0.043/0.879)of the total effect, respectively. Conclusion:There is a significant positive correlation between negative memory bias, negative mental imagery, negative attention bias and depression.Negative mental imagery and negative attention bias not only partially mediate the relationship between negative memory bias and depression in college students, but also have a chain mediating effect.
3.Changes in levels of serum leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 and complement C3 in patients with autoimmune hepatitis and their clinical significance
Qianying WANG ; Yichen XIE ; Dan XU ; Huihui MA
Immunological Journal 2025;41(4):258-263
Objective To investigate the expression of leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2(LECT2)and complement C3 in the serum of patients with autoimmune hepatitis(AIH),and their correlation with liver function grading and prognosis.Methods A total of 109 AIH patients admitted to our hospital from January 2022 to February 2024 were included as the observation group.According to the disease activity upon admission,they were grouped into the active group(59 cases)and the remission group(50 cases).According to the Child-Pugh grading,they were assigned into the grade A group(47 cases),the grade B group(40 cases),and the grade C group(22 cases).According to the prognosis,they were assigned into a poor prognosis group(35 cases)and a good prognosis group(74 cases),with 110 healthy volunteers who underwent physical checkup in our hospital as the control group.Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was applied to measure serum LECT2 level.Immunoturbidimetry was applied to detect serum complement C3 level.The correlation between LECT2,complement C3 and clinical indexes was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis.Spearman correlation analysis was applied to analyze the relationship between serum LECT2,complement C3,and Child-Pugh grading.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were established to evaluate the predictive value of LECT2 and complement C3 levels for poor prognosis in AIH patients.Results The serum level of LECT2 in the observation group was higher than that in the control group,and the level of complement C3 was lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).The expression level of ELECT2 in the grade C group was prominently higher than that in the grade B group and grade A group,while the expression level of complement C3 was prominently lower than that in the grade B group and grade A group(P<0.05).The level of serum LECT2 in poor prognosis group was higher than that in good prognosis group,and the level of serum complement C3 was lower than that in good prognosis group(P<0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that LECT2 was positively correlated with IgG,IL-6,TNF-α and Th17/Treg,and negatively correlated with TGF-β,while complement C3 was negatively correlated(all P<0.05);Spearman correlation analysis showed that LECT2 level was positively correlated with Child-Pugh grading,while complement C3 level was negatively correlated with Child-Pugh grading(rs=0.803,-0.875,both P<0.05).ROC curve reveled that the AUC of serum LECT2 and complement C3 levels in predicting poor prognosis of AIH patients was 0.802 and 0.805,respectively,the AUC of their combined detection was 0.905,which was higher than that of single indicator detection(P<0.05).Conclusion Serum LECT2 level is elevated and complement C3 level is reduced in AIH patients,and they are correlated with liver function grading and disease severity.The combined detection of the two can serve as serological indicators for evaluating liver function and predicting prognosis.
4.Presence and clinical significance of tumor cells with macrophage phenotype in dif-fuse large B-cell lymphoma
Huihui LI ; Liang ZHANG ; Zhouyi XU ; Wei WANG ; Zhe WANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology 2025;41(2):162-170
Purpose To investigate the presence,proportion,clinical significance and origin of tumor cells with a macrophage phenotype in tumor tissues of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL),and to explore wheth-er CD68 positive tumor cells can be induced in DLBCL cell lines in vitro.Methods The presence of CD68+CD163+CD20+PAX5-cells in the samples of DLBCL patients was first qualitatively detected by multiplex immunofluorescence staining,and then the proportion of CD79a+B lymphocytes,CD68+macrophages,and CD68+CD79a+double-positive cells were quantified.Patients were grouped according to the proportion of double-positive cells,and the differences in prognosis and clinicopathological features of DLBCL patients between subgroups were investigated.For cases with posi-tive BCL6 gene locus breaks,co-localization of CD68 with BCL6 gene breakapart was performed using combined immu-nofluorescence and immunological in situ hybridization to ascertain the tumor nature of B cell with a macrophage pheno-type.DLBCL cell lines(OCI-LY3,SU-DHL2)were treated with phorbol myristate acetate(PMA),and changes in the proteins levels of CD68 and PAX5 proteins were detected by flow cytometry.Quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR)was used to detect mRNA levels of PAX5,an important transcription factor for B cell differentiation and develop-ment,and macrophage-related genes(CD68,ARG1,CD163,CD206,Dectin-1,PU.1,C/EBPα,C/EBPβ).In ad-dition,PMA-treated DLBCL cell lines(OCI-LY3,SU-DHL2)were co-incubated with pH-sensitive fluorescent dye pHrodo to detect the phagocytosis ability of PMA-treated DLBCL cells.Results The percentage of CD68+B lympho-cytes in 50 patients with DLBCL varied from 0 to 9.3%,and the overall survival(OS)ranged from 0.008 2 to 4.2 years.Patients with the low CD68+B lymphocytes group exhibited a significantly lower OS compared to those in the high CD68+B lymphocytes group(P=0.039).There was a significant difference in the molecular typing of DLBCL patients(P=0.009 5)between different subgroups for the proportion of CD68+B lymphocytes.CD68+B lymphocytes were derived from tumor cells in DLBCL patients.The proportion of CD68+cells and CD68+PAX5-cells significantly increased in DLBCL after treatment with PMA(P<0.05).The other macrophage markers CD68,ARG1,CD 163,CD206,Dectin-1,PU.1,C/EBPα,C/EBPβ,and the important B-cell transcription factor PAX5 were significantly different from the control group in terms of relative mRNA expression(P<0.05).Cellular phagocytosis was enhanced after PMA treatment of DLBCL cells.Conclusion Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma tumor tissue contains a certain per-centage of CD68+neoplastic B lymphocytes.The proportion of CD68+B lymphocytes is correlated with patient progno-sis and molecular typing.DLBCL cell lines can be induced to differentiate into CD68+tumor cells in vitro.
5.Electroacupuncture regulates SOCS3/JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway to improve pulmonary inflammation in COPD
Huihui WU ; Zhu PAN ; Haiyan LIU ; Shuwen XU ; Wenmei LIU ; Yujie ZHANG ; Zibing LIU
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2025;41(8):1859-1864
Objective:To observe whether electroacupuncture(EA)can inhibit activation of JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway and improve pulmonary inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)by increasing expression of SOCS3.Methods:Atotal of 60 mice were randomly divided into normal group,model(COPD)group,COPD+EA group,COPD+si-SOCS3 group,COPD+si-SOCS3 NC group,COPD+si-SOCS3+EA group,with 10 mice in each group.Mice COPD model was replicated by simple cigarette smoking for three months.After modeling,SOCS3 siRNA was administered to lungs of mice in COPD+si-SOCS3 group and COPD+si-SOCS3+EA group,SOCS3 siRNA NC was administered to COPD+si-SOCS3 NC group.24 h after the first SOCS3 siRNA ad-ministration,mice in COPD+EA and COPD+si-SOCS3+EA groups were treated with EA in"Feishu"and"Zusanli",once every other day,30 min/times for 14 days.Lung function of mice in each group was detected;lung pathological changes were observed by HE staining;IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α levels in mice broncho alveolar lavage fluid were detected by ELISA;protein expressions of SOCS3,JAK1,STAT3,p-JAK1 and p-STAT3 were detected by Western blot;SOCS3,JAK1 and STAT3 mRNA were detected by RT-PCR.Results:Compared with normal group,mice in COPD group showed decreased lung function,thickened alveolar walls,congestion and edema between tissues,significantly increased levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-6,TNF-α and IL-1β,decreased SOCS3 protein expres-sion,p-JAK1/JAK1 and p-STAT3/STAT3 significantly increased,JAK1 and STAT3 mRNA increased,SOCS3 mRNA decreased(P<0.05).Compared with COPD group,the above indexes of COPD+EA group were improved(P<0.05),and the above indexes of COPD+si-SOCS3 group were more serious(P<0.05),and COPD+si-SOCS3+EA group was improved compared with COPD+si-SOCS3 group(P<0.05).Conclusion:EA can inhibit overactivation of JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway by up-regulating SOCS3 expression,and thus improve pulmonary inflammation in COPD.
6.The relationship between memory bias, mental imagery, attention bias and depression in college students
Xiliang XU ; Jiayun WANG ; Pengfei YUE ; Huihui XI
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(3):266-271
Objective:To explore the relationship between memory bias, mental imagery, attention bias and depression in college students.Methods:From May to July 2024, a questionnaire was randomly distributed among 72 undergraduate students.The Beck depression inventory and Beck anxiety inventory were used to evaluate the depression and anxiety levels of all participants.The eye tracker was used to record the eye movement data of participants when observing emotional facial images.After the eye movement experiment, the scenario-based event completion task and prospective imagery task were used to collect the memory bias and mental imagery scores of all participants.SPSS 23.0 software was used for Spearman correlation analysis, and PROCESS 3.5 macro program was used for mediating effect test.Results:The scores of college students' negative memory bias, negative mental imagery, negative attention bias and depression were 0.40±0.15, 25.86±9.39, 0.41±0.14, 11.00(5.00, 20.00), respectively.Negative memory bias in college students was significantly and positively correlated with negative mental imagery, negative attention bias and depression ( r=0.832, 0.627, 0.834, all P<0.01).Negative mental imagery in college students was significantly and positively correlated with negative attention bias and depression ( r=0.692, 0.969, both P<0.01).Negative attention bias in college students was significantly and positively correlated with depression ( r=0.693, P<0.01).Negative mental imagery and negative attention bias had significant single chain mediating effect between negative memory bias and depression in college students, accounting for 16.61%(0.146/0.879), 15.70%(0.138/0.879)and 4.89%(0.043/0.879)of the total effect, respectively. Conclusion:There is a significant positive correlation between negative memory bias, negative mental imagery, negative attention bias and depression.Negative mental imagery and negative attention bias not only partially mediate the relationship between negative memory bias and depression in college students, but also have a chain mediating effect.
7.Presence and clinical significance of tumor cells with macrophage phenotype in dif-fuse large B-cell lymphoma
Huihui LI ; Liang ZHANG ; Zhouyi XU ; Wei WANG ; Zhe WANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology 2025;41(2):162-170
Purpose To investigate the presence,proportion,clinical significance and origin of tumor cells with a macrophage phenotype in tumor tissues of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL),and to explore wheth-er CD68 positive tumor cells can be induced in DLBCL cell lines in vitro.Methods The presence of CD68+CD163+CD20+PAX5-cells in the samples of DLBCL patients was first qualitatively detected by multiplex immunofluorescence staining,and then the proportion of CD79a+B lymphocytes,CD68+macrophages,and CD68+CD79a+double-positive cells were quantified.Patients were grouped according to the proportion of double-positive cells,and the differences in prognosis and clinicopathological features of DLBCL patients between subgroups were investigated.For cases with posi-tive BCL6 gene locus breaks,co-localization of CD68 with BCL6 gene breakapart was performed using combined immu-nofluorescence and immunological in situ hybridization to ascertain the tumor nature of B cell with a macrophage pheno-type.DLBCL cell lines(OCI-LY3,SU-DHL2)were treated with phorbol myristate acetate(PMA),and changes in the proteins levels of CD68 and PAX5 proteins were detected by flow cytometry.Quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR)was used to detect mRNA levels of PAX5,an important transcription factor for B cell differentiation and develop-ment,and macrophage-related genes(CD68,ARG1,CD163,CD206,Dectin-1,PU.1,C/EBPα,C/EBPβ).In ad-dition,PMA-treated DLBCL cell lines(OCI-LY3,SU-DHL2)were co-incubated with pH-sensitive fluorescent dye pHrodo to detect the phagocytosis ability of PMA-treated DLBCL cells.Results The percentage of CD68+B lympho-cytes in 50 patients with DLBCL varied from 0 to 9.3%,and the overall survival(OS)ranged from 0.008 2 to 4.2 years.Patients with the low CD68+B lymphocytes group exhibited a significantly lower OS compared to those in the high CD68+B lymphocytes group(P=0.039).There was a significant difference in the molecular typing of DLBCL patients(P=0.009 5)between different subgroups for the proportion of CD68+B lymphocytes.CD68+B lymphocytes were derived from tumor cells in DLBCL patients.The proportion of CD68+cells and CD68+PAX5-cells significantly increased in DLBCL after treatment with PMA(P<0.05).The other macrophage markers CD68,ARG1,CD 163,CD206,Dectin-1,PU.1,C/EBPα,C/EBPβ,and the important B-cell transcription factor PAX5 were significantly different from the control group in terms of relative mRNA expression(P<0.05).Cellular phagocytosis was enhanced after PMA treatment of DLBCL cells.Conclusion Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma tumor tissue contains a certain per-centage of CD68+neoplastic B lymphocytes.The proportion of CD68+B lymphocytes is correlated with patient progno-sis and molecular typing.DLBCL cell lines can be induced to differentiate into CD68+tumor cells in vitro.
8.Role of SIRT1 activation in neuronal ferroptosis in rats after traumatic brain injury: a randomized controlled trial
Jie JIN ; Tingting AN ; Qiong WU ; Xiangyang LI ; Yifan MA ; Huihui DING ; Tao SONG ; Chengjian LI ; Lanjuan XU
Chinese Journal of Neuromedicine 2025;24(8):780-789
Objective:To preliminarily explore whether sirtuin1 (SIRT1) activation can inhibit neuronal ferroptosis in rats after traumatic brain injury (TBI) by regulating hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)-mediated glycolysis.Methods:(1) Six SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group and TBI group, with 3 rats in each group; TBI model in the TBI group was established by hydraulic impact method, and rats in the sham-operated group underwent same surgery without impact. Cortical tissues of the two groups were sent for tandem mass tag (TMT) labeled quantitative proteomics detection to analyze the differential expression proteome; Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to detect pathway enrichment of the screened differential proteins. (2) Twelve SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group and 1-day, 3-day and 7-day post-TBI groups, with 3 rats in each group. Treatment methods were the same as above; Western blotting was used to detect SIRT1 protein expression. (3) Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group, TBI group, TBI+vehicle group and TBI+SIRT1 agonist group, with 12 rats in each group; rats in the sham-operated group and TBI group accepted treatment as above; rats in the TBI+SIRT1 agonist group were intraperitoneally injected with SRT1720 (dissolved in ≤ 5% dimethyl sulfoxide, at a dose of 20 mg/kg) within 30 minutes after modeling, twice a day (with an interval of 12 hours); and rats in the TBI+vehicle group were injected with same dose of dimethyl sulfoxide at the same time. One d after modeling, neurological deficit was assessed using modified Neurological severity score (mNSS), brain water content was measured by dry-wet weight method, histopathological changes in the cortical lesions were observed by HE staining, mitochondrial ultrastructure was examined by transmission electron microscopy, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the brain tissues were detected by colorimetry, and protein expressions of SIRT1, HIF-1α (key protein in the glycolytic pathway), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4, key protein in the ferroptosis pathway), and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4, key protein in the ferroptosis pathway) were evaluated by Western blotting.Results:(1) KEGG analysis revealed that the glycolysis pathway and HIF-1 signaling pathway were obviously enriched in the cortical tissues of rats in the TBI group compared with the sham-operated group; GSEA showed that the HIF-1 signaling pathway (mmu04066) and ferroptosis pathway (mmu04216) gene sets in the cortical tissues of rats in the TBI group exhibited enrichment trends compared with those in the sham-operated group. (2) Compared with the sham-operated group, the 1-day, 3-day, and 7-day post-TBI groups had significantly decreased SIRT1 protein expression ( P<0.05), with the most prominent decline in 1-day post-TBI group. (3) Compared with the TBI+vehicle group, rats in the TBI+SIRT1 agonist group showed significantly reduced mNSS score and brain tissue water content (9.83±1.17 vs. 7.66±1.21; [83.62±0.91]% vs. [80.09±0.68]%, P<0.05). HE staining indicated clearer structure of the cortical area at the injury sites, and improved neuron morphology in the TBI+SIRT1 agonist group compared with those in the TBI+vehicle group; and transmission electron microscopy showed reduced mitochondrial shrinkage and partial restoration of cristae structures in the TBI+SIRT1 agonist group compared with those in the TBI+vehicle group. Compared with the TBI+vehicle group, the TBI+SIRT1 agonist group exhibited significantly decreased MDA content ([62.72±9.20] nmol/g vs. [39.34±3.48] nmol/g), increased SOD activity ([1.95±0.23] U/mg vs. [2.48±0.14] U/mg), elevated GPX4 protein expression (0.37±0.04 vs. 0.46±0.03), and decreased HIF-1α and ACSL4 protein expressions (1.16±0.15 vs. 0.81±0.12; 1.14±0.06 vs. 1.29±0.04), with significant differences ( P<0.05). Conclusion:SIRT1 activation can exert neuroprotective effect by inhibiting HIF-1α-mediated glycolysis and reducing neuronal ferroptosis after TBI.
9.Clinical characteristics and healthcare burden in patients with McCune-Albright syndrome
Huihui GAO ; Tingting ZHENG ; Xiaoqin XU ; Junwen ZHANG ; Yuchen ZHANG ; Liying SUN ; Jiansong CHEN ; Wei WU ; Guanping DONG ; Junfen FU
Chinese Journal of Pediatrics 2025;63(7):784-788
Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics and healthcare burden in patients with McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS).Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Children′s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Clinical and healthcare burden data were systematically collected through structured questionnaires in 164 children with MAS from February 2022 to May 2023. According to the clinical characteristics, patients were categorized into 3 groups: monosymptomatic, bisymptomatic and trisymptomatic groups. Patients were also divided into 3 groups according to the age of <7, 7-<10 and 10-18 years. Comparative analyses of clinical characteristics and healthcare burden were conducted across age, sex, and symptom categories.Results:The cohort comprised 59 males (36.0%) and 105 females (64.0%) with an age of 4.6 (2.0, 7.4) years. Age stratification revealed 117 cases (71.3%) aged 0-<7 years, 29 cases (17.7%) aged 7-<10 years, and 18 cases (11.0%) aged 10-<18 years. Among monosymptomatic (67 cases, 40.9%), the cohort comprised 32 females (47.8%) and 35 males (52.2%), predominantly presenting with fibrous dysplasia (57 cases, 85.1%). This subgroup showed peak prevalence in the 0-<7 years age range (29 cases (50.9%)). The bisymptomatic cohort (56 cases, 34.1%) consisted of 39 females (69.6%) and 17 males (30.4%), predominantly manifesting fibrous dysplasia with skin hyperpigmentation (25 cases, 44.6%). Peak prevalence occurred in the 0-<7 years subgroup(16 cases (64.0%)). The trisymptomatic cohort (41 cases, 25.0%) consisted of 34 females (82.9%) and 7 males (17.1%), with peak prevalence occurring in the 0-<7 years subgroup (36 cases (87.8%)). The diagnostic journey analysis revealed 94 cases (57.3%) required 1-3 referrals, and 34 cases (20.7%) necessitated >3 referrals from symptom onset to definitive diagnosis. Healthcare expenditure analysis revealed 69 families (42.1%) incurred direct medical costs of 10 000-100 000 CNY, with 11 families (6.7%) exceeding >100 000 CNY. Direct non-medical costs reached of 10 000-100 000 CNY for 62 families (37.8%) and >100 000 CNY for 4 families (2.4%). Productivity loss affected 58 families (35.4%) at 10 000-100 000 CNY and 8 families (4.9%) above 100 000 CNY during the study period.Conclusion:MAS requires increased attention to skeletal manifestations, especially in children aged 0-<7 years. Moreover, the significant financial burden on families necessitates a society-wide support system.
10.Study on the value of the expression levels of TGF-β and Smad2 in platelets for the diagnosis and staging of patients with colorectal cancer
Huihui SHAO ; Linlin QU ; Ruibo LIU ; Wei XU ; Quan WANG ; Weiqi CUI ; Yuwen HUANG ; Haocheng LI ; Chunhe ZHAO ; Liang HE
Chinese Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2025;48(5):590-596
Objective:To analyze the values of platelet transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and SMAD family member 2 (Smad2) in patients′ peripheral platelets for CRC diagnosis and staging.Methods:Retrospective case-control study. Tumor tissues, paratumor tissues and peripheral blood samples were collected from 248 CRC patients (147 males, 101 females; age 21-93 years) diagnosed in the First Hospital of Jilin University from October 10th, 2020, to March 10th, 2025. Peripheral blood samples were also collected from 40 colorectal adenomatous polyp patients (21 males, 19 females; age 22-74 years) and 75 healthy individuals (43 males, 32 females; age 18-81 years) during the same period. Tissue homogenates and platelets were isolated using tissue disruption and gradient centrifugation, respectively. Total RNA was respectively extracted from tissues and platelets, and the expression levels of TGF-β and Smad2 were quantified by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) expressed as relative quantity 2 -ΔΔCt. Differences of TGF-β and Smad2 expression were compared between CRC tissues and adjacent tissues, as well as among CRC patients, polyp patients, and healthy controls. The relationship of platelet TGF-β and Smad2 expression with pathological features includingtumor stage, pathological type, and metastasis were analyzed. The efficiency of platelet TGF-β, Smad2, and their combination in diagnosing CRC was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results:The expression levels of TGF-β and Smad2 in CRC tumor tissues[1.09 (0.45, 2.00), 2.93 (0.78, 6.73)] were significantly higher than those in adjacent tissues[0.81 (0.27, 1.50), 1.29 (0.40, 2.63)] ( Z TGF-β=4.54, Z Smad2=6.67, both P<0.001). The expression levels of TGF-β and Smad2 in platelets of CRC patients[2.73(1.53, 4.38), 3.16 (1.58, 4.38)] were significantly higher than those in the colorectal polyp group[1.23(0.70, 2.54), 1.16(0.78, 2.27)] and the healthy control group[0.96(0.51, 1.88), 0.92 (0.55, 1.88)] ( H TGF-β=59.71, H Smad2=78.74, both P<0.001). Platelet TGF-β expression increased progressively with tumor stage (stage 1-4) ( P<0.05), while platelet Smad2 levels were higher in metastatic CRC compared with non-metastatic cases ( P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) for diagnosing CRC when combining platelet TGF-β and Smad2 was 0.81[95%Confidence interval( CI) 0.77—0.86], which was 0.90 (95% CI 0.86—0.93) if adding serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Conclusion:Platelet TGF-β and Smad2 expression correlates with the diagnosis and staging of CRC, demonstrating potential as liquid biopsy biomarkers for colorectal malignancies.

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