Objective To investigate the expression characteristics of c-MET protein in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its associations with clinicopathological parameters, MET gene amplification status, and prognosis, and to evaluate the concordance between immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) detection strategies, thereby providing evidence for patient selection for MET-targeted therapy. Methods A total of 193 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples from CRC patients were collected. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect c-MET protein expression, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed to evaluate MET gene amplification status. The associations between c-MET protein expression and clinicopathological characteristics, including KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF mutation status, as well as progression-free survival (PFS), were analyzed. The concordance between IHC and FISH detection results was also evaluated. Results c-MET protein expression was significantly higher in tumor tissues than in adjacent normal tissues (P<0.05). Significant differences in c-MET expression were observed between primary tumors and liver or peritoneal/pelvic metastatic lesions (P<0.05). The proportion of high c-MET expression was significantly higher in KRAS-mutant patients than in KRAS wild-type patients (41.38% vs. 16.92%, P<0.05). The MET gene amplification rate was 8.29% (16/193), including clustered or diffuse amplification in 1.55% (3/193) and heterogeneous amplification in 6.74% (13/193). No MET exon 14 skipping mutation or amplification was detected by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Using an IHC H-Score≥150 as the threshold, the positive percent agreement (PPA) between IHC-detected c-MET protein expression and FISH-detected MET gene amplification was 100%. All clustered MET amplification regions exhibited diffuse strong c-MET expression (IHC 3+). No statistically significant association was observed between c-MET expression level and PFS (P>0.05). Conclusion High c-MET expression may represent a potential therapeutic target for KRAS-mutant CRC patients. An H-Score ≥150 is recommended as the initial screening threshold to rapidly identify patients suitable for MET-targeted therapy, with FISH testing when necessary. Diffuse strong c-MET expression (IHC 3+) shows high concordance with clustered MET gene amplification.

ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological characteristics of long COVID and to investigate its main influencing factors by examining individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 between March and June 2022 in two communities in Shanghai, to lay the foundation for further research on the mechanism and clinical treatment of long COVID, and to provide the basis for the development of inexpensive, convenient, and feasible prevention and intervention strategies. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted, enrolling 6 410 individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey. The incidence and common symptoms of long COVID were analyzed, along with their associations with demographic characteristics, medical history, and behavioral factors. A logistic regression model was used to identify the major factors associated with the development of long COVID symptoms. ResultsThe overall incidence rate of long COVID among the study population was 13.9%. The most commonly reported symptoms included fatigue (65.1%), attention disorders (23.1%), and cough (16.9%). The analysis showed that having underlying chronic diseases (OR=2.580, 95%CI: 2.165‒3.074), a history of allergies (OR=1.418, 95%CI: 1.003‒1.971), current smoking (OR=1.461, 95%CI: 1.013‒2.079), ever smoking (OR=2.462, 95%CI: 1.687‒3.551), a greater number of symptoms during the acute phase [1 symptom (OR=1.778, 95%CI: 1.459‒2.162), 2 symptoms (OR=2.749, 95%CI: 2.209‒3.409), ≥3 symptoms (OR=7.792, 95%CI: 6.333‒9.593)] and aggravated symptoms during the acute phase (OR=1.082, 95%CI: 1.070‒1.094) were factors associated with a higher risk of developing long COVID symptoms. Additionally, individuals who had consumed alcohol in the past year (OR=1.914, 95%CI: 1.344‒2.684) were more prone to objective long COVID symptoms. Among individuals under 50 years of age, females (OR=1.427, 95%CI: 1.052‒1.943) were more likely to develop objective long COVID symptoms. ConclusionThis study has identified the diversity of long COVID symptoms, which involve multiple organs and systems, including fatigue, attention disorders, cough, and joint pain. It has also revealed associations between long COVID and various demographic factors (e.g., age, gender), personal medical history (e.g., underlying chronic diseases, history of allergies), acute-phase characteristics (e.g., number and severity of symptoms), and behavioral factors (e.g., smoking, alcohol consumption). These findings highlight the need for further research and ongoing surveillance of long COVID and may inform the development of more targeted health management strategies for specific populations.

ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological characteristics and influencing factors of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection by conducting follow-up investigations among community residents who experienced their first SARS-CoV-2 infection between March and June 2022, so as to provide a scientific basis for predicting future epidemic trends and adjusting prevention and control strategies. MethodsA cohort study was conducted in Xuhui District, Shanghai. A total of 1 208 individuals with a documented primary SARS-CoV-2 infection between March and June 2022 were enrolled and followed-up longitudinally. Data were collected using structured questionnaire surveys to assess the reinfection rate, incidence density, and clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. ResultsA total of 497 SARS-CoV-2 reinfection cases were observed among the 1 208 research subjects, with a reinfection rate of 41.14% and an incidence density of 0.63 cases per 1 000 person-days. The cumulative reinfection rates at 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months following the initial infection were 0.08%, 15.31%, 19.04%, 33.53%, and 38.25%, respectively. Compared with the primary infection, reinfection was more likely to be symptomatic, with a greater severity of fever, dry cough, sore throat, and runny nose. Being female, younger age, and symptom duration ≥7 days during the primary infection were identified as influencing factors for SARS-CoV-2 reinfection, while a higher socioeconomic status can reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. ConclusionSARS-CoV-2 reinfection is relatively common and often symptomatic. Age, gender, income level, and the duration of symptoms during the primary infection are identified as infuencing factors for SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. Continuous monitoring of reinfection in the population is recommended, along with the development of effective strategies to mitigate the impact of reinfection.

Objective To investigate the conformational states of ADAMTS13 under different pH conditions.Methods Atomic force microscopy(AFM)was applied to pull ADAMTS13 molecules with two distinct pulling systems:the Biotin-Streptavidin system and the 6×His-Anti-His antibody system.The rupture forces and molecular contour lengths were analyzed.Results Under pH 7.4 condition,when ADAMTS13 was pulled by Biotin-Streptavidin system,the mean molecular contour length was(30.93±1.56)nm,exhibiting a bimodal frequency distribution with peak positions at(22.12±0.01)and(49.57±0.05)nm.When ADAMTS13 was pulled using 6×Hist-anti-His antibody system,the mean molecular contour length was(32.77±0.72)nm,also showing a bimodal distribution,with a peak position at(25.73±0.16)and(43.84±0.63)nm,respectively.Under pH 6.0 condition,when ADAMTS13 was pulled by Biotin-Streptavidin system,the mean molecular contour length increased to(47.07±1.6)nm,and the frequency distribution shifted to trimodal,with peak positions at(22±1.25),(55.09±2.62)and(76.69±3.06)nm.The conformation of ADAMTS13 was more extended at pH 6.0 compared with that at pH 7.4.Conclusions ADAMTS13 exists in'closed'and intermediate conformational states at physiological pH 7.4.However,at pH 6.0,ADAMTS13 can adopt'closed',intermediate,and'open'conformational states.This study contributes to a further understanding of the role of ADAMTS13 in normal physiology and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura,providing insights for the development of novel recombination ADAMTS13 drugs.

Objective To investigate the conformational states of ADAMTS13 under different pH conditions.Methods Atomic force microscopy(AFM)was applied to pull ADAMTS13 molecules with two distinct pulling systems:the Biotin-Streptavidin system and the 6×His-Anti-His antibody system.The rupture forces and molecular contour lengths were analyzed.Results Under pH 7.4 condition,when ADAMTS13 was pulled by Biotin-Streptavidin system,the mean molecular contour length was(30.93±1.56)nm,exhibiting a bimodal frequency distribution with peak positions at(22.12±0.01)and(49.57±0.05)nm.When ADAMTS13 was pulled using 6×Hist-anti-His antibody system,the mean molecular contour length was(32.77±0.72)nm,also showing a bimodal distribution,with a peak position at(25.73±0.16)and(43.84±0.63)nm,respectively.Under pH 6.0 condition,when ADAMTS13 was pulled by Biotin-Streptavidin system,the mean molecular contour length increased to(47.07±1.6)nm,and the frequency distribution shifted to trimodal,with peak positions at(22±1.25),(55.09±2.62)and(76.69±3.06)nm.The conformation of ADAMTS13 was more extended at pH 6.0 compared with that at pH 7.4.Conclusions ADAMTS13 exists in'closed'and intermediate conformational states at physiological pH 7.4.However,at pH 6.0,ADAMTS13 can adopt'closed',intermediate,and'open'conformational states.This study contributes to a further understanding of the role of ADAMTS13 in normal physiology and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura,providing insights for the development of novel recombination ADAMTS13 drugs.

ObjectiveTo elucidate the principles and methods of the Bayesian probabilistic linkage model， and to demonstrate the effect of applying the model in linking birth and death data. MethodsThrough the Shanghai birth and death registration system， data of 199 025 infants born in 2017 and 1 512 infants who died in 2017 and 2018 were collected. After cleaning the data， the data were divided into monthly blocks and fully linked. The Jaro-Winkler algorithm and Euclidean distance were employed to measure the similarity of fields for matching. A Bayesian probabilistic linkage model was constructed and the linking effect was evaluated using a confusion matrix. ResultsUsing the Bayesian probabilistic linkage model， the birth and death data of infants were effectively linked， revealing that 36.71% of infants who died in Shanghai were born outside the city， and the probability of infant death was 2.6‰. The confusion matrix of the test set showed a recall rate of 0.86， precision of 0.76， and an F-score of 0.81. ConclusionThe practical application of Bayesian probabilistic linkage demonstrates a good model performance， enabling the establishment of birth-death cohorts that more accurately reflect the true levels of infant mortality. Utilizing this technique to integrate data from different departments can effectively improve research efficiency in the field of public health.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory demyelinating disease, mediated by pathogenic T helper 17 (Th17) cells. However, the therapeutic effect is accompanied by the fluctuation of the proportion and function of Th17 cells, which prompted us to find the key regulator of Th17 differentiation in MS. Here, we demonstrated that the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM-2), a modulator of pattern recognition receptors on innate immune cells, was highly expressed on pathogenic CD4-positive T lymphocyte (CD4⁺ T) cells in both patients with MS and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse models. Conditional knockout of Trem-2 in CD4⁺ T cells significantly alleviated the disease activity and reduced Th17 cell infiltration, activation, differentiation, and inflammatory cytokine production and secretion in EAE mice. Furthermore, with Trem-2 knockout in vivo experiments and in vitro inhibitor assays, the TREM-2/zeta-chain associated protein kinase 70 (ZAP70)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signal axis was essential for Th17 activation and differentiation in EAE progression. In conclusion, TREM-2 is a key regulator of pathogenic Th17 in EAE mice, and this sheds new light on the potential of this therapeutic target for MS.
Animals ; Humans ; Mice ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/pathology* ; Cell Differentiation ; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Th1 Cells/pathology*

Objective:To explore the recurrence pattern and prognosis of cervical cancer after radical chemoradiotherapy.Methods:Clinical and follow-up data of 1 359 patients with stage Ⅰ-ⅣA (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics 2009 staging) who received radical radiotherapy in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital from August 2011 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The survival and prognostic factors of 249 patients with recurrence / metastasis with detailed data were analyzed. The primary endpoint was post-recurrence / metastasis survival time. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the survival rate, log-rank test was used for single factor analysis, and Cox model was used for multi-factor analysis.Results:The distant metastasis rate of 249 patients was 77.5%, and the local recurrence rate was 36.9%. According to the location of metastasis and recurrence, 56 cases with recurrence in the field of radiotherapy alone were assigned into group A, 157 cases with recurrence outside the radiation field alone were allocated into group B (56 cases with lymph node recurrence in group B1, 78 cases with blood metastasis in group B2, and 23 cases with lymph node and blood metastasis simultaneously in group B3), and 36 cases with combined recurrence and metastasis in and out of the field of radiotherapy were assigned into group C. The median survival time of patients in groups A, B1, B2, B3 and C was 13, 24, 13, 11 and 9 months, respectively (all P<0.001). According to the interval from initial diagnosis to recurrence / metastasis, 110 cases were classified in ≤1 year group, 74 cases in >1-2 years group, and 65 cases in >2 years group. The median survival time of patients in the three groups was 11, 14, and 22 months, respectively (all P<0.001). According to the management of recurrence / metastasis, 138 cases received palliative treatment, 15 cases received local treatment, 45 cases received systemic treatment, and 51 cases received combined treatment. The median survival time of patients among four groups was 9, 37, 20 and 32 months, respectively (all P<0.001). The results of multi-factor analysis showed that age, recurrence / metastatic site, retreatment methods, time interval between initial treatment and recurrence /metastasis were the independent prognostic factors affecting the survival (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Distant metastasis is the main failure pattern after radical radiotherapy. Patients with metastasis out of irradiated regions, especially those with only lymph node metastasis, have good prognosis. Active retreatment and time interval between initial diagnosis and recurrence / metastasis are important prognostic factors.

Objective To explore the therapeutic mechanism of Modified Lugen Formula(Phragmitis Rhizoma,Cicadae Periostracum,Batryticatus Bombyx,Lonicerae Japonicae Flos,Glycyrrhiza,Menthae Haplocalycis Herba,Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix,Puerariae Lobatae Radix,Bupleuri Radix)in treating influenza from the virus-host interaction interface.Methods The phytocompounds were first collected from the HERB database,and then potential active compounds were screened out by Lipinski's rules of five.The targets of active compounds were further predicted through the SwissTargetPrediction platform.Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were determined from the human H1N1 influenza dataset GSE90732 available in the Gene Expression Omnibus database(GEO).H1N1-Homo sapiens-related protein-protein interactions(PPIs)were gathered from the Pathogen-Host Interaction Search Tool(PHISTO).The above mentioned bioinformatic datasets were integrated.Then a PPI network and a Formula-virus-host interaction network were constructed using Cytoscape.Functional enrichment analyses were performed by using R software.Finally,molecular docking was carried out to evaluate the binding activities between the key compounds and targets.Results A total of 1 252 active compounds,1 415 targets,951 influenza-related DEGs,and 10 142 H1N1-Homo sapiens-related PPIs were obtained.There were 72 intersection targets between the Modified Lugen Formula and influenza.Functional enrichment analyses showed that these targets are closely related to host defense and programmed cell death.The network topological analysis showed that active compounds in the Modified Lugen Formula,such as oleanolic acid,γ-undecalactone,and longispinogenin,regulate viral proteins M2,NA,NS1,and HA and/or the host factors HSP90AA1,NRAS,and ITGB1,thus exert therapeutic effect.Molecular docking results confirmed that these compounds had a good binding ability with the targets.Conclusion Multiple active ingredients in Modified Lugen Formula directly target influenza virus proteins and/or host factors,thereby play an anti-influenza role in multiple dimensions,including inhibiting virus replication,regulating host defense and cell death.This study provides a theoretical basis for further experimental analysis of the action mechanism of the Modified Lugen Formula in treating influenza.

Objective:To explore the association between insulin resistance (IR) and genome-wide DNA methylation based on Shanghai twin study.Methods:Monozygotic twins (MZ) from Shanghai were recruited during 2012-2013, 2017-2018, and 2022-2023. Data were collected by questionnaire survey, physical examination and laboratory tests. Genome-wide DNA methylation was quantified. Generalized linear mixed effect model was applied to analyze the association between methylation level at each site and homeostatic model assessment 2-insulin resistance (HOMA2-IR). Non-paired and paired designs were used to assess the association between DNA methylation and phenotype of IR. Cluster analysis was conducted to identify the clusters of top significant sites. Generalized linear regression was performed to examine the differential methylation patterns from clusters.Results:A total of 100 MZ pairs were included in this study. Hypermethylated cg10535199-2q23.1 ( β=0.74%, P=1.51×10 -7, OR=1.06, 95% CI: 1.03-1.09) and ch.17.49619327- SPOP ( β=0.23%, P=7.54×10 -7, OR=1.17, 95% CI: 1.08-1.28) were identified with suggestive significance. After correcting for multiple testing, no sites reached genome-wide significance. There was no statistical significance in the paired analysis. Two clusters with hypomethylated ( β=-0.39%, P<0.001) and hypermethylated ( β=0.47%, P<0.001) patterns were observed for HOMA2-IR. Conclusions:IR was significantly associated with DNA methylation, and genetic factors might contribute to the association.