Background: s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated. Methods: In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs. Results: Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment. Conclusions We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression.

A primary hallmark of pathological cardiac hypertrophy is excess protein synthesis due to enhanced translational activity. However, regulatory mechanisms at the translational level under cardiac stress remain poorly understood. Here we examined the translational regulations in a mouse cardiac hypertrophy model induced by transaortic constriction (TAC) and explored the conservative networks versus the translatome pattern in human dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The results showed that the heart weight to body weight ratio was significantly elevated, and the ejection fraction and fractional shortening significantly decreased 8 weeks after TAC. Puromycin incorporation assay showed that TAC significantly increased protein synthesis rate in the left ventricle. RNA-seq revealed 1,632 differentially expressed genes showing functional enrichment in pathways including extracellular matrix remodeling, metabolic processes, and signaling cascades associated with pathological cardiomyocyte growth. When combined with ribosome profiling analysis, we revealed that translation efficiency (TE) of 1,495 genes was enhanced, while the TE of 933 genes was inhibited following TAC. In DCM patients, 1,354 genes were upregulated versus 1,213 genes were downregulated at the translation level. Although the majority of the genes were not shared between mouse and human, we identified 93 genes, including Nos3, Kcnj8, Adcy4, Itpr1, Fasn, Scd1, etc., with highly conserved translational regulations. These genes were remarkably associated with myocardial function, signal transduction, and energy metabolism, particularly related to cGMP-PKG signaling and fatty acid metabolism. Motif analysis revealed enriched regulatory elements in the 5' untranslated regions (5'UTRs) of transcripts with differential TE, which exhibited strong cross-species sequence conservation. Our study revealed novel regulatory mechanisms at the translational level in cardiac hypertrophy and identified conserved translation-sensitive targets with potential applications to treat cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure in the clinic.
Animals ; Humans ; Cardiomegaly/physiopathology* ; Ribosomes/physiology* ; Protein Biosynthesis/physiology* ; Mice ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated/genetics* ; Ribosome Profiling

[Purpose]To analyze the trend of incidence rates of gallbladder cancer in Qidong City of Jiangsu Province from 1972 to 2021.[Methods]The incidence data of gallbladder cancer from 1972 to 2021 were collected from the Qidong Tumour Registry database,the crude incidence rate(CR),age-standardized rate by Chinese standard population(ASRC),age-standardized rate by world standard population(ASRW)of gallbladder cancer were calculated.Trend analysis was per-formed using Joinpoint 4.9.1.0 software to calculate the average annual percentage change(AAPC)of gallbladder cancer incidence rates,and time trend analysis was performed on the overall inci-dence rate by sex and age.[Results]A total of 1 369 cases of gallbladder cancer occurred in Qi-dong City from 1972 to 2021,accounting for 0.93％of all malignant tumors.The overall CR of gallbladder cancer was 2.44/105 in 50 years,ASRC was 0.88/105 and ASRW was 1.45/105.The truncated rate of 35～64 years old was 1.98/105,the cumulative incidence of gallbladder cancer at 0～74 years old was 0.16％,and the risk of cumulative incidence of gallbladder cancer was 0.16％.CR was slightly higher in women than that in men,but after standardization it was slightly higher in men than that in women.The sex ratio of CR,ASRC and ASRW was 0.89,1.07 and 1.06,respectively.With the increase of age,the incidence of gallbladder cancer was also increased.The age of onset was slightly increased in last 50 years.In last 50 years,there was an upward trend in the overall incidence of gallbladder cancer,the incidence both for men and women,and the inci-dence of each age group.[Conclusion]The incidence of gallbladder cancer in Qidong City has increased considerably during the past 50 years,and continuing attention should be paid to the prevention and treatment of gallbladder cancer especially for the key populations.

[Purpose]To analyze the survival rate of breast cancer in Qidong City of Jiangsu Province from 1972 to 2019 and to predict the trend in the next 10 years.[Methods]The data of breast cancer collected from Qidong Cancer Registry from 1972 to 2019 were extracted.Observed survival rate(OSR),relative survival rate(RSR),age-adjusted relative survival(ARS)and average annual percentage change(AAPC)of breast cancer were calculated.ARIMA model was used to predict the trend of breast cancer survival rate.[Results]The 5-year RSR increased from 57.30％during 1972-1977 to 89.01％during 2014-2019,and the uptrend of RSR in the 8 periods was statistically significant(P＜0.001).The 5-year ARS increased from 48.12％during 1972-1977 to 85.64％during 2014-2019 with an AAPC of 1.85％(t=10.113,P＜0.001).The 5-year RSR during 1972-2019 for males was 85.22％,and for females was 74.51％.For females,the 5-year RSR in-creased from 56.44％during 1972-1977 to 88.93％during 2014-2019 with an AAPC of 1.29％(t=13.087,P＜0.001),and the 5-year ARS increased from 46.14％during 1972-1977 to 85.23％during 2014-2019 with an AAPC of 1.90％(t=10.369,P＜0.001).The 5-year RSR in the age groups of 25～34,35～44,45～54,55～64,65～74,and over 75 years old were 66.91％,74.69％,76.97％,75.52％,73.44％and 66.40％,respectively;the corresponding AAPCs of 5-RSR in above age groups were 1.02％(t=3.816,P=0.009),1.03％(t=4.936,P=0.003),1.23％(t=5.826,P=0.001),1.86％(t=5.997,P=0.001),2.13％(t=10.245,P＜0.001),and 1.44％(t=6.405,P=0.001),respectively.ARIMA modeling of survival trend prediction showed that 5-RSR and 5-ARS for breast cancer will be ascended to 98.76％and 98.33％by 2028,respectively.[Conclusion]The overall survival rate of registered breast cancer cases in Qidong City has been greatly improved and will be further improved in the future,more attention should be paid to the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

Objective:To describe and analyze the incidence, mortality and epidemiological trends of liver cancer in China and selected regions worldwide, providing data references for liver cancer prevention and control.Methods:Data on the incidence, mortality, historical trends, and projected estimates for 2050 of liver cancer were extracted from the GLOBOCAN 2022 database. Epidemiological characteristics of liver cancer in China and other region were described and compared by region, age, sex and human development index (HDI). Spearman's test was used to examine the relationships between HDI and age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) or age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) across regions. The average annual percentage change (AAPC) in ASIR was calculated using Joinpoint regression analysis.Results:In 2022, the number of new cases and deaths of liver cancer in the global were 866 000 and 759 000 respectively, and the ASIR and ASMR were 8.6/10 5 and 7.4/10 5, respectively. Both ASIR and ASMR were higher in males than in females. In China, there were 368 000 new cases and 317 000 deaths in 2022, with an ASIR of 15.0/10 5 and an ASMR of 12.6/10 5. Globally, the incidence of liver cancer in males peaked in the 65-69 age group, while in Chinese males, two incidence peaks were observed in the 50-54 and 65-69 age groups. Among the elderly (≥65 years), the global ASIR and ASMR were 7.4 and 8.1 times higher, respectively, than those in the working-age population (15-64 years). In China, the ratios of ASIR and ASMR between the elderly and working-age populations were 5.9 and 7.0, respectively. Both ASIR and ASMR were negatively correlated with HDI (ASIR: r=-0.18, P=0.018; ASMR: r=-0.31, P＜0.001). From 2002 to 2017, ASIR of liver cancer showed a declining trend in both males and females in China, Japan, and South Korea (all P＜0.001), with AAPCs of -1.96% for Chinese males and -2.75% for Chinese females. In contrast, the United States experienced an increasing trend in ASIR, with AAPCs of 3.13% for males and 3.12% for females (both P＜0.001). Projections indicate that by 2050, the number of new cases and deaths globally will reach 1.564 million and 1.421 million, representing increases of 80.6% and 87.2% compared to 2022, respectively. In China, the number of new cases and deaths are projected to be 560 000 and 514 000, increases of 52.2% and 62.1% from 2022, respectively. Conclusions:The burden of liver cancer varies significantly across regions, sexes, and age groups worldwide. Incidence and mortality rates are negatively correlated with HDI. The global burden of liver cancer is expected to continue increasing, underscoring the need for enhanced comprehensive prevention and control strategies.

Objective:To describe the epidemiological characteristics and trends of lung cancer incidence in Qidong City, Jiangsu Province, China, between 1972 and 2021, and provide guidelines for prevention and control.Methods:Data on lung cancer with onset from January 1, 1972 to December 31, 2021 and coded as C33-C34 in the International Classification of Diseases (10th edition) were extracted from the tumor registry database of Qidong City. Population data of Qidong City for each year from 1972 to 2021 were extracted from the annual report of household registration of the Public Security Bureau of Qidong City. The crude incidence rate (CR), China age-standardized rate (ASRC), world age-standardized rate (ASRW), 35-64 years truncated rate, 0-74 years cumulative rate, and cumulative risk were calculated. Average annual percentage change (AAPC) was calculated by Joinpoint software for CR, ASRC, and ASRW. The age-period-cohort (APC) model was used to analyze the influence of age, period, and birth cohort on the changes in the incidence trend of lung cancer.Results:From 1972 to 2021, there were 26 996 patients of lung cancer in Qidong, accounting for 18.30% (26 996/147 519) of all cancer new cases. The CR of lung cancer was 48.13/10 5, the ASRC was 29.65/10 5, and the ASRW was 29.67/10 5. The truncated incidence of 35-64 years old was 42.64/10 5, the cumulative incidence rate between the ages between 0-74 years old was 3.71%, and the cumulative risk was 3.64%. There were 18 572 male patients, with the CR, ASRC, and ASRW being 67.15/10 5, 43.82/10 5, and 43.87/10 5, respectively. The number of female patients was 8 424, and the CR, ASRC, and the ASRW were 29.62/10 5, 17.63/10 5, and 17.55/10 5, respectively. Temporal analysis indicated significant upward trends in the ASRCs for both genders combined, males, and females, with AAPC values of 2.21%, 1.76%, and 2.98% (all P<0.001), respectively. Age-specific incidence rates increased with age, peaking at 275.34/10 5 in the 75+ years age group, with an increasing trend in all age groups and the greatest increase in the 75+ years age group, with an AAPC value of 3.53% ( P<0.001). The results of the APC model showed that the net drift value of lung cancer incidence was 2.06% (95% CI: 1.72%-2.41%), and the highest value of local drift was 3.93% (95% CI: 3.20%-4.68%) in the 80+ years old group. The risk of cancer increases with age in the age effect. The period effect of the incidence rate ratio (RR) value increased from 1.12 during 1997-2001 to 2.09 during 2017-2021. The cohort effect of the RR value for risk of incidence increased from 0.17 during 1892-1896 to 2.54 during 1987-1991. Conclusions:From 1972 to 2021, the incidence rate of lung cancer in Qidong City showed an upward trend. Age, period, and cohort are all major factors influencing the incidence of lung cancer. It is necessary to develop precise and comprehensive prevention and control strategies to curb this increasing trend of lung cancer incidence.

Body weight abnormalities, including overweight, obesity, and underweight, have become a dual public health challenge in Chinese adults: overweight and obesity lead to a variety of chronic complications, while underweight increases the risks of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and organ dysfunction. To systematically address these issues, multidisciplinary experts in endocrinology, sports science, nutrition, and psychiatry from various regions have held multiple weight management seminars. Based on the latest epidemiological data and clinical evidence, they expanded the guideline to include assessment and intervention strategies for underweight, in addition to the core content of obesity management. This guideline outlines the etiological mechanisms, evaluation methods, and multidimensional management strategies for overweight and obesity, covering key areas such as diagnosis and assessment, medical nutrition therapy, exercise prescription, pharmacological intervention, and psychological support. It is intended to provide a scientific and standardized approach to weight management across the adult population, aiming to curb the rising prevalence of obesity, mitigate complications associated with abnormal body weight, and improve nutritional status and overall quality of life.

Objective:To evaluate the association between the preoperative aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT) ratio and postoperative delirium (POD) in patients undergoing total knee/hip arthroplasty.Methods:In this nested case-control study, medical records from patients, aged ≥55 yr, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ or Ⅱ, with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale score >24 on preoperative day 1, scheduled for elective total knee/hip arthroplasty under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia at Qingdao Municipal Hospital between November 2021 and December 2023, were collected. POD was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method. Patients were categorized into POD and non-POD groups based on the occurrence of POD. Logistic regression was employed to identify protective and risk factors for POD. The predictive performance of preoperative AST/ALT ratio alone and its combination with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker concentrations for POD was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves, and the clinical utility of the prediction models was assessed using decision curve analysis. Mediation analysis was conducted to examine the mediation role of CSF biomarkers in the relationship between the preoperative AST/ALT ratio and POD. Restricted cubic splines were used to assess the nonlinear relationship between the preoperative AST/ALT ratio and POD.Results:A total of 460 patients were finally included, with 49 in POD group and 411 in non-POD group. After adjustment for multiple confounding factors including age, sex, educational level, MMSE score, history of hypertension, history of diabetes, history of smoking and history of alcohol use, multivariable logistic regression identified that the higher preoperative AST/ALT ratio, CSF total tau protein (t-tau) and phosphorylated tau protein (p-tau) concentrations were independent risk factors for POD, whereas lower CSF β-amyloid 42 (Aβ 42) concentration, Aβ 42/t-tau ratio and Aβ 42/p-tau ratio served as protective factors ( P<0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the preoperative AST/ALT ratio combined with CSF biomarkers in predicting POD was 0.939 ( P<0.001), demonstrating high clinical efficacy. After adjusting for age, educational level, sex, MMSE score, history of hypertension, history of diabetes, history of smoking, history of alcohol use and body mass index, restricted cubic splines revealed a nonlinear relationship between preoperative AST/ALT levels and the probability of POD, and the probability of POD increased with rising ratios when the preoperative AST/ALT ratio ranged from 1.09 to 1.40 ( Poverall < 0.05, Pnonlinear <0.05). After stratification by sex, the preoperative AST/ALT ratio demonstrated a linear relationship with the probability of POD ( Poverall <0.05, Pnonlinear>0.05). Mediation analysis indicated that the relationship between the preoperative AST/ALT ratio and POD was partially mediated by CSF p-tau concentration (proportion mediated 18.1%), CSF t-tau concentration (proportion mediated 12.0%), and the Aβ 42/t-tau ratio (proportion mediated 15.4%). Conclusions:A higher preoperative AST/ALT ratio is an independent risk factor for POD in total knee/hip arthroplasty patients. The concentrations of CSF t-tau and p-tau and Aβ 42/t-tau ratio have a mediating role in the relationship between the preoperative AST/ALT ratio and POD.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and toxicity of blinatumomab in the first-line and second-line treatment of pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).Methods:A multi-center retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze clinical data from 323 pediatric B-ALL patients treated with blinatumomab across 14 hospitals in China from May 2021 to July 2023. Patients were divided into four groups based on the treatment phase and disease status when blinatumomab was used: relapsed/refractory group, post-consolidation minimal residual disease (MRD)-positive group, early MRD-positive group, and MRD-negative group. Blinatumomab for the relapsed/refractory group was considered as second-line treatment, while the other 3 groups as first-line treatment. The MRD negativity rate after treatment, the survival rates and the incidence of severe adverse events were compared across these groups. Patients who received blinatumomab for more than 7 days were included in the efficacy analysis. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Log-Rank test was used to compare the survival rates among groups.Results:Among the 323 patients, 191 (59.1%) were male, with the age of 6.2 (3.9, 10.5) years. There were 117 patients in the relapsed/refractory group, 62 cases in the post-consolidation MRD-positive group, 43 cases in the early MRD-positive group, and 101 cases in the MRD negative group. In the relapsed/refractory group, the complete remission rate and MRD negativity rate after one course of blinatumomab were 71.4% (35/49) and 81.5% (75/92) for the 49 children without complete remission and the 92 children with flow cytometry-positive MRD, respectively. In the post-consolidation MRD-positive group, the MRD negativity rates after one course of blinatumomab were 100.0% (27/27), 12/16 and 9/19 for patients with MRD positivity detected by flow cytometry, polymerase chain reaction and next-generation sequencing, respectively. In the early MRD-positive group, the MRD negativity rates were 96.7% (29/30) and 9/9 for flow cytometry and next-generation sequencing, respectively. The 2-year overall survival rate and event-free survival rate for the 319 children evaluable for efficacy were (90.6±1.7)% and (87.6±1.9)%, respectively, with the relapsed/refractory group showing significantly lower overall survival rates and event-free survival rate compared to the other groups ( χ2=21.40, 26.21,both P<0.001). Grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred in 128 cases (39.6%), with hematological toxicity observed in 101 cases, while cytokine release syndrome (CRS), infection, and neurotoxicity occurred in 11, 26 and 8 cases, respectively. In addition, there were statistically significant differences in the grade 3 or higher CRS among the four groups ( χ2=8.03, P<0.05). Conclusion:Blinatumomab can clear MRD more effectively and achieve superior survival outcomes when used as first-line treatment for pediatric B-ALL, with less CRS.

Aromatic immunity in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is the medical knowledge accumulated in the process of people's struggling with diseases. It plays an important role in plague prevention, disease treatment, health preservation, and rehabilitation, and has profound TCM basic theoretical support and abundant modern scientific evidence. With the in-depth promotion of the Healthy China initiative and the succession of health needs in the post-COVID-19 era, how to practice the health concept of aromatic immunity in TCM and develop its health service resources with high quality has become an important proposition to be discussed urgently. This paper summarizes the cognitive process, puts forward the basic concept, discusses the scientific connotation and clinical application value, and looks forward to the future development trend of aromatic immunity in TCM, aiming to provide guidance for the development of great health products and promote the application of aromatic immunity in TCM in serving people's health.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Humans ; COVID-19/immunology* ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; SARS-CoV-2