Over the past two decades, genome-wide association study(GWAS) has identified numerous genetic variants and loci associated with heritable diseases. With the gradual maturation and saturation of GWAS methodologies, transcriptome-wide association study(TWAS) offers a novel perspective by linkinggenetic phenotypes to gene expression levels. By integrating TWAS with other multi-omics analyses, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of heritable diseases. This article provides an overview of recent groundbreaking and representative TWAS methods and tools, analyzes their strengths and limitations, and discusses future trends in TWAS development.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the pain-location interaction between pressure-sensitive points on the body surface and traditional acupoints in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP) under different disease courses, using Euclidean distance and multivariate statistical analysis. METHODS: A pressure-sensitive point detection was performed on 30 CNLBP patients with varying disease courses. A constant pressure was applied using an FDK20 algometer within a designated lumbar area, a total of 50 points were tested, and the tested points were numbered; the visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score was recorded simultaneously. MatlabR2022a9.12. software was used to extract the positions of pressure-sensitive points, and preprocessing and normalization of point location and VAS scores data were conducted. Under constraint conditions (VAS≥8.0 ∩ Euclidean distance to acupoint≤0.5), the proportion of pressure-sensitive points within the Euclidean distance threshold to each acupoint (PVD_acupoint) was calculated, followed by multivariate statistical analysis. RESULTS: ①Constrained analysis of PVD_acupoint showed that PVD_{Qihaishu (BL24)} and PVD_{Dachangshu (BL25)} were positively correlated with disease course (r=0.55, P<0.01). ②Factor analysis and silhouette analysis revealed that PVD_{Shenshu (BL23)} and PVD_{Dachangshu (BL25)} exhibited trends consistent with disease course progression (P>0.05), with different degree (P<0.01). CONCLUSION The PVD_acupoint value based on Euclidean distance can characterize the pressure sensitivity features of traditional acupoints associated with disease. Multivariate statistical analysis of PVD_acupoint confirms that selecting the acupoint combination of Shenshu (BL23) and Dachangshu (BL25) for CNLBP is associated with the distribution of surrounding pressure-sensitive points and the pathological characteristics of the condition.
Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Low Back Pain/physiopathology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Young Adult ; Pressure

Cervical spinal cord injury without fracture-dislocation (CSCIWFD) is referred to as a special type of cervical spinal cord injury characterized by traumatic spinal cord dysfunction and no significant bony structural abnormalities on imagines. Duo to the high risk of missed diagnosis during the initial consultation, CSCIWFD may lead to progressive neurological deterioration or even complete paralysis, severely impacting patients′ prognosis. Currently, there are no established consensuses over the diagnosis and treatment of CSCIWFD, such as the lack of evidence-based standards for indications of non-surgical treatment and risk of secondary neurological injury, as well as debates over the optimal timing for surgical intervention and indications for different surgical approaches. To address these issues, the Spine Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts in the relevant fields to formulate Diagnosis and treatment guideline for acute cervical spinal cord injury without fracture- dislocation in adults ( version 2025) . Based on evidence-based medicine and the principles of scientific rigor and clinical applicability, the guidelines proposed 11 recommendations covering terminology, diagnosis, evaluation treatment, and rehabilitation, etc., aiming to standardize the management of CSCIWFD.

Vertebral refracture following percutaneous vertebral augmentation (PVA) is commonly seen in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures (OTLCF). It can lead to recurrent pain, loss of vertebral height, progression of kyphosis, and even neurological dysfunction, significantly impairing patients′ quality of life. Current diagnosis and treatment face multiple challenges, including high misdiagnosis rate, difficulty in choosing between surgical and non-surgical treatment options, lack of standardized surgical protocols, interference from intralesional bone cement during procedures, inadequate stability of internal fixation in osteoporotic bone, and suboptimal compliance of anti-osteoporotic therapy. Establishing a standardized diagnostic and therapeutic framework is urgently needed. To standardize the management process and improve outcomes for vertebral refractures after PVA in elderly OTLCF patients, Spinal Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts in the field to develop Guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of vertebral refracture after percutaneous vertebral augmentation in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures ( version 2025), based on current literature and clinical experience, and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and clinical applicability. A total of 11 recommendations were proposed, encompassing diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of vertebral refracture after PVA in elderly patients with OTLCF, aiming to provide a foundation for a standardized management.

Objective To determine the body weights and blood physiological and biochemical indicators in the Macaca mulatta brevicaudus(M.m.brevicaudus),to provide a reference for the breeding of experimental animals.Methods A total of 180 wild M.m.brevicaudus(female and male)from the South Bay Macaque Reserve in Lingshui were selected as the research subjects.Body weights were measured using electronic scales and blood samples were collected.Routine blood indicators(red blood cell count,hemoglobin,white blood cell count,and platelet count)were detected using an automated blood cell analyzer,and biochemical indicators(alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,glucose,blood urea nitrogen)were measured using an automated biochemical analyzer.Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 software for descriptive statistics,and differences in body weights and blood indicators between sexes and age groups were compared using t-tests.Results Adult male wild M.m.brevicaudus were significantly heavier than females(P＜0.05);however,there were no significant differences in complete blood cell counts between female and male macaques(P＞0.05).In terms of blood biochemical indicators,lactate dehydrogenase and total bilirubin levels differed significantly between female and male M.m.brevicaudus(P＜0.05),but there were no significant differences in any other biochemical indicators.Conclusions This study established baseline data on the body weights and blood physiological and biochemical indicators of wild M.m.brevicaudus,providing a reference for their future breeding as experimental animals.

Objective To investigate whether interleukin-37(IL-37)affects macrophage M1 polarization via nu-cleotide oligomerization of structural domain receptor protein 1(NOD1)/nuclear factor κB(NF-κB)in plasma cell mastitis.Methods A total of 15 patients with plasma cell mastitis were recruited according to the collection standard as inflammatory breast tissue and normal breast tissue with a distance of ≥ 3 cm from the edge of the in-flammatory breast tissue.QPCR was performed to detect NOD1 and IL-3.Phorbol ester(PE)was used to induce THP-1 cells to differentiate into resting macrophages(M0).Lipopolysaccharide(LPS)combined with interferon(IFN-γ)was used to induce the polarization of M0 macrophages towards the M1 phenotype.NOD1 lentiviral RNA interference or over-expression vectors were constructed to regulate the expression of NOD1 in M1 macrophages.M0 macrophages were pretreated with IL-37 recombinant protein and then incubated with LPS and IFN-γ for induction.The expression of NOD1,IL-37,M1 markers(IL-6 and iNOS)and M2 markers(IL-10 and Arg-1)was quantified by qPCR.Western blot was employed to assess the protein level of NOD1,NF-κB p65,and p-NF-κB p65.Co-immunoprecipitation was used to detect the interaction between NOD1 and IL-37.Results Up-regulation of NOD1 and down-regulation of IL-37 as were found in inflammatory breast tissues(P＜0.05).Compared to M0 cells,M1 cells showed up-regulated NOD1 and M1 markers and the elevated phosphorylated NF-κB p65 but the down-regulated IL-37(P＜0.05).In M1 macrophages,both NF-κB inhibitor and NOD1 knockdown led to the down-regulation of NOD1 and M1 markers and caused a decrease in the phosphorylated NF-κB p65(P＜0.05).IL-37 recombinant protein decreased phosphorylation of NOD1,M1 marker and NF-κB p65,which was reversed by over-expression of NOD1.IL-37 may interact with NOD1(P＜0.05).Conclusions IL-37 may inhibit M1 polarization in macrophages by down-regulating NOD1/NF-κB pathway thereby preventing plasma cell mastitis progression.

Radiotherapy is an important part of the standard treatment regimen for rectal cancer, bringing survival benefits and improved quality of life to patients with rectal cancer. However, the radiotherapy resistance of rectal cancer patients greatly limits the effectiveness of treatment and affects the prognosis of patients. The emergence of nanoparticles provides a new way to improve radiotherapy resistance of rectal cancer, which can overcome radiotherapy resistance by inhibiting DNA damage repair, affecting cell cycle, targeting delivery, enhancing DNA damage, and regulating tumor microenvironment, etc. In this article, complex coordination mechanism leading to radiotherapy resistance in rectal cancer was reviewed, current relevant studies on nanoparticles in improving radiotherapy response in rectal cancer were summarized, and the feasibility and future research direction of the combination of nanoparticles and radiotherapy in clinical treatment of rectal cancer were discussed.

Objective:To analyze the clinical efficacy of the Schroth therapy in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.Methods:Relevant clinical studies on Schroth therapy for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang Data, SinoMed, Chinese Medical Journal Full-text Database, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. The search time was from the establishment of the database to November 2024. Two authors independently conducted the literature search and imported all potentially eligible studies into EndNote X9 to determine whether the studies met the inclusion criteria. If there was any disagreement, the two parties would discuss and solve it or add a third author for judgment. The scoliosis Cobb angle and the Scoliosis Research Society question-naires-22 (SRS-22) or SRS-23 were extracted from the scoliosis after treatment. The Schroth therapy was compared with other conservative treatment methods (functional exercise or no intervention). The modified Jadad scale was used to evaluate the quality of the included randomized controlled trials. When the heterogeneity between groups was small, the fixed-effect model was used for analysis, and when the heterogeneity between groups was large, the random-effect model was used for analysis. Sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate the stability of the meta-analysis results.Results:A total of 189 patients from 8 literatures were included in the meta-analysis, including 2 Chinese literatures and 6 English literatures, all of which were randomized controlled trials, with a modified Jadad score of 4-6 points. The results of meta-analysis showed that the Cobb angle of Schroth therapy in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis was smaller than that of functional exercise or no intervention [ WMD=-3.63, 95% CI (-4.76, -2.51), P<0.001]. SRS-22 or SRS-23 was superior to functional exercise or no intervention [ WMD=0.23, 95% CI(0.14, 0.32), P<0.001], and the difference was statistically significant. The results of subgroup analysis showed that the Cobb angle of Schroth treatment was smaller than that of other conservative treatment methods such as functional exercise [ WMD=-3.48, 95% CI(-4.76, -2.20), P<0.001]. Conclusion:Compared with other conservative treatment methods and no intervention, Schroth therapy can effectively improve the Cobb angle and quality of life in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Air leak syndrome is a common and critical respiratory issue in neonates. Air leak syndrome not only affects pulmonary gas exchange but also leads to unstable hemodynamics, severe pulmonary hypertension, and other life-threatening conditions. In recent years, despite significant improvements in respiratory support concepts, equipment, and techniques, air leak syndrome remains a prevalent clinical problem, impacting neonatal prognosis and quality of life. This article summarizes the research progress on high-risk factors, early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of air leak syndrome.