Collagen is a major structural protein in the matrix of animal cells and the most widely distributed and abundant functional protein in mammals. Collagen’s good biocompatibility, biodegradability and biological activity make it a very valuable biomaterial. According to the source of collagen, it can be broadly categorized into two types: one is animal collagen; the other is recombinant collagen. Animal collagen is mainly extracted and purified from animal connective tissues by chemical methods, such as acid, alkali and enzyme methods, etc. Recombinant collagen refers to collagen produced by gene splicing technology, where the amino acid sequence is first designed and improved according to one’s own needs, and the gene sequence of improved recombinant collagen is highly consistent with that of human beings, and then the designed gene sequence is cloned into the appropriate vector, and then transferred to the appropriate expression vector. The designed gene sequence is cloned into a suitable vector, and then transferred to a suitable expression system for full expression, and finally the target protein is obtained by extraction and purification technology. Recombinant collagen has excellent histocompatibility and water solubility, can be directly absorbed by the human body and participate in the construction of collagen, remodeling of the extracellular matrix, cell growth, wound healing and site filling, etc., which has demonstrated significant effects, and has become the focus of the development of modern biomedical materials. This paper firstly elaborates the structure, type, and tissue distribution of human collagen, as well as the associated genetic diseases of different types of collagen, then introduces the specific process of producing animal source collagen and recombinant collagen, explains the advantages of recombinant collagen production method, and then introduces the various systems of expressing recombinant collagen, as well as their advantages and disadvantages, and finally briefly introduces the application of animal collagen, focusing on the use of animal collagen in the development of biopharmaceutical materials. In terms of application, it focuses on the use of animal disease models exploring the application effects of recombinant collagen in wound hemostasis, wound repair, corneal therapy, female pelvic floor dysfunction (FPFD), vaginal atrophy (VA) and vaginal dryness, thin endometritis (TE), chronic endometritis (CE), bone tissue regeneration in vivo, cardiovascular diseases, breast cancer (BC) and anti-aging. The mechanism of action of recombinant collagen in the treatment of FPFD and CE was introduced, and the clinical application and curative effect of recombinant collagen in skin burn, skin wound, dermatitis, acne and menopausal urogenital syndrome (GSM) were summarized. From the exploratory studies and clinical applications, it is evident that recombinant collagen has demonstrated surprising effects in the treatment of all types of diseases, such as reducing inflammation, promoting cell proliferation, migration and adhesion, increasing collagen deposition, and remodeling the extracellular matrix. At the end of the review, the challenges faced by recombinant collagen are summarized: to develop new recombinant collagen types and dosage forms, to explore the mechanism of action of recombinant collagen, and to provide an outlook for the future development and application of recombinant collagen.

Objective To investigate the diversity and composition of gut fungi microbiota in patients with polycystic kidney disease(PKD)and its correlation with clinical indicators.Methods A total of 44 PKD patients,44 patients with non-polycystic chronic kidney disease(NPCKD)and 22 healthy controls(HC)admitted to our hospital from February 2023 to February 2024 were recruited.ITS1 DNA sequencing was applied to analyze the gut fungal composition.Bioinformatics analysis was used to compare the diversity and structural differences of fungi among the 3 groups.Pearson correlation analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between gut fungi and clinical indicators.Results There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics(gender,age,body mass index,etc.)among the 3 groups,but statistical differences were seen in terms of serum indicators(such as serum creatinine,blood urea nitrogen,uric acid,estimated glomerular filtration rate,etc.)(P<0.01).Alpha diversity analysis showed no significant difference was seen between the PKD and HC groups,but the PKD group had significant differences to the NPCKD group(P<0.01).Beta diversity analysis revealed significant differences among the 3 groups and in pairwise comparisons(P=0.001).Fungi composition analysis found that the abundance of Candida was significantly higher in the PKD group than the other 2 groups(P<0.01),while the abundances of Aspergillus and Cladosporium were significantly lower in the PKD group than the HC group(P<0.05).Linear discriminant analysis(LEFSe)indicated that Candida was significantly enriched,while Aspergillus and Cladosporium were significantly reduced in the PKD group.Correlation analysis revealed that the abundance of Cladosporium was negatively correlated with cyst diameter and immunoglobulin light chain Kappa/Lambda ratio in the PKD group(P<0.05),while the abundance of Candida was positively correlated with liver/kidney cyst diameter(P<0.01).Conclusion PKD patients exhibit characteristic changes in gut fungi diversity and composition.The abundances of Cladosporium and Candida are closely associated with clinical indicators of PKD patients.

Objective:To explore the dosimetric characteristics of intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for typical abdominal and pelvic tumors.Methods:Three patients with abdominal and pelvic tumors (one case each of liver cancer, cervical cancer, and prostate cancer) admitted to Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute from January to June 2024 were selected as the research subjects. IMPT and IMRT plans were designed for each case based on clinical target volume (CTV) and organs at risk (OARs) constraints. Dosimetric parameters, including conformity index (CI), homogeneity index (HI), and gradient index (GI) for target coverage, as well as OARs dose metrics, were evaluated. The volume of additional dose deposition in the body was compared by assessing regions receiving 10%, 30%, and 50% of the prescription dose.Results:For all three cases, IMRT plan demonstrated higher CI values (0.82, 0.81, and 0.86) compared to IMPT plan (0.61, 0.62, and 0.43). IMPT plan yielded lower HI values (0.053, 0.075, and 0.020) than IMRT plan (0.060, 0.120, and 0.080) and lower GI values (3.45, 2.63, and 3.80 vs. 7.28, 4.76, and 4.66 for IMRT plan). In liver cancer, IMPT plan reduced the D mean of normal liver tissues and right kidney by 37.8% and 78.5%, respectively, and decreased the D max of spinal cord by 13.2%. For cervical cancer, IMPT plan reduced the V 30 of the small bowel by 22.0%, D mean of the bladder, rectum and bone marrow by 15.7%, 14.3% and 12.6%, and spinal cord D max by 4.8%. In prostate cancer, IMPT plan lowered bladder and rectal D mean by 14.9% and 36.5%, respectively, but resulted in an increase of 35.3% and 6.1% in the D mean and V 40 of the left femoral head, respectively, and an increase of 23.6% and 10.8% in the D mean and V 40 of the right femoral head, respectively. IMPT plan reduced the volumes receiving 10%, 30%, and 50% of the prescription dose by 48.9%-64.8%, 22.0%-47.0%, and 22.0%-57.7%, respectively, compared to IMRT plan. Conclusions:Comparison between IMPT and IMRT plans for abdominopelvic tumors: IMPT plan offers advantages in reducing doses to normal organs such as the liver, kidneys, spinal cord, small intestine, rectum, and bladder. However, its advantage is less pronounced regarding the dose to the femoral heads. IMPT plan notably minimizes additional dose deposition within the body.

We report a case of a long-term survivor of heart transplant who developed severe COVID-19 and was treated with a traditional Chinese medicine combined with conventional medicine. Throughout the treatment， the patient received active conventional medical treatment， and traditional Chinese medicine interventions included tonifying qi， invigorating the spleen and transforming phlegm， promoting yang and eliminating stagnation， resolving dampness and dissipating phlegm， and promoting blood circulation and eliminating stasis. The main therapeutic principles adopted were to recuperating depleted yang and rescuing the patient from collapse and to resolve phlegm and promote water. Pogezilong Xuanbai Chengqi Decoction （破格子龙宣白承气汤） with modifications was administered. In summary， it is crucial to the timely adjust the immunosuppressive regimen， combine use of various anti-infective agents with a focus on COVID-19， to protect of cardiac and renal function， and to integrate traditional Chinese medicine in the entire treatment process. As this case is rare， the diagnostic and therapeutic methods in traditional Chinese medicine， the use of immunosuppressive agents， and follow-up monitoring strategies can be a valuable reference.

Panax ginseng(PG)and Panax notoginseng(PN)are highly valuable Chinese medicines(CM).Although both CMs have similar active constituents,their clinical applications are clearly different.Over the past decade,RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)analysis has been employed to investigate the molecular mechanisms of extracts or monomers.However,owing to the limited number of samples in standard RNA-seq,few studies have systematically compared the effects of PG and PN spanning multiple conditions at the transcriptomic level.Here,we developed an approach that simultaneously profiles transcriptome changes for multiplexed samples using RNA-seq(TCM-seq),a high-throughput,low-cost workflow to molecularly evaluate CM perturbations.A species-mixing experiment was conducted to illustrate the accuracy of sample multiplexing in TCM-seq.Transcriptomes from repeated samples were used to verify the robustness of TCM-seq.We then focused on the primary active components,Panax notoginseng sa-ponins(PNS)and Panax ginseng saponins(PGS)extracted from PN and PG,respectively.We also char-acterized the transcriptome changes of 10 cell lines,treated with four different doses of PNS and PGS,using TCM-seq to compare the differences in their perturbing effects on genes,functional pathways,gene modules,and molecular networks.The results of transcriptional data analysis showed that the tran-scriptional patterns of various cell lines were significantly distinct.PGS exhibited a stronger regulatory effect on genes involved in cardiovascular disease,whereas PNS resulted in a greater coagulation effect on vascular endothelial cells.This study proposes a paradigm to comprehensively explore the differences in mechanisms of action between CMs based on transcriptome readouts.

OBJECTIVE: To provide prenatal diagnosis, pedigree analysis and genetic counseling for a pregnant woman who had given birth to a child featuring global developmental delay. METHODS: A pregnant woman who underwent prenatal diagnosis at the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University in August 2021 was selected as the study subject. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the woman, her husband and child, in addition with amniotic fluid sample during mid-pregnancy. Genetic variants were detected by G-banded karyotyping analysis and copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq). Pathogenicity of the variant was predicted based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). Candidate variant was traced in the pedigree to assess the recurrence risk. RESULTS: The karyotypes of the pregnant woman, her fetus, and affected child were 46,XX,ins(18)(p11.2q21q22), 46,X?,rec(18)dup(18)(q21q22)ins(18)(p11.2q21q22)mat and 46,XY,rec(18)del(18)(q21q22)ins(18)(p11.2q21q22)mat, respectively. Her husband was found to have a normal karyotype. CNV-seq has revealed a 19.73 Mb duplication at 18q21.2-q22.3 in the fetus and a 19.77 Mb deletion at 18q21.2-q22.3 in her child. The duplication and deletion fragments were identical to the insertional fragment in the pregnant woman. Based on the ACMG guidelines, the duplication and deletion fragments were both predicted to be pathogenic. CONCLUSION The intrachromosomal insertion of 18q21.2-q22.3 carried by the pregnant woman had probably given rise to the 18q21.2-q22.3 duplication and deletion in the two offspring. Above finding has provided a basis for genetic counseling for this pedigree.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; East Asian People ; Pedigree ; Prenatal Diagnosis/methods* ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18/genetics* ; Male ; Fetus ; INDEL Mutation

Objective:The aim of the present study was to re-evaluate the diagnostic value and optimal cutoff point of captopril challenge test (CCT) in diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA).Methods:This is a retrospective study. All patients with a high risk for PA underwent screening test, and then proceeded to CCT and fludrocortisone suppression test (FST) on different days. The FST was used as a reference standard for PA. The plasma renin concentration (PRC) and plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) were measured with an automated chemiluminescence immunoassay. Random number method was performed in the patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism (UPA), in order to make the proportion of the analyzed UPA in PA was 35%. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to compare diagnostic accuracy.Results:A total of 543 patients with 400 PA patients and 143 essential hypertension (EH) patients were enrolled. The diagnostic value of post-CCT PAC was significantly higher than that of the post-CCT plasma aldosterone-renin ratio (ARR), and that of the PAC suppression percentage, respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC ROC) was 0.86 (0.83, 0.89) for PAC, 0.78 (0.74, 0.82) for ARR, and 0.62 (0.56, 0.67) for the PAC suppression percentage (all P<0.01), respectively. The optimal cutoff point of post-CCT PAC for PA was 110 ng/L, in which the sensitivity and specificity were 73.25% and 79.02%, respectively. The diagnostic efficiency of post-CCT PAC was not improved either in combination with PAC suppression percentage or in combination with post-CCT ARR. Conclusions:CCT is a useful test for the confirmation of PA. PAC level of 110 ng/L at 2 h after 50 mg of captopril is recommended as an optimal cutoff point for the diagnosis of PA.

Objective : To investigate the expression differences of helix⁃loop⁃helix hand domain family member D 1/2(EFhd1/2) in Alzheimer′s disease (AD) patients and model mice. Methods : The expression changes of EFhd1/2 in AD patients were compared by using data from Alzheimer′s disease database (AlzData), and the changes in mRNA levels and protein levels of EFhd1/2 in brain tissues of AD patients and healthy control group were detected by qPCR and Western blot. The changes of EFhd1/2 mRNA and protein expression in brain tissues of AD models and wild⁃type mice of 3⁃month⁃old and 6⁃month⁃old were detected. Microglia were isolated from AD models and detected the changes of EFhd1/2 by RNA⁃sequencing. Results : The Analysis of Alzheimer′s Disease Database data showed that the mRNA levels of EFhd1 in AD patients increased, while EFhd2 decreased. AD patients brain tissue samples showed an upward trend in the expression of EFhd1 in different brain regions of AD patients compared with healthy controls, while EFhd2 was not different. In the AD mice model, the mRNA levels of EFhd1 were similar in both 3⁃month⁃old and 6⁃month⁃old AD mice compared with wild⁃type mice, but the protein levels of EFhd1 increased; the mRNA levels of EFhd2 increased in 3⁃month⁃old AD mice, and protein levels remained similar in the brain tissue from AD mice aged 3 months and 6 months. However, EFhd2 increased in microglia from 6⁃month old AD mice. Conclusion EFhd1 increased in both AD model mice and brain tissue of AD patients, suggesting that EFhd1 might play an important role in the development of AD, while EFhd2 increased in microglia in AD model mice, indicating that EFhd2 might be involved in AD related microglia activation and neuroinflammation.

Objective:To investigate the expression of Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and its correlation with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients.Methods:The data in the Oncomine database was used to analyze the difference of TLR8 mRNA expression between DLBCL tumor tissues and normal lymphocytes, and the result was verified in two independent subsets GSE 25638 and GSE 32018 of the NCBI-GEO database. The OSDLBCL online survival analysis tool was used to analyze the correlation of TLR8 mRNA relative expression level with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of DLBCL patients. Gene ontology bioprocess (GO_BP) enrichment analysis was performed by using GSEA software. The correlation of TLR8 mRNA expression with tumor immune cell infiltration degree and immune checkpoint-related molecule expression was analyzed by TIMER online tool website. A total of 53 DLBCL patients who underwent lymph node biopsy in Yancheng No. 1 People's Hospital from June 2020 to June 2021 were selected. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of TLR8 protein, and its relationship with the clinicopathological characteristics of patients was analyzed.Results:The analysis result of data from Oncomine and GEO databases showed that the relative expression levels of TLR8 mRNA in tumor tissues of patients with DLBCL or activated B cell-like DLCBL were higher than those in normal lymphocytes (all P < 0.001). The results of OSDLBCL online survival analysis indicated that the OS ( P = 0.020) and PFS ( P = 0.004) in DLBCL patients with high TLR8 mRNA expression were worse than those in patients with low TLR8 mRNA expression. The level of TLR8 was related to the abnormal function of immune response, cytokine metabolism and DNA damage monitoring; the result of TIMER online analysis showed that the expression level of TLR8 mRNA was positively related to the degree of neutrophil infiltration ( r = 0.78, P < 0.001) and the expression of immunosuppressive molecules [HAVCR2 ( r = 0.85, P < 0.001), LAG3 ( r = 0.63, P < 0.001), CD274 ( r = 0.77, P < 0.001), TIGIT ( r = 0.32, P = 0.037), and C10ORF54 ( r = 0.34, P = 0.029)]. Among 53 DLBCL patients, 29 patients (54.7%) had low expression of TLR8 protein and 24 patients (45.3%) had high expression of TLR8 protein. There were statistical differences in the expressions of TLR8 protein in DLBCL patients with different serum lactate dehydrogenase and β 2-microglobulin levels (both P < 0.05). Conclusions:TLR8 is highly expressed in DLBCL patients, and TLR8 may be a prognostic marker of DLBCL.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological features, diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment of nodal marginal zone lymphoma (NMZL) with elevated monoclonal IgM.Methods:The clinical data of one NMZL patient with elevated monoclonal IgM treated at Yancheng No.1 People's Hospital in July 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, and the related literature was analyzed.Results:The patient was a 57-year-old female and the main clinical manifestations were fatigue and bone pain in left rib. Serum immunofixation electrophoresis showed IgM-κ type M proteinemia, bone marrow cytology showed a few plasmacytoid lymphocytes, bone marrow biopsy and immunohistochemistry showed B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, bone marrow genetic testing showed MYD88 L265p and CXCR4 were both negative, postoperative pathology result of retroperitoneal lymph node biopsy was marginal zone lymphoma (mature small B type, prone to NMZL),and immunohistochemistry results: CD3, CD5, CD138, κ, λ, CD10, Cyclin D1 were negative, CD20, Pax-5, CD23 (FDC), bcl-2 were positive; Ki-67 positive index < 5%. The final diagnosis was NMZL with elevated monoclonal IgM. Partial remission was achieved after 8 cycles of reduced-dose CHOP regimen; thalidomide was used in the maintenance treatment, the disease condition was stable until August in 2021 and the follow-up was continuing.Conclusions:NMZL with elevated monoclonal IgM is relatively rare. Its diagnosis should be differentiated from Waldenstr?m macroglobulinemia and other inert B-cell lymphomas. Currently, there is no standard treatment and following the principle of individualized treatment can improve the prognosis of patients.