OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the effects of oral non-peptidic thrombopoietin receptor agonists （TPO-RAs） on hepatic enzyme in adult patients with immune thrombocytopenia. METHODS A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed， Web of Science， CNKI， Wanfang database and the Chinese Medical Association Journal Full-Text Database to collect randomized controlled trials （RCTs） comparing oral non-peptidic TPO-RAs （intervention group） with placebo or conventional therapy （control group）. All databases were searched from their inception to June 2025. After literature screening， data extraction and quality assessment of the included studies， meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4.1 software. RESULTS Twelve RCTs comprising 1 388 patients were included， with 971 in the intervention group and 417 in the control group. Meta-analysis results showed that there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the incidence of hepatic enzyme elevation[OR＝1.24， 95%CI （0.77， 1.99）， P ＝0.37 ] ， the incidence of hepatic enzyme elevation in patients treated for ≥6 weeks[OR＝1.21， 95%CI （0.73， 1.99）， P ＝0.46 ] ， and the incidence of severe hepatic enzyme elevation[OR＝1.39， 95%CI（0.46， 4.20）， P ＝0.55 ] . Subgroup analysis showed that there were no significant differences in the incidence of hepatic enzyme elevation between the intervention group and control group among patients using eltrombopag[OR＝1.57，95%CI（0.85，2.87）， P ＝0.15 ] ， avatrombopag[OR＝0.88，95%CI （0.09，8.46）， P ＝0.91 ] ， and hetrombopag[OR＝1.04，95%CI（0.30，3.65）， P ＝0.95 ] ， respectively. CONCLUSIONS Oral non-peptidic TPO-RAs do not significantly increase the risk of hepatic enzyme elevation in adult patients with immune thrombocytopenia， and show an overall favorable hepatic safety profile.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy that poses significant treatment challenges due to its heterogeneity and propensity for relapse and progression. In the last two decades, the therapeutic landscape of MM has changed dramatically, but the disease remains largely incurable, with many patients facing treatment resistance. This review evaluates the current status of MM treatments, emphasizing the limitations of traditional therapies and the emerging role of immunotherapy in improving patient outcomes. It highlights the importance of achieving and maintaining minimal residual disease negativity and a balanced immune response as key treatment goals. Furthermore, it discusses the advancements in immunotherapies that are improving the prospects for patients, particularly those with relapsed or refractory disease. Innovative strategies, such as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, bispecific antibodies, and bispecific T cell engagers, have shown significant promise by targeting the malignant cells and the bone marrow microenvironment, which are essential for disease persistence and resistance to therapy. Future research should focus on refining MM treatment strategies, including the integration of immunotherapy into earlier treatment lines and the development of predictive biomarkers for personalized treatment approaches, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes.

ObjectiveThis nested case-control study, based on the Shanghai Birth Cohort (SBC), aimed to explore the impact of early pregnancy exposure to organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) on attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD)-like symptoms in 4-year-old children, so as to provide epidemiological evidence regarding the health effects of emerging contaminant OPFRs in children. MethodsStrengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to assess ADHD like symptoms in 4-year-old children. Children with an SDQ hyperactivity subscale score ≥6 points were defined as cases, while those with a score <5 points were considered as controls. The case and control groups were matched at 1∶1 based on the child’s age (±6 months), sex, and parental or primary caregiver’s education level. A total of 105 cases and 112 controls were included eventually. Concentrations of eight OPFRs metabolites in early pregnancy urine samples were measured using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), including di-phenyl phosphate (DPHP), di-m-cresylphosphate (DmCP), di-o-cresylphosphate (DoCP), di-p-cresylphosphate (DpCP), di-n-butyl phosphate (DnBP), di-iso-butyl phosphate (DiBP), bis(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (BBOEP), and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (BEHP). Basic demographic information of mothers and children were collected through questionnaire surveys and medical records extraction. Binary logistic regression models were used to analyze the effect of individual OPFRs exposure during early pregnancy on ADHD-like symptoms, while a quantile g-computation (Qgcomp) regression model was employed to assess the effects of mixed OPFRs exposure (with detection rates >75%) on ADHD-like symptoms in 4-year-old children. ResultsIn this study, the detection rates of DPHP, DoCP, and the DmCP&DpCP in the urine of early pregnancy women were higher than 75%, with DPHP having the highest detection rate (86.18%). The median concentrations of DPHP were highest in both the case and control groups (0.396 μg·L^-1 and 0.305 μg·L^-1, respectively). Binary logistic regression analyses revealed that exposure to DPHP during early pregnancy increased the risk of ADHD-like symptoms in 4-year-old children (OR=1.262, 95%CI: 1.017‒1.565). The mixed exposure model analyses showed that early pregnancy co-exposure to OPFRs increased the risk of ADHD-like symptoms (OR=1.508, 95%CI: 1.012‒2.258), with DPHP being the primary contributor to the association. ConclusionEarly pregnancy exposure to DPHP is positively associated with an increased risk of ADHD-like symptoms in 4-year-old children. Additionally, DPHP contributed the most to the adverse effects of mixed OPFRs exposure on ADHD-like symptoms. However, these findings require further validation through other large-scale prospective cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with above 80% of cases be non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), among which lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) occupies a significant proportion. Although comprehensive cancer therapies have considerably improved the overall survival of patients, patients with advanced LUSC have a poorer prognosis. Therefore, there is a need for a biomarker to predict the progress of advanced LUSC in order to improve prognosis through early diagnosis. Previous studies have shown that miRNAs are differentially expressed in lung cancer tissues and play roles as potential oncogenes or tumor suppressors. The aim of this study is to identify differentially expressed miRNAs between early-stage and advanced-stage LUSC, and to establish a set of miRNAs that can predict the progress of advanced LUSC. METHODS: Clinical data and miRNA-related data of LUSC patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Bioinformatic methods were applied to analyze the data. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted, and various online tools were used to predict target genes, with subsequent analysis of the potential biological mechanisms of these genes. RESULTS: A total of 58 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified between the experiment group and the control group. Seven miRNAs were selected for potential construction of a miRNA biomarker through LASSO regression, and based on the area under the curve (AUC) values of each miRNA, four of these miRNAs (miR-377-3p, miR-4779, miR-6803-5p, miR-3960) were ultimately chosen as biomarkers for predicting advanced LUSC. The AUC under the ROC curve for the combined four miRNAs was 0.865. Enrichment analysis showed that these target genes were involved in several pathways, including cancer-related pathways, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, serine/threonine kinase, and tyrosine kinase signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS The combined use of miR-377-3p, miR-4779, miR-6803-5p and miR-3960 provides a good predictive ability for the progress of advanced LUSC patients, with an AUC of 0.865.
Humans ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Lung Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Male ; Female ; Prognosis ; ROC Curve ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVES: To study the impact of SURF4 expression level on long-term prognosis of gastric cancer (GC) and biological behaviors of GC cells. METHODS: SURF4 expression level in GC and its association with long-term patient prognosis were analyzed using publicly available databases and in 155 GC patients with low and high SURF4 expressions detected immunohistochemically. The Cox proportional hazard model and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to analyze independent prognostic predictors of GC and the 5-year survival rate of the patients with different SURF4 expression levels. Informatics analyses were conducted to explore the correlation of SURF4 expression level with immune cell infiltration in GC, SURF4-related differential genes and their associated pathways. In cultured GC cell line HGC-27, the effects of SURF4 knockdown and overexpression on proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were investigated. RESULTS: Analysis of GEPIA dataset and immunohistochemical results suggested significant SURF4 overexpression in GC (P<0.05), which was associated with shortened 5-year survival time of the patients (χ²=38.749, P<0.001). The prognosis of GC was closely related to tumor stage T3-4, N2-3, CEA≥5 μg/L and CA19-9≥37 kU/L (P<0.05). SURF4 expression level was negatively correlated with activated B cells, NK cells and CD8⁺ effector memory T cells (P<0.05) and positively correlated with CD4⁺ T cells (P<0.05). GO and KEGG enrichment analysis suggested that SUFR4 may participate in GC carcinogenesis by promoting EMT through the tight junction pathway. In HGC-27 cells, SURF4 overexpression significantly decreased E-cadherin expression, increased N-cadherin expression, inhibited ZO-1 and claudin-1 expressions, and promoted cell proliferation, migration and invasion. CONCLUSIONS SURF4 is highly expressed in GC, and its overexpression is associated with a shortened 5-year survival of the patients possibly by enhancing tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion via inhibiting tight junction proteins and promoting EMT.
Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Movement ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Prognosis ; Tight Junction Proteins/metabolism* ; Membrane Proteins/metabolism* ; Female ; Male

Schizophrenia (SZ) stands as a severe psychiatric disorder. This study applied diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data in conjunction with graph neural networks to distinguish SZ patients from normal controls (NCs) and showcases the superior performance of a graph neural network integrating combined fractional anisotropy and fiber number brain network features, achieving an accuracy of 73.79% in distinguishing SZ patients from NCs. Beyond mere discrimination, our study delved deeper into the advantages of utilizing white matter brain network features for identifying SZ patients through interpretable model analysis and gene expression analysis. These analyses uncovered intricate interrelationships between brain imaging markers and genetic biomarkers, providing novel insights into the neuropathological basis of SZ. In summary, our findings underscore the potential of graph neural networks applied to multimodal DTI data for enhancing SZ detection through an integrated analysis of neuroimaging and genetic features.
Humans ; Schizophrenia/pathology* ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Brain/metabolism* ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; White Matter/pathology* ; Gene Expression ; Nerve Net/diagnostic imaging* ; Graph Neural Networks

Background Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorder in children, often diagnosed during school age. The etiology of ADHD remains unclear; however, existing studies suggest that environmental factors, such as exposure to triclosan (TCS), may be associated with the occurrence of ADHD-like symptoms in offspring. Nevertheless, relevant research in China remains limited. Objective To investigate the impact of early pregnancy TCS exposure on ADHD-like symptoms in 7-year-old children. Methods This study was based on the Shanghai Birth Cohort (SBC) and included 662 mother-child pairs. TCS concentrations in early pregnancy urine samples were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Demographic information was collected via questionnaires and medical record abstraction. ADHD-like symptoms in 7-year-old children were first assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Further differentiation of ADHD-like symptom subtypes (inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive) was conducted using the SNAP-IV, a clinically validated ADHD screening tool. Negative binomial regression models were applied to evaluate the associations between prenatal TCS exposure and hyperactive behavior (SDQ assessment) as well as ADHD-like symptom subtypes (SNAP-IV assessment) in 7-year-old children. Results The positive rate of TCS in early pregnancy urine samples was 91.39%, with median concentrations of 0.69 μg·L⁻¹ and 0.63 μg·g⁻¹ before and after the creatinine adjustment, respectively. The modeling results indicated that prenatal TCS exposure was associated with an increased risk of hyperactive symptoms (SDQ assessment) in 7-year-old children (RR=1.04, 95%CI: 1.02, 1.06); the stratified analyses by children sex revealed similar effects for both boys (RR=1.04, 95%CI: 1.02, 1.07) and girls (RR=1.04, 95%CI: 1.01, 1.07). Further analysis of ADHD-like symptom subtypes showed that prenatal TCS exposure increased the risk of inattentive symptoms (RR=1.03, 95%CI: 1.00, 1.05); the sex-stratified analyses indicated associations between TCS exposure and inattentive symptoms (RR=1.03, 95%CI: 1.00, 1.07) as well as hyperactive/impulsive symptoms (RR=1.04, 95%CI: 1.01, 1.08) in girls. Conclusion Prenatal TCS exposure is associated with an increased risk of ADHD-like symptoms in 7-year-old children, primarily contributing to the risk of the inattention subtype. The impact is more pronounced in girls.

ObjectiveTo investigate the features and mechanism of action of intestinal flora in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） and Helicobacter pylori （HP） infection by comparing the changes in intestinal flora between the healthy population， the patients with HP infection， the patients with NAFLD， and the patients with NAFLD and HP infection. MethodsThis study was conducted among the 19 patients with NAFLD （NAFLD group）， 19 patients with HP infection （HP group）， and 19 patients with NAFLD and HP infection （NAFLD+HP group） who were admitted to The Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology from March 1， 2023 to April 30， 2024， and 20 individuals undergoing physical examination were enrolled as control group. Fecal samples were collected， total DNA was extracted for PCR amplification， and 16S rDNA sequencing was performed to compare the features of intestinal flora between the four groups. An analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups， and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between multiple groups. The Mann-Whitney U test or the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of the species in intestinal flora. ResultsThe NAFLD+HP group showed a tendency of reduction in flora abundance compared with the other three groups. There was a significant difference in flora distribution between the NAFLD+HP group and the NAFLD group and between the NAFLD group and the control group （P<0.05）. At the phylum level， the top three species in the NAFLD+HP group were Firmicutes （59.94%）， Proteobacteria （17.00%）， and Actinobacteria （14.75%）， with an increase in the proportion of Proteobacteria and a reduction in the proportion of Actinobacteria compared with the other three groups. At the genus level， the top five dominant bacteria in the NAFLD+HP group were Bifidobacterium， Streptococcus， Escherichia-Shigella， Agathobacter， and Ruminococcus gnavus_group. Compared with the NAFLD group， the NAFLD+HP group had increases in the abundance of Streptococcus， Veillonella， and Rothia and reductions in the abundance of Dialister and Ruminococcus toraues_group. Compared with the HP group， the NAFLD+HP group had reductions in the abundance of Collinsella， Subdoligranulum， Catenibacterium， and Porphyromonas and increases in the abundance of Citrobacter and Olsenella （all P<0.05）. ConclusionPatients with NAFLD and HP infection have changed in intestinal flora. These flora may be the intestinal microecological factors for HP infection in promoting the development and progression of NAFLD.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility of the bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (VRD) regimen combined with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and renal impairment, analyze treatment efficacy and renal responses stratified based on renal dysfunction severity, and explore the prognostic significance of early renal response and its affecting factors.Methods:This retrospective study, conducted at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, categorized 316 patients with newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) from August 2018 to October 2022 based on renal function for analysis of clinical characteristics, treatment response, and prognosis. Continuous variables were compared using t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests, categorical variables utilizing Chi-square tests, survival outcomes employing Kaplan-Meier and Log-rank tests, and renal response predictors with logistic regression.Results:Patients were stratified based on baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) : normal [≥90 ml·min -1· (1.73 m 2) -1, n=160], mild [≥60 ml·min -1· (1.73 m 2) -1 to <90 ml·min -1· (1.73 m 2) -1, n=55], moderate [≥30 ml·min -1· (1.73 m 2) -1 to <60 ml·min -1· (1.73 m 2) -1, n=39], and severe impairment [<30 ml·min -1· (1.73 m 2) -1, n=62]. Moderate and severe renal impairment correlated with advanced International Staging System/Revised International Staging System classification, lower hemoglobin levels, frailty, and higher light-chain/IgD subtype prevalence ( P<0.05). Despite younger age ( P=0.001) and higher transplant rates ( P=0.041) in severe cases, overall response rates ( ORR: 93.7% ; ≥VGPR: 82.9% ) were comparable across groups ( P>0.05). Among 24 dialysis-dependent patients at diagnosis, 11 (45.8% ) achieved dialysis independence after induction [median: 3.0 (0.5–4.0) months], including 10 undergoing auto-HSCT. In 89 evaluable patients [baseline eGFR <50 ml·min -1· (1.73 m 2) -1], renal ORR (RORR) was 70.8% [rapid complete response: 31.5% ; rapid partial response: 11.2% ; rapid minimal response (RMR) : 28.1% ]. Renal response predicted better survival (overall survival: HR=0.36, 95% CI: 0.13–0.99, P=0.049). Moderate-to-severe renal impairment was associated with increased transplant-related adverse events and delayed engraftment ( P<0.05) ; however, auto-HSCT significantly improved outcomes after 33.5-month median follow-up (range: 2–65 months). Multivariate analysis identified 1q21+ ( OR=3.58, 95% CI: 1.17–11.02, P=0.026) and light-chain subtype ( OR=2.86, 95% CI: 1.08–7.69, P=0.036) as independent predictors of poor renal response. Conclusion:VRD regimen plus auto-HSCT demonstrates robust efficacy in NDMM, including patients with renal impairment, with a 70.8% RORR and manageable toxicity. Achieving ≥RMR correlates with superior prognosis, whereas 1q21+ and light-chain subtype independently predict inferior renal response.