OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status of clinical genetics specialization development and the diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities for hereditary diseases across medical institutions in Shanghai, and to assess the necessity and feasibility of establishing training bases for clinical genetics specialists. METHODS: By employing a cross-sectional survey design, the Clinical Genetics Committee of Shanghai Medical Association has conducted questionnaire surveys from March to April 2025 across 54 healthcare institutions in Shanghai (including 33 tertiary hospitals and 21 secondary hospitals). The survey involved administrative departments and medical personnel from 15 clinical specialties. The survey has covered current genetic disease diagnosis and treatment practices, relevant and specialised disease types, genetic department establishment, testing capabilities, personnel teams, and training requirements. RESULTS: The results revealed that 78.0% of clinical departments surveyed had treated patients with hereditary disorders. Shanghai possesses diagnostic and therapeutic expertise for over 95% of hereditary diseases listed in its rare disease catalogue, reflecting both the practical clinical demand for such conditions and the city's overall diagnostic and therapeutic strengths in this field. Nevertheless, significant disparities exist in the development of genetics departments across different tiers of healthcare institutions. Resources for genetic testing capabilities (including molecular, cellular, and biochemical testing) are also unevenly distributed across different tiers of hospitals. The survey further revealed that only 26.0% of departments believe that their current physician structure fully meets the diagnostic and treatment demands. Over 90% of departments consider standard training for clinical genetic specialists necessary, with 74.0% expressing willingness to participate in establishing training bases. Based on above findings and thorough deliberation, the Clinical Genetics Committee of the Shanghai Medical Association proposes advancing specialist training and discipline development through establishing a standard training system. The committee has drafted a three-year training protocol featuring a "joint training"-centered model, recommending a pilot-first, dynamically optimized strategy for steadily advancing training base development. CONCLUSION Shanghai faces substantial demand for genetic disease diagnosis and treatment, yet exhibits shortcomings in clinical genetics specialization development, resource allocation, and talent pipeline cultivation. To establish a standard training system holds significant practical importance and is underpinned by a broad demand.
Humans ; China ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Genetic Diseases, Inborn/genetics* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Genetics, Medical/education* ; Genetic Testing

Fibrosis, the pathological scarring of vital organs, is a severe and often irreversible condition that leads to progressive organ dysfunction. It is particularly pronounced in organs like the liver, kidneys, lungs, and heart. Despite its clinical significance, the full understanding of its etiology and complex pathogenesis remains incomplete, posing substantial challenges to diagnosing, treating, and preventing the progression of fibrosis. Among the various molecular players involved, platelet-derived growth factor-C (PDGF-C) has emerged as a crucial factor in fibrotic diseases, contributing to the pathological transformation of tissues in several key organs. PDGF-C is a member of the PDGFs family of growth factors and is synthesized and secreted by various cell types, including fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells. It acts through both autocrine and paracrine mechanisms, exerting its biological effects by binding to and activating the PDGF receptors (PDGFRs), specifically PDGFRα and PDGFRβ. This binding triggers multiple intracellular signaling pathways, such as JAK/STAT, PI3K/AKT and Ras-MAPK pathways. which are integral to the regulation of cell proliferation, survival, migration, and fibrosis. Notably, PDGF-C has been shown to promote the proliferation and migration of fibroblasts, key effector cells in the fibrotic process, thus accelerating the accumulation of extracellular matrix components and the formation of fibrotic tissue. Numerous studies have documented an upregulation of PDGF-C expression in various fibrotic diseases, suggesting its significant role in the initiation and progression of fibrosis. For instance, in liver fibrosis, PDGF-C stimulates hepatic stellate cell activation, contributing to the excessive deposition of collagen and other extracellular matrix proteins. Similarly, in pulmonary fibrosis, PDGF-C enhances the migration of fibroblasts into the damaged areas of lungs, thereby worsening the pathological process. Such findings highlight the pivotal role of PDGF-C in fibrotic diseases and underscore its potential as a therapeutic target for these conditions. Given its central role in the pathogenesis of fibrosis, PDGF-C has become an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. Several studies have focused on developing inhibitors that block the PDGF-C/PDGFR signaling pathway. These inhibitors aim to reduce fibroblast activation, prevent the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix components, and halt the progression of fibrosis. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of such inhibitors in animal models of liver, kidney, and lung fibrosis, with promising results in reducing fibrotic lesions and improving organ function. Furthermore, several clinical inhibitors, such as Olaratumab and Seralutinib, are ongoing to assess the safety and efficacy of these inhibitors in human patients, offering hope for novel therapeutic options in the treatment of fibrotic diseases. In conclusion, PDGF-C plays a critical role in the development and progression of fibrosis in vital organs. Its ability to regulate fibroblast activity and influence key signaling pathways makes it a promising target for therapeutic strategies aiming at combating fibrosis. Ongoing research into the regulation of PDGF-C expression and the development of PDGF-C/PDGFR inhibitors holds the potential to offer new insights and approaches for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of fibrotic diseases. Ultimately, these efforts may lead to the development of more effective and targeted therapies that can mitigate the impact of fibrosis and improve patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Humans are exposed to complex mixtures of environmental chemicals and other factors that can affect their health. Analysis of these mixture exposures presents several key challenges for environmental epidemiology and risk assessment, including high dimensionality, correlated exposure, and subtle individual effects. METHODS: We proposed a novel statistical approach, the generalized functional linear model (GFLM), to analyze the health effects of exposure mixtures. GFLM treats the effect of mixture exposures as a smooth function by reordering exposures based on specific mechanisms and capturing internal correlations to provide a meaningful estimation and interpretation. The robustness and efficiency was evaluated under various scenarios through extensive simulation studies. RESULTS: We applied the GFLM to two datasets from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). In the first application, we examined the effects of 37 nutrients on BMI (2011-2016 cycles). The GFLM identified a significant mixture effect, with fiber and fat emerging as the nutrients with the greatest negative and positive effects on BMI, respectively. For the second application, we investigated the association between four pre- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and gout risk (2007-2018 cycles). Unlike traditional methods, the GFLM indicated no significant association, demonstrating its robustness to multicollinearity. CONCLUSION GFLM framework is a powerful tool for mixture exposure analysis, offering improved handling of correlated exposures and interpretable results. It demonstrates robust performance across various scenarios and real-world applications, advancing our understanding of complex environmental exposures and their health impacts on environmental epidemiology and toxicology.
Humans ; Environmental Exposure/analysis* ; Linear Models ; Nutrition Surveys ; Environmental Pollutants ; Body Mass Index

Objective:To investigate the effect of Xuebijing injection against blood-brain barrier(BBB)damage in the mice with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor(NMDAR)encephalitis,and to elucidate its regulatory effect on the imbalance of helper T cells 17(Th17)/regulatory T cells(Treg).Methods:The active immunization models of anti-NMDAR encephalitis in the mice were established using glutamate receptor N1 subunit(GluN1)356-385 antigen peptide,and the serum anti-NMDAR immunoglobulin G(IgG)antibody levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The healthy mice without modeling were served as control group,and the mice with successful modeling were randomly divided into model group,low dose of Xuebijing injection(XBJ-L)group,and high dose of Xuebijing injection(XBJ-H)group,with 10 mice in each group.After modeling,the mice in XBJ-L and XBJ-H groups were intraperitoneally injected with 5 and 10 mL·kg-1 Xuebijing injection,respectively.The Longa score was used to assess the neurological impairment of the mice in various groups;evans blue(EB)staining was used to determine the BBB permeability;immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expressions of zonula occludens 1(ZO-1)and Occludin in cerebral cortex of the mice in various groups;Western blotting method was used to determine the expression levels of ZO-1,Occludin,Claudin-5,and neuron-specific nuclear protein(NeuN)in cerebral cortex of the mice in various groups;ELISA method was used to determine the levels of Th17-and Treg-related cytokines including interleukin(IL)-17,IL-22,and IL-10 in serum of the mice;flow cytometry was used to determine the percentages of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood of the mice in various groups,and the Th17/Treg ratio was calculated.Results:The serum of the mice induced with the GluN1 356-385 antigen peptide was positive for NMDAR IgG antibodies,indicating that the models were successfully established.Compared with control group,the neurological impairment score of the mice in model group was significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the EB level in brain tissue was significantly increased(P＜0.05);the fluorescence staining intensities of ZO-1 and Occludin in the cerebral cortex were decreased,and the expression levels of ZO-1,Occludin,Claudin-5,and NeuN proteins in the cerebral cortex were significantly decreased(P＜0.05);the serum levels of IL-17 and IL-22 were significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the IL-10 level was significantly decreased(P＜0.05);the percentage of Th17 cells in peripheral blood was significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the percentage of Treg cells was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),and the Th17/Treg ratio was significantly increased(P＜0.05).Compared with model group,the neurological impairment scores of the mice in XBJ-L and XBJ-H groups were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the EB levels in brain tissue were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the fluorescence staining intensities of ZO-1 and Occludin in cerebral cortex were increased,and the expression levels of ZO-1,Occludin,Claudin-5,and NeuN proteins were significantly increased(P＜0.05);the levels of IL-17 and IL-22 in serum were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),and the level of IL-10 was significantly increased(P＜0.05);the percentages of Th17 cells in peripheral blood were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the percentages of Treg cells were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the Th17/Treg ratios were significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with XBJ-L group,the neurological function injury score of the mice in XBJ-H group was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the EB level in brain tissue was significantly decreased(P＜0.05);the fluorescence staining intensities of ZO-1 and Occludin in the cerebral cortex were increased,and the expression levels of ZO-1,Occludin,Claudin-5,and NeuN proteins were significantly increased(P＜0.05);the serum levels of IL-17 and IL-22 were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),and the level of IL-10 was significantly increased(P＜0.05);the percentage of Th17 cells in peripheral blood was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the percentage of Treg cells was significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the Th17/Treg ratio was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Xuebijing injection can improve BBB injury,regulate Th17/Treg balance,and thereby alleviate the neurological functional damage in anti-NMDAR encephalitis.

Objective:To study the clinical safety and validity of retrograde new endoscopic field of vision in miniature pigs.Methods:6 live miniature pigs were selected as study subjects,En-doscopic Retrograde New View(ERNV)was selected.The performance,image quality and intraoper-ative and postoperative complications were evaluated.To evaluate whether all the experimental ani-mals could complete the relevant endoscopy.Verify ERNV's operating performance,including whether the duodenoscope can enter the biliary tract smoothly,and made sure whether the injection,suction,and instrument channels were unobstructed.Choledochoscope image clarity,color resolu-tion,image deformation and distortion,accurate evaluation of lumen conditions and clear observation of mucosal surface conditions were analyzed.Whether there were operant injuries such as bleeding and perforation,as well as adverse events such as respiratory depression and cardiac arrest.The sur-vival status and adverse reactions of all pigs were observed.Results:The choledochoscope was successfully inserted into the bile duct of 6 miniature pigs.The product had good operation perfor-mance and could enter the bile duct through the duodenoscope smoothly.The injection,suction and instrument channels were relatively smooth.In addition,the endoscopic images are clear,with better color resolution,and without image deformation and distortion,which can realize accurate evaluation of the conditions in the lumen and observe the mucosal surface conditions more clearly.No bile duct stenosis or dilatation occurred in all miniature pigs,and the bile duct mucosa was smooth,without hyperemia and edema,and no abnormal thickening or bending of mucous vessels.During the exami-nation,there were no operational injuries such as bleeding and perforation,and no adverse events such as respiratory depression and cardiac arrest occurred.The vital signs of all miniature pigs tended to be stable after operation,and the survival state was good,and there were no complications such as cholangitis,bleeding and perforation.Conclusion:ERNV has good clinical safety and efficacy,ex-cellent operation performance and excellent image quality,and is worthy of clinical application.

Danggui Sinitang is first recorded in the Treatise on Cold Damage written by ZHANG Zhongjing in the Han dynasty. It is composed of Angelicae Sinensis Radix， Cinnamomi Ramulus， Paeoniae Radix Alba， Asari Radix et Rhizoma， Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， Tetrapanacis Medulla， and Jujubae Fructus and serves as a classic formula for treating the syndrome of blood deficiency and cold reversal. This study systematically reviews the records of Danggui Sinitang in ancient Chinese medicine books of various dynasties and the modern clinical applications to probe into the composition， plant species， processing， dosage， decocting method， and indications of Danggui Sinitang， aiming to provide a reference for the development and clinical application of this classic formula. The review of the records showed that there were a variety of records of Danggui Sinitang with different composition， and the composition of this formula listed in the Treatise on Cold Damage has a significant impact on later generations and has been used by medical practitioners throughout history. Although the dosage of some drugs decreased during the Ming and Qing dynasties， the medical practitioners continued to use the original formula. In terms of processing， although there were slight changes in the processing of Angelicae Sinensis Radix， Paeoniae Radix Alba， Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， and Tetrapanacis Medulla， the original processing method was inherited. In terms of indications， Danggui Sinitang was designed to treat cold reversal due to blood deficiency and dysentery. Furthermore， it was used to treat headache， convulsive disease， infantile convulsion， and private part adduction in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Nowadays， this formula is mostly used to treat diabetes peripheral neuropathy， rheumatoid arthritis， dysmenorrhea， Raynaud's disease and other diseases. In terms of precautions， ancient physicians believed that Danggui Sinitang should not be taken by pregnant women and should only be used for limb chills caused by blood deficiency and cold coagulation. For limb chills caused by other reasons， this formula should not be used indiscriminately. Modern research has not reported any serious adverse reactions related to this formula. Danggui Sinitang has a definite therapeutic effect. In subsequent research and development， quality control standards of Danggui Sinitang should be established while its safety is ensured， and the related preparations should be developed and applied.

177Lu-prostate specific membrane antigen(PSMA)radio-ligand therapy has been approved abroad for advanced prostate cancer and has been in several clinical trials in China.Based on domestic clinical practice and experimental data and referred to international experience and viewpoints,the expert group forms a consensus on the clinical application of 177Lu-PSMA radio-ligand therapy in prostate cancer to guide clinical practice.

Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides in the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression.Methods An open,single-arm,multi-center design was adopted in our study.Adult patients with mild and moderate depression who had received acute treatment of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides were enrolled and continue to receive Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules for 24 weeks,the dose remained unchanged during continuation treatment.The remission rate,recurrence rate,recurrence time,and the change from baseline to endpoint of Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD),Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA),Clinical Global Impression-Severity(CGI-S)and Arizona Sexual Experience Scale(ASEX)were evaluated.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was reported.Results The scores of HAMD-17 at baseline and after treatment were 6.60±1.87 and 5.85±4.18,scores of HAMA were 6.36±3.02 and 4.93±3.09,scores of CGI-S were 1.49±0.56 and 1.29±0.81,scores of ASEX were 15.92±4.72 and 15.57±5.26,with significant difference(P＜0.05).After continuation treatment,the remission rate was 54.59％(202 cases/370 cases),and the recurrence rate was 6.49％(24 cases/370 cases),the recurrence time was(64.67±42.47)days.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was 15.35％(64 cases/417 cases).Conclusion Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules can be effectively used for the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression,and are well tolerated and safe.

AIM To study the effects and possible mechanism of Fuke Qianjin Formula and its modifications on sequelae of pelvic inflammatory disease(PID)in rats.METHODS The SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group,the sham operation group,the model group,Kangfuyan group(FYK,0.756 g/kg),Fuke Qianjin Formula group(FKQ,2.7 g/kg),Yijun Formula group(YJ,2.7 g/kg),Kangyan Formula group(KY,2.7 g/kg)and Buyi Formula group(BY,2.7 g/kg).After 28 days of corresponding administration by gavage,the rats were put to death to procure their uterus,spleen,thymus and liver for the calculation of the organs indices levels;the observation of the general morphology of uterus and oviduct and histopathological examination of uterus and oviduct;the measurement of.the serum levels of IL-1β,IL-18 and IL-6 by ELISA;the detection of the uterine expressions of TGF-β1,caspase-1,NLRP3,IL-18 and CTGF by Western blot;and the detection of the expressions of CD4+and CD8+in spleen lymphocytes by flow cytometry.RESULTS Compared with the model group,FKQ and YJ group,KY group and BY group displayed decreased indices levels of the uterus,spleen and thymus(P＜0.01);FKQ group and KY group displayed reduced uterine swelling,increased endometrial glands,and reduced inflammatory exudation(P＜0.01),and lower serum levels of IL-1β,IL-18 and IL-6(P＜0.01);FKQ group,KYgroup and BY group displayed decreased protein expressions of TGF-β1 and CTGF(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);FKQ group and KY group displayed decreased protein expressions of NLRP3,caspase-1 and IL-18(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);and FKQ group and BY group displayed increased CD4+/CD8+ratio(P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Being protective to sequelae of PID rat models,Fuke Qianjin Formula and its modifications may contribute their anti-inflammatory efficacy by inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 body to hinder the activation of caspase-1,reduce the secretion and release of pro-inflammatory factor IL-18,and thus inhibit pyroptosis.