1.Correlation between spinal sagittal imbalance and knee joint parameters detected by whole-body EOS imaging
Feng ZHOU ; Pengfei FU ; Yufan QIAN ; Pingcheng XU ; Jiongjiong GUO ; Lei ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2026;30(3):596-603
BACKGROUND:With changing lifestyles and aging,sagittal spinal imbalance has become a common orthopedic issue significantly affecting knee and pelvic function.Understanding the impact of sagittal spinal imbalance and its compensatory mechanisms is crucial for improving the clinical management of chronic pain.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the alignment of the spine-pelvis-lower extremities using whole-body EOS imaging,analyze the correlation between spinal sagittal imbalance and knee joint parameters,and explore their compensatory mechanisms.METHODS:A total of 71 patients with chronic low back pain or patellofemoral pain who visited Department of Orthopedics,First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between January 1,2021 and December 31,2023 were included.Radiographic measurements were performed using whole-body EOS to determine pelvic tilt,pelvic incidence,lumbar lordosis,sagittal vertical axis,global tilt,hip-knee-angle,knee flexion angle,lateral distal femoral angle,and medial proximal tibial angle.Patients were classified into normal group(pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis<10°),compensated group(10°<pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis<20°),and decompensated group(pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis>20°)based on the SRS-Schwab spinal deformity classification according to pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis difference.The differences in radiographic parameters among the groups were analyzed.The differences in American Knee Society Knee Score and Oswestry Disability Index scores were compared among each group.Patients were divided into chronic low back pain group and non-chronic low back pain group,patellofemoral pain group and non-patellofemoral pain group based on clinical symptoms,and the relationship between radiographic parameter differences and clinical symptoms was analyzed.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)When pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis was less than 20°,lateral distal femoral angle and medial proximal tibial angle tended to stabilize.When pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis was greater than 20°,it showed a linear correlation with lateral distal femoral angle and medial proximal tibial angle,with lateral distal femoral angle increasing and medial proximal tibial angle decreasing with increasing pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis values.(2)Compared with the normal group,the compensated group had significantly increased pelvic tilt(P<0.01),while knee joint parameters hip-knee-angle and knee flexion angle showed no significant differences;the decompensated group showed significant increases in pelvic tilt(P<0.01),and decreases in hip-knee-angle,and knee flexion angle(P<0.01).Compared with the compensated group,the decompensated group showed a significant decrease in hip-knee-angle(P<0.05),but had no significant differences in pelvic tilt and knee flexion angle.(3)Compared with the non-patellofemoral pain group,patients with patellofemoral pain had significant decreases in spinal lumbar lordosis,lateral distal femoral angle,and medial proximal tibial angle(P<0.05)and a significant increase in pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis(P<0.05).(4)Patients with low back pain had significant differences in radiographic parameters compared with the non-chronic low back pain group(P<0.05).(5)Compared with the normal group,both the compensated and decompensated groups showed a significant decrease in American Knee Society Knee Score scores and a significant increase in Oswestry Disability Index scores(P<0.05).Compared with the compensated group,the decompensated group showed a significant decrease in American Knee Society Knee Score scores and a significant increase in Oswestry Disability Index scores(P<0.05).(6)Pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis values increased with age and were higher in females compared with males.(7)This study systematically reveals the spine and lower limbs play an important role in disease progression and clinical symptoms.Associated symptoms low back pain and patellofemoral pain are related to the stability of the spine-pelvis-lower extremity alignment.Furthermore,spinal sagittal imbalance is more severe in elderly and female patients.
2.Mechanisms by which aerobic and resistance exercises improve obesity-related cognitive impairment
Yu LIU ; Senlin LEI ; Jintao ZHOU ; Hui LIU ; Xianhui LI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2026;30(5):1171-1183
BACKGROUND:Obesity is not only related to metabolic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease,but also closely related to the increased risk of cognitive decline,dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.Studies have found that aerobic exercise and resistance exercise can help improve obesity-related cognitive impairment,but their therapeutic effects and related mechanisms of action are still unclear.OBJECTIVE:To explore the protective effects of aerobic and resistance exercises on the nervous center of obesity-related cognitive impairment mice.METHODS:Forty-eight 8-week-old C57BL/6J wild-type male mice were randomly divided into four groups:a control group was fed normally for 20 weeks;a high fat group was fed with high fat diet(60%fat energy)for 20 weeks;an aerobic exercise group was fed with 12 weeks of high-fat diet followed by 8 weeks of aerobic exercise;and a resistance exercise group was fed with 12 weeks of high-fat diet followed by 8 weeks of resistance exercise.After the exercise intervention,body mass was weighed,insulin tolerance and glucose tolerance were tested to evaluate insulin resistance,and cognitive function of mice in each group was detected by new object recognition experiment and Y-maze experiment.The morphology of hippocampal and cortical tissue cells was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining.The mRNA relative expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR,and the protein expressions of Bax,Bcl-2,nuclear factor-κB,Cleaved Caspase-1,Caspase-3,synapsin 1 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor were detected by western blot.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the control group,the body mass of mice increased in the high-fat group(P<0.05),accompanied by insulin resistance and cognitive dysfunction,the expression levels of nuclear factor-κB,Bax,Caspase-3,Cleaved Caspase-1 in the hippocampus were significantly increased(P<0.05),the expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor,synapsin 1and Bcl-2 proteins were significantly decreased(P<0.05),Bcl-2/Bax ratio was significantly decreased(P<0.05),and the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines,tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6,were significantly up-regulated(P<0.05).(2)Compared with the high-fat group,the above indexes were significantly improved in the aerobic exercise group(P<0.05),while in the resistance exercise group,the body mass of mice was significantly decreased,the levels of inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 mRNA were significantly decreased(P<0.05),the protein expression of Caspase-3 was significantly decreased(P<0.05),and the protein expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor was significantly up-regulated(P<0.05),but no significant changes were observed in the other indexes(P>0.05).In conclusion,long-term exercise can reduce insulin resistance,down-regulate the expression of nuclear factor-κB pathway,weaken inflammatory response,inhibit neuronal apoptosis and improve synaptic plasticity,resulting in neuroprotective effects,and effectively alleviate obesity-related cognitive dysfunction in obese mice.The therapeutic effect of aerobic exercise is superior to that of resistance exercise.
3.Perioperative immune dynamics and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing on-pump cardiac surgery
Zhiyuan CHENG ; Xinyi LIAO ; Juan WU ; Ping YANG ; Tingting WANG ; Qinjuan WU ; Wentong MENG ; Zongcheng TANG ; Jiayi SUN ; Jia TAN ; Jing LIN ; Dan LUO ; Hao WANG ; Chaonan LIU ; Jiyue XIONG ; Liqin LING ; Jing ZHOU ; Lei DU
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2026;39(1):31-43
Objective: To characterize perioperative dynamic changes in immune-cell phenotypes and inflammatory cytokines in patients undergoing CPB (cardiopulmonary bypass) cardiac surgery, and to explore their associations with postoperative outcomes. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 120 adult patients who underwent elective cardiac surgery under CPB at West China Hospital from May 2022 to March 2023 were enrolled. Perioperative immune-cell phenotypes and concentrations of 40 inflammation-related cytokines were measured. The primary outcomes were the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score at 24 h after surgery and ΔSOFA (the peak SOFA score within 48 h after surgery minus the preoperative SOFA score). Secondary outcomes included major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), acute kidney injury (AKI), respiratory failure, severe liver injury, and infection. Results: The mean age of enrolled patients was 57±10 years. Of these, 52% (62/120) were male and 90% (108/120) underwent valve surgery. During the rewarming to the end of CPB, neutrophil counts rapidly increased (7.39×10
/L vs preoperative 3.07×10
/L, P<0.001), with significant upregulation of CD11b (7.30×10
/L vs preoperative 3.05×10
/L, P<0.001) and CD54 (7.15×10
/L vs preoperative 2.99×10
/L, P<0.001). Lymphocyte counts increased at the end of CPB (1.75×10
/L vs preoperative 1.12×10
/L, P<0.001) but decreased significantly at 24 h after surgery (0.59×10
/L vs preoperative 1.12×10
/L, P<0.001). Plasma analysis showed that multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines increased during CPB and remained elevated up to 24 h after surgery; five chemokines and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 peaked at the end of CPB. The SOFA score increased from 1 (1, 2) preoperatively to 7 (5, 10) at 24 h after surgery, with a ΔSOFA of 6 (4, 8). Within 30 days after surgery, 48 patients (40.0%) developed AKI, 17 (14.2%) developed infection, 4 (3.3%) developed severe liver injury, 3 (2.5%) developed respiratory failure, and 3 (2.5%) experienced MACE. During the 2-year follow-up, 8 patients (6.7%) experienced MACE and 5 (4.2%) died. Conclusion: Multi-organ dysfunction is common after cardiac surgery under CPB (median ΔSOFA, 6), accompanied by perioperative activation of multiple immune-cell subsets and upregulation of pro-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory, and chemotactic mediators. This study provides data-driven evidence and research clues for further investigation of the associations between CPB-related immune perturbations and postoperative organ dysfunction and clinical outcomes.
4.Literature Analysis and Validity Assessment for Animal Models of Attention Deficit and Hyperactive Disorder
Wangyue LIAO ; Shuang LEI ; Xuan LI ; Min GUO ; Ruoran ZHOU
Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine 2026;46(1):66-80
Attention deficit and hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder of childhood. It seriously impairs academic achievement, social interaction, and vocational development, and increases the risk of accidental injury and substance abuse. In some cases, the symptoms may also exert an indirect disruptive effect on public order. Its aetiology involves interactions among genetic, perinatal environmental, and psychosocial factors that cannot be fully disentangled by single clinical studies. Therefore, a systematic evaluation of existing animal models is essential for revealing pathophysiology and developing novel therapies. Using the keywords "attention deficit and hyperactive disorder", "models, animal", "validity", and their English equivalents, we systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang for publications from 2000 to 2025 (retrieving 328 publications) and added further references by citation tracking. Eighty-six rodent ADHD models that provided detailed construction protocols, behavioural assessments, neurobiological mechanisms, or pharmacological data were included and classified into spontaneous genetic, genetically engineered, and environmentally induced paradigms. Their face, construct, and predictive validity were compared. Among spontaneous genetic models, spontaneously hypertensive rats reproduce hyperactivity, impulsivity, and stimulant responses well, yet hypertension and sex differences limit specificity. Acallosal mouse strains link corpus callosum absence to ADHD-like behaviours, but neurotransmitter studies remain scarce. Genetically engineered rodents—including dopamine transporter, neurokinin-1 receptor and mediator complex subunit 23 knockout or conditional gene knockout lines—precisely dissect dopaminergic, noradrenergic, synaptic, or epigenetic pathways, yet generally lack full phenotypic coverage, social-deficit modelling, and comorbidity representation, and are accompanied by adverse effects such as growth retardation or ocular defects. Environmentally induced models employ lead, polychlorinated biphenyls, alcohol, nicotine exposures, 6-hydroxydopamine lesions, neonatal hypoxia, early social isolation, or maternal stress to recapitulate core symptoms. However, dose-schedule standardisation is lacking. Behavioural reversibility diverges from clinical persistence, and non-specific phenotypes such as anxiety or depression are common. Overall, no single paradigm simultaneously achieves high validity across all three dimensions. Currently, ADHD models have progressed from single-factor simulations to multidimensional evaluation, yet significant gaps remain in genetic-background standardisation, sex differences, cross-species translation, and syndrome-differentiation modelling under traditional Chinese medicine. Future directions should integrate genetic, environmental, and epigenetic interactions, establish life-span validation systems, and incorporate computational neuroscience alongside integrative Chinese-Western strategies to enhance clinical relevance and translational utility, thereby providing robust evidence-based support for mechanistic elucidation, drug screening and precision intervention in ADHD.
5.Exploration on Scientific Connotation of "Removing Calyx" of Inulae Flos Based on Processing Experience of Old Medicine Workers
Qiao ZHOU ; Zhenni QU ; Menghan LIU ; Lei ZHANG ; Benzheng SU ; Yanpeng DAI ; Dianhua SHI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(7):260-266
ObjectiveTo conduct a comparative quality analysis of Inulae Flos, fuzz of Inulae Flos and calyx of Inulae Flos, elucidating the scientific connotation of the "removing calyx" process in the traditional processing of Inulae Flos. MethodsInulae Flos decoction pieces were collected, and the fuzz and calyx of Inulae Flos were prepared according to the experiences of old medicine workers. Subsequently, according to the methods under the "Inulae Flos" item in the 2025 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, the appearance characteristics and thin-layer chromatography(TLC) identification of these samples were tested, and the moisture content, total ash content, extract content were also measured. The characteristic fingerprint patterns of Inulae Flos and fuzz of Inulae Flos were established by high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC), followed by similarity evaluation, principal component analysis(PCA), and partial least squares-discriminant analysis(PLS-DA). The contents of cryptochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, 1,3-O-dicaffeoylqunic acid, 1,5-O-dicaffeoylqunic acid, and 1-O-acetyl britannilactone were determined to compare the quality differences of Inulae Flos, fuzz of Inulae Flos, and calyx of Inulae Flos. ResultsThe moisture content of Inulae Flos, fuzz of Inulae Flos, and calyx of Inulae Flos was all<10%. The determination results of total ash content were as follows:Calyx of Inulae Flos>Inulae Flos>fuzz of Inulae Flos, and the determination results of alcohol-soluble extract content were as follows:Fuzz of Inulae Flos>Inulae Flos>calyx of Inulae Flos. HPLC fingerprint patterns of Inulae Flos and fuzz of Inulae Flos were established, and 22 common peaks were identified. The similarity analysis and PCA showed that the overall quality of Inulae Flos and fuzz of Inulae Flos was similar, while the overall quality of calyx of Inulae Flos differed significantly from that of Inulae Flos and fuzz of Inulae Flos. PLS-DA results showed that Inulae Flos, fuzz of Inulae Flos, and calyx of Inulae Flos clustered into distinct groups, indicating significant differences among them. Cryptochlorogenic acid and caffeic acid had relatively high contents in calyx of Inulae Flos, the contents of 1,3-O-dicaffeoylqunic acid and 1,5-O-dicaffeoylqunic acid in Inulae Flos and fuzz of Inulae Flos were higher than those in calyx of Inulae Flos. The order of 1-O-acetyl britannilactone content was determined as follows:fuzz of Inulae Flos>Inulae Flos>calyx of Inulae Flos. ConclusionThe scientific nature of "Removing Calyx" process in the cleansing of Inulae Flos by old medicine workers is demonstrated by the resulting fuzz of Inulae Flos decoction pieces exhibiting enhanced cleanliness and higher content of the index component 1-O-acetyl britannilactone. This study provides a reference basis for further improving and enhancing the processing method and quality control standards of Inulae Flos.
6.Prediction of postoperative pulmonary complications in video-assisted thoracic surgery for lung cancer based on cardiopulmonary exercise testing and machine learning
Lei GUO ; Fusong LIU ; Zhilong OU ; Lan GUO ; Tiantian LI ; Chongfeng ZHOU ; Kun LUAN ; Xiaoman CHEN ; Yucheng WEI
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2026;33(01):44-52
Objective To develop a predictive model for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC) following video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in lung cancer patients by integrating cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) parameters and machine learning techniques. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer who underwent CPET and VATS at Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital between October 2021 and July 2023. Patients were divided into a PPC group and a non-PPC group. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to select important features associated with PPC. Six machine learning algorithms were utilized to construct prediction models, including logistic regression, support vector machine, k-nearest neighbors, random forest, gradient boosting machine, and extreme gradient boosting. The optimal model was interpreted using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). Results A total of 325 patients were included, with an average age of 60.36 years, and 55.1% were male. Significant differences were observed between the PPC and non-PPC groups in age, diabetes, coronary heart disease, surgical approach, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FVC% predicted, peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2), anaerobic threshold (AT), and ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide slope (VE/VCO2 slope) (P<0.05). In the predictive model constructed by selecting 7 key features using LASSO regression, the random forest model demonstrated the best overall performance across various metrics, with an area under the receiver operating curve of 0.930, an F1 score of 0.836, and a Brier score of 0.133 in the training set. It also exhibited good predictive ability and calibration in the test set. SHAP analysis ranked feature importance as follows: peak VO2, VE/VCO2 slope, age, FEV1, smoking history, diabetes, and surgical approach. Conclusion Integrating CPET parameters, the random forest model can effectively identify high-risk patients for PPC and has the potential for clinical application.
7.Species of sandflies and prevalence of Leishmania infections in sandflies in selected areas of northern and northwestern China
Yaqi HE ; Lei CUI ; Yi ZHANG ; Yuanyuan LI ; Limin YANG ; Yuan FANG ; Zhongqiu LI ; Zhengbin ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2026;38(1):20-28
Objective To investigate the species of sandflies and the prevalence of Leishmania infections in sandflies from selected areas of northern and northwestern China, so as to provide insights into identification of leishmaniasis vectors and assessment of epidemiological trends of leishmaniasis in China. Methods Sandfly samples were collected from Mentougou District of Beijing Municipality, Xiangning County in Linfen City of Shanxi Province, Ejin Banner in Alxa League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Payzawat County of Karamay District of Karamay City, Gaochang District of Turpan City in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from July 2023 to July 2024. Approximately 100 intact female sandfly samples were randomly selected from each site and the species of sandflies was identified according to morphological characteristics and molecular assays. Female sandflies originating from the same habitat were grouped into pools of 10 individuals. Leishmania infection was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) gene, and the prevalence of Leishmania infection was calculated in sandflies from different sampling sites using the minimum infection rate (MIR) method. In addition, positive amplicons were sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Results A total of 6 155 sandflies were collected from different environments at sampling sites across the six aforementioned regions from July 2023 to July 2024. Phlebotomus chinensis (96.00%) was the dominant sandfly species in Mentougou District, Beijing Municipality, with a small proportion of Ph. sergenti (4.00%), and only Ph. chinensis was found in Xiangning County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province. Ph. wui was the only sandfly species detected in Ejin Banner, Alxa League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Payzawat County, Kashgar City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Ph. caucasicus (97.70%) was the dominant sandfly species in Karamay District, Karamay City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with a small proportion of Ph. wui (2.30%), while Ph. alexandri was the only species in Gaochang District, Turpan City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. A total of 40, 60, 34, 18, 18, and 22 pools of sandfly samples were tested from Mentougou District in Beijing Municipality, Xiangning County in Linfen City of Shanxi Province, Ejin Banner in Alxa League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Payzawat County in Kashgar City, Karamay District in Karamay City, and Gaochang District in Turpan City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, respectively. L. infantum was detected in Ph. chinensis samples from Mentougou District in Beijing Municipality, and Xiangning County of Linfen City in Shanxi Province, with MIR of 0.25% to 1.00%, and L. donovani was detected in Ph. wui from Ejin Banner in Alxa League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Payzawat County in Kashgar City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with MIR of 0.56% to 0.88%; however, no Leishmania infection was detected in Ph. caucasicus from Karamay District in Karamay City or Ph. alexandri from Gaochang District in Turpan City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Leishmania ITS-1 gene sequences obtained from Mentougou District in Beijing Municipality and Xiangning County in Linfen City of Shanxi Province were clustered into the same clade with the reference sequences of L. infantum ITS-1 gene, while the Leishmania ITS-1 gene sequences obtained from Ejin Banner in Alxa League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Payzawat County in Kashgar City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were clustered into the same clade with the reference sequences of L. donovani ITS-1 gene. Conclusions There are variations in sandfly species in selected areas of northern and northwestern China, and variations in the species of Leishmania infecting sandflies. Improved surveillance of sandfly vectors and targeted control strategies with adaptations to geographical features and leishmaniasis vectors are recommended.
8.Construction and Application of a Real-World Cohort of Community-Acquired Pneumonia Based on a Multimodal Large-Scale Traditional Chinese Medicine Big Data Platform
Zhichao WANG ; Xianmei ZHOU ; Fanchao FENG ; Mengqi WANG ; Xin WANG ; Bin KANG ; Xiaofan YU ; Xiaoxiao WANG ; Lei XIAO ; Juan LI ; Zhichao ZHANG ; Ye MA ; Yeqing JI ; Xin TONG ; Zhuoyue WU ; Jia LIU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(9):961-965
This paper introduces a real-world cohort research model for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) based on the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Dominant Diseases Diagnosis and Treatment Data Platform. Firstly, data cleaning is performed by standardizing diagnosis, symptoms, treatment and imaging, intelligently extracting unstructured information, and cleaning and constructing a standardized database. Secondly, for cohort establishment, CAP patients across the province are screened in accordance with CAP diagnostic criteria to build a high-quality disease-specific cohort. Lastly, in terms of protocol design, the characteristics of TCM research and the CAP disease profile are considered to determine appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria, estimate sample size, define interventions, outcomes and economic evaluations, providing a reference for real-world TCM research on CAP.
9.Construction and Application of a Real-World Cohort of Community-Acquired Pneumonia Based on a Multimodal Large-Scale Traditional Chinese Medicine Big Data Platform
Zhichao WANG ; Xianmei ZHOU ; Fanchao FENG ; Mengqi WANG ; Xin WANG ; Bin KANG ; Xiaofan YU ; Xiaoxiao WANG ; Lei XIAO ; Juan LI ; Zhichao ZHANG ; Ye MA ; Yeqing JI ; Xin TONG ; Zhuoyue WU ; Jia LIU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(9):961-965
This paper introduces a real-world cohort research model for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) based on the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Dominant Diseases Diagnosis and Treatment Data Platform. Firstly, data cleaning is performed by standardizing diagnosis, symptoms, treatment and imaging, intelligently extracting unstructured information, and cleaning and constructing a standardized database. Secondly, for cohort establishment, CAP patients across the province are screened in accordance with CAP diagnostic criteria to build a high-quality disease-specific cohort. Lastly, in terms of protocol design, the characteristics of TCM research and the CAP disease profile are considered to determine appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria, estimate sample size, define interventions, outcomes and economic evaluations, providing a reference for real-world TCM research on CAP.
10.The management of blood donors tested reactive to HCV in blood screening based on confirmation of HCV infection
Xuelian DENG ; Liang ZANG ; Xiaofang GONG ; Lei ZHOU ; Xiaochun LIU ; Lin WANG ; Lunan WANG
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2026;39(4):444-451
Objective: To explore the management of blood donors tested reactive to HCV in blood screening based on confirmation of HCV infection. Methods: Multiple HCV antibody assays, repeating HCV RNA testing, follow-up of blood donors and retesting of archive samples were performed to confirm HCV infection, identify infection status, and exclude false positives in blood donors reactive to HCV in blood screening. Results: From 2011 to 2024, the unqualified rate of HCV detection in blood screening was 2.45‰(2 751/1 122 026). Among these, anti-HCV+-&NAT-accounted for 1.85‰, followed by anti-HCV++ at 0.60‰. The proportion of anti-HCV+-&NAT-and HCV RNA yields was extremely low (0.007‰). The positive rate of anti-HCV+-&NAT-samples tested by electrochemiluminescence method (ELCIA) was approximately 7.5%, differing among reagents (P<0.05). The follow-up of anti-HCV+-&NAT-donors showed that 96.2% (202/210) were false positives, but 51.4% of donors remained anti-HCV+-&NAT-during follow-up. Among them, 8 donors (3.8%) could not be ruled out from HCV infection due to positive retesting by ELCIA. Of the anti-HCV+-&NAT-donors who were reactive at the first follow-up, 86.8% remained anti-HCV+-&NAT-at the second follow-up. The sampling confirmation data showed that all of 260 anti-HCV++ donors were confirmed as anti-HCV positive, and the proportion of false positives or missed detections by NAT was very low. Two occult HBV infections (OBIs) and one HBsAg carrier were identified among the 3 anti-HCV +-&NAT+ donors, and no HCV infection was confirmed in 5 anti-HCV--&HCV RNA + donors. Conclusion: The prevalence of HCV among blood donors in Dalian was about 0.06%, with extremely low proportion of window-period infection and slightly higher proportion of resolved infections than that of current infections. The majority of anti-HCV+-&NAT-were false positive. Blood donors confirmed as false positive should be qualified in blood screening 3 months later before next donation. In order to reduce the false positive results, it was advisable to avoid the same type of supplementary reagents as the initial reagents when performing confirmation.

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