ObjectiveThe malaria parasites remodel the host erythrocyte structure by exporting parasite proteins that interact with the membrane skeleton proteins of red blood cells (RBCs), facilitating their intracellular survival and pathogenicity. Skeleton-binding protein 1 (SBP1) is a conserved exported protein across Plasmodium species. In Plasmodium falciparum, SBP1 has been reported to interact with erythrocyte membrane skeleton proteins 4.1R and spectrin, while its contribution to erythrocyte remodeling and parasite virulence in Plasmodium berghei (Pb) remains unclear. This study aims to determine whether PbSBP1 associates with the host cytoskeletal protein 4.1R and to investigate its role in the remodeling of host RBCs and the pathogenicity of Plasmodium berghei. MethodsIn Plasmodium berghei, the relationship between PbSBP1 and the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein 4.1R was examined using co-immunoprecipitation. A Pbsbp1 gene knockout mutant of Plasmodium berghei (Pbsbp1∆) was generated based on the principle of double crossover homologous recombination. The deformability of erythrocytes infected with Pbsbp1∆ parasites was assessed using microfluidic methods. Microchannels with an array of cylindrical pillars were used to detect modifications in infected RBC deformability. The infected RBCs were squashed between the rows and recovered between the columns and the transit velocity (μm/s) of infected RBCs travelling through the microchannel was recorded. The component of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton junctional complex, tropomodulin (TMOD), was fluorescently labeled, and the cytoskeletal network of infected erythrocytes was imaged using super-resolution stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) to analyze ultrastructural changes in the cytoskeleton of wild-type (WT) and Pbsbp1∆-infected erythrocytes. Actin-based junctional complexes were displayed as individual clusters by the labeled TMOD in the STORM images, and the cluster densities and distances between adjacent clusters of infected RBCs were calculated. Additionally, rodent malaria models (BALB/c mice) and experimental cerebral malaria models (C57BL/6 mice) were employed to monitor the growth of Pbsbp1∆ and WT parasites during the intraerythrocytic stage and their capacity to induce cerebral malaria in mice. ResultsPbSBP1 may participate in the remodeling of infected erythrocytes through direct or indirect interaction with the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein 4.1R. Microfluidic assays revealed that the deformability of erythrocytes infected with Pbsbp1∆ parasites was significantly enhanced compared to those infected with WT parasites. STORM imaging further demonstrated that the ultrastructure of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton in Pbsbp1∆-infected cells was altered relative to that in WT-infected erythrocytes. The distances between nearest neighbors of clusters had a tendency to increase while the cluster densities were decreased in Pbsbp1∆-infected RBCs compared to WT-infected RBCs. Subsequent phenotypic analysis indicated that the growth rate of Pbsbp1∆ parasites during the intraerythrocytic stage was significantly slower than that of WT parasites, and their ability to induce cerebral malaria in mice was also attenuated. These findings suggest that PbSBP1 is involved in the remodeling of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton, likely through its direct or indirect interaction with protein 4.1R, thereby regulating the deformability of infected erythrocytes and influencing the pathogenicity of the blood-stage parasites. ConclusionThis study establishes a role for PbSBP1 in host erythrocyte remodeling and parasite virulence, providing new research strategies for the prevention and treatment of malaria.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the mechanism by which Luoshi Neiyi prescription treats endometriosis （EMs） through regulating ferroptosis， and to screen key metabolites and analyze their association with ferroptosis. MethodsClinical samples of normal endometrium from patients without EMs and eutopic and ectopic endometrium from EMs patients （10 cases each） were collected and divided into control group， eutopic group， and EMs group. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to observe ectopic lesions of EMs. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of solute carrier family 7 member 11 （SLC7A11） and glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was adopted to determine the levels of malondialdehyde （MDA）， ferrous ion （Fe²⁺）， GPX4 and glutathione （GSH） in endometrial tissues， as well as serum levels of Fe²⁺， GPX4 and GSH. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of SLC7A11， GPX4， transferrin receptor （TFR） and ferritin heavy chain 1 （FTH1）. In the in vitro experiment， primary stromal cells were isolated from ectopic lesions of EMs patients. Cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） was used to determine the optimal concentration of drug-containing serum for intervention. The level of reactive oxygen species （ROS） was measured， and Real-time PCR was applied to detect ferroptosis-related indicators. In the animal experiments， an EM rat model was established， and the rats were randomly assigned to the sham operation group， EMs group， low-dose Luoshi Neiyi Formula group （7.87 g·kg^-1）， high-dose Luoshi Neiyi prescription group （15.74 g·kg^-1）， and danazol group （42 mg·kg^-1）. Untargeted metabolomics detection and pathway enrichment analysis were conducted on serum samples from patients and rats. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between differential metabolites and ferroptosis indicators. The correlations between differential metabolites in patient endometrium and serum and key ferroptosis indicators （GPX4， Fe²⁺， MDA， GSH） as well as ferroptosis-related mRNAs （GPX4， SLC7A11， FTH1） were analyzed， and correlation heatmaps were generated accordingly. ResultsCompared with normal eutopic endometrium， ectopic lesions in EMs patients showed glandular disorganization and stromal fibrosis. In ectopic endometrium， the contents of MDA， ROS， and Fe²⁺ decreased， while GPX4 level increased， and the mRNA expression of SLC7A11 and GPX4 was upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In serum， the levels of GPX4 and Fe²⁺ were elevated， whereas the GSH level declined， suggesting abnormalities in ferroptosis-related pathways in ectopic lesions （P<0.05， P<0.01）. After intervention with Luoshi Neiyi prescription-containing serum， the intracellular ROS level in ectopic endometrial stromal cells was elevated， the mRNA expression of SLC7A11 and GPX4 was downregulated， and TFR mRNA expression was upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Metabolomics analysis revealed 1104 and 198 differential metabolites in EMs patients and EMs rats， respectively， compared with their corresponding control groups， and both low-dose and high-dose Luoshi Neiyi prescription were found to regulate this metabolic disturbance， with the core regulatory pathways mainly involving arginine and proline metabolism. Correlation analysis showed that the glycerophospholipids including PI（16∶0/17∶0） and PI［18∶2（9Z，12Z）］ were negatively correlated with GPX4 and positively correlated with MDA， while 17α-hydroxyprogesterone was positively correlated with GPX4， SLC7A11， and FTH1 q<0.05）. ConclusionLuoshi Neiyi prescription may systematically ameliorate disease-associated metabolic dysregulation via modulation of the serum arginine and proline metabolism pathway， and may regulate ferroptosis in ectopic lesions through a mechanism potentially linked to the serum glycerophospholipid and steroid metabolism pathways. Collectively， these findings provide experimental evidence for the clinical application of Luoshi Neiyi prescription.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the mechanism by which Luoshi Neiyi prescription treats endometriosis （EMs） through regulating ferroptosis， and to screen key metabolites and analyze their association with ferroptosis. MethodsClinical samples of normal endometrium from patients without EMs and eutopic and ectopic endometrium from EMs patients （10 cases each） were collected and divided into control group， eutopic group， and EMs group. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to observe ectopic lesions of EMs. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of solute carrier family 7 member 11 （SLC7A11） and glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was adopted to determine the levels of malondialdehyde （MDA）， ferrous ion （Fe²⁺）， GPX4 and glutathione （GSH） in endometrial tissues， as well as serum levels of Fe²⁺， GPX4 and GSH. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of SLC7A11， GPX4， transferrin receptor （TFR） and ferritin heavy chain 1 （FTH1）. In the in vitro experiment， primary stromal cells were isolated from ectopic lesions of EMs patients. Cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） was used to determine the optimal concentration of drug-containing serum for intervention. The level of reactive oxygen species （ROS） was measured， and Real-time PCR was applied to detect ferroptosis-related indicators. In the animal experiments， an EM rat model was established， and the rats were randomly assigned to the sham operation group， EMs group， low-dose Luoshi Neiyi Formula group （7.87 g·kg^-1）， high-dose Luoshi Neiyi prescription group （15.74 g·kg^-1）， and danazol group （42 mg·kg^-1）. Untargeted metabolomics detection and pathway enrichment analysis were conducted on serum samples from patients and rats. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between differential metabolites and ferroptosis indicators. The correlations between differential metabolites in patient endometrium and serum and key ferroptosis indicators （GPX4， Fe²⁺， MDA， GSH） as well as ferroptosis-related mRNAs （GPX4， SLC7A11， FTH1） were analyzed， and correlation heatmaps were generated accordingly. ResultsCompared with normal eutopic endometrium， ectopic lesions in EMs patients showed glandular disorganization and stromal fibrosis. In ectopic endometrium， the contents of MDA， ROS， and Fe²⁺ decreased， while GPX4 level increased， and the mRNA expression of SLC7A11 and GPX4 was upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In serum， the levels of GPX4 and Fe²⁺ were elevated， whereas the GSH level declined， suggesting abnormalities in ferroptosis-related pathways in ectopic lesions （P<0.05， P<0.01）. After intervention with Luoshi Neiyi prescription-containing serum， the intracellular ROS level in ectopic endometrial stromal cells was elevated， the mRNA expression of SLC7A11 and GPX4 was downregulated， and TFR mRNA expression was upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Metabolomics analysis revealed 1104 and 198 differential metabolites in EMs patients and EMs rats， respectively， compared with their corresponding control groups， and both low-dose and high-dose Luoshi Neiyi prescription were found to regulate this metabolic disturbance， with the core regulatory pathways mainly involving arginine and proline metabolism. Correlation analysis showed that the glycerophospholipids including PI（16∶0/17∶0） and PI［18∶2（9Z，12Z）］ were negatively correlated with GPX4 and positively correlated with MDA， while 17α-hydroxyprogesterone was positively correlated with GPX4， SLC7A11， and FTH1 q<0.05）. ConclusionLuoshi Neiyi prescription may systematically ameliorate disease-associated metabolic dysregulation via modulation of the serum arginine and proline metabolism pathway， and may regulate ferroptosis in ectopic lesions through a mechanism potentially linked to the serum glycerophospholipid and steroid metabolism pathways. Collectively， these findings provide experimental evidence for the clinical application of Luoshi Neiyi prescription.

Objective To explore the protective effect and mechanism of Jinyinqingre oral liquid on acute lung injury in-duced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS)in mice.Methods C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into six groups according to the random number table method:blank control group,model control group,Jinyinqingre oral liquid low-dose group,Jinyinqingre oral liquid medium-dose group,Jinyinqingre oral liquid high-dose group,and dexamethasone group.Except for the blank control group,the other groups were injected with lipopolysac charide(LPS)(5 mg·kg-1)into the trachea to establish the acute lung injury model of mice,and the Jinyinqingre oral liquid low,medium,and high groups were continuously administered the drug by gavage for three days.After 24 h,lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)were collected from the six groups for follow-up detection.The pathological injury of lung tissue in each group was observed by HE staining.The total number of cells in BALF was detected.The to-tal protein content of BALF was detected by the BCA method.The contents of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,and IgM in BALF were detected by ELISA.The expression of NF-κB and NLRP3 proteins in lung tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.Results Compared with model control group,Jinyinqingre oral liquid alleviated the pathological injury of lung tissue(P＜0.05),decreased the total cell count,total protein content and IgM expression in BALF(P＜0.01),and the expres-sion of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β in BALF was dreased(P＜0.05),the protein expressions of NF-κB and NL-RP3 in lung tissues was dreased(P＜0.05).Conclusion Jinyinqingre oral liquid attenuated the pathological injury,inflammatory exudation,and expression of inflammatory cytokines in LPS-induced lung injury in mice,and its mechanism may be through the reg-ulation of NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway,providing a theoretical basis for its clinical application.

AIM To investigate the effects of tectorigenin on preadipocyte differentiation and the possible mechanism.METHODS CCK8 method was used to detect the effects of tectorigenin on 3T3-L1 cell viability.After 2 days contact inhibition(Day 0 of differentiation),the cells were exposed to inducer and tectorigenin of different concentrations(0,10,20,40,60 μmol/L),in contrast to those of the control group with no inducer use.On the 9th day of differentiation,the cells had their lipid droplets observed by oil red O staining;their levels of TG and NEFA detected by biochemical kit;their protein expressions of PPARγ,C/EBPα,perilipin-1,ADFP,AMPKα and p-AMPKα detected by Western blot;and their mRNA expressions of Adiponectin,FABP4,FAS and Acly detected by RT-qPCR.RESULTS Tectorigenin concentration of 60 μmol/L or lower levels left no impact upon the cell viability(P＞0.05).Compared with the model group with induced differentiation,the groups intervened with tectorigenin administration displayed decreased formation of lipid droplets;lower levels of TG and NEFA(P＜0.01);decreased protein expressions of C/EBPα,PPAR γ,perilipin-1 and ADFP(P＜0.01);increased protein expressions of AMPKα and p-AMPKα(P＜0.01);and decreased mRNA expressions of Adiponectin,FABP4,FAS and Acly(P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Tectorigenin inhibits preadipocyte differentiation into mature adipocytes,which may be related to its efficacy in the regulation of C/EBPα,PPARγ,AMPKα and p-AMPKα.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a prevalent and severe clinical condition characterized by inflammatory damage to the lung endothelial and epithelial barriers, resulting in high incidence and mortality rates. Currently, there is a lack of safe and effective drugs for the treatment of ALI. In a previous clinical study, we observed that Jinyinqingre oral liquid (JYQR), a Traditional Chinese Medicine formulation prepared by the Taihe Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Medicine, exhibited notable efficacy in treating inflammation-related hepatitis and cholecystitis in clinical settings. However, the potential role of JYQR in ALI/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and its anti-inflammatory mechanism remains unexplored. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of JYQR in ALI using a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI and an in vitro RAW264.7 cell model. JYQR yielded substantial improvements in LPS-induced histological alterations in lung tissues. Additionally, JYQR administration led to a noteworthy reduction in total protein levels within the BALF, a decrease in MPAP, and attenuation of pleural thickness. These findings collectively highlight the remarkable efficacy of JYQR in mitigating the deleterious effects of LPS-induced ALI. Mechanistic investigations revealed that JYQR pretreatment significantly inhibited NF-κB activation and downregulated the expressions of the downstream proteins, namely NLRP3 and GSDMD, as well as proinflammatory cytokine levels in mice and RAW2647 cells. Consequently, JYQR alleviated LPS-induced ALI by inhibiting the NF-κB/NLRP3/GSDMD pathway. JYQR exerts a protective effect against LPS-induced ALI in mice, and its mechanism of action involves the downregulation of the NF-κB/NLRP3/GSDMD inflammatory pathway.
Humans ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Lipopolysaccharides/metabolism* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Acute Lung Injury/metabolism* ; Lung ; Phosphate-Binding Proteins/therapeutic use* ; Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins/therapeutic use*

Objective To investigate the value of multi-phase MRI-based radiomics machine learning models in differentiating small renal cell carcinoma(sRCC)from fat-poor renal angiomyolipoma(fp-AML).Methods 79 cases of sRCCs and 35 cases of fp-AMLs(diameter≤4 cm)which were confirmed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed.The volume of interest(VOI)of the total tumor was manually delineated on the images of T2WI(T2),unenhanced phase(UP),corticomedullary phase(CMP)and nephrographic phase(NP)and then the radiomics of the VOIs were extracted respectively.The training set and the test set were set according to the ratio of 7∶3.The t-test,maximal relevance and minimal redundancy(mRMR)and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)were used to select the radiomics features.The selected features were used to build classification models with logistic regression(LR)and support vector machine(SVM).The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the classification performances of the models.Results There were 4,12,3,11 and 15 optimal features obtained from T2、UP、CMP、NP and the combined four phases,respectively.The radiomics features based on NP or the combined four phases with LR model performed best,AUCs were respectively 0.956,0.986 in the training set and both were 0.881 in the test set.Conclusion The multi-phase MRI-based radiomics machine learning model has favorable diagnostic performance in differentiating sRCC from fp-AML.

Objective: To investigate the impact of combined use and timing of arterial-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) with intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) on the prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated with cardiogenic shock (AMICS). Methods: This was a prospective cohort study, patients with acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock who received VA-ECMO support from the Heart Center of Lanzhou University First Hospital from March 2019 to March 2022 in the registration database of the Chinese Society for Extracorporeal Life Support were enrolled. According to combination with IABP and time point, patients were divided into VA-ECMO alone group, VA-ECMO+IABP concurrent group and VA-ECMO+IABP non-concurrent group. Data from 3 groups of patients were collected, including the demographic characteristics, risk factors, ECG and echocardiographic examination results, critical illness characteristics, coronary intervention results, VA-ECMO related parameters and complications were compared among the three groups. The primary clinical endpoint was all-cause death, and the safety indicators of mechanical circulatory support included a decrease in hemoglobin greater than 50 g/L, gastrointestinal bleeding, bacteremia, lower extremity ischemia, lower extremity thrombosis, acute kidney injury, pulmonary edema and stroke. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to analyze the survival outcomes of patients within 30 days of follow-up. Using VA-ECMO+IABP concurrent group as reference, multivariate Cox regression model was used to evaluate the effect of the combination of VA-ECMO+IABP at different time points on the prognosis of AMICS patients within 30 days. Results: The study included 68 AMICS patients who were supported by VA-ECMO, average age was (59.8±10.8) years, there were 12 female patients (17.6%), 19 cases were in VA-ECMO alone group, 34 cases in VA-ECMO+IABP concurrent group and 15 cases in VA-ECMO+IABP non-concurrent group. The success rate of ECMO weaning in the VA-ECMO+IABP concurrent group was significantly higher than that in the VA-ECMO alone group and the VA-ECMO+IABP non-concurrent group (all P<0.05). Compared with the ECMO+IABP non-concurrent group, the other two groups had shorter ECMO support time, lower rates of acute kidney injury complications (all P<0.05), and lower rates of pulmonary edema complications in the ECMO alone group (P<0.05). In-hospital survival rate was significantly higher in the VA-ECMO+IABP concurrent group (28 patients (82.4%)) than in the VA-ECMO alone group (9 patients) and VA-ECMO+IABP non-concurrent group (7 patients) (all P<0.05). The survival rate up to 30 days of follow-up was also significantly higher surviving patients within were in the ECMO+IABP concurrent group (26 cases) than in VA-ECMO alone group (9 patients) and VA-ECMO+IABP non-concurrent group (4 patients) (all P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that compared with the concurrent use of VA-ECMO+IABP, the use of VA-ECMO alone and non-concurrent use of VA-ECMO+IABP were associated with increased 30-day mortality in AMICS patients (HR=2.801, P=0.036; HR=2.985, P=0.033, respectively). Conclusions: When VA-ECMO is indicated for AMICS patients, combined use with IABP at the same time can improve the ECMO weaning rate, in-hospital survival and survival at 30 days post discharge, and which does not increase additional complications.
Humans ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Shock, Cardiogenic/complications* ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation/methods* ; Pulmonary Edema/complications* ; Aftercare ; Prospective Studies ; Patient Discharge ; Myocardial Infarction/therapy* ; Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumping/methods* ; Treatment Outcome ; Retrospective Studies

Objective: To investigate the impact of combined use and timing of arterial-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) with intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) on the prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated with cardiogenic shock (AMICS). Methods: This was a prospective cohort study, patients with acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock who received VA-ECMO support from the Heart Center of Lanzhou University First Hospital from March 2019 to March 2022 in the registration database of the Chinese Society for Extracorporeal Life Support were enrolled. According to combination with IABP and time point, patients were divided into VA-ECMO alone group, VA-ECMO+IABP concurrent group and VA-ECMO+IABP non-concurrent group. Data from 3 groups of patients were collected, including the demographic characteristics, risk factors, ECG and echocardiographic examination results, critical illness characteristics, coronary intervention results, VA-ECMO related parameters and complications were compared among the three groups. The primary clinical endpoint was all-cause death, and the safety indicators of mechanical circulatory support included a decrease in hemoglobin greater than 50 g/L, gastrointestinal bleeding, bacteremia, lower extremity ischemia, lower extremity thrombosis, acute kidney injury, pulmonary edema and stroke. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to analyze the survival outcomes of patients within 30 days of follow-up. Using VA-ECMO+IABP concurrent group as reference, multivariate Cox regression model was used to evaluate the effect of the combination of VA-ECMO+IABP at different time points on the prognosis of AMICS patients within 30 days. Results: The study included 68 AMICS patients who were supported by VA-ECMO, average age was (59.8±10.8) years, there were 12 female patients (17.6%), 19 cases were in VA-ECMO alone group, 34 cases in VA-ECMO+IABP concurrent group and 15 cases in VA-ECMO+IABP non-concurrent group. The success rate of ECMO weaning in the VA-ECMO+IABP concurrent group was significantly higher than that in the VA-ECMO alone group and the VA-ECMO+IABP non-concurrent group (all P<0.05). Compared with the ECMO+IABP non-concurrent group, the other two groups had shorter ECMO support time, lower rates of acute kidney injury complications (all P<0.05), and lower rates of pulmonary edema complications in the ECMO alone group (P<0.05). In-hospital survival rate was significantly higher in the VA-ECMO+IABP concurrent group (28 patients (82.4%)) than in the VA-ECMO alone group (9 patients) and VA-ECMO+IABP non-concurrent group (7 patients) (all P<0.05). The survival rate up to 30 days of follow-up was also significantly higher surviving patients within were in the ECMO+IABP concurrent group (26 cases) than in VA-ECMO alone group (9 patients) and VA-ECMO+IABP non-concurrent group (4 patients) (all P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that compared with the concurrent use of VA-ECMO+IABP, the use of VA-ECMO alone and non-concurrent use of VA-ECMO+IABP were associated with increased 30-day mortality in AMICS patients (HR=2.801, P=0.036; HR=2.985, P=0.033, respectively). Conclusions: When VA-ECMO is indicated for AMICS patients, combined use with IABP at the same time can improve the ECMO weaning rate, in-hospital survival and survival at 30 days post discharge, and which does not increase additional complications.
Humans ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Shock, Cardiogenic/complications* ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation/methods* ; Pulmonary Edema/complications* ; Aftercare ; Prospective Studies ; Patient Discharge ; Myocardial Infarction/therapy* ; Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumping/methods* ; Treatment Outcome ; Retrospective Studies

Objective: The pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been engendering enormous hazards to the world. We obtained the complete genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 from imported cases admitted to the Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, which was appointed by the Guangdong provincial government to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The SARS-CoV-2 diversity was analyzed, and the mutation characteristics, time, and regional trend of variant emergence were evaluated. Methods: In total, 177 throat swab samples were obtained from COVID-19 patients (from October 2020 to May 2021). High-throughput sequencing technology was used to detect the viral sequences of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Phylogenetic and molecular evolutionary analyses were used to evaluate the mutation characteristics and the time and regional trends of variants. Results: We observed that the imported cases mainly occurred after January 2021, peaking in May 2021, with the highest proportion observed from cases originating from the United States. The main lineages were found in Europe, Africa, and North America, and B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 were the two major sublineages. Sublineage B.1.618 was the Asian lineage (Indian) found in this study, and B.1.1.228 was not included in the lineage list of the Pangolin web. A reasonably high homology was observed among all samples. The total frequency of mutations showed that the open reading frame 1a (ORF1a) protein had the highest mutation density at the nucleotide level, and the D614G mutation in the spike protein was the commonest at the amino acid level. Most importantly, we identified some amino acid mutations in positions S, ORF7b, and ORF9b, and they have neither been reported on the Global Initiative of Sharing All Influenza Data nor published in PubMed among all missense mutations. Conclusion These results suggested the diversity of lineages and sublineages and the high homology at the amino acid level among imported cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Guangdong Province, China.
Amino Acids ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Genomics ; Humans ; Mutation ; Phylogeny ; SARS-CoV-2/genetics*