Salmonellosis represents a global epidemic, and the emergence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Salmonella and its sustained transmission worldwide constitutes a significant public health concern. Flagellum-mediated motility serves as a crucial virulence trait of Salmonella that guides the pathogen toward the epithelial surface, enhancing gut colonization. Artemisia argyit essential oil, a traditional herb extract, demonstrates efficacy in treating inflammation-related symptoms and diseases; however, its effects on flagellum assembly and expression mechanisms in anti-Salmonella activity remain inadequately explored. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which Artemisia argyit essential oil addresses Salmonella infections. Network pharmacological analysis revealed that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Artemisia argyit exhibited anti-Salmonella infection potential and inhibited flagellum-dependent motility. The application of Artemisia argyit essential oil induced notable motility defects through the downregulation of flagellar and fimbriae expression. Moreover, it significantly reduced Salmonella-infected cell damage by interfering with flagellum-mediated Salmonella colonization. In vivo studies demonstrated that Artemisia argyit essential oil administration effectively alleviated Salmonella infection symptoms by reducing bacterial loads, inhibiting interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) production, and diminishing pathological injury. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis identified forty-three compounds in Artemisia argyit essential oil, with their corresponding targets and active ingredients predicted. Investigation of an in vivo model of Salmonella infection using the active ingredient demonstrated that alpha-cedrene ameliorated Salmonella infection. These findings suggest the potential application of Artemisia argyit essential oil in controlling Salmonella, the predominant food-borne pathogen.
Artemisia/chemistry* ; Oils, Volatile/chemistry* ; Animals ; Flagella/drug effects* ; Salmonella Infections/microbiology* ; Humans ; Mice ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Salmonella/pathogenicity*

Objective:To evaluate the utility of the 9-gene panel as a differential diagnostic method for thyroid nodules within determinate cytological diagnosis and as a parallel diagnostic method for thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology.Methods:579 liquid-based cytology samples from 544 patients were collected after thyroid FNA diagnosis in our hospital from December 2014 to April 2021. Mutations at any site of 9 genes, namely, BRAF, NRAS, HRAS, KRAS, GNAS, RET, TERT, TP53, and PIK3CA as recorded by the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC), were analyzed by next-generation sequencing. Taking postoperative histopathology and cytology results with definite benign or malignant diagnosis as the gold standard, the diagnostic efficacy of the 9-gene panel as a reclassified method for thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytological diagnosis and as a parallel diagnostic method for thyroid FNA cytology were evaluated and compared with that of the BRAF V600E single-gene detection method.Results:Of the 579 thyroid nodules, 196 (33.85%) were Bethesda Ⅱ, 11 (1.90%) were Bethesda Ⅲ, 31 (5.35%) were Bethesda Ⅳ, 27 (4.66%) were Bethesda Ⅴ, and 314 (54.23%) were Bethesda Ⅵ, as diagnosed by thyroid FNA cytology. Among these 579 thyroid nodules, 275 were tested positive for 9-gene mutations, with a mutation rate of 47.5%. Of the 329 thyroid nodules surgically removed, 30 (9.12%) were benign, 5 (1.52%) were borderline, and 294 (89.36%) were malignant. Regarding borderline nodules as malignant nodules, the mutation rates of the 9 genes in the 299 malignant thyroid nodules from high to low were BRAF 62.21% (186/299), NRAS 5.02% (15/299), HRAS 1.00% (3/299), PIK3CA 0.67% (2/299), GNAS 0.67% (2/299), KRAS 0.33% (1/299), TP53 0.33% (1/299), TERT 0.33% (1/299) and RET 0.00% (0/299). The malignant risks of the 9 genes from high to low were BRAF 100% (186/186), PIK3CA 100.00% (2/2), GNAS 100.00% (2/2), TERT 100.00% (1/1), TP53 100.00% (1/1), NRAS 78.95% (15/19), HRAS 75.00% (3/4), and KRAS 50.00% (1/2). For thyroid nodules of Bethesda Ⅲ-Ⅳ (indeterminate diagnosis), the sensitivity (SN) of the 9-gene panel in diagnosing thyroid cancer is 34.48% (10/29), the specificity (SP) is 61.54% (8/13), and the accuracy is 42.86% (18/42); whereas the SN of the BRAF V600E detection method is 0%. Therefore, the diagnostic efficiency of the 9-gene panel is significantly better than that of BRAF V600E single gene detection. For thyroid nodules of Bethesda Ⅱ-Ⅵ, the SN of the 9-gene panel in diagnosing thyroid cancer was 68.83% (254/369), the SP was 90.00% (189/210), the accuracy was 76.51% (443/579), and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.79; whereas the SN of BRAF V600E single-gene detection in diagnosing thyroid cancer was 63.69% (235/369), the SP was 99.52% (209/210), the accuracy was 76.68% (444/579), and the AUC was 0.82. The SP of BRAF V600E detection is higher than that of the 9-gene panel ( P＜0.01), but there is no significant difference in SN, accuracy (both P＞0.05), and AUC ( Z=0.85, P=0.396) between them. Gene mutations indicating poor prognosis were detected in 4 nodules of papillary thyroid carcinoma and 1 nodules of follicular thyroid carcinoma, including 2 nodules with TERT and BRAF V600E co-mutations, 1 nodule with TP53 mutation, and 2 nodules with PIK3CA mutation. Conclusions:As a reclassified method for thyroid lesions with indeterminate cytological diagnosis, the 9-gene panel is better than BRAF V600E single gene detection. As a parallel diagnostic method of thyroid FNA cytology, the 9-gene panel has similar diagnostic efficacy as BRAF V600E single-gene detection. The 9-gene panel can detect individual cases with gene mutations indicating poor prognosis. The identification of patients with these special gene mutations has certain implications for the clinical management of them.

Objective:To evaluate the utility of the 9-gene panel as a differential diagnostic method for thyroid nodules within determinate cytological diagnosis and as a parallel diagnostic method for thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology.Methods:579 liquid-based cytology samples from 544 patients were collected after thyroid FNA diagnosis in our hospital from December 2014 to April 2021. Mutations at any site of 9 genes, namely, BRAF, NRAS, HRAS, KRAS, GNAS, RET, TERT, TP53, and PIK3CA as recorded by the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC), were analyzed by next-generation sequencing. Taking postoperative histopathology and cytology results with definite benign or malignant diagnosis as the gold standard, the diagnostic efficacy of the 9-gene panel as a reclassified method for thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytological diagnosis and as a parallel diagnostic method for thyroid FNA cytology were evaluated and compared with that of the BRAF V600E single-gene detection method.Results:Of the 579 thyroid nodules, 196 (33.85%) were Bethesda Ⅱ, 11 (1.90%) were Bethesda Ⅲ, 31 (5.35%) were Bethesda Ⅳ, 27 (4.66%) were Bethesda Ⅴ, and 314 (54.23%) were Bethesda Ⅵ, as diagnosed by thyroid FNA cytology. Among these 579 thyroid nodules, 275 were tested positive for 9-gene mutations, with a mutation rate of 47.5%. Of the 329 thyroid nodules surgically removed, 30 (9.12%) were benign, 5 (1.52%) were borderline, and 294 (89.36%) were malignant. Regarding borderline nodules as malignant nodules, the mutation rates of the 9 genes in the 299 malignant thyroid nodules from high to low were BRAF 62.21% (186/299), NRAS 5.02% (15/299), HRAS 1.00% (3/299), PIK3CA 0.67% (2/299), GNAS 0.67% (2/299), KRAS 0.33% (1/299), TP53 0.33% (1/299), TERT 0.33% (1/299) and RET 0.00% (0/299). The malignant risks of the 9 genes from high to low were BRAF 100% (186/186), PIK3CA 100.00% (2/2), GNAS 100.00% (2/2), TERT 100.00% (1/1), TP53 100.00% (1/1), NRAS 78.95% (15/19), HRAS 75.00% (3/4), and KRAS 50.00% (1/2). For thyroid nodules of Bethesda Ⅲ-Ⅳ (indeterminate diagnosis), the sensitivity (SN) of the 9-gene panel in diagnosing thyroid cancer is 34.48% (10/29), the specificity (SP) is 61.54% (8/13), and the accuracy is 42.86% (18/42); whereas the SN of the BRAF V600E detection method is 0%. Therefore, the diagnostic efficiency of the 9-gene panel is significantly better than that of BRAF V600E single gene detection. For thyroid nodules of Bethesda Ⅱ-Ⅵ, the SN of the 9-gene panel in diagnosing thyroid cancer was 68.83% (254/369), the SP was 90.00% (189/210), the accuracy was 76.51% (443/579), and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.79; whereas the SN of BRAF V600E single-gene detection in diagnosing thyroid cancer was 63.69% (235/369), the SP was 99.52% (209/210), the accuracy was 76.68% (444/579), and the AUC was 0.82. The SP of BRAF V600E detection is higher than that of the 9-gene panel ( P＜0.01), but there is no significant difference in SN, accuracy (both P＞0.05), and AUC ( Z=0.85, P=0.396) between them. Gene mutations indicating poor prognosis were detected in 4 nodules of papillary thyroid carcinoma and 1 nodules of follicular thyroid carcinoma, including 2 nodules with TERT and BRAF V600E co-mutations, 1 nodule with TP53 mutation, and 2 nodules with PIK3CA mutation. Conclusions:As a reclassified method for thyroid lesions with indeterminate cytological diagnosis, the 9-gene panel is better than BRAF V600E single gene detection. As a parallel diagnostic method of thyroid FNA cytology, the 9-gene panel has similar diagnostic efficacy as BRAF V600E single-gene detection. The 9-gene panel can detect individual cases with gene mutations indicating poor prognosis. The identification of patients with these special gene mutations has certain implications for the clinical management of them.

Polymyxin B, which is a last-line antibiotic for extensively drug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections, became available in China in Dec. 2017. As dose adjustments are based solely on clinical experience of risk toxicity, treatment failure, and emergence of resistance, there is an urgent clinical need to perform therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) to optimize the use of polymyxin B. It is thus necessary to standardize operating procedures to ensure the accuracy of TDM and provide evidence for their rational use. We report a consensus on TDM guidelines for polymyxin B, as endorsed by the Infection and Chemotherapy Committee of the Shanghai Medical Association and the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Committee of the Chinese Pharmacological Society. The consensus panel was composed of clinicians, pharmacists, and microbiologists from different provinces in China and Australia who made recommendations regarding target concentrations, sample collection, reporting, and explanation of TDM results. The guidelines provide the first-ever consensus on conducting TDM of polymyxin B, and are intended to guide optimal clinical use.
Humans ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use* ; China ; Drug Monitoring/methods* ; Polymyxin B ; Practice Guidelines as Topic

BACKGROUND: The new emerging avian influenza A H7N9 virus, causing severe human infection with a mortality rate of around 41%. This study aims to provide a novel treatment option for the prevention and control of H7N9. METHODS: H7 hemagglutinin (HA)-specific B cells were isolated from peripheral blood plasma cells of the patients previously infected by H7N9 in Jiangsu Province, China. The human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were generated by amplification and cloning of these HA-specific B cells. First, all human mAbs were screened for binding activity by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Then, those mAbs, exhibiting potent affinity to recognize H7 HAs were further evaluated by hemagglutination-inhibiting (HAI) and microneutralization in vitro assays. Finally, the lead mAb candidate was selected and tested against the lethal challenge of the H7N9 virus using murine models. RESULTS: The mAb 6-137 was able to recognize a panel of H7 HAs with high affinity but not HA of other subtypes, including H1N1 and H3N2. The mAb 6-137 can efficiently inhibit the HA activity in the inactivated H7N9 virus and neutralize 100 tissue culture infectious dose 50 (TCID50) of H7N9 virus (influenza A/Nanjing/1/2013) in vitro, with neutralizing activity as low as 78 ng/mL. In addition, the mAb 6-137 protected the mice against the lethal challenge of H7N9 prophylactically and therapeutically. CONCLUSION The mAb 6-137 could be an effective antibody as a prophylactic or therapeutic biological treatment for the H7N9 exposure or infection.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use* ; Antibodies, Neutralizing/therapeutic use* ; Antibodies, Viral ; Hemagglutinins ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype ; Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype ; Influenza Vaccines ; Influenza in Birds ; Influenza, Human/prevention & control* ; Mice

Objective:To investigate the molecular testing of liquid-based cytology (LBC) specimens from advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and the reliability of guiding targeted therapy.Methods:The LBC specimens and clinical data of 412 advanced NSCLC patients from March 2015 to April 2017 in the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were collected, of which 32 patients had postoperative or biopsy specimens. The real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect mutations of EGFR, KRAS and BRAF, and analyze the correlation between gene mutations and clinicopathological characteristics. The results of genetic testing of LBC specimens and histology specimens were examined for concordance. Clinical efficacy was evaluated in 142 patients treated with EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) drugs, and survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method.Results:Of the 412 LBC specimens, 216 (52.4%) had EGFR mutations, 36 (8.7%) had KRAS gene mutations, and 3 (0.7%) had BRAF gene mutations. EGFR mutation was associated with gender, pathology type, and specimen source, with a higher EGFR mutation rate in female patients (63.0%) than in male patients (40.8%, P<0.001) and a higher EGFR mutation rate in adenocarcinoma (54.3%) than in non-adenocarcinoma (0.0%, P<0.001). KRAS mutation was related to gender, with a higher EGFR mutation rate in male patients (12.2%) than in female patients (5.6%, P=0.016). The three cases with multiple co-mutations were all stage Ⅳ male adenocarcinoma patients. Thirty-two patients with both LBC specimens and histology specimens had concordant genetic results between LBC specimens and histology specimens in 30 patients ( Kappa=0.91). Twelve patients with both histology and LBC specimens from metastases had identical genetic results ( Kappa=1.00). Nineteen patients with histology specimens from primary foci in lungs and LBC specimens from metastases had concordant genetic results between two specimens in 18 patients ( Kappa=0.92). The disease control rate (DCR) for EGFR mutation-positive patients treated with EGFR-TKI was 89.0% (89/100) and the progression-free survival time (PFS) was 13.8 months, both higher than those of EGFR mutation-negative patients [DCR of 30.8% (4/13) and median PFS of 1.4 months, P<0.01]. Conclusions:The results of molecular testing of LBC specimens and histological specimens are highly consistent, which demonstrates LBC specimens can be a crucial source of gene testing for advanced NSCLC. Molecular typing of advanced NSCLC based on the results of genetic testing of LBC specimens and guiding EGFR-TKI drug-targeted therapy can achieve high DCR and PFS, which has important clinical value.

Objective:To investigate the molecular testing of liquid-based cytology (LBC) specimens from advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and the reliability of guiding targeted therapy.Methods:The LBC specimens and clinical data of 412 advanced NSCLC patients from March 2015 to April 2017 in the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were collected, of which 32 patients had postoperative or biopsy specimens. The real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect mutations of EGFR, KRAS and BRAF, and analyze the correlation between gene mutations and clinicopathological characteristics. The results of genetic testing of LBC specimens and histology specimens were examined for concordance. Clinical efficacy was evaluated in 142 patients treated with EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) drugs, and survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method.Results:Of the 412 LBC specimens, 216 (52.4%) had EGFR mutations, 36 (8.7%) had KRAS gene mutations, and 3 (0.7%) had BRAF gene mutations. EGFR mutation was associated with gender, pathology type, and specimen source, with a higher EGFR mutation rate in female patients (63.0%) than in male patients (40.8%, P<0.001) and a higher EGFR mutation rate in adenocarcinoma (54.3%) than in non-adenocarcinoma (0.0%, P<0.001). KRAS mutation was related to gender, with a higher EGFR mutation rate in male patients (12.2%) than in female patients (5.6%, P=0.016). The three cases with multiple co-mutations were all stage Ⅳ male adenocarcinoma patients. Thirty-two patients with both LBC specimens and histology specimens had concordant genetic results between LBC specimens and histology specimens in 30 patients ( Kappa=0.91). Twelve patients with both histology and LBC specimens from metastases had identical genetic results ( Kappa=1.00). Nineteen patients with histology specimens from primary foci in lungs and LBC specimens from metastases had concordant genetic results between two specimens in 18 patients ( Kappa=0.92). The disease control rate (DCR) for EGFR mutation-positive patients treated with EGFR-TKI was 89.0% (89/100) and the progression-free survival time (PFS) was 13.8 months, both higher than those of EGFR mutation-negative patients [DCR of 30.8% (4/13) and median PFS of 1.4 months, P<0.01]. Conclusions:The results of molecular testing of LBC specimens and histological specimens are highly consistent, which demonstrates LBC specimens can be a crucial source of gene testing for advanced NSCLC. Molecular typing of advanced NSCLC based on the results of genetic testing of LBC specimens and guiding EGFR-TKI drug-targeted therapy can achieve high DCR and PFS, which has important clinical value.

Objective To establish a mouse model of lymph node metastasis of breast cancer cells by luciferase imaging assay,to monitor early process of lymph node metastasis,and to evaluate the effect of X-ray radiation therapy on tumor.Methods The mouse mammary cancer cell line 4T1-Luc expressing luciferase was inoculated subcutaneously into the paw pad of nude mice to establish a model of subcutaneous lymph node metastasis.The lymph node metastasis in nude mice was continuously observed by in vivo fluorescence imaging system,and the nude mice with early lymph node metastasis of breast cancer cells were divided into control group and treatment group randomly.The radiotherapy effect was observed by in vivo fluorescence imaging system and evaluated by the pathological changes of HE staining of tumor tissue.Results A mouse lymph node metastasis model of breast cancer cells was successfully established,and the volume of primary tumor in paw correlated with the fluorescence photon number positively (r =0.958,P ＜ 0.001).On the twenty-fourth day after inoculation,the fluorescence photon number in pad tumor and popliteal fossa tumor of treatment group were significantly decreased in comparison with the control group (t =32.58,P ＜ 0.05),and the inhibition ratio of radiotherapy on tumor growth approached to 85 ％.HE staining showed that the apoptosis and necrosis in irradiated tumor was obviously higher than that in control group.Conclusions Bioluminescence imaging technique can be used to evaluate the effect of X-ray on breast cancer suppression and lymph node metastasis in mice.

Objective To observe the influence of ademetionine for the proteometabolism and fibrosis indexes of patients with chronic hepatitis B.Methods110 patients with chronic hepatitis B in our hospital from January to December 2016 were randomly divided into control group(conventional treatment of hepatitis B group)55 cases and observation group(conventional treatment and ademetionine group)55 cases.The serum expression levels of proteometabolism and fibrosis indexes of two groups before the treatment and after the treatment were detected and compared.ResultsThe serum expression levels of proteometabolism and fibrosis indexes of two groups before the treatment were compared,there were no significant differences,while the serum expression levels of proteometabolism indexes of observation group after the treatment were all higher than those of control group,the serum expression levels of fibrosis indexes were all lower than those of control group,there were all significant differences(all P<0.05).ConclusionThe ademetionine can significantly improve the expression state of proteometabolism and fibrosis indexes of patients with chronic hepatitis B,so the application value for the patients with chronic hepatitis B is relatively higher.

Objective To explore the gray matter changes in aggressive patients with schizophrenia,and the relationship between the gray matter and aggression in patients.Methods Eighteen aggressive patients with schizophrenia (SZ1),18 age-and gender-matched un-aggressive patients with schizophrenia (SZ2) and 18 normal controls (NC) were enrolled in the study.Then a 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan was conducted for each participant.The voxel-based morphometry (VBM) approach and the Chinese version of Buss & Perry aggression questionnaire (B&P) were used to explore imaging data and to assess the aggression,respectively.Results Compared with NC,patients with schizophrenia showed changes in gray matter volume (GMV) in the frontal,temporal and the occipital lobes (P＜0.05,AlphaSim corrected).Compared with SZ2,SZ1 showed increased GMV in the right supramarginal gyrus,right postcentral gyms,bilateral insula and orbito-frontal gyri (P＜0.05,AlphaSim corrected).The GMV of the right insula,right postcentral gyms and right supramarginal grus were positively associated with B&P scores in patients with schizophrenia (P＜0.01,AlphaSim corrected),respectively.Conclusions These preliminary findings support that the aggression in schizophrenia is associated with GMV changes of brain regions in patients with schizophrenia.The right postcentral gyrus,the right insula and the right supramarginal gyrus may be involved in the neural mechanism of aggression in schizophrenia.