1.Paroxetine alleviates dendritic cell and T lymphocyte activation via GRK2-mediated PI3K-AKT signaling in rheumatoid arthritis.
Tingting LIU ; Chao JIN ; Jing SUN ; Lina ZHU ; Chun WANG ; Feng XIAO ; Xiaochang LIU ; Liying LV ; Xiaoke YANG ; Wenjing ZHOU ; Chao TAN ; Xianli WANG ; Wei WEI
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(4):441-451
BACKGROUND:
G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) could participate in the regulation of diverse cells via interacting with non-G-protein-coupled receptors. In the present work, we explored how paroxetine, a GRK2 inhibitor, modulates the differentiation and activation of immune cells in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
METHODS:
The blood samples of healthy individuals and RA patients were collected between July 2021 and March 2022 from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. C57BL/6 mice were used to induce the collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model. Flow cytometry analysis was used to characterize the differentiation and function of dendritic cells (DCs)/T cells. Co-immunoprecipitation was used to explore the specific molecular mechanism.
RESULTS:
In patients with RA, high expression of GRK2 in peripheral blood lymphocytes, accompanied by the increases of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). In animal model, a decrease in regulatory T cells (T regs ), an increase in the cluster of differentiation 8 positive (CD8 + ) T cells, and maturation of DCs were observed. Paroxetine, when used in vitro and in CIA mice, restrained the maturation of DCs and the differentiation of CD8 + T cells, and induced the proportion of T regs . Paroxetine inhibited the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, the expression of C-C motif chemokine receptor 7 in DCs and T cells. Simultaneously, paroxetine upregulated the expression of programmed death ligand 1, and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, paroxetine inhibited the PI3K-AKT-mTOR metabolic pathway in both DCs and T cells. This was associated with a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential and changes in the utilization of glucose and lipids, particularly in DCs. Paroxetine reversed PI3K-AKT pathway activation induced by 740 Y-P (a PI3K agonist) through inhibiting the interaction between GRK2 and PI3K in DCs and T cells.
CONCLUSION
Paroxetine exerts an immunosuppressive effect by targeting GRK2, which subsequently inhibits the metabolism-related PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway of DCs and T cells in RA.
G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2/metabolism*
;
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/immunology*
;
Animals
;
Dendritic Cells/metabolism*
;
Paroxetine/therapeutic use*
;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
;
Mice
;
Humans
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*
;
Male
;
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism*
;
Lymphocyte Activation/drug effects*
;
Female
;
T-Lymphocytes/metabolism*
;
Middle Aged
2.Developing an indicator system for family doctor services within the "healthy subdistrict" initiative in China
Tiancheng ZHANG ; Liying SHAO ; Wen BAI ; Ping ZHOU ; Zhengwen FENG ; Juan DU ; Jianbiao XIAO
Chinese Journal of General Practitioners 2025;24(12):1525-1532
Objective:To develop an indicator system for defining the health services provided by family doctors within the "Healthy Subdistrict" initiative in China.Methods:An initial set of indicators was developed through literature review and qualitative research, followed by the design of an expert consultation questionnaire. Twenty-one experts with extensive experience in community family doctor services in Beijing were selected. Two rounds of Delphi consultations were conducted via email between December 2024 and February 2025. Expert demographics and authority coefficients were collected and the indicator system was finalized.Results:The response rate was 100% for both rounds. The average expert authority coefficient ( Cr) was 0.860 (range: 0.700-1.000). Kendall′s W for importance and feasibility increased from 0.129 and 0.196 in the first round to 0.230 and 0.268 in the second round (all P<0.001), indicating strong consensus. The final system includes 5 first-level and 23 second-level indicators, categorized as: Integrated Preventive and Clinical Care Services, Healthy Community Promotion Services, Basic Medical Services, Public Health Services, and Services for Promoting Equity in Citizen Health and Well-being. The highest-weighted first-level indicators were Basic Medical Services (0.281) and Integrated Preventive and Clinical Care Services (0.281), followed by Services for Promoting Equity in Citizen Health and Well-being (0.191), Healthy Community Promotion Services (0.124), and Public Health Services (0.124). All indicators had importance and feasibility scores above 3.5. Conclusion:This study establishes a weighted indicator system to guide and evaluate the health services provided by family doctors within the "Healthy Subdistrict" initiative, clarifying key service priorities.
3.Screening and preliminary study of PIK3CG as a potential biomarker in polycystic ovary syndrome
Liying HUANG ; Lining LI ; Xiao QIN ; Shaohua LING ; Chun TIAN ; Yanlan LING ; Rong CHEN ; Li QIN
Chongqing Medicine 2025;54(8):1771-1780
Objective To explore the genes related to the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)through bioinformatics methods and verify them in ovarian granulosa cells,providing a reference for screening potential molecular markers of PCOS.Methods The GSE34526 and GSE137684 datasets were re-spectively used as the training set and validation set.The inflammation-related genes potentially associated with the onset of PCOS were explored through differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expres-sion network analysis.Subsequently,their predictive value was verified through the receiver operating charac-teristic(ROC)curve.Thirty patients with PCOS(the PCOS group)and 27 patients without PCOS(the con-trol group)who were treated in Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities were se-lected as the research objects.RT-qPCR was applied to verify the expression level of core genes in granular cells.Spearman correlation and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the correlation between the ex-pression level of core genes and various clinical parameters,and the ROC curve was used to analyze the diag-nostic efficacy of the expression level of core genes for PCOS.Finally,the protein expression level of core genes was verified on animal models.Results A total of 1 888 differentially expressed genes,89 module-relat-ed genes and 366 inflammatory response-related genes were identified.The core gene phosphatidylinositol-4,5-diphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit γ(PIK3CG)was ultimately obtained by taking co-expressed genes and verifying with the ROC curve.RT-qPCR results showed that the expression level of PIK3CG in granulosa cells of the PCOS group was higher than that of the control group(P<0.05).Spearman correlation analysis showed that the expression level of PIK3CG was positively correlated with BMI,testosterone(T),fasting in-sulin(FINS),and insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR,P<0.05).Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that FINS,HOMA-IR and BMI were increased with the increasing of PIK3CG expression level(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve for diagnosing PCOS patients with PIK3CG mRNA expression levels in granulosa cells was 0.659 3.The immunohistochemical results showed that the ex-pression of PIK3CG protein in the ovarian tissues of mice in the PCOS group was significantly increased.Con-clusion PIK3CG may be potentially associated with the pathogenesis of PCOS.
4.Ultrasound radiomics combined with machine learning for early diagnosis of seronegative hashimoto’s thyroiditis
Wenjun WU ; Chang LIU ; Shengsheng YAO ; Daming LIU ; Yuan LUO ; Yihan SUN ; Ting RUAN ; Mengyou LIU ; Li SHI ; Mingming XIAO ; Qi ZHANG ; Zhengshuai LIU ; Xingai JU ; Jiahao WANG ; Xiang FEI ; Li LU ; Yang GAO ; Ying ZHANG ; Liying GONG ; Xuanyu CHEN ; Wanli ZHENG ; Xiali NIU ; Xiao YANG ; Huimei CAO ; Shijie CHANG ; Zuoxin MA ; Jianchun CUI
Chinese Journal of Endocrine Surgery 2025;19(3):313-319
Objective:To evaluate the value of ultrasound radiomics combined with machine learning for early diagnosis of seronegative Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (SN-HT) .Methods:This retrospective study included 164 patients from Liaoning Provincial People’s Hospital , Lixin County People’s Hospital, Linghai Dalinghe Hospital, Fengcheng Phoenix Hospital, who underwent thyroidectomy for solitary nodules with normal thyroid function between Nov. 2016 and Jan. 2024. Postoperative pathology confirmed Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) in some cases, who were further categorized into antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups based on serum antibody status. Patients without Hashimoto’s thyroiditis served as the control group. A total of 298 ultrasound images were analyzed. Radiomics features were extracted from hypoechoic non-nodular areas within 0.5 cm surrounding the tumor. Two senior pathologists and two senior ultrasound physicians independently assessed lymphocytic infiltration, eosinophilic changes of follicular epithelium, and the proportion of hypoechoic areas in pathology and ultrasound images, respectively. A machine learning model, CCH-NET, was developed using linear regression and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) techniques. The dataset was divided into a training set (80%) and a validation set (20%) to compare the diagnostic accuracy of CCH-NET with that of senior ultrasound physicians. Results:In internal validation, CCH-NET achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 88.89% for both antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups, significantly higher than the 66.67% accuracy of senior ultrasound physicians ( P<0.01). In external validation, CCH-NET achieved 75.00% and 66.67% accuracy for the two groups, compared to 50.00% by senior ultrasound physicians. For the control group, both methods achieved 93.33% accuracy. The AUC of CCH-NET was 0.848, outperforming senior ultrasound physicians (0.681) ,demonstrating superior diagnostic performance. Conclusion:The radiomics-based CCH-NET model, using non-nodular hypoechoic areas as a specific indicator, can accurately identify early SN-HT in euthyroid patients. It significantly outperforms senior ultrasound physicians, improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing missed diagnoses.
5.Ultrasound radiomics combined with machine learning for early diagnosis of seronegative hashimoto’s thyroiditis
Wenjun WU ; Chang LIU ; Shengsheng YAO ; Daming LIU ; Yuan LUO ; Yihan SUN ; Ting RUAN ; Mengyou LIU ; Li SHI ; Mingming XIAO ; Qi ZHANG ; Zhengshuai LIU ; Xingai JU ; Jiahao WANG ; Xiang FEI ; Li LU ; Yang GAO ; Ying ZHANG ; Liying GONG ; Xuanyu CHEN ; Wanli ZHENG ; Xiali NIU ; Xiao YANG ; Huimei CAO ; Shijie CHANG ; Zuoxin MA ; Jianchun CUI
Chinese Journal of Endocrine Surgery 2025;19(3):313-319
Objective:To evaluate the value of ultrasound radiomics combined with machine learning for early diagnosis of seronegative Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (SN-HT) .Methods:This retrospective study included 164 patients from Liaoning Provincial People’s Hospital , Lixin County People’s Hospital, Linghai Dalinghe Hospital, Fengcheng Phoenix Hospital, who underwent thyroidectomy for solitary nodules with normal thyroid function between Nov. 2016 and Jan. 2024. Postoperative pathology confirmed Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) in some cases, who were further categorized into antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups based on serum antibody status. Patients without Hashimoto’s thyroiditis served as the control group. A total of 298 ultrasound images were analyzed. Radiomics features were extracted from hypoechoic non-nodular areas within 0.5 cm surrounding the tumor. Two senior pathologists and two senior ultrasound physicians independently assessed lymphocytic infiltration, eosinophilic changes of follicular epithelium, and the proportion of hypoechoic areas in pathology and ultrasound images, respectively. A machine learning model, CCH-NET, was developed using linear regression and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) techniques. The dataset was divided into a training set (80%) and a validation set (20%) to compare the diagnostic accuracy of CCH-NET with that of senior ultrasound physicians. Results:In internal validation, CCH-NET achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 88.89% for both antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups, significantly higher than the 66.67% accuracy of senior ultrasound physicians ( P<0.01). In external validation, CCH-NET achieved 75.00% and 66.67% accuracy for the two groups, compared to 50.00% by senior ultrasound physicians. For the control group, both methods achieved 93.33% accuracy. The AUC of CCH-NET was 0.848, outperforming senior ultrasound physicians (0.681) ,demonstrating superior diagnostic performance. Conclusion:The radiomics-based CCH-NET model, using non-nodular hypoechoic areas as a specific indicator, can accurately identify early SN-HT in euthyroid patients. It significantly outperforms senior ultrasound physicians, improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing missed diagnoses.
6.Developing an indicator system for family doctor services within the "healthy subdistrict" initiative in China
Tiancheng ZHANG ; Liying SHAO ; Wen BAI ; Ping ZHOU ; Zhengwen FENG ; Juan DU ; Jianbiao XIAO
Chinese Journal of General Practitioners 2025;24(12):1525-1532
Objective:To develop an indicator system for defining the health services provided by family doctors within the "Healthy Subdistrict" initiative in China.Methods:An initial set of indicators was developed through literature review and qualitative research, followed by the design of an expert consultation questionnaire. Twenty-one experts with extensive experience in community family doctor services in Beijing were selected. Two rounds of Delphi consultations were conducted via email between December 2024 and February 2025. Expert demographics and authority coefficients were collected and the indicator system was finalized.Results:The response rate was 100% for both rounds. The average expert authority coefficient ( Cr) was 0.860 (range: 0.700-1.000). Kendall′s W for importance and feasibility increased from 0.129 and 0.196 in the first round to 0.230 and 0.268 in the second round (all P<0.001), indicating strong consensus. The final system includes 5 first-level and 23 second-level indicators, categorized as: Integrated Preventive and Clinical Care Services, Healthy Community Promotion Services, Basic Medical Services, Public Health Services, and Services for Promoting Equity in Citizen Health and Well-being. The highest-weighted first-level indicators were Basic Medical Services (0.281) and Integrated Preventive and Clinical Care Services (0.281), followed by Services for Promoting Equity in Citizen Health and Well-being (0.191), Healthy Community Promotion Services (0.124), and Public Health Services (0.124). All indicators had importance and feasibility scores above 3.5. Conclusion:This study establishes a weighted indicator system to guide and evaluate the health services provided by family doctors within the "Healthy Subdistrict" initiative, clarifying key service priorities.
7.Progress of research into the role of miRNA in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension
Yanjin LI ; Liying XIAO ; Daoxiong WU ; Rong GUAN ; Chunlang YAN ; Wen LEI
Chinese Journal of Comparative Medicine 2024;34(6):172-178
Pulmonary hypertension(PH)is a progressive disease characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling.Current treatments for PH remain suboptimal,and there is an urgent need to better decipher the underlying pathomechanisms to identify new therapeutic targets.MicroRNA(miRNA)are key components in the post-transcriptional machinery that mediates cellular functions and mainly act by regulating the expression of downstream target genes.Numerous in vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated the involvement of miRNA and their regulators in PH development.However,there is no unified model for the mechanism of miRNA's regulation of pulmonary vascular remodeling.Therefore,this article provides a review on the mechanisms of miRNA in PH characterized in recent years.
8.Tilt and decentration of intraocular lens after four-point suspension fixation and their relationship with visual prognosis
Jiafei CHEN ; Liying WANG ; Yueling ZHANG ; Zhaohui GU ; Fei XIAO
Recent Advances in Ophthalmology 2024;44(4):306-310
Objective To compare and analyze the tilt and decentration of the intraocular lens in patients receiving four-point and two-point suspension fixation,as well as their relationship with visual prognosis.Methods A total of 80 patients(80 eyes)who underwent intraocular lens suspension fixation at the Ophthalmology Department of Baoding No.1 Central Hospital from June 2021 to April 2022 were selected as the subjects.These patients were randomly divided into the experimental group(41 patients,41 eyes,underwent four-point suspension fixation)and the control group(39 patients,39 eyes,underwent traditional two-point suspension fixation).They were followed up for at least 6 months after surgery to re-cord their uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA)and best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)before surgery and at the last follow-up.The tilt angle and decentration distance of the intraocular lens of patients in the two groups were measured after surger-y by a panoramic ultrasound biomicroscope.The preoperative and last follow-up UCVA and BCVA of patients in the two groups,as well as tilt angle and decentration distance of the intraocular lens after surgery,were compared,and the corre-lation between tilt angle,decentration distance and postoperative UCVA,BCVA was analyzed by Person correlation analy-sis.Results The UCVA and BCVA at the last follow-up in the experimental group and control group were better than those before surgery(all P<0.05).The difference in postoperative UCVA between the experimental group and the control group was statistically significant(t=-6.20,P=0.00),and the experimental group had better postoperative UCVA than the control group.There was no statistically significant difference in postoperative BCVA between the experimental group and the control group(t=-1.43,P=0.16).The postoperative horizontal and vertical tilt angles of the intraocular lens in the experimental group were 0.70°±0.24° and 0.60°±0.16°,respectively;while those in the control group were 2.66°± 1.40° and 3.76°±0.67°,respectively.The differences between the two groups were statistically significant(t=-8.51 and-29.42,P=0.00 and 0.00).The postoperative horizontal and vertical decentration distances of the intraocular lens in the experimental group were(0.24±0.10)mm and(0.25±0.10)mm,respectively,while those in the control group were(0.85±0.77)mm and(2.14±0.50)mm,respectively.The differences between the two groups were statistically signifi-cant(t=-4.82 and-21.68,P=0.00 and 0.00).In the experimental group,neither the horizontal and vertical tilt angles of intraocular lenses nor the horizontal and vertical decentration distances were correlated with postoperative UCVA and BCVA(all P>0.05).In the control group,the horizontal tilt angle of intraocular lenses was positively correlated with post-operative UCVA and BCVA(both P<0.05),while the vertical tilt angle was not correlated with postoperative UCVA and BCVA(both P>0.05);the horizontal decentration distance was positively correlated with postoperative UCVA and BCVA(both P<0.05),but the vertical decentration distance was not correlated with postoperative UCVA and BCVA(both P>0.05).Conclusion Both four-point suspension fixation and traditional two-point suspension fixation can effectively im-prove postoperative vision of patients,while the tilt and decentration of the intraocular lens are smaller after four-point sus-pension fixation.
9.Acupuncture for Patients with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Pilot Trial.
Yun-Zhou SHI ; Shu-Guang YU ; Hui ZHENG ; Qian-Hua ZHENG ; Si-Yuan ZHOU ; Ying HUANG ; Lei-Xiao ZHANG ; Xian-Jun XIAO ; Wei CAO ; Ying LI
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2023;29(10):924-931
OBJECTIVE:
To determine the feasibility of conducting a full-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) and investigate the basic information and safety of acupuncture for patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU).
METHODS:
A total of 80 participants with CSU from July 2018 to July 2019 were randomly assigned to receive active acupuncture (n=41) on a fixed prescription of acupoints or sham acupuncture (n=39) with superficial acupuncture on non-acupuncture points through the completely randomized design. Patients in both groups received 5 sessions per week for 2 weeks, and participants were followed for a further 2 weeks. Feasibility was assessed by recruitment and randomization rates, retention of participants, treatment protocol adherence, and the incidence of adverse events (AEs). The clinical primary outcome was the changes from baseline weekly urticaria activity scores (UAS7) after treatment at 2 weeks. Secondary outcomes included the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score of itching intensity, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA).
RESULTS:
A total of 80 participants were enrolled. The recruitment rate of 24.02%, randomization rate of 100%, a loss rate of 6.25%, and no obvious AEs were observed in either group. The decrease from baseline in the mean UAS7 total score at week 2 in the active acupuncture group was -8.63 (95%CI, -11.78 to -5.49) and -6.21 (95%CI, -9.43 to -2.98) in the sham acupuncture group for a between-group difference of -2.42 (95% CI, -6.93 to 2.07). The change in the DLQI, VAS of itching intensity, HAMA, and HAMD were a slightly better improvement trend in the active acupuncture group than the sham acupuncture group, but the between-group difference was not significant.
CONCLUSIONS
Active acupuncture had a better improvement trend in alleviating symptoms, improving quality of life and regulating the mood of anxiety and depression in patients with CSU than sham acupuncture. (Registration Nos. AMCTR-ICR-18000190 and ChiCTR2100054776).
10.Expression of thrombospondin-1 in vaginal wall of bilateral ovariectomy rats
Fangyi ZHU ; Li HONG ; Mao CHEN ; Ya XIAO ; Xiaoyu HUANG ; Liying CHEN
China Modern Doctor 2023;61(34):1-4,8
Objective To explore the possible role of thrombospondin-1(THBS1)in the excessive fibrosis of vaginal wall induced by estrogen deficiency in rats,the morphological structure of collagen fibers and the expression of THBS1 in the vaginal wall were detected in the estrogen deficiency model of rats.Methods Twenty-four SD rats aged 3 months without delivery were randomly divided into sham operation group and experimental group,with 12 rats in each group.After 12 weeks of modeling,the rats were killed and the vaginal walls were taken for analysis.Masson staining was used to observe the morphological and structural changes of collagen fibers in vaginal wall of rats.Immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting were used to detect the expression level of THBS1 protein.Results After 12 weeks of modeling,the uterine atrophy of experimental group was obvious,the increase of body mass was significantly higher than that of sham operation group,and the level of estradiol was significantly lower than that of sham operation group(P<0.01).Compared with the sham operation group,the upper cortex of vaginal wall of experimental group was significantly atrophy,the smooth muscle bundles were thinner,the muscle gap was wider,the collagen fiber deposition in lamina propria and muscle layer was increased,and the arrangement and distribution were disordered and fragmented.THBS1 expression in vaginal wall of experimental group was significantly higher than that of sham operation group(P<0.05).Conclusion Estrogen deficiency may mediate excessive fibrosis of vaginal wall by upregulating THBS1 expression,thereby damaging the biomechanical properties of vaginal wall and leading to an increased susceptibility to pelvic organ prolapse development.

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