OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic etiology of 46 Chinese pedigrees affected with Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) and provide genetic counseling and reproductive intervention. METHODS: Whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were carried out on 87 patients from the 46 pedigrees to analyze the variants of EXT1 and EXT2 genes. Pathogenicity of the variants was assessed based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP). Prenatal diagnosis and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) were provided for couples with identified pathogenic mutations. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the hospital (Ethics No.: LL-SC-SG-2014-010). RESULTS: In total 17 and 22 pathogenic variants were respectively identified in the EXT1 and EXT2 genes, among which 5 EXT1 and 12 EXT2 variants were unreported previously. Three patients with no family history were found to harbor de novo variants of the EXT1 gene. Twenty nine couples had opted for PGT or underwent prenatal diagnosis following natural conception, and 17 healthy babies were born. CONCLUSION This study has clarified the genetic etiology of 45 HME pedigrees and identified 17 novel variants, which has enriched the mutational spectrum of the EXT1 and EXT2 genes. Reproductive intervention through PGT and prenatal diagnosis have prevented the recurrence of HME in these families.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Pedigree ; Exostoses, Multiple Hereditary/diagnosis* ; N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases/genetics* ; Adult ; Exostosin 1 ; Asian People/genetics* ; Genetic Testing ; Exostosin 2 ; Mutation ; China ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Pregnancy ; Genetic Counseling ; Preimplantation Diagnosis ; Exome Sequencing ; East Asian People

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects and mechanism of Yigan huayu formula in alleviating liver fibrosis in mice. METHODS Mice were randomly divided into blank group （normal saline）， model group （normal saline）， Yigan huayu formula low- and high-dose groups （28.98， 57.96 g/kg， calculated by crude drug）， with 8 mice in each group. Except for the blank group， the liver fibrosis model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 15%CCl 4 -olive oil solution. From the third week， the mice received the medicine/normal saline intragastrically， once a day， for 4 consecutive weeks. After the last medication， liver indexes were calculated， the activities of alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） in serum， as well as the hydroxyproline （HYP） content in liver tissue， were measured. Liver histopathology was evaluated. Differentially expressed proteins （DEPs） in liver tissue were analyzed based on proteomics， followed by bioinfo rmatics analysis. The expressions of core DEPs were validated using Western blot （WB） and immunohistochemistry （IHC） methods. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， the model group showed significantly elevated liver indexes， serum activities of ALT and AST， and hepatic HYP content （ P ＜0.05）， along with obvious pathological damage and collagen deposition. Compared with the model group， the above indexes of mice in the Yigan huayu formula high-dose group were decreased significantly （ P ＜0.05）， with marked improvement in liver pathological damage and collagen deposition. Proteomics identified 210 DEPs between the model group and Yigan huayu formula high-dose group. DEPs were significantly enriched in extracellular matrix （ECM）-receptor interaction and lipid metabolism pathways. WB and IHC confirmed that Yigan huayu formula could significantly inhibit the abnormally elevated expressions of collagen type Ⅳ alpha1 chain （COL4A1）， secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine （SPARC）， vitronectin （VTN） and laminin subunit alpha5 （LAMA5） in liver tissue of mice （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Yigan huayu formula may exert anti-hepatic fibrosis effects by inhibiting the expressions of proteins such as COL4A1， LAMA5， SPARC， and VTN， thereby blocking the ECM-receptor interaction signaling pathway， and subsequently suppressing excessive ECM deposition and basement membrane remodeling.

Objective: To summarize the best evidence for the management of patients with gastrointestinal graft-versushost disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and provide evidence-based references for clinical nursing work. Methods: A systematic search was conducted for relevant evidence on the management of patients with gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from domestic and foreign databases, as well as websites of blood and bone marrow transplantation related societies. The search period was from the establishment of the database until February 2026. Results: After screening, a total of 19 articles were included, encompassing 3 clinical decisions, 1 recommended practice, 4 guidelines, 7 expert consensuses, and 4 evidence summaries. Twenty-five pieces of best evidence were summarized across 8 aspects: multidisciplinary collaboration, influencing factors, assessment and monitoring, diagnostic differentiation, symptom management, dietary nutrition, medication guidance, and health education. Conclusion: Summarizing the relevant evidence on the management of patients with gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can provide evidence-based support for clinical medical staff, and it is recommended to apply it in combination with clinical practice and patient wishes.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of SU056， an azo-podophyllotoxin derivative， on carbon tetrachloride （CCl₄）-induced liver fibrosis in mice and related mechanisms of action. MethodsA total of 12 mice were randomly divided into control group， model group （CCl₄+normal saline）， and treatment group （CCl₄+SU056）， with 4 mice in each group. Mice were given intraperitoneal injection of CCl₄ to establish a model of liver fibrosis， and during the middle stage of modeling， the mice in the treatment group were given daily intraperitoneal injection of SU056. Liver histopathological injury， collagen deposition， and liver function were assessed based on HE staining， Masson staining， Sirius Red staining， the content of hydroxyproline in liver tissue， and the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase， and immunofluorescence assay was used to measure the expression levels of smooth muscle actin α （α-SMA）， collagen type Ⅰ， and Y-box binding protein 1 （YB1）. The human hepatic stellate cell （HSC） line LX-2 and primary mouse HSC were used， and CCK-8 assay was used to measure cell proliferation； Transwell assay was used to observe cell migration； quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western Blot were used to measure the expression levels of collagen type Ⅰ， collagen type Ⅲ， YB1， phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）， and phosphorylated S6K， so as to validate the function of the YB1/mTOR signaling axis. The one-way or two-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsIn the mouse model of liver fibrosis induced by CCl₄， compared with the model group， the treatment group had significant alleviation of inflammatory cell infiltration， collagen deposition， and pseudolobule formation in liver tissue and significant reductions in the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase and the content of hydroxyproline in liver tissue （all P<0.01）. Immunofluorescence assay showed that SU056 significantly inhibited the abnormal high expression of α-SMA， collagen type I， and YB1 in liver tissue （all P<0.01）. In vitro experiments showed that SU056 inhibited the transforming growth factor-β1-induced proliferation of LX-2 cells （P<0.01）， the migration of LX-2 cells （P<0.05）， and the transcriptional up-regulation of collagen type Ⅰ and collagen type Ⅲ （all P<0.05） in a dose-dependent manner， and SU056 could inhibit the spontaneous activation of primary HSC in vitro. Mechanistic studies revealed that transforming growth factor-β1 simultaneously upregulated the expression levels of YB1， phosphorylated mTOR， and phosphorylated S6K in LX-2 cells， and treatment with SU056 （10 and 20 µmol/L） could downregulate the protein expression levels of collagen type I， YB1， phosphorylated mTOR， and phosphorylated S6K. Specific knockdown of YB1 or administration of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin exerted a similar effect as SU056. SU056 also inhibited the co-upregulation of α-SMA and phosphorylated mTOR in liver tissue of model mice （P<0.01）. ConclusionSU056 can effectively inhibit HSC activation， proliferation， migration， and extracellular matrix production both in vivo and in vitro and thus delay the progression of liver fibrosis， by disrupting the YB1/mTOR positive feedback signaling axis.

OBJECTIVE To explore the molecular mechanism of Xijiao Dihuang Decoction(XJDHT)in inhibiting inflammatory response in sepsis based on network pharmacology,molecular docking and in vitro and in vivo experiments.METHODS Active com-ponents of XJDHT were screened using the TCMSP and HERB databases.Sepsis-related targets and histone H3K36 trimethylation(H3K36me3)-associated targets were retrieved from GeneCard,OMIM,and DisGeNet databases.A protein-protein interaction(PPI)network was constructed using the STRING database,and core targets were identified via Cytoscape 3.9.1.Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analyses were performed to predict potential mechanisms.Mo-lecular docking validated ligand-receptor binding affinity.A cecal ligation and puncture(CLP)model was established in mice to evalu-ate 24-hour sepsis scores(MSS)and survival rates.Blood routine parameters were analyzed using an automated hematology analyzer.Serum IL-1β and TNF-α levels were measured by ELISA.Liver histopathology was assessed via HE staining,and H3K36me3 expression in Kupffer cells was detected by immunofluorescence.In vitro,LPS-induced THP-1 cells were used as an in-flammatory model.ChIP-qPCR evaluated H3K36me3 enrichment at IL-1β and TNF-α gene loci.Western blot analyzed HIF-1α,EGFR,and AKT1 pathway proteins.RESULTS A total of 28 active components of XJDHT were identified,corresponding to 987 gene targets,with 189 overlapping sepsis-related targets.Core targets included TNF,IL1B,and GAPDH.Enriched pathways includ-ed EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance.Molecular docking confirmed strong binding between core components and key targets.In vivo,compared to the sham group,the CLP group exhibited significantly reduced 24-hour survival(P<0.01),elevated MSS(P<0.01),immune imbalance,and increased serum IL-1β and TNF-α levels(P<0.01).High-and low-dose XJDHT intervention im-proved survival(P<0.01),reduced MSS(P<0.01),restored immune homeostasis,and dose-dependently suppressed IL-1β and TNF-α(P<0.01).CLP mice showed elevated H3K36me3 in Kupffer cells and severe hepatic inflammation,while XJDHT dose-de-pendently reduced H3K36me3(P<0.05)and attenuated liver injury.In peritoneal macrophages,CLP upregulated H3K36me3,IL-1β,TNF-α,HIF-1α,p-AKT1/AKT1,and EGFR(P<0.01),which were reversed by XJDHT(P<0.05,P<0.01).In vitro,LPS increased H3K36me3 and IL-1β and TNF-α expression(P<0.01),with ChIP-qPCR confirming H3K36me3 enrichment at IL-1β lo-ci(P<0.01).Treatment with 15%XJDHT-containing serum for 24 h reduced H3K36me3(P<0.01),diminished its recruitment to IL-1β loci(P<0.01),and inhibited LPS-induced activation of EGFR,HIF-1α,and p-AKT1/AKT1(P<0.05,P<0.01).HIF-1α agonist Dimethyloxallyl Glycine(DMOG)further validated that XJDHT suppressed H3K36me3-mediated epigenetic remodeling via HIF-1α-related pathways.CONCLUSION XJDHT inhibits inflammatory responses,regulates immune homeostasis,and improves sepsis prognosis,potentially by modulating H3K36me3 epigenetic modifications at IL-1β loci.

Objective To investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of total flavonoids of sarcandra glabra(TFFSG)on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs)and their derived exosomes in immune thrombo-cytopenia(ITP),with a focus on promoting megakaryocyte differentiation and maturation.Methods BMSCs induced by rabbit anti-rat platelet serum(APS)were divided into five groups:a blank control group,an ITP-BMSCs model group,and three TFFSG intervention groups with low(1.95 μg/mL),medium(3.90 μg/mL),and high doses(7.80 μg/mL).The apoptosis rates and the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins-B-cell lymphoma 2(Bcl-2),Bcl-2-associated X protein(BAX),and Cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3(Caspase-3)-were assessed.Exosomes were isolated from the blank control group(NC-BMSCs-Exos),the ITP-BMSCs model group(ITP-BMSCs-Exos),and the medium-dose TFFSG group(TFFSG-BMSCs-Exos).Each group's exosomes(5 μg/mL)were co-cultured with megakaryocytic lineage Dami cells for 96 hours.Flow cytometry was employed to evaluate the expression of megakaryocytic differentiation markers(CD41a,CD42b,CD61)and the proportion of polyploid cells(≥4 N)in each group.Western Blot analysis was conducted to examine the expression of p-MEK1/2,MEK1/2,p-ERK1/2,and ERK1/2 across all groups.Results Compared with the ITP-BMSCs model group,the apoptosis rates in all TFFSG intervention groups were significantly reduced(P<0.01).In the medium-and high-dose TFFSG groups,BAX and Caspase-3 expression levels were markedly downregulated,whereas Bcl-2 expression was upregulated(P<0.05,P<0.01).Compared with the ITP-BMSCs-Exos group,the TFFSG-BMSCs-Exos group demonstrated increased expression of CD41a+,CD42b+,and CD61+,a higher proportion of polyploid cells(≥4 N)(P<0.05),as well as elevated ratios of p-MEK1/2 to MEK1/2 and p-ERK1/2 to ERK1/2(P<0.05).Conclusion TFFSG inhibits apopto-sis of ITP-state BMSCs in vitro and promotes megakaryocyte differentiation and polyploidization maturation through BMSC-derived exosomes by activating the MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the changes of upper airway and adenoids in children with hypertrophic adenoid skeletal classⅠ and class Ⅲ anterior crossbite after orthodontic treatment.Methods:From January 2021 to January 2022,155 children with skeletal class Ⅲ anterior crossbite who were treated with anterior traction in Stomatological Hospital,Shanxi Medical University were selected.They were divided into class Ⅲ normal group(72 cases)and class Ⅲ hypertrophic group(83 cases)according to whether the adenoids were hypertrophic.A total of 122 children with class Ⅰ anterior counterocclusion were treated with"2×4"treatment,which were di-vided into Class Ⅰ normal group(60 cases)and class Ⅰ hypertrophy group(62 cases).The changes of upper airway and adenoid were compared between the two groups.Results:(1)After intervention,only the width of nasopharynx cavity increased(P＜0.05)in Class Ⅰ normal group and Class Ⅰ hypertrophic group,and there was no significant difference in other indicators(P＞0.05).(2)After intervention,the adenoid thickness and A/N ratio of children with skeletal class Ⅲ anterior crossbite decreased,and the width of na-sopharynx cavity,nasopharynx airway space,soft palate upper and rear airway space,uvula tip rear airway space,the minimum air-way space between soft palate and adenoid,and mandibular plane angle increased(P＜0.05).The A/N ratio of class Ⅲ hypertrophic group was lower than that of class Ⅲ normal group(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Orthodontic treatment can reduce the degree of adenoid hypertrophy and expand the airway in children with skeletal class Ⅲ anterior crossbite.Only the width of the nasopharynx cavity can be widened after the correction intervention for children with adenoid hypertrophy and skeletal class Ⅰ anterior crossbite.

Objective:To explore the value of paediatric age-adjusted shock index（SIPA）in early identification of septic shock in children，and to evaluate the relationship between SIPA and disease severity and prognosis.Methods:The infected children admitted to the department of critical care medicine of the Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics from May 2023 to July 2024 were collected. Dynamic assessment was performed 0 to 6 hours after admission. Patients diagnosed with sepsis without septic shock were classified as the sepsis group and those diagnosed with sepsis with septic shock were classified as the septic shock group. According to whether the blood pressure of the children decreased，they were divided into two groups：compensated septic shock group and decompensated septic shock group. The difference of SIPA among the three groups was analyzed，and the predictive value of SIPA on case fatality rate，lactate level，pediatric critical illness score，ventilator utilization rate and length of hospital stay were analyzed.Results:Among 203 children with sepsis，112 were males and 91 were females. There were 146 cases in the sepsis group，37 cases in the compensated septic shock group and 20 cases in the decompensated septic shock group. There was no significant difference between the three groups in gender（ P>0.05），but there was a statistically significant difference in age（ χ 2=32.905， P<0.001）. There was no significant difference in age between the sepsis group and the compensated septic shock group（ P>0.05）. The age of sepsis group and decompensated septic shock group，compensated septic shock group and decompensated septic shock group were statistically significant（ χ 2=29.431， P<0.001； χ 2=19.764， P=0.001）. The proportion of increased SIPA was statistically different among the three groups，with both the compensated septic shock group and the decompensated septic shock group being higher than the sepsis group（ χ2=20.383， P<0.001； χ2=33.600， P<0.001）. The decompensated septic shock group was higher than the compensated septic shock group（ χ2=6.555， P=0.01）. SIPA was correlated with case fatality rate，lactate level，pediatric critical illness score，ventilator use rate and length of stay of the children，with statistically significant differences（ P<0.05）. Conclusion:The increase of SIPA can be used for the early identification of septic shock in children，and it has a certain early warning value for the prognosis assessment of sepsis and septic shock.

Purpose To investigate the cortical thickness features in Parkinson's disease(PD)patients at various stages and their association with dopamine transporter(DAT)levels in the putamen.Materials and Methods We retrospectively enrolled 30 PD patients and 15 healthy subject who underwent 11C-CFT PET and T1 MRI scans at the Department of Nuclear Medicine/PET Center of Huashan Hospital from August 2016 to October 2020.DAT average radioactivity in the anterior and posterior putamen was analysis using SPM12 software,with the occipital lobe as the reference region.Cortical segmentation and reconstruction were performed on T1 images using Freesurfer v7.2.The differences in cortical thinning between the groups were compared using a general linear model.Additionally,the relationship between cortical thickness in various brain regions and DAT uptake in the putamen were assessed.Results Compared to healthy subjects,significant cortical thinning was observed in the left inferior parietal lobule and the right and left inferior middle frontal gyrus of PD patients(all P<0.05).There was a significant positive correlation between the cortical thickness of the left inferior parietal lobule and right inferior middle frontal gyrus and DAT uptake in the corresponding anterior/posterior parts of the putamen(r=0.30-0.47,all P<0.05).Furthermore,the DAT uptake in the right precentral gyrus was positively correlated with the ipsilateral posterior putamen,exhibiting a stronger correlation than on the contralateral side(r=0.32,P=0.029).Conclusion The results show that the thickness of the thinning cortex area in the PD patients correlates significantly positively with DAT levels in the putamen,highlighting the importance of the basal ganglia cortical circuit and providing a basis for further research into the neural mechanisms of PD.

Aim To investigate the protective effect of Vaccarin(Va)on epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)in renal fibrosis model mice through regulating STAT3,and the underlying mechanism.Methods Left ureter ligation was used to establish a mouse model of unilateral ureteral obstruction(UUO);human kid-ney tubular epithelial(HK2)cells were induced to differentiate by transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)in vitro.HE and Masson staining were used to observe the morphological changes of renal tissue;kits were used to detect the levels of BUN,Cr,IL-1β and IL-7 in mouse serum;CCK-8 was used to detect the effect of Va on the viability of HK2 cells;RT-PCR was used to detect the levels of inflammatory factors in HK2 cells;Western blot was used to detect the expression of STAT3,p-STAT3,E-cadherin,and α-SMA proteins in renal tissue and HK2 cells;to further investigate the regulation of Va on STAT3,JAK/STAT3 pathway acti-vator RO8191 was used to treat TGF-β-induced HK2 cells,and functional loss was detected.Results Va improved the pathological damage in UUO mice,inhibi-ted the levels of BUN,Cr and inflammatory factors;Va inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3,upregulated E-cadherin,and downregulated α-SMA protein expres-sion;RO8191 counteracted the inhibitory effect of Va on the phosphorylation of STAT3.Conclusions Va inhibits the phosphorylation of STAT3 and the release of inflammatory factors,improves EMT,thus exerting an anti-renal fibrosis effect.