ObjectiveTo analyze the potential risk of infection sources during the consolidation phase of schistosomiasis elimination in Lushan County (a mountainous region) of Sichuan Province, and to provide prevention and control strategies for the consolidation of schistosomiasis elimination achievements in mountainous areas. MethodsIn 2024, one to two villages with historically severe epidemics were selected in the heavily endemic townships of Lushan County as monitoring sites to carry out monitoring for wild animal feces, domestic animals, wild rats, free-roaming dogs, local residents, and mobile populations. Follow-up monitoring for previously infected individuals was carried out in Caoping Village of Siyan Town. Statistical analyses were performed to assess the risks associated with infection sources. ResultsA total of 115 fecal samples from 13 species of wildlife were incubated, with all negative. Blood tests were conducted on 492 cattle, 34 sheep, and 261 dogs, with all negative. A total of 2 520 rodent traps were set, capturing 67 wild rats with a capture rate of 2.66%, and no positive wild rats were found upon dissection. The activity track of 25 loose dogs was 2 212 meters at the farthest, 236 meters at the nearest, and 744 meters on average. a total of 68 wild droppings (all dog feces) were picked up along the way, with all negative. Blood tests were performed on 3 540 local population, yielding 39 blood-positive cases with a blood positive rate of 1.1%. Fecal examinations were conducted on 193 individuals, with all negative. A total of 315 blood tests were performed on the mobile population, identifying 1 positive case with a blood-positive rate of 0.32%. One person received a fecal examination, with zero positive. A follow-up survey of 505 previously infected individuals revealed 5 blood-positive cases, with a positive rate of 0.99%. Fecal examinations were conducted on 15 individuals, with all negative. ConclusionIn this investigation, no local or imported sources of schistosomiasis transmission were found. However, there was a wide variety and a large number of potential sources of infection in the local area. It is necessary to actively explore regional monitoring models for schistosomiasis elimination flexibly adjust prevention and control strategies according to local conditions, achieve precise prevention and control, and consolidate the achievements of elimination.

Objective To investigate the expression characteristics of c-MET protein in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its associations with clinicopathological parameters, MET gene amplification status, and prognosis, and to evaluate the concordance between immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) detection strategies, thereby providing evidence for patient selection for MET-targeted therapy. Methods A total of 193 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples from CRC patients were collected. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect c-MET protein expression, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed to evaluate MET gene amplification status. The associations between c-MET protein expression and clinicopathological characteristics, including KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF mutation status, as well as progression-free survival (PFS), were analyzed. The concordance between IHC and FISH detection results was also evaluated. Results c-MET protein expression was significantly higher in tumor tissues than in adjacent normal tissues (P<0.05). Significant differences in c-MET expression were observed between primary tumors and liver or peritoneal/pelvic metastatic lesions (P<0.05). The proportion of high c-MET expression was significantly higher in KRAS-mutant patients than in KRAS wild-type patients (41.38% vs. 16.92%, P<0.05). The MET gene amplification rate was 8.29% (16/193), including clustered or diffuse amplification in 1.55% (3/193) and heterogeneous amplification in 6.74% (13/193). No MET exon 14 skipping mutation or amplification was detected by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Using an IHC H-Score≥150 as the threshold, the positive percent agreement (PPA) between IHC-detected c-MET protein expression and FISH-detected MET gene amplification was 100%. All clustered MET amplification regions exhibited diffuse strong c-MET expression (IHC 3+). No statistically significant association was observed between c-MET expression level and PFS (P>0.05). Conclusion High c-MET expression may represent a potential therapeutic target for KRAS-mutant CRC patients. An H-Score ≥150 is recommended as the initial screening threshold to rapidly identify patients suitable for MET-targeted therapy, with FISH testing when necessary. Diffuse strong c-MET expression (IHC 3+) shows high concordance with clustered MET gene amplification.

Objective To explore the correlation of MET status in patients with advanced prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma with the clinical pathological parameters and prognosis. Methods The specimen from 135 patients with advanced prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma was included. The expression of c-MET protein was detected via immunohistochemistry, and MET gene amplification was assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The relationships of c-MET expression and gene amplification with clinicopathological features and prognosis were analyzed. Results The positive expression rate of c-MET was 52.60% (71/135). Compared with the c-MET expression in adjacent tissues, that in tumor tissues showed lower heterogeneous expression. Among the cases, 1.71% (2/117) exhibited MET gene polyploidy, but no gene amplification was detected. Positive c-MET expression was significantly correlated with high Gleason scores and grade groups (P=0.0073). However, no significant relationship was found between c-MET expression and progression-free survival or post-treatment t-PSA levels. Conclusion c-MET protein is expressed at a relatively low level in advanced prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma, suggesting that c-MET may not be a viable target for ADC drug development in prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma.

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), when released extracellularly, plays a pivotal role in the development of spinal cord synapses and exacerbates autoimmune diseases within the central nervous system. In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a condition that models multiple sclerosis, the levels of extracellular HMGB1 and interleukin-33 (IL-33) have been found to be inversely correlated. However, the mechanism by which IL-33 deficiency enhances HMGB1 release during EAE remains elusive. Our study elucidates a potential signaling pathway whereby the absence of IL-33 leads to increased binding of P300/CBP-associated factor with HMGB1 in the nuclei of astrocytes, upregulating HMGB1 acetylation and promoting its release from astrocyte nuclei in the spinal cord of EAE mice. Conversely, the addition of IL-33 counteracts the TNF-α-induced increase in HMGB1 and acetylated HMGB1 levels in primary astrocytes. These findings underscore the potential of IL-33-associated signaling pathways as a therapeutic target for EAE treatment.
Animals ; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/metabolism* ; Astrocytes/metabolism* ; Interleukin-33/metabolism* ; HMGB1 Protein/metabolism* ; Acetylation ; Mice, Knockout ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; p300-CBP Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Mice ; Spinal Cord/metabolism* ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Signal Transduction

Objective::This study aimed to assess the impact of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor treatment immediately after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on the myocardial salvage index (MSI) in patients with anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) 5-10 d after the procedure.Methods::The early PCSK9 inhibitor thERapy Following pErcutaneous Coronary inTervention (PERFECT) trial is a prospective randomized controlled trial. From January 2021 to December 2023, 32 patients with anterior STEMI from Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Songjiang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital were enrolled in the PERFECT trial. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1∶1 ratio to the PCSK9 inhibitor group ( n = 16) or the control group ( n = 16), and their baseline data were collected. Patients in the PCSK9 inhibitor group (ie, alirocumab group) received a subcutaneous injection of PCSK9 inhibitor (alirocumab, 75 mg) immediately after PCI based on conventional treatment. In the control group, patients received only conventional treatment. The primary endpoint was the MSI measured by cardiovascular magnetic resonance 5-10 d after PCI. The secondary endpoints included the left ventricular ejection fraction measured by cardiovascular magnetic resonance 5-10 d after PCI and the time to peak of creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T. Safety endpoints included any clinical adverse events that occurred during the 6-month follow-up period. Results::Baseline data during admission showed no intergroup significance. No significant difference in MSI (55.54% ± 14.80% vs. 44.72% ± 15.42%, P = 0.056) and left ventricular ejection fraction (51.24% ± 8.91% vs. 44.99% ± 8.84%, P = 0.060) was observed. Additional, there was no significant difference in the time to peak of creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB ((12.97 ± 5.67) h vs. (14.31 ± 7.04) h, P = 0.557) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T ((21.03 ± 12.46) h vs. (21.44 ± 9.99) h, P = 0.920) between the 2 groups. During the 6-month follow-up period, only 1 patient in the PCSK9 inhibitor group developed cerebral hemorrhage 6 months after PCI. Conclusions::Early treatment with alirocumab did not exhibit a significant increase in MSI at 5-10 d in patients with anterior STEMI. Larger trials are necessary to evaluate the impact of early administration of PCSK9 inhibitors after myocardial infarction.

Objective:To investigate affinity of monoclonal antibody(MAb)of different cardiac troponinⅠ(cTnⅠ)epi-topes to cTnⅠ-troponin C(cTnⅠ-TnC)antigen,and to screen novel cTnⅠ-specific antibodies for clinical detection kit development.Methods:Based on technology platform of microarray chemiluminescence immunoassay,cTnⅠ-TnC antigen spot sample hard matrix chip was used,mouse derived cTnⅠ MAb was used as antibody to be detected,HRP-sheep-anti-mouse-IgG was used as antibody to detect,and experimental conditions were optimized for anti-origin solution,antigen spot sample concentration and antibody to be detected concentration.Affinity of cTnⅠ MAb with different antigenic epitopes to cTnⅠ-TnC was detected by competition method.Graded concentrations of cTnⅠ-TnC were added to experimental group,and diluents of equal volume were added to control group.Reaction signals of different cTnⅠ MAb were detected and affinity constants were calculated.Results:Antigen spot sample liquid was P105,antigen spot sample concentration was 0.1 mg/ml,and antibody concentration to be detected was 80 ng/ml were optimal experi-mental conditions.20c6cc and 7B9cc MAb containing TnC antibodies had the best affinity,and 20c6cc MAb reached 3.18×106 L/mol.cTnⅠ MAb located at C-end of peptide chain in a.a.r 130～145,169～178 and 190～196 regions showed good affinity,among which MAb 625(a.a.r 169～178)was 6.37×105 L/mol,showing the strongest affinity among cTnⅠ MAb.Conclusion:MAb has good affinity with cTnⅠ-TnC antigen at C-end of cTnⅠ peptide chain a.a.r 130～145,169～178,190～196 and TnC region.Designing a new type of cTnⅠ complement antibody targeting this region can be a new way to solve negative interference of autoantibody and peptide proteolysis.

Objective To analyze the relationship of total imaging burden score with blood pressure variability(BPV)and cognitive function in elderly patients with cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD).Methods Clinical data of 182 elderly CSVD patients admitted in our hospital from December 2022 to January 2024 were collected and analyzed retrospectively.According to the results of Chinese Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of CSVD-Related Cognitive Dysfunc-tion(2019),Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA)and other tools for their cognitive impair-ment,they were divided into cognitively impaired group(76 cases)and cognitively normal group(106 cases).The total burden score and BPV indicators[24 h systolic blood pressure coefficient of variation(24 h SBPCV),24 h diastolic blood pressure coefficient of variation(24 h DBPCV)]were compared between the two groups.ROC curve was plotted to evaluate the diagnostic value of total burden score,24 h SBPCV and 24 h DBPCV on cognitive impairment in elderly CSVD patients.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors of cognitive impairment in the patients.Based on the MoCA score of the cognitively impaired group,these pa-tients were further assigned into mild and moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment subgroups[with a MoCA score of 18-25(43 cases)and＜18(33 cases),respectively].Then the total burden score,24 h SBPCV and 24 h DBPCV were compared between the two subgroups.Pearson correla-tion coefficient was adopted to evaluate the correlation of severity of cognitive impairment with total burden score,24 h SBPCV and 24 h DBPCV in the elderly CSVD patients.Results The total burden score,24 h SBPCV and 24 h DBPCV were significantly higher in the cognitively impaired group than the cognitively normal group(P＜0.01).ROC curve analysis indicated that total bur-den score(AUC=0.953,95％CI:0.926-0.980,P=0.000),24 h SBPCV(AUC=0.850,95％CI:0.795-0.906,P=0.000)and 24 h DBPCV(AUC=0.761,95％CI:0.690-0.832,P=0.000)had good diagnostic efficiency for cognitive impairment in the elderly CSVD patients,with a cut-off value of 1.5,11.82％,and 8.92％,respectively.Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the above three indicators were risk factors for cognitive impairment in the elderly patients with CSVD(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Their values were significantly lower in the mild than the moder-ate-to-severe cognitive impairment subgroups(P＜0.01).Pearson correlation analysis displayed that MoCA score was negatively correlated with total burden score,24 h SBPCV and 24 h DBPCV in elderly patients with CSVD(r=-0.755,-0.632,-0.601,P＜0.01).Conclusion Detection of total burden score and BPV indicators is beneficial to the assessment of cognitive impairment in elderly CSVD patients.The higher the total burden score and the greater the BPV indicators,the more severe the cognitive impairment is,which may explore new ideas for clinical diagnosis and treatment of CSVD.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) on the prognosis of patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) wild-type lung adenocarcinoma.Methods:A total of 132 surgical paraffin specimens of EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma diagnosed at the Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University from January 2016 to December 2023 and 12 pairs of cancer and paracancerous fresh tissues from patients with EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma diagnosed in March-July 2024 were collected with their clinical information. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression levels of citrullinated histone H3 (CitH3) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in cancerous and paraneoplastic tissues. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the infiltration of PD-L1, CD4 + T cells and CD8 + T cells in the tumors. The clinical and prognostic correlations between NETs and EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma patients were analyzed. Results:The expression of MPO ( P＜0.001) and CitH3 ( P=0.009) was significantly increased in the tumors compared with the paracancerous tissues. The rate of high expression of NETs in cancer tissues was higher in patients with EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma who were in stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ, with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, pleural invasion, high expression of Ki-67, low expression of CD8 + T, and lowered lymphocyte counts when compared to paraneoplastic tissues ( P＜0.05). Patients were stratified based on TNM stage Ⅱb for prognostic analysis. Kaplan-Meier univariate analysis showed that the median overall survival (OS) (stage Ⅰ to Ⅱb: 47 vs 87 months; stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ: 27 months vs not reach) and the median disease-free survival (DFS) (stage Ⅰ to Ⅱb: 42 vs 78 months; stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ: 18 vs 39 months) of patients with high expression of NETs in stage Ⅰ to II b and stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ were lower than those with low expression (stage Ⅰ to Ⅱb: OS, P＜0.001; DFS, P＜0.001; stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ: OS, P=0.001; DFS, P=0.022). The OS (stage Ⅰ to Ⅱb: HR=3.513, 95% CI: 1.966-6.277, P＜0.001; stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ: HR=3.215, 95% CI: 1.324-7.806, P=0.010) and the DFS (stage Ⅰ to Ⅱb: HR=2.478 ,95% CI: 1.396-4.400, P=0.002; stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ: HR=2.248, 95% CI: 1.089-4.638, P=0.028) in the group with high expression of NETs in either stage Ⅰ to Ⅱb or stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ were significantly shorter than those in the group with low expression. Conclusion:The EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma patients with high expression of NETs have relatively shorter DFS and OS, which are independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma, and are likely to be the potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma.

Objective::This study aimed to assess the impact of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor treatment immediately after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on the myocardial salvage index (MSI) in patients with anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) 5-10 d after the procedure.Methods::The early PCSK9 inhibitor thERapy Following pErcutaneous Coronary inTervention (PERFECT) trial is a prospective randomized controlled trial. From January 2021 to December 2023, 32 patients with anterior STEMI from Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Songjiang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital were enrolled in the PERFECT trial. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1∶1 ratio to the PCSK9 inhibitor group ( n = 16) or the control group ( n = 16), and their baseline data were collected. Patients in the PCSK9 inhibitor group (ie, alirocumab group) received a subcutaneous injection of PCSK9 inhibitor (alirocumab, 75 mg) immediately after PCI based on conventional treatment. In the control group, patients received only conventional treatment. The primary endpoint was the MSI measured by cardiovascular magnetic resonance 5-10 d after PCI. The secondary endpoints included the left ventricular ejection fraction measured by cardiovascular magnetic resonance 5-10 d after PCI and the time to peak of creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T. Safety endpoints included any clinical adverse events that occurred during the 6-month follow-up period. Results::Baseline data during admission showed no intergroup significance. No significant difference in MSI (55.54% ± 14.80% vs. 44.72% ± 15.42%, P = 0.056) and left ventricular ejection fraction (51.24% ± 8.91% vs. 44.99% ± 8.84%, P = 0.060) was observed. Additional, there was no significant difference in the time to peak of creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB ((12.97 ± 5.67) h vs. (14.31 ± 7.04) h, P = 0.557) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T ((21.03 ± 12.46) h vs. (21.44 ± 9.99) h, P = 0.920) between the 2 groups. During the 6-month follow-up period, only 1 patient in the PCSK9 inhibitor group developed cerebral hemorrhage 6 months after PCI. Conclusions::Early treatment with alirocumab did not exhibit a significant increase in MSI at 5-10 d in patients with anterior STEMI. Larger trials are necessary to evaluate the impact of early administration of PCSK9 inhibitors after myocardial infarction.

Objective Melatonin has been shown to have neuroprotective effects.This study is aimed at observing the effects of copper deposition on cognitive function in a toxic milk(TX)mouse model of Wilson disease(WD),and investigating the effects and mechanisms of action of Gandou Bushen Decoction(GDBSD)on melatonin synthesis and pineal function in the WD model mice.Methods A total of 30 homozygous TX mice were randomly assigned to 3 groups(n=10 in each group),including a WD group,a GDBSD group,and a dimercaptosuccinic acid(DMSA)group.A total of 10 DL mice were included in the normal control(NC)group.The structure and copper content of pineal gland tissues,oxidative stress and apoptosis-related markers,and serum melatonin levels were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),flow cytometry,and Western blot.Results Compared with the NC group,the WD group exhibited decreased learning and cognitive abilities(P＜0.05),damaged pineal gland structure,increased copper content,reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels,and mitochondrial damage rate in the pineal gland(P＜0.01),altered levels of melatonin and oxidative stress-related markers(P＜0.05),upregulated expression levels of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Caspase-3,and decreased expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2(P＜0.01).After treatment with GDBSD and DMSA,the SIRT3/FOXO3α signaling pathway was activated,the copper content in the pineal gland was reduced,and oxidative stress and apoptosis-related damages were improved,leading to an improvement in learning and memory abilities(P＜0.05).Conclusion GDBSD can alleviate cognitive impairments in WD mice caused by pineal gland copper deposition by inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis in the pineal gland.The underlying molecular mechanism is associated with the regulation of the SIRT3/FOXO3α signaling pathway.