Objective To investigate the expressions of IL-18,IL-18 binding protein isoform a(IL-18BPa)and IL-18Rα in blood CD4+Th1 cells of patients with allergic asthma(AA),and with allergic rhinitis and asthma syndrome(ARA),and the effects of allergens on their expressions.Methods Blood samples were collected from patients with AA,ARA and healthy control(HC)subjects.Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the actions of allergens on the expressions of IL-18,IL-18BPa and IL-18Rα in CD4+Th1 cells.Ovalbumin(OVA)-induced AA mouse models were established,and the expression level of IL-18Rα along with the influence of IL-18 on its expression in blood and lung Th1 cells was also explored by flow cytometry.Results Compared with HC,we observed increased IL-18 while decreased IL-18BPa expression in blood Th1 cells of AA and ARA patients.Moreover,allergens upregulated the expression levels of IL-18,IL-18BPa and IL-18Rα in Th1 cells of patients with AA and ARA.Additionally,intratracheal challenge with OVA plus IL-18 increased the proportions of blood and lung Th1 cells of HC and AA mice,and upregulated IL-18Rα expression on blood and lung Th1 cells of HC mice.Conclusion Allergens may be involved in the pathogenesis of airway allergic diseases by inducing the expressions of IL-18 and IL-18Rα in CD4+Th1 cells.

With the change of infectious disease incidence pattern and the development of related technologies, progresses have been made in the research of infectious disease epidemiology. In recent years, due to the change in the requirements of infectious disease prevention and control, the research focus has expanded from common infectious diseases to diseases which have been eliminated or might be eliminated, as well as emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Infectious disease data has been characterized by multiple sources and modalities. Along with the rapid development of pathogen detection methods, infectious disease surveillance has shifted from a single disease-targted one to a comprehensive one. Moreover, novel technologies such as multi-omics and artificial intelligence have been applied in infectious disease epidemiology research. The international cooperation in this field has become increasingly crucial, and the revision of the International Health Regulations and the negotiation of pandemic agreement will have a profound impact. In the future, infectious disease epidemiology research will develop with more powerful tools to improve its capabilities.

Monkeypox,caused by the monkeypox virus(MPXV),is a zoonotic infectious disease characterized clinically by fever,rash,and lymphadenopathy.In September 2024,the outbreak of a novel MPXV Clade Ib variant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was designated by the World Health Organization as a public health emergency of international concern,highlighting deficiencies in current prevention and control systems.Although modified attenuated smallpox vaccines exhibit cross-protective efficacy against MPXV infection,their adverse effects still limit clinical applications.Further-more,the therapeutic efficacy of tecovirimat—the FDA emergency-authorized antiviral drug for Smallpox—is limited.Recent studies have shown that tecovirimat does not significantly improve lesion healing time or reduce overall mortality in patients infected with MPXV CladeⅠ.Monoclonal antibodies,which neutralize viral activity by targeting critical membrane proteins,have emerged as a pivotal strategy to overcome current therapeutic bottlenecks by integrating therapeutic,diagnostic and prophylactic functions.This article reviews the epidemiological and virological characteristics of MPXV,along with functional characteristics of MPXV major membrane proteins,including A29L,A35R,B6R,E8L,M1R and H3L,focusing on the research progress in monoclonal antibodies against these key targets.Their protective effects in vitro/in vivo are explored while such as strategies monoclonal antibody combina-tion therapy are recommended to enhance efficacy and overcome drug resistance.

Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease that threatens the life and health of women.Synthetic magnetic resonance imaging is a novel quantitative technology,which can obtain multiple quantitative relaxation and contrast images simultaneously by one scan,providing new basis for diagnosis and evaluation of diseases.This article reviews the imaging theory of synthetic magnetic resonance imaging and its application in the comprehensive diagnosis,molecular typing and prognosis assessment of breast cancer,in order to further guide the clinical practice.

Objective To investigate the expressions of IL-18,IL-18 binding protein isoform a(IL-18BPa)and IL-18Rα in blood CD4+Th1 cells of patients with allergic asthma(AA),and with allergic rhinitis and asthma syndrome(ARA),and the effects of allergens on their expressions.Methods Blood samples were collected from patients with AA,ARA and healthy control(HC)subjects.Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the actions of allergens on the expressions of IL-18,IL-18BPa and IL-18Rα in CD4+Th1 cells.Ovalbumin(OVA)-induced AA mouse models were established,and the expression level of IL-18Rα along with the influence of IL-18 on its expression in blood and lung Th1 cells was also explored by flow cytometry.Results Compared with HC,we observed increased IL-18 while decreased IL-18BPa expression in blood Th1 cells of AA and ARA patients.Moreover,allergens upregulated the expression levels of IL-18,IL-18BPa and IL-18Rα in Th1 cells of patients with AA and ARA.Additionally,intratracheal challenge with OVA plus IL-18 increased the proportions of blood and lung Th1 cells of HC and AA mice,and upregulated IL-18Rα expression on blood and lung Th1 cells of HC mice.Conclusion Allergens may be involved in the pathogenesis of airway allergic diseases by inducing the expressions of IL-18 and IL-18Rα in CD4+Th1 cells.

With the change of infectious disease incidence pattern and the development of related technologies, progresses have been made in the research of infectious disease epidemiology. In recent years, due to the change in the requirements of infectious disease prevention and control, the research focus has expanded from common infectious diseases to diseases which have been eliminated or might be eliminated, as well as emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Infectious disease data has been characterized by multiple sources and modalities. Along with the rapid development of pathogen detection methods, infectious disease surveillance has shifted from a single disease-targted one to a comprehensive one. Moreover, novel technologies such as multi-omics and artificial intelligence have been applied in infectious disease epidemiology research. The international cooperation in this field has become increasingly crucial, and the revision of the International Health Regulations and the negotiation of pandemic agreement will have a profound impact. In the future, infectious disease epidemiology research will develop with more powerful tools to improve its capabilities.

Monkeypox,caused by the monkeypox virus(MPXV),is a zoonotic infectious disease characterized clinically by fever,rash,and lymphadenopathy.In September 2024,the outbreak of a novel MPXV Clade Ib variant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was designated by the World Health Organization as a public health emergency of international concern,highlighting deficiencies in current prevention and control systems.Although modified attenuated smallpox vaccines exhibit cross-protective efficacy against MPXV infection,their adverse effects still limit clinical applications.Further-more,the therapeutic efficacy of tecovirimat—the FDA emergency-authorized antiviral drug for Smallpox—is limited.Recent studies have shown that tecovirimat does not significantly improve lesion healing time or reduce overall mortality in patients infected with MPXV CladeⅠ.Monoclonal antibodies,which neutralize viral activity by targeting critical membrane proteins,have emerged as a pivotal strategy to overcome current therapeutic bottlenecks by integrating therapeutic,diagnostic and prophylactic functions.This article reviews the epidemiological and virological characteristics of MPXV,along with functional characteristics of MPXV major membrane proteins,including A29L,A35R,B6R,E8L,M1R and H3L,focusing on the research progress in monoclonal antibodies against these key targets.Their protective effects in vitro/in vivo are explored while such as strategies monoclonal antibody combina-tion therapy are recommended to enhance efficacy and overcome drug resistance.

Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease that threatens the life and health of women.Synthetic magnetic resonance imaging is a novel quantitative technology,which can obtain multiple quantitative relaxation and contrast images simultaneously by one scan,providing new basis for diagnosis and evaluation of diseases.This article reviews the imaging theory of synthetic magnetic resonance imaging and its application in the comprehensive diagnosis,molecular typing and prognosis assessment of breast cancer,in order to further guide the clinical practice.

Objective:To compare the safety and efficacy of two different minimally invasive approaches to implant pedicle screw for the treatment of single-segment thoracolumbar spine fractures without nerve injury.Methods:This was a retrospective study. Eighty patients with mono-segmental thoracolumbar fractures treated with minimally invasive pedicle screw fixation at Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2020 to June 2022 were included. There were 46 males and 36 females, the age was (45.93±7.91) years old, and ranged from 27 to 60 years old. They were divided into two groups according to different surgical techniques: percutaneous pedicle screw fixation group ( n=44) and Wiltse approach group ( n=36). The operative time, operative visible blood loss, hidden blood loss, total blood loss, fluoroscopy times, incision length, hospital time after surgery and ambulation time were compared. Visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), ratio of the vertebral anterior height, angle of injured vertebral endplate were recorded and compared between two groups before surgery and at 3 days, 6 months and 1 year after surgery. The accuracy of pedicle screw position and the facet joint violation rate were evaluated by using the postoperative CT scan. Perioperative related complications were investigated. Normally distributed numerical data were presented as mean ± standard deviation, and differences between the groups were compared using t-test. The counting data were expressed as percentages or rates and compared using χ2 test. Results:All patients were followed for a minimum of 12 months. There is no significant difference between the two groups in intraoperative visible blood loss, hospital time after surgery, ambulation time, postoperative VAS and ODI, ratio of vertebral anterior height and angle of injured vertebral endplate at 3 days after surgery, pedicle screw position accuracy and perioperative complications ( P>0.05). The operative time, hidden blood loss, total blood loss, intraoperative fluoroscopy times, facet joint violation rate in the percutaneous pedicle screw fixation group were remarkably higher than in the Wiltse approach group ( P<0.05). The ratio of vertebral anterior height in the percutaneous pedicle screw fixation group was dramatically lower than in the Wiltse approach group at 6 months and 1 year after surgery ( P<0.05). The postoperative injured vertebral endplate angle was higher in the percutaneous pedicle screw fixation group than that in the Wiltse approach group at 6 months and 1 year ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Both percutaneous pedicle screw fixation and Wiltse approach were safe and effective minimally invasive surgical procedures for the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures without neurological injury. The Wiltse approach can reduce fluoroscopy times and perioperative hidden blood loss, reduce the risk of facet joint violation, and maintain a better reduction than percutaneous pedicle screw fixation.