1.Tacrolimus treatment in children with refractory nephrotic syndrome
Pei ZHANG ; Chunlin GAO ; Jiuyu LIU ; Chenxi MA ; Mengzhen FU ; Kaili SHI ; Qianhuining KUANG ; Zhengkun XIA
Chinese Journal of Nephrology 2025;41(11):901-907
Tacrolimus is an immunosuppressant that was clinically used for organ transplantation in the 1990s. In the early 2000s, tacrolimus began to be used to treat pediatric kidney diseases in China. This article reviews the therapeutic effects, clinical dosages, and treatment methods of tacrolimus in the treatment of steroid-resistant, steroid-dependent, frequently relapsing, different pathological types, and monogenic mutation-related childhood nephrotic syndrome. It explores the clinical guiding role of machine learning in tacrolimus treatment for childhood nephrotic syndrome, aiming to provide references for the clinical research and application of tacrolimus in pediatric kidney diseases.
2.Analysis of two cases of hereditary protein C deficiency causing venous thrombosis
Mengzhen WEN ; Yifan LU ; Meina LIU ; Langyi QIN ; Yanhui JIN ; Mingshan WANG ; Lihong YANG
Chinese Journal of Hematology 2025;46(3):244-251
Objective:To investigate the molecular pathogenic mechanism of venous thrombosis caused by heterozygous missense mutations in two protein C (PROC) genes through laboratory phenotype analysis, genetic mutation analysis, and in vitro expression experiments.Methods:Two probands presented with venous thromboembolism at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. Clinical data and blood samples were collected from the probands and their family members to evaluate the plasma protein C (PC) activity (PC∶A), PC antigen (PC∶Ag) levels, and other relevant coagulation parameters. The anticoagulant capacity was assessed using the thrombin generation test (TGT). The mutation sites of the PROC gene were identified using direct DNA sequencing. Bioinformatics software was used to analyze the conservation and pathogenicity of the mutated gene. PyMOL software was used for the analysis of the protein three-dimensional models and interactions between mutated amino acids. Wild-type and two mutant expression vectors were constructed and HEK293T cells were transiently transfected. Total cellular RNA was extracted from positively transfected cells to investigate the transcriptional levels of the mutant PROC gene. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot, and cellular immunofluorescence assays were used to investigate the translation levels of the mutant PROC protein.Results:Probands 1 and 2 exhibited PC∶A levels of 35% and 40% and PC∶Ag levels of 44% and 39%, with increasing D-dimer levels to 4.42 mg/L and 0.83 mg/L, respectively. Meanwhile, other coagulation parameters revealed no significant abnormalities. TGT demonstrated impaired anticoagulant function in both proband witnesses and their familial PC carriers. Sequencing analysis revealed heterozygous missense mutations c. 833T>C (p. Leu278Pro) in proband 1 and c. 1330T>C (p. Trp444Arg) in proband 2 within exon 9 of the PROC gene. Conservation analysis revealed that Leu278 and Trp444 were highly conserved across homologous species. Pathogenicity analysis indicated that both p. Leu278Pro and p. Trp444Arg mutations are deleterious. Protein modeling analysis demonstrated that both mutations induce structural alterations in the protein. In vitro expression experiments revealed that compared with the wild-type, both p. Leu278Pro and p. Trp444Arg mutations showed no significant differences in the mRNA expression level of the PC protein. However, both mutations caused significantly lower PC∶Ag content and protein expression levels in the cell culture supernatant compared with the wild-type, whereas higher levels were observed in the cell culture lysate. This indicates the association of both mutations with the secretion function of the PC protein.Conclusion:The heterozygous missense mutations p. Leu278Pro and p. Trp444Arg in exon 9 of the PROC gene in both probands are associated with decreased PC levels.
3.Validation of a predictive model for platelet transfusion refractoriness in patients with hematological diseases
Xiulan HUANG ; Shuhan YUE ; Qun CAI ; Liqi LU ; Mengzhen HE ; Qiao LEI ; Caoyi LIU ; Jingwei ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2025;38(4):537-545
[Objective] To validate and optimize the platelet transfusion refractoriness (PTR) prediction model for patients with hematological disorders established by our center. [Methods] The data of patients with hematological diseases who received platelet transfusions from December 2021 to December 2022 were used as the training set, and data from January 2023 to December 2023 as the validation set. The validation set data was used to validate the predictive model constructed on the training set. Relevant risk factors for PTR were collected through literature review and preliminary studies。 The patients were divided into effective and ineffective groups according to the corrected count increment (CCI) of platelet counts. Predictive factors were screened using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The calibration of the model were assessed via calibration curves, while discrimination, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves Clinical utility was further analyzed with decision curve analysis (DCA). [Results] The Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) goodness-of-fit test for the validation set yielded S: P=0.000, indicating that the original model needs optimization. Baseline comparisons and logistic regression identified the number of red blood cell units (RBCU) and platelet units (PLT-U) transfused as key predictors for the optimized model. The H-L goodness-of-fit test S: P values for the training and validation sets were 0.930 and 0.056, respectively; the ROC areas were 0.793 5 and 0.809 4, specificities 90.95% and 84.21%, sensitivities 59.26% and 70.04%, and accuracies 78.14% and 74.10%, respectively. DCA demonstrated clinical net benefit within a prediction probability threshold range of 0.2-0.8. [Conclusion] Transfusion volumes of RBC-U and PLT-U were inversely associated with PTR in hematological patients. The resulting PTR prediction model exhibits moderate predictive efficacy and clinical benefit.
4.Analysis of retreatment and influencing factors in patients with endometrial cancer and atypical endome-trial hyperplasia after fertility-preserving treatment recurrence
Tong LIU ; Yan ZHANG ; Haoyu WANG ; Mengzhen WANG ; Shengjie LING ; Yiming ZHANG
The Journal of Practical Medicine 2025;41(8):1259-1266
Although fertility-preserving treatment strategies have demonstrated significant clinical efficacy in patients with early-stage endometrial cancer(EC)and atypical endometrial hyperplasia(AEH),some patients who experience recurrence still express a strong desire for fertility and request conservative retreatment.This poses new challenges for clinical management.This article reviews the latest research advances in retreatment for recurrent patients and synthesizes findings from previous studies to draw the following conclusions.First,before formulating a retreatment plan,it is crucial to comprehensively evaluate key factors such as tumor characteristics,fertility intentions,and overall health status of the patient.These factors collectively determine the feasibility and appropri-ateness of an individualized retreatment strategy.Second,studies have shown that retreatment options for AEH/EC are diverse,with high-dose oral progestin remaining the primary approach.Combining progestin with metformin,GnRH-a,and hysteroscopic resection can enhance treatment outcomes.Individualized treatment plans should be tailored to the specific conditions of each patient.Based on literature analysis,the complete remission(CR)rate of retreatment ranges from 81.1%to 88.6%,with a pregnancy rate of 26.5%-50.0%and a live birth rate of 14.3%-29.0%.However,the recurrence rate remains high at 24.5%-45.5%,significantly higher than that of initial treatment.This indicates that while retreatment has achieved some success in disease control and fertility preservation,the risk of recurrence still requires significant attention.Therefore,a strict monitoring and follow-up system must be established during retreatment.Additionally,studies have identified factors associated with a higher risk of recurrence,including age over 35,overweight or obesity,polycystic ovarian syndrome,metabolic syndrome,high pathological grade,and advanced clinical stage.On the other hand,pregnancy following CR,weight loss,and maintenance therapy serve as protective factors against disease recurrence.Patients are encouraged to actively engage in weight management during treatment and consider initiating assisted reproductive technology promptly after achieving CR to optimize pregnancy outcomes while minimizing the risk of recurrence.Future research should prioritize investigating precision treatment strategies informed by molecular classification and identifying predictive biomarkers,thereby enabling the development of more personalized and precise treatment plans tailored to indi-vidual patients.
5.Treating hyperuricemia from"returning the clear and the turbid to the original"based on the theory of"indigestion of spleen and stomach"
Qiwei ZHAO ; Yuzhuo LIU ; Mengzhen WANG ; Yue LUO ; Ziyu LIU ; Minghua NAN ; Changchuan BAI ; Xinyu LI ; Jia LI ; Xiao YANG
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(8):1134-1139
Hyperuricemia is a chronic metabolic disease resulting from purine metabolic dysfunction and is classified under the category of"blood turbidity"in traditional Chinese medicine.Our team termed it"acid turbidity,"and its pathogenesis is closely related to the dynamic evolution of the clear and the turbid components.With the change of modern people's diet structure,the incidence of hyperuricemia is increasing annually owing to the intake of fatty,sweet foods and alcohol.Therefore,this paper explores hyperuricemia from the"indigestion of spleen and stomach"theory.The core pathogenesis of hyperuricemia is indigestion of spleen and stomach,the inversion of clear and turbid substances,and endogenous acid turbidity.The initial manifestation of hyperuricemia is the internal retention of acid turbidity and ascending-descending disharmony;the gradual manifestation of this disease is that indigestion causes heat,and acid turbidity transforms into poison;the final manifestation of this disease is that secular indigestion causes deficiency and the inversion of clear and turbid substances.It can be summarized into three syndromes:syndromes of internal retention of dampness-turbidity,dampness-heat toxin amassment,and dampness-heat due to spleen deficiency.Therefore,this paper proposes to treat the disease according to different syndromes,with ascending the clear and descending the turbid as the core of treatment.And the therapeutic approach employs the flexible application of three methods:transportation,resolving,and transformation.For syndrome of internal retention of dampness-turbidity,treatment focuses on promoting spleen transportation to eliminate dampness;for syndrome of dampness-heat toxin amassment,the strategy is to resolve indigestion and purge heat;and for syndrome of dampness-heat due to spleen deficiency,the aim is to resolve turbidity and clear heat.By ascending the clear and descending the turbid,so that"returning the clear and the turbid to the original,"the spleen and stomach regain harmony,functions of ascending and descending are reestablished,and hyperuricemia can be effectively managed.
6.Analysis of retreatment and influencing factors in patients with endometrial cancer and atypical endome-trial hyperplasia after fertility-preserving treatment recurrence
Tong LIU ; Yan ZHANG ; Haoyu WANG ; Mengzhen WANG ; Shengjie LING ; Yiming ZHANG
The Journal of Practical Medicine 2025;41(8):1259-1266
Although fertility-preserving treatment strategies have demonstrated significant clinical efficacy in patients with early-stage endometrial cancer(EC)and atypical endometrial hyperplasia(AEH),some patients who experience recurrence still express a strong desire for fertility and request conservative retreatment.This poses new challenges for clinical management.This article reviews the latest research advances in retreatment for recurrent patients and synthesizes findings from previous studies to draw the following conclusions.First,before formulating a retreatment plan,it is crucial to comprehensively evaluate key factors such as tumor characteristics,fertility intentions,and overall health status of the patient.These factors collectively determine the feasibility and appropri-ateness of an individualized retreatment strategy.Second,studies have shown that retreatment options for AEH/EC are diverse,with high-dose oral progestin remaining the primary approach.Combining progestin with metformin,GnRH-a,and hysteroscopic resection can enhance treatment outcomes.Individualized treatment plans should be tailored to the specific conditions of each patient.Based on literature analysis,the complete remission(CR)rate of retreatment ranges from 81.1%to 88.6%,with a pregnancy rate of 26.5%-50.0%and a live birth rate of 14.3%-29.0%.However,the recurrence rate remains high at 24.5%-45.5%,significantly higher than that of initial treatment.This indicates that while retreatment has achieved some success in disease control and fertility preservation,the risk of recurrence still requires significant attention.Therefore,a strict monitoring and follow-up system must be established during retreatment.Additionally,studies have identified factors associated with a higher risk of recurrence,including age over 35,overweight or obesity,polycystic ovarian syndrome,metabolic syndrome,high pathological grade,and advanced clinical stage.On the other hand,pregnancy following CR,weight loss,and maintenance therapy serve as protective factors against disease recurrence.Patients are encouraged to actively engage in weight management during treatment and consider initiating assisted reproductive technology promptly after achieving CR to optimize pregnancy outcomes while minimizing the risk of recurrence.Future research should prioritize investigating precision treatment strategies informed by molecular classification and identifying predictive biomarkers,thereby enabling the development of more personalized and precise treatment plans tailored to indi-vidual patients.
7.Treating hyperuricemia from"returning the clear and the turbid to the original"based on the theory of"indigestion of spleen and stomach"
Qiwei ZHAO ; Yuzhuo LIU ; Mengzhen WANG ; Yue LUO ; Ziyu LIU ; Minghua NAN ; Changchuan BAI ; Xinyu LI ; Jia LI ; Xiao YANG
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(8):1134-1139
Hyperuricemia is a chronic metabolic disease resulting from purine metabolic dysfunction and is classified under the category of"blood turbidity"in traditional Chinese medicine.Our team termed it"acid turbidity,"and its pathogenesis is closely related to the dynamic evolution of the clear and the turbid components.With the change of modern people's diet structure,the incidence of hyperuricemia is increasing annually owing to the intake of fatty,sweet foods and alcohol.Therefore,this paper explores hyperuricemia from the"indigestion of spleen and stomach"theory.The core pathogenesis of hyperuricemia is indigestion of spleen and stomach,the inversion of clear and turbid substances,and endogenous acid turbidity.The initial manifestation of hyperuricemia is the internal retention of acid turbidity and ascending-descending disharmony;the gradual manifestation of this disease is that indigestion causes heat,and acid turbidity transforms into poison;the final manifestation of this disease is that secular indigestion causes deficiency and the inversion of clear and turbid substances.It can be summarized into three syndromes:syndromes of internal retention of dampness-turbidity,dampness-heat toxin amassment,and dampness-heat due to spleen deficiency.Therefore,this paper proposes to treat the disease according to different syndromes,with ascending the clear and descending the turbid as the core of treatment.And the therapeutic approach employs the flexible application of three methods:transportation,resolving,and transformation.For syndrome of internal retention of dampness-turbidity,treatment focuses on promoting spleen transportation to eliminate dampness;for syndrome of dampness-heat toxin amassment,the strategy is to resolve indigestion and purge heat;and for syndrome of dampness-heat due to spleen deficiency,the aim is to resolve turbidity and clear heat.By ascending the clear and descending the turbid,so that"returning the clear and the turbid to the original,"the spleen and stomach regain harmony,functions of ascending and descending are reestablished,and hyperuricemia can be effectively managed.
8.Tacrolimus treatment in children with refractory nephrotic syndrome
Pei ZHANG ; Chunlin GAO ; Jiuyu LIU ; Chenxi MA ; Mengzhen FU ; Kaili SHI ; Qianhuining KUANG ; Zhengkun XIA
Chinese Journal of Nephrology 2025;41(11):901-907
Tacrolimus is an immunosuppressant that was clinically used for organ transplantation in the 1990s. In the early 2000s, tacrolimus began to be used to treat pediatric kidney diseases in China. This article reviews the therapeutic effects, clinical dosages, and treatment methods of tacrolimus in the treatment of steroid-resistant, steroid-dependent, frequently relapsing, different pathological types, and monogenic mutation-related childhood nephrotic syndrome. It explores the clinical guiding role of machine learning in tacrolimus treatment for childhood nephrotic syndrome, aiming to provide references for the clinical research and application of tacrolimus in pediatric kidney diseases.
9.Analysis of two cases of hereditary protein C deficiency causing venous thrombosis
Mengzhen WEN ; Yifan LU ; Meina LIU ; Langyi QIN ; Yanhui JIN ; Mingshan WANG ; Lihong YANG
Chinese Journal of Hematology 2025;46(3):244-251
Objective:To investigate the molecular pathogenic mechanism of venous thrombosis caused by heterozygous missense mutations in two protein C (PROC) genes through laboratory phenotype analysis, genetic mutation analysis, and in vitro expression experiments.Methods:Two probands presented with venous thromboembolism at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. Clinical data and blood samples were collected from the probands and their family members to evaluate the plasma protein C (PC) activity (PC∶A), PC antigen (PC∶Ag) levels, and other relevant coagulation parameters. The anticoagulant capacity was assessed using the thrombin generation test (TGT). The mutation sites of the PROC gene were identified using direct DNA sequencing. Bioinformatics software was used to analyze the conservation and pathogenicity of the mutated gene. PyMOL software was used for the analysis of the protein three-dimensional models and interactions between mutated amino acids. Wild-type and two mutant expression vectors were constructed and HEK293T cells were transiently transfected. Total cellular RNA was extracted from positively transfected cells to investigate the transcriptional levels of the mutant PROC gene. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot, and cellular immunofluorescence assays were used to investigate the translation levels of the mutant PROC protein.Results:Probands 1 and 2 exhibited PC∶A levels of 35% and 40% and PC∶Ag levels of 44% and 39%, with increasing D-dimer levels to 4.42 mg/L and 0.83 mg/L, respectively. Meanwhile, other coagulation parameters revealed no significant abnormalities. TGT demonstrated impaired anticoagulant function in both proband witnesses and their familial PC carriers. Sequencing analysis revealed heterozygous missense mutations c. 833T>C (p. Leu278Pro) in proband 1 and c. 1330T>C (p. Trp444Arg) in proband 2 within exon 9 of the PROC gene. Conservation analysis revealed that Leu278 and Trp444 were highly conserved across homologous species. Pathogenicity analysis indicated that both p. Leu278Pro and p. Trp444Arg mutations are deleterious. Protein modeling analysis demonstrated that both mutations induce structural alterations in the protein. In vitro expression experiments revealed that compared with the wild-type, both p. Leu278Pro and p. Trp444Arg mutations showed no significant differences in the mRNA expression level of the PC protein. However, both mutations caused significantly lower PC∶Ag content and protein expression levels in the cell culture supernatant compared with the wild-type, whereas higher levels were observed in the cell culture lysate. This indicates the association of both mutations with the secretion function of the PC protein.Conclusion:The heterozygous missense mutations p. Leu278Pro and p. Trp444Arg in exon 9 of the PROC gene in both probands are associated with decreased PC levels.
10.The expression of CD24 antigen in multiple myeloma patients and its predictive value after induction therapy
Mengru LIU ; Bin CHU ; Yuan CHEN ; Mengzhen WANG ; Minqiu LU ; Shan GAO ; Lei SHI ; Qiuqing XIANG ; Lijuan FANG ; Qi YAN ; Na JI ; Kai SUN ; Li BAO
Chinese Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2024;47(10):1178-1185
Objective:This study analyzed the expression of CD24 antigen on bone marrow plasma cells (BMPC) of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and the predictive value of induction therapy.Methods:This clinical observational study utilized 258 MM patients samples treated at the Hematology Department of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital who met the inclusion criteria in the Department of Hematology, Capital Medical University, from August 12th, 2022 to February 1st, 2024. According to the different stages of the disease, patients were divided into three groups: 78 cases of Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma(NDMM) (42 males and 36 females, aged 62±11), 56 cases of the relapse refractory group (34 males and 22 females, aged 64±9), and 124 cases of the disease remission group (68 males and 56 females, aged 62±10). Multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) was used to detect the expression level of CD24 antigen on BMPC and the relationship between CD24 and MM disease status. The clinical data and test results of 78 NDMM patients at initial diagnosis were retrospectively analyzed, including gender, age, MFC detection of the positive expression rate of antigens (CD19, CD20, CD24, CD27, CD56), the results of efficacy evaluation after induction therapy, ISS staging, R-ISS staging, blood hemoglobin, β2-microglobulin, human serum albumin, serum creatinine, lactate dehydrogenas, correction of calcium, BMPC ratio, and the results of FISH. The patients were divided into a deep remission group [including complete remission (CR) and very good partial remission (VGPR)] with 43 cases and a non-deep remission group (non CR and VGPR) with 17 cases according to the difference of antigen positive expression rate after induction therapy. The differences of antigen expression on BMPC between the two groups were compared. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between the expression of each antigen and the efficacy after induction therapy in patients, and the results showed that CD24 was more correlated with the achievement of deep remission after induction therapy than other antigens. Therefore, taking the positive expression rate of CD24 in NDMM patients at the initial diagnosis and deep remission after induction therapy as the research objects, the predictive value of CD24 for NDMM patients reaching deep remission after induction therapy was analyzed by using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), and the optimal cutoff value was obtained. NDMM was divided into two groups according to the cut-off value, and the differences between the two groups in clinical baseline data and prognostic indicators were compared.Results:The positive rates of plasma cell CD24 expression in the NDMM group, the relapse refractory group and the disease remission group were 2.18 (95% CI 0.08-81.85)%, 3.81 (95% CI 0.10-64.56)%, 8.74 (95% CI 0.79-95.55)% respectively. Compared with the disease remission group, the NDMM and relapse refractory group was lower ( Z=-7.889, -5.282, respectively, P<0.001). Univariate analysis showed that there was a significant difference in the positive expression rate of CD24 at initial diagnosis between the deep remission group and the non-deep remission group ( Z=-3.265, P<0.001), while there was no significant difference in CD19 ( Z=-0.271, P=0.787), CD20 ( Z=-0.205, P=0.837), CD27 ( Z=-0.582, P=0.560), and CD56 ( Z=-0.328, P=0.743) between the two groups. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that compared with other antigens [CD19 ( OR=1.045, 95% CI 0.975-1.120, P=0.217), CD20 ( OR=1.000, 95% CI 0.971-1.030, P=0.976), CD27 ( OR=0.997, 95% CI 0.977-1.016, P=0.734), CD56 ( OR=1.006, 95% CI 0.990-1.006, P=0.449)], the expression of CD24 ( OR=0.423, 95% CI 0.990-1.006, P=0.449) on BMPC in NDMM patients was most closely related to the achievement of deep remission was achieved after induction therapy. The lower the proportion of CD24 at the initial diagnosis was, the lower the probability of achieving deep remission after induction therapy was. The area under the curve (AUC) of CD24 in predicting deep remission after induction therapy was 0.772 (95% CI 0.655-0.889, P=0.001), with a sensitivity of 60.50%, a specificity of 85.00%, and the optimal critical value was 2.21%. Compared with the group with plasma CD24 positive rate>2.21%, the group with plasma CD24 positive rate<2.21% had a higher proportion of male (39.47%vs 65.00%, χ2=5.092, P=0.024), ISS stagingⅢ (41.67% vs 58.33%, χ2=6.175, P=0.046), β2 microglobulin (3.19 mg/L vs 4.14 mg/L, Z=-2.257, P=0.024), and BMPC [(8.672±1.827)% vs (19.530±3.188)%, t=-2.963, P=0.004] detected by MFC, and the differences were statistically significant. Conclusions:The low positive rate of plasma cell CD24 is closely related to the higher tumor burden and the worse disease status of MM patients. In addition, the positive expression rate of CD24 is at initial diagnosis can predict the efficacy achieved after induction therapy, and the lower positive rate of CD24 is, the worse the efficacy achieved after induction therapy. At the same time, MFC detection of CD24 is convenient and efficient in the evaluation and prediction of MM.

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