Objective To explore the prognostic value of serum growth hormone releasing peptide(Ghre-lin),angiopoietin like protein 4(ANGPTL4)combined with Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index(GNRI)in eld-erly patients with chronic pulmonary heart disease(CPHD).Methods From January 2019 to January 2022,a total of 98 elderly patients with CPHD admitted to the Hai'an People's Hospital were selected as the CPHD group,and another 98 healthy individuals who underwent physical examinations were selected as the control group.Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was applied to determine the levels of serum Ghrelin and ANGPTL4.Multivariate Logistic regression was applied to analyze the influencing factors of prognosis in elderly patients with CPHD.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was plotted to analyze the predic-tive value of serum Ghrelin,ANGPTL4 combined with GNRI in the prognosis of CPHD.Results Compared with the control group,the level of serum Ghrelin and GNRI in the CPHD group were obviously reduced(P＜0.05),while the level of ANGPTL4 was obviously increased(P＜0.05).Compared with the survival group,the GNRI and Ghrelin level in the death group were obviously reduced(P＜0.05),while the level of AN-GPTL4 was obviously increased(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression results showed that ANGPTL4 was a risk factor affecting the prognosis of elderly CPHD patients(P＜0.05),while Ghrelin and GNRI were protective factors affecting the prognosis of elderly CPHD patients(P＜0.05).ROC curve results showed that the combination of serum Ghrelin,ANGPTL4,and GNRI had the largest area under the curve(AUC)in predicting the prognosis of elderly CPHD patients,which was better than that of the individual predictions of serum Ghrelin,ANGPTL4,and GNRI(P＜0.05).Conclusion The level of serum Ghrelin decreases and the level of ANGPTL4 increases in elderly patients with CPHD.The combination of the two with GNRI could better predict the prognosis of CPHD patients and has high predictive value.

Objective:To investigate the molecular genetic and clinical characteristics of MEF2D-BCL9 fusion gene-positive acute B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), and to provide the reference for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.Methods:The medical record and experimental examination data of a 18-year-old female MEF2D-BCL9 fusion gene-positive B-ALL patient were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical manifestations and biological characteristics of MEF2D-BCL9 fusion gene-positive B-ALL were summarized.Results:This 18-year-old female patient was treated in a local hospital in December 2018 and was diagnosed as B-ALL. She achieved complete remission after chemotherapy and recurred at 6 months after the initial onset, and then she was admitted to Hebei Yanda Ludaopei Hospital in the 9 months after the initial onset.MEF2D-BCL9 fusion gene was detected through RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and verified by using polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing. Bone marrow cell morphology was similar to mature B cells with vacuoles but without characteristic chromosome karyotype abnormalities. The patient achieved remission after VLD regimen chemotherapy, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy and bridged to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). She has maintained complete remission for 2 years at the last follow-up in February 2022.Conclusions:MEF2D-BCL9 fusion gene-positive B-ALL is characterized with high risk, early relapse and poor prognosis. These patients may benefit from CAR-T and allo-HSCT. It further emphasizes the importance of taking MEF2D-BCL9 fusion gene into the detection or identification by using RNA-seq, particularly for those newly diagnosed B-ALL patients in children and adolescents with specific bone marrow morphology.

Whether Fanconi anemia (FA) heterozygotes are predisposed to bone marrow failure and hematologic neoplasm is a crucial but unsettled issue in cancer prevention and family consulting. We retrospectively analyzed rare possibly significant variations (PSVs) in the five most obligated FA genes, BRCA2, FANCA, FANCC, FANCD2, and FANCG, in 788 patients with aplastic anemia (AA) and hematologic malignancy. Sixty-eight variants were identified in 66 patients (8.38%). FANCA was the most frequently mutated gene (n = 29), followed by BRCA2 (n = 20). Compared with that of the ExAC East Asian dataset, the overall frequency of rare PSVs was higher in our cohort (P = 0.016). BRCA2 PSVs showed higher frequency in acute lymphocytic leukemia (P = 0.038), and FANCA PSVs were significantly enriched in AA and AML subgroups (P = 0.020; P = 0.008). FA-PSV-positive MDS/AML patients had a higher tumor mutation burden, higher rate of cytogenetic abnormalities, less epigenetic regulation, and fewer spliceosome gene mutations than those of FA-PSV-negative MDS/AML patients (P = 0.024, P = 0.029, P = 0.024, and P = 0.013). The overall PSV enrichment in our cohort suggests that heterozygous mutations of FA genes contribute to hematopoietic failure and leukemogenesis.
Anemia, Aplastic/genetics* ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Fanconi Anemia/genetics* ; Germ Cells ; Hematologic Neoplasms/genetics* ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics* ; Retrospective Studies

Ulcerative colitis(UC)is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease caused by many factors including colonic inflammation and microbiota dysbiosis.Previous studies have indicated that celastrol(CSR)has strong anti-inflammatory and immune-inhibitory effects.Here,we investigated the effects of CSR on colonic inflammation and mucosal immunity in an experimental colitis model,and addressed the mechanism by which CSR exerts the protective effects.We characterized the ther-apeutic effects and the potential mechanism of CSR on treating UC using histological staining,intestinal permeability assay,cytokine assay,flow cytometry,fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT),16S rRNA sequencing,untargeted metabolomics,and cell differentiation.CSR administra-tion significantly ameliorated the dextran sodium sulfate(DSS)-induced colitis in mice,which was evidenced by the recovered body weight and colon length as well as the decreased disease activity index(DAI)score and intestinal permeability.Meanwhile,CSR down-regulated the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and up-regulated the amount of anti-inflammatory mediators at both mRNA and protein levels,and improved the balances of Treg/Thl and Treg/Th1 7 to maintain the colonic immune homeostasis.Notably,all the therapeutic effects were exerted in a gut microbiota-dependent manner.Furthermore,CSR treatment increased the gut microbiota diversity and changed the compositions of the gut microbiota and metabolites,which is probably associated with the gut microbiota-mediated protective effects.In conclusion,this study provides the strong evidence that CSR may be a promising therapeutic drug for UC.

OBJECTIVE: To detect fusion gene with pathological significance in a patient with refractory and relapsed acute B cell lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and to explore its laboratory and clinical characteristics. METHODS: Transcriptome sequencing was used to detect potential fusion transcripts. Other laboratory results and clinical data of the patient were also analyzed. RESULTS: The patient was found to harbor TCF3 exon 17-ZNF384 exon 7 in-frame fusion transcript. The minimal residual disease (MRD) has remained positive after multiple chemotherapy protocols including CD19-, CD22- targeted chimeric antigen receptor T cells immunotherapy. The patient eventually achieved complete remission and sustained MRD negativity after allogeneic hemopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). CONCLUSION Transcriptome sequencing can effectively detect potential fusion genes with clinical significance in leukemia. TCF3-ZNF384 positive B-ALL has unique laboratory and clinical characteristics, may not well respond to chemotherapy and immunotherapy, and is more likely to relapse. Timely allo-HSCT treatment may help such patients to achieve long-term disease-free survival. TCF3-ZNF384 positive B-ALL is not uncommon in pediatric patients but has not been effectively identified.
B-Lymphocytes ; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Child ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Laboratories ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/therapy* ; Trans-Activators/genetics* ; Transcriptome

Objective:To investigate the infection spectrum revealed by metagenomics high-throughput next-generation sequencing (mNGS), and to provide a reference for infection diagnosis after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).Methods:A total of 64 patients who developed systemic or local infection symptoms after allo-HSCT in Hebei Yanda Lu Daopei Hospital from January 2018 to November 2018 were enrolled. Gene sequences of pathogenic microorganisms in blood, cerebrospinal fluid and bronchoalveolar fluid specimens were detected by using mNGS. The pathogenic microorganisms or suspected pathogens were determined based on the clinical manifestations of patients.Results:There were 97 samples of mNGS detection for 64 patients who underwent allo-HSCT. The most common gram-positive bacteria were staphylococcus haemolyticus (19 times) and staphylococcus (14 times), and the most common gram-negative bacterium was acinetobacter baumannii (8 times). The most common viruses were cytomegalovirus, EB virus and Torque teno virus (35, 22 and 23 times, respectively), and the most common fungi were malassezia globus (14 times) and candida parapsilosis (8 times). There were 3 mycobacterium tuberculosis complexes detected in 3 patients with acute myeloid leukemia who received allo-HSCT. Mycoplasma orale was detected in one patient's sputum, and none parasite was detected.Conclusion:mNGS can comprehensively reveal the infection spectrum of hematologic diseases after allo-HSCT, especially for pathogenic microorganisms that are rare or difficult to cultivate, and it can effectively help the diagnosis of clinically infectious pathogens.

Objective: To investigate the application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in detection of the rare or difficult-to-cultivate pathogens. Methods: One patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who went through allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) developed symptoms of infection after transplantation. Conventional microbial culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and mNGS combined with biological information analysis were performed with plasma and cerebrospinal fluid samples, the anti-infective treatment was adjusted according to the test results, and the efficacy was assessed. Results: No suspected pathogens were detected by microbial culture and PCR in the cerebrospinal fluid and plasma samples since the patient developed infection symptoms. However, Legionella pneumophila was analyzed by mNGS in the cerebrospinal fluid specimen on day 23 after allo-HSCT (reads count: 19 655), and it was considered as the principal pathogen after comprehensively evaluating the patient's clinical manifestations and the test results. Then the antimicrobial treatments were adjusted according to the patient's clinical manifestations and laboratory test results, and the number of gene sequences of Legionella pneumophila was monitored by mNGS method. Azithromycin, tigecycline, and other antibiotics effective for Legionella pneumophila were used after detecting this pathogen. A total of 15 mNGS analysis were performed during the 5-month period, and the highest number of Legionella pneumophila sequences monitored in the cerebrospinal fluid was 2 226, the lowest was 253 and eventually turned negative. The clinical symptoms and treatment outcomes were consistent with the mNGS monitoring results. Conclusions The mNGS technology has significant value in detection of the rare and difficult-to-cultivate pathogens. The mNGS technology provides a valuable supplement to microbial culture and PCR methods.

Objective To investigate the clinical and molecular biological characteristics of mixed_phenotypic acute leukemia (MPAL) with SET_NUP214 fusion gene positive and extramedullary infiltration. Methods The clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of one MPAL patient with SET_NUP214 and extramedullary infiltration who was admitted to Hebei Yanda Ludaopei Hospital in November 2017 were analyzed, and the literature was reviewed. Results The patient was diagnosed as MPAL with extramedullary infiltration. Gene detection found SET exon7_NUP214 exon17 fusion positive accompanied with PHF6, SRSF2 and NRAS mutations. After intensive chemotherapy, the patient achieved complete remission, and then received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), followed by early extramedullary relapse after transplantation, and achieved secondary remission after consolidation chemotherapy. Conclusions MPAL with SET_NUP214 fusion gene positive and extramedullary infiltration has a poor prognosis, and it is easy to relapse. Currently, HSCT is the best available treatment strategy for such patients.