Background and aims:Clinical data regarding patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB)after Omicron BA.5 infection are currently limited.This study aimed to assess the clinical characteristics of patients with CHB and Omicron BA.5 infection in South China.Methods:This retrospective study was conducted from January to March 2023 in a cohort of 485 healthy individuals and 553 patients with CHB.Clinical features,encompassing COVID-19-related symptoms,levels of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)antibodies,vaccination status,liver functions,and virological markers of hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection were measured.Results:COVID-19-related symptom patterns were similar in both groups,except for fever,which was notably less prevalent(85.4％vs.90.4％,P=0.047)among patients with CHB who experienced a significantly shorter duration of fever(median 2.2(25th-75th percentile,1.0-3.0)days vs.2.3(1.0-3.0)days,P=0.048)and a shorter time for symptom relief(9.2(5.0-14.0)vs.11.1(5.0-14.0)days,P=0.015).The levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were comparable between the two groups but increased after booster vaccinations.In patients with CHB,globulin(GLB)and hepatitis B envelope antibody levels were significantly increased after Omicron BA.5 infection,regardless of nucleos(t)ide analog regimens comparing entecavir(ETV)with tenofovir(TFV).Patients with CHB treated with TFV had significantly higher levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies than those treated with ETV(1065.1(346.9-1188.5)COI vs.765.5(24.5-1119.1)COI,P=0.025).Conclusions:No significant exacerbation of COVID-19 symptoms was observed in conjunction with the efficacy of COVID-19 booster vaccinations.There were no notable alterations in liver functions except for GLB.HBV reactivation,as evidenced by increased HBV DNA,was observed among patients with CHB after Omicron BA.5 infection.These changes were not affected by ETV versus TFV administration;however,TFV resulted in a significant increase in SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels.Further studies are required to improve care and therapeutics for patients with CHB who contracted COVID-19.

Objective To observe the levels of serum NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3),cysteine protease 1(Caspase-1),and interleukin 1β(IL-1β)in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)and to explore their correlation with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome types,thus to assess the significance of NLRP3,Caspase-1 and IL-1β in TCM syndrome differentiation.Methods A total of 110 cases of SLE patients who met the inclusion criteria and 30 cases of healthy physical examinee from Linhai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine during October 2020 to March 2024 were enrolled into the study.The serum NLRP3,Caspase-1,IL-1β levels of the two groups were compared,and the correlation between serum NLRP3,Caspase-1,IL-1β levels and the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index(SLEDAI)scores was analyzed.Moreover,the distribution of the TCM syndrome types in 110 cases of SLE patients was investigated and then the correlation between TCM syndrome types and serum NLRP3,Caspase-1,and IL-1β levels in SLE patients was explored.Results(1)The serum NLRP3 and Caspase-1 levels of patients in SLE group were lower than those of healthy control group,and the serum IL-1β level was higher than that of healthy control group,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Spearman's correlation analysis showed that the SLEDAI score was negatively correlated with both of NLRP3 and Caspase-1(r=-0.854,-0.599,P<0.01),and SLEDAI score was positively correlated with IL-1β(r=0.584,P<0.01).(2)The TCM syndrome types in 110 cases of SLE patients ranking in descending order were as follows:excessive heat toxin syndrome(33.64%)>yang deficiency of spleen and kidney syndrome(25.45%)>internal heat due to yin deficiency syndrome(24.55%)>yin deficiency of liver and kidney syndrome(16.36%).(3)The serum NLRP3 and Caspase-1 levels were in ascending order while the serum IL-1β level was in descending order in SLE patients with the TCM syndrome types of excessive heat toxin syndrome,internal heat due to yin deficiency syndrome,yang deficiency of spleen and kidney syndrome,yin deficiency of liver and kidney syndrome,respectively.And the differences were all statistically significant(P<0.05).(4)The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum NLRP3 and caspase-1 levels were negatively correlated with syndromes of yin deficiency of liver and kidney,yang deficiency of spleen and kidney,internal heat due to yin deficiency,and excessive heat toxin(P<0.05 or P<0.01),while serum IL-1β level was positively correlated with the above syndromes(P<0.05).Conclusion Serum NLRP3 and Caspase-1 levels in SLE patients are negatively correlated with the disease activity,and serum IL-1β level is positively correlated with the disease activity.There is a certain correlation between TCM syndrome types and NLRP3,Caspase-1 and IL-1β levels in SLE patients,indicating that NLRP3,Caspase-1 and IL-1β may be the potential biological indicators for TCM syndrome differentiation of SLE.

Objective To analyze the clinical efficacy of low temperature plasma radiofrequency ablation(RFA)combined with nasal irrigation in the treatment of allergic rhinitis(AR)with nasal septal deviation.Methods A total of 120 AR patients with nasal septal deviation who were diagnosed and treated in Taikang Xianlin Drum Tower Hospital from August 2018 to December 2022 were selected as research objects.They were assigned to observation group or control group according to random number table method,with 60 cases in each group.The control group received nasal irrigation,and the observation group received low temperature plasma RFA and nasal irrigation.The efficacy,immunity,inflammation,quality of life,safety and prognosis were compared between the two groups.Results The observation group had better curative effect than the control group(P<0.05).The natural killer(NK)cells were increased,and the levels of immunoglobulin G(IgE),thymic stromal lymphopoietin(TSLP),hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1)and fractional exhaled nitric oxide(FeNO)were decreased in both groups after treatment.The level of NK cells in the observation group was higher than that in the control group after treatment,and the levels of IgE,TSLP,HIF-1,and FeNO in the observation group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).After treatment,the rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire(RQLQ)scores decreased in both groups,and the scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in safety between the two groups(P>0.05).The control group had higher recurrence rate than the observation group(P<0.05).Conclusion Low temperature plasma RFA combined with nasal irrigation can effectively improve the immune function and inflammation of AR patients with nasal septal deviation,thereby improving the efficacy and quality of life,and reducing the recurrence rate,with high safety.

Objective To explore the risk factors of cardiomyopathy in patients with diabetes and their correlations with the levels of serum fork head box protein O1(FOXO1),growth differentiation factor 11(GDF11),and matrix metalloproteinase-3(MMP3).Methods 200 patients with diabetes complicated with cardiomyopathy and 200 patients with simple diabetes admitted to the People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from September 2023 to April 2025 were selected to detect serum FOXO1,GDF11 and MMP3 levels,analyze their correlation with cardiac function parameters,screen risk factors through multifactor logistic regression,construct a nomogram model and a receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,and evaluate the diagnostic value.Results The duration of diabetes cardiomyopathy group≥10 years,the expression rate of reactive oxygen species(ROS)≥90%,the insulin resistance index and the levels of FOXO1 and MMP3 were significantly higher than those in the simple diabetes group(P<0.05),and the level of GDF11 was lower than that in the simple diabetes group(P<0.05).FOXO1 and MMP3 were positively correlated with E/e'and negatively correlated with LVEF and E/A;GDF11 was negatively correlated with E/e'and positively correlated with LVEF and E/A(P<0.05).The nomogram model showed that the weights of the influencing factors were GDF11,FOXO1,insulin resistance index,MMP3,ROS expression rate,and the course of diabetes.The model calibration was good(χ2=7.336,P=0.719).The combined diagnostic AUC of FOXO1,GDF11,and MMP3 was 0.950,which was better than that of a single indicator(P<0.05).Conclusion GDF11,FOXO1,Insulin resistance index,MMP3,ROS expression rate and the course of diabetes are risk factors for diabetes cardiomyopathy,and the combination of the three is of high diagnostic value.

The level of urinary albumin is a critical indicator for the early diagnosis and management of chronic kidney disease(CKD).However,existing methods for detecting albumin are not conducive to point-of-care testing due to the complexity of reagent addition and incubation processes.This study presents a smartphone-integrated handheld automated biochemical analyzer(sHABA)designed for point-of-care testing of urinary albumin.The sHABA features a pre-loaded,disposable reagent cassette with re-agents for the albumin assay arranged in the order of their addition within a hose.The smartphone-integrated analyzer can drive the reagents following a preset program,to enable automatic sequential addition.The sHABA has a detection limit for albumin of 5.9 mg/L and a linear detection range from 7 to 450 mg/L.The consistency of albumin level detection in 931 urine samples using sHABA with clinical tests indicates good sensitivity(95.78％)and specificity(90.16％).This research advances the field by providing an automated detection method for albumin in a portable device,allowing even untrained individuals to monitor CKD in real time at the patient's bedside.In the context of promoting tiered diagnosis and treatment,the sHABA has the potential to become an essential tool for the early diagnosis and comprehensive management of CKD and other chronic conditions.

The NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome is essential in innate immune-mediated inflammation,with its overactivation implicated in various autoinflammatory,metabolic,and neurode-generative diseases.Pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 offers a promising treatment strategy for in-flammatory conditions,although no medications targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome are currently available.This study demonstrates that clioquinol(CQ),a clinical drug with chelating properties,effec-tively inhibits NLRP3 activation,resulting in reduced cytokine secretion and cell pyroptosis in both human and mouse macrophages,with a half maximal inhibitory concentration(IC50)of 0.478 μM.Additionally,CQ mitigates experimental acute peritonitis,gouty arthritis,sepsis,and colitis by lowering serum levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β),IL-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α).Mechanistically,CQ covalently binds to Arginine 335(R335)in the NACHT domain,inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and blocking the interaction between NLRP3 and its component protein.Collectively,this study identifies CQ as an effective natural NLRP3 inhibitor and a potential therapeutic agent for NLRP3-driven diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the pathogenic mechanism of a child with Waardenburg syndrome type 4C due to a c.661_664dup (p.P222Lfs*60) variant of SOX10 gene through in vitro experiments. METHODS: A child diagnosed at the Handan First Hospital was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the child was collected. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the child and his parents. Following extraction of genomic DNA, trio-whole exome sequencing was carried out. Pathogenicity of candidate variant was determined by bioinformatic analysis and reference to the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. Expression plasmids of wild-type SOX10 and the c.661_664dup (p.P222Lfs*60) variant were constructed and transiently transfected into 293T cells to determine the expression at the RNA and protein levels. The 293T cells transiently transfected with the wild-type/mutant SOX10 were treated with 10 ug/mL cycloheximide (CHX) for 0, 4, 8, 24 h, respectively, and the degradation rate of target protein was detected by Western blotting assay. This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Handan First Hospital (Ethics No. HDYY-LW-25053). RESULTS: The child was found to harbor a heterozygous c.661_664dup (p.P222Lfs*60) variant of the SOX10 gene, which was unreported previously. The variant did not significantly alter the expression of SOX10 at the mRNA level but the protein level. After the CHX treatment, the degradation of mutant SOX10 protein had slowed down. CONCLUSION The mutant SOX10 may affect the expression of downstream genes by affecting the degradation rate of its protein product.
Humans ; HEK293 Cells ; Mutation ; SOXE Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Waardenburg Syndrome/genetics* ; Child

[Purpose]To analyze the trends of brain tumor incidence and age of onset in cancer registration areas of Jiangsu Province from 2009 to 2019.[Methods]The incidence data of brain tumors from 2009 to 2019 were obtained from 16 national cancer registration areas of Jiangsu Province.The crude incidence rate,age-standardized incidence rate by Chinese standard popula-tion(ASIRC),average age of onset,standardized age-specific incidence rate,and annual average percentage change(AAPC)by sexes and regions were calculated.[Results]The incidence rate of brain tumor in Jiangsu Province from 2009 to 2019 showed an increasing trend(AAPC=4.12％,95％CI:3.31％～4.95％),and the increase in female(AAPC=5.79％,95％CI:4.44％～7.15％)was higher than that in male(AAPC=2.31％,95％CI:1.66％～2.97％);and the increase in urban areas(AAPC=4.84％,95％CI:3.52％～6.18％)was higher than that in rural areas(AAPC=3.04％,95％CI:2.12％～3.98％).The ASIRC also showed an increasing trend(AAPC=2.14％,95％CI:1.27％～3.02％).Birth cohort analysis showed that within the same age group,the incidence rate of brain tumors increased with increasing birth years.The average age of onset for crude incidence showed a delaying trend of 0.43 years old per year(t=7.09,P＜0.001);that for ASIRC was 0.20 years old per year(t=3.33,P=0.009).The proportion of patients in the age group of 60 years old and above increased from 35.79％in 2009 to 44.18％in 2019.[Conclusion]The incidence of brain tumor in cancer registration areas of Jiangsu Province showed an increasing trend from 2009 to 2019 with a delaying trend of average age of onset.

The dramatically rising incidence of chronic diseases decreases quality of life, increases complications and all-cause mortality, and raises medical costs. Scientifically sound nutritional therapy is currently the most affordable and safest basic treatment for patients with chronic diseases, as it can help improve nutritional status, clinical outcomes, quality of life, and survival rates for patients with chronic diseases. The Nutrition Oncology Branch of Chinese Nutrition Society has developed the Expert consensus on nutritional therapy for patients with common chronic diseases (2025) based on the latest research evidence, clinical practice, and clinical nutrition guidelines to inform the nutritional diagnosis and treatment of chronic disease.

Cross-border teaching provides new opportunities for college students to gain diverse insights amid the globalization and internationalized education, In July 2024, guided by the Chinese Association for Science and Technology, the Chinese Nutrition Society and the Hong Kong Nutrition Association collaborated to host a three-week clinical nutrition internship at Peking Union Medical College Hospital for five college students from Hong Kong SAR, China. This program included participating in outpatient rounds, attending in inpatient nutrition management, and attending lectures, aiming to enhance students' professional skills and clinical experience. Cultural exchange and value-based education also enriched students' social responsibility and cultural understanding. The Hong Kong students also brought diverse cultural backgrounds and inputs, enabling multidimensional communication during the training. Post-internship feedback survey showed that the students found the inernship valuable for their career development and hoped for more learning opportunities. This cross-border high-quality internship program fostered skill enhancement, cultural exchange between young students in Beijing and Hong Kong and contributed to advancement of clinical nutrition.