Objective To investigate the distribution characteristics of pathogens causing infections within 90 days after liver transplantation and the influencing factors of infection. Methods Clinical data of 176 recipients who underwent liver transplantation at the Liver Transplant Center of Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from September 2021 to August 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into the infection group (n=124) and the non-infection group (n=52) based on whether they developed infection within 90 days after transplantation. The distribution characteristics of pathogens in infected patients were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to explore the influencing factors of infection. Results Among the 176 liver transplant recipients, 124 cases developed 243 episodes of 518 bacterial, fungal, viral or mycoplasma infections within 90 days after transplantation, with an overall infection rate of 70.5% (124/176). The composition of pathogens was mainly Gram-negative bacteria (38.6%, 200/518), followed by Gram-positive bacteria (32.2%, 167/518) and viruses (15.4%, 80/518), and fungi accounted for 13.1% (68/518). Among Gram-negative bacteria, the main pathogen was Klebsiella pneumoniae (6.8%, 35/518), and among Gram-positive bacteria, the main pathogen was Enterococcus faecalis (8.5%, 44/518). Viruses included Epstein-Barr virus (3.7%, 19/518) and cytomegalovirus (3.7%, 19/518), and fungi were mainly Candida albicans (6.8%, 35/518). The most common infection site among the 243 episodes was pulmonary infection (42.0%, 102/243), followed by abdominal infection (22.6%, 55/243) and bloodstream infection (18.1%, 44/243). The infections mainly occurred within 2 weeks after transplantation (60.9%, 148/243). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that preoperative infection within 2 weeks, a high preoperative model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, and preoperative sarcopenia were independent risk factors for infection within 90 days after liver transplantation (all odds ratio>1, P<0.05). After multivariate correction, the levels of CD4⁺T cells and CD8⁺T cells within 90 days after surgery were independently associated with the occurrence of infection. Low levels of CD4⁺T cells and CD8⁺T cells might be related to an increased risk of infection. Conclusions The infection rate after liver transplantation is high, and the pathogens are mainly Gram-negative bacteria. The lungs are the most common infection site. Preoperative MELD score, preoperative sarcopenia and preoperative infection within 2 weeks are independent risk factors for infection within 90 days after liver transplantation. Regular monitoring of immune indicators CD4⁺T cells and CD8⁺T cells levels after transplantation is helpful to reduce the occurrence of post-transplantation infection.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects and mechanism of the Yishen paidu formula on renal fibrosis in rats with chronic renal failure （CRF） through the reactive oxygen species （ROS）/thioredoxin-interacting protein （TXNIP）/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 （NLRP3） pathway. METHODS Rats were randomly divided into control group， model group， Yishen paidu formula low-dose （Yishen paidu formula-L） group， Yishen paidu formula high-dose （Yishen paidu formula- H） group， Yishen paidu formula-H+pcDNA-NC group， and Yishen paidu formula-H+ pcDNA-TXNIP group， with 10 rats in each group. Except for control group， all other rats were fed a diet containing 0.5% adenine to establish a CRF model； the rats were then administered corresponding drugs or normal saline intragastrically or via tail vein， once daily， for 8 consecutive weeks. After the last administration， the levels of serum creatinine （Scr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， ROS， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin （IL）-6， and IL-1β were measured in each group. Pathological changes in renal tissue were observed， and the protein expression levels of Collagen Ⅲ， α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， transforming growth factor-β1 （TGF-β1）， TXNIP and NLRP3 in renal tissue were detected. RESULTS Compared with model group， the renal histopathological damage and fibrosis of rats in Yishen paidu formula-L group and Yishen paidu formula-H group were significantly alleviated. The levels of Scr， BUN， ROS， MDA， TNF- α， IL-6 and IL-1β， and the protein expressions of Collagen Ⅲ， α-SMA， TGF-β1， TXNIP and NLRP3 were significantly decreased， while SOD levels were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Moreover， the changes were more pronounced in the Yishen paidu formula-H group （P＜0.05）. Compared with Yishen paidu formula-H+pcDNA-NC group， above indexes of rats in Yishen paidu formula-H+pcDNA-TXNIP group were reversed significantly （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Yishen paidu formula can inhibit renal fibrosis in CRF rats by suppressing the ROS/TXNIP/NLRP3 pathway.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to investigate the traditional Chinese medicine syndrome types in patients with chronic hepatitis B （CHB） complicated by metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） and explore the correlations between these syndrome types and clinical indicators， as well as ocular manifestation characteristics， thereby providing a reference for syndrome differentiation and treatment strategies in traditional Chinese medicine. MethodsGeneral data， information from the four diagnostic methods of traditional Chinese medicine， clinical indicators， and ocular manifestation data were collected from 506 patients with CHB complicated by MAFLD enrolled at the Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu between June 2024 and December 2024. Cluster analysis， principal component analysis， and complex network models were employed to identify the distribution patterns of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes. Correlations between different syndrome types and clinical indicators， as well as ocular manifestation characteristics， were further analyzed. ResultsThe predominant syndromes identified in patients with CHB complicated by MAFLD were dampness and heat accumulation （51.58%）， liver depression with spleen deficiency （31.62%）， blood stasis obstructing collaterals （8.89%）， and Qi-Yin deficiency （7.91%）. No statistically significant differences were found among the four syndrome types in routine blood tests and liver function indicators. However， patients with the dampness and heat accumulation type exhibited significantly higher levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， liver stiffness measurement （LSM）， controlled attenuation parameter （CAP）， and alpha-fetoprotein （AFP）， along with lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， compared with those with other syndrome types. Regarding ocular manifestations， the incidence of moon halo signs was significantly higher in patients with the blood stasis obstructing collaterals type than in those with other syndrome types. Additionally， the incidence in scleral zone 3 （corresponding to the large intestine） was higher in patients with the damp and heat accumulation type. ConclusionDampness and heat accumulation is the core syndrome type in patients with CHB complicated by MAFLD， commonly accompanied by spleen deficiency， liver depression， blood stasis， and Yin deficiency. A complex syndrome pattern characterized by a predominance of dampness and heat， along with a mixture of deficiency and excess， is formed. Different traditional Chinese medicine syndrome types are associated with distinct clinical indicators and ocular manifestation characteristics. Among them， patients with the dampness and heat accumulation type exhibit more pronounced metabolic disturbances and liver injury， whereas those with the blood stasis type show a higher incidence of moon halo signs. Abnormalities in scleral zone 3 are also more prevalent in patients with dampness and heat type.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to investigate the distribution patterns of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in patients with chronic hepatitis B （CHB） comorbid with metabolically associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） and analyze their correlation with clinical characteristics and the progression of liver fibrosis. MethodsA cross-sectional study method was employed， and 506 patients with CHB comorbid with MAFLD who attended the Hepatology Outpatient Department of Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu from June 2024 to December 2024 were enrolled. General information， traditional Chinese medicine syndromes information， laboratory indicators， and imaging examination results were collected using case report forms （CRF）. Tongue images of patients were acquired using a tongue diagnosis instrument， and tongue feature parameters were extracted using computer image processing technology. Frequency analysis， factor analysis， and cluster analysis， and other methods were used to explore syndrome categories and distribution patterns. Non-parametric tests were used to compare the differences in clinical characteristics among different syndromes. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the correlation between traditional Chinese medicine syndromes and the progression of liver fibrosis. ResultsThe main traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in patients with CHB comorbid with MAFLD were mainly dominated by damp-heat accumulation syndrome， liver stagnation and spleen deficiency syndrome， and phlegm-blood stasis syndrome， with damp-heat accumulation syndrome accounting for the highest proportion （41.89%）. Compared with those without damp-heat accumulation syndrome， patients with damp-heat accumulation syndrome had significantly lower tongue proper H value， tongue coating H value， and tongue coating a^* value （P<0.05）， significantly higher tongue coating b^* value （P<0.05）， significantly increased levels of white blood cell （WBC）， red blood cell （RBC）， hemoglobin （HGB）， and glucose （GLU）， increased CAP values （P<0.05）， a higher proportion of males （P<0.05）， and a younger age （P<0.05）. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses show that age， hepatitis B surface antigen （HBsAg）， diabetes， and damp-heat accumulation syndrome are independent risk factors for liver fibrosis （P<0.05）， and that damp-heat accumulation syndrome is predominantly distributed in liver fibrosis stage F0-F1. ConclusionDamp-heat accumulation syndrome is a typical syndrome in patients with CHB comorbid with MAFLD， which is significantly associated with enhanced inflammatory response， metabolic disorders， and early liver fibrosis， and is a key link in disease progression. Clinical attention and early intervention are needed.

Objective: To explore the association between vitamin D levels and sleep in children and adolescents，so as to provide a reference for promoting the sleep health of children and adolescents. Methods: From October to December, 2021, 4 827 primary and middle school students aged 6-17 in Shenzhen were selected by multistage cluster random sampling method, and their demographic information, family background, lifestyle and sleep status were obtained by facetoface questionnaire survey, and their fasting venous blood in the morning was collected to detect the serum 25(OH)D level. The relationship between serum vitamin D level and sleep characteristics was analyzed by binary Logistic regression, and stratified analysis was carried out according to gender. Results: The proportion of vitamin D deficiency was 41.1%, and the proportion of sleep deficiency was 19.4%. With the increase of vitamin D level, daily sleep duration of children and adolescents tended to increase (r=0.10,P<0.01). After adjusting for covariates such as gender and age, it was found that children and adolescents with insufficient vitamin D levels were more likely to experience sleep insufficiency, social jetlag, and late sleep on weekdays, with ORs being 1.32(95%CI=1.12-1.56), 1.35(95%CI=1.19-1.54), and 1.26(95%CI=1.05-1.52)(P<0.05). Sexstratified analysis showed that, among boys, vitamin D deficiency was associated with sleep deficiency, social jetlag, and late bedtime on weekdays and weekends[OR(95%CI)=1.42(1.14-1.77),1.25(1.04-1.49),1.39(1.06-1.82),1.86(1.19-2.92),P<0.05]. In girls, however, serum vitamin D levels were only associated with social jetlag with OR being 1.47 (95%CI=1.21-1.79, P<0.05). Conclusion Vitamin D levels are associated with various sleep characteristics in children and adolescents, with this association being more pronounced among boys.

Objective To analyze the virus subtypes, molecular evolutional and molecular transmission network features of the first confirmed mpox case in Huai’an City, Jiangsu Province, so as to provide insights into understanding of the transmission and evolution dynamics of mpox virus and formulation of the mpox control strategy in the city. Methods Genomic DNA was extracted from swabs of the first confirmed mpox case’s skin lesions in Huai’an City, and the amplicon sequencing library was constructed using the hypersensitive mpox virus whole-genome capture kit. High-throughput sequencing was performed using the GridION X5 nanopore sequencer on the Nanopore sequencing platform, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis of mpox virus genome sequences was performed following sequence assembly. In addition, phylogenetic analysis, genetic genealogy and molecular traceability analysis were performed. Results The virus whole genome sequence of the first confirmed mpox case was successfully obtained by high-throughput sequencing, with a full length of 197 182 bp, and was named hMpxV/China/JS-HA01/2023, which belonged to the clade IIb (West African clade) lineage B.1.3. Compared with the mpox virus reference sequence MPXV-M5312_HM12_Rivers-001 (GenBank accession number: NC_063383), the genome sequence of the Huai’an virus isolate carried 86 SNPs, including 40 SNPs in the coding region as non-synonymous mutations and 73 SNPs as nucleotide mutations caused by APOBEC3 (APOBEC3). Of the 97 mpox virus gene sequences, 79 sequences were included in the molecular network (81.44%), and the threshold of the genetic distance accessed to the network was 0.35/10⁵. There were two large molecular transmission clusters and one scattered cluster in the molecular transmission network of the mpox virus, andthehMpxV/China/JS-HA01/2023 sequence was located in the large cluster. The 97 gene sequences formed 92 haplotypes, including three shared haplotypes Hap_4, Hap_6 and Hap_38, and an exclusive haplotype Hap_1 of hMpxV/China/JS-HA01/2023 generated from mutation of the exclusive haplotype Hap_43, while the exclusive haplotype Hap_43 was generated from mutation of the shared haplotype Hap_38. Conclusions The whole genome sequence of the mpox virus isolated from the first confirmed mpox case in Huai’an City has been successfully obtained, and the molecular evolutionary and molecular transmission network characteristics of the virus have been preliminarily understood.

Urinary incontinence is a common complication following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Urethral length has been identified as a factor affecting postoperative continence recovery. In this meta-analysis, we examined the association between use of the maximal urethral length preservation (MULP) technique and postoperative urinary continence in patients undergoing RARP. We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library up to December 31, 2023. The quality of the literature was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to synthesize data and calculate the odds ratio (OR) from eligible studies on continence and MULP. Six studies involving 1869 patients met the eligibility criteria. MULP was positively associated with both early continence (1 month after RARP; Z = 3.62, P = 0.003, OR = 3.10, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.68-5.73) and late continence (12 months after RARP; Z = 2.34, P = 0.019, OR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.13-3.90). Oncological outcomes indicated that MULP did not increase the overall positive surgical margin rate or the positive surgical margin status at the prostate apex (both P > 0.05). In conclusion, the use of the MULP technique in RARP significantly improved both early and late postoperative continence outcomes without compromising oncological outcomes.
Humans ; Prostatectomy/adverse effects* ; Robotic Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Male ; Urethra/surgery* ; Urinary Incontinence/prevention & control* ; Postoperative Complications/etiology* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/surgery* ; Organ Sparing Treatments/methods*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of histone deacetylase (HDAC) levels on the proliferation and apoptosis of Burkitt lymphoma cells, and the changes in related signaling molecules in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, so as to explore the pathogenesis of Burkitt lymphoma. METHODS: HDAC levels in Burkitt lymphoma were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. CA46 and RAJI cells were treated with the HDAC selective inhibitor VPA. CCK8 assay was used to detect the proliferation ability of cells. Western Blot was used to measure the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway proteins and their phosphorylation levels. RESULTS: The expression levels of classⅠ HDAC in Burkitt lymphoma were higher than those in normal cells, and the HDAC1 inhibitor VPA could inhibit the proliferation of CA46 and RAJI cells. VPA decreased HDAC expression in CA46 and RAJI cells, inhibited the phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway molecules AKT and p70S6K, increased the expression of apoptotic proteins Cleaved Caspase-3, Cleaved Caspase-8, Cleaved Caspase-9 and Bax, and decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and PARP. CONCLUSION Inhibition of HDAC activity can Attenuate the proliferation of Burkitt lymphoma cells and induce apoptosis by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway activity.
Humans ; Burkitt Lymphoma/pathology* ; Apoptosis ; Cell Proliferation ; Signal Transduction ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Histone Deacetylases/metabolism* ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors/pharmacology* ; Phosphorylation

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as the predominant histological subtype of lung cancer, accounts for approximately 85% of all lung cancer cases. In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), represented by programmed death 1/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitors, have achieved breakthrough advancements in patients with driver gene-negative NSCLC. They have been established as a key component of first-line treatment regimens and have significantly improved clinical outcomes. However, limited clinical evidence has emerged showing the phenomenon of histological transformation from NSCLC to small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in patients experiencing disease progression after ICIs monotherapy or combination therapy. Systematic research data on the clinical characteristics, molecular biological basis, and subsequent treatment strategies for such transformation events are currently lacking. This article reports a case of SCLC transformation occurring in a patient with KRAS-mutated lung adenocarcinoma after 16 months of ICIs combination therapy and provides a systematic review of 22 similar published cases. The study demonstrates that small cell transformation is a critical mechanism of immunotherapy resistance, and transformed patients exhibit poor prognosis. The research emphasizes the importance of dynamic monitoring of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and standardized repeat biopsies during treatment, providing a basis for clinical practice. This aids in enhancing the recognition and management capabilities for this rare histological transformation, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
Humans ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Lung Neoplasms/immunology* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/immunology* ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma/genetics* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Female

The Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) control natural killer (NK) cells development and cytotoxic functions, however, whether long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in this pathway remains unknown. We found that miR155HG was elevated in activated NK cells and promoted their proliferation and effector functions in both NK92 and induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-derived NK (iPSC-NK) cells, without reliance on its derived miR-155 and micropeptide P155. Mechanistically, miR155HG bound to miR-6756 and relieved its repression of JAK3 expression, thereby promoting the JAK-STAT pathway and enhancing NK cell proliferation and function. Further investigations disclosed that upon cytokine stimulation, STAT3 directly interacts with miR155HG promoter and induces miR155HG transcription. Collectively, we identify a miR155HG-mediated positive feedback loop of the JAK-STAT signaling. Our study will also provide a power target regarding miR155HG for improving NK cell generation and effector function in the field of NK cell adoptive transfer therapy against cancer, especially iPSC-derived NK cells.