Objective:To investigate the clinical and chest computed tomography (CT) findings of children with drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (DR-PTB) and drug-sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis (DS-PTB) in Sichuan region.Methods:Active pulmonary tuberculosis children with positive sputum Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture were collected and divided into the drug-resistant and drug-sensitive groups according to the results of the drug susceptibility test who admitted to the Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu from January 2020 to October 2024. The general data such as age, ethnic, gender, initial or retreatment regimens, body mass index (BMI), clinical symptoms such as cough, sputum, fever, and chest CT features were compared between the two groups. Non-parametric rank sum test, chi-square test or Fisher′s exact probability method were used for comparison between groups. The CT risk factors for the development of DR-PTB were analyzed using binary logistic regression. Results:A total of 110 children were enrolled, including 44(40.00%) males and 66(60.00%) females, with the age of 13.00(12.00, 14.00) years (range from 5.00 to 14.00 years). There were 28 cases in drug-resistant group and 82 in drug-sensitive group. Comparison of the clinical data between the two groups showed that the percentages of retreated patients (25.00%(7/28)) and ethnic minorities (78.57%(22/28)) in the drug-resistant group were higher than those in the drug-sensitive group (1.22%(1/82) and 57.32%(47/82)), which were both statistically significant (Fisher′s exact probability method and χ2=4.03, respectively, both P<0.05). The age of the children in the drug-resistant group was 13.00 (12.00, 13.50) years, which was younger than the age of 13.00 (12.00, 14.00) years in the drug-sensitive group ( U=828.00, P=0.021). There were no statistically differences of gender, BMI, history of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination, history of exposure to tuberculosis patients, positive immunological diagnostic tests, and the incidences of cough, sputum, fever, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest pain between the two groups (all P>0.05). Chest CT signs showed that lung lesions involving both right and left lobes accounted for 53.57%(15/28) in the drug-resistant group, and the incidence of solid pulmonary parenchyma (including wall-less cavities) was 92.86%(26/28), which were both higher than those in the drug-sensitive group (15.85%(13/82) and 70.73%(58/82)), and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=6.95 and 5.66, respectively, both P<0.05). The incidence of small nodules/tree-in-bud pattern in the drug-sensitive group was higher than that in the drug-resistant group (98.78%(81/82) vs 82.14%(23/28)), and the difference was statistically significant (Fisher′s exact probability method, P=0.004). Binary logistic regression showed that bilateral lung involvement and solid pulmonary parenchyma (including wall-less cavities) were positively correlated with DR-PTB in children (odds ratio ( OR)=4.487, 95% confidence internal ( CI) 1.561 to 12.897, P=0.005 and OR=9.670, 95% CI 1.626 to 57.529, P=0.013, respectively). The occurence of small nodules/tree-in-bud was negatively correlated with DR-PTB in children ( OR=0.058, 95% CI 0.006 to 0.584, P=0.016). Conclusions:Among pulmonary tuberculosis children in Sichuan region, ethnic minorities and retreatment patients with DR-PTB are more common than thoses with DS-PTB. Chest CT findings of DR-PTB mainly show multiple solid pulmonary parenchyma with wall-less cavities, and the lesions often involve right and left lung lobes, whereas DS-PTB CT findings mainly show small nodules/tree-in-bud predominantly.

ObjectiveTo explore the metabolic changes during the development of Tupaia belangeri breast tumors, to investigate the close relationship between the changes of serum metabolic substances and the occurrence and progression of tumors, and to screen for biomarkers reflecting the progression of breast tumors. MethodsBreast tumors in Tupaia belangeri were induced by orally administering 7,12-dimethylbenzoanthracene (DMBA) three times, with a 15-day interval between each administration, along with a high-fat and high-sugar diet. The DMBA-induced breast cancer group and the DMBA-inducedwithout breast cancer group were compared with the control group. Untargeted determination of serum metabolites was performed using gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS) in DMBA-induced Tupaia belangeri with breast cancer, DMBA-induced without breast cancer and the control group. Multidimensional statistical analysis including unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA), and orthogonal partial least squares analysis (OPLS-DA) were conducted. Furthermore, t-test was used for intergroup differential comparison. Differential metabolites were screened under VIP>1 and P<0.05 conditions, and significantly changing differential metabolites were identified using the HMDB online database. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway database was utilized to enrich metabolic-related gene regulatory pathways. ResultsThe incidence of breast tumors was 40% in DMBA-induced Tupaia belangeri. Compared with the control group, 30 metabolic differential products were detected in the serum of the group with breast cancer, with 18 down-regulated and 12 up-regulated (VIP>1, P<0.05). KEGG pathway analysis revealed significant changes in four metabolic pathways: glutamate metabolism, glyceride metabolism, citric acid cycle, and alanine metabolism. Compared with the group without breast cancer, 18 metabolic differential products were detected, with 7 down-regulated and 11 up-regulated (VIP>1, P<0.05). KEGG pathway analysis revealed significant changes in the citric acid cycle and glutamate metabolism. Compared with the control group, 31 metabolic differential products were detected in the serum of the groups without breast cancer, with 14 down-regulated and 17 up-regulated (VIP>1, P<0.05). KEGG pathway analysis revealed significant changes in three metabolic pathways: glutamate metabolism, glyceride metabolism, and citric acid cycle. ConclusionMetabolomics analysis can reveal the characteristics of changes in metabolites in the serum of breast tumors. The results suggest that glutamate metabolism, glyceride metabolism, citric acid cycle, and alanine metabolism pathways are associated with the occurrence and development of DMBA-induced breast tumors in Tupaia belangeri. It provides a foundation for further research into the biological mechanism of breast cancer.

Objective:To investigate the clinical and chest computed tomography (CT) findings of children with drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (DR-PTB) and drug-sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis (DS-PTB) in Sichuan region.Methods:Active pulmonary tuberculosis children with positive sputum Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture were collected and divided into the drug-resistant and drug-sensitive groups according to the results of the drug susceptibility test who admitted to the Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu from January 2020 to October 2024. The general data such as age, ethnic, gender, initial or retreatment regimens, body mass index (BMI), clinical symptoms such as cough, sputum, fever, and chest CT features were compared between the two groups. Non-parametric rank sum test, chi-square test or Fisher′s exact probability method were used for comparison between groups. The CT risk factors for the development of DR-PTB were analyzed using binary logistic regression. Results:A total of 110 children were enrolled, including 44(40.00%) males and 66(60.00%) females, with the age of 13.00(12.00, 14.00) years (range from 5.00 to 14.00 years). There were 28 cases in drug-resistant group and 82 in drug-sensitive group. Comparison of the clinical data between the two groups showed that the percentages of retreated patients (25.00%(7/28)) and ethnic minorities (78.57%(22/28)) in the drug-resistant group were higher than those in the drug-sensitive group (1.22%(1/82) and 57.32%(47/82)), which were both statistically significant (Fisher′s exact probability method and χ2=4.03, respectively, both P<0.05). The age of the children in the drug-resistant group was 13.00 (12.00, 13.50) years, which was younger than the age of 13.00 (12.00, 14.00) years in the drug-sensitive group ( U=828.00, P=0.021). There were no statistically differences of gender, BMI, history of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination, history of exposure to tuberculosis patients, positive immunological diagnostic tests, and the incidences of cough, sputum, fever, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest pain between the two groups (all P>0.05). Chest CT signs showed that lung lesions involving both right and left lobes accounted for 53.57%(15/28) in the drug-resistant group, and the incidence of solid pulmonary parenchyma (including wall-less cavities) was 92.86%(26/28), which were both higher than those in the drug-sensitive group (15.85%(13/82) and 70.73%(58/82)), and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=6.95 and 5.66, respectively, both P<0.05). The incidence of small nodules/tree-in-bud pattern in the drug-sensitive group was higher than that in the drug-resistant group (98.78%(81/82) vs 82.14%(23/28)), and the difference was statistically significant (Fisher′s exact probability method, P=0.004). Binary logistic regression showed that bilateral lung involvement and solid pulmonary parenchyma (including wall-less cavities) were positively correlated with DR-PTB in children (odds ratio ( OR)=4.487, 95% confidence internal ( CI) 1.561 to 12.897, P=0.005 and OR=9.670, 95% CI 1.626 to 57.529, P=0.013, respectively). The occurence of small nodules/tree-in-bud was negatively correlated with DR-PTB in children ( OR=0.058, 95% CI 0.006 to 0.584, P=0.016). Conclusions:Among pulmonary tuberculosis children in Sichuan region, ethnic minorities and retreatment patients with DR-PTB are more common than thoses with DS-PTB. Chest CT findings of DR-PTB mainly show multiple solid pulmonary parenchyma with wall-less cavities, and the lesions often involve right and left lung lobes, whereas DS-PTB CT findings mainly show small nodules/tree-in-bud predominantly.

Stem cell is critical to regeneration of tissue or organ of human. How to promote repair or regeneration in the tissues/organ using its pluripotency is always an important issue. Lgr5-possitive cell is one type of the stem cell-like cells capable of pluripotent differentiation in various tissues/organs of both humans and mice. Current study showed that single or small amount Lgr5-possitive stem cells can grow and form a plurality of organs in 3D culture system, and some organs can present similar biological and physiological properties with the progenitor they were derived. These studies provided new insight into future orientation, for example, Lgr5-possitive inner ear cells were confirmed as inner ear pluripotent cells population, the experiences obtained from organoid studies of Lgr5-possitive cells have certainly showed potential in the future study of inner ear stem cells. This review will focus on the recent progress associated with Lgr 5-positive stem cells forming organoids in the 3D culture.