BackgroundAggressive behavior in schizophrenic patients could result in legal disputes and public safety concerns. In patients with illness episodes of different numbers， there may exist differences in the association between levels of novel inflammatory indicators and aggressivity. ObjectiveTo investigate the differences in the correlation between levels of novel inflammatory indicators and aggressivity in patients with first-episode and recurrent schizophrenia， in order to search for inflammatory biomarkers to assess aggression level in schizophrenic patients. MethodsA total of 168 schizophrenic patients were selected as subjects， who were hospitalized for acute disease onset in Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University from October 2022 to April 2024 as well as met the diagnostic criteria of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5）. Patients were divided into first-episode group （n=58） and recurrent group （n=110）. Meanwhile， 110 healthy controls from community who matched in age and gender with the patient group were recruited. All patients were evaluated with Modified Overt Aggression Scale （MOAS） and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale （PANSS）. All subjects went through examination of the levels of novel inflammatory indicators， including neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio （NLR）， monocyte/lymphocyte ratio （MLR）， platelet/lymphocyte ratio （PLR）， neutrophil/high-density lipoprotein ratio （NHR）， monocyte/high-density lipoprotein ratio （MHR） and platelet/high-density lipoprotein ratio （PHR）. Spearman correlation analysis was adopted to investigate the correlation between levels of novel inflammatory indicators and the total score of MOAS in patients with first-episode and recurrent schizophrenia. ResultsThe levels of NLR， MLR， PLR， NHR， MHR and PHR in first-episode group were higher than those in control group （adjusted P<0.01）. The levels of NLR， MLR， NHR， MHR and PHR in recurrent group were higher than those in control group （adjusted P<0.01）. No significant difference was observed in the comparison in the levels of six novel inflammatory indicators between first-episode group and recurrent group （adjusted P>0.05）. Spearman correlation analysis showed， the MOAS total score of recurrent group was positively correlated with the levels of NLR， MLR and PLR （r=0.234， 0.192， 0.243， P<0.05）. There was no statistical significance in the correlation between MOAS total score and levels of six novel inflammatory indicators in first-episode group （P>0.05）. ConclusionAmong patients with first-episode and recurrent schizophrenia， the correlation between levels of novel inflammatory indicators and aggressivity could differ. NLR， MLR and PLR might be the biomarkers for assessing aggression level in recurrent schizophrenic patients. ［Funded by Anhui Provincial Natural Science Foundation （number， 2108085MH275）］

Objective To develop a risk assessment scale for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-associated myocarditis based on multidisciplinary collaboration, and to evaluate its diagnostic performance. Methods Based on multidisciplinary cooperation, integrating clinical experience from oncology and cardiology, literature data, and patient conditions, a risk assessment scale for ICI-associated myocarditis was developed. A total of 101 patients with malignancies who received immunotherapy at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, from October 2020 to October 2024 were included as the validation cohort. Patients were stratified into low-risk (0-1 point), medium-risk (2-4 points), and high-risk (≥5 points) groups based on their scale scores. The association between pretictive risk stratifications and actual assessment results was assessed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The predictive value of the scale for ICI-associated myocarditis was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Agreement between the scale scores and actual assessment results was assessed using Cohen’s Kappa coefficient. Results Based on the scale pretictive results, 28(27.7%), 8(7.9%), 65(64.4%) patients were at low risk, medium risk, and high risk for ICI-related myocarditis, respectively; however, 46(45.5%), 8(7.9%), 47(46.5%) were at low risk, medium risk, and high risk actually. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the cumulative incidence of ICI-related myocarditis in the high-risk group was significantly higher than that in the medium- and low-risk groups (P＜0.05). In the multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards model, the ICI-related myocarditis risk in high-risk group was about 4 times that in the low-risk group. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the average area under the curve (AUC) for predicting ICI-related myocarditis was 0.81, with an accuracy of 0.74. The Cohen’s Kappa coefficient was 0.55, indicating moderate agreement. In the actual high-risk group, no patient was predicted to be at low risk; in the actual low-risk group, 16 patients were predicted to be at high risk. Conclusions This risk assessment scale for ICI-associated myocarditis shows high predictive performance. It provides oncologists with a simple yet effective multidisciplinary diagnostic reference tool, potentially enhancing early identification of ICI-associated myocarditis.

Background Prenatal exposure to chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonic acid (Cl-PFESA, commercially known as F-53B) during pregnancy has been associated with fetal growth restriction and adverse birth outcomes. These effects may be mediated by structural and functional impairments of the placenta, potentially resulting from disrupted placental angiogenesis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Objective To explore the impact of prenatal F-53B exposure on fetal development, placental pathology, and the expression of genes involved in angiogenesis by establishing an F-53B exposure animal model. Methods A total of 48 sexually mature female SD rats aged 8 weeks were selected, along with 24 proven male breeders. The rats were acclimatized for one week before mating. Pregnant rats were assigned to four groups: control (0 mg·kg⁻¹), low-dose (0.1 mg·kg⁻¹), medium-dose (1 mg·kg⁻¹), and high-dose (5 mg·kg⁻¹). Half of the pregnant rats in each group were administered the test substance by oral gavage once daily from gestational day (GD) 5.5 to GD17.5. The fetuses and placentas were dissected and weighed, and placental efficiency was calculated as the ratio of fetal weight to placental weight, reflecting the placenta’s capacity to supply nutrients to the fetus. Placental histopathological alterations were assessed after hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was conducted to assess the mRNA expression levels of angiogenesis-related genes, including hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and its receptor (VEGFR2), as well as downstream genes in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway. To evaluate the potential impact of prenatal F-53B exposure on birth outcomes, including birth weight and gestational age, the remaining half of the pregnant rats in each group were continuously exposed to the test substance until delivery. Results F-53B exposure significantly reduced fetal weight across all exposure groups (P<0.05) and markedly increased the incidence of intrauterine growth restriction (P<0.01). Although placental weights did not differ significantly among groups, placental efficiency was significantly decreased in the high-dose group (P<0.05). The histological analysis after HE staining revealed disorganized trophoblast cell structure and a significant reduction in labyrinthine blood sinus area in the medium- and high-dose groups. The qPCR analysis showed that HIF-1α expression was significantly upregulated in the low-dose group (P<0.001), while VEGFA (P<0.01), PI3K (P<0.001), and AKT (P<0.05) expression levels were significantly downregulated in the medium- and high-dose groups. Conclusion Maternal exposure to F-53B during pregnancy may impair placental angiogenesis via VEGFA and its downstream PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, leading to placental pathological damage and increasing the risk of intrauterine growth restriction and reduced birth weight in fetuses.

Objective:To explore the relationship between normal serum creatinine(Scr) level and diabetic kidney disease(DKD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods:This was a prospective cohort study. Patients with yet not DKD who were regularly followed up at six centers of Li′s United Clinic in Taiwan, China from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2018 were selected. At baseline, clinic information and lab tests were collected. According to whether the patients developed DKD during the follow-up period, they were divided into DKD group and non-DKD(NDKD) group. The exposure factor was the Scr(μmol/L) value, and it was used as a categorical variable. According to the quartiles of Scr, they were divided into 4 groups: Q1 group(Scr<57.68 μmol/L), Q2 group(57.68 μmol/L≤Scr<68.51 μmol/L), Q3 group(68.51 μmol/L≤Scr<80.44 μmol/L) and Q4 group(Scr≥80.44 μmol/L). The Cox regression model was used to explore the relationship between Scr level and the incidence of DKD. Receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive effect of normal level Scr on DKD. Results:A total of 2 202 T2DM patients without DKD at baseline were included. After a follow-up period of(5.2±2.17) years, there were 966 patients in the DKD group and 1 236 patients in the NDKD group. Compared with the NDKD group, the DKD group had older age, longer duration of diabetes, higher BMI, SBP, DBP, LDL-C, Scr, and UACR(all P<0.05). Cox regression analysis results showed that compared with the Q1 group as the reference, the risk of developing DKD in the Q2, Q3, and Q4 groups after adjusting for confounding factors was 1.394, 1.688, and 2.821 times higher, respectively(all P<0.05). ROC curve analysis results showed that the area under the curve(AUC) for predicting DKD occurrence using normal serum creatinine level was 0.70(95% CI 0.678-0.722), with an optimal cutoff value of 74.27 μmol/L, sensitivity of 0.54, and specificity of 0.76. The cumulative risk plot showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, patients in the Q4 group had a higher cumulative risk of developing DKD compared to the Q1, Q2, and Q3 groups(all P<0.05). Conclusion:Scr is an independent risk factor for developing DKD in patients with T2DM. The higher the Scr level, the greater the risk, especially when Scr is greater than 74.27 μmol/L.

Myelodysplastic syndrome(MDS)is a malignant clonal disease with high heterogeneity in cytogenetics and molecular genetics,and the risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia(AML)is extremely high.Transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)is closely related to the pathogenesis of MDS.It is a key executor of immune homeostasis and immune tolerance,and can inhibit the expansion and function of many components of immune system.TGF-β signaling pathway can regulate hematopoietic cells and immune cells in microenvironment,inhibit their normal biological functions,and thus accelerate the progression of MDS.This study reviews regulatory effects of TGF-β signaling pathway on MDS blood cells,T lymphocytes,natural killer cells and macrophages in recent years,and provides a new perspective for the pathogenesis and treatment of MDS.

BACKGROUND:Our previous experimental results have shown that hyaluronic acid hydrogel can act as a vehicle for bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell delivery to improve the cardiac function of rats with myocardial infarction. OBJECTIVE:To explore the molecular mechanism of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and hyaluronic acid hydrogel in promoting damaged heart repair. METHODS:Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells from male Sprague-Dawley rats were isolated and cultured,and then hyaluronic acid-encapsulated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were cultured in vitro in a three-dimensional manner.A model of myocardial infarction was made by ligating the left anterior descending artery of female Sprague-Dawley rats.After 1 week,the model rats were screened by ultrasonic testing and then eligible ones were randomly divided into four groups:PBS group(n=12),hyaluronic acid group(n=12),bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell group(n=15),and hyaluronic acid-encapsulated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell group(n=15).At 1 week after ligation,the model rats underwent the secondary thoracotomy followed by corresponding injections into the infarcted region and its marginal zone.The expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2,vascular endothelial growth factor,thymosin β4 and c-Kit were examined at post-injection day 1,week 1 and week 2 by western blot assay.At post-injection week 2,immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the differentiation of transplanted cells. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor protein in the infarct zone in the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell group were significantly up-regulated at week 1 compared with the other three groups(P<0.05).At week 2,the hyaluronic acid group had a lower expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor protein than the other three groups(P<0.05).However,the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor protein in the hyaluronic acid+bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell group was not significantly different compared with the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell group.This was primarily attributable to a prolonged paracrine effect via the controlled release of the hyaluronic acid hydrogel.This prolonged paracrine effect offsets the inhibitory effect induced by hyaluronic acid hydrogel at 2 weeks.(2)Compared with the PBS group,thymosin β4 and c-Kit expression levels in the hyaluronic acid group,bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell group and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell+hyaluronic acid group were significantly increased(P<0.05).(3)No differentiation of transplanted cells into cardiomyocytes or blood vessels was detected 2 weeks after transplantation.(4)It is indicated that transplanted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells promote myocardial repair through the paracrine effect,and hyaluronic acid hydrogel prolongs the paracrine effect of transplanted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

Gliomas are the most common primary intracranial tumors in adults, among which high-grade glioma patients are characterized by short survival and poor prognosis. The diagnosis, treatment, evaluation of effective treatments, and prognosis prediction of high-grade gliomas are of great significance for improving patient survival. Conventional enhanced magnetic resonance imaging has deficiencies in delineating tumor extent, identifying tumor progression and treatment-related changes. Therefore, there is a broad consensus to incorporate amino acid PET, and ¹⁸F-FET PET inparticular, into the diagnostic and therapeutic process of high-grade gliomas. In this article, we review the new research progress of ¹⁸F-FET PET in the diagnosis and treatment of adult high-grade glioma in recent years.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)have emerged as one of the novel immunotherapy drugs in recent years,and been approved for the treatment of multiple tumour types.However,over-activation of the immune system may lead to immune-related advese events,among these,ICIs-induced cardiotoxicity include myocarditis,pericardial disease,atherosclerosis and vasculitis.Although ICIs-induced cardiotoxicity is rare,it may lead to serious clinical complications and even death.Thus,timely identification and management of ICIs-induced cardiotoxicity is vital in clinical practice.Once diagnosed,prompt treatment is required according to the severity of the disease.Standardized prevention and treatment strategies need multidisciplinary collaboration to provide long-term individualized monitoring and management for patients.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical phenotype and genetic basis for a Chinese pedigree affected with Oral-facial-digital syndrome type I (OFD1). METHODS: A pedigree with OFD1 who presented at Hebei General Hospital on March 17, 2021 was selected as the subject. Clinical data of the child was collected. Trio-whole exome sequencing (trio-WES) was carried out for the proband and members of her pedigree, and candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The proband has featured hypotelorism, broad nasal root, flat nasal tip, lobulated tongue, tongue neoplasia, camptodactyly of left fifth finger, syndactyly of right fourth and fifth fingers, and delayed intellectual and language development. Trio-WES revealed that the proband and her daughter, sister and mother have harbored a heterozygous c.224A>G (p.Asn75Ser) variant of the OFD1 gene. The same variant was not found among healthy members from her pedigree. CONCLUSION The c.224A>G (p.Asn75Ser) variant probably underlay the OFD1 in this pedigree. Above discovery has enriched the spectrum of OFD1 gene variants.
Humans ; Female ; Pedigree ; Orofaciodigital Syndromes/genetics* ; East Asian People ; Phenotype ; Heterozygote ; Mutation ; China

Humans ; Bacteremia ; Cross Infection ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis ; Staphylococcal Infections/epidemiology* ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Tertiary Care Centers ; China