Cellular senescence, stable cell cycle arrest that can be triggered in normal cells in response to various intrinsic and extrinsic stressors, has been highlighted as one of the most important mechanisms involved in kidney diseases. It not only serves as a fundamental biological process promoting normal organogenesis and successful wound repair but also contributes to organ dysfunction, tissue fibrosis, and the generalized aging phenotype. Moreover, senescent cells exhibit reduced regenerative capacity, which impairs renal function recovery from injuries. Importantly, senescent cells are involved in immune regulation via secreting a diverse array of proinflammatory and profibrotic factors known as senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) with autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine activities. Thus, eliminating detrimental senescent cells or inhibiting SASP production holds great promise for developing innovative therapeutic strategies for kidney diseases. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the intricate mechanisms and hallmarks of cellular senescence in kidney diseases and emphasize novel therapeutic targets, including epigenetic regulators, G protein-coupled receptors, and lysosome-related proteins. Particularly, we highlight the recently identified senotherapeutics, which provide new therapeutic strategies for treating kidney diseases.
Humans ; Cellular Senescence/genetics* ; Kidney Diseases/pathology* ; Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype/physiology* ; Animals ; Epigenesis, Genetic/physiology*

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

Background Essential and non-essential elements have an important impact on the development of the central nervous system during fetal development. Due to their less developed brain, preterm infants are more sensitive to element exposure, and are high-risk groups of neurodevelopmental abnormalities. However, it is not clear whether the effects of element exposure in utero on postpartum neurodevelopment are different between full-term infants and preterm infants. Objective To evaluate the effects of element exposure levels during pregnancy on neurodevelopment of children aged 6-24 months (of corrected age), and compare the effects between preterm and full-term children. Methods A prospective study design was adopted and this study was conducted based on the Maoming Birth Cohort Study (MBCS) in Maoming City, Guangdong Province. Twenty elements in cord blood of 197 preterm infants and 297 full-term infants were measured, including 11 essential trace elements [vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), strontium (Sr), tin (Sn), and iron (Fe)], and 9 non-essential trace elements [aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), thallium (Tl), lead (Pb), uranium (U), cerium (Ce), antimony (Sb), cadmium (Cd), and yttrium (Y)]. The neurodevelopment of the children at 6, 12, and 24 months were evaluated by the Ages and Stages Questionnaires-the Third Edition (ASQ-3). A generalized estimating equation (GEE) model was adopted to evaluate the associations between elements and neurodevelopment in full-term and preterm children separately. Results The positive rates of 10 elements (Mn, Cu, Zn, Se, Sr, Fe, Sb, Tl, Pb, and As) in cord blood were greater than 80%. Among the preterm birth children, the results of GEE analysis showed that after adjusting for the covariates, for each increase of interquartile range (IQR) in ln-transformed concentration, As was associated with problems/delay in the communication and problem-solving sub-scales, with the adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of 1.36 (1.03-1.80) and 1.55 (1.10-2.20), respectively; the adjusted OR (95%CI) of problems/delay in the fine motor and problem-solving sub-scales were 1.44 (1.00-2.07) and 1.76 (1.09-2.84) for Sb, respectively; the adjusted OR (95%CI) of problems/delay in the communication sub-scale was 1.37 (1.09-1.74) for Se. No statistically significant associations between umbilical cord blood element concentrations and neurodevelopment indicators were observed among full-term children. The results of stratified analysis by sex showed that the associations between umbilical cord blood element concentrations and neurodevelopment problems/delay were only significant among female preterm children. Conclusion Exposures to As, Se, and Sb during pregnancy may increase the risk of neurodevelopment problems/delay in preterm children aged 6-24 months, and female seem to be more vulnerable.

This paper reported the genetic analysis of a pedigree in which three affected fetuses with short limbs were revealed by first-trimester ultrasonography in three consecutive pregnancies. Tissues of the second aborted fetus were collected and analyzed by chromosome karyotype analysis and whole exome sequencing. The results indicated compound heterozygous mutations of EX64-EX83 Del and c.8190G>T in the DYNC2H1 gene. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing further confirmed that the two variants were inherited from the father and the mother with normal phenotypes, respectively. EX64-EX83 Del was a likely pathogenic variant and c.8190G>T was a variant of uncertain significance. Based on the above results and the medical history, it was highly suspected that the fetus had autosomal recessive short rib polydactyly syndrome type Ⅲ caused by compound heterozygous variants. Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing results of the third aborted fetus were consistent with the second fetus. Given the same phenotypes of fetuses in the second and third pregnancy, it was strongly suggested that the heterozygous variations of EX64-EX83 Del and c.8190G>T in the DYNC2H1 gene were the pathogenic variants in this pedigree.

Objective? To investigate the anxiety and depression of pregnant women with spontaneous abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy, and to explore the related influencing factors, so as to provide basis for clinical psychological intervention and treatment. Methods? During August 2015 to February 2016, a total of 70 pregnant women with spontaneous abortions experience and 70 primigravid women at the outpatient department of a ClassⅢ Grade A hospital in Beijing were selected by convenience sampling method. A general questionnaire, Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) were applied in the investigation. Results? There were 8 anxiety cases (11.43%) and 15 depression cases (21.43%) among the 70 pregnant women with spontaneous abortions experience. The scores of SAS and CES-D of the spontaneous abortions group were higher than those of the primigravid group, and the differences were statistically significant (t=2.95,2.51; P＜ 0.05). The age and education level of the pregnant women were positively correlated with scores SAS (P＜0.05). The age, times of spontaneous abortion were positively correlated with scores of CES-D (P＜ 0.05). Conclusions? There is prominent anxiety and depression in the first trimester of re-pregnancy women with spontaneous abortion experience, which may be related to the age, education level and the times of spontaneous abortions. The psychological status of pregnant women with spontaneous abortion should be assessed early and appropriate psychological intervention should be given when necessary.