OBJECTIVES: To investigate the mechanism of Qihuang Jianpi Zishen Granules (QJZ) for ameliorating renal damage in MRL/lpr mice. METHODS: With 6 female C57BL/6 mice as the normal control group, 30 female MRL/lpr mice were randomized into model group, QJZ treatment groups at low, moderate and high doses, and prednisone treatment group (n=6). After 8 weeks of treatment, the mice were examined for 24-h urine protein, creatinine and albumin levels, serum levels of IgG, complement 3 (C3), C4, anti-dsDNA, interferon γ (IFN‑γ) and interleukin 17 (IL-17). Kidney tissues were sampled for histopathological examination with HE staining and observation of glomerular ultrastructure changes using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The expressions of MyD88/NF-κB pathway-related molecules in the kidney tissue were detected using RT-qPCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Compared with those in the model group, the mice treated with QJZ at the 3 doses and prednisone showed significant reductions in the renal injury biomarkers and serum IgG, anti-dsDNA, IFN‑γ and IL-17 levels and elevation of serum C3 and C4 levels. HE staining revealed lessened glomerular endothelial cell proliferation and mesangial thickening in all the treatment groups. TEM observation further demonstrated reduced electron-dense deposits and diminished inflammatory cell infiltration in the glomeruli in the intervention groups. QJZ at the 3 doses and prednisone treatment all significantly lowered renal expression levels of MyD88, NF-κB, p65 and p52 in the mouse models. CONCLUSIONS QJZ can improve renal damage in MRL/lpr mice possibly by inhibiting overactivation of the MyD88/NF-κB pathway.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Female ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Inbred MRL lpr ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/metabolism* ; Mice ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Kidney/metabolism* ; Interleukin-17

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy of Qihuang Jianpi Zishen Granules (QJZ) for inhibiting renal B cell differentiation in MRL/lpr mice and explore its underlying mechanism. METHODS: Thirty 8-week-old female MRL/lpr mice were randomly divided into model group, QJZ group, prednisone (Pred) group, QJZ+Pred group, and AIM2 inhibitor group (n=6), with 6 8-week-old female C57BL/6 mice as the normal control group. After treatments with normal saline, QJZ, Pred, or AIM2 inhibitor for 8 weeks, the mice were examined for urinary total protein-to-creatinine ratio (TPCR) and albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), serum creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, and renal histopathology (with HE, Masson, and PAS staining) and ultrastructural changes (with electron microscopy). ELISA, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry were used to detect blood levels of anti-dsDNA antibodies, cytokines and chemokines, renal deposition of complement components C3 and C4, renal expressions of AIM2, CD19, CD27 and CD138, and changes in splenic B lymphocyte subsets. The effect of QJZ on the AIM2/Blimp-1/Bcl-6 signaling axis was examined using Western blotting. RESULTS: QJZ treatment significantly improved Cr, BUN, TPCR and ACR in MRL/lpr mice, ameliorated renal pathologies, reduced the expressions of ds-DNA, BAFF, IL-21, CXCL12, CXCL13, C3 and C4, and increased IL-10 levels. QJZ significantly downregulated renal expressions of the key B-cell transcription factors Blimp-1 and XBP-1, upregulated Bcl-6 and PAX5 expressions, inhibited B-cell differentiation, and lowered the expressions of AIM2, CD27, CD138 and CD69. Inhibition of AIM2 similarly reduced renal Blimp-1 and XBP-1 expressions, increased Bcl-6 and PAX5 levels, suppressed B-cell differentiation, decreased IgG production, reduced C3 and C4 deposition, and alleviated renal pathology in MRL/lpr mice. CONCLUSIONS QJZ inhibits B cell differentiation and alleviates renal damage in systemic lupus erythematosus possibly by suppressing the AIM2/Blimp-1/Bcl-6 signaling pathway.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Mice, Inbred MRL lpr ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; B-Lymphocytes/drug effects* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6/metabolism* ; Kidney/drug effects* ; DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; Lupus Nephritis

Invasive Aspergillosis (IA) is a severe filamentous fungal infection caused by opportunistic pathogenic Aspergillus. Due to its insidious incidence and high mortality rate, accurate diagnosis of IA is in urgent need. Recent advances in molecular diagnostic techniques have enabled novel approaches for Aspergillus detection in clinical fungal laboratory. To this end, this paper summarizes recent progress in molecular detection of Aspergillus nucleic acids and discusses its value in IA diagnosis. The findings provide guidance for both current diagnostic approaches and the development of new in vitro diagnostic technologies for IA.

Objective To explore the predictive value of serum procalcitonin(PCT),peripheral blood complement C3,C4 and lymphocyte subsets CD3+,CD4+and CD8+cells for plastic bronchitis(PB)in children with refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia(RMPP).Methods A total of 222 children with RMPP were selected and divided into the PB group(51 cases)and the non-PB group(171 cases)based on whether they were complicated with PB.The serum PCT level of the children at admission was detected by fluorescence immunoquantitative analyzer,and levels of complement C3 and C4 were detected by immunoturbidimetry.The proportions of CD3+,CD4+and CD8+T lymphocytes were detected by flow cytometry.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze influencing factors of PB in children with RMPP.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive value of the indicators.Results The levels of PCT and CD8+T cells and the duration of fever were higher in the PB group than those in the non-PB group,while the levels of complement C3 and CD4+T cells were lower than those in the non-PB group(P＜0.05).Elevated levels of PCT and CD8+T cells were risk factors for the occurrence of PB in children with RMPP,while elevated levels of complement C3 and CD4+T cells were protective factors for the occurrence of PB in children with RMPP(P＜0.05).The AUCs of PCT,complement C3,the proportion of CD4+T cells and the proportion of CD8+T cells predicted separately were 0.763,0.802,0.788 and 0.802 respectively,and the AUC of combined prediction was 0.915.The AUCs of individual predictions were all lower than those of the combined AUC(Z=3.199,2.825,3.112 and 2.514,P＜0.05).Conclusion PCT,complement C3,CD4+T cell ratio,and CD8+T cell ratio are influencing factors for the occurrence of PB in children with RMPP,and their combined detection is beneficial for the early prediction of PB.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic and differential diagnostic values of midbrain morphological measurements at the mammillary body level on axial cranial MRI in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).Methods:This cross-sectional study included 50 patients with clinically diagnosed, probable or possible PSP, admitted to Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2023 to December 2024. Additionally, 44 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), 30 patients with multiple system atrophy-cerebellar type (MSA-C), and 35 gender- and age-matched healthy controls recruited from the community were chosen. The following midbrain morphological parameters on axial cranial MRI were measured in all participants: distance from the interpeduncular fossa to the aqueduct (IF-AQ), distance from the lateral mesencephalic sulcus to the interpeduncular cistern (LS-IC), distance between the bilateral lateral mesencephalic sulci (D-BMS), cerebral peduncle angle (CPA), distance between the medial aspects of the cerebral peduncles (D-MP), and distance from the line connecting the highest points of the cerebral peduncle to the interpeduncular fossa (PP-IF). Differences in these measurements among the 4 groups were compared, and the diagnostic and differential diagnostic performances of each parameter in PSP was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:The PSP group exhibited significantly shorter IF-AQ, LS-IC, and D-BMS distances compared with the other 3 groups ( P<0.05). (1) ROC curve analysis of PSP group versus non-PSP group (MSA-C patients, PD patients, and healthy controls) showed that IF-AQ had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.977 (95% CI: 0.959-0.995, P<0.001), and at a cutoff of 10.895 mm, IF-AQ demonstrated a sensitivity of 96.0% and a specificity of 89.9% for diagnosing PSP; LS-IC had an AUC of 0.917 (95% CI: 0.868-0.966, P<0.001), and at a cutoff of 10.82 mm, LS-IC demonstrated a sensitivity of 82.0% and a specificity of 89.0% for diagnosing PSP; D-BMS had an AUC of 0.785 (95% CI: 0.704-0.866, P<0.001), and at a cutoff of 20.01 mm, D-BMS demonstrated a sensitivity of 66.0% and a specificity of 83.5% for diagnosing PSP. (2) In distinguishing PSP from MSA-C, IF-AQ achieved an AUC of 0.939 (95% CI: 0.889-0.988, P<0.001), with a sensitivity of 84.0% and a specificity of 90.0% at a cutoff of 10.385 mm; LS-IC achieved an AUC of 0.846 (95% CI: 0.756-0.936, P<0.001), with a sensitivity of 80.0% and a specificity of 76.7% at a cutoff of 10.710 mm; D-BMS achieved an AUC of 0.696 (95% CI: 0.578-0.813, P<0.001), with a sensitivity of 60.0% and a specificity of 80.0% at a cutoff of 19.810 mm. (3) In discriminating PSP from PD, IF-AQ yielded an AUC of 0.986 (95% CI: 0.970-1.000, P<0.001), with a sensitivity of 96.0% and a specificity of 89.2% at a cutoff of 10.955 mm; LS-IC achieved an AUC of 0.937 (95% CI: 0.885-0.988, P<0.001), with a sensitivity of 82.0% and a specificity of 95.5% at a cutoff of 10.820 mm; D-BMS had an AUC of 0.825 (95% CI: 0.740-0.909, P<0.001), with a sensitivity of 60.0% and a specificity of 95.5% at a cutoff of 19.820 mm. Conclusion:IF-AQ, LS-IC, and D-BMS distances on axial cranial MRI at the mamillary body level can diagnose and differentiate PSP to a certain extent, with IF-AQ enjoying the best efficacy.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of Qihuang Jianpi Zishen Granules(QJZ)for inhibiting renal B cell differentiation in MRL/lpr mice and explore its underlying mechanism.Methods Thirty 8-week-old female MRL/lpr mice were randomly divided into model group,QJZ group,prednisone(Pred)group,QJZ+Pred group,and AIM2 inhibitor group(n=6),with 6 8-week-old female C57BL/6 mice as the normal control group.After treatments with normal saline,QJZ,Pred,or AIM2 inhibitor for 8 weeks,the mice were examined for urinary total protein-to-creatinine ratio(TPCR)and albumin-to-creatinine ratio(ACR),serum creatinine(Cr)and blood urea nitrogen(BUN)levels,and renal histopathology(with HE,Masson,and PAS staining)and ultrastructural changes(with electron microscopy).ELISA,immunohistochemistry,immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry were used to detect blood levels of anti-dsDNA antibodies,cytokines and chemokines,renal deposition of complement components C3 and C4,renal expressions of AIM2,CD19,CD27 and CD138,and changes in splenic B lymphocyte subsets.The effect of QJZ on the AIM2/Blimp-1/Bcl-6 signaling axis was examined using Western blotting.Results QJZ treatment significantly improved Cr,BUN,TPCR and ACR in MRL/lpr mice,ameliorated renal pathologies,reduced the expressions of ds-DNA,BAFF,IL-21,CXCL12,CXCL13,C3 and C4,and increased IL-10 levels.QJZ significantly downregulated renal expressions of the key B-cell transcription factors Blimp-1 and XBP-1,upregulated Bcl-6 and PAX5 expressions,inhibited B-cell differentiation,and lowered the expressions of AIM2,CD27,CD138 and CD69.Inhibition of AIM2 similarly reduced renal Blimp-1 and XBP-1 expressions,increased Bcl-6 and PAX5 levels,suppressed B-cell differentiation,decreased IgG production,reduced C3 and C4 deposition,and alleviated renal pathology in MRL/lpr mice.Conclusion QJZ inhibits B cell differentiation and alleviates renal damage in systemic lupus erythematosus possibly by suppressing the AIM2/Blimp-1/Bcl-6 signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of Qihuang Jianpi Zishen Granules(QJZ)for ameliorating renal damage in MRL/lpr mice.Methods With 6 female C57BL/6 mice as the normal control group,30 female MRL/lpr mice were randomized into model group,QJZ treatment groups at low,moderate and high doses,and prednisone treatment group(n=6).After 8 weeks of treatment,the mice were examined for 24-h urine protein,creatinine and albumin levels,serum levels of IgG,complement 3(C3),C4,anti-dsDNA,interferon γ(IFN-γ)and interleukin 17(IL-17).Kidney tissues were sampled for histopathological examination with HE staining and observation of glomerular ultrastructure changes using transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The expressions of MyD88/NF-κB pathway-related molecules in the kidney tissue were detected using RT-qPCR,Western blotting and immunohistochemistry.Results Compared with those in the model group,the mice treated with QJZ at the 3 doses and prednisone showed significant reductions in the renal injury biomarkers and serum IgG,anti-dsDNA,IFN-γ and IL-17 levels and elevation of serum C3 and C4 levels.HE staining revealed lessened glomerular endothelial cell proliferation and mesangial thickening in all the treatment groups.TEM observation further demonstrated reduced electron-dense deposits and diminished inflammatory cell infiltration in the glomeruli in the intervention groups.QJZ at the 3 doses and prednisone treatment all significantly lowered renal expression levels of MyD88,NF-κB,p65 and p52 in the mouse models.Conclusion QJZ can improve renal damage in MRL/lpr mice possibly by inhibiting overactivation of the MyD88/NF-κB pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical phenotype and genetic characteristics of a child with Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 8 (PFIC8). METHODS A child with PFIC diagnosed at Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University in September 2025 was selected as the study subject. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from the child and her parents. Following extraction of genomic DNA, whole-exome sequencing (WES) was carried out. Candidate variants were validated by Sanger sequencing. The pathogenicity of the candidate variants was classified based on the guidelines from American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University (Ethics No.: 2023-E-126-Y). RESULTS: The proband, a 2-month-old female infant, had manifested jaundice of the skin and sclera, and slightly distended abdomen. She had no visible abdominal wall varicose veins, soft abdomen, and no palpable masses. Biliary atresia was ruled out by intraoperative cholangiography. WES revealed that she has harbored compound heterozygous variants of KIF12 gene, namely c.809C>T (p.Ala270Val) and c.1313G>A (p.Arg438Lys), which were verified by Sanger sequencing to have derived from her mother and father, respectively. According to the ACMG guidelines, both variants were classified as variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Based on the pre-defined search strategy, 10 articles were retrieved, which involved 25 PFIC cases, including 5 from China. Together with the proband of this study, the 26 PFIC patients have primarily presented with high GGT cholestasis, with the genetic cause in all cases attributed to variants of the KIF12 gene. CONCLUSION The c.809C>T and c.1313G>A compound heterozygous variants of the KIF12 gene probably underlay the pathogenesis of cholestatic liver disease in this child. Above findings have enriched the mutational and phenotypic spectra of PFIC8.
Humans ; Kinesins/genetics* ; Female ; Cholestasis, Intrahepatic/genetics* ; Infant ; Heterozygote ; Mutation ; Exome Sequencing ; Male

AIM:To evaluate the safety and toler-ability of single dose oral BTK inhibitor YZJ-3058 tablets under fasting conditions in healthy adults,as well as the pharmacokinetic and pharmacologi-cal characteristics of YZJ-3058 and its metabolites.METHODS:A total of 22 healthy subjects were en-rolled in this experiment and administered a single dose orally.They were divided into three groups:50 mg,100 mg,and 200 mg.Among them,2 sub-jects were enrolled in the 50 mg dose group,and 10 subjects were enrolled in the 100 mg and 200 mg dose groups,respectively.RESULTS:In healthy subjects,YZJ-3058 tablets were administered orally on an empty stomach at doses of 50,100,and 200 mg,with a median Tmax of 1.25 to 2.00 hours and an average Cmax of 62.85,89.44,and 99.20 ng/mL,re-spectively.The average AUC0-t was 183.87,297.72,and 453.98 h·ng-1·mL,respectively.The average AUC0-∞ was 189.30,321.33,and 551.44 h·ng-1·mL,and the median t1/2 was 1.16,5.06,and 7.97 hours,respectively.After a single oral administration of 50,100,and 200 mg YZJ-3058 tablets,the highest target occupancy rate was achieved at 4 hours.The average BTK occupancy rates at 24 hours after ad-ministration were 88.95％,96.73％,and 99.24％,re-spectively.The average BTK occupancy rates at 48 hours after administration were 75.65％,89.80％,and 96.68％,respectively.No serious adverse events or adverse events leading to withdrawal oc-curred,and all subjects had good tolerability.CON-CLUSION:YZJ-3058 tablets have good safety and tolerability for single oral administration on an empty stomach in healthy subjects within the dose range of 50-200 mg.Cmax and AUC increase with dose,with fast absorption and saturation.The ter-minal elimination rate gradually slows down with dose increase,and it has a significant and sus-tained occupying effect on BTK targets.

Objective To investigate the occurrence of dysphagia in patients with congenital esophageal atre-sia(EA)after surgery and study the associated risk factors.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data of 103 children who underwent surgery for congenital EA at Beijing Children's Hospital,Capital Medi-cal University,from July 2016 to August 2023.Results A total of 103 eligible cases of congenital EA were includ-ed in this study,among which 74 cases experienced dysphagia,with an incidence rate of 71.8％.Single-factor anal-ysis revealed that primary surgery(x2=4.017,P=0.045),endoscopic surgery(x2=8.315,P=0.004),long-seg-ment defects(x2=10.975,P＜0.001),gastroesophageal reflux(x2=16.973,P＜0.001),vocal cord paralysis(x2=4.017,P=0.045),tracheomalacia(x2=5.778,P=0.016),and arytenoid movement disorder(x2=10.420,P=0.001)were significantly associated with postoperative dysphagia.Further binary logistic regression analysis indi-cated that endoscopic surgery(OR=24.373,P=0.016),tracheomalacia(OR=17.556,P=0.010),and anasto-motic stenosis(OR=20.453,P=0.032)were independent risk factors for increased incidence of postoperative dys-phagia.Moreover,stratified analysis of dysphagia duration using unordered multinomial logistic regression revealed that tracheomalacia(OR=16.883,P=0.007;OR=4.337,P=0.045),long-segment defects(OR=0.040,P=0.049;OR=0.040,P=0.036),and arytenoid movement disorder(OR=0.127,P=0.039;OR=0.510,P=0.028)were closely associated with dysphagia duration.Conclusion Dysphagia is a common symptom in children with congenital EA after surgery across all age groups.Endoscopic surgery,long-segment defects,tracheomalacia,and anastomotic stenosis are independent factors contributing to postoperative dysphagia.Additionally,tracheoma-lacia,long-segment defects,and arytenoid movement disorder are closely related to the duration of dysphagia.