OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic etiology of 46 Chinese pedigrees affected with Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) and provide genetic counseling and reproductive intervention. METHODS: Whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were carried out on 87 patients from the 46 pedigrees to analyze the variants of EXT1 and EXT2 genes. Pathogenicity of the variants was assessed based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP). Prenatal diagnosis and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) were provided for couples with identified pathogenic mutations. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the hospital (Ethics No.: LL-SC-SG-2014-010). RESULTS: In total 17 and 22 pathogenic variants were respectively identified in the EXT1 and EXT2 genes, among which 5 EXT1 and 12 EXT2 variants were unreported previously. Three patients with no family history were found to harbor de novo variants of the EXT1 gene. Twenty nine couples had opted for PGT or underwent prenatal diagnosis following natural conception, and 17 healthy babies were born. CONCLUSION This study has clarified the genetic etiology of 45 HME pedigrees and identified 17 novel variants, which has enriched the mutational spectrum of the EXT1 and EXT2 genes. Reproductive intervention through PGT and prenatal diagnosis have prevented the recurrence of HME in these families.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Pedigree ; Exostoses, Multiple Hereditary/diagnosis* ; N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases/genetics* ; Adult ; Exostosin 1 ; Asian People/genetics* ; Genetic Testing ; Exostosin 2 ; Mutation ; China ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Pregnancy ; Genetic Counseling ; Preimplantation Diagnosis ; Exome Sequencing ; East Asian People

Objective: To characterize perioperative dynamic changes in immune-cell phenotypes and inflammatory cytokines in patients undergoing CPB (cardiopulmonary bypass) cardiac surgery, and to explore their associations with postoperative outcomes. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 120 adult patients who underwent elective cardiac surgery under CPB at West China Hospital from May 2022 to March 2023 were enrolled. Perioperative immune-cell phenotypes and concentrations of 40 inflammation-related cytokines were measured. The primary outcomes were the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score at 24 h after surgery and ΔSOFA (the peak SOFA score within 48 h after surgery minus the preoperative SOFA score). Secondary outcomes included major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), acute kidney injury (AKI), respiratory failure, severe liver injury, and infection. Results: The mean age of enrolled patients was 57±10 years. Of these, 52% (62/120) were male and 90% (108/120) underwent valve surgery. During the rewarming to the end of CPB, neutrophil counts rapidly increased (7.39×10 /L vs preoperative 3.07×10 /L, P<0.001), with significant upregulation of CD11b (7.30×10 /L vs preoperative 3.05×10 /L, P<0.001) and CD54 (7.15×10 /L vs preoperative 2.99×10 /L, P<0.001). Lymphocyte counts increased at the end of CPB (1.75×10 /L vs preoperative 1.12×10 /L, P<0.001) but decreased significantly at 24 h after surgery (0.59×10 /L vs preoperative 1.12×10 /L, P<0.001). Plasma analysis showed that multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines increased during CPB and remained elevated up to 24 h after surgery; five chemokines and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 peaked at the end of CPB. The SOFA score increased from 1 (1, 2) preoperatively to 7 (5, 10) at 24 h after surgery, with a ΔSOFA of 6 (4, 8). Within 30 days after surgery, 48 patients (40.0%) developed AKI, 17 (14.2%) developed infection, 4 (3.3%) developed severe liver injury, 3 (2.5%) developed respiratory failure, and 3 (2.5%) experienced MACE. During the 2-year follow-up, 8 patients (6.7%) experienced MACE and 5 (4.2%) died. Conclusion: Multi-organ dysfunction is common after cardiac surgery under CPB (median ΔSOFA, 6), accompanied by perioperative activation of multiple immune-cell subsets and upregulation of pro-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory, and chemotactic mediators. This study provides data-driven evidence and research clues for further investigation of the associations between CPB-related immune perturbations and postoperative organ dysfunction and clinical outcomes.

OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the influential factors for all-cause mortality in patients with carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria （CR-GNB） treated with polymyxin B. METHODS PubMed， Embase， the Cochrane Library， Web of Science， Wanfang Data， VIP， CBM and CNKI were searched to collect clinical studies on all-cause death within 30 days or 28 days after treatment with polymyxin B in patients with CR-GNB infection from database establishment to July 2025. After literature screening， data extraction and evaluation of literature quality， meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. RESULTS A total of 12 studies were included， involving 1 326 patients， among whom 529 patients died， with a mortality rate of 39.89%. Meta-analysis results showed that combined with cardiovascular disease [OR＝2.06， 95%CI （1.37， 3.09）， P ＝0.005 ] ， increased Sequential Organ Failure Assessment （SOFA） score [OR＝1.20， 95%CI （1.07， 1.35）， P ＝0.003 ] ， mechanical ventilation [OR＝2.35， 95%CI （1.65， 3.34）， P ＜0.001 ] ， continuous renal replacement therapy （CRRT） [OR＝2.58， 95%CI （1.67， 3.97）， P ＜0.001 ] ， bloodstream infection [OR＝3.24， 95%CI （2.19， 4.78）， P ＜0.001 ] ， multiple-site infection [OR＝1.51， 95%CI （1.03， 2.20）， P ＝0.03 ] ， septic shock [OR＝3.19， 95%CI （1.94， 5.24）， P ＜0.001 ] ， use of vasoactive drugs [OR＝2.90， 95%CI （1.97， 4.27）， P ＜0.001 ] ， and the occurrence of acute kidney injury （AKI） [OR＝2.17， 95%CI （1.41， 3.36）， P ＜0.001 ] were risk factors for all-cause mortality in patients with CR-GNB infection treated with polymyxin B. Conversely， an extended duration of polymy xin B treatment [OR＝0.92， 95%CI （0.86， 0.99）， P ＝0.03 ] and early administration after CR-GNB infection [OR＝0.47， 95%CI （0.25， 0.85）， P ＝0.01 ] were protective factors. CONCLUSIONS Patients with cardiovascular disease， receiving mechanical ventilation or CRRT， having bloodstream infection， multiple-site infection or septic shock， combining with vasoactive drugs， with AKI and increased SOFA scores have a higher risk of all-cause mortality. Conversely， extending the duration of polymyxin B treatment （beyond 7 days） and early administration within 48 hours after confirmed CR-GNB infection can significantly reduce the risk of all-cause mortality.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of action of Paeoniae Radix Rubra and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata （CSFZ） in the treatment of acute-on-chronic liver failure （ACLF） through network pharmacology， molecular docking， and animal experiments. MethodsNetwork pharmacology was used to identify potential targets and related signaling pathways for the treatment of ACLF with CSFZ. Molecular docking was used to examine the binding activity of the core components with corresponding key targets. An ACLF rat model was established by subcutaneous and tail vein injections of bovine serum albumin combined with lipopolysaccharide （LPS） + D-galactosamine （D-GalN） intraperitoneal injection. A normal control group （NC）， a model group， a CSFZ group （CSFZ， 5.85 g·kg^-1）， and a hepatocyte growth-promoting granule group （HGFG， 4.05 g·kg^-1） were set up in this study. Pathological changes in rat liver tissue were observed using hematoxylin and eosin （HE） and Masson staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the expression levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， Caspase-3， and albumin （ALB）. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression levels of phosphoinositide 3-kinase （PI3K）， protein kinase B （Akt）， phosphorylated PI3K （p-PI3K）， and phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt）. ResultsNetwork pharmacology screening identified 49 active ingredients of CSFZ， 103 action targets， and 3 317 targets related to ACLF. Among these， 74 targets overlapped with CSFZ drug targets. Key nodes in the protein-protein interaction （PPI） network included Akt1， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）， IL-6， Bcl-2， and Caspase-3. Gene Ontology （GO） functional analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） enrichment analysis identified multiple signaling pathways， with the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway being the most frequent. Molecular docking showed that the core components of the drug exhibited good binding activity with the corresponding key targets. Animal experiments confirmed that CSFZ significantly improved liver tissue pathological damage in ACLF rats， reduced the release of inflammatory factors and liver cell apoptosis， and upregulated the expression levels of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. ConclusionThrough network pharmacology， molecular docking， and in vivo experiments， this study confirms the effect of CSFZ in reducing liver cell inflammatory damage and inhibiting liver cell apoptosis. The specific mechanism may be related to its involvement in regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the inhibitory effect of Biejia Decoction Pill on the proliferation， migration， and aerobic glycolysis of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） using cell experiments， as well as related mechanisms. MethodsHuman liver cancer cell line Huh7 was selected， and Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into blank serum group， inhibitor group， and high-， middle-， and low-dose Biejia Decoction Pill groups. Rat serum containing the drug was prepared for the incubation of Huh7 cells. CCK8 assay and scratch assay were used to explore the effect of Biejia Decoction Pill on the proliferation and migration of HCC cells； glycolytic rate-limiting enzymes and metabolites were measured to explore the effect of Biejia Decoction Pill on aerobic glycolysis of liver cancer cells； RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to explore the effect of Biejia Decoction Pill on the mRNA expression， related proteins， and phosphorylation of the protein kinase B （AKT）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test or the Dunnett’s T3 test were used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsCompared with the blank serum group， the Biejia Decoction Pill groups had significant reductions in OD value， migration rate during different periods of time， glycolytic rate-limiting enzymes （hexokinase， phosphofructokinase， pyruvate kinase）， and glycolytic metabolites （pyruvate， lactic acid， ATP） （all P<0.05）. RT-qPCR results showed that compared with the blank serum group， the high-， middle-， and low-dose Biejia Decoction Pill groups had a significant reduction in the mRNA expression level of mTOR， and the high- and low-dose Biejia Decoction Pill groups had a significant reduction in the mRNA expression level of AKT （all P<0.05）. Western blot results showed that compared with the blank serum group， the high-， middle-， and low-dose Biejia Decoction Pill groups had significant reductions in the expression levels of mTOR-related proteins and phosphorylated proteins， and the high- and middle-dose Biejia Decoction Pill groups had significant reductions in the expression levels of AKT-related proteins and phosphorylated proteins （all P<0.05）. ConclusionThis study preliminarily verifies that the serum containing Bijia Decoction Pill can inhibit the aerobic glycolysis of human hepatoma Huh7 cells， thereby inhibiting their proliferation and migration， possibly by inhibiting the expression of the proteins related to the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Tumor budding is a distinct pathomorphological feature observed in various types of solid tumor. In recent years， tumor budding has been recognized as an important biological feature associated with tumor invasion and metastasis， and it has become a new focus in the research on tumor progression. Although studies have explored the role of tumor budding in different types of tumor， there are studies in the field of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. This article systematically reviews the research advances in tumor budding in HCC， with a focus on the mechanism of tumor budding， the association between tumor budding and tumor progression， and the potential application of tumor budding in prognostic assessment， in order to provide new insights and strategies for the early diagnosis and treatment of HCC.

In recent years, the study of single-cell transcriptome sequencing technology in the heterogeneity of astrocytes (astrocytes) after spinal cord injury (SCI) has provided new perspectives on post-traumatic nerve regeneration and repair. To provide a review on the research progress of single-cell sequencing technology in astrocytes after spinal cord injury (SCI), and to more comprehensively and deeply elaborate the application of single-cell sequencing technology in the field of astrocytes after SCI. Single-cell sequencing technology can analyse the transcriptomes of individual cells in a high-throughput manner, thus revealing fine differences in cell types and states. By using single-cell sequencing technology, the heterogeneity of astrocytes after SCI and their association with nerve regeneration and repair were revealed. In conclusion, the application of single-cell sequencing technology provides an important tool to reveal the heterogeneity of astrocytes after SCI, to further explore the mechanisms of astrocytes in SCI, and to develop intervention strategies targeting their regulatory mechanisms in order to improve the therapeutic efficacy of SCI. The discovery of changes in astrocyte transcriptome dynamics has improved researchers' understanding of spinal cord injury lesion progression and provided new insights into the treatment of spinal cord injury at different time points. To date, all of these findings need to be validated by more basic research and sufficient clinical trials. In the future, single-cell sequencing technology, through interdisciplinary collaboration with bioinformatics, computer science, tissue engineering, and clinical medicine, is expected to open a new window for the treatment of spinal cord injury.
Spinal Cord Injuries/metabolism* ; Astrocytes/cytology* ; Single-Cell Analysis/methods* ; Humans ; Animals ; Transcriptome ; Nerve Regeneration

OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the influential factors for the clinical efficacy of tigecycline in the treatment of severe infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria （MDR-GNB）. METHODS Retrieved from PubMed， Embase， The Cochrane Library， CNKI database， Wanfang database and VIP database， the studies about the influential factors for the clinical efficacy of tigecycline in the treatment of adult patients with severe infections caused by MDR-GNB from the database construction to April 30， 2025. After screening literature， extracting data and evaluating the quality of literature， systematic review was performed by using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS A total of 14 studies involving 2 033 patients were included， of which 1 355 patients showed effective treatment outcomes. The meta-analysis results showed that Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation （APACHE）-Ⅱ ＞ 20 [OR＝4.50， 95%CI （2.28， 8.85）， P＜0.001]， malignant tumor [OR＝1.96， 95%CI （1.41， 2.72）， P＜0.001]， hemodialysis [OR＝2.09， 95%CI （1.40， 3.12）， P＜0.001]， septic shock [OR＝3.07， 95%CI （2.00， 4.72）， P＜0.001]， mechanical ventilation [OR＝2.31， 95%CI （1.57， 3.39）， P＜0.001]， coagulation dysfunction [OR＝ 3.03， 95%CI （2.09， 4.37）， P＜0.001]， glucocorticoids use＞3 days [OR＝2.26， 95%CI （1.14， 4.45）， P＝0.020]， and longer hospitalization time before using tigecycline [OR＝3.33， 95%CI （1.34， 8.30）， P＝0.010] were risk factors for the clinical efficacy of tigecycline in treatment of severe infections caused by MDR-GNB. Tigecycline initial double-dose regimen [OR＝0.23， 95%CI （0.13， 0.42）， P＜0.001]， combination therapy [OR＝0.15， 95%CI （0.05， 0.48）， P＝0.001]， and prolonged treatment course [OR＝0.91， 95%CI （0.88， 0.95）， P＜0.001] were protective factors. CONCLUSIONS There are many influential factors for the clinical efficacy of tigecycline in the treatment of severe infections caused by MDR-GNB， among which APACHE-Ⅱ score＞20， malignant tumor， hemodialysis， septic shock， mechanical ventilation， coagulation dysfunction， glucocorticoids＞3 d and longer hospitalization time before using tigecycline before tigecycline （No.20251606） use are risk factors； tigecycline double dose， combined medication and longer treatment course are protective factors.

This paper explores the research progress of acupuncture for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) based on the "kidney-governor vessel-brain" axis. According to the fundamental pathogenesis of AD in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which attributes to kidney deficiency, marrow depletion, and impaired mental faculties, as well as the governor vessel's connection between the kidney and brain, the concept of the "kidney-governor vessel-brain" axis is proposed. The theoretical basis of the "kidney-governor vessel-brain" axis is analyzed based on the meridian pathway and physiological functions of the governor vessel, as well as the interdependent and mutually reinforcing relationships among the kidney, governor vessel, and brain. The relationship between AD and the "kidney-governor vessel-brain" axis is elucidated from both traditional medical theories and modern biological perspectives. Integrating clinical and mechanistic research on AD prevention and treatment based on this axis, it is suggested that the "kidney-governor vessel-brain" axis provides valuable insights and references for future research on AD prevention and treatment.
Humans ; Alzheimer Disease/physiopathology* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Kidney/blood supply* ; Brain/blood supply* ; Meridians ; Blood Vessels/physiopathology*

Objective To investigate the changes of 22 bile acid sub components and 17 traditional bio-chemical indicators in serum of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),and the diagnostic value of detecting the above indicators alone or in combination for NAFLD.Methods A total of 168 NAFLD patients(NAFLD group)and 216 non-NAFLD apparently healthy individuals(non-NAFLD group)were se-lected,bile acid sub components were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry,and traditional biochemical indicators were detected by automatic biochemical analyzer.Results There were sta-tistically significant differences in the levels of 12 bile acid sub components and 12 traditional biochemical indi-cators between NAFLD group and non-NAFLD group(P<0.05).Compared to traditional biochemical indica-tors,bile acid sub components were less affected by body mass index(BMI).The area under the curve for di-agnosing NAFLD by combining three bile acid sub components[taurocholic acid(TCA),sodium taurodeoxy-cholate(TDCA),and tauroursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA)]with three traditional biochemical indicators[ala-nine aminotransferase(ALT),5'Nucleotidase(5'-NT),and small and dense low-density lipoprotein cholester-ol(sd-LDL-C)]was the largest,which was 0.810.Conclusion Twelve kinds of bile acid sub components in the blood of NAFLD patients have changed,and the combined detection of bile acid sub components and tradi-tional biochemical indicators could improve the diagnostic efficacy of NAFLD to a certain extent.