Objective: To develop a RHCE genotyping assay based on kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) and assess its clinical accuracy for RhCE blood group determination. Methods: KASP primers were designed to interrogate three RHCE loci: the 109 bp insertion/deletion in intron 2, c. 307T>C, and c. 676C>G. A total of 1 194 RhD-positive inpatients from Chengdu were typed by both KASP genotyping and manual tube serology. Discordant samples (n=10) were retested by both methods and further resolved by Sanger sequencing. An additional 377 cases were tested for the c. 48C>G locus to evaluate the predictive accuracy of individual loci and combined locus testing for RhC antigen. Results: Genotyping concordance with serology was 100.0% for both the c. 676C>G locus (RhE/Rhe) and the c. 307T>C locus (Rhc). For RhC prediction using the 109 bp insertion, overall accuracy was 99.7% (1 191/1 194); the 3 discordant cases were confirmed by Sanger sequencing to be false negatives attributable to 109 bp deletion in intron 2. Testing the c. 48C>G allele for RhC prediction yielded 7 false positives, with an accuracy of 98.1% (370/377). RhC antigen status was determined by combining the 109 bp insertion and the c. 48C allele. After excluding 10 samples with inconsistent results between the two loci, the accuracy reached 100% in the remaining 367 samples. When both loci were applied in combination, accuracy reached 100% in the 367 cases with concordant results. Among the 1 194 patients, CCee (45.8%) and CcEe (31.7%) were the most common RhCE phenotypes. The e antigen had the highest positivity rate (92.2%), and the Ce haplotype was the most frequent (66.9%). Conclusion: The KASP-based RHCE genotyping method achieves high accuracy for clinical RhCE typing. Combining the 109 bp insertion/deletion with the c. 48C allele significantly improves RhC antigen prediction compared with either locus alone. This method was applied to RhCE genotyping of 1 194 RhD-positive inpatients in Chengdu, providing local RhCE phenotype and haplotype distribution data to support RhCE-matched transfusion practice.

OBJECTIVES: Recent evidence suggests that the gut may be a primary site of metformin action. However, studies on the effects of metformin on gut microbiota remain limited, and its impact on gut microbial metabolites such as short-/medium-chain fatty acids is unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of metformin on gut microbiota, short-/medium-chain fatty acids, and associated metabolic benefits in high-fat diet rats. METHODS: Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: 1) Normal diet group (ND group), fed standard chow; 2) high-fat diet group (HFD group), fed a high-fat diet; 3) high-fat diet + metformin treatment group (HFD+Met group), fed a high-fat diet for 8 weeks, followed by daily intragastric administration of metformin solution (150 mg/kg body weight) starting in week 9. At the end of the experiment, all rats were sacrificed, and serum, liver, and colonic contents were collected for assessment of glucose and lipid metabolism, liver pathology, gut microbiota composition, and the concentrations of short-/medium-chain fatty acids. RESULTS: Metformin significantly improved HFD-induced glucose and lipid metabolic disorders and liver injury. Compared with the HFD group, the HFD+Met group showed reduced abundance of Blautia, Romboutsia, Bilophila, and Bacteroides, while Lactobacillus abundance significantly increased (all P<0.05). Colonic contents of butyric acid, 2-methyl butyric acid, valeric acid, octanoic acid, and lauric acid were significantly elevated (all P<0.05), whereas acetic acid, isoheptanoic acid, and nonanoic acid levels were significantly decreased (all P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis revealed that Lactobacillus abundance was negatively correlated with body weight gain and insulin resistance, while butyrate and valerate levels were negatively correlated with insulin resistance and liver injury (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Metformin significantly increases the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and promotes the production of short-/medium-chain fatty acids including butyric, valeric, and lauric acid in the colonic contents of HFD rats, suggesting that metformin may regulate host metabolism through modulation of the gut microbiota.
Animals ; Metformin/pharmacology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects* ; Rats ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Male ; Fatty Acids, Volatile/metabolism* ; Fatty Acids/metabolism*

Objective:By comparing the relevant image manifestations and diagnostic results of high resolution CT (HRCT) and digital radio graphy (DR), to deeply explore the clinical application value of HRCT in the diagnosis and staging of occupational pneumoconiosis.Methods:A total of 180 pneumoconiosis patients with different stages diagnosed in Guangzhou Twelfth People's Hospital from January 2022 to May 2023 were selected as the research objects by systematic sampling method, and their HRCT and DR examinations were performed. The display of lung imaging features of patients with pneumoconiosis by the two examination methods was analyzed, and the chi-square test and rank sum test were used to compare the differences in diagnostic staging results and the detection of pulmonary complications.Results:Among the patients with pneumoconiosis, there were 174 males and 6 females, with an age of (53.11±12.22) years old and a working age of (14.94±11.43) years. The number of lung areas with category 0 small opacity profusion in the HRCT images of patients was less than that in the DR images, and the number of lung areas with category 1 small opacity profusion was more than that in the DR images ( P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the number of lung areas with category 2 and category 3 small opacity profusion detected by the two images ( P>0.05). The distribution of diagnostic differences between HRCT and DR images for the staging of pneumoconiosis was statistically significant ( P<0.05), and the detection rates of HRCT for pneumoconiosis complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia, atelectasis, lymph node tumefaction, and pleural thickening were all higher than those of DR ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:In the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis, HRCT has advantages over DR images in showing the fine structure of the lungs, determining the degree and extent of lesions. It is of great significance for discovering and differentiating complications of pneumoconiosis, and providing an important basis for clinical staging.

Objective:By comparing the relevant image manifestations and diagnostic results of high resolution CT (HRCT) and digital radio graphy (DR), to deeply explore the clinical application value of HRCT in the diagnosis and staging of occupational pneumoconiosis.Methods:A total of 180 pneumoconiosis patients with different stages diagnosed in Guangzhou Twelfth People's Hospital from January 2022 to May 2023 were selected as the research objects by systematic sampling method, and their HRCT and DR examinations were performed. The display of lung imaging features of patients with pneumoconiosis by the two examination methods was analyzed, and the chi-square test and rank sum test were used to compare the differences in diagnostic staging results and the detection of pulmonary complications.Results:Among the patients with pneumoconiosis, there were 174 males and 6 females, with an age of (53.11±12.22) years old and a working age of (14.94±11.43) years. The number of lung areas with category 0 small opacity profusion in the HRCT images of patients was less than that in the DR images, and the number of lung areas with category 1 small opacity profusion was more than that in the DR images ( P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the number of lung areas with category 2 and category 3 small opacity profusion detected by the two images ( P>0.05). The distribution of diagnostic differences between HRCT and DR images for the staging of pneumoconiosis was statistically significant ( P<0.05), and the detection rates of HRCT for pneumoconiosis complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia, atelectasis, lymph node tumefaction, and pleural thickening were all higher than those of DR ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:In the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis, HRCT has advantages over DR images in showing the fine structure of the lungs, determining the degree and extent of lesions. It is of great significance for discovering and differentiating complications of pneumoconiosis, and providing an important basis for clinical staging.

Objective:To investigate the value of CT multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) in the diagnosis of stage Ⅲ pneumoconiosis and complications.Methods:In September 2020, 94 patients with stage Ⅲ pneumoconiosis in Guangzhou 12th people's hospital were selected for digital radiography (DR) and MPR. The detection rate of the number of large shadows and the incidence of related complications were compared and analyzed. The counting data were expressed by frequency and percentage (%) , and the comparison was performed by chi square test.Results:178 and 132 large shadows were detected in MPR and DR chest films respectively. Compared with Dr examination, MPR had higher detection rates of pneumoconiosis related complications such as pulmonary tuberculosis, emphysema, pleural thickening, adhesion, pneumonia, pleural effusion, enlargement of hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes and calcification ( P<0.05) , There was no significant difference in the detection rate of pulmonary bullae ( P>0.05) . Compared with Dr, MPR had a higher detection rate in the diagnosis of cavity, calcification, bronchiectasis and parascar emphysema ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:MPR is better in detecting large shadow and complications of stage Ⅲpneumoconiosis, and has important value.

Objective:To investigate the value of CT multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) in the diagnosis of stage Ⅲ pneumoconiosis and complications.Methods:In September 2020, 94 patients with stage Ⅲ pneumoconiosis in Guangzhou 12th people's hospital were selected for digital radiography (DR) and MPR. The detection rate of the number of large shadows and the incidence of related complications were compared and analyzed. The counting data were expressed by frequency and percentage (%) , and the comparison was performed by chi square test.Results:178 and 132 large shadows were detected in MPR and DR chest films respectively. Compared with Dr examination, MPR had higher detection rates of pneumoconiosis related complications such as pulmonary tuberculosis, emphysema, pleural thickening, adhesion, pneumonia, pleural effusion, enlargement of hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes and calcification ( P<0.05) , There was no significant difference in the detection rate of pulmonary bullae ( P>0.05) . Compared with Dr, MPR had a higher detection rate in the diagnosis of cavity, calcification, bronchiectasis and parascar emphysema ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:MPR is better in detecting large shadow and complications of stage Ⅲpneumoconiosis, and has important value.