1.Effect of fluoride exposure on endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial calcium transfer and apoptosis in primary nerve cells
Yongheng LU ; Shuang ZHU ; Feiyan ZHAO ; Fujun AI ; Yanjie LIU ; Yangting DONG ; Zhizhong GUAN ; Na WEI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2026;30(1):111-119
BACKGROUND:Previous studies have found that neuronal damage caused by continuous excessive fluoride exposure is related to Ca2+overload,but the mechanism of Ca2+flow conversion between intracellular calcium stores and cell apoptosis damage is still unclear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of fluoride exposure on Ca2+transport channel proteins and apoptosis levels in the mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane of primary cultured neural cells.METHODS:Primary nerve cells of neonatal SD rats were cultured in vitro and identified by immunofluorescence staining with neuronal nucleus-specific antibody up to day 7.The nerve cells were divided into control group(containing 0 mmol/L sodium fluoride),low fluoride group(containing 0.5 mmol/L sodium fluoride),and high fluoride group(containing 1 mmol/L sodium fluoride).The cell morphological changes were observed by light microscope 24 hours after fluorine exposure.The expression levels of apoptosis-related protein BAX/BCL-2 and calcium transfer-related pathways VDAC1,GRP 75,and IP3R were detected using western blot assay.The expression levels of VDAC1,GRP 75,and IP3R mRNA were detected by RT-PCR.Ca2+levels were detected by Rhood-2AM Ca2+probe.Mitochondrial membrane potential detection kit was used to detect the change in mitochondrial membrane potential.The level of apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry and TUNEL staining.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The purity of neurons cultured on day 7 had been determined to be over 90%,with few impurities,good growth status,and tight cell network connections,meeting the requirements of subsequent experiments.(2)Compared with the control group,growth of neural cell clusters in the low-fluoride group and the high-fluoride group increased;the processes were broken;the cell body was rounded,and the connection network between cells was destroyed.Compared with the low-fluoride group,the cell damage changes in the high-fluoride group were more obvious.(3)Compared with the control group,the protein expressions of VDAC1,GRP75,and IP3R were increased in the low-fluoride group and the high-fluoride group(P<0.05),and the ratio of apoptosis-related protein BAX/BCL-2 was increased(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the expression of VDAC1 and GRP75 mRNA in the low-fluoride group was significantly increased(P<0.05);the expression levels of VDAC1,GRP75,and IP3R mRNA in the high-fluoride group were significantly increased(P<0.01).(4)The level of cell apoptosis increased significantly after fluoride exposure,and the high-fluoride group was significantly higher than the control and low-fluoride groups(P<0.01).(5)After fluoride exposure,the concentration of mitochondrial Ca2+in nerve cells increased significantly(P<0.05),the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased(P<0.01),and the degree of damage in the high-fluoride group was more obvious(P<0.05).The results show that fluoride exposure impairs the morphological structure of primary neural cells,resulting in upregulation of Ca2+transfer pathway protein expression between the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria,mitochondrial Ca2+overload,mitochondrial damage,and increased levels of apoptosis.
2.Effect of fluoride exposure on endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial calcium transfer and apoptosis in primary nerve cells
Yongheng LU ; Shuang ZHU ; Feiyan ZHAO ; Fujun AI ; Yanjie LIU ; Yangting DONG ; Zhizhong GUAN ; Na WEI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2026;30(1):111-119
BACKGROUND:Previous studies have found that neuronal damage caused by continuous excessive fluoride exposure is related to Ca2+overload,but the mechanism of Ca2+flow conversion between intracellular calcium stores and cell apoptosis damage is still unclear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of fluoride exposure on Ca2+transport channel proteins and apoptosis levels in the mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane of primary cultured neural cells.METHODS:Primary nerve cells of neonatal SD rats were cultured in vitro and identified by immunofluorescence staining with neuronal nucleus-specific antibody up to day 7.The nerve cells were divided into control group(containing 0 mmol/L sodium fluoride),low fluoride group(containing 0.5 mmol/L sodium fluoride),and high fluoride group(containing 1 mmol/L sodium fluoride).The cell morphological changes were observed by light microscope 24 hours after fluorine exposure.The expression levels of apoptosis-related protein BAX/BCL-2 and calcium transfer-related pathways VDAC1,GRP 75,and IP3R were detected using western blot assay.The expression levels of VDAC1,GRP 75,and IP3R mRNA were detected by RT-PCR.Ca2+levels were detected by Rhood-2AM Ca2+probe.Mitochondrial membrane potential detection kit was used to detect the change in mitochondrial membrane potential.The level of apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry and TUNEL staining.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The purity of neurons cultured on day 7 had been determined to be over 90%,with few impurities,good growth status,and tight cell network connections,meeting the requirements of subsequent experiments.(2)Compared with the control group,growth of neural cell clusters in the low-fluoride group and the high-fluoride group increased;the processes were broken;the cell body was rounded,and the connection network between cells was destroyed.Compared with the low-fluoride group,the cell damage changes in the high-fluoride group were more obvious.(3)Compared with the control group,the protein expressions of VDAC1,GRP75,and IP3R were increased in the low-fluoride group and the high-fluoride group(P<0.05),and the ratio of apoptosis-related protein BAX/BCL-2 was increased(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the expression of VDAC1 and GRP75 mRNA in the low-fluoride group was significantly increased(P<0.05);the expression levels of VDAC1,GRP75,and IP3R mRNA in the high-fluoride group were significantly increased(P<0.01).(4)The level of cell apoptosis increased significantly after fluoride exposure,and the high-fluoride group was significantly higher than the control and low-fluoride groups(P<0.01).(5)After fluoride exposure,the concentration of mitochondrial Ca2+in nerve cells increased significantly(P<0.05),the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased(P<0.01),and the degree of damage in the high-fluoride group was more obvious(P<0.05).The results show that fluoride exposure impairs the morphological structure of primary neural cells,resulting in upregulation of Ca2+transfer pathway protein expression between the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria,mitochondrial Ca2+overload,mitochondrial damage,and increased levels of apoptosis.
3.Formulation and initial validation of a daily goal-management-based exercise intervention for total knee arthroplasty patients
Jingxiao TIAN ; Jiaming AI ; Hongwei MIN ; Kecong ZHAO ; Baocui ZHANG ; Hong JIANG ; Wei YANG ; Jun'e LIU
Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice 2026;32(8):959-967
ObjectiveTo develop an exercise intervention program for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty based on the daily goal management pathway, and preliminarily verify its clinical feasibility and effectiveness. MethodsThe intervention program was formulated based on the daily goal management pathway and hope theory, combined with literature analysis, qualitative interviews and expert consultation. Feasibility evaluation was conducted among orthopedic nurses and patients in Beijing Bo'ai Hospital from September to November, 2025. A controlled pilot study was performed with 15 patients in each group: the control group received routine rehabilitation care, while the experimental group received the developed intervention program. The Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Score (HSS), range of motion (ROM) of knee, functional exercise compliance score, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) were compared between two groups. ResultsThe program covered three themes from admission to three weeks postoperatively, including seven training methods and 32 specific recommendations. Feasibility results showed 100% patient recruitment rate, 93.75% retention rate and 96.94% program acceptance rate. A total of 21 orthopedic nurses scored ≥ 4.5 on all four dimensions of the program. After intervention, HSS score and knee ROM significantly increased (|t| > 6.205, P < 0.001), while WOMAC and VAS score decreased (t = 9.127, Z = -3.415, P < 0.01) in the experimental group; in the control group, VAS score decreased (Z = -3.122, P = 0.002), and knee ROM reduced (t = -2.622, P = 0.015), with no significant improvement in other indicators (P > 0.05); all the indexes were better in the experimental group than in the control group (|t| > 7.949, |Z| > 2.990, P < 0.01), including the functional exercise compliance (t = -8.565, P < 0.001). ConclusionThe exercise intervention program based on the daily goal management pathway is scientific, feasible and preliminarily effective, which can provide a new structured and humanized nursing for early exercise training of patients during hospitalization for total knee arthroplasty.
4.Long-term prognosis of liver cirrhosis patients with spontaneous portosystemic shunt undergoing secondary endoscopic preventive therapy for type 1 isolated gastric variceal bleeding
Yuling ZHOU ; Lingling HE ; Jiali MA ; Ping LI ; Hongshan WEI ; Zhenglin AI
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(7):1614-1622
ObjectiveTo observe the long-term survival outcomes and complications of liver cirrhosis patients with spontaneous portosystemic shunt and type 1 isolated gastric varices (IGV-1) bleeding after secondary endoscopic preventive therapy, and to investigate the independent influencing factors for long-term prognosis. MethodsA total of 70 liver cirrhosis patients with spontaneous portosystemic shunt and IGV-1 bleeding who were admitted to Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January 5, 2015 to November 29, 2019 were enrolled as subjects, and related baseline data were collected, including age, sex, etiology, routine blood test results, liver function parameters, renal function parameters, coagulation parameters, Child-Pugh score, and the presence or absence of comorbidities such as cholestasis, hepatocellular carcinoma, thrombosis, ascites, and hepatic encephalopathy. All patients underwent secondary endoscopic preventive therapy for rebleeding and were followed up for 5 years. The primary endpoints were ectopic embolism rate and all-cause mortality rate, and the secondary endpoints were liver-related mortality and liver-related complications. The independent-samples t test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The Cox regression analysis was used to investigate the prognostic factors for 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival time, and the Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent risk factors for liver disease-related complications. ResultsThe incidence rate of ectopic embolism was 0% within 5 years of follow-up. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year all-cause mortality rates were 5.7%, 24.3%, and 32.9%, respectively. There were 2 cases of liver-related death in year 1, 8 cases in year 3, and 12 cases in year 5, resulting in a liver disease-related mortality rate of 17.14% (12/70). Compared with the survival group, the death group had significantly higher incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (0.00% vs 17.39%, χ2=8.669, P=0.003) and ascites (38.30% vs 52.17%, χ2=7.272, P=0.026), and compared with the death group, the survival group had significantly lower 5-year incidence rates of rebleeding (10.64% vs 100.00%, χ2=51.383, P<0.001), ascites (8.51% vs 52.17%, χ2=21.574, P<0.001), and hepatic encephalopathy (0.00% vs 21.74%, χ2=12.029, P=0.002). The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that during the 1-year follow-up, comorbidity with hepatocellular carcinoma before surgery (hazard ratio [HR]=14.601, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.049 — 104.098, P=0.007) and PT (HR=1.662, 95%CI: 1.090 — 2.535, P=0.018) were independent risk factors for survival, and HGB level (HR=0.863, 95%CI: 0.747 — 0.998, P=0.046) was a protective factor for prolonged survival; during the long-term follow-up for 3 or 5 years, preoperative comorbidities with hepatocellular carcinoma (3 years: HR=40.174, 95%CI: 8.939 — 180.559, P<0.001; 5 years: HR=26.739, 95%CI: 6.993 — 102.243, P<0.001) and ascites (3 years: HR=3.638, 95%CI: 1.751 — 7.575, P=0.001; 5 years: HR=2.555, 95%CI: 1.419 — 4.598, P=0.002) were independent risk factors for mortality. The Logistic regression analysis showed that during the follow-up for 3 years, comorbidity with ascites before surgery (odds ratio [OR]=0.255, 95%CI: 0.102 — 0.636, P=0.003) was associated with a lower risk of rebleeding, while comorbidity with hepatocellular carcinoma before surgery (OR=16.231, 95%CI: 1.298 — 202.878, P=0.031) was an independent risk factor for rebleeding; prothrombin time was a protective factor against hepatic encephalopathy (OR=0.790, 95%CI: 0.648 — 0.964, P=0.020); during the follow-up for 5 years, aggravation of ascites after surgery (OR=5.578, 95%CI: 1.474 — 21.103, P=0.011) was an independent risk factor for rebleeding, and aggravation of ascites after surgery (OR=175.046, 95%CI: 14.306 — 2 141.909, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for the development of ascites in the future. ConclusionComorbidity with hepatocellular carcinoma before surgery and prothrombin time are independent risk factors for 1-year survival, whereas a high HGB level is a protective factor for increasing 1-year survival. Preoperative comorbidities with hepatocellular carcinoma and ascites are independent risk factors for the long-term prognosis of patients with spontaneous portosystemic shunt and IGV-1 bleeding and can significantly shorten survival time. Preoperative comorbidity with ascites can reduce the occurrence of rebleeding, while postoperative hepatocellular carcinoma and aggravation of ascites after surgery are independent risk factors for rebleeding; aggravation of ascites after surgery is an independent risk factor for the development of ascites in the future.
5.Enzyme-directed Immobilization Strategies for Biosensor Applications
Xing-Bao WANG ; Yao-Hong MA ; Yun-Long XUE ; Xiao-Zhen HUANG ; Yue SHAO ; Yi YU ; Bing-Lian WANG ; Qing-Ai LIU ; Li-He ZHANG ; Wei-Li GONG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):374-394
Immobilized enzyme-based enzyme electrode biosensors, characterized by high sensitivity and efficiency, strong specificity, and compact size, demonstrate broad application prospects in life science research, disease diagnosis and monitoring, etc. Immobilization of enzyme is a critical step in determining the performance (stability, sensitivity, and reproducibility) of the biosensors. Random immobilization (physical adsorption, covalent cross-linking, etc.) can easily bring about problems, such as decreased enzyme activity and relatively unstable immobilization. Whereas, directional immobilization utilizing amino acid residue mutation, affinity peptide fusion, or nucleotide-specific binding to restrict the orientation of the enzymes provides new possibilities to solve the problems caused by random immobilization. In this paper, the principles, advantages and disadvantages and the application progress of enzyme electrode biosensors of different directional immobilization strategies for enzyme molecular sensing elements by specific amino acids (lysine, histidine, cysteine, unnatural amino acid) with functional groups introduced based on site-specific mutation, affinity peptides (gold binding peptides, carbon binding peptides, carbohydrate binding domains) fused through genetic engineering, and specific binding between nucleotides and target enzymes (proteins) were reviewed, and the application fields, advantages and limitations of various immobilized enzyme interface characterization techniques were discussed, hoping to provide theoretical and technical guidance for the creation of high-performance enzyme sensing elements and the manufacture of enzyme electrode sensors.
6.Era value and new directions of traditional Chinese medicine in preventing and treating osteoporosis from perspective of "bone health program".
Yi-Li ZHANG ; Chuan-Rui SUN ; Kai SUN ; Ai-Li XU ; Hao SHEN ; He YIN ; Ling-Hui LI ; Li-Guo ZHU ; Xu WEI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(3):569-574
Facing the requirements of promoting the healthy China initiative and improving people's health, the "bone health program" was proposed in 2024. In-depth development of a traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) prevention and control system is of strategic significance to the implementation of the "bone health program". Focusing on osteoporosis(OP), a representative disease affecting people's bone health, this paper concludes that accelerating the research on the prevention and control of OP by TCM is conducive to enhancing the knowledge and awareness of OP among the public, and it is beneficial to revealing the evolutionary pattern of OP and improving the understanding and management of this disease. Additionally, it can provide an overall framework for and strengthen the systematicity and completeness of the research on the prevention and treatment of OP by TCM. Meanwhile, it can help to explore new research paradigms and optimize the existing research model, so as to promote innovative breakthroughs in the prevention and treatment of bone health-related diseases by TCM. Under the overall layout of the "bone health program", importance should be attached to the early prevention and the innovation of very early diagnosis and intervention of OP. Emphasis should be put on the discovery of the target network of disease and treatment mechanism for revealing the core pathogenesis of OP and the therapeutic mechanism of TCM. In addition to local lesions of the bone and its clinical outcomes, attention should be paid to the development of multiple metabolic complications. The fusion of advanced interdisciplinary technologies should be promoted for OP and its complications, and thus a research and development system based on clinical application scenarios and driven by big data can be built. The measures above will facilitate the progress in the prevention and treatment of OP and other bone diseases by TCM and provide new momentum for enriching and deepening the research connotation of the "bone health program".
Osteoporosis/therapy*
;
Humans
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
;
China
;
Bone and Bones/drug effects*
7.Synergistic neuroprotective effects of main components of salvianolic acids for injection based on key pathological modules of cerebral ischemia.
Si-Yu TAN ; Ya-Xu WU ; Zi-Shu YAN ; Ai-Chun JU ; De-Kun LI ; Peng-Wei ZHUANG ; Yan-Jun ZHANG ; Hong GUO
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(3):693-701
This study aims to explore the synergistic effects of the main components in salvianolic acids for Injection(SAFI) on key pathological events in cerebral ischemia, elucidating the pharmacological characteristics of SAFI in neuroprotection. Two major pathological gene modules related to endothelial injury and neuroinflammation in cerebral ischemia were mined from single-cell data. According to the topological distance calculated in network medicine, potential synergistic component combinations of SAFI were screened out. The results showed that the combination of caffeic acid and salvianolic acid B scored the highest in addressing both endothelial injury and neuroinflammation, demonstrating potential synergistic effects. The cell experiments confirmed that the combination of these two components at a ratio of 1∶1 significantly protected brain microvascular endothelial cells(bEnd.3) from oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R)-induced reperfusion injury and effectively suppressed lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced neuroinflammatory responses in microglial cells(BV-2). This study provides a new method for uncovering synergistic effects among active components in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and offers novel insights into the multi-component, multi-target acting mechanisms of TCM.
Brain Ischemia/metabolism*
;
Neuroprotective Agents/pharmacology*
;
Animals
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
;
Benzofurans/pharmacology*
;
Mice
;
Drug Synergism
;
Caffeic Acids/pharmacology*
;
Polyphenols/pharmacology*
;
Humans
;
Alkenes/pharmacology*
;
Endothelial Cells/drug effects*
;
Depsides
8.Randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled, multicenter, equivalence clinical trial of Jiuwei Xifeng Granules(Os Draconis replaced by Ostreae Concha) for treating tic disorder in children.
Qiu-Han CAI ; Cheng-Liang ZHONG ; Si-Yuan HU ; Xin-Min LI ; Zhi-Chun XU ; Hui CHEN ; Ying HUA ; Jun-Hong WANG ; Ji-Hong TANG ; Bing-Xiang MA ; Xiu-Xia WANG ; Ai-Zhen WANG ; Meng-Qing WANG ; Wei ZHANG ; Chun WANG ; Yi-Qun TENG ; Yi-Hui SHAN ; Sheng-Xuan GUO
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(6):1699-1705
Jiuwei Xifeng Granules have become a Chinese patent medicine in the market. Because the formula contains Os Draconis, a top-level protected fossil of ancient organisms, the formula was to be improved by replacing Os Draconis with Ostreae Concha. To evaluate whether the improved formula has the same effectiveness and safety as the original formula, a randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled, equivalence clinical trial was conducted. This study enrolled 288 tic disorder(TD) of children and assigned them into two groups in 1∶1. The treatment group and control group took the modified formula and original formula, respectively. The treatment lasted for 6 weeks, and follow-up visits were conducted at weeks 2, 4, and 6. The primary efficacy endpoint was the difference in Yale global tic severity scale(YGTSS)-total tic severity(TTS) score from baseline after 6 weeks of treatment. The results showed that after 6 weeks of treatment, the declines in YGTSS-TSS score showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. The difference in YGTSS-TSS score(treatment group-control group) and the 95%CI of the full analysis set(FAS) were-0.17[-1.42, 1.08] and those of per-protocol set(PPS) were 0.29[-0.97, 1.56], which were within the equivalence boundary [-3, 3]. The equivalence test was therefore concluded. The two groups showed no significant differences in the secondary efficacy endpoints of effective rate for TD, total score and factor scores of YGTSS, clinical global impressions-severity(CGI-S) score, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) response rate, or symptom disappearance rate, and thus a complete evidence chain with the primary outcome was formed. A total of 6 adverse reactions were reported, including 4(2.82%) cases in the treatment group and 2(1.41%) cases in the control group, which showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. No serious suspected unexpected adverse reactions were reported, and no laboratory test results indicated serious clinically significant abnormalities. The results support the replacement of Os Draconis by Ostreae Concha in the original formula, and the efficacy and safety of the modified formula are consistent with those of the original formula.
Adolescent
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Child
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Child, Preschool
;
Female
;
Humans
;
Male
;
Double-Blind Method
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
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Tic Disorders/drug therapy*
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Treatment Outcome
9.Perceptions of teledermatology in the COVID-19 era: are patients ready for it?
Dawn Ai Qun OH ; Yi Wei YEO ; Shiu Ming PANG ; Choon Chiat OH ; Haur Yueh LEE ; Karen Jui Lin CHOO
Singapore medical journal 2025;66(12):640-644
INTRODUCTION:
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed care provision models, with a rapid increase in the adoption of telemedicine to reduce in-person visits. Although there are many benefits to teledermatology, there are also factors that hinder its widespread adoption. We aimed to examine patients' perceptions of teledermatology to identify the barriers to its adoption.
METHODS:
A prospective study was conducted from 15 June to 14 August 2020. Patients were invited to complete a questionnaire in an outpatient dermatology clinic via direct approach by clinical staff or posters posted at the door of consultation rooms.
RESULTS:
Out of 2,276 clinic attendances, 997 survey responses (43.8%) were collected over a 3-month period. When asked if they would change their subsequent visit to teledermatology, 294 (29.5%) patients were keen, 166 (16.6%) were unsure and 537 (53.9%) declined. Significant factors for declining teledermatology were lack of prior exposure to videoconferencing ( P < 0.01) and lower educational level ( P = 0.019). Patients also raised concerns regarding the ability of teledermatology to address medical concerns (32.1%) and indicated a preference for face-to-face consultation (29.7%).
CONCLUSION
Factors that influence patients' decision to adopt teledermatology, such as concerns about its ability to address medical issues, lack of IT literacy or experience in teleconferencing, are modifiable. Targeted strategies such as careful patient selection, a dedicated teleconsultation workflow, and the use of a novel 'teledermatology patient journey' (including a clinic walkthrough at the first visit) and an intuitive audio-enabled user interface, may improve patient perceptions and adoption of teleconsultation service.
Humans
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COVID-19/epidemiology*
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Dermatology/methods*
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Telemedicine
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Male
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Female
;
Prospective Studies
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Middle Aged
;
Adult
;
Surveys and Questionnaires
;
SARS-CoV-2
;
Aged
;
Perception
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Young Adult
;
Pandemics
;
Skin Diseases/diagnosis*
;
Videoconferencing
10.Programmed death-ligand 1 tumor proportion score in predicting the safety and efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 antibody-based therapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A retrospective, multicenter, observational study.
Yuequan SHI ; Xiaoyan LIU ; Anwen LIU ; Jian FANG ; Qingwei MENG ; Cuimin DING ; Bin AI ; Yangchun GU ; Cuiying ZHANG ; Chengzhi ZHOU ; Yan WANG ; Yongjie SHUI ; Siyuan YU ; Dongming ZHANG ; Jia LIU ; Haoran ZHANG ; Qing ZHOU ; Xiaoxing GAO ; Minjiang CHEN ; Jing ZHAO ; Wei ZHONG ; Yan XU ; Mengzhao WANG
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(14):1730-1740
BACKGROUND:
This study aimed to investigate programmed death-ligand 1 tumor proportion score in predicting the safety and efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 antibody-based therapy in treating patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a real-world setting.
METHODS:
This retrospective, multicenter, observational study enrolled adult patients who received PD-1/PD-L1 antibody-based therapy in China and met the following criteria: (1) had pathologically confirmed, unresectable stage III-IV NSCLC; (2) had a baseline PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS); and (3) had confirmed efficacy evaluation results after PD-1/PD-L1 treatment. Logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and Cox regression were used to assess the progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) as appropriate.
RESULTS:
A total of 409 patients, 65.0% ( n = 266) with a positive PD-L1 TPS (≥1%) and 32.8% ( n = 134) with PD-L1 TPS ≥50%, were included in this study. Cox regression confirmed that patients with a PD-L1 TPS ≥1% had significantly improved PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.747, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.573-0.975, P = 0.032). A total of 160 (39.1%) patients experienced 206 irAEs, and 27 (6.6%) patients experienced 31 grade 3-5 irAEs. The organs most frequently associated with irAEs were the skin (52/409, 12.7%), thyroid (40/409, 9.8%), and lung (34/409, 8.3%). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that a PD-L1 TPS ≥1% (odds ratio [OR] 1.713, 95% CI 1.054-2.784, P = 0.030) was an independent risk factor for irAEs. Other risk factors for irAEs included pretreatment absolute lymphocyte count >2.5 × 10 9 /L (OR 3.772, 95% CI 1.377-10.329, P = 0.010) and pretreatment absolute eosinophil count >0.2 × 10 9 /L (OR 2.006, 95% CI 1.219-3.302, P = 0.006). Moreover, patients who developed irAEs demonstrated improved PFS (13.7 months vs. 8.4 months, P <0.001) and OS (28.0 months vs. 18.0 months, P = 0.007) compared with patients without irAEs.
CONCLUSIONS
A positive PD-L1 TPS (≥1%) was associated with improved PFS and an increased risk of irAEs in a real-world setting. The onset of irAEs was associated with improved PFS and OS in patients with advanced NSCLC receiving PD-1/PD-L1-based therapy.
Humans
;
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/metabolism*
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Male
;
Female
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Middle Aged
;
Lung Neoplasms/metabolism*
;
Aged
;
B7-H1 Antigen/metabolism*
;
Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/metabolism*
;
Adult
;
Aged, 80 and over
;
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use*

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