Objective To understand the epidemiological and genotypic characteristics of norovirus (NoV) in Jingzhou area，and to design primers and probes covering the variant genomes in the NoV gene library. Methods A total of 556 fecal samples were collected from suspected NoV patients from the First People's Hospital of Jingzhou from January 2022 to May 2023. The positive rate of NoV nucleic acid in fecal samples was detected by commercial kits. The differences in positive rates among different seasons and five age groups were statistically analyzed. Primers covering the NoV variant genome were designed to genotype some positive specimens. Results The detection rate of NoV nucleic acid in the tested samples was 30.04% (167/556). The detection rate in spring and winter was higher than that in summer and autumn (χ²=20.411，P<0.01). There were statistical differences in the positive rates among the five age groups of <1 year, 1-5 years, 6-10 years, 11-19 years, and >19 years (χ²=17.192，P<0.01), and the positive rate in young children (1~5 years old) was the highest (39.29%, 88/224). In addition, all the positive samples were NoV GII. Conclusion The epidemic situation of NoV is serious in winter and spring in Jingzhou area, with a high infection rate in young children (1-5 years old), and NoV GII is the main prevalent genotype. The primers designed in this study can be used for genotyping of NoV GI and GII.

Objective:To identify the risk factors for acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) undergoing haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HID-HSCT) .Methods:A total of 141 AML patients who underwent HID-HSCT at the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from January 2020 to July 2021 were included. The cumulative incidence of aGVHD was analyzed using the Fine-Gray competing risk model, with relapse and death as competing events, to compare differences between groups. Potential risk factors were evaluated by univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses to determine their independent effects on aGVHD.Results:Among the 141 patients, 86 (61.0%) were male and 55 (39.0%) were female, with a median age at transplantation of 34 years. Within 100 days post-transplant, 59 patients developed grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD, whereas 86 patients experienced no or grade Ⅰ aGVHD (the grade 0-Ⅰ aGVHD group) . Survival analysis showed that the 3-year overall survival was 68.7% (95% CI: 57.7%-81.9%) in the grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD group, compared with 78.8% (95% CI: 70.4%-88.3%) in the grade 0 - Ⅰ aGVHD group, with the difference not being statistically significant ( P=0.190) . Univariable analysis identified donor age ( P=0.020, HR=1.020, 95% CI: 1.000-1.040) and the female donor-male recipient sex combination ( P=0.033, HR=1.980, 95% CI: 1.160-3.380) as risk factors for grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD. Multivariable analysis confirmed that donor age ( P=0.005, HR=1.026, 95% CI: 1.008-1.047) and the female donor-male recipient sex combination ( P=0.002, HR=2.339, 95% CI: 1.354-4.037) were independent risk factors for aGVHD. Patients receiving grafts from donors aged >45 years had a significantly higher 100-day cumulative incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD compared with those receiving grafts from donors ≤45 years [54.7% (95% CI: 42.3%-67.0%) vs 31.6% (95% CI: 21.0%-42.1%) , P=0.006]. Similarly, patients with the female donor-male recipient sex combination had a higher 100-day cumulative incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD than those with other sex combinations [56.8% (95% CI: 40.4%-73.1%) vs 36.9% (95% CI: 27.5%-46.3%) , P=0.015]. Conclusion:Older donor age and the female donor-male recipient sex combination remain independent risk factors for aGVHD in patients with AML undergoing HID-HSCT.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with common pathophysiological processes, such as inflammation and fibrosis, in both the heart and the kidney. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that drive these processes are not yet fully understood. Therefore, this study focused on the molecular mechanism of heart and kidney injury in CKD. METHODS: We generated an microRNA (miR)-26a knockout (KO) mouse model to investigate the role of miR-26a in angiotensin (Ang)-II-induced cardiac and renal injury. We performed Ang-II modeling in wild type (WT) mice and miR-26a KO mice, with six mice in each group. In addition, Ang-II-treated AC16 cells and HK2 cells were used as in vitro models of cardiac and renal injury in the context of CKD. Histological staining, immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and Western blotting were applied to study the regulation of miR-26a on Ang-II-induced cardiac and renal injury. Immunofluorescence reporter assays were used to detect downstream genes of miR-26a, and immunoprecipitation was employed to identify the interacting protein of LIM and senescent cell antigen-like domain 1 (LIMS1). We also used an adeno-associated virus (AAV) to supplement LIMS1 and explored the specific regulatory mechanism of miR-26a on Ang-II-induced cardiac and renal injury. Dunnett's multiple comparison and t -test were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Compared with the control mice, miR-26a expression was significantly downregulated in both the kidney and the heart after Ang-II infusion. Our study identified LIMS1 as a novel target gene of miR-26a in both heart and kidney tissues. Downregulation of miR-26a activated the LIMS1/integrin-linked kinase (ILK) signaling pathway in the heart and kidney, which represents a common molecular mechanism underlying inflammation and fibrosis in heart and kidney tissues during CKD. Furthermore, knockout of miR-26a worsened inflammation and fibrosis in the heart and kidney by inhibiting the LIMS1/ILK signaling pathway; on the contrary, supplementation with exogenous miR-26a reversed all these changes. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that miR-26a could be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of cardiorenal injury in CKD. This is attributed to its ability to regulate the LIMS1/ILK signaling pathway, which represents a common molecular mechanism in both heart and kidney tissues.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Angiotensin II/toxicity* ; Mice ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/chemically induced* ; Mice, Knockout ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Signal Transduction/genetics* ; LIM Domain Proteins/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Cell Line ; Humans

Objective:To identify the risk factors for acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) undergoing haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HID-HSCT) .Methods:A total of 141 AML patients who underwent HID-HSCT at the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from January 2020 to July 2021 were included. The cumulative incidence of aGVHD was analyzed using the Fine-Gray competing risk model, with relapse and death as competing events, to compare differences between groups. Potential risk factors were evaluated by univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses to determine their independent effects on aGVHD.Results:Among the 141 patients, 86 (61.0%) were male and 55 (39.0%) were female, with a median age at transplantation of 34 years. Within 100 days post-transplant, 59 patients developed grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD, whereas 86 patients experienced no or grade Ⅰ aGVHD (the grade 0-Ⅰ aGVHD group) . Survival analysis showed that the 3-year overall survival was 68.7% (95% CI: 57.7%-81.9%) in the grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD group, compared with 78.8% (95% CI: 70.4%-88.3%) in the grade 0 - Ⅰ aGVHD group, with the difference not being statistically significant ( P=0.190) . Univariable analysis identified donor age ( P=0.020, HR=1.020, 95% CI: 1.000-1.040) and the female donor-male recipient sex combination ( P=0.033, HR=1.980, 95% CI: 1.160-3.380) as risk factors for grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD. Multivariable analysis confirmed that donor age ( P=0.005, HR=1.026, 95% CI: 1.008-1.047) and the female donor-male recipient sex combination ( P=0.002, HR=2.339, 95% CI: 1.354-4.037) were independent risk factors for aGVHD. Patients receiving grafts from donors aged >45 years had a significantly higher 100-day cumulative incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD compared with those receiving grafts from donors ≤45 years [54.7% (95% CI: 42.3%-67.0%) vs 31.6% (95% CI: 21.0%-42.1%) , P=0.006]. Similarly, patients with the female donor-male recipient sex combination had a higher 100-day cumulative incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD than those with other sex combinations [56.8% (95% CI: 40.4%-73.1%) vs 36.9% (95% CI: 27.5%-46.3%) , P=0.015]. Conclusion:Older donor age and the female donor-male recipient sex combination remain independent risk factors for aGVHD in patients with AML undergoing HID-HSCT.

Objectives:This study aimed to analyze the clinical and molecular characteristics of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) bloodstream infection (BSI) in patients with hematological diseases and to explore prognostic risk factors.Methods:This retrospective study included patients with hematologic diseases with CRE BSI at the Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital from January 2015 to December 2022. The clinical features, carbapenemase test results, antimicrobial treatments, and outcomes were analyzed.Results:A total of 120 patients developed CRE BSI. Escherichia coli (58/120, 48.3%) was the most prevalent Enterobacteriaceae, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (52/120, 43.3%). A total of 93 CRE strains were tested for carbapenemase, of which 75 strains produced carbapenemase (metalloenzyme: 51 strains; serine enzyme: 24 strains). The 30-day mortality rate after BSI was 24.2% (29/120). Univariate analysis revealed significantly lower mortality in patients treated with the ceftazidime-avibactam-containing regimen than in those treated with other antibiotics (7.8% vs 36.2%, P<0.001). Moreover, initiating active therapy within 24 h of BSI onset significantly reduced mortality (15.0% vs 33.3%, P=0.019). The proportion of patients with CRE colonization receiving active therapy within 12 and 24 h was significantly higher compared with patients without colonization (12 h: 14.5% vs 34.1%, P=0.012; 24 h: 40.8% vs 65.9%, P=0.008). Multivariate analysis revealed that septic shock ( HR=24.436, 95% CI 4.148 - 143.966, P<0.001) and pulmonary infection ( HR=9.346, 95% CI 2.718-32.140, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for death within 30 days. Appropriate therapy was initiated within 24 h ( HR=0.225, 95% CI 0.059 - 0.851, P=0.028), and treatment with the ceftazidime-avibactam-containing regimen ( HR=0.082, 95% CI 0.018-0.362, P=0.001) significantly reduced mortality. Conclusion:The prognosis of CRE BSI in patients with hematological diseases is poor. Timely, appropriate therapy and receipt of a ceftazidime-avibactam-containing regimen can improve survival and prognosis.

Twelve DEK-NUP214 fusion gene-positive patients with acute myeloid leukemia and on allo-HSCT treatment at the Hematology Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from November 2016 to August 2022 were included in the study, and their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. The patients comprised five men and seven women with a median age of 34 (16-52) years. At the time of diagnosis, all the patients were positive for the DEK-NUP214 fusion gene. Chromosome karyotyping analysis showed t (6;9) (p23;q34) translocation in 10 patients (two patients did not undergo chromosome karyotyping analysis), FLT3-ITD mutation was detected in 11 patients, and high expression of WT1 was observed in 11 patients. Nine patients had their primary disease in the first complete remission state before transplantation, one patient had no disease remission, and two patients were in a recurrent state. All patients received myeloablative pretreatment, five patients received sibling allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and seven patients received haploid hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The median number of mononuclear cells in the transplant was 10.87 (7.09-17.89) ×10 8/kg, and the number of CD34 + cells was 3.29 (2.53-6.10) ×10 6/kg. All patients achieved blood reconstruction, with a median time of 14 (10-20) days for neutrophil implantation and 15 (9-27) days for platelet implantation. The 1 year transplant-related mortality rate after transplantation was 21.2%. The cumulative recurrence rates 1 and 3 years after transplantation were 25.0% and 50.0%, respectively. The leukemia free survival rates were (65.6±14.0) % and (65.6±14.0) %, respectively. The overall survival rates were (72.2±13.8) % and (72.2±13.8) %, respectively.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and prognostic factors of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome accompanied by myelodysplasia (MDS-EB) and to compare the prognosis of different subtypes of patients classified by World Health Organization (WHO) 2022.Methods:A total of 282 patients with MDS-EB who underwent allo-HSCT at the Hematology Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from October 2006 to December 2022 were included in the study. The WHO 2022 diagnostic criteria reclassified MDS into three groups: myelodysplastic tumors with type 1/2 of primitive cell proliferation (MDS-IB1/IB2, 222 cases), MDS with fibrosis (MDS-f, 41 cases), and MDS with biallelic TP53 mutation (MDS-biTP53, 19 cases). Their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed.Results:① The median age of 282 patients was 46 (15-66) years, with 191 males and 91 females. Among them, 118 (42% ) and 164 (58% ) had MDS-EB1 and MDS-EB2, respectively. ②Among the 282 patients, 256 (90.8% ) achieved hematopoietic reconstruction after transplantation, with 11 (3.9% ) and 15 (5.3% ) having primary and secondary implantation dysfunctions, respectively. The cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) 100 days post-transplantation was (42.6±3.0) %, and the cumulative incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ acute GVHD was (33.0±2.8) %. The cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD 1 year post-transplantation was (31.0±2.9) %. Post-transplantation, 128 (45.4% ), 63 (22.3% ), 35 (12.4% ), and 17 patients (6.0% ) developed cytomegalovirus infection, bacteremia, pulmonary fungal infection, and Epstein-Barr virus infection. ③The median follow-up time post-transplantation was 22.1 (19.2-24.7) months, and the 3-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 71.9% (95% CI 65.7% -78.6% ) and 63.6% (95% CI 57.2% -70.7% ), respectively. The 3-year non-recurrent mortality rate (NRM) is 17.9% (95% CI 13.9% -22.9% ), and the 3-year cumulative recurrence rate (CIR) is 9.8% (95% CI 6.7% -13.7% ). The independent risk factors affecting OS post-transplantation include monocyte karyotype ( P=0.004, HR=3.26, 95% CI 1.46-7.29), hematopoietic stem cell transplantation complication index (HCI-CI) of ≥3 points ( P<0.001, HR=2.86, 95% CI 1.72-4.75), and the occurrence of acute gastrointestinal GVHD of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ ( P<0.001, HR=5.94, 95% CI 3.50-10.10). ④The 3-year OS and DFS rates in the MDS-IB1/IB2 group post-transplantation were better than those in the MDS-biTP53 group [OS: 72.0% (95% CI 63.4% -80.7% ) vs 46.4% (95% CI 26.9% –80.1% ), P=0.020; DFS: 67.4% (95% CI 60.3% -75.3% ) vs 39.7% (95% CI 22.3% -70.8% ), P=0.015]. The 3-year CIR was lower than that of the MDS-biTP53 group [7.3% (95% CI 4.3% -11.4% ) vs 26.9% (95% CI 9.2% -48.5% ), P=0.004]. The NRM at 3 years post-transplantation in the MDS-IB1/IB2, MDS-f, and MDS-biTP53 groups were 16.7% (95% CI 12.1% -22.1% ), 20.5% (95% CI 9.4% -34.6% ), and 26.3% (95% CI 9.1% -47.5% ), respectively ( P=0.690) . Conclusion:Allo-HSCT is an effective treatment for MDS-EB, with monomeric karyotype, HCI-CI, and grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ acute gastrointestinal GVHD as independent risk factors affecting the patient’s OS. The WHO 2022 classification helps distinguish the efficacy of allo-HSCT in different subgroups of patients. Allo-HSCT can improve the poor prognosis of patients with MDS-f, but those with MDS-biTP53 have a higher risk of recurrence post-transplantation.

Optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)is a non-invasive imaging technique that provides three-dimensional,informative vascular images.Numerous studies have shown that OCTA technology has unique advantages in biomarker quantification,diagnosis and monitoring,and has therefore been rapidly applied in experiments and clinical stud-ies.Image analysis tools can quickly and accurately quantify vascular and pathological features,greatly improving the value of OCTA imaging.In recent years,artificial intelligence(AI)has become the most powerful image analysis method,espe-cially deep learning-based image analysis,which can provide accurate measurements in various situations,including differ-ent diseases and eye regions.The Ophthalmic Imaging and Intelligent Medicine Branch of Chinese Medicine Education Asso-ciation and the Ophthalmology Committee of International Association of Translational Medicine designated experts to sum-marize the application of AI in OCTA image analysis and disease diagnosis at home and abroad,including accurate detection of choroidal neovascularization and other lesions,accurate quantification of retinal perfusion,and reliable disease diagno-sis.They also analyzed the current challenges and development directions.After multiple rounds of discussion and revi-sions,they drafted the guidelines for the application of AI in OCTA image analysis and ocular disease diagnosis,aiming to provide new insights and references for clinical practice.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of salt application in the treatment of pyogenic granuloma.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data from 25 patients with pyogenic granuloma receiving salt application at the Department of Dermatology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital between January 2021 and August 2023. The improvement of skin lesions following treatment was evaluated, and adverse reactions and recurrent attacks of skin lesions were recorded. The Spearman correlation coefficients were used to identify factors affecting the treatment duration.Results:Of the 25 patients with pyogenic granuloma, 6 were males and 19 were females, with ages ranging from 19 to 61 years (35 ± 9 years). Two patients underwent alternative treatments after 1-week salt application, and 1 was lost to follow-up, none of whom were included in the efficacy analysis. At week 1 after the start of salt application, 3 of 22 patients (13.6%) achieved complete recovery, 10 (45.5%) exhibited marked improvement, and 5 (22.7%) achieved improvement, resulting in a response rate of 81.8%; at week 2, 14 (63.6%) were cured, 2 (9.1%) showed marked improvement, and 4 (18.2%) achieved improvement, leading to a notable response rate of 90.9%; at 1 month, 20 (90.9%) were cured, 1 (4.5%) achieved marked improvement, resulting in an impressive response rate of 95.5%; at 3 months, 21 (95.5%) were fully cured, and 1 achieved improvement, resulting in a response rate of 100%. Among the 21 patients who completed the therapy, the treatment duration ranged from 6 to 41 days, and the recovery time was 15.3 ± 9.3 days; besides, 1 patient still underwent treatment at the time of analysis. Moreover, the recovery time exhibited a positive correlation with the lesion size ( r = 0.62, P = 0.003), but was not correlated with the age or disease duration. Only 1 case experienced a recurrence during 3 months of follow-up after complete recovery. Throughout the treatment duration, 4 patients reported varying degrees of pain and burning sensation, 1 of whom reported intolerable pain. Conclusion:Salt application is worthy of clinical promotion and application in the treatment of pyogenic granuloma, due to simple procedure and definite therapeutic efficacy.

Objective:To investigate the phenotypic characteristics of dendritic cell (DC) in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic antibody-mediated rejection (CAMR) after kidney transplantation,revealing the potential role of DCs in the occurrence and development of CAMR.Methods:Case-control study. A total of 25 kidney transplant recipients who underwent kidney transplantation or were under long-term follow-up at West China Hospital of Sichuan University from October 1st, 2020, to July 31st, 2021, were recruited in this case-control study, comprising 15 cases of patients with CAMR and 10 cases of patients with stable renal function. Flow cytometry was used to analyze DC subsets in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients. Correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between DC subsets and renal function indicators. Iterative cluster analysis was performed based on the absolute counts of DC, ILT3+ mDC, ILT3+ pDC,ILT4+ mDC and ILT4+ pDC in the CAMR group.Results:Compared with the stable renal function group, the percentages and absolute count of pDC, pDC/mDC ratio, and absolute count of ILT3+ pDC were decreased while percentages of ILT3+ mDC were increased in CAMR group . DC percentage was negatively correlated with Scr (r=-0.467, P=0.019) and CysC (r=-0.502, P=0.011) and positively correlated with eGFR (r=0.436, P=0.029). ILT4+ pDC percentage was positively correlated with CysC (r=0.433, P=0.031), and absolute count of DCs was negatively correlated with CysC (r=-0.425, P=0.034). Iterative cluster analysis defined two patient clusters with significant statistic differences of Scr, eGFR, and CysC detection results in the CAMR group.Conclusion:The distribution of DC subsets and the expression of ILT3 and ILT4 in the blood of post-transplant patients could provide new biomarkers for early identification of CAMR risk and optimization of immunosuppressive therapy strategies. Particularly, changes of pDC and the expression levels of ILT3, ILT4 can serve as valuable indicators for assessing post-transplant immune status and renal function prognosis.