Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent inflammation and joint damage, accompanied by the accumulation of plasma cells, which contributes to its pathogenesis. Understanding the genetic alterations occurring during plasma cell differentiation in RA can deepen our comprehension of its pathogenesis and guide the development of targeted therapeutic interventions. Here, our study elucidates the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying plasma cell differentiation by demonstrating that PRDX1 interacts with DOK3 and modulates its degradation by the autophagy-lysosome pathway. This interaction results in the inhibition of plasma cell differentiation, thereby alleviating the progression of collagen-induced arthritis. Additionally, our investigation identifies Salvianolic acid B (SAB) as a potent small molecular glue-like compound that enhances the interaction between PRDX1 and DOK3, consequently impeding the progression of collagen-induced arthritis by inhibiting plasma cell differentiation. Collectively, these findings underscore the therapeutic potential of developing chemical stabilizers for the PRDX1-DOK3 complex in suppressing plasma cell differentiation for RA treatment and establish a theoretical basis for targeting PRDX1-protein interactions as specific therapeutic targets in various diseases.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of 4 novel inflammatory markers related to routine blood tests,namely neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),red blood cell distribution width(RDW),hemoglobin-to-RDW ratio(HRR)and systemic immune-inflammation index(SII),in elderly patients with chronic cardiovascular disease(CVD)complicated with frailty.Methods Retrospectively analyze 110 patients with chronic stable CVD who were hospitalized in the cadre ward of cardiovascular medicine at the Air Force Characteristic Medical Center from January 2022 to June 2023.According to the assessment results of the Fried scale,they were divided into three groups:non-frailty group(Fried score=0,n=30),the pre-frailty group(Fried score 1 or 2,n=40)and frailty group(Fried score≥3,n=40).The differences in general information,the impairment rate of daily living activities,miniature nutritional assessment-short form(MNA-SF)scores,mini-mental state examination(MMSE)scores,and the indicators such as NLR,RDW,HRR,and SII among the three groups were compared.Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the correlation between NLR,RDW,HRR,SII and frailty scores as well as each frailty indicator.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the independent risk factors for frailty in elderly patients with chronic CVD,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to assess the clinical diagnostic value of NLR and HRR in elderly patients with chronic CVD complicated with frailty.Results Compared with non-frailty group and pre-frailty group,patients in frailty group were older,with higher impaired rates of daily living activities,NLR,RDW,and SII,and lower MNA-SF scores,MMSE scores,and HRR,and differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the frailty score was positively correlated with NLR(rs=0.354,P<0.001),and RDW(rs=0.448,P<0.001),negatively correlated with HRR(rs=-0.232,P=0.024),and had no significant correlation with SII(rs=0.144,P=0.167).Further analysis of the correlation between the above novel inflammatory markers and the 5 components of frailty showed that NLR was positively correlated with fatigue(rs=0.228,P=0.017),slowed walking speed(rs=0.299,P<0.001),and low physical function(rs=0.319,P<0.001);RDW was positively correlated with decreased grip strength(rs=0.321,P<0.001),slowed walking speed(rs=0.422,P<0.001),and low physical function(rs=0.246,P=0.001);and HRR was negatively correlated with slowed walking speed(rs=-0.230,P=0.025),and low physical function(rs=-0.299,P=0.003).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that MNA-SF score(OR=0.577,95%CI 0.342-0.973)was an independent protective factor for pre-frailty in elderly patients with chronic CVD(P<0.05);NLR(OR=7.866,95%CI 1.101-56.185)was an independent risk factor for frailty,while HRR(OR=0.344,95%CI 0.120-0.983)and MNA-SF score(OR=0.292,95%CI 0.146-0.580)were independent protective factors for frailty in elderly CVD patients(P<0.05).The area under the ROC curve of NLR and HRR for diagnosing frailty in elderly patients with chronic CVD were 0.778 and 0.749,respectively.Conclusion NLR and HRR have high clinical diagnostic value for frailty in elderly patients with chronic CVD,and are expected to become effective inflammatory markers for screening elderly patients with chronic CVD complicated with frailty.

This study using maltodextrin as raw material, 1%-5% polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 as template agent, 1%-5% ammonium bicarbonate as pore-forming agent, curcumin and ibuprofen as model drugs. Porous maltodextrin was prepared by template and pore-forming agent methods, respectively. The structure and drug delivery behavior of porous maltodextrin prepared by different technologies were comprehensively characterized. The results showed that the porous maltodextrin prepared by pore-forming agent method had larger specific surface area (6.449 4 m²·g^-1) and pore size (32.804 2 nm), which was significantly better than that by template agent method (3.670 2 m²·g^-1, 15.278 5 nm). The adsorption kinetics between porous maltodextrin prepared by pore-forming agent method and curcumin were suitable for quasi-first order adsorption kinetic model, and that between porous maltodextrin and ibuprofen were suitable for quasi-second order adsorption kinetic model. While the adsorption kinetics between porous maltodextrin prepared by template agent method and two model drugs were both suitable for the quasi-first order adsorption kinetic model. In addition, the dissolution behavior analysis showed that the porous maltodextrin prepared by the two technologies can significantly improve the dissolution behavior of insoluble drugs, and the drug release was both carried out by diffusion mechanism, which suitable for the Peppas kinetic release model, but the porous maltodextrin prepared by template agent method had a faster release rate. The change of nozzle diameter had no significant effect on the adsorption process and drug release behavior of porous maltodextrin. In conclusion, the porous maltodextrins prepared by two different technologies were both beneficial to the delivery of insoluble drugs, and the template agent method was the best for delivery of insoluble drugs. This study can provide theoretical basis for the preparation of porous particles, promote the application of porous particles in insoluble drugs, and improve the bioavailability of insoluble drugs.

Objective:To analyze the risk factors for late-onset hemorrhagic cystitis(LOHC)after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT),the risk factors for the progression of LOHC to severe LOHC,and the effect of LOHC on survival.Methods:The clinical data of 300 patients who underwent allo-HSCT at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2015 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.The relevant clinical parameters that may affect the occurance of LOHC after allo-HSCT were selected for univariate and multivariate analysis.Then,the differences in overall survival(OS)and progression-free survival(PFS)between different groups were analyzed.Results:The results of multivariate analysis showed that the independent risk factors for LOHC after allo-HSCT were as follows:age≤45 years old(P=0.039),intensified conditioning regimen with fludarabine/cladribine and cytarabine(P=0.002),albumin ≤ 30 g/L on d30 after transplantation(P=0.007),CMV-DNA positive(P=0.028),fungal infection before transplantation(P=0.026),and the occurrence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD(P=0.006).In the transplant patients who have already developed LOHC,the occurance of LOHC within 32 days after transplantation(P=0.008)and albumin ≤ 30 g/L on d30 after transplantation(P=0.032)were independent risk factors for the progression to severe LOHC.The OS rate of patients with severe LOHC was significantly lower than that of patients without LOHC(P=0.041).Conclusion:For the patients aged ≤ 45 years old and with intensified conditioning regimen,it is necessary to be vigilant about the occurrence of LOHC;For the patients with earlier occurrence of LOHC,it is necessary to be vigilant that it develops into severe LOHC.Early prevention and treatment of LOHC are essential.Regular monitoring of CMV-DNA and albumin levels,highly effective antiviral and antifungal therapies,and prevention of aGVHD are effective measures to prevent the occurrence and development of LOHC.

Objective:To analyze the risk factors of primary poor graft function (PGF) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in patients with myeloid malignancies and the impact of primary PGF on survival. Methods:The clinical data of 146 patients with myeloid malignancies who underwent allo-HSCT in our hospital from January 2015 to December 2021 were retrospectively studied. Some relevant clinical parameters which may affect the development of primary PGF after allo-HSCT were selected for univariate and multivariate analysis,as well as performed survival analysis. Results:A total of 9 patients (6.16％) were diagnosed with primary PGF,and their medium age was 37(28-53) years old. Among them,1 case underwent matched sibling donor HSCT,1 case underwent matched unrelated donor HSCT,and 7 cases underwent HLA-haploidentical related donor HSCT. Moreover,5 cases were diagnosed as cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection,and 3 cases as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that CD34+cell dose<5×106/kg and pre-transplant C-reactive protein (CRP)>10 mg/L were independent risk factors for occurrence of the primary PGF after allo-HSCT in patients with myeloid malignancies. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate of primary PGF group was 52.5％,which was significantly lower than 82.8％ of good graft function group (P<0.05). Conclusion:Making sure pre-transplant CRP≤10 mg/L and CD34+cell dose ≥5×106/kg in the graft may have an effect on preventing the occurrence of primary PGF after allo-HSCT. The occurrence of primary PGF may affect the OS rate of transplant patients,and early prevention and treatment are required.

Lithocarpus litseifolius is rich in the chalcones phloridzin and trilobatin, the biosynthesis pathways of which have not been fully demonstrated. Chalcone synthase(CHS) is the first key rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of flavonoids in plants. To explore the functions of CHS gene family in chalcone synthesis of L. litseifolius, this study screened out two CHS genes(LlCHS1 and LlCHS2) from the transcriptome data of this plant, and then bioinformatics analysis and functional characterization were performed for the two genes. The bioinformatics analysis showed that LlCHS1 and LlCHS2 were acidic hydrophilic stable proteins with no transmembrane domain, composed of 395 and 390 amino acid residues, respectively. Both of them contained the characteristic amino acid sequence "WGVLFGFGPGL" and highly conserved active sites(Cys-164, Phe-215, His-303, and Asn-336) of the CHS family. The phylogenetic tree showed that LlCHS1 shared the same clade with similar genes in Aquilaria sinensis, and LlCHS2 was closely related to similar genes in Malus domestica. Under exogenous addition of phloretic acid, co-expression of LlCHS1 or LlCHS2 with Aa4CL from Aromatoleum aromaticum in Escherichia coli catalyzed the production of phloretin from phloretic acid. This study laid a theoretical foundation for revealing the functions of CHS in plants and provided new enzymatic modules for producing phloretin by synthetic biology.
Acyltransferases/chemistry* ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins/chemistry* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Amino Acid Sequence

The approach combining disease, syndrome, and symptom was employed to investigate the characteristic changes of blood stasis syndrome in a rat model of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head(SONFH) during disease onset and progression. Seventy-two male SD rats were randomized into a healthy control group and a model group. The rat model of SONFH was established by injection of lipopolysaccharide(LPS) in the tail vein at a dose of 20 μg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1) on days 1 and 2 and gluteal intramuscular injection of methylprednisolone sodium succinate(MPS) at a dose of 40 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1) on days 3-5, while the healthy control group received an equal volume of saline. The mechanical pain test, tongue color RGB technique, gait detection, open field test, and inclined plane test were employed to assess hip pain, tongue color, limping, joint activity, and lower limb strength, respectively, at different time points within 21 weeks of modeling. At weeks 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 21 after modeling, histopathological changes of the femoral head were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and micro-CT scanning; four coagulation items were measured by rotational thromboelastometry; and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to determine the levels of six blood lipids, vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), endothelin-1(ET-1), nitric oxide(NO), tissue-type plasminogen activator(t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor factor-1(PAI-1), bone gla protein(BGP), alkaline phosphatase(ALP), receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB(RANKL), osteoprotegerin(OPG), and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b(TRAP5b) in the serum, as well as the levels of 6-keto-prostaglandin 1α(6-keto-PGF1α) and thromboxane B2(TXB2) in the plasma. The results demonstrated that the pathological alterations in the SONFH rats were severer over time. The bone trabecular area ratio, adipocyte number, empty lacuna rate, bone mineral density(BMD), bone volume/tissue volume(BV/TV), trabecular thickness(Tb.Th), trabecular number(Tb.N), bone surface area/bone volume(BS/BV), and trabecular separation(Tb.Sp) all significantly increased or decreased over the modeling time after week 4. Compared with the healthy control group, the mechanical pain threshold, gait swing speed, stride, standing time, and walking cycle of SONFH rats changed significantly within 21 weeks after modeling, with the greatest difference observed 12 weeks after modeling. The time spent in the central zone, rearing score, and maximum tilt angle in the open field test of SONFH rats also changed significantly over the modeling time. Compared with the healthy control group, the R, G, and B values of the tongue color of the model rats decreased significantly, with the greatest difference observed 11 weeks after modeling. The levels of total cholesterol(TC), total triglycerides(TG), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C), and apoprotein B(ApoB) in the SONFH rats changed significantly 4 and 8 weeks after modeling. The levels of VEGF, ET-1, NO, t-PA, PAI-1, 6-keto-PGF1α, TXB2, four coagulation items, and TXB2/6-keto-PGF1α ratio in the serum of SONFH rats changed significantly 4-16 weeks after modeling, with the greatest differences observed 12 weeks after modeling. The levels of BGP, TRAP5b, RANKL, OPG, and RANKL/OPG ratio in the serum of SONFH rats changed significantly 8-21 weeks after modeling. During the entire onset and progression of SONFH in rats, the blood stasis syndrome characteristics such as hyperalgesia, tongue color darkening, gait abnormalities, platelet, vascular, and coagulation dysfunctions were observed, which gradually worsened and then gradually alleviated in the disease course(2-21 weeks), with the most notable differences occurred around 12 weeks after modeling.
Rats ; Male ; Animals ; Femur Head/pathology* ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1/adverse effects* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Femur Head Necrosis/pathology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Steroids ; Pain ; Cholesterol

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of matched sibling donor allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in the treatment of young patients with multiple myeloma (MM). METHODS: The clinical data of 8 young patients (median age：46 years) with MM who underwent allo-HSCT from HLA-indentical sibling donors in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from June 2013 to September 2021 were collected, and their survival and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: All the patients were successfully transplanted, and 7 patients could be evaluated the efficacy after transplantation. The median follow-up time was 35.2 (2.5-84.70) months. The complete response (CR) rate was 2/8 before transplantation and 6/7 after transplantation. Acute GVHD developed in 2 cases and extensive chronic GVHD developed in 1 case. Within 100 days, 1 case died of non-recurrent events, and 1-year and 2-year disease-free survival were 6 and 5 cases, respectively. At the end of follow-up, all the 5 patients who survived for more than 2 years survived, and the longest disease-free survival time has reached 84 months. CONCLUSION With the development of new drugs, HLA-matched sibling donor allo-HSCT may be a curable treatment for young patients with MM.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma ; Siblings ; Retrospective Studies ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Graft vs Host Disease

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy and required indicators of Children Neuropsychological and Behavioral Scale-Revision 2016 (CNBS-R2016) in the differential diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and global developmental delay (GDD). METHODS: A total of 277 children with ASD and 415 children with GDD, aged 18-48 months, were enrolled as subjects. CNBS-R2016 was used to assess the developmental levels of six domains, i.e., gross motor, fine motor, adaptive ability, language, social behavior, and warning behavior, and a total of 13 indicators on intelligence age and developmental quotient (DQ) were obtained as the input features. Five commonly used machine learning classifiers were used for training to calculate the classification accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of each classifier. RESULTS: DQ of warning behavior was selected as the first feature in all five classifiers, and the use of this indicator alone had a classification accuracy of 78.90%. When the DQ of warning behavior was used in combination with the intelligence age of warning behavior, gross motor, and language, it had the highest classification accuracy of 86.71%. CONCLUSIONS Machine learning combined with CNBS-R2016 can effectively distinguish children with ASD from those with GDD. The DQ of warning behavior plays an important role in machine learning, and its combination with other features can improve classification accuracy, providing a basis for the efficient and accurate differential diagnosis of ASD and GDD in clinical practice.
Child ; Humans ; Autism Spectrum Disorder/psychology* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Machine Learning ; Social Behavior

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effect of haploid allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(haplo-HSCT) in the treatment of severe aplastic anemia (SAA), and to explore the efficacy different between post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PT/Cy) and standard-dose ATG. METHODS: The clinical data of 38 patients with SAA in our hospital from January 2012 to December 2019 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. The efficacy was evaluated. The patients with haplo-HSCT were divided into low-dose ATG combined with PT/Cy group and standard-dose ATG group, and the blood cell hematopoietic reconstruction time, GVHD incidence, mortality and survival time of the patients in the two groups was compared. RESULTS: Among the 32 patients, hematopoietic reconstitution were detected in 9375%(30/32) recipients. The median time of neutrophil and platelet engraftment was 15(10-22) days and 13(7-30) days, respectively. The incidence of GVHD was 21.89%, the incidence of infection was 93.75%, and the 2-year overall survival rate was 84.38%. The hematopoietic reconstitution time, incidence of GVHD, mortality rate and survival time were no statistical differences between the patients in the two groups(all P>0.05). CONCLUSION Haplo-HSCT is an effective method for the treatment of SAA，low-dose ATG combined with PT/Cy can lighten the economic burden on patients, it would be a feasible treatment plan for SAA with light side effect.
Anemia, Aplastic/therapy* ; Cyclophosphamide ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Haploidy ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplantation Conditioning