Previous studies have found associations between color discrimination deficits and cognitive impairments besides aging. However, investigations into the microstructural pathology of brain white matter (WM) associated with these deficits remain limited. This study aimed to examine the microstructural characteristics of WM in the non-demented population with abnormal color discrimination, utilizing Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI), and to explore their correlations with cognitive functions and cognition-related plasma biomarkers. The tract-based spatial statistic analysis revealed significant differences in specific brain regions between the abnormal color discrimination group and the healthy controls, characterized by increased isotropic volume fraction and decreased neurite density index and orientation dispersion index. Further analysis of region-of-interest parameters revealed that the isotropic volume fraction in the bilateral anterior thalamic radiation, superior longitudinal fasciculus, cingulum, and forceps minor was significantly correlated with poorer performance on neuropsychological assessments and to varying degrees various cognition-related plasma biomarkers. These findings provide neuroimaging evidence that WM microstructural abnormalities in non-demented individuals with abnormal color discrimination are associated with cognitive dysfunction, potentially serving as early markers for cognitive decline.
Humans ; White Matter/pathology* ; Male ; Female ; Cognitive Dysfunction/physiopathology* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Color Perception/physiology* ; Brain/pathology* ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging

AIM:To investigate the impact of interleukin-17(IL-17D)knockout on lipid phagocytosis in ath-erosclerosis(AS)and bone marrow-derived macrophages.METHODS:Twenty 8-week-old ApoE-/-C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups(10 mice per group).The experimental group was subjected to a high-fat diet for 8 weeks to induce AS,while the control group received a normal diet.Additionally,fifteen 8-week-old ApoE-/-IL-17D-/-and ApoE-/-mice were also fed a high-fat diet for the same duration.Body weight and blood lipid levels were measured.Aortas were harvested,and IL-17D expression was assessed using RT-qPCR.Bone marrow cells were iso-lated and differentiated into macrophages with colony-stimulating factors.Oil red O staining was employed to visualize lip-id deposition in aortic plaques and macrophages.To stimulate macrophages,oxidized low-density lipoprotein(oxLDL)was used,and RT-qPCR along with Western blot analyses were conducted to evaluate the expression of lipid phagocytosis-related genes and the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.Dehydrocorydaline(DHC),a p38 MAPK activator,was adminis-tered to IL-17D-/-macrophages,and the expression of CD36 and lipid phagocytosis were assessed.RESULTS:IL-17D ex-pression was significantly elevated in the aortas of AS mice and in oxLDL-treated macrophages(P<0.01).IL-17D-/-mice exhibited notably lower serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels(P<0.01),along with a sig-nificant reduction in plaque area in the aortas and aortic roots(P<0.01).Macrophages lacking IL-17D demonstrated de-creased expression of CD36,LOX-1,IL-1β,and IL-6(P<0.01)and showed diminished lipid phagocytosis.These mac-rophages also exhibited reduced phosphorylation of p38(P<0.01)compared to wild-type macrophages.Activation of p38 MAPK by DHC significantly countered the inhibitory effects of IL-17D knockout on CD36 expression(P<0.01)and en-hanced lipid phagocytosis in macrophages.CONCLUSION:Knockout of IL-17D may modulate lipid phagocytosis in macro-phages via the p38/CD36 signaling pathway,potentially inhibiting the formation and progression of aortic plaques in mice.

AIM:To investigate the role of NLR family CARD domain containing 3(NLRC3)in endothelial cells and evaluate its diagnostic value in coronary artery disease.METHODS:Twenty male ApoE-/-C57BL/6 mice,aged eight weeks,were randomly assigned into two groups:an experimental group and a control group,with each group com-prising ten mice.The experimental group was subjected to a high-fat diet for 8 weeks to induce atherosclerosis(AS),whereas the control group was maintained on a standard diet.The expression of NLRC3 in the aorta was evaluated using RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence techniques.Additionally,human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs)were ex-posed to interleukin-1β(IL-1β)to investigate the expression levels of NLRC3.Lentiviral vectors or plasmid vectors were employed to either overexpress or knock down NLRC3 in endothelial cells,and subsequently subjected to inflammation in-duced by IL-1β.The RT-qPCR and ELISA were employed to assess the impact of NLRC3 on inflammation in endothelial cells.Western blot and immunofluorescence techniques were utilized to investigate the modulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in endothelial cells by NLRC3.Plasma NLRC3 levels in coronary artery disease patients and healthy controls were measured using ELISA,and its diagnostic potential was assessed through ROC curve analysis.RESULTS:In AS mice,distinct plaque lesions were observed in the aorta,accompanied by a significantly reduced expression of NLRC3 in the aortic arch relative to the control group.Expression of NLRC3 exhibited a significant down-regulation in IL-1β-stimu-lated HUVECs,demonstrating both time-dependent and dose-dependent effects(P<0.01).Overexpression of NLRC3 markedly suppressed the levels of IL-6,IL-8,monocyte chemoatbactant protein-1(MCP-1),p-p65,and p-IκBα in endo-thelial cells stimulated with IL-1β(P<0.01).Conversely,knockdown of NLRC3 resulted in elevated levels of IL-6,IL-8,MCP-1,p-p65 and p-IκBα in endothelial cells(P<0.01).Coronary artery disease patients had significantly lower plasma NLRC3 levels than controls,with an AUC of 0.851(95%CI:0.785～0.918,P<0.01).A diagnostic threshold of 1.605 μg/L yielded a sensitivity of 93.8%and a specificity of 71.3%.CONCLUSION:The NLRC3 may modulate endothelial inflammation and suppress AS progression through inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway,and it holds potential as a diagnostic biomarker for coronary artery disease.

AIM:To investigate the impact of interleukin-17(IL-17D)knockout on lipid phagocytosis in ath-erosclerosis(AS)and bone marrow-derived macrophages.METHODS:Twenty 8-week-old ApoE-/-C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups(10 mice per group).The experimental group was subjected to a high-fat diet for 8 weeks to induce AS,while the control group received a normal diet.Additionally,fifteen 8-week-old ApoE-/-IL-17D-/-and ApoE-/-mice were also fed a high-fat diet for the same duration.Body weight and blood lipid levels were measured.Aortas were harvested,and IL-17D expression was assessed using RT-qPCR.Bone marrow cells were iso-lated and differentiated into macrophages with colony-stimulating factors.Oil red O staining was employed to visualize lip-id deposition in aortic plaques and macrophages.To stimulate macrophages,oxidized low-density lipoprotein(oxLDL)was used,and RT-qPCR along with Western blot analyses were conducted to evaluate the expression of lipid phagocytosis-related genes and the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.Dehydrocorydaline(DHC),a p38 MAPK activator,was adminis-tered to IL-17D-/-macrophages,and the expression of CD36 and lipid phagocytosis were assessed.RESULTS:IL-17D ex-pression was significantly elevated in the aortas of AS mice and in oxLDL-treated macrophages(P<0.01).IL-17D-/-mice exhibited notably lower serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels(P<0.01),along with a sig-nificant reduction in plaque area in the aortas and aortic roots(P<0.01).Macrophages lacking IL-17D demonstrated de-creased expression of CD36,LOX-1,IL-1β,and IL-6(P<0.01)and showed diminished lipid phagocytosis.These mac-rophages also exhibited reduced phosphorylation of p38(P<0.01)compared to wild-type macrophages.Activation of p38 MAPK by DHC significantly countered the inhibitory effects of IL-17D knockout on CD36 expression(P<0.01)and en-hanced lipid phagocytosis in macrophages.CONCLUSION:Knockout of IL-17D may modulate lipid phagocytosis in macro-phages via the p38/CD36 signaling pathway,potentially inhibiting the formation and progression of aortic plaques in mice.

AIM:To investigate the role of NLR family CARD domain containing 3(NLRC3)in endothelial cells and evaluate its diagnostic value in coronary artery disease.METHODS:Twenty male ApoE-/-C57BL/6 mice,aged eight weeks,were randomly assigned into two groups:an experimental group and a control group,with each group com-prising ten mice.The experimental group was subjected to a high-fat diet for 8 weeks to induce atherosclerosis(AS),whereas the control group was maintained on a standard diet.The expression of NLRC3 in the aorta was evaluated using RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence techniques.Additionally,human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs)were ex-posed to interleukin-1β(IL-1β)to investigate the expression levels of NLRC3.Lentiviral vectors or plasmid vectors were employed to either overexpress or knock down NLRC3 in endothelial cells,and subsequently subjected to inflammation in-duced by IL-1β.The RT-qPCR and ELISA were employed to assess the impact of NLRC3 on inflammation in endothelial cells.Western blot and immunofluorescence techniques were utilized to investigate the modulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in endothelial cells by NLRC3.Plasma NLRC3 levels in coronary artery disease patients and healthy controls were measured using ELISA,and its diagnostic potential was assessed through ROC curve analysis.RESULTS:In AS mice,distinct plaque lesions were observed in the aorta,accompanied by a significantly reduced expression of NLRC3 in the aortic arch relative to the control group.Expression of NLRC3 exhibited a significant down-regulation in IL-1β-stimu-lated HUVECs,demonstrating both time-dependent and dose-dependent effects(P<0.01).Overexpression of NLRC3 markedly suppressed the levels of IL-6,IL-8,monocyte chemoatbactant protein-1(MCP-1),p-p65,and p-IκBα in endo-thelial cells stimulated with IL-1β(P<0.01).Conversely,knockdown of NLRC3 resulted in elevated levels of IL-6,IL-8,MCP-1,p-p65 and p-IκBα in endothelial cells(P<0.01).Coronary artery disease patients had significantly lower plasma NLRC3 levels than controls,with an AUC of 0.851(95%CI:0.785～0.918,P<0.01).A diagnostic threshold of 1.605 μg/L yielded a sensitivity of 93.8%and a specificity of 71.3%.CONCLUSION:The NLRC3 may modulate endothelial inflammation and suppress AS progression through inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway,and it holds potential as a diagnostic biomarker for coronary artery disease.

Objective To construct a novel enzyme-free colorimetric biosensor(T-CHA)based on tri-ple-helix molecular probe(THMP)and catalytic hairpin assembly(CHA)reaction for visual detection and precise quantitative analysis of low-abundance alpha-fetoprotein(AFP).Methods The absorbance produced by AFP induced T-CHA system was recorded by gel electrophoresis and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer to evaluate the feasibility of T-CHA strategy.The molar concentration ratio of THMP and CHA,reaction time of CHA,temperature and pH value of buffer solution were optimized respectively.The color reaction of T-CHA was induced by different concentrations of AFP to explore the detection efficiency of T-CHA.Results Under the op-timal experimental conditions,the logarithmic values of AFP at different concentrations showed a linear rela-tionship from 5 μg/mL to 10 ng/mL,and the detection limit was 2.29 μg/mL.The T-CHA system could com-plete accurate quantitative analysis of low abundance AFP and visual free-labeled detection within 105 min,moreover the sensitivity of T-CHA was superior to that of ELISA.Conclusion Utilizing the low background leakage of THMP and the high catalytic efficiency of CHA,the T-CHA system could realize the early accurate diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma,moreover which has a certain application prospect in the real time detec-tion.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, immunophenotypes, molecular features, and differential diagnosis of BAP1 mutated clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) for better understanding this entity.Methods:Clinical data, histological morphology, immunophenotypes and molecular characteristics of 18 BAP1 mutated CCRCC cases diagnosed at the Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China from January 2020 to December 2022 were analyzed. The patients were followed up.Results:There were 17 males and 1 female patients, aged from 39 to 72 years, with an average age of 56.3 years. Sixteen patients with primary CCRCC were followed up for an average of 24 months, 7 patients had metastases occurred from 4 to 22 months postoperatively. Thirteen of the 16 patients were alive at the time of the last follow-up while 3 patients died 12, 15, and 20 months after the surgery, respectively. One patient underwent retroperitoneal mass resection, but had lung metastasis 32 months after surgery. One case received cervical tumor resection and died at 22 months after the surgery. Characteristic CCRCC regions were identified in 11 of the 18 cases. The tumor cells were arranged in papillary, alveolar, and large nest patterns. Abundant lymphoid tissue, necrosis, and psammoma bodies were seen. Tumor cells showed abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, and sometimes exhibited rhabdoid differentiation. Round eosinophilic globules were located in the cytoplasm and extracellular matrix. There were 9 cases with WHO/International Society of Urological Pathology grade 3, and 9 cases with grade 4. PAX8 (18/18), carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9, 16/18), CD10 (18/18), and vimentin (18/18) were positive in the vast majority of tumors.TFE3 was expressed in 5 cases, with strong expression in only 1 case. Eighteen cases were all positive for P504s. Twelve cases harbored a BAP1 mutation combined with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) mutation, and 2 cases had mutations in BAP1, VHL and PBRM1 simultaneously. SETD2 mutation was not found in any of the cases.Conclusions:BAP1 mutated CCRCC contained papillary, alveolar, and large nest patterns, eosinophilic cytoplasm, high-grade nucleoli, and collagen globules, with P504s positivity. In practical work, when encountering CCRCC containing these features, pathologists should consider the possibility of BAP1 mutations and conduct related molecular tests.

AIM:To analyze the expression profiles of long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs)in the aortas of ath-erosclerotic mice,and explore the role and mechanism of lncRNA AI662270 in regulating macrophage inflammation and lipid phagocytosis.METHODS:Twenty 8-week-old male apolipoprotein E gene knockout(ApoE-/-)mice were randomly divided into experimental and control groups,with 10 mice in each group.The experimental group was fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks to induce atherosclerosis,while the control group received a normal diet.Body weight and blood lipid levels were measured,and atherosclerotic lesions were detected using Oil Red O staining.High-throughput RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)was used to analyze the lncRNA expression profiles in mouse aortas,and differentially expressed lncRNAs were validated by RT-qPCR.Antisense oligonucleotides(ASO)were used to knock down the expression of lncRNA AI662270 in mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells.Six treatment groups were established:blank(no treatment)group,ox-idized low-density lipoprotein(oxLDL)group(80 mg/L oxLDL),negative control ASO(ASO-NC)group(transfected with ASO-NC),oxLDL+ASO-NC group(transfected with ASO-NC and treated with 80 mg/L oxLDL),ASO-AI662270 group(transfected with ASO-AI662270),and oxLDL+ASO-AI662270 group(transfected with ASO-AI662270 and treated with 80 mg/L oxLDL).Tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and interleukin-6(IL-6)levels were measured using Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).NF-κB p65,pNF-κB p65,IκBα and pIκBα levels were detected by Western blot,and NF-κB p65 in the cell nucleus was examined using fluorescent probes.RESULTS:The atherosclerosis mouse model showed significant differences in body weight,serum lipids,and aortic plaque area compared to the control group(P<0.01).A total of 29 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified involved in metabolic pathways,autophagosome for-mation,and cell adhesion molecule expression(P<0.05).LncRNA AI662270 was significantly upregulated in lesions and oxLDL-stimulated macrophages(P<0.05).Knockdown of AI662270 significantly reduced TNF-α and IL-6 expression in oxLDL-induced RAW264.7 cells(P<0.01),suppressed lipid phagocytosis,and inhibited pNF-κB p65 and pIκBα ex-pression(P<0.05).Additionally,the knockdown of AI662270 reduced the nuclear content of NF-κB p65.CONCLU-SION:The lncRNA expression profiles in the aortas of atherosclerotic mice were significantly altered.LncRNA AI662270 is crucial in modulating inflammation and lipid phagocytosis in mouse macrophages through the NF-κB signaling pathway.

We conducted a prospective study to assess the non-inferiority of adjuvant chemotherapy alone versus adjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) as an alternative strategy for patients with early-stage (FIGO 2009 stage IB-IIA) cervical cancer having risk factors after surgery. The condition was assessed in terms of prognosis, adverse effects, and quality of life. This randomized trial involved nine centers across China. Eligible patients were randomized to receive adjuvant chemotherapy or CCRT after surgery. The primary end-point was progression-free survival (PFS). From December 2012 to December 2014, 337 patients were subjected to randomization. Final analysis included 329 patients, including 165 in the adjuvant chemotherapy group and 164 in the adjuvant CCRT group. The median follow-up was 72.1 months. The three-year PFS rates were both 91.9%, and the five-year OS was 90.6% versus 90.0% in adjuvant chemotherapy and CCRT groups, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the PFS or OS between groups. The adjusted HR for PFS was 0.854 (95% confidence interval 0.415-1.757; P = 0.667) favoring adjuvant chemotherapy, excluding the predefined non-inferiority boundary of 1.9. The chemotherapy group showed a tendency toward good quality of life. In comparison with post-operative adjuvant CCRT, adjuvant chemotherapy treatment showed non-inferior efficacy in patients with early-stage cervical cancer having pathological risk factors. Adjuvant chemotherapy alone is a favorable alternative post-operative treatment.
Female ; Humans ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Neoplasm Staging ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant/adverse effects* ; Adjuvants, Immunologic ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies

Objective Constructing a risk prediction model of IgA nephropathy proteinuria treated by traditional Chinese medicine based on random survival forest model,Screening prognostic risk factors of IgA nephropathy proteinuria.Methods Collecting retrospectively clinical data of 129 cases diagnosed with IgA nephropathy,randomly divided them into training set(60%)and test set(40%).The risk prediction model of IgA nephropathy proteinuria was constructed in the training set with the random survival forest model,and the prognostic risk factors were screened by VIMP method.The accuracy of risk prediction model was validated in the test set with time-dependent ROC curve(tdROC).Results According to the result of VIMP,the prognostic risk factors for IgA nephropathy proteinuria are in the order of eGFR,hypertension,traditional Chinese medicine,24 hUPRO>1 g,genomo sclerosis ratio,Lee grading,fat,hyperlipidemia,hypertrophymia,hyparmane ledmia,Anemia,age and gender.The eGFR was negatively and non-linearly associated with the risk rate of developing persistent proteinuria.Glomerulosclerosis ratio greater than 0.3 is approximately linearly and positively associated with the risk rate of persistent proteinuria.Conclusion Random survival forest model has good predictive performance in the risk prediction model of IgA nephropathy proteinuria treated by traditional Chinese medicine.This risk model can determine the result of IgA nephropathy treated by traditional Chinese medicine,and which is helpful for clinical follow-up monitoring and formulation of individualized treatment plans.