Extensive epigenetic reprogramming involves in memory CD8+ T-cell differentiation. The elaborate epigenetic rewiring underlying the heterogeneous functional states of CD8+ T cells remains hidden. Here, we profile single-cell chromatin accessibility and map enhancer-promoter interactomes to characterize the differentiation trajectory of memory CD8+ T cells. We reveal that under distinct epigenetic regulations, the early activated CD8+ T cells divergently originated for short-lived effector and memory precursor effector cells. We also uncover a defined epigenetic rewiring leading to the conversion from effector memory to central memory cells during memory formation. Additionally, we illustrate chromatin regulatory mechanisms underlying long-lasting versus transient transcription regulation during memory differentiation. Finally, we confirm the essential roles of Sox4 and Nrf2 in developing memory precursor effector and effector memory cells, respectively, and validate cell state-specific enhancers in regulating Il7r using CRISPR-Cas9. Our data pave the way for understanding the mechanism underlying epigenetic memory formation in CD8+ T-cell differentiation.
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism* ; Cell Differentiation ; Chromatin/immunology* ; Animals ; Mice ; Immunologic Memory ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; SOXC Transcription Factors/immunology* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/immunology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Gene Regulatory Networks ; Enhancer Elements, Genetic

Objective:To study and screen the differential expression of inflammatory proteins in diabetes skin ulcers and common skin ulcers, so as to provide experimental basis for further research on anti-inflammatory and healing drug targets of diabetes skin ulcers.Methods:The tissues of 11 patients with diabetes skin ulcer, 12 patients with common skin ulcer and 11 patients with normal skin were collected from the First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine. The levels of inflammatory protein Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), pro-inflammatory factor interferon -γ (IFN -γ), tumor necrosis factor - α (TNF -α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), macrophage chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), anti-inflammatory factors epidermal growth factor (EGF), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were detected in three groups of tissues using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results:Compared with normal tissues, the concentrations of TLR4, NF-κB, IFN -γ, TNF -α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1 and EGF in common ulcer skin tissues and diabetes ulcer tissues were higher, and the concentrations of IL-10 were lower, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05); Compared with the normal tissue, the concentration of IL-4 in diabetes ulcer tissue was lower, the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05); Compared with ordinary ulcer skin tissue, the concentrations of TLR4, NF-κB and MCP-1 in diabetes ulcer tissue were higher, and the concentrations of IL-4 were lower, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The skin ulcer in diabetes patients will have inflammatory reaction, and high glucose promotes the inflammatory reaction of skin ulcer, which may be related to the abnormal expression of TLR4, NF-κB, MCP-1 and IL-4. TLR4/NF-κB signal pathway and inflammatory factors MCP-1 and IL-4 may be the target of the inflammation regulation of diabetes skin ulcer.

ObjectiveTo analyze the trends in life expectancy and cause-eliminated life expectancy of the registered residents in Qingpu District, Shanghai from 2002 to 2021, and to identify the major diseases causing life expectancy loss in the area, so as to provide a theoretical basis for strengthening disease prevention and interventions and optimizing health resources allocation. MethodsUsing the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 classification of death causes, average life expectancy and cause-eliminated life expectancy were calculated with the abbreviated life table and the cause-eliminated life expectancy table. A trend forecast of life expectancy from 2022 to 2029 was made. ResultsFrom 2002 to 2021, the life expectancy of Qingpu District residents showed an increasing trend, with an average annual growth of 0.32 years (AAPC=0.39%, P<0.001). Among the seven major causes of death, the cause-eliminated expected life expectancy for circulatory system diseases showed the most significant upward trend (AAPC=0.53%, P<0.001), rising from the third leading cause of death in 2002 to the first in 2021. The life expectancy loss rate due to circulatory system diseases increased from 3.79% to 7.97%. Respiratory system diseases showed the largest decline, decreasing from the first leading cause of death in 2002 to the fourth in 2021, with the life expectancy loss rate decreasing from 6.83% to 0.99%. ConclusionLife expectancy of the registered residents in Qingpu District has reached a leading level in China. Future efforts should focus on effectively increasing the life expectancy of male residents, strengthening the comprehensive prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, and malignant tumors, and improving health promotion policies for residents to achieve a steady long-term increase in regional life expectancy.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) on the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) with chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy.Methods:A retrospective cohort study. The clinical data of 168 patients with RRMM who underwent CAR-T therapy at the Department of Hematology, Xuzhou Medical University Hospital from 3 January 2020 to 13 September 2022 were analyzed. Patients were classified into a transplantation group (TG; n=47) and non-transplantation group (NTG; n=121) based on whether or not they had undergone ASCT previously. The objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and the levels of CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD56 and natural killer (NK) cells before CAR-T infusion were analyzed by χ2 test, Kaplan-Meier method and independent sample t-test. Results:Among 168 patients with RRMM, 98 (58.3%) were male. The median age of onset was 57 (range 30-70) years. After CAR-T therapy, the ORR of patients was 89.3% (92/103) in the NTG and 72.9% (27/73) in the TG. The ORR of the NTG was better than that of the TG ( χ2=5.71, P=0.017). After 1 year of CAR-T therapy, the ORR of the NTG was 78.1% (75/96), and that of the TG was 59.4% (19/32). The ORR of the NTG was better than that of the TG ( χ2=4.32, P=0.038). The median OS and PFS in the NTG were significantly longer than those in the TG (OS, 30 vs. 20 months; PFS, 26 vs. 12 months; both P<0.05). The CD4 level before CAR-T infusion in the TG was significantly lower than that in the NTG (25.65±13.56 vs. 32.64±17.21; t=-2.15, P=0.034), and there were no significant differences in the counts of CD3, CD8, CD19, CD56, and NK cells between the TG and NTG (all P>0.05). Conclusion:Among patients suffering from RRMM who received CAR-T therapy, patients who did not receive ASCT had significantly better outcomes than those who had received ASCT previously, which may have been related to the CD4 level before receiving CAR-T therapy.

[Objective]To evaluate the clinical outcomes of combining electroacupuncture with rectal function training for treating post-stroke constipation(PSC).[Methods]A total of sixty patients of PSC were enrolled in the study at the Rehabilitation Department of Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital from December 2021 to March 2023.They were randomly assigned using a random number table method to enter the treatment group(29 cases,with 1 case dropped out)or the control group(29 cases,with 1 case dropped out).The control group received comprehensive and individualized rectal function training,and the treatment group received electroacupuncture therapy on the basis of the control group,all of which were treated for 4 weeks.The study involved assessing the Cleveland Clinic Score(CCS),pelvic floor surface electromyography,and therapeutic outcomes before and after treatment.[Results]No statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups prior to treatment(P>0.05).Following 4 weeks of treatment,both groups experienced a significant decrease in CCS scores(P<0.001),with the treatment group displaying a lower CCS score compared with the control group(P<0.01).After treatment,the electromyographic values significantly increased in both groups during the rapid contraction,tension contraction,and endurance contraction stages(P<0.001),and the electromyographic values of the above stages in the treatment group were higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).The total effective rate of the treatment group(93.10%)was higher than that of the control group(72.41%),and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).[Conclusion]Electroacupuncture combined with rectal function training in the treatment of PSC can improve the defecation frequency and accompanying symptoms of patients,improve the muscle strength of pelvic floor fast and slow muscles and the endurance of slow muscles,and improve the therapeutic effect.

Oxidative Phosphorylation ; Acetylglucosamine ; Uridine Diphosphate N-Acetylglucosamine/metabolism*

Objective:To investigate the correlation between serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), degree of insulin resistance and thyroid nodule imaging reporting and data system (TI-RADS) grading in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Methods:The clinical data of 120 patients with T2DM from February 2020 to November 2021 in Kunshan Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 56 patients had no thyroid nodules (non-thyroid nodule group), all patients were TI-RADS grade 1; 64 patients had thyroid nodules (thyroid nodule group), including 7 cases of TI-RADS grade 2, 12 cases of TI-RADS grade 3, 20 cases of TI-RADS grade 4, and 25 cases of TI-RADS grade 5. The levels of IGF-1 and TSH were measured by automated biochemical analyzer, the homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) was calculated. Spearman method was used for correlation analysis; multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors of TI-RADS grading in patients with T2DM combined with thyroid nodules; the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to analyze the efficacy of IGF-1, TSH and HOMA-IR in predicting TI-RADS grading in patients with T2DM combined with thyroid nodules.Results:The IGF-1, TSH and HOMA-IR in thyroid nodule group were significantly higher than those in non-thyroid nodule group: (185.35 ± 45.08) ng/L vs. (168.36 ± 30.25) ng/L, (2.98 ± 0.85) mU/L vs. (2.69 ± 0.35) mU/L and 3.25 ± 0.75 vs. 2.95 ± 0.44, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.05 or <0.01). In patients with T2DM combined with thyroid nodules, with the increase of TI-RADS classification, the IGF-1, TSH and HOMA-IR gradually increased, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis result showed that the levels of IGF-1, TSH and HOMA-IR were positive correlation with TI-RADS grading ( r = 0.918, 0.906 and 0.920; P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis result showed that the IGF-1, TSH and HOMA-IR were independent risk factors for TI-RADS grading in patients with T2DM combined with thyroid nodule ( OR = 1.684, 1.044 and 1.851; 95% CI 0.674 to 6.665, 0.032 to 0.055 and 1.212 to 2.298; P<0.01 or <0.05). ROC curve analysis result show that the area under the curve of IGF-1, TSH and HOMA-IR for predicting the TI-RADS grading patients with T2DM combined with thyroid nodule were 0.946, 0.983 and 0.975, with all sensitivity of 100.00%, and specificity of 82.14%, 91.07% and 89.29%. Conclusions:There is a correlation between IGF-1, TSH, HOMA-IR and TI-RADS grading in patients with T2DM combined with thyroid nodule, which has some guiding value for clinical monitoring of thyroid nodule changes.

Objective:To rapidly evaluate the level of healthcare resource demand for laboratory testing and prevention and control of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in different epidemic situation, and prepare for the capacity planning, stockpile distribution, and funding raising for infectious disease epidemic response.Methods:An susceptible, exposed, infectious, removed infectious disease dynamics model with confirmed asymptomatic infection cases and symptomatic hospitalized patients was introduced to simulate different COVID-19 epidemic situation and predict the numbers of hospitalized or isolated patients, and based on the current COVID-19 prevention and control measures in China, the demands of resources for laboratory testing and prevention and control of COVID-19 were evaluated.Results:When community or local transmission or outbreaks occur and total population nucleic acid testing is implemented, the need for human resources is 3.3-89.1 times higher than the reserved, and the current resources of medical personal protective equipment and instruments can meet the need. The surge in asymptomatic infections can also increase the human resource demand for laboratory testing and pose challenge to the prevention and control of the disease. When vaccine protection coverage reach ≥50%, appropriate adjustment of the prevention and control measures can reduce the need for laboratory and human resources.Conclusions:There is a great need in our country to reserve the human resources for laboratory testing and disease prevention and control for the response of the possible epidemic of COVID-19. Challenges to human resources resulted from total population nucleic acid testing and its necessity need to be considered. Conducting non-pharmaceutical interventions and encouraging more people to be vaccinated can mitigate the shock on healthcare resource demand in COVID-19 prevention and control.

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) can immortally self-renew in culture with a high proliferation rate, and they possess unique metabolic characteristics that facilitate pluripotency regulation. Here, we review recent progress in understanding the mechanisms that link cellular metabolism and homeostasis to pluripotency regulation, with particular emphasis on pathways involving amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy. Metabolism of amino acids and lipids is tightly coupled to epigenetic modification, organelle remodeling and cell signaling pathways for pluripotency regulation. PSCs harness enhanced proteasome and autophagy activity to meet the material and energy requirements for cellular homeostasis. These regulatory events reflect a fine balance between the intrinsic cellular requirements and the extrinsic environment. A more complete understanding of this balance will pave new ways to manipulate PSC fate.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between SUVmax on preoperative 68Ga-PSMA PET-CT and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients treated with radical prostatectomy. Methods: The clinicopahtological data of patients evaluated with ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA PET-CT preoperatively and treated with radical prostatectomy between May 2016 and August 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. 31 patients with a mean age (63.1±4.9) and baseline PSA (72.71±173.15)ng/ml were enrolled. Their BMI mean (24.6±3.0)kg/m². Baseline testosterone of 14 patients was (4.72±1.64)ng/ml.Based on the Gleason scores related ISUP classification, all patients were classified into grade one in 5 cases, grade 2in 7 cases, grade 3 in 4 cases, grade 4 in 10 cases and grade 5 in 5 cases. The clinical classification included 6 cases in T_2a stage, 2 cases in T_2b stage, 17 cases in T_2c stage, 1 case in T_3a stage, 4 cases in T_3b stage and 1 case in T₄ stage. SUVmax was accessed by two independent professional nuclear medicine physicians. SUVmax was 12.49±9.38. SPSS 16.0 software was used to do statistic analysis. Results: The post-operative pathological results showed the surgical margin positive in 19 cases, negative in 12 cases, vascular positive in 5 cases, negative in 20 case, positive nerve invasion in 20 cases and negative in 11 cases. 2 patients were low risk, 7 patients were medium risk and 22 patients were high risk according to D′Amico classification. Based on the basis of PSA(≤10 or>10) and Gleason score(≤6 or>6), 6 patients were in group with low PSA and low Gleason score, 5 patients were low PSA and high Gleason score, 9 patients were high PSA and low Gleason score, 11 patients were high PSA and high Gleason score. SUVmax had a significant positive relationship with pathological ISUP(r=0.434, P=0.015) and SUVmax in patients with positive intravascular tumor emboli was significantly higher than those with negative intravascular tumor emboli(14.78±10.68 vs. 8.17±2.81, P=0.005). No significant correlation was found between SUVmax and baseline PSA, testosterone, pathologic T stage, surgical margin, nerve invasion, pelvic lymph node status as well as risk stratification. SUVmax could distinguish pathologic ISUP grade 5 with a maximum AUC 0.747 (P=0.033) and the sensitivity was 88.9%. The specificity was 77.3% when SUVmax≥11.34. SUVmax in patients with upgrading ISUP was significantly higher than that in patients with downgrading ISUP (16.01±5.40 vs. 4.98±2.11, P=0.007). Conclusions SUVmax measured on preoperative ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA PET-CT may have a clinical significance in predicting unfavorable pathological factors for patients treated with radical prostatectomy.