1.Identification and drug sensitivity analysis of key molecular markers in mesenchymal cell-derived osteosarcoma
Haojun ZHANG ; Hongyi LI ; Hui ZHANG ; Haoran CHEN ; Lizhong ZHANG ; Jie GENG ; Chuandong HOU ; Qi YU ; Peifeng HE ; Jinpeng JIA ; Xuechun LU
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(7):1448-1456
BACKGROUND:Osteosarcoma has a complex pathogenesis and a poor prognosis.While advancements in medical technology have led to some improvements in the 5-year survival rate,substantial progress in its treatment has not yet been achieved. OBJECTIVE:To screen key molecular markers in osteosarcoma,analyze their relationship with osteosarcoma treatment drugs,and explore the potential disease mechanisms of osteosarcoma at the molecular level. METHODS:GSE99671 and GSE284259(miRNA)datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database.Differential gene expression analysis and Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis(WGCNA)on GSE99671 were performed.Functional enrichment analysis was conducted using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes separately for the differentially expressed genes and the module genes with the highest positive correlation to the disease.The intersection of these module genes and differentially expressed genes was taken as key genes.A Protein-Protein Interaction network was constructed,and correlation analysis on the key genes was performed using CytoScape software,and hub genes were identified.Hub genes were externally validated using the GSE28425 dataset and text validation was conducted.The drug sensitivity of hub genes was analyzed using the CellMiner database,with a threshold of absolute value of correlation coefficient|R|>0.3 and P<0.05. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Differential gene expression analysis identified 529 differentially expressed genes,comprising 177 upregulated and 352 downregulated genes.WGCNA analysis yielded a total of 592 genes with the highest correlation to osteosarcoma.(2)Gene Ontology enrichment results indicated that the development of osteosarcoma may be associated with extracellular matrix,bone cell differentiation and development,human immune regulation,and collagen synthesis and degradation.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment results showed the involvement of pathways such as PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,focal adhesion signaling pathway,and immune response in the onset of osteosarcoma.(3)The intersection analysis revealed a total of 59 key genes.Through Protein-Protein Interaction network analysis,8 hub genes were selected,which were LUM,PLOD1,PLOD2,MMP14,COL11A1,THBS2,LEPRE1,and TGFB1,all of which were upregulated.(4)External validation revealed significantly downregulated miRNAs that regulate the hub genes,with hsa-miR-144-3p and hsa-miR-150-5p showing the most significant downregulation.Text validation results demonstrated that the expression of hub genes was consistent with previous research.(5)Drug sensitivity analysis indicated a negative correlation between the activity of methotrexate,6-mercaptopurine,and pazopanib with the mRNA expression of PLOD1,PLOD2,and MMP14.Moreover,zoledronic acid and lapatinib showed a positive correlation with the mRNA expression of PLOD1,LUM,MMP14,PLOD2,and TGFB1.This suggests that zoledronic acid and lapatinib may be potential therapeutic drugs for osteosarcoma,but further validation is required through additional basic experiments and clinical studies.
2.Analysis of the current status and influencing factors of cognitive function and sleep quality of elderly people in Shanghai community
Yanli ZHANG ; Meng WANG ; Xuechun WANG ; Shanshan HUANG ; Jiaoqi REN ; Houguang ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2025;32(1):58-64
Objective To analyze the cognitive function and sleep quality of the elderly in Shanghai community, and explore the related influencing factors. Methods A stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 8 community health centers in Shanghai for a questionnaire survey, including 3 677 elderly individuals who completed the “Comprehensive Health Status Survey of Elderly Residents in Shanghai” from September 2023 to November 2023. Basic information of the elderly was collected, including age, gender, education level, smoking, drinking, mahjong playing behavior, and exercise habits. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) was used to assess the sleep quality of the elderly, subjective cognitive decline (SCD) self-assessment questionnaire and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were used to evaluate cognitive function, while the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to assess anxiety and depression levels, and the mini nutritional assessment (MNA) was used to evaluate nutritional status. According to the MMSE scores, the elderly were divided into three groups: no cognitive impairment (MMSE ≥ 27), mild cognitive impairment (MMSE 21-26), and moderate to severe cognitive impairment (MMSE ≤ 20). The general data, lifestyle habits, and scale scores of the three groups were compared. Ordered logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of sleep quality. Results There were statistically significant differences in age, gender, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), education level, pet ownership, smoking, drinking, mahjong playing behavior, exercise habits, and scale scores among the three groups (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that age, waist circumference, gender, drinking habits, mahjong playing behavior, and chronic comorbidities are influencing factors for the PSQI grading in the elderly (P<0.05). The MMSE score (OR=1.037, P=0.001), SCD score (OR=1.123, P<0.001), HAMA score (OR=1.183, P<0.001), PHQ-9 score (OR=1.249, P<0.001) are positive influencing factors for PSQI grading, while the MNA score is a negative influencing factor (OR=0.960, P=0.037). Conclusions Advanced age, female gender, low education level, no pet ownership, no mahjong playing behavior, no exercise habits, and poor sleep quality are risk factors for cognitive impairment in the elderly. Advanced age, female gender, no mahjong playing behavior and poor nutritional status are influencing factors for poor sleep quality in the elderly, and severe comorbidities, anxiety, depression, and subjective decline in cognitive function all affect sleep quality.
3.Legislative implications for China from the U.S. Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act
Xuechun WANG ; Min ZHANG ; Chuning HE ; Yuting TANG ; Jing WU
China Occupational Medicine 2025;52(3):330-335
Objective To put forward relevant national legislative proposals for preventing workplace violence (WPV) in the healthcare industry by comparing the current legal practices of China and the United States. Methods The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (hereinafter referred to as the "Act") of the United States was translated and analyzed. The relevant normative legal documents in China were systematically reviewed to compare the legislative differences in the prevention and control of WPV against health care workers. Results The Act aims to establish an employer-driven legal framework for WPV prevention and control. China has no specific legislation for WPV, but has established partial legislation for protecting healthcare workers from external violence through various legal practices. The "Act" regards WPV as an occupational hazard and adopts the priority control order to carry out the prevention and control of WPV. In contrast, China's legislation for WPV approach emphasizes public security and undermines occupational health, treating WPV merely as a work-related injury or accident with limited protection. This gap reveals divergent priorities for legal interests. Conclusion China should integrate WPV prevention and control into the occupational health legal framework through revising existing laws, advancing dedicated legislation, and ratifying relevant international conventions, to strengthen the occupational health legal system. All stakeholders should clarify the responsibilities for WPV prevention and control of healthcare workers, and ensure comprehensive legislative response.
4.Characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus infection in children in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 2013‒2023
Qiumiao YU ; Chuchu YE ; Li ZHANG ; Rongxin WU ; Xuechun ZHANG ; Bing ZHAO ; Yuanping WANG
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(5):410-415
ObjectiveTo investigate the infection characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children with acute respiratory tract infection (ARI) in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, from 2013 to 2023, so as to provide an evidence for the prevention and control of RSV in Shanghai. MethodsChildren who sought medical care at sentinel healthcare facilities in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, between January 2013 and December 2023 and met the case definition of ARI were included in the study. Nasopharyngeal swab samples were collected and tested for viral pathogens using real-time fluorescene PCR, and the clinical information of whom was collected simultaneously. ResultsA total of 4 980 children were included in the ARI surveillance, among whom 231 tested positive for RSV, with an overall detection rate of 4.64%. Of these, 106 cases were type A and 125 were type B. From 2013 to 2023, the detection rate of RSV in children showed an overall trend of initial increase followed by a decline, with higher detection rates in autumn and winter and lower rates in spring and summer. The RSV detection rate gradually decreased with age, with the highest rate observed in children <1 year old, accounting for 16.33% (80/490) of RSV-detection cases. Cough was the most common clinical symptom. Among the RSV-positive cases, 36 involved co-infection with another virus, 6 co-infected with three viruses, and 1 with mixed infection of four viruses. The most frequent co-infection was RSV and human coronavirus. ConclusionChildren under 1 year of age are more susceptible to RSV infection, with cough being the predominant symptom. RSV infection in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, mainly occurs in winter. Targeted prevention and control measures should be taken for children under 1 year old during the winter season to reduce the risk of both RSV infection and co-infection with human coronavirus and influenza virus.
5.Rules of moxibustion for low back pain by ZHOU Meisheng based on data mining and knowledge graph technology.
Chi WANG ; Caifeng ZHU ; Jiayu ZHANG ; Bingyuan ZHOU ; Xiaoyu CHEN ; Le CHENG ; Miaomiao XIE ; Xuechun DING
Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion 2025;45(6):823-833
OBJECTIVE:
To analyze the rules of moxibustion for low back pain by ZHOU Meisheng by using data mining and knowledge graph technology.
METHODS:
Taking the medical cases of moxibustion for low back pain from ZHOU Meisheng's legacy manuscripts and existing works as the research objects, information on disease types, symptoms, tongue manifestations, pulse conditions, syndrome patterns, moxibustion methods and acupoints were collected. Frequency statistics and community analysis were conducted by the ancient and modern medical record cloud platform V 2.3.7, cluster analysis of high-frequency acupoints was performed by SPSS26.0, association rule analysis of high-frequency acupoints was performed by SPSS Modeler 18.0, and the generated linked data were imported into Cytoscape 3.9.1 for complex network analysis. Knowledge graph of moxibustion for low back pain by ZHOU Meisheng was constructed based on the results of data mining. The data storage and display of knowledge graph were realized through the Neo4j 3.5.25 graph database, and the Cypher query language was used for knowledge graph retrieval and discovery.
RESULTS:
A total of 219 medical cases were collected, involving 14 disease types, 85 related clinical symptoms, 5 related TCM syndrome types, and 6 moxibustion methods. The acupoints were mostly attributed to the governor vessel, the bladder meridian of foot-taiyang, non-meridian and non-acupoint areas. The core prescription of acupoints derived from complex network analysis included tender points, Shenshu (BL23), Jinsuo (GV8), Yinjiao (CV7), Yaoyangguan (GV3), Yanglingquan (GB34), which were largely coincides with high-frequency acupoints. Cluster analysis obtained 4 cluster combinations. Community analysis yielded 6 communities, each corresponding to different acupoints.The constructed knowledge graph contained 187 nodes and 696 relationships, by retrieving clinical elements related to low back pain, the disease-moxibustion association graph, disease-acupoint association graph, accompanying symptom-acupoint association graph and syndrome type-matching point association graph were obtained.
CONCLUSION
When treating low back pain with moxibustion, ZHOU Meisheng adopts the principle of promoting circulation, distinguishing diseases to determine the treatment, selecting acupoints according to the diseases, and matching points according to the symptoms.And taking tender points, Shenshu (BL23), Jinsuo (GV8), Yinjiao (CV7), Yaoyangguan (GV3), Yanglingquan (GB34) as core acupoints, combined with tenderness point selection, acupoint selection based on meridian and zangfu syndrome differentiation, "sunshine area" acupoint selection, yin-yang acupoint matching. Additionally, he skillfully employs special points, such as Zhongzhu (KI15) and ear tips, pays attention to the reform of moxibustion tools, and innovates the moxibustion techniques, using distinctive moxibustion tools and methods to treat low back pain.
Moxibustion/methods*
;
Humans
;
Data Mining
;
Low Back Pain/history*
;
Acupuncture Points
;
History, Ancient
;
Female
;
China
;
Male
;
Adult
;
Middle Aged
6.Endomitosis: a new cell fate in the cell cycle leading to polyploidy in megakaryocytes and hepatocytes.
Qi-Hua HUA ; Xuechun ZHANG ; Ruifeng TIAN ; Zhigang SHE ; Zan HUANG
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2025;26(9):843-862
Megakaryocytes and hepatocytes are unique cells in mammals that undergo polyploidization through endomitosis in terminal differentiation. Many polyploidization regulators and underlying mechanisms have been reported, most of which are tightly coupled with development, organogenesis, and cell differentiation. However, the nature of endomitosis, which involves successful entry into and exit from mitosis without complete cytokinesis, has not yet been fully elucidated. We highlight that endomitosis is a new cell fate in the cell cycle, and tetraploidy is a critical stage at the bifurcation of cell fate decision. This review summarizes the recent research progress in this area and provides novel insights into how cells manipulate mitosis toward endomitosis. Endomitotic cells can evade the tetraploidy restrictions and proceed to multiple rounds of the cell cycle. This knowledge not only deepens our understanding of endomitosis as a fundamental biological process but also offers new perspectives on the physiological and pathophysiological implications of polyploidization.
Hepatocytes/physiology*
;
Megakaryocytes/physiology*
;
Humans
;
Polyploidy
;
Animals
;
Cell Cycle/physiology*
;
Cell Differentiation
;
Mitosis/physiology*
7.Abnormal collagen deposition mediated by cartilage oligomeric matrix protein in the pathogenesis of oral submucous fibrosis.
Yafei XIONG ; Xuechun LI ; Bincan SUN ; Jie ZHANG ; Xiaoshan WU ; Feng GUO
International Journal of Oral Science 2025;17(1):25-25
Abnormal accumulation of collagen fibrils is a hallmark feature of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF). However, the precise characteristics and underlying mechanisms remain unclear, impeding the advancement of potential therapeutic approaches. Here, we observed that collagen I, the main component of the extracellular matrix, first accumulated in the lamina propria and subsequently in the submucosa of OSF specimens as the disease progressed. Using RNA-seq and Immunofluorescence in OSF specimens, we screened the cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) responsible for the abnormal collagen accumulation. Genetic COMP deficiency reduced arecoline-stimulated collagen I deposition significantly in vivo. In comparison, both COMP and collagen I were upregulated under arecoline stimulation in wild-type mice. Human oral buccal mucosal fibroblasts (hBMFs) also exhibited increased secretion of COMP and collagen I after stimulation in vitro. COMP knockdown in hBMFs downregulates arecoline-stimulated collagen I secretion. We further demonstrated that hBMFs present heterogeneous responses to arecoline stimulation, of which COMP-positive fibroblasts secrete more collagen I. Since COMP is a molecular bridge with Fibril-associated collagens with Interrupted Triple helices (FACIT) in the collagen network, we further screened and identified collagen XIV, a FACIT member, co-localizing with both COMP and collagen I. Collagen XIV expression increased under arecoline stimulation in wild-type mice, whereas it was hardly expressed in the Comp-/- mice, even with under stimulation. In summary, we found that COMP may mediates abnormal collagen I deposition by functions with collagen XIV during the progression of OSF, suggesting its potential to be targeted in treating OSF.
Oral Submucous Fibrosis/pathology*
;
Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein/genetics*
;
Animals
;
Mice
;
Humans
;
Fibroblasts/metabolism*
;
Collagen Type I/metabolism*
;
Arecoline/pharmacology*
;
Mouth Mucosa/metabolism*
;
Cells, Cultured
;
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
8.Crigler-Najjar syndrome type Ⅱ complicated with gallbladder stones:A case report and literature review
Xuechun WANG ; Meng ZHANG ; Qibo HU ; Xin TIAN ; Xue SHAO ; Guanghua CHE
Journal of Jilin University(Medicine Edition) 2025;51(3):785-789
Crigler-Najjar syndrome(CNS)is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder caused by mutations in the UGT1A1 gene.This author retrospectively analyzes the clinical data of one patient presenting with postnatal hyperbilirubinemia,who was genetically diagnosed with CNS.Her clinical course,genetic characteristics,diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are discussed to enhance clinicians'understanding of this condition.The patient exhibited recurrent jaundice due to elevated unconjugated bilirubin(UCB)levels since birth.During this period,the gallstones were identified and surgically removed,yet her bilirubin levels did not improve.In March 2024,the patient presented to our hospital and underwent genetic testing via a third-party facility.The results revealed two risk variants in the UGT1A1 gene.After one week of oral phenobarbital administration,her UCB levels decreased by approximately 47%,confirming a diagnosis of CNS type Ⅱ.The patient is currently under active follow-up with regular monitoring of bilirubin levels.For the infants and children presenting with persistent,fluctuating,non-hemolytic,and non-hepatitic hyperbilirubinemia since birth,early genetic testing should be prioritized to establish the definitive diagnosis.
9.Development and validation of a machine learning-based explainable prediction model for the outcome of patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage
Hong YUE ; Zhi GENG ; Zhaoping YU ; Chi ZHANG ; Xuechun LIU ; Juncang WU ; Aimei WU
International Journal of Cerebrovascular Diseases 2025;33(6):420-428
Objectives:To evaluate the predictive value of Tabular Prior-data Fitted Network(TabPFN) for short-term outcome in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH), and compared with the Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGboost) model and traditional logistic regression (LR) model. Methods:Patients with sICH admitted to the Department of Neurology, Hefei Second People's Hospital from January 2018 to March 2024 were included retrospectively. The demographic and baseline data were collected. At 3 months after onset, the modified Rankin Scale score was used to determine the outcome, 0-2 was defined as good outcome and >2 was defined as poor outcome. All enrolled patients were randomly divided into a training set and a testing set at a ratio of 7:3. Feature selection was performed using recursive feature elimination (RFE) method, and then the selected feature variables were included into TabPFN, XGboost, and LR models for training and testing. The area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive ability of the models. Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) method was used for model interpretation.Results:A total of 547 patients with sICH were enrolled, including 367 males (67.1%), with a median age of 65 (interquartile range, 54-76) years. Two hundred twenty-six patients (41.3%) had poor outcome. Age, baseline blood pressure (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure), baseline laboratory tests (white blood cell count, red blood cell count, platelet count, neutrophil count, hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, creatinine, uric acid, urea nitrogen, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase), hematoma rupture into the ventricle, island sign, baseline hematoma volume, and baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score were selected as characteristic variables using RFE method. ROC curve analysis showed that the ROC AUC for TabPFN, Xgboost, and LR models predicting poor short-term outcome in the testing set were 0.918 (95% confidence interval [ CI] 0.870-0.966], 0.883 (95% CI 0.826-0.940), and 0.905 (95% CI 0.854-0.957), respectively. SHAP analysis showed that the top four important variables in the TabPFN model were baseline NIHSS score, baseline hematoma volume, baseline aspartate aminotransferase, and age. Conclusions:The TabPFN model is superior to the LR model and the XGBoost model in predicting poor outcome in patients with sICH. In the TabPFN model, baseline NIHSS score, baseline hematoma volume, aspartate aminotransferase, and age are the most important predictors of poor outcome in patients with sICH.Objectives To evaluate the predictive value of Tabular Prior-data Fitted Network(TabPFN) for short-term outcome in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH), and compared with the Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGboost) model and traditional logistic regression (LR) model. Methods Patients with sICH admitted to the Department of Neurology, Hefei Second People's Hospital from January 2018 to March 2024 were included retrospectively. The demographic and baseline data were collected. At 3 months after onset, the modified Rankin Scale score was used to determine the outcome, 0-2 was defined as good outcome and >2 was defined as poor outcome. All enrolled patients were randomly divided into a training set and a testing set at a ratio of 7:3. Feature selection was performed using recursive feature elimination (RFE) method, and then the selected feature variables were included into TabPFN, XGboost, and LR models for training and testing. The area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive ability of the models. Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) method was used for model interpretation. Results A total of 547 patients with sICH were enrolled, including 367 males (67.1%), with a median age of 65 (interquartile range, 54-76) years. Two hundred twenty-six patients (41.3%) had poor outcome. Age, baseline blood pressure (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure), baseline laboratory tests (white blood cell count, red blood cell count, platelet count, neutrophil count, hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, creatinine, uric acid, urea nitrogen, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase), hematoma rupture into the ventricle, island sign, baseline hematoma volume, and baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score were selected as characteristic variables using RFE method. ROC curve analysis showed that the ROC AUC for TabPFN, Xgboost, and LR models predicting poor short-term outcome in the testing set were 0.918 (95% confidence interval [ CI] 0.870-0.966], 0.883 (95% CI 0.826-0.940), and 0.905 (95% CI 0.854-0.957), respectively. SHAP analysis showed that the top four important variables in the TabPFN model were baseline NIHSS score, baseline hematoma volume, baseline aspartate aminotransferase, and age. Conclusions The TabPFN model is superior to the LR model and the XGBoost model in predicting poor outcome in patients with sICH. In the TabPFN model, baseline NIHSS score, baseline hematoma volume, aspartate aminotransferase, and age are the most important predictors of poor outcome in patients with sICH.
10.Investigation of the effects of Gabra3 gene knockout on sleep regulation in mouse neurons
Lizhong ZHANG ; Yujie TANG ; Yi SUN ; Qi YU ; Xuechun LU
Space Medicine & Medical Engineering 2025;36(3):206-213
Objective To construct a Gabra3 gene knockout cell model and explore transcriptomic and proteomic alterations in murine neuronal cells,in order to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the increased depth of slow-wave sleep observed following Gabra3 deletion.Methods Multiple sgRNA sequences were designed,and the CRISPR/Cas9 system was used to knock out the Gabra3 gene in the murine GT1-7 neuronal cell line.Gene sequencing was performed to assess knockout efficiency,and TA cloning was used to validate the knockout results.Protein immunoblotting experiments were conducted to confirm the knockout,while cell proliferation assays were used to validate the knockout phenotype.Total RNA and protein were extracted for transcriptomic and proteomic sequencing,respectively.A range of bioinformatics analyses was conducted to assess the functional consequences of Gabra3 knockout in GT1-7 neuronal cells.Results Following Gabra3 gene knockout,pathways related to cortisol and aldosterone synthesis and secretion,as well as circadian rhythm,were significantly enriched.Three key genes,BMP2,GLI2,and DLL1,were identified.Proteomic profiling revealed widespread disturbances in protein expression following Gabra3 knockout.Conclusion Gabra3 gene knockout may increase slow-wave sleep depth by modulating the expression of hormone secretion-related genes and altering circadian regulatory pathways.

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