Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and disease burden of liver cancer in Guangdong Province in 2020, and to provide a scientific foundation for the development of regionalized prevention and control strategies for liver cancer. Methods According to the cancer registry data of Guangdong Province, the incidence, mortality and age-standardized rate by Chinese standard population in 2020 were calculated to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of liver cancer. The disability adjusted life years (DALYs), year of life loss (YLL), year of lived with disability (YLD), and cause-eliminated life expectancy were used to assess the disease burden of liver cancer. Results In 2020, the crude incidence rate and the age-standardized incidence rate of liver cancer in Guangdong Province were 27.79/100 000 and 20.84/100 000，respectively, and the crude mortality rate and the age-standardized mortality rate of liver cancer were 25.49/100,000 and 17.64/100 000, respectively. The total DALY and DALY rate of liver cancer in Guangdong Province were 515 311 person-years and 513.83/100 000, respectively. After eliminating the causes of death from liver cancer, the life expectancy in Guangdong Province increased from 84.60 years to 84.99 years. All indicators consistently demonstrated that the burden of liver cancer was higher in males than that in females, and the burden of liver cancer was higher in rural areas than that in urban areas. Conclusion Liver cancer in Guangdong Province exhibits a high incidence, mortality and disease burden level in 2020. There are obvious differences of gender, age and region in cancer burden. It is necessary to strengthen liver cancer screening and diagnosis and treatment in men, the elderly and those in rural areas to reduce the burden of liver cancer gradually in Guangdong Province.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of dexmedetomidine （DEX） increasing serpin peptidase inhibitor clade E member 1 （SERPINE1） protein on the malignant biological behavior of thyroid carcinoma （THCA） cells. METHODS THCA cells （KTC-1， TPC-1） were treated with 1， 10 and 100 nmol/L DEX， and their viabilities， clone formation rates， migration rates and invasion number were examined. Potential biological functions of DEX in THCA cells were analyzed through whole genome sequencing and gene ontology enrichment analysis. The core targets of DEX were mined through a protein-protein interaction network. The expression characteristics of DEX core targets and their relationship with patient prognosis were evaluated. The effects of DEX on mRNA and protein expressions of core targets and protein secretion in 2 types of THCA cells were detected， and the effects of this target on DEX-related effects were validated preliminarily by knocking down the core target. RESULTS Compared with the control group （0 nmol/L DEX）， DEX at 1， 10 and 100 nmol/L significantly increased the viabilities of 2 types of THCA cells （except for the KTC-1 cells in the 1 nmol/L DEX group at 24 h）， concentration-dependently elevated the rates of clone formation， migration rates （except for 2 types of THCA cells in 1 nmol/L DEX group）， and the number of invasion （P＜0.05）. A total of 287 differently expressed genes （75 up- tongxueyan180@163.com regulated and 212 down-regulated） were enriched in signaling pathways such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B， Wnt， and senescence-associated secretory phenotypes in the 2 kinds of DEX-treated or non-treated THCA cells. SERPINE1 was a core target of DEX for THCA， and its mRNA and protein expression in THCA tissues/cells were significantly elevated and associated with poor prognosis of the patients （P＜0.05）. Compared with the control group， mRNA and protein expression of SERPINE1 was significantly up-regulated in 2 types of cells in the 1， 10 and 100 nmol/L DEX groups， while the secretion of this protein in conditioned medium was also significantly increased， all of which showed concentration-dependence （P＜0.05）. After knocking down SERPINE1， the promoting effects of DEX on the proliferation， colony formation， migration and invasion abilities of two types of THCA cells were significantly inhibited （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS DEX can promote the proliferation， migration and invasion of THCA cell， and the above effects may be associated with the expression of increased secretory SERPINE1 protein.

Objective To develop and validate a deep learning model based on chest CT images to accurately distinguish between drug-resistant(DR-TB)and-sensitive tuberculosis(DS-TB).Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 722 cases of confirmed secondary tuberculosis admitted in our center from January 2019 to December 2022.According to the results of antimicrobial susceptibility test,they were divided into 357 DS-TB cases and 365 DR-TB cases.Pre-existing U-Net segmentation model was employed to segment the lung parenchyma regions in CT images.The dataset was randomly partitioned into a training set and a testing set in an 8:2 ratio.Six 3D deep learning architectures(3D Swin Transformer,3D ShuffleNet v2,3D ViT,3D MobileNet v2,3D DenseNet,and 3D ResNet18)were employed to evaluate the discriminative efficiency between DS-TB and DR-TB.Hyperparameters were optimized by five-fold cross-validation on the training set to construct the optimal model.The performance of the constructed model was assessed using area under the curve(AUC),sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value(PPV),negative predictive value(NPV),and F1-score.Six radiologists independently evaluated DR-TB identification on the test set,and their performance was compared with the best-performing deep learning model.Results The AUC value in DR-TB prediction was 0.583,0.704,0.698,0.758,0.736,and 0.841,respectively,for 3D Swin Transformer,3D ShuffleNet v2,3D ViT,3D MobileNet v2,3D DenseNet,and 3D ResNet18.The 3D ResNet18 model demonstrated optimal performance,achieving a sensitivity of 0.935(95%CI:0.880～0.987),a specificity of 0.642(95%CI:0.492～0.757),a PPV of 0.750(95%CI:0.663～0.835),an NPV of 0.896(95%CI:0.809～0.976),an AUC value of 0.841,and a F1-score of 0.832.The radiologists got a F1-score of 0.571,0.450,0.675,0.623,0.617 and 0.635,respectively,and the F1-score of the 3D ResNet18 model is all higher than that of the radiologists.The highest-performing radiologist achieved sensitivity,specificity,PPV and NPV of 0.701(95%CI:0.605～0.802),0.567(95%CI:0.447～0.684),0.651(95%CI:0.549～0.757),and 0.623(95%CI:0.500～0.754),with all these values lower than those of the 3D ResNet18 model(P<0.05).Class activation mapping showed that the 3D ResNet18 model could focus on key lesion areas.The class activation mapping demonstrated that the 3D ResNet18 model could effectively focus on critical lesion regions.Conclusion Our 3D ResNet18 model shows the best predictive performance in identifying DR-TB,and is expected to assist clinical diagnosis for DR-TB.

Objective:To compare the real-world efficacy and safety profile of tenofovir amibufenamid (TMF) and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) tablets in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).Methods:This retrospective study included patients with chronic hepatitis B who received TMF and TAF antiviral treatment at the Infectious Disease Outpatient Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2021 to December 2023. The primary and secondary outcome was to study the patient HBV DNA conversion rate (<20 IU/ml), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization rate, renal function, and lipid levels of patients at 48 weeks of treatment. The comparison of data between measurement data groups was differentiated using a t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. The inter-group comparison rate in count data was performed using the χ2 test or Fisher's exact probability. Results:A total of 440 cases were enrolled, including 220 in the TMF group (63 treatment-na?ve and 157 treatment-experienced) and 220 cases in the TAF group (61 treatment-na?ve and 159 treatment-experienced). In terms of efficacy, the HBV DNA seroconversion rates in the TMF group and TAF group were 90.5% and 85.2% ( P=0.372), respectively, while the ALT normalization rates were 92.1% and 88.5% ( P=0.505), respectively, at 48 weeks of treatment. The HBV DNA-negative conversion rate for the newly treated patients was 99.4% and 98.7%, respectively ( P=1.000), while the rates of ALT normalization were 94.9% and 92.3%, respectively ( P=0.863). In terms of safety profile, the serum creatinine level was lower in the TMF group than that in the TAF group at 48 weeks of treatment [TMF group 66.5 (56.3, 78.3) μmol/L, TAF group 70.6 (60.7, 77.8) μmol/L, Z=-2.282, P=0.022]. However, there was no statistically significant difference in other renal function and tubular function related indicators between the two groups of patients ( P>0.05). The serum high-density lipoprotein levels were higher in the TMF group than those in the TAF group [TMF 1.4 (1.1, 1.6) mmol/L vs. TAF group 1.3 (1.1, 1.6) mmol/L, Z=-2.204, P=0.027] at 48 weeks of treatment. However, there was no statistically significant difference in other blood lipid indicators between the two groups of patients ( P>0.05). Conclusion:There is no statistically significant difference in efficacy and safety profiles between TMF and TAF at 48 weeks in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B, and the overall safety profile is favorable.

Objective:To discuss the expression of programmed cell death-ligand 1(PD-L1)in the oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)cells and its effect on biological behavior of the OSCC CAL27 cells,and to clarify the possible mechanism.Methods:Western blotting method was used to detect the expression levels of PD-L1 protein in the oral epithelial HOK cells and OSCC CAL27,TCA8113,and SCC15 cells;immunofluorescence staining method was used to detect the expression and localization of PD-L1 protein in the CAL27 cells.The CAL27 cells were divided into control group(transfected with si-NC)and si-PD-L1 group(transfected with si-PD-L1).Western blotting method was used to detect the interference efficiency of the cells in two groups;CCK-8 assay was used to detect the proliferative activities of the cells in two groups at different time points;plate clone formation assay was used to detect the numbers of clone formation of the cells in two groups;cell scratch healing assay was used to detect the scratch healing rates of the cells in two groups;Transwell chamber assay was used to detect the numbers of migration and invasion cells in two groups.Results:The expression level of PD-L1 protein in the OSCC cells was higher than that in the HOK cells(P<0.05 or P<0.01);PD-L1 expressed in the cytoplasm and nucleus of the CAL27 cells.The CCK-8 assay and plate clone formation assay results showed that compared with control group,the proliferative activities of the CAL27 cells in si-PD-L1 group at different time points were significantly decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01),and the numbers of clone formation were significantly decreased(P<0.01).The cell scratch healing assay results showed that compared with control group,the scratch healing rates of the cells in si-PD-L1 group were significantly decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01).The Transwell chamber assay results showed that compared with control group,the numbers of migration and invasion cells in si-PD-L1 group were significantly decreased(P<0.01).Conclusion:The expression of PD-L1 in the OSCC cells is higher than that in normal oral epithelial cells,and knocking down PD-L1 expression can inhibit the proliferation,clone formation,migration and invasion capabilities of the OSCC cells.

Bamboo leaf flavonoids(BLF)are compounds extracted from bamboo leaves,possessing properties including antioxidant,antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.This study aimed to investigate the effects of BLF on liver damage,antioxidant function,and related gene expression in rats induced by diquat(DQ).Thirty-two 5-week-old male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into four experimental groups:the control group(Con),1 000 mg/kg BLF group(BLF),DQ stress group(DQ),and 1 000 mg/kg BLF+DQ stress group(BLF-DQ).The results showed that compared to the Con,the DQ group exhibited significantly decreased serum AST lev-els(P＜0.05),as well as decreased levels of T-AOC,GPX,SOD,and CAT in the liver(P＜0.05),and increased MDA levels in rats(P＜0.05).Additionally,the gene expression levels of HO-1,GPX,CAT,SOD1,and Nrf2 in the liver were significantly reduced(P＜0.05).In contrast,1 000 mg/kg BLF significantly decreased serum AST and ALT levels(P＜0.05),increased levels of T-AOC,GPX,CAT,and SOD in liver(P＜0.05),and significantly increased gene expression of HO-1,GPX,CAT,SOD1,Nrf2,and NQO1(P＜0.05).Compared to the DQ group,BLF-DQ significant-ly decreased liver index(P＜0.05),reduced serum AST and ALT levels(P＜0.05),increased lev-els of CAT,GPX,and T-AOC in liver(P＜0.05),decreased MDA levels(P＜0.05),and signifi-cantly upregulated gene expression levels of HO-1,GPX,CAT,SOD1,and Nrf2(P＜0.05).These findings indicated that BLF alleviate liver damage caused by DQ stress in rats,improve liver an-tioxidant function inhibition,activate the Nrf2 signaling pathway and PINK/Parkin mitophagy-re-lated gene expression.

Background/Aims: Low educational attainment is a well-established risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in developed areas. However, the association between educational attainment and the risk of NAFLD is less clear in China. Methods: A cross-sectional study including over 200,000 Chinese adults across mainland China was conducted. Information on education level and lifestyle factors were obtained through standard questionnaires, while NAFLD and advanced fibrosis were diagnosed using validated formulas. Outcomes included the risk of NAFLD in the general population and high probability of fibrosis among patients with NAFLD. Logistic regression analysis was employed to estimate the risk of NAFLD and fibrosis across education levels. A causal mediation model was used to explore the potential mediators. Results: Comparing with those receiving primary school education, the multi-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for NAFLD were 1.28 (1.16 to 1.41) for men and 0.94 (0.89 to 0.99) for women with college education after accounting for body mass index. When considering waist circumference, the odds ratios (95% CIs) were 0.94 (0.86 to 1.04) for men and 0.88 (0.80 to 0.97) for women, respectively. The proportions mediated by general and central obesity were 51.00% and 68.04% for men, while for women the proportions were 48.58% and 32.58%, respectively. Furthermore, NAFLD patients with lower educational attainment showed an incremental increased risk of advanced fibrosis in both genders. Conclusions In China, a low education level was associated with a higher risk of prevalent NAFLD in women, as well as high probability of fibrosis in both genders.

Humans ; Cohort Studies ; Body Mass Index ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Inflammation ; Treatment Outcome ; Risk Factors

Objective : To explore differential expression of insulin like growth factor 1( IGF1) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tissues and cells , and to analyze its clinical significance of IGF1 . Methods : The protein expression of IGF1 was detected in 115 OSCC tissues (OSCC group) and 74 normal tissues (normal group) using immunohistochemical technique , and the relationship with the clinicopathological factors and prognosis of OSCC was analyzed. The IGF1 protein and mRNA levels in HOK and OSCC cell lines ( CAL⁃27 , TCA⁃8113 , SCC⁃15 and SCC⁃25) were detected by Western blot and qRT⁃PCR. Results : The high expression rate of IGF1 in OSCC group was 72. 17% , which was significantly higher than that in normal group (2. 70% ) ( P < 0. 001) . The proportion under ROC curve (AUC) of OSCC diagnosed by IGF1 was 0. 81 , the sensitivity was 0. 73 , and the specificity was 0. 82. The expression of IGF1 was related to the degree of differentiation , T stage and depth of invasion (P = 0. 03 , P = 0. 02 , P = 0. 02) , but not to gender, age , N stage , TNM stage , smoking , alcohol consumption , or HPV infection (P > 0. 05) . Kaplan⁃Meier and COX regression analysis showed that the high expression of IGF1 , the degree of differentiation , the T stage and the depth of infiltration were the related factors affecting the prognosis of patients (P < 0. 01 , P = 0. 04 , P = 0. 03 , P = 0. 04) . COX multivariate indicated that high expression of IGF1 was an independent factor affecting the prognosis of patients ( P = 0. 01) . Western blot and qRT⁃PCR results indicated that the expression of IGF1 in OSCC cell lines was higher than that in HOK (P < 0. 05) . Conclusion IGF1 can be a potential diagnostic and poor prognostic marker in oral squamous cell carcinoma.