ObjectiveThis paper aims to find the identified and validated clinical biomarker data building upon a clinical study of early-phase phase Ⅱ and investigate the correlation analysis of Huanglian Jiedu Wan on syndrome improvement and clinical biomarkers in the treatment of "excess heat-toxicity" based on a machine learning model. Additionally， the effective prediction of clinical biomarker values for the main symptoms of the "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome was assessed. MethodsA total of 229 patients meeting the inclusion criteria for "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome were randomly divided into the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group and the placebo group. Syndrome score transition matrices were constructed for the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group and the placebo group based on three main symptoms of "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome， such as oral ulcers， sore throat， and gum swelling and pain. Data from the patients with these three syndromes were also integrated for an overall analysis. The corresponding syndrome score transition matrices were further constructed to visualize symptom change trends of the patients in the two groups via heatmaps. Based on the identified and validated clinical biomarkers related to inflammation， oxidative stress， and energy metabolism in the early phase， Spearman correlation analysis was employed to analyze and evaluate the associations between clinical biomarkers and syndrome improvement. Key clinical biomarkers reflecting the effect of Huanglian Jiedu Wan were screened through the comparison of differences between groups. An extreme gradient boosting （XGBoost） algorithm was used to develop a prediction model for main symptom classification， with classification performance evaluated through 10-fold cross-validation. Feature importance analysis was applied to identify variables with the greatest contribution to the prediction result. ResultsThe syndrome transition matrix results indicated that the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group showed a superior effect to the placebo group in improving oral ulcers， sore throat， and overall symptoms， with significant effects observed especially in sore throat and overall symptom analyses （P<0.01）. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that several clinical biomarkers positively correlated with "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome and its main symptom improvement， were also called "heat-related biomarkers"， including succinic acid， α-ketoglutaric acid， glycine， lactic acid， adenosine monophosphate （AMP）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interferon-γ （IFN-γ）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-4 （IL-4）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-8 （IL-8）， interleukin-10 （IL-10）， and so on. Conversely， clinical biomarkers negatively correlated with symptom severity， were also called "heat-clearing related biomarkers" after administration of Huanglian Jiedu Wan， including malic acid， fumaric acid， cis-aconitic acid， adrenocorticotropic hormone （ACTH）， IL-1β， IL-4， IL-8， succinic acid， and citric acid. The XGBoost classification model using all 52 biomarkers as variables achieved an average test accuracy of 0.754 and an average F1 score of 0.777. Feature importance analysis identified the scores of glutamic acid in saliva and IL-6 were the highest in all the variables， with importance scores of 0.081 and 0.080， respectively. After screening out 14 key variables and optimizing the parameters， model performance improved to an average accuracy of 0.758 and an F1 score of 0.798. Feature importance analysis further determined that the glutamic acid in saliva and IL-6 showed obvious changes after screening the variables， confirming the good syndrome prediction ability of the model constructed by these key clinical biomarkers. ConclusionThis study systematically elucidates the correlation between syndrome improvement and clinical biomarkers of Huanglian Jiedu Wan in the treatment of "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome. An XGBoost classification model based on key clinical biomarkers is successfully established， achieving effective prediction of the symptoms related to the "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome such as oral ulcers and sore throat and providing a new insight for objective identification of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to find the identified and validated clinical biomarker data building upon a clinical study of early-phase phase Ⅱ and investigate the correlation analysis of Huanglian Jiedu Wan on syndrome improvement and clinical biomarkers in the treatment of "excess heat-toxicity" based on a machine learning model. Additionally， the effective prediction of clinical biomarker values for the main symptoms of the "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome was assessed. MethodsA total of 229 patients meeting the inclusion criteria for "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome were randomly divided into the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group and the placebo group. Syndrome score transition matrices were constructed for the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group and the placebo group based on three main symptoms of "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome， such as oral ulcers， sore throat， and gum swelling and pain. Data from the patients with these three syndromes were also integrated for an overall analysis. The corresponding syndrome score transition matrices were further constructed to visualize symptom change trends of the patients in the two groups via heatmaps. Based on the identified and validated clinical biomarkers related to inflammation， oxidative stress， and energy metabolism in the early phase， Spearman correlation analysis was employed to analyze and evaluate the associations between clinical biomarkers and syndrome improvement. Key clinical biomarkers reflecting the effect of Huanglian Jiedu Wan were screened through the comparison of differences between groups. An extreme gradient boosting （XGBoost） algorithm was used to develop a prediction model for main symptom classification， with classification performance evaluated through 10-fold cross-validation. Feature importance analysis was applied to identify variables with the greatest contribution to the prediction result. ResultsThe syndrome transition matrix results indicated that the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group showed a superior effect to the placebo group in improving oral ulcers， sore throat， and overall symptoms， with significant effects observed especially in sore throat and overall symptom analyses （P<0.01）. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that several clinical biomarkers positively correlated with "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome and its main symptom improvement， were also called "heat-related biomarkers"， including succinic acid， α-ketoglutaric acid， glycine， lactic acid， adenosine monophosphate （AMP）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interferon-γ （IFN-γ）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-4 （IL-4）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-8 （IL-8）， interleukin-10 （IL-10）， and so on. Conversely， clinical biomarkers negatively correlated with symptom severity， were also called "heat-clearing related biomarkers" after administration of Huanglian Jiedu Wan， including malic acid， fumaric acid， cis-aconitic acid， adrenocorticotropic hormone （ACTH）， IL-1β， IL-4， IL-8， succinic acid， and citric acid. The XGBoost classification model using all 52 biomarkers as variables achieved an average test accuracy of 0.754 and an average F1 score of 0.777. Feature importance analysis identified the scores of glutamic acid in saliva and IL-6 were the highest in all the variables， with importance scores of 0.081 and 0.080， respectively. After screening out 14 key variables and optimizing the parameters， model performance improved to an average accuracy of 0.758 and an F1 score of 0.798. Feature importance analysis further determined that the glutamic acid in saliva and IL-6 showed obvious changes after screening the variables， confirming the good syndrome prediction ability of the model constructed by these key clinical biomarkers. ConclusionThis study systematically elucidates the correlation between syndrome improvement and clinical biomarkers of Huanglian Jiedu Wan in the treatment of "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome. An XGBoost classification model based on key clinical biomarkers is successfully established， achieving effective prediction of the symptoms related to the "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome such as oral ulcers and sore throat and providing a new insight for objective identification of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes.

Background Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a major occupational health concern, particularly among workers exposed to adverse ergonomic conditions. Manganese production involves heavy physical demands, yet research on WMSDs among manganese workers remains limited. Objective To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of WMSDs among manganese workers in a manganese enterprise in Guangxi. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May to June 2024 on workers at a manganese factory in Guangxi. The Chinese Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire was used to collect information on demographic characteristics, distribution of musculoskeletal symptoms, and work-related exposures. χ² test was applied to compare differences in positive WMSDs rates across groups, and logistic regression analysis was performed to identify associated factors. Results A total of 1476 workers were enrolled in the study after pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The overall prevalence of WMSDs was 34.15%. The most commonly affected body regions were the lower back (17.28%), neck (16.67%), and shoulders (13.82%). The results of logistic regression analysis indicated that female, older age, and education level of college or above were associated with a higher risk of WMSDs (P<0.05). Awkward working postures were significantly associated with WMSDs in corresponding body regions; in particular, awkward postures of the neck, upper limbs, trunk, and lower limbs were related to an increased risk of WMSDs in multiple body sites (P<0.05). In addition, poor lighting conditions, high workplace temperature, frequent or sustained arm support during work, and high job demands were associated with an increased risk of overall or site-specific WMSDs (P<0.05). Conclusion The high prevalence of WMSDs among manganese workers is closely associated with demographic characteristics, working postures, and work environment and organizational factors. Targeted ergonomic interventions focusing on high-risk body regions and key ergonomic exposures are warranted to reduce the risk of WMSDs among manganese workers.

ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics of mitochondrial translational initiation factor 2 （MTIF2） gene methylation and its association with the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. MethodsMethSurv and EWAS Data Hub were used to perform the standardized analysis and the cluster analysis of MTIF2 methylation samples， including survival curve analysis， methylation signature analysis， the association of tumor signaling pathways， and a comparative analysis based on pan-cancer database. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison between two groups； a one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to perform the univariate and multivariate survival analyses of methylation level at the CpG site. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to investigate the survival differences between the patients with low methylation level and those with high methylation level， and the Log-likelihood ratio method was used for survival difference analysis. ResultsGlobal clustering of MTIF2 methylation showed that there was no significant difference in MTIF2 gene methylation level between different races， ethnicities， BMI levels， and ages. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis showed that the patients with N-Shore hypermethylation of the MTIF2 gene had a significantly better prognosis than those with hypomethylation （hazard ratio ［HR］=0.492， P<0.001）， while there was no significant difference in survival rate between the patients with different CpG island and S-Shore methylation levels （P>0.05）. The methylation profile of the MTIF2 gene based on different ages， sexes， BMI levels， races， ethnicities， and clinical stages showed that the N-Shore and CpG island methylation levels of the MTIF2 gene decreased with the increase in age， and the Caucasian population had significantly lower N-Shore methylation levels of the MTIF2 gene than the Asian population （P<0.05）； the patients with clinical stage Ⅳ had significantly lower N-Shore and CpG island methylation levels of the MTIF2 gene than those with stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ （P<0.05）. Clinical validation showed that the patients with stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ HCC had a significantly lower methylation level of the MTIF2 gene than those with stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ HCC and the normal population （P<0.05）. ConclusionN-Shore hypomethylation of the MTIF2 gene is a risk factor for the development and progression of HCC.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma （DLBCL） is a highly heterogeneous disease. Although standard first-line regimens can cure ＞50% of patients， approximately one-third of them develop relapsed/refractory DLBCL （r/r DLBCL）. Consequently， immunotherapy targeting molecular abnormalities has become pivotal for managing r/r DLBCL. The results of this review show that with advances in understanding DLBCL pathogenesis and the tumor immune microenvironment， antibody-based therapies have evolved rapidly， progressing from monoclonal antibodies （e.g.， rituximab， tafasitamab） to bispecific antibodies（e.g.， odronextamab，glofitamab， epcoritamab） and antibody-drug conjugate （e.g.， polatuzumab vedotin， loncastuximab tesirine）. These engineered agents enhance immune cytotoxicity and tumor-specific targeting， providing novel therapeutic options for r/r DLBCL patients.

Objective:To compare the consistency of lymphoma multigene detection panels based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) with FISH detection of B-cell lymphoma gene rearrangement.Methods:From January 2019 to May 2023, fusion genes detected by lymphoma-related 413 genes that targeted capture sequencing of 489 B-cell lymphoma tissues embedded in paraffin were collected from Henan Cancer Hospital, and the results were compared with simultaneous FISH detection of four break/fusion genes: BCL2, BCL6, MYC, and CCND1. Consistency was defined as both methods yielding positive or negative results for the same sample. The relationship between fusion mutation abundance in NGS and the positivity rate of cells in FISH was also analyzed.Results:Kappa consistency analysis revealed high consistency between NGS and FISH in detecting the four B-cell lymphoma-related gene rearrangement ( P<0.001 for all) ; however, the detection rates of positive individuals differed for the four genes. Compared with FISH, NGS demonstrated a higher detection rate for BCL2 rearrangement, a lower detection rate for BCL6 and MYC rearrangement, and a similar detection rate for CCND1 rearrangement. No correlation was found between fusion mutation abundance in NGS and the positivity rate of cells in FISH. Conclusions:NGS and FISH detection of B-cell lymphoma gene rearrangement demonstrate overall good consistency. NGS is superior to FISH in detecting BCL2 rearrangement, inferior in detecting MYC rearrangement, and comparable in detecting CCND1 rearrangement.

IKBKG is the essential modulator for nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) signaling pathway, and mutations within this gene can lead to anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia and immunodeficiency (EDA-ID). Here we report a male patient, who presented with mild frontal bossing, sparse hair, skin pigmentation, conical teeth, and recurrent infections involving bacteria, fungi, and viruses after one month of age, together with hypogammaglobulinemia. These symptoms were consistent with the phenotype of EDA-ID. Genetic analysis revealed a hemizygous mutation c.1249T > G (p.Cys417Gly) in exon 10 of the IKBKG gene in the patient. The mother of the patient was identified as heterozygous carriers of the same mutation. Immunological assessment revealed a significant reduction in memory B cells. The patient showed no skewed TCR diversity. PHA-induced T-cell proliferation was impaired. IFN-γ secretion by Th cells was significantly reduced after PHA stimulation. IκBα degradation rate retained the same in the patient. We summarized the clinical features of the patient and conducted immunological analysis, in order to increase pediatricians′awareness of this rare disease. For boys with early-onset recurrent infections together with ectodermal dysplasia, IKBKG mutation should be considered. In addition, genetic analysis is needed to exclude pseudogene interference and functional evaluations are required.

ObjectiveThe human angiotensin converting enzyme2 （hACE2） transgenic mouse model was used to clarify the antiviral efficacy of BD-77 against a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and explore the action mechanism of BD-77 against SARS-CoV-2. MethodSARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta variant strains-infected VeroE6 cell models were established and administered with BD-77 to observe the antiviral effect of BD-77 in vitro. A kit was used to detect the effect of BD-77 in vitro on the binding of spike S protein of SARS-CoV-2 virus （Delta/Omicron） to angiotensin converting enzyme2 （ACE2）. Chromatography was adopted to detect the binding of BD-77 to the S protein and N protein of the novel coronavirus. hACE2 transgenic C57BL/6 mice were divided into a blank control group， SARS-CoV-2 infection group， BD-77 administration groups of 37.5 mg·kg^-1 and 75 mg·kg^-1， with eight mice in each group. The pneumonia model of SARS-CoV-2-infected hACE2 transgenic mice was built to observe the survival of the mice， detect the virus titer of the lung tissue of the mice， and observe the lesions in the lung tissue. ResultBD-77 had a certain inhibitory effect on Omicron and Delta variant strains in vitro， with median inhibitory concentration （IC₅₀） of 526.3 mg·L^-1 and 653.0 mg·L^-1， respectively. BD-77 had no significant inhibitory effect on the binding of the S protein of WT， Omicron， and Delta variant strains of SARS-CoV-2 to ACE2 and had no binding effect with the S protein and N protein of the novel coronavirus. No mice in the blank group died， while the mortality rate of SARS-CoV-2-infected mice was 75%. There was a large amount of virus replication in the lung tissue of the mice and large areas of inflammatory infiltration in the lung tissue and interstitium. Compared with the model group， BD-77 administration groups of 37.5 mg·kg^-1 and 75 mg·kg^-1 could reduce the mortality of mice， significantly lower the virus titer in the lung tissue of mice （P<0.05）， and improve lung lesions. ConclusionBD-77 demonstrated significant inhibitory effects against SARS-CoV-2 virus in vitro and in vivo. However， its mechanism of action did not involve direct inhibition of the virus itself or intervention in the virus-host binding process. This finding suggests that the mechanism of action of BD-77 needs to be thoroughly investigated and elucidated by further experiments.

Objective To explore the relationship between serum microRNA-124(miR-124),CD146,angio-poietin-like protein 2(Angptl2)and the stability of carotid atherosclerosis(CAS)plaque in patients with a-cute cerebral infarction(ACI),and to provide reference for early prevention and treatment of patients with ACI.Methods A total of 191 patients with ACI admitted in Handan Central Hospital from January 2020 to February 2023 were selected as ACI group,and another 61 healthy volunteers who were underwent physical examination during the same period were selected as control group.The patients with ACI were divided into unstable plaque group(56 cases),stable plaque group(71 cases),and non plaque group(64 cases)based on carotid color doppler ultrasound results.The serum miR-124 expression levels of all subjects were detected by real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR),and the serum CD146 and Angptl2 levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The influencing factors of the instabili-ty of CAS plaque in patients with ACI was analyzed by univariate and multivariate Logistic regression.The predictive value of serum miR-124,CD146 combined with Angptl2 for the instability of CAS plaque in patients with ACI was analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results The serum CD146 and Angptl2 levels in ACI group were higher than those in control group(P＜0.05),and the miR-124 expression level was lower than that in control group(P＜0.05).Univariate analysis showed that the stability of CAS plaques in ACI patients was correlated with age,hypertension,hyperlipidemia,fibrinogen(FIB),serum C-reac-tive protein(CRP),serum cystatin C(CyC),CD146,Angptl2 and miR-124(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the decrease of serum miR-124,the increase of CD146,the increase of Angptl2 and the combination of hyperlipidemia were risk factors for CAS plaque stability in ACI patients(P＜0.05).The area under ROC curve(AUC)of serum miR-124,CD146,Angptl2 and the combination of the three indi-cators to predict CAS plaque instability in ACI patients were 0.741,0.719,0.781 and 0.834,respectively.Conclusion The serum miR-124 expression level,CD146 and Angptl2 levels are the influencing factors of CAS plaque instability in ACI patients,which may be involved in the formation and development of CAS plaque in ACI patients.The combined detection of the three factors has a good predictive effect on CAS plaque instability in ACI patients.

Objective To construct an NZB/W(F1)mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus and evaluate the effects of nicotinamide on each index of lupus nephritis pathogenesis of NZB/W(F1)mice in order to provide data for research on the role of nicotinamide in the treatment of lupus nephritis.Methods Female NZB/W(F1)mice were obtained by crossing male NZW mice with female NZB ones.Urine samples were collected using metabolic cages and proteinuria test strips were used to detect proteinuria.Blood samples were collected through the orbital venous plexus in mice.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect the level of anti-dsDNA antibody.Levels of serum creatinine and urea nitrogen and liver function indexes were detected using an automatic blood analyzer.Hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunofluorescence technique were used to detect the pathological state of the kidney.Results The levels of proteinuria,double-stranded DNA antibodies,serum creatinine,and urea nitrogen were gradually increased during the natural course of the disease in female NZB/W(F1)mice,indicating that the lupus nephritis disease model was constructed in female NZB/W(F1)mice.Compared to the control group,nicotinamide feeding could obviously decrease the level of proteinuria(P=0.0070),inhibit the production of double-stranded DNA antibodies(P=0.0325),and retard the progression of serum creatinine(P=0.0067)and urea nitrogen indexes(P=0.0166)in serum.In addition,the pathological state of the kidney in the nicotinamide feeding group was significantly alleviated compared with the control group.Conclusion A lupus nephritis disease model is constructed in NZB/W(F1)mice.Nicotinamide feeding can obviously alleviate the disease state of lupus nephritis in NZB/W(F1)mice.