1.Analyses of the epidemiological characteristics of multiple pathogens in people aged 14 years and above with acute respiratory infection in Huangpu District of Shanghai from 2015 to 2024
Yun ZHANG ; Yinzi CHEN ; Zhenzi ZUO ; Yu WANG ; Fujie SHEN ; Yuliang HUANG ; Qiang GAO ; Chenyan JIANG ; Yijun WANG
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2026;38(2):116-121
ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological characteristics of 8 major respiratory pathogens in influenza-like illness (ILI) cases with acute respiratory infections at fever clinics in Huangpu District, Shanghai from 2015 to 2024, and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases. MethodsA retrospective study was conducted in Huangpu District. Individuals meeting the case definition of ILI from 2015 to 2024 was registered. Their nasopharyngeal swabs were collected for pathogen detection. A total of 8 respiratory viruses were tested, including Influenza A virus (Flu A), Influenza B virus (Flu B), adenovirus (ADV), enterovirus/human rhinovirus (EV/HRV), human parainfluenza virus (HPIV), human coronavirus (HCoV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and human metapneumovirus (HMPV). ResultsFrom 2015 to 2019, a total of 344 ILI cases were tested, of which 192 out of 344 cases (55.81%) were tested positive for single respiratory pathogen. From 2023 to 2024, 1 557 ILI cases were tested, with 572 out of 1 557 cases (36.74%) being positive for single pathogen. From 2023 to 2024, the positive rate of single pathogen in ILI cases was significantly lower than that in 2015‒2019 (χ2=42.66, P<0.001). Specifically, the positive rate of Flu A (χ2=74.43, P<0.001) decreased, while that of HPIV (χ2=8.66, P=0.003) increased, both with statistically significant differences. According to the seasonal pattern, the epidemic intensity of Flu A decreased in summer, while that of HPIV increased in summer and autumn. Demographic results showed statistically significant differences in the positive rates of EV/HRV between genders (χ2=22.38, P<0.001), with males exhibiting a higher positive rate than females. No statistically significant differences were identified in the positive rates of single pathogen among different age groups (χ2=4.42, P=0.110). Nevertheless, statistically significant differences were noted when comparing the positive rates of EV/HRV, Flu A, Flu B and HPIV across different age groups (P<0.05). EV/HRV was more commonly detected in the 15‒<25 age group (10.93%), while Flu A and HPIV had the highest positive rates in the ≥60 age group (21.24% and 4.77%). Flu B had the highest positive rate in the 25‒<60 age group (11.26%). 52.63% of cases with co-infections occurred during winter, with the primary pathogens involved being EV/HRV (9 cases) and HCoV (6 cases). The most prevalent combination of co-infection was Flu A with EV/HRV. ConclusionThe prevalence of respiratory pathogens among ILI cases from 2023 to 2024 exhibited notable fluctuations compared to that from 2015 to 2019. Therefore, influenza surveillance should be strengthened, and attention should also be paid to the prevalence of respiratory pathogens such as HPIV. These findings have profound implications for future research, surveillance, vaccine planning, and public health policy making.
2.Changes in the body shape and ergonomic compatibility for functional dimensions of desks and chairs for students in Harbin during 2010-2024
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(3):315-320
Objective:
To analyze the change trends in the body shape indicators and proportions of students in Harbin from 2010 to 2024, and to investigate ergonomic compatibility of functional dimensions of school desks and chairs with current student shape indicators, so as to provide a reference for revising furniture standards of desks and chairs.
Methods:
Between September and November of both 2010 and 2024, a combination of convenience sampling and stratified cluster random sampling was conducted across three districts in Harbin, yielding samples of 6 590 and 6 252 students, respectively. Anthropometric shape indicators cluding height, sitting height, crus length, and thigh length-and their proportional changes were compared over the 15-year period. The 2024 data were compared with current standard functional dimensions of school furniture. The statistical analysis incorporated t-test and Mann-Whitney U- test.
Results:
From 2010 to 2024, average height increased by 1.8 cm for boys and 1.5 cm for girls; sitting height increased by 1.5 cm for both genders; crus length increased by 0.3 cm for boys and 0.4 cm for girls; and thigh length increased by 0.5 cm for both genders. The ratios of sitting height to height, and sitting height to leg length increased by less than 0.1 . The difference between desk chair height and 1/3 sitting height ranged from 0.4-0.8 cm. Among students matched with size 0 desks and chairs, 22.0% had a desk to chair height difference less than 0, indicating that the desk to chair height difference might be insufficient for taller students. The differences between seat height and fibular height ranged from -1.4 to 1.1 cm; and the differences between seat depth and buttock popliteal length ranged from -9.8 to 3.4 cm. Among obese students, the differences between seat width and 1/2 hip circumference ranged from -20.5 to -8.7 cm, while it ranged from -12.2 to -3.8 cm among non obese students.
Conclusion
Current furniture standards basically satisfy hygienic requirements; however, in the case of exceptionally tall and obese students, ergonomic accommodations such as adaptive seating allocation or personalized adjustments are recommended to meet hygienic requirements.
3.Value of ultrasound combined with elastography in evaluating inflammation grading in patients with chronic liver disease at S2 stage of liver fibrosis
Rui CHEN ; Yijun ZHENG ; Zhiling GAO ; Wei CHEN ; Biao SU ; Shuainan SHI ; Jia GUO
Academic Journal of Naval Medical University 2025;46(7):863-868
Objective To explore the application value of ultrasound combined with elastography in grading inflammation in patients with chronic liver disease at S2 stage of liver fibrosis.Methods Totally 51 patients who were hospitalized at Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from Jan.2022 to Mar.2024 and underwent liver biopsy with pathological results indicating a stage of S2 liver fibrosis in chronic liver disease were enrolled.All patients underwent ultrasound-guided liver biopsy to obtain the stage of pathological liver fibrosis(S1 to S4)and the grade of liver inflammation(G0 to G4).In addition,all the patients were examined by ultrasound combined with elastography;and shear wave velocity(Vs),acoustic attenuation coefficient(ATT),liver fibrosis index(LFI),fibrosis-related index(F index),and inflammatory activity index(A index)were obtained.The correlation between ultrasound combined with elastography parameters and pathological inflammation grading was analyzed.Results According to the pathological inflammation grading,there were 15 cases in group G1,28 cases in group G2,and 8 cases in group G3.There were significant differences in F index,A index,Vs and ATT among the 3 groups(all P<0.05).Among them,F index,A index and Vs in group G1 were significantly lower than those in group G3(P=0.007,0.006,0.040),while ATT was significantly higher than that in group G3(P=0.005);and there was no significant difference in LFI among the 3 groups(P=0.373).Vs,ATT,F index and A index were correlated with pathological inflammation grade(r=0.404,-0.417,0.379,0.383;P=0.003,0.002,0.006,0.006).The mean plot showed that with the increase of pathological inflammation grade,the age of patients showed a linear upward trend,ATT showed a linear downward trend,and A index showed a linear upward trend.Vs was positively correlated with alanine transaminase(ALT),aspartate transaminase(AST),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),γ-glutamyltransferase(GGT),total bilirubin,and direct bilirubin(DBil)(all P<0.05).ATT was negatively correlated with ALT,AST,GGT,and DBil(all P<0.05);and both F index and A index were positively correlated with ALT,AST,ALP,GGT,and DBil(all P<0.05).Conclusion Ultrasound combined with elastography can be used to evaluate the degree of inflammation in patients with chronic liver disease at S2 stage of liver fibrosis.
4.Chinese expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic supraorbital fissure syndrome (version 2024)
Junyu WANG ; Hai JIN ; Danfeng ZHANG ; Rutong YU ; Mingkun YU ; Yijie MA ; Yue MA ; Ning WANG ; Chunhong WANG ; Chunhui WANG ; Qing WANG ; Xinyu WANG ; Xinjun WANG ; Hengli TIAN ; Xinhua TIAN ; Yijun BAO ; Hua FENG ; Wa DA ; Liquan LYU ; Haijun REN ; Jinfang LIU ; Guodong LIU ; Chunhui LIU ; Junwen GUAN ; Rongcai JIANG ; Yiming LI ; Lihong LI ; Zhenxing LI ; Jinglian LI ; Jun YANG ; Chaohua YANG ; Xiao BU ; Xuehai WU ; Li BIE ; Binghui QIU ; Yongming ZHANG ; Qingjiu ZHANG ; Bo ZHANG ; Xiangtong ZHANG ; Rongbin CHEN ; Chao LIN ; Hu JIN ; Weiming ZHENG ; Mingliang ZHAO ; Liang ZHAO ; Rong HU ; Jixin DUAN ; Jiemin YAO ; Hechun XIA ; Ye GU ; Tao QIAN ; Suokai QIAN ; Tao XU ; Guoyi GAO ; Xiaoping TANG ; Qibing HUANG ; Rong FU ; Jun KANG ; Guobiao LIANG ; Kaiwei HAN ; Zhenmin HAN ; Shuo HAN ; Jun PU ; Lijun HENG ; Junji WEI ; Lijun HOU
Chinese Journal of Trauma 2024;40(5):385-396
Traumatic supraorbital fissure syndrome (TSOFS) is a symptom complex caused by nerve entrapment in the supraorbital fissure after skull base trauma. If the compressed cranial nerve in the supraorbital fissure is not decompressed surgically, ptosis, diplopia and eye movement disorder may exist for a long time and seriously affect the patients′ quality of life. Since its overall incidence is not high, it is not familiarized with the majority of neurosurgeons and some TSOFS may be complicated with skull base vascular injury. If the supraorbital fissure surgery is performed without treatment of vascular injury, it may cause massive hemorrhage, and disability and even life-threatening in severe cases. At present, there is no consensus or guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of TSOFS that can be referred to both domestically and internationally. To improve the understanding of TSOFS among clinical physicians and establish standardized diagnosis and treatment plans, the Skull Base Trauma Group of the Neurorepair Professional Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Neurotrauma Group of the Neurosurgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Neurotrauma Group of the Traumatology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and Editorial Committee of Chinese Journal of Trauma organized relevant experts to formulate Chinese expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic supraorbital fissure syndrome ( version 2024) based on evidence of evidence-based medicine and clinical experience of diagnosis and treatment. This consensus puts forward 12 recommendations on the diagnosis, classification, treatment, efficacy evaluation and follow-up of TSOFS, aiming to provide references for neurosurgeons from hospitals of all levels to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of TSOFS.
5.A novel subtyping of Neer type Ⅵ proximal humerus fracture-dislocation and its clinical application
Hua GAO ; Zhenyu LIU ; Xiaodong BAI ; Wentao CHEN ; Gang WANG ; Guoqiang XU ; Yijun WANG ; Jiatian WANG ; Ji MA ; Dawei SONG ; Kun CHEN ; Baojun WANG
Chinese Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma 2024;26(8):657-663
Objective:To propose a novel refined subtyping of Neer type Ⅵ proximal humerus fracture-dislocation and explore its clinical application.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the data of 36 patients who had been admitted to Department of Orthopaedics, Beijing Friendship Hospital between January 2018 and December 2022 for surgical treatment with proximal humeral internal locking system (PHILOS) for Neer type Ⅵ proximal humerus fracture-dislocation. There were 25 males and 11 females with an age of (46.1±4.7) years. According to the fracture-dislocation and the separation between the humeral head and the stem, the patients with Neer type Ⅵ proximal humerus fracture-dislocation were further subdivided into 3 subtype groups (known as STAB subtypes): subtype-T group (dislocation of the shoulder joint with macro-capitellar fracture, n=14), subtype-A group (proximal humerus fracture-dislocation without separation of the humeral head from the humeral stem, n=12), and subtype-B group (dislocation of the proximal humerus fracture with separation of the humeral head from the humeral stem, n=10). STAB subtyping was performed on the same imaging data from all the patients at admission and 2 weeks later by 4 surgeons with different qualifications. Interobserver and intraobserver agreements of the STAB typing were verified. The operation time, fracture healing time, visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score, Constant-Murley score, and complications were recorded for patients in the 3 subtype groups. Results:The differences in the preoperative general data were not statistically significant between the 3 subtype groups, indicating comparability ( P>0.05). All patients were followed up for (11.2±4.2) months. The inter-observer and intra-observer Kappa values for STAB subtyping were 0.94 and 0.95, respectively. For subtype-T group, subtype-A group, and subtype-B group, respectively, the operation time was (68.9±5.6) min, (90.0±5.2) min, and (113.0±9.2) min; the fracture healing time was (9.0±0.8) weeks, (10.3±1.2) weeks, and (11.8±0.9) weeks; the VAS scores at the last follow-up were 1.0(1.0, 2.0) points, 2.0(1.0, 2.0) points, 2.0(2.0, 3.0) points; the Constant-Murley scores at the last follow-up were (83.6±2.8) points, (74.5±3.0) points, and (62.7±5.5) points. The differences between the 3 subtype groups in the above items were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The overall success rate of closed reduction was 61.1% (22/36). In subtype-T, subtype-A, and subtype-B groups, respectively, the number of patients with successful closed reduction was 13, 7, and 2, while complications occurred in 2, 3, and 6 patients. The differences in closed reduction and complications among the 3 groups were statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The STAB subtyping proposed in this study demonstrates strong intra- and inter-group consistency. Because the refined STAB subtyping can reveal differences among all the Neer type Ⅵ proximal humeral fractures and dislocations, it may provide more precise guidance for personalized clinical decision-making.
6.Impact of Baseline Non-high-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Level on New-onset Cardiovascular Disease Among Postmenopausal Women
Lisha ZHANG ; Shouling WU ; Zhiqiang SHAO ; Jia GUO ; Jian WANG ; Wenqi XU ; Lu GUO ; Wenjuan LI ; Shuohua CHEN ; Yijun GAO
Chinese Circulation Journal 2024;39(1):61-67
Objectives:To investigate the impact of baseline non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(non-HDL-C)levels on new-onset cardiovascular disease(CVD)in postmenopausal women. Methods:This prospective cohort study selected 8 893 postmenopausal women who participated from 2006 to 2018 employee health examination of Kailuan Group and had complete total cholesterol(TC)and HDL-C data and no history of CVD.Participants were followed up to 31 December,2021.The primary endpoint was the occurrence of CVD or death.According to the Chinese Lipid Management Guidelines(2023),the participants were divided into non-HDL-C<4.1 mmol/L group(n=6 079),4.1 mmol/L≤non-HDL-C<4.9 mmol/L group(n=1 824)and non-HDL-C≥4.9 mmol/L group(n=990).The cumulative incidence of CVD in different groups of non-HDL-C levels was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and tested by log-rank analysis.Multivariate Cox regression model was used to analyze the effects of different non-HDL-C levels on CVD. Results:The mean follow-up time was(10.78±4.48)years,the cumulative incidence of CVD in different non-HDL-C level groups was 1.82%,3.24%and 2.89%,respectively.Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed a statistically significant difference in cumulative incidence among the three groups(log-rank P<0.0001).The results of Cox regression analysis showed that after adjusting for confounding factors such as age and sex,the HR(95%CI)values for CVD in the 4.1≤non-HDL-C<4.9 mmol/L group and the non-HDL-C≥4.9 mmol/L group were 1.40(1.13-1.74)and 1.35(1.03-1.78),respectively. Conclusions:High non-HDL-C levels are an independent risk factor for new-onset CVD in postmenopausal women.
7.Laboratory detection and molecular identification of a kala-azar case in Shenzhen
HUANG Dana ; LIU Xiaolian ; GAO Shitong ; LI yuan ; TANG Yijun ; ZHANG Qian ; PENG Bo ; YANG Fan ; NIU Cong ; ZHANG Renli
China Tropical Medicine 2024;24(2):218-
Objective To perform laboratory detection and molecular traceability analysis on a case of imported kala-azar in Shenzhen to determine the infection strain. Methods Bone marrow puncture fluid and blood samples from a case of kala-azar in Shenzhen were collected for laboratory tests. The patient's bone marrow puncture fluid smears were stained with Giemsa and examined under a microscope. Blood samples were examined for antibodies using the rk39 visceral leishmania rapid diagnostic reagent. Whole blood DNA was extracted, and the ITS-1 sequence was amplified by PCR, sequenced and aligned, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the ITS-1 sequence. Results Microscopic examination of the patient's bone marrow smears revealed a large number of Leishmania amastigotes without flagella, confirming the diagnosis of kala-azar. The patient's blood was tested positive with the rk39 rapid diagnostic reagent, and PCR amplification yielded an ITS-1 gene product sequence that matched the expected size. Sequence alignment with the NCBI database showed 100% sequence similarity with the ITS-1 gene sequence of Leishmania infantum, confirming the infecting strain as Leishmania infantum. Phylogenetic tree construction of the amplified ITS-1 sequence revealed clustering into a clade with Leishmania infantum , and close to KC347299, one of the reference sequence selected. Conclusions The case of kala-azar in Shenzhen was caused by Leishmania infantum. Kala-azar still occurs in China, so the diagnostic technology of medical personnel in non-epidemic areas should be strengthened so that they can actively use new diagnostic technologies to assist in diagnosis, thus improving their prevention and control ability of Leishmania parasites.
8.Porphyromonas gingivalis promotes autophagy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via the miR-21-5p/RASA1/ERK axis
Yubo DU ; Yelin JIAO ; Yueyue CHENG ; Haodong CHENG ; Yi RU ; Gaofeng LIANG ; Shegan GAO ; Yijun QI
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2024;59(9):1621-1628
Objective To investigate the molecular mechanism underlying Porphyromonas gingivalis(Pg)-induced autophagy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).Methods After Pg infected KYSE70 cells and KYSE140 cells pretreated with siAtg7 or Chloroquin(CQ),Western blot was used to measure protein levels of Atg7,LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ,and p62;Immunofluorescent confocal imaging analysis was used to detect autophagosome and autolysosome;CCK-8 assay was used to test cell viability;Transwell assay was used for ESCC cell migration and invasion potentials.Likewise,miR-21-5p inhibitor,RASA1 overexpression plasmid,or U0126 were used to block miR-21-5p/RASA1/ERK signaling pathway prior to Pg infection,followed by the aforementioned methods.In addition,immunohistochemistry was used to examine Pg abundance and LC3 protein levels,and RT-PCR was used to evaluate miR-21-5p expression in ESCC and adjacent tissue samples,followed by correlation analyses be-tween Pg and LC3,and Pg and miR-21-5p.Results Pg infected KYSE70 cells and KYSE140 cells showed upreg-ulation Atg7 protein and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ protein but downregulation of RASA1 protein and p62 protein,enhanced cell proliferation,migration,and invasion as well as immunofluorescent spots of red,green,and yellow in mRFP-GFP-LC3-labeled ESCC cells.Pretreatment with CQ or siAtg7 abolished the above alterations induced by Pg.Con-sistently,pretreatment with miR-21-5p inhibitor,U0126,or RASA1 overexpression plasmid also blocked Pg-stimu-lated autophagy.In ESCC samples,Pg abundance was correlated with upregulation of miR-21-5p and LC3.Con-clusion Pg promotes autophagy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via miR-21-5p/RASA1/ERK signaling pathway.
9.Porphyromonas gingivalis promotes the occurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via an inflammatory microenvironment
Haijun XU ; Yijun QI ; Dangrou WU ; Qiwei LIU ; Pan CHEN ; Mengxiang LI ; Yelin JIAO ; Haojie RUAN ; Zhitao LI ; Shegan GAO
Chinese Journal of Oncology 2024;46(8):746-754
Objective:To investigate the role of an inflammatory microenvironment induced by Porphyromonasgingivalis ( P. gingivalis) in the occurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in mice. Methods:A total of 180 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 6 groups, i.e. control group, P. gingivalis group, 4NQO group, 4NQO + P. gingivalis group, 4NQO + P. gingivalis + celecoxib group, and 4NQO + P. gingivalis + antibiotic cocktail (ABC, including metronidazole, neomycin, ampicillin, and vancomycin) group, with 30 mice in each group, using the random number table. All mice were normalized by treatment with ABC in drinking water for 2 weeks. In the following 2 weeks, the mice in the control group and the P. gingivalis group were given drinking water, while the other 4 groups were treated with 30 μg/ml 4NQO in the drinking water. In weeks 11-12, the mice in the P. gingivalis group, the 4NQO + P. gingivalis group, the 4NQO + P. gingivalis + celecoxib group, and the 4NQO + P. gingivalis + ABC group were subjected to ligation of the second molar in oral cavity followed by oral P. gingivalis infection thrice weekly for 24 weeks in weeks 11-34. In weeks 13-34, the mice in 4NQO + P. gingivalis+celecoxib group and 4NQO + P. gingivalis + ABC group were administered with celecoxib and ABC for 22 weeks, respectively. At the end of 34 weeks, gross and microscopic alterations were examined followed by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry to examine the expression profiles of inflammatory- and tumor-molecules in esophagi of mice. Results:At 34 weeks, 4NQO treatment alone did not affect the foci of papillary hyperproliferation, diseased area, and the thickness of the esophageal wall, but significantly enhanced the foci of hyperproliferation (median 1.00, P<0.05) and mild/moderate dysplasia (median 2.00, P<0.01). In addition, the expression levels of IL-6 [8.35(3.45,8.99)], IL-1β [6.90(2.01,9.72)], TNF-α [12.04(3.31,14.08)], c-myc [2.21(1.80,3.04)], pSTAT3, Ki-67, and pH2AX were higher than those in the control group. The pathological changes of the esophageal mucosa were significantly more overt in the 4NQO + P. gingivalis group in terms of the foci of papillary hyperproliferation (median 2.00), diseased area (median 2.51 mm 2), the thickness of the esophageal wall (median 172.52 μm), the foci of hyperproliferation (median 1.00, P<0.05), and mild/moderate dysplasia (median 1.00, P<0.01). In mice of the 4NQO + P. gingivalis group, the expression levels of IL-6 [12.27(5.35,22.08)], IL-1β [13.89(10.04,15.96)], TNF-α [19.56(6.07,20.36)], IFN-γ [11.37(8.23,20.07)], c-myc [2.62(1.51,4.25)], cyclin D1 [4.52(2.68,7.83)], nuclear pSTAT3, COX-2, Ki-67, and pH2AX were significantly increased compared with the mice in the control group. In mice of the 4NQO + P. gingivalis group, the diseased area, invasive malignant foci as well as pSTAT3 and pH2AX expression were significantly blunted by celecoxib. Treatment with ABC markedly reduced the papillary hyperproliferative foci, invasive malignant foci, and pSTAT3 expression but not pH2AX. Conclusions:P. gingivalis promotes the occurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in mice by inducing an inflammatory microenvironment primed with 4NQO induced DNA damage. Clearance of P. gingivalis with ABC or anti-inflammatory intervention holds promise for prevention of esophageal squamous cell malignant pathogenesis via blockage of IL-6/STAT3 signaling and amelioration of inflammation.
10.Porphyromonas gingivalis promotes the occurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via an inflammatory microenvironment
Haijun XU ; Yijun QI ; Dangrou WU ; Qiwei LIU ; Pan CHEN ; Mengxiang LI ; Yelin JIAO ; Haojie RUAN ; Zhitao LI ; Shegan GAO
Chinese Journal of Oncology 2024;46(8):746-754
Objective:To investigate the role of an inflammatory microenvironment induced by Porphyromonasgingivalis ( P. gingivalis) in the occurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in mice. Methods:A total of 180 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 6 groups, i.e. control group, P. gingivalis group, 4NQO group, 4NQO + P. gingivalis group, 4NQO + P. gingivalis + celecoxib group, and 4NQO + P. gingivalis + antibiotic cocktail (ABC, including metronidazole, neomycin, ampicillin, and vancomycin) group, with 30 mice in each group, using the random number table. All mice were normalized by treatment with ABC in drinking water for 2 weeks. In the following 2 weeks, the mice in the control group and the P. gingivalis group were given drinking water, while the other 4 groups were treated with 30 μg/ml 4NQO in the drinking water. In weeks 11-12, the mice in the P. gingivalis group, the 4NQO + P. gingivalis group, the 4NQO + P. gingivalis + celecoxib group, and the 4NQO + P. gingivalis + ABC group were subjected to ligation of the second molar in oral cavity followed by oral P. gingivalis infection thrice weekly for 24 weeks in weeks 11-34. In weeks 13-34, the mice in 4NQO + P. gingivalis+celecoxib group and 4NQO + P. gingivalis + ABC group were administered with celecoxib and ABC for 22 weeks, respectively. At the end of 34 weeks, gross and microscopic alterations were examined followed by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry to examine the expression profiles of inflammatory- and tumor-molecules in esophagi of mice. Results:At 34 weeks, 4NQO treatment alone did not affect the foci of papillary hyperproliferation, diseased area, and the thickness of the esophageal wall, but significantly enhanced the foci of hyperproliferation (median 1.00, P<0.05) and mild/moderate dysplasia (median 2.00, P<0.01). In addition, the expression levels of IL-6 [8.35(3.45,8.99)], IL-1β [6.90(2.01,9.72)], TNF-α [12.04(3.31,14.08)], c-myc [2.21(1.80,3.04)], pSTAT3, Ki-67, and pH2AX were higher than those in the control group. The pathological changes of the esophageal mucosa were significantly more overt in the 4NQO + P. gingivalis group in terms of the foci of papillary hyperproliferation (median 2.00), diseased area (median 2.51 mm 2), the thickness of the esophageal wall (median 172.52 μm), the foci of hyperproliferation (median 1.00, P<0.05), and mild/moderate dysplasia (median 1.00, P<0.01). In mice of the 4NQO + P. gingivalis group, the expression levels of IL-6 [12.27(5.35,22.08)], IL-1β [13.89(10.04,15.96)], TNF-α [19.56(6.07,20.36)], IFN-γ [11.37(8.23,20.07)], c-myc [2.62(1.51,4.25)], cyclin D1 [4.52(2.68,7.83)], nuclear pSTAT3, COX-2, Ki-67, and pH2AX were significantly increased compared with the mice in the control group. In mice of the 4NQO + P. gingivalis group, the diseased area, invasive malignant foci as well as pSTAT3 and pH2AX expression were significantly blunted by celecoxib. Treatment with ABC markedly reduced the papillary hyperproliferative foci, invasive malignant foci, and pSTAT3 expression but not pH2AX. Conclusions:P. gingivalis promotes the occurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in mice by inducing an inflammatory microenvironment primed with 4NQO induced DNA damage. Clearance of P. gingivalis with ABC or anti-inflammatory intervention holds promise for prevention of esophageal squamous cell malignant pathogenesis via blockage of IL-6/STAT3 signaling and amelioration of inflammation.


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