Background: Autoimmune mechanisms have important roles in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata (AA). Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the exact biological and clinical importance of immunogenes in AA patients using bioinformatic methods. Methods: Five AA scalp gene expression profiles were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) between AA and control groups were identified. An immune-related gene diagnostic signature (IRGDS) was established by protein-protein interaction network analysis, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 102 immune-related DEGs were identified. We developed an IRGDS composed of CD8A, CSF1R and CXCL10 for AA molecular pathological assessment and diagnosis (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC]=0.962). We also validated the diagnostic value of the IRGDS in an external cohort (AUC=0.955). Patients with high IRGDS scores presented with a higher abundance of immune cell infiltration and expression of genes associated with immune recruitment and immune activation, suggesting adverse biological alterations. Conclusion In our study, an IRGDS model with accurately diagnostic capacity for AA was established, and biological alterations were deciphered in AA. The IRGDS may be used as an auxiliary diagnostic marker for AA.

Cuproptosis, a recently identified form of regulated cell death triggered by excess intracellular copper, has emerged as a promising cytotoxic strategy for cancer therapy. However, the therapeutic efficacy of copper ionophores such as elesclomol (ES) is often hindered by cellular copper homeostasis mechanisms that limit copper influx and cuproptosis induction. To address this challenge, we developed a nanoagent utilizing outer membrane vesicle (OMV) derived from Akkermansia muciniphila (Akk) for co-delivery of antioxidant 1 copper chaperone (Atox1)-targeting siRNA and ES (siAtox1/ES@OMV) to tumors. In vitro, we demonstrated that Atox1 knockdown via siRNA significantly disrupted copper export mechanisms, resulting in elevated intracellular copper levels. Simultaneously, ES facilitated efficient copper influx and mitochondrial transport, leading to Fe-S cluster depletion, increased proteotoxic stress, and robust cuproptosis. In vivo, siAtox1/ES@OMV achieved targeted tumor delivery and induced pronounced cuproptosis. Furthermore, leveraging the immunomodulatory properties of OMVs, siAtox1/ES@OMV promoted T-cell infiltration and the activation of tumor-reactive cytotoxic T cells, enhancing tumor immune responses. The combination of siAtox1/ES-induced cuproptosis and immunogenic cell death synergistically suppressed tumor growth in both subcutaneous breast cancer and orthotopic rectal cancer mouse models. This study highlights the potential of integrating copper homeostasis disruption with a copper ionophore using an immunomodulatory OMV-based vector, offering a promising combinatorial strategy for cancer therapy.

Objective:To explore the genotype and the clinical phenotype of SCN2A-related developmental delay in children. Methods:A case series study was adopted. Collect clinical data from 10 cases of children with SCN2A gene variants diagnosed with global developmental delay/intellectual disability who were admitted to the Children′s Hospital between July 2019 and March 2023. Summarize the clinical phenotype and genotype based on clinical data such as general information, clinical manifestations, imaging examinations, laboratory tests, genetic testing results, and comprehensive pediatric neuropsychological development assessment. Results:A total of 10 patients were recruited, including 7 males and 3 females, with an age range of 27 days to 5 years and 9 months. 9 patients underwent children′s neuropsychological and behavioral assessments, and the results were consistent with global developmental delay, including 2 mild cases, 4 moderate cases, and 3 severe cases. 3 cases had autism spectrum disorder, and 2 cases had epilepsy. 6 patients underwent complete head MRI examination, and 4 of them showed abnormalities, including delayed myelination, widening of the local extra brain space in the frontal lobe, and abnormal frontal lobe morphology. All 10 cases had point variants. Among them, 9 cases are de novo and 1 case is maternal inheritance. Out of 10 cases, there were 5 cases with copy number variations, but all of them were of unknown significance. Among the 10 variants, 8 have been reported and 2 have not been reported, namely c.4145A>T(p.N1382I) and c.4937T>A(p.I1646N). In this study, 4 out of 10 patients with SCN2A variants had variation sites located in the S4 segment of domain which constitute Nav1.2, the sodium ion channel encoded by SCN2A. The developmental quotient level was lower when the variation sites were located in the S4 segment of domain, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-3.101, P=0.017), indicating that the severity of developmental delay may be related to the localization of amino acids corresponding to variant sites within the protein domain. Conclusion:SCN2A mutations are strongly associated with diverse neurodevelopmental disorders. In this study, the phenotypic spectrum of SCN2A variants encompassed epilepsy, global developmental delay, and autism spectrum disorder. Affected individuals exhibited early-onset developmental delays, predominantly moderate to severe in severity. Voltage-sensing domain dysfunction in sodium channels may constitute a critical pathomechanism underlying neurodevelopmental impairments. Further electrophysiological characterization and molecular mechanistic studies are warranted todelineate the genotype-phenotype correlations between specific variant loci and clinical severity.

Objective:To explore the genotype and the clinical phenotype of SCN2A-related developmental delay in children. Methods:A case series study was adopted. Collect clinical data from 10 cases of children with SCN2A gene variants diagnosed with global developmental delay/intellectual disability who were admitted to the Children′s Hospital between July 2019 and March 2023. Summarize the clinical phenotype and genotype based on clinical data such as general information, clinical manifestations, imaging examinations, laboratory tests, genetic testing results, and comprehensive pediatric neuropsychological development assessment. Results:A total of 10 patients were recruited, including 7 males and 3 females, with an age range of 27 days to 5 years and 9 months. 9 patients underwent children′s neuropsychological and behavioral assessments, and the results were consistent with global developmental delay, including 2 mild cases, 4 moderate cases, and 3 severe cases. 3 cases had autism spectrum disorder, and 2 cases had epilepsy. 6 patients underwent complete head MRI examination, and 4 of them showed abnormalities, including delayed myelination, widening of the local extra brain space in the frontal lobe, and abnormal frontal lobe morphology. All 10 cases had point variants. Among them, 9 cases are de novo and 1 case is maternal inheritance. Out of 10 cases, there were 5 cases with copy number variations, but all of them were of unknown significance. Among the 10 variants, 8 have been reported and 2 have not been reported, namely c.4145A>T(p.N1382I) and c.4937T>A(p.I1646N). In this study, 4 out of 10 patients with SCN2A variants had variation sites located in the S4 segment of domain which constitute Nav1.2, the sodium ion channel encoded by SCN2A. The developmental quotient level was lower when the variation sites were located in the S4 segment of domain, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-3.101, P=0.017), indicating that the severity of developmental delay may be related to the localization of amino acids corresponding to variant sites within the protein domain. Conclusion:SCN2A mutations are strongly associated with diverse neurodevelopmental disorders. In this study, the phenotypic spectrum of SCN2A variants encompassed epilepsy, global developmental delay, and autism spectrum disorder. Affected individuals exhibited early-onset developmental delays, predominantly moderate to severe in severity. Voltage-sensing domain dysfunction in sodium channels may constitute a critical pathomechanism underlying neurodevelopmental impairments. Further electrophysiological characterization and molecular mechanistic studies are warranted todelineate the genotype-phenotype correlations between specific variant loci and clinical severity.

Objective:To explore the characteristics and typology of self-care behavior among patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), and analyze their influencing factors.Methods:A cross-sectional study was used. A total of 318 patients with CHF who were hospitalized in the Heart Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from November 2022 to July 2023 were selected by continuous enrollment method. The General Information Questionnaire, Heart Failure Self-care Index Scale, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, Self-efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-item Scale, Perceived Social Support Scale, Atlanta Heart Failure Knowledge Test-V2 and Self-Care Confidence Scale were used to investigate. Latent profile analysis was utilized to delineate the characteristics and subtypes of self-care behaviors in CHF patients and examine the influencing factors.Results:A total of 291 patients were included in this study, including 190 males and 101 females, aged 67 (61, 74) years old. The analysis identified three latent categories of self-care behaviors among CHF patients: 26 cases in high self-care group, 131 cases in moderate self-care with deficiencies in maintenance and symptom perception group, and 134 cases in low self-care group.Ordered multicategorical Logistic regression analysis revealed that age ( OR=1.023, 95% CI 1.001-1.046, P<0.05), self-care confidence ( OR=0.859, 95% CI 0.817-0.904, P<0.01), and social support ( OR=0.966, 95% CI 0.940-0.993, P<0.05) were the factors influencing the potential categories of self-care behavior in CHF patients. Conclusions:The study identifies distinct categorical characteristics of self-care behaviors in patients with CHF. Healthcare professionals can leverage these findings to identify the self-care behavior characteristics and influencing factors for each patient category at an early stage, thereby providing personalized and precise support strategies to help patients enhance self-care behaviors.

OBJECTIVES: Metformin is the basic drug for treating diabetes, and the plateau hypoxic environment is an important factor affecting the pharmacokinetics of metformin, but there have been no reports of metformin pharmacokinetic parameters in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) in the high-altitude hypoxic environment. This study aims to investigate the effect of the hypoxic environment on the pharmacokinetics and assess the efficacy and safety of metformin administration in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: A total of 85 patients with T2DM taking metformin tablets in the plateau group (n=32, altitude: 1 500 m) and control group (n=53, altitude: 3 800 m) were enrolled according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 172 blood samples were collected in the plateau group and the control Group. A ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS) method was established to determine the blood concentration of metformin, and Phoenix NLME software was used to establish a model of pharmacokinetics of metformin in the Chinese T2DM population. The efficacy and serious adverse effects of metformin were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: The population pharmacokinetic modeling results showed that plateau hypoxia and age were the main covariates for model building, and the pharmacokinetic parameters were significantly different between the plateau and control groups (all P<0.05), including distribution volume (V), clearance (CL), elimination rate constant (Ke), half-life(T_1/2), area under the curve (AUC), time to reach maximum concentration (T_max). Compared with the control group, AUC was increased by 23.5%, T_max and T_1/2 were prolonged by 35.8% and 11.7%, respectively, and CL was decreased by 31.9% in the plateau group. The pharmacodynamic results showed that the hypoglycaemic effect of T2DM patients in the plateau group was similar to that in the control group, the concentration of lactic acid was higher in the plateau group than that in the control group, and the risk of lactic acidosis was increased after taking metformin in the plateau population. CONCLUSIONS Metformin metabolism is slowed down in T2DM patients in the hypoxic environment of the plateau; the glucose-lowering effect of the plateau is similar, and the attainment rate is low, the possibility of having serious adverse effects of lactic acidosis is higher in T2DM patients on the plateau than on the control one. It is probably suggested that patients with T2DM on the plateau can achieve glucose lowering effect by extending the interval between medication doses and enhancing medication education to improve patient compliance.
Humans ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/drug therapy* ; Metformin/therapeutic use* ; Acidosis, Lactic ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Hypoxia ; Glucose

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the serum microRNA (miRNA) expression and examine the impact of miRNA expression profiles on T helper type 17 (Th17)/regulatory T cells (Treg) imbalance among patients with cystic echinococcosis, so as to provide insights into the illustration of the mechanisms underlying chronic Echinococcus granulosus infections, and long-term pathogenesis. METHODS: Total RNA was extracted from the sera of cystic echinococcosis patients and healthy controls, and subjected to high-throughput sequencing with the Illumina sequencing platform. Known miRNAs were annotated and new miRNAs were predicted using the miRBase database and the miRDeep2 tool, and differentially expressed miRNAs were identified. The target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted using the software miRanda and TargetScan, and the intersection was selected for Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Among the differentially expressed miRNAs with the 20 highest fold changes, miRNAs that targeted genes relating to key transcription factors RORC and FOXP3 that determine the production of Th17 and Treg cells or their important regulatory pathways (PI3K-Akt and mTOR pathways) were matched. RESULTS: A total of 53 differentially expressed miRNAs were screened in sera of cystic echinococcosis patients and healthy controls, including 47 up-regulated miRNAs and 6 down-regulated miRNAs. GO enrichment analysis showed that these differentially expressed miRNA were involved DNA transcription and translation, cell components, cell morphology, neurodevelopment and metabolic decomposition, and KEGG pathway analysis showed that the differentially expressed miRNA were mainly involved in MAPK, PI3K-Akt and mTOR signaling pathways. Among the differentially expressed miRNAs with the 20 highest fold changes, there were 3 miRNAs that had a potential for target regulation of RORC, and 15 miRNAs that had a potential to target the PI3K-Akt and mTOR signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS Significant changes are found in serum miRNA expression profiles among patients with E. granulosus infections, and differentially expressed miRNAs may lead to Th17/Treg imbalance through targeting the key transcription factors of Th17/Treg or PI3K-Akt and mTOR pathways, which facilitates the long-term parasitism of E. granulosus in hosts and causes a chronic disease.
Echinococcosis/genetics* ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Humans ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics* ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics* ; Th17 Cells ; Transcription Factors/genetics*

Metformin is the most common first-line oral hypoglycemic drug ，but there are large individual differences in pharmacokinetic parameters and pharmacodynamics during clinical use. The dosage of some patients should be adjusted to achieve satisfactory therapeutic effect. Pharmacokinetic parameters of metformin are affected by many factors ，including respects of transporter gene polymorphism ，drug interaction ，intestinal flora ，plateau hypoxia and physiological function and so on. In order to guide the clinical individualized use of metformin ，this study reviews the research progress on the influencing factors of metformin pharmacokinetics.

Thimerosal has been widely used as a preservative in drug and vaccine products for decades.Due to the strong propensity to modify thiols in proteins,conformational changes could occur due to covalent bond formation between ethylmercury(a degradant of thimerosal)and thiols.Such a conformational change could lead to partial or even complete loss of desirable protein function.This study aims to investigate the effects of thimerosal on the capsid stability and antigenicity of recombinant human papillomavirus(HPV)18 virus-like particles(VLPs).Dramatic destabilization of the recombinant viral capsid upon thimerosal treatment was observed.Such a negative effect on the thermal stability of VLPs preserved with thimerosal was shown to be dependent on the thimerosal concentration.Two highly neutralizing antibodies,13H12 and 3C3,were found to be the most sensitive to thimerosal treatment.The kinetics of antigenicity loss,when monitored with 13H12 or 3C3 as probes,yielded two distinctly different sets of kinetic parameters,while the data from both monoclonal antibodies(mAbs)followed a biphasic expo-nential decay model.The potential effect of thimerosal on protein function,particularly for thiol-containing proteinaceous active components,needs to be comprehensively characterized during formulation development when a preservative is necessary.

Objective:To explore the heterogeneity of behavioral problems and cognitive function of three subtypes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD), and to analyze the related factors of cognitive function.Methods:The outpatients with ADHD were evaluated by Wechsler children′s intelligence test (C-WISC), SNAP-Ⅳ parental rating scale (SNAP-Ⅳ), Conners parental symptom questionnaire (PSQ) and 12 online cognitive function tests. The differences of behavioral problems and cognitive function of children with different subtypes of ADHD, and the correlation between their intelligence level, PSQ, SNAP-Ⅳ and cognitive function were compared by SPSS 22.0 software.Results:The results of PSQ questionnaire showed that ADHD-C ((1.11±0.59), (1.59±0.58), (1.62±0.50)) had higher behavior problems, impulse-hyperactivity and hyperactivity index than ADHD-I ((0.64±0.27), (1.01±0.54), (1.09±0.32)) and ADHD-HI ((0.75±0.35), (1.22±0.58), (1.05±0.38)) ( F=9.374, F=7.644, F=15.176, P<0.05), while ADHD-C (2.01±0.55) had higher learning problems than ADHD-I (1.66±0.58) and ADHD-HI (1.16±0.43) ( F=11.709, P<0.05). In terms of cognitive function, there were differences in language understanding ability, digital reasoning ability, sequence relationship and short-term memory ability ( χ2=6.734, 7.192, 7.822, 8.646, all P<0.05) among the three groups of ADHD children. ADHD-HI (4.00(4.00, 5.00), 5.00(4.25, 6.00), 5.00(4.00, 7.00)) had better language understanding ability, digital reasoning ability and sequence relationship than ADHD-I (3.00(2.00, 5.00), 3.00(2.50, 6.00), 4.00(3.00, 5.50)). The short-term memory ability of ADHD-HI (5.00(4.00, 6.00)) and ADHD-C (5.00(4.00, 6.00)) were better than that of ADHD-I (4.00(3.00, 5.00)). The intellectual structure of ADHD children was positively correlated with spatial cognitive ability, sequential relationship, Raven reasoning test, short term memory span and Wisconsin card sorting test ( r=0.25-0.57, all P<0.05). Children′s learning problems and psychosomatic problems were negatively correlated with their digital comprehension ability ( r=-0.26, -0.25, both P<0.05). Conclusion:The behavioral problems and cognitive function of children with different subtypes of ADHD are different and have a certain correlation.