Objective: To investigate the incidence of occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) in spouses of asymptomatic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected individuals in Shenzhen, China, and to analyze their serological and molecular characteristics and possible transmission routes, so as to propose refined strategies for blood safety. Methods: After rapid screening for HBsAg at the blood collection sites, samples from HBsAg-positive blood donors and their concurrently donating spouses were collected. All samples were tested for hepatitis B serological markers by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLI). Simultaneously, HBV nucleic acid extractiona, nested PCR amplification, gene sequencing of S and BCP/PC regions and qPCR were conducted. Results: A total of 112 samples were collected, including 56 from HBsAg positive donors and 56 from their spouses. All donors were confirmed as HBsAg+/DNA+/anti-HBc+, indicative of asymptomatic chronic hepatitis (CHB) infection. Among their 56 spouses, 11 (19.6%) were identified as HBV DNA+. The prevalence was higher in males (23.1%) than in females (16.7%). Six spouses (10.8%) had OBI, three of whom (5.4%) were negative in routine blood screening tests. The residual risk of HBV were estimated as 1∶127 (95%CI, 1∶356 to 1∶66). Among infected couples, immune escape mutation (E164D) and glycosylation mutations (I126T and T131N/M133T) were identified. Furthermore, sequence analysis suggested partner-to-partner transmission in eight cases. Conclusion: A substantial proportion (19.6%) of spouses of asymptomatic HBV infected donors were HBV-positve, with an OBI prevalence of 10.9%. Among these, 5.4% were negative in routine tests. To ensure blood safety, we recommend that spouses of HBV infected individuals be deferred from blood donation.

[Objective] To conduct a retrospective statistical comparison of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) test values in blood donors prior to blood collection, aiming to analyze the objective characteristics of the population with elevated ALT levels (ALT>50 U/L) and provide reference data for adjusting the screening eligibility threshold for ALT. [Methods] The preliminary ALT screening data of 30 341 blood donor samples collected prior to blood donation from three smart blood donation sites at the Shenzhen Blood Center between 2022 and 2023 were extracted and compared with data from a health examination department of a tertiary hospital in Shenzhen (representing the general population, n=24 906). Both datasets were categorized and statistically described. A retrospective analysis was conducted to examine the associations between ALT test results and factors such as donors' gender, age, ethnicity, donation site, donation season, and frequency of blood donation. [Results] The ALT levels in both blood donors and the general population were non-normally distributed. The 95th percentile of ALT values was calculated as 61.4 U/L (male: 67.8 U/L, female: 39.3 U/L) for blood donors and 58.1 U/L (male: 63.7 U/L, female: 51.2 U/L) for the general population. The non-compliance rates (ALT>50 U/L) were 7.65% (2 321/30 341) in blood donors and 7.08% (1 763/24 906) in the general population. There were significant differences (P<0.05) in the ALT failure rate among blood donors based on gender, age, and donation site, but no significant differences (P>0.05) during the blood donation season. There was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) in the positive rates of four serological markers (HBsAg, anti HCV, HIV Ag/Ab, anti TP) for blood screening pathogens between ALT unqualified and qualified individuals (2.05% vs 1.5%). If the ALT qualification threshold was raised from 50 U/L to 90 U/L, the non qualification rates of male and female blood donors would decrease from 9.82% (2 074/21 125) to 2.23% (471/21 125) and from 2.70% (249/9 216) to 0.75% (69/9 216), respectively. Among the 154 blood donors who donated blood more than 3 times, 88.31% of the 248 ALT test results were in the range of 50-90 U/L. Among them, 9 cases had ALT>130 U/L, and ALT was converted to qualified in subsequent blood donations. [Conclusion] There are differences in the ALT failure rate among blood donors of different genders and ages, and different blood donation sites and operators can also affect the ALT detection values of blood donors. The vast majority of blood donors with ALT failure are caused by transient and non pathological factors. With the widespread use of blood virus nucleic acid testing, appropriately increasing the ALT qualification threshold for blood donors can expand the qualified population and alleviate the shortage of blood sources, and the risk of blood safety will not increase.

[Objective] To investigate the factors associated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) abnormalities in multi-ethnic blood donors across five Zang autonomous prefectures in the plateau regions of Qinghai Province, and to provide evidence for ensuring blood safety and formulating screening strategies. [Methods] A retrospective analysis was performed on the ALT abnormal test results of blood donors in the Zang autonomous prefectures of Qinghai from 2022 to 2024. The correlations between ALT levels and factors including gender, age, altitude, and infectious markers were investigated. [Results] The overall ALT unqualified rate among blood donors in this region was 9.01%. Significant differences in ALT levels were observed across genders and age groups (P<0.05). Variations in ALT abnormality rates were also noted among different plateau regions (P<0.05). Overall, ALT values exhibited an increasing trend with rising altitude. The average ALT unqualified rates were 11.19% in Zang donors, 7.96% in Han donors, and 4.79% in donors from other ethnic groups (P<0.05). No statistically significant association was observed between ALT abnormality and the presence of HBV/HCV infectious markers (P>0.05). [Conclusion] In the plateau areas of Qinghai, multi-ethnic blood donors have a relatively high ALT levels and ALT unqualified rates, showing distinct regional characteristics. ALT elevation in voluntary blood donors is related to non-pathological factors such as gender, age, and dietary habits, but not to infectious indicators.

Hepatitis E is an acute and self-limiting viral hepatitis caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV). It has a higher mortality rate among immunosuppressed patients and pregnant women infected with HEV. Although HEV infections in humans are mostly caused by contaminated water or food worldwide, the incidence of transfusion-transmitted hepatitis E is continuously rising. Additionally, the prevalence of serum anti-HEV IgG in the blood donors in China is at a relatively high level, making it worth considering screening blood donors for HEV. This article briefly reviews the globally reported cases of transfusion-transmitted hepatitis E and the HEV screening strategies for blood donations.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the overall dietary intake of adult residents in Sijing Town, Songjiang District, Shanghai, and to explore the association between dietary health literacy and diet quality. MethodsA total of 1 280 adult residents were selected as the research subjects using a multi-stage sampling method, and face-to-face questionnaire surveys were administered on site. Dietary intake data were collected using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and the overall diet quality of the participants was evaluated based on the Chinese Healthy Eating Index (CHEI). Participants were divided into low- and high-CHEI groups according to the median CHEI score. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between dietary health literacy and diet quality. ResultsThe median CHEI score for adults in the area was 63.68 points. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that adults with lower dietary health literacy had lower CHEI scores and poorer overall diet quality compared to those with higher dietary health literacy (OR=1.435, 95%CI:1.132‒1.819). ConclusionThe overall diet quality of adult residents in this region requires improvement. There is a significant positive correlation between the level of dietary health literacy and CHEI scores, suggesting that enhancing dietary health literacy may be an important strategy to improve resident’ dietary quality.

Current experimental and computational methods have limitations in accurately and efficiently classifying ion channels within vast protein spaces. Here we have developed a deep learning algorithm, GPT2 Ion Channel Classifier (GPT2-ICC), which effectively distinguishing ion channels from a test set containing approximately 239 times more non-ion-channel proteins. GPT2-ICC integrates representation learning with a large language model (LLM)-based classifier, enabling highly accurate identification of potential ion channels. Several potential ion channels were predicated from the unannotated human proteome, further demonstrating GPT2-ICC's generalization ability. This study marks a significant advancement in artificial-intelligence-driven ion channel research, highlighting the adaptability and effectiveness of combining representation learning with LLMs to address the challenges of imbalanced protein sequence data. Moreover, it provides a valuable computational tool for uncovering previously uncharacterized ion channels.

Objective: To retrospectively analyze the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among voluntary blood donors in Qinghai Province over a ten-year period and to provide evidence for refining blood safety screening strategies. Methods: Blood samples from 362 066 blood donors in Qinghai collected between January 2015 and April 2024 were simultaneously screened using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and nucleic acid testing (NAT). Follow-up was conducted for donors with reactive HCV RNA screening results, and alanine transaminase (ALT) was detected by rate method. Results: The HCV positive rate among blood donors in Qinghai was 0.22%. Gender, marital status, number of blood donations, and educational level were associated with HCV infection. Significant differences in HCV positive rates were observed among donors across regions and ethnic groups. The HCV positive rate among donors in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (with an average altitude of 4 330 m) was significantly higher than that in Xining (0.52% vs 0.21%, P<0.001). Positivity rates were also significantly higher in Salar (0.84%), Hui (0.81%), Zang (0.60%), and Tu (0.45%) ethnic groups compared to the Han ethnic group (0.17%) (P<0.001). The abnormal rate of ALT in HCV-positive donors was higher than in non-HCV donors (6.13% vs 1.55%) (P<0.001). Conclusion: The relatively high HCV positivity rate among blood donors in Qinghai highlights the need for further investigation into viral sources, risk factors, and transmission routes. Optimized screening strategies are essential to ensure blood safety.

Objective:To discuss the effect of KIAA1522 on the proliferation,migration,and invasion of lung cancer cells,and to clarify its signaling mechanism.Methods:Bioinformatics analysis was used to detect the expression levels of KIAA1522 mRNA and protein in 75 cases of human non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)tissues and adjacent normal lung tissues;immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of KIAA1522 protein in NSCLC tissue and adjacent normal lung tissues;Western blotting method was used to detect the expression level of KIAA1522 protein in various lung cancer cell lines.KIAA1522-small interfering(siRNA)and over-expression plasmids were transfected into the lung cancer H1299 and A549 cells,respectively.The KIAA1522-siRNA experiment was divided into blank group,negative control group(si-NC group),KIAA1522-siRNA#1 group,and KIAA1522-siRNA#2 group.The KIAA1522 over-expression experiment was divided into control group,empty vector control group(OE-NC group,transfected with KIAA1522 over-expression empty vector plasmid),KIAA1522 overexpression group(OE-KIAA1522 group,transfected with KIAA1522 over-expression plasmid),KIAA1522 over-expression+MK2206 group[OE-KIAA1522+MK2206 group,co-transfected with KIAA1522 over-expression plasmid and protein kinase B(AKT)signaling pathway inhibitor MK2206],and MK2206 group(transfected with MK2206).Western blotting method was used to verify the transfection efficiencies of the cells in various groups;MTT assay was used to detect the proliferation activities of the lung cancer cells in various groups;cell scratch assay was used to detect the migration rates of lung cancer cells in various groups;Transwell chamber assay was used to detect the numbers of invasion lung cancer cells in various groups;Western blotting method was used to detect the expression levels of phosphorylated AKT(p-AKT),total AKT(t-AKT),cyclin D1(Cyclin D1),vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),and epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)-related proteins[vimentin(Vimentin),N-cadherin(N-cadherin),and E-cadherin(E-cadherin)]proteins in the cells in various groups.Results:The bioinformatics analysis results showed that compared with adjacent normal lung tissue,the expression levels of KIAA1522 mRNA and protein in NSCLC tissue were significantly increased(P<0.05 or P<0.01).The immunohistochemistry staining results showed that compared with adjacent normal lung tissue,the positive expression rate of KIAA1522 protein in NSCLC tissue was significantly increased(P<0.05)and was associated with TNM stage(P<0.01).The Western blotting results showed that compared with normal lung epithelial cells BEAS-2B,the expression levels of KIAA1522 protein in lung cancer cell lines PC9,H1299,H460,A549,H1975,and H226 were significantly increased(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with si-NC group,the expression levels of KIAA1522 protein in the H1299 cells in KIAA1522-siRNA#1 group and KIAA1522-siRNA#2 group were significantly decreased(P<0.01);compared with OE-NC group,the expression level of KIAA1522 protein in the A549 cells in OE-KIAA1522 group was significantly increased(P<0.01).The MTT results showed that at 24,48,and 72 h of cell culture,compared with si-NC group,the proliferation activities of the H1299 cells in KIAA1522-siRNA#1 group and KIAA1522-siRNA#2 group were significantly decreased(P<0.01);compared with OE-NC group,the proliferation activity of the A549 cells in OE-KIAA1522 group was significantly increased(P<0.05);compared with OE-KIAA1522 group,the proliferation activity of the A549 cells in OE-KIAA1522+MK2206 group was significantly decreased(P<0.01);compared with OE-KIAA1522+MK2206 group,the proliferation activity of the A549 cells in MK2206 group was significantly decreased(P<0.05).The cell scratch assay results showed that compared with si-NC group,the migration rates of the H1299 cells in KIAA1522-siRNA#1 group and KIAA1522-siRNA#2 group were significantly decreased(P<0.01);compared with OE-NC group,the migration rate of the A549 cells in OE-KIAA1522 group was significantly increased(P<0.01);compared with OE-KIAA1522 group,the migration rate of the A549 cells in OE-KIAA1522+MK2206 group was significantly decreased(P<0.05);compared with OE-KIAA1522+MK2206 group,the migration rate of the A549 cells in MK2206 group was significantly decreased(P<0.05).The Transwell chamber assay results showed that compared with si-NC group,the numbers of invasion H1299 cells in KIAA1522-siRNA#1 group and KIAA1522-siRNA#2 group were significantly decreased(P<0.01);compared with OE-NC group,the number of invasion A549 cells in OE-KIAA1522 group was significantly increased(P<0.01);compared with OE-KIAA1522 group,the number of invasion A549 cells in OE-KIAA1522+MK2206 group was significantly decreased(P<0.01);compared with OE-KIAA1522+MK2206 group,the number of invasion A549 cells in MK2206 group was significantly decreased(P<0.01).The Western blotting results showed that compared with si-NC group,the expression levels of p-AKT,Cyclin D1,Vimentin,N-cadherin,and VEGF proteins in the H1299 cells in KIAA1522-siRNA#1 group and KIAA1522-siRNA#2 group were significantly decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01),while the expression level of E-cadherin protein was significantly increased(P<0.01);compared with OE-NC group,the expression levels of p-AKT,Cyclin D1,Vimentin,N-cadherin,and VEGF proteins in the A549 cells in OE-KIAA1522 group were significantly increased(P<0.05 or P<0.01),while the expression level of E-cadherin protein was significantly decreased(P<0.05);compared with OE-KIAA1522 group,the expression levels of p-AKT,Cyclin D1,Vimentin,N-cadherin,and VEGF proteins in the A549 cells in OE-KIAA1522+MK2206 group were significantly decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01),while the expression level of E-cadherin protein was significantly increased(P<0.05);compared with OE-KIAA1522+MK2206 group,the expression levels of Cyclin D1,Vimentin,N-cadherin,and VEGF proteins in the A549 cells in MK2206 group were significantly decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01),while the expression level of E-cadherin protein was significantly increased(P<0.05).Conclusion:The KIAA1522 protein upregulates the expression of Cyclin D1,EMT-related proteins,and VEGF protein in lung cancer cells,promoting the proliferation,migration,and invasion of lung cancer cells,and its mechanism is related to the activation of the AKT signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the relationships of serum amyloid A(SAA),eotaxin and pentraxin 3(PTX3)levels with Mycoplasma pneumoniae DNA(MP-DNA)level,lung function and prognosis in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia(MPP).Methods A total of 163 chil-dren with MPP were enrolled in MPP group and divided into good prognosis group(n=109)and poor prognosis group(n=54)based on prognosis;another 124 healthy children with physical examinations in the same period were included as control group.Levels of serum SAA,eotaxin and PTX3 were measured in the children.Multivariable Logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore risk fac-tors for poor prognosis in children with MPP.Results Compared with the control group,the MPP group had significantly increased levels of SAA,eotaxin,PTX3 and MP-DNA positivity(P＜0.01);the MPP group also had significantly lower values of peak expiratory flow(PEF),forced expiratory volume in the first second(FEV1),forced vital capacity(FVC),tidal expiratory flow time to total expiratory time(tPTEF/TE),and tidal volume compared with the control group(P＜0.01).Compared with the good prognosis group,the poor prognosis group had significantly increased MP-DNA level,SAA,eotaxin and PTX3 levels,as well as decreased values of PEF,FEV1,FVC,tPTEF/TE and tidal volume(P＜0.01).Multivariable Logistic regression analysis showed that high MP-DNA lev-el,high SAA,eotaxin and PTX3 levels,low values of PEF,FEV1,FVC,tPTEF/TE and tidal vol-ume were risk factors for poor prognosis in children with MPP(P＜0.01).The SAA,PTX3 and eotaxin levels in children with MPP were positively correlated with their MP-DNA level and negative-ly correlated with lung function indicators(P＜0.05).Conclusion SAA,PTX3 and eotaxin lev-els are positively correlated with MP-DNA level and negatively correlated with lung function indica-tors in children with MPP.SAA,PTX3 and eotaxin levels can be used to assess the prognosis of children with MPP.

Objective To construct methoxy polyethylene glycol (mPEG) modified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) AuNPs-mPEG@DOX in order to reduce the toxicity and side effects of DOX. Methods AuNPs-mPEG@DOX was prepared and characterized by Z-Average, Zeta potential and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The impact of thiol-linked DOX (HS-DOX) at various dosage concentrations on the drug adsorption rate and drug loading of AuNPs-mPEG@DOX was investigated. Furthermore, a HPLC method was developed to accurately determine the content of unadsorbed HS-DOX in AuNPs-mPEG@DOX. The specificity, linearity, precision, stability and average recovery of this method were thoroughly investigated. The cytotoxic effect of AuNPs-mPEG@DOX on MCF-10A and MCF-7 cells was evaluated using a CCK-8 assay. Results AuNPs-mPEG@DOX was successfully prepared with Z-Average of (46.12±0.49) nm, Zeta potential of (18.60±1.51) nm and the maximum absorption wavelength of 530 nm. An efficient HPLC method for the detection of unadsorbed HS-DOX in AuNPs-mPEG@DOX was devised. The optimal dosage concentration of HS-DOX for AuNPs-mPEG@DOX was determined to be 11.18 μg/ml, resulting in a drug adsorption rate of (9.21±2.88)% and a drug loading rate of (2.01±0.62)%. Cytotoxicity experiments demonstrated that AuNPs-mPEG@DOX significantly reduced the toxic and side effects of DOX on normal breast cells. Additionally, AuNPs-mPEG@DOX and free DOX exhibited comparable cytotoxic effects on breast tumor cells when DOX concentration was equal to or greater than 4.75 μmol/L. Conclusion AuNPs-mPEG@DOX effectively reduce the toxicity of DOX, providing a reference for future research on reducing the toxicity of AuNPs-linked drugs.