Objective: To investigate the characteristics and trend of stroke incidence in Yixing City, Jiangsu Province from 2016 to 2023, so as to provide the reference for formulating prevention and control strategies of stroke. Methods: Data of stroke case in Yixing City from 2016 to 2023 were collected from the National Health Information Platform of Yixing City, including sex, age, time of onset, and diagnostic subtypes. Crude incidence was standardized using the data from the 2010 Chinese National Population Census to analyze the characteristics of stroke incidence. The incidence trend of stroke was analyzed by average annual percent change (AAPC). Results: A total of 54 157 stroke cases were reported in Yixing City from 2016 to 2023, with a crude incidence of 629.52/100 000 and a standardized incidence of 299.50/100 000, showing an upward trend (AAPC=9.744% and 5.955%, both P<0.05). The crude and standardized incidence of stroke in males were significantly higher than those in females (695.30/100 000 vs. 565.79/100 000, 328.73/100 000 vs. 270.71/100 000, both P<0.05). Stroke incidence exhibited an age-dependent increase (P<0.05), peaking in the ≥60 years age group (1 820.43/100 000). The crude and standardized incidence of ischemic stroke (555.46/100 000 and 262.26/100 000) were significantly higher than those of hemorrhagic stroke (52.80/100 000 and 28.03/100 000, both P<0.05). From 2016 to 2023, the standardized incidences of stroke in males, females, the 0-<40 years age group, the 40-<60 years age group, the ≥60 years age group, and ischemic stroke all showed an upward trend (AAPC=6.692%, 4.925%, 5.607%, 5.777%, 5.698%, and 8.481%, respectively, all P<0.05). No significant temporal trend was observed for hemorrhagic stroke incidence (P>0.05). Conclusions The incidence of stroke among residents in Yixing City showed an upward trend from 2016 to 2023, with males and elderly individuals being high-risk populations. Ischemic stroke emerged as the predominant subtype, while a concerning trend of increasing stroke incidence among younger adults was observed.

The"gut-skin"axis has been proved and is considered as a novel therapy for the prevention of skin aging.The antioxidant efficacy of oligomannonic acid(MAOS)makes it an intriguing target for use to improve skin aging.The present study further explored whereby MAOS-mediated gut-skin axis balance prevented skin aging in mice.The data indicated the skin aging phenotypes,oxidative stress,skin mitochondrial dysfunction,and intestinal dysbiosis(especially the butyrate and HIF-1 α levels decreased)in aging mice.Similarly,fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT)from aging mice rebuild the aging-like phenotypes.Further,we demonstrated MAOS-mediated colonic butyrate-HIF-1α axis homeostasis promoted the entry of butyrate into the skin,upregulated mitophagy level and ultimately improving skin aging via HDAC3/PHD/HIF-1α/mitophagy loop in skin of mice.Overall,our study offered a better insights of the effectiveness of alginate oligosaccharides(AOS),promised to become a personalized targeted therapeutic agents,on gut-skin axis disorder inducing skin aging.

Objective To explore the prognostic value of the coronary angiography-derived index of microcirculatory resistance(caIMR)for major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)after primary percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Methods Between September 2019 and March 2022,541 patients diagnosed with STEMI at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University were enrolled.The caIMR was calculated using the FlashAngio system(Suzhou Rainmed Medical Technology Co.,Ltd.).The patients were divided into MACE and non-MACE groups according to the occurrence of MACE during hospitalization or follow-up,with MACE defined as all-cause mortality,heart failure readmission,and unplanned revascularization.COX regression analysis,receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves,and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to evaluate the prognostic value of caIMR for STEMI patients after primary PCI.Results During the 1-year follow-up,61 patients(11.28％)experienced MACE.The patients in the MACE group had higher caIMR values than those in the non-MACE group.Multivariate COX analysis showed that caIMR was an independent risk factor for MACE.ROC curve analysis showed that caIMR predicted MACE with an area under the curve of 0.688,and the optimal cutoff value was 25.3 U.caIMR significantly increased the discriminant and reclassification indexes when added to a model with clinical risk factors.The patients were further divided into a low caIMR group(caIMR＜25 U,n=377)and a high caIMR group(caIMR ≥25 U,n=164).Kaplan-Meier curve showed that patients with caIMR≥25 U had a worse prognosis.Conclusions caIMR is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis after PCI in patients with STEMI,and patients with caIMR≥25 U had a worse prognosis.

Objective·To analyze the imaging characteristics and diagnostic value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography(18F-FDG PET/CT)in mantle cell lymphoma(MCL)and explore its application to distinguishing between classic and aggressive variants of MCL.Methods·A retrospective analysis was conducted on the 18F-FDG PET/CT images and clinical data of 116 pathologically confirmed,newly diagnosed MCL patients.The imaging features of intra-and extra-nodal lesions were summarized.The accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT in diagnosing bone marrow and gastrointestinal involvement in MCL was evaluated.Furthermore,differences in 18F-FDG PET/CT findings and clinical characteristics between the classic and aggressive variants of MCL were analyzed.Results·Among the 116 patients,100.0%showed positive findings on 18F-FDG PET/CT,with 99.1%exhibiting abnormal lymph nodes and 85.3%having extra-nodal involvement.The most common extra-nodal sites were the spleen,Waldeyer's ring,bone marrow,and gastrointestinal tract.Compared with bone marrow aspiration results,the sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT for detecting bone marrow involvement in MCL were 43.4%,91.5%,and 66.0%,respectively.When compared with endoscopic biopsy results,the sensitivity of 18F-FDG PET/CT for detecting gastric and intestinal involvement was 100.0%and 94.1%,respectively,with specificity of 75.0%and 100.0%,and accuracy of 92.9%and 94.7%,respectively.There were significant differences in the highest maximum standardized uptake value(SUVmax)and Ki-67 index between the classic and aggressive variants of MCL,with SUVmax positively correlated with Ki-67 index.By using SUVmax>10.4 as the diagnostic threshold,the sensitivity and specificity for differentiating between the classic and aggressive variants of MCL were 73.9%and 77.4%,respectively,with an AUC value of 0.797.Conclusion·18F-FDG PET/CT demonstrates a high detection rate for both intra-and extra-nodal lesions in MCL patients.It exhibits high specificity in diagnosing bone marrow involvement and high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing gastrointestinal involvement,providing reliable non-invasive diagnostic information for MCL bone marrow and gastrointestinal involvement.However,it is not a substitute for pathological examination.Additionally,the positive correlation between SUVmax and Ki-67 index allows SUVmax to effectively differentiate between the classic and aggressive variants of MCL,with a higher SUVmax(>10.4)indicating a higher likelihood of the aggressive variant.These findings have clinical implications for treatment planning and prognosis assessment.

Objective·To analyze the imaging characteristics and diagnostic value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography(18F-FDG PET/CT)in mantle cell lymphoma(MCL)and explore its application to distinguishing between classic and aggressive variants of MCL.Methods·A retrospective analysis was conducted on the 18F-FDG PET/CT images and clinical data of 116 pathologically confirmed,newly diagnosed MCL patients.The imaging features of intra-and extra-nodal lesions were summarized.The accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT in diagnosing bone marrow and gastrointestinal involvement in MCL was evaluated.Furthermore,differences in 18F-FDG PET/CT findings and clinical characteristics between the classic and aggressive variants of MCL were analyzed.Results·Among the 116 patients,100.0%showed positive findings on 18F-FDG PET/CT,with 99.1%exhibiting abnormal lymph nodes and 85.3%having extra-nodal involvement.The most common extra-nodal sites were the spleen,Waldeyer's ring,bone marrow,and gastrointestinal tract.Compared with bone marrow aspiration results,the sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT for detecting bone marrow involvement in MCL were 43.4%,91.5%,and 66.0%,respectively.When compared with endoscopic biopsy results,the sensitivity of 18F-FDG PET/CT for detecting gastric and intestinal involvement was 100.0%and 94.1%,respectively,with specificity of 75.0%and 100.0%,and accuracy of 92.9%and 94.7%,respectively.There were significant differences in the highest maximum standardized uptake value(SUVmax)and Ki-67 index between the classic and aggressive variants of MCL,with SUVmax positively correlated with Ki-67 index.By using SUVmax>10.4 as the diagnostic threshold,the sensitivity and specificity for differentiating between the classic and aggressive variants of MCL were 73.9%and 77.4%,respectively,with an AUC value of 0.797.Conclusion·18F-FDG PET/CT demonstrates a high detection rate for both intra-and extra-nodal lesions in MCL patients.It exhibits high specificity in diagnosing bone marrow involvement and high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing gastrointestinal involvement,providing reliable non-invasive diagnostic information for MCL bone marrow and gastrointestinal involvement.However,it is not a substitute for pathological examination.Additionally,the positive correlation between SUVmax and Ki-67 index allows SUVmax to effectively differentiate between the classic and aggressive variants of MCL,with a higher SUVmax(>10.4)indicating a higher likelihood of the aggressive variant.These findings have clinical implications for treatment planning and prognosis assessment.

Objective:To investigate the inhibitory effect of combined strategy of poly adenosine diphosphate ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) inhibitor on homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)-proficient ovarian cancer cells.Methods:(1) HRD-proficient ovarian cancer cell lines OVCAR3 and CAOV3 were treated with PARP inhibitor olaparib. Screening by RNA sequencing analysis, the expression level of IL-1β was validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot. (2) The dose-response curves of IL-1β inhibitor diacerein were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays in OVCAR3 and CAOV3 cells. CCK-8 assays were further applied to determine the viabilities of OVCAR3 and CAOV3 cells. (3) To evaluate the synergistic effects of olaparib and IL-1β inhibitor in vivo, the transplanted ovarian cancer model was constructed. BALB/c-nude mice ( n=16) were injected intraperitoneally with 1×10 7 OVACR3 cells labelled with luciferase (OVCAR3-Luc). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay was performed to determine nuclear antigen associated with cell proliferation (Ki-67) expression. (4) Blood routine tests, kidney and liver function tests were performed to analyze the toxic reaction of different drug treatments. The potential drug-induced injuries of vital organs including heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys of nude mice were determined by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Results:(1) The RNA sequencing results showed that the mRNA level of IL-1β was the most significantly increased among the 25 differentially expressed genes in OVCAR3 cells treated with olaparib, compared to the negative control group. Olaparib treatment significantly promoted the secretion and expression of IL-1β protein in both OVACR3 and CAOV3 cells by ELISA [(36.2±3.5) and (49.5±3.5) pg/ml, respectively; all P<0.001] and western bolt (2.87±0.37 and 2.05±0.08, respectively; all P<0.01). (2) The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50) value of IL-1β inhibitor was determined as follows: 75 μmol/L for OVACR3 cells and 100 μmol/L for CAOV3 cells. The treatments were divided into four groups including control group, olaparib monotherapy group, IL-1β inhibitor monotherapy group and the combination therapy group. The cell viabilities of each group in OVCAR3 and CAOV3 were determined by CCK-8 assay. The data in each group were showed as follows for OVCAR3 and CAOV3 cells: (100.0±0.4)% and (100.0±3.5)% in control group; (63.1±6.2)% and (63.3±3.8)% in olaparib monotherapy group; (61.6±4.7)% and (63.8±3.5)% in IL-1β inhibitor monotherapy group; and (32.9±5.2)% and (30.0±1.3)% in the combination therapy group. The viability assay showed that the combined strategy exhibited a significant inhibition effect on OVACR3 and CAOV3 cells, compared to the monotherapy group and the control group (all P<0.01). (3) All mice with transplanted tumors of HRD-proficient ovarian cancer cells were randomly divided into four groups, and treated with four different treatments as mentioned above, respectively. After 4 weeks (on day 29), the vivo fluorescence imaging were determined. The results showed that the amount of fluorescence of transplanted tumors was mostly decreased in the combination therapy group [(0.5±0.4)×10 10 p/s], compared to the control group [(4.2±1.0)×10 10 p/s] or the groups treated with any single drug [(3.1±0.9)×10 10, (2.2±0.9)×10 10 p/s; all P<0.05]. Mice were then sacrificed under anesthesia, and all transplanted tumors detached and weighed for further investigation. The weight of transplanted tumors was significantly decreased in the combination therapy group [(0.09±0.03) g], compared to that in control group [(0.25±0.05) g] or groups treated with any single drug [(0.17±0.03), (0.19±0.04) g; all P<0.05]. The measurement of the expression of Ki-67 showed that it was significantly decreased in the combination therapy group (0.33±0.10), compared to that in the control group (1.00±0.20) or monotherapy groups (0.76±0.07, 0.77±0.12; all P<0.05). (4) There were no significant differences of body weights, blood routine test, renal and liver function tests among mice with different treatments (all P>0.05). Moreover, no significant injuries were observed in the vital organs among the four groups. Conclusions:The combination of olaparib and IL-1β inhibitor synergistically exhibits significant cytotoxicity in HRD-proficient ovarian cancer cells. Moreover, the blood routine and blood biochemistry results confirmed the biosafety of the combination of olaparib and IL-1β inhibitor.

Objective:To access the clinical efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in treatment of IgA nephropathy (IgAN).Methods:The data of IgAN patients who were diagnosed by renal biopsy in the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University from May 2016 to August 2020 and had been treated with HCQ for more than 6 months without other immunosuppressants were retrospectively analyzed. The efficacy and side effects were compared between groups according to the baseline urine protein/creatinine ratio (UPCR) or whether combined with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitor (RAASi).Results:A total of 121 patients were enrolled, including 45 males (37.19%). At baseline, the median UPCR was 0.69(0.45, 1.00) g/g; the median estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 93.46(73.14, 115.67) ml·min -1·(1.73 m 2) -1; the median serum creatinine was 80.00(61.00, 98.00) μmol/L, and the serum albumin was (44.39±3.36) g/L. After HCQ treatment, UPCR and red blood cells were significantly decreased compared with baseline (all P<0.05). Triglyceride, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were also significantly decreased during the follow-up period. Serum creatinine, eGFR, serum albumin and serum uric acid remained stable. After 6 months of follow-up, the total remission rate was 56.88%, including 15.60% of partial remission and 41.28% of complete remission; at the end of follow-up, the median follow-up time was 280.00(214.00, 411.00) days and the total remission rate was 56.20%, including 9.92% of partial remission and 46.28% of complete remission. Group analysis showed that the remission rate was 60.53% ( n=76) and 48.48% ( n=33) at 6 months (Mann-Whitney U test, Z=-2.331, P=0.020) and 57.65% ( n=85) and 52.78% ( n=36) at the end of follow-up (Mann-Whitney U test, Z=-1.673, P=0.094) between patients with baseline UPCR<1 g/g and patients with baseline UPCR≥1 g/g; and the remission rate was 66.67% ( n=30) and 53.16% ( n=79) at 6 months (Mann-Whitney U test, Z=1.062, P=0.288) and 61.29% ( n=31) and 54.44% ( n=90) at the end of follow-up (Mann-Whitney U test, Z=0.930, P=0.352) between patients with single HCQ and patients with HCQ+RAASi. For side effects, the eGFR of 2 patients decreased by more than 30% compared with baseline, 1 patient relapsed and 1 patient developed blurred vision. Conclusions:HCQ is safe and effective for the treatment of IgAN.

Objective: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumor worldwide. Metastasis is a marker of cancer deterioration in patients with liver cancer and a major cause of death. In order to develop effective therapeutic strategies, it is urgent to study the molecular basis of liver cancer metastasis. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of fatty acid synthase (FASN) in HCC. Wound healing and transwell cell invasion assays was used to confirm the role of FASN in liver cancer migration and invasion. Proteins that interacted with FASN were identified using iTRAQ (isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification). Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and cellular immunofluorescence analysis were used to assess the interaction between FASN and signal transduction and transcription activator 3 (STAT3). The expression of STAT3, p-STAT3, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 was detected after FASN knockdown using Western blot method. Statistical analysis was performed using the t-test. Results: Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of FASN in HCC tissue was higher than that in adjacent tissues. iTRAQ, Co-IP and immunofluorescence analysis revealed that FASN interacted with STAT3. Western blot analysis showed that the expression of p-STAT3, MMP-2 and MMP-9 decreased after FASN knockdown. Conclusion FASN may promote the metastasis of liver cancer by interacting with STAT3 and affecting the expression of MMP-2/MMP-9.

Objective: To investigate the effects of Wilms’tumor 1-associating protein (WTAP) on proliferation, migration and invasion of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. Methods: Human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 and HEK293T cells were chosen for this study. Two sets of shWTAP interference sequences were designed to construct lentiviral vector plasmid. Human lung adenocarcinomaA549 cells were infected after packaging lentivirus in HEK293T cells, and the control group was transfected with 277 empty vector plasmid. The mRNAand protein expression levels of WTAPinA549 cells were detected by qPCR and WB. Changes in proliferation, migration and invasion of A549 cells were detected by BrdU assay, cell scratch healing assay and Transwell assay, respectively. Results: Two plasmids, shWTAP-1 and shWTAP-2, were successfully constructed. Compared with the control group, the mRNA and protein expression levels of WTAP were significantly down-regulated inA549 cells with WTAP knockdown (both P<0.05), and the proliferation, migration and invasion ability of cells were significantly decreased (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Knockdown of WTAP significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. The expression of WTAP gene is associated with the occurrence and development of lung adenocarcinoma. WTAP may be a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

We studied the function of connexin 43 (Cx43) gene in Xiao Meishan swine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) resulting from overexpression. Cx43 eukaryotic expression vector (pEGFP-Cx43) was constructed and transfected into BMSCs by nucleofector, after detecting the transfection efficiency; the expression of Cx43 was verified by RT-PCR, immunofluorescence and western blotting. Furthermore, we detected its cell cycle and apoptosis through flow cytometry. Our results show that pEGFP-Cx43 plasmid was successfully constructed, and green fluorescence in pEGFP-Cx43 transfected BMSCs was highly expressed with 60% transfection efficiency. In transgenic Xiao Meishan swines BMSCs, the expression level of Cx43 mRNA and protein were up-regulated. Meanwhile, the ability of cell proliferation was significantly increased, and the apoptosis rate was significantly reduced. Taken together, Cx43 overexpression could promote the proliferation of Xiao Meishan swine's BMSCs and markedly reduce their apoptosis, which provides evidence for in vivo research.
Animals ; Animals, Genetically Modified ; Apoptosis ; Cell Proliferation ; Connexin 43 ; metabolism ; Flow Cytometry ; Genetic Vectors ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; metabolism ; Plasmids ; Swine ; genetics ; Transfection