The structure of intestinal tissue is complex. In vitro simulation of intestinal structure and function is important for studying intestinal development and diseases. Recently, organoids have been successfully constructed and they have come to play an important role in biomedical research. Organoids are miniaturized three-dimensional (3D) organs, derived from stem cells, which mimic the structure, cell types, and physiological functions of an organ, making them robust models for biomedical research. Intestinal organoids are 3D micro-organs derived from intestinal stem cells or pluripotent stem cells that can successfully simulate the complex structure and function of the intestine, thereby providing a valuable platform for intestinal development and disease research. In this article, we review the latest progress in the construction and application of intestinal organoids.
Organoids/cytology* ; Intestines/physiology* ; Humans ; Animals ; Pluripotent Stem Cells

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transcatheter aortic valve implantation(TAVI)for the treatment of primary aortic valve regurgitation(NAVR)and to compare the difference in the choice of prosthetic valve size and the difference in complications with aortic stenosis(AS).Methods According to the definition of Valve Academic Research Consortium(VARC-3),143 patients with NAVR/AS treated with TAVI and patients with NAVR treated with surgical aortic valve replacement(SAVR)at Tongji Hospital,Tongji Medical College,Huazhong University of Science and Technology,China,from March 2019 to September 2024 were selected,and clinical data on baseline,perioperative,and primary endpoint events were were retrospectively collected and compared.Results Forty-three patients with NAVR were treated with TAVI,with a device success rate of 86.0％and a surgical success rate of 95.3％.Subgroup comparisons:(1)NAVR-TAVI group than NAVR-SAVR group:patients in the TAVI group had a significantly shorter operative time than those in the SAVR group(P＜0.001);complete left bundle branch block was more likely to occur after TAVI(P=0.042),and complete right bundle branch block was more likely to occur after SAVR(P=0.044).SAVR postoperatively The incidence of congestive heart failure was higher(P=0.013),and the mortality rate was significantly higher in the SAVR group than in the TAVI group(P=0.019).(2)NAVR-TAVI group than AS-TAVI group:the differences in access selection,THV size[28(22,34)mm vs.24(22,32)mm,P=0.044]and proportion of THV overdiameter[14％(7％,20％)vs.7％(3％,11％),P＜0.001]were statistically significant.patients in AS and NAVR groups had 1 case of permanent pacing after TAVI treatment.In the AS and NAVR groups,there was 1 case of permanent pacemaker implantation after TAVI.2 patients in the AS group were converted to surgical treatment,and 6 patients died.Conclusions The use of"off-label"(transfemoral)and"on-label"(transapical)TAVI devices(both from domestic sources)is safer than SAVR for the treatment of NAVR,especially in elderly and high-risk patients.Compared with patients with AS treated with TAVI,larger diameter annulas are usually selected for NAVR,with higher rates of valve migration,but overall safety and efficacy are comparable to AS.

Objective:To evaluate left ventricular function and myocardial ischemia in patients with different degrees of left anterior descending（LAD）coronary artery stenosis by using post-stress regional myocardial work（MW）and coronary flow reserve（CFR），and to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of each parameter for different degrees of stenosis in the LAD.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 76 patients with suspected coronary artery disease who underwent coronary angiography and attended the Fourth Affliiated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from January 2023 to June 2024. According to the degree of LAD stenosis，30 cases were categorized into the mild stenosis group（stenosis < 50%），25 cases in the moderate stenosis group（50%≤stenosis < 70%），and 21 cases in the severe stenosis group（70% ≤ stenosis ≤ 90%）. Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography was applied to obtain CFR LAD. Longitudinal strain in the left anterior descending region（LS LAD），peak strain dispersion（PSD），left anterior descending region work index（WI LAD）and left anterior descending region work efficiency（WE LAD）were obtained at rest and under stress，respectively. The LAD regional MW indexes were compared between the groups in two pairs. The correlation between CFR LAD and the degree of LAD stenosis was analyzed. ROC curves were plotted to compare the diagnostic efficacy of LAD regional MW parameters and CFR LAD for moderate and severe LAD stenosis. Results:①At rest：compared with the mild stenosis group，the absolute value of LS LAD，WI LAD，and WE LAD were reduced in the severe stenosis group，and the differences were statistically significant（all P < 0.05）. Compared with the moderate stenosis group，WE LAD was reduced in the severe stenosis group，and the difference was statistically significant（ P < 0.05）. Differences in two-by-two comparisons between groups in the resting state for the remaining parameters were not statistically significant（all P > 0.05）. Under stress：compared with the mild stenosis group，the absolute values of LS LAD，WI LAD，and WE LAD were reduced in the moderate and severe stenosis groups，and the PSD was increased in the severe stenosis group，and the differences were statistically significant（all P < 0.05）. Compared with the moderate stenosis group，the absolute values of LS LAD，WI LAD，and WE LAD were reduced in the severe stenosis group，and the differences were statistically significant（all P < 0.05）. Differences between two-by-two comparisons between groups in the remaining parameters at loading state were not statistically significant（all P > 0.05）. ②CFR LAD was negatively correlated with the degree of LAD stenosis（ r = -0.809， P < 0.05）. ③The ROC curves showed that the peak WE LAD of the regional MW parameters predicated the largest area under the ROC curve（AUC）for moderate and severe stenosis in LAD，0.803 and 0.897，respectively，with cutoff values of 92.5% and 91.5%. The cutoffs of CFR LAD ≤ 2.5 and CFR LAD ≤ 2.0 predicted the greatest AUC for moderate and severe stenosis in LAD at 0.743 and 0.901，respectively. Peak WE LAD combined with CFR LAD predicted the greatest AUC for moderate and severe stenosis in LAD at 0.826 and 0.967，respectively. Conclusions:Regional MW parameters and CFR LAD can sensitively detect left ventricular hypo-function in patients with different degrees of stenosis in LAD. Peak WE LAD and CFR LAD are reliable predictors of moderate and severe stenosis in LAD. A combination of the two techniques can significantly improve diagnostic efficacy.

Purpose To explore the clinical value of real-time three-dimensional automatic left atrial quantification technology in evaluating left atrial volume and function in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction(HFpEF).Materials and Methods A total of 65 patients diagnosed as HFpEF at the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from December 2021 to October 2023 were prospectively enrolled.The control group included 65 healthy subjects who underwent ultrasound examination during the same period and were matched with the HFpEF group in terms of age and gender.According to the New York Heart Association(NYHA)cardiac function classification,patients with NYHA grade Ⅰ+Ⅱ were classified into the HFpEF group A,and those with grade Ⅲ+Ⅳ into the HFpEF group B.Relevant clinical data,conventional ultrasound parameters and three-dimensional ultrasound parameters were recorded in both the HFpEF group and the control group.Left atrial volume parameters,longitudinal strain parameters and circumferential strain parameters were analyzed.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to compare the diagnostic efficacy of left atrial functional parameters for HFpEF.Results Compared with the control group,the HFpEF group exhibited significant abnormalities in cardiac structure and function.Specifically,left ventricular posterior wall thickness,interventricular septal thickness at end-diastole,and mean E/e′ were significantly increased(t=-5.127,-5.886,-16.670,all P<0.05),while the absolute value of left ventricular global longitudinal strain(LVGLS)and septal and lateral mitral annular e′ were significantly decreased(t=-17.092,40.279,45.412,all P<0.05).All left atrial volume parameters were significantly increased,whereas left atrial functional and strain parameters were significantly decreased(t=-13.632-6.912,all P<0.05).Compared with HFpEF group A,HFpEF group B showed lower left atrial total emptying fraction,left atrial expansion index,left atrial contraction strain and absolute value of LVGLS(t=2.062,3.545,-2.189,-2.586),as well as a higher left atrial minimum volume(t=-2.187),respectively(all P<0.05).Left atrial reservoir strain was negatively correlated with N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and mean E/e′(r=-0.395,-0.626,both P<0.05),and positively correlated with the absolute value of LVGLS(r=0.602,P<0.05).The LASr and LAEI had high predictive value for HFpEF,with area under the curve of 0.898 and 0.817,cut-off values of 20.5%and 112%,sensitivities of 96.9%and 83.1%,specificities of 75.4%and 78.5%,and Youden indices of 0.723 and 0.616,respectively.Conclusion Real-time three-dimensional automatic left atrial quantification technology enables early and sensitive detection of left atrial dysfunction in HFpEF.Among the parameters derived,LASr(a strain parameter)and LAEI(a functional parameter)exhibit high diagnostic efficacy for HFpEF.

The development of breast cancer is closely related to the information transfer in its microenvironment.As a novel information communication tool,exosomes present non-coding RNAs that are involved in breast cancer cell proliferation,migration,invasion,tumour-associated fibroblasts ogenesis,cell cycle,degradation of oncogenes,etc.This paper reviews the relationship between exosomes and the tumour microenvironment and the role of their presenting non-coding RNAs on breast cancer as well as their clinical applications in order to provide new ideas for biological research and therapeutic strategies.

Objective: To establish a machine learning-based precision blood donor recruitment model at the county level and assess its generalizability and applicability. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using blood donation and SMS recruitment data from the Taicang Branch of the Suzhou Blood Center between 2019 and 2024. Multiple machine learning algorithms were employed, including extreme gradient boosting, support vector machine, k-nearest neighbor, logistic regression, decision tree, random forest, and multilayer perceptron. These were combined with techniques such as synthetic minority oversampling, undersampling, and cost-sensitive learning (using MFE and MSFE loss functions). Model parameters were optimized through grid search to identify the best-performing model. Results: In a prospective comparative study against conventional methods, the machine learning models increased the recruitment success rate among high-willingness donors by an average of 129.15%, and the recruitment efficiency per SMS improved by 125.02% compared with the traditional method. Under full-scale SMS sending, the recruitment rate per SMS increased by 42.61%, and SMS sending efficiency improved by 31.77%, significantly enhancing recruitment performance. Conclusion: This study represents the first application of a machine learning-based precision donor recruitment model at the county-level in China. The precise recruitment framework not only improves recruitment efficiency and reduces recruitment costs but also demonstrates strong scalability and generalizability. It provides a scientific and feasible intelligent pathway to ensure the safety and sustainability of the blood supply.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of Chinese medicine (CM) Lianhua Qingwen Granule (LHQW) and Jingyin Gubiao Prescription (JYGB) in asymptomatic or mild patients with Omicron infection in the shelter hospital. METHODS: This single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted in the largest shelter hospital in Shanghai, China, from April 10, 2022 to May 30, 2022. A total of 56,244 asymptomatic and mild Omicron cases were included and divided into 4 groups, i.e., non-administration group (23,702 cases), LHQW group (11,576 cases), JYGB group (12,112 cases), and dual combination of LHQW and JYGB group (8,854 cases). The length of stay (LOS) in the hospital was used to assess the effectiveness of LHQW and JYGB treatment on Omicron infection. RESULTS: Patients aged 41-60 years, with nadir threshold cycle (C_T) value of N gene <25, or those fully vaccinated preferred to receive CM therapy. Before or after propensity score matching (PSM), the multiple linear regression showed that LHQW and JYGB treatment were independent influence factors of LOS (both P<0.001). After PSM, there were significant differences in LOS between the LHQW/JYGB combination and the other groups (P<0.01). The results of factorial design ANOVA proved that the LHQW/JYGB combination therapy synergistically shortened LOS (P=0.032). CONCLUSIONS Patients with a nadir C_T value <25 were more likely to accept CM. The LHQW/JYGB combination therapy could shorten the LOS of Omicron-infected individuals in an isolated environment.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; China/epidemiology* ; Hospitalization ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Length of Stay ; Young Adult ; Aged

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy and safety of Juan Bi Pill (JBP) in treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: From February 2017 to May 2018, 115 participants from 4 centers were randomly divided into JBP group (57 cases) and placebo group (58 cases) in a 1:1 ratio using a random number table method. Participants received a dose of JBP (4 g, twice a day, orally) combined with methotrexate (MTX, 10 mg per week) or placebo (4 g, twice a day, orally) combined with MTX for 12 weeks. Participants were required with follow-up visits at 24 and 48 weeks, attending 7 assessment visits. Participants were undergo disease activity assessment 7 times (at baseline and 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48 weeks) and safety assessments 6 times (at baseline and 4, 8, 12, 24, 48 weeks). The primary endpoint was 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28-ESR and DAS28-CRP). The secondary endpoints included American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for 20% and 50% improvement (ACR20/50), Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), clinical disease activity index (CDAI), visual analog scale (VAS), Short Form-36 (SF-36) score, Medial Outcomes Study (MOS) sleep scale score, serum erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), tender joint count, swollen joint count, and morning stiffness. The adverse reactions were observed during the treatment. RESULTS: After 12 weeks of treatment, DAS28-ESR and DAS28-CRP scores in both groups were lower than before treatment (both P<0.01), while the remission rate of DAS28-ESR and DAS28-CRP and low disease activity of JBP group were higher than those in the placebo group (both P<0.01). JBP demonstrated better efficacy on ACR20 and ACR50 compliance rate at 12 and 48 weeks comparing to placebo (all P<0.05). The CDAI and HAQ-DI score, pain VAS and global VAS change of RA patients and physicians, the serum ESR and CRP levels, and the number of tenderness and swelling joints were lower than before treatment at 4, 8, 12, 24, 48 weeks in both groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the reduction of above indices in the JBP group was more obvious than those in the placebo group at 12 weeks (ESR and CRP, both P<0.05) or at 12 and 48 weeks (all P<0.01). There was no difference in adverse reactions between the 2 groups during treatment (P=0.75). CONCLUSION JBP combined with MTX could effectively reduce disease activity in patients with RA in active stage, reduce the symptoms of arthritis, and improve the quality of life, while ensuring safety, reliability, and fewer adverse effects. (Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT02885597).
Humans ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Methotrexate/adverse effects* ; Female ; Double-Blind Method ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Adult ; Antirheumatic Agents/adverse effects* ; Aged