Objective To investigate the predictive value of serum Krüppel-like factor 4(KLF4)level com-bined with plasma atherogenic index(AIP)for prognosis in patients with acute middle cerebral artery occlu-sion(AMCAO)undergoing endovascular therapy(EVT).Methods A total of 187 AMCAO patients who un-derwent EVT in Baoji People's Hospital from January 2021 to August 2023 were selected as the AMCAO group.The AMCAO patients were further categorized based on one-year post-EVT outcomes into a poor prognosis group(n=64)and a good prognosis group(n=123).A total of 95 healthy volunteers who under-went physical examination in Baoji People's Hospital during the same period were selected as the control group.Serum KLF4 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and the AIP was calcu-lated.Multivariate unconditional Logistic regression was applied to analyze the relationship between serum KLF4,AIP,and EVT prognosis,while receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the com-bined predictive value of KLF4 and AIP for prognosis in AMCAO patients.Results Compared with control group,AMCAO group had lower serum KLF4 levels and higher AIP(P<0.05).The 1-year poor prognosis rate of 187 AMCAO patients after EVT was 34.22%(64/187).Compared with good prognosis group,the poor prognosis group had lower KLF4 levels and higher AIP(P<0.05).High national institutes of health stroke scale score,delayed onset-to-recanalization time,and elevated AIP were independent risk factors for poor EVT prognosis in AMCAO patients,while high KLF4 was an independent protective factor(P<0.05).The combined detection of KLF4 and AIP of area under the curve in predicting EVT prognosis was 0.866,sig-nificantly higher than of KLF4(0.788)or AIP(0.769)alone(P<0.05).Conclusion Lower serum KLF4 levels and elevated AIP are associated with poor EVT prognosis in AMCAO patients.Combined measurement of serum KLF4 and AIP has high predictive value for EVT prognosis in these patients.

Objective:To investigate the mechanisms by which calpain small subunit 1(CAPN4)regulates cisplatin resistance and cancer stem cell(CSC)stemness in lung adenocarcinoma,and to provide experimental evidence for reversing drug resistance through targeting CSC stemness.Methods:Tissue samples were collected from 10 lung adenocarcinoma patients who underwent surgical resection at Fujian Cancer Hospital from January 2023 to January 2024.Immunohistochemistry(IHC)stining was used to detect the differential expression of CAPN4 in five cisplatin-resistant and five cisplatin-sensitive lung adenocarcinoma tissues,followed with a histological scoring(H-score).CAPN4 gene expression-related survival analysis in lung cancer patients was conducted using The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis(GEPIA)platform.Additionally,tissue samples from two cisplatin-resistant and two cisplatin-sensitive lung adenocarcinoma cases were collected to establish lung adenocarcinoma organoid(PDO)models.H-E and IHC staining were used to assess the morphological consistency between PDOs and the primary tumors.CAPN4 gene expression was silenced using lentivirus-mediated shRNA transduction.The expression levels of stem cell markers ALDH1A1,CD133,Nanog,and SOX9 were detected at both the gene and protein levels using quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR)and Western blotting(WB),respectively.The sensitivity of CAPN4-knockdown PDOs to cisplatin was evaluated using the adenosine triphosphate(ATP)assay,and the apoptosis was assessed using the caspase-3 assay.Results:IHC results showed that CAPN4 protein expression was significantly upregulated in cisplatin-resistant lung adenocarcinoma tissues(P<0.05).TCGA cohort analysis revealed that high CAPN4 expression was significantly associated with poor prognosis(reduced OS)in lung adenocarcinoma patients(HR=1.4,P<0.05).PDOs derived from cisplatin-resistant patients exhibited significant upregulation in CAPN4 protein and stemness markers at both gene and protein levels(all P<0.05).Cisplatin sensitivity assays demonstrated that PDOs derived from cisplatin-resistant patients had significantly higher IC50 values than those from cisplatin-sensitive patients(P<0.05).After CAPN4 knockdown,the expression of stem cell makers in PDOs derived from cisplatin-resistant patients were significantly reduced,and their sensitivity to cisplatin was enhanced(P<0.05).Conclusion:Knockdown of CAPN4 reduces stem cell marker expression and enhances cisplatin sensitivity in lung adenocarcinoma PDOs,providing a potential therapeutic target for reversing cisplatin resistance in lung cancer.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of eculizumab in treating acute attacks of aquaporin-4 antibody(AQP4-IgG)positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder(NMOSD).Methods:Six patients with AQP4-IgG-positive NMOSD treated with eculizumab at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from August 2023 to April 2024 were included.The patients' clinical characteristics, changes in scores of neurological function, pain and spasm before and after eculizumab treatment, and adverse drug reactions during the treatment period were described, and the data were subjected to Friedman test using SPSS 25.0.Results:The median score of expanded disability status scale in the six patients decreased from 3.25 before treatment to 1.25 after treatment, and the difference was statistically significant ( F=44.77, P<0.01).The functional status score showed noticeable improvement as early as week 1, demonstrating greater sensitivity to treatment response.Three patients experienced moderate to severe pain before treatment, with a mean pain score of 6, which reduced to 4.67 and 1.33 at week 2 and 6, respectively( F=29.17, P<0.05).Two patients reported spasms before treatment, with a mean score of 3.00, which decreased to 2.00, 1.50, and 1.00 at week 2, 3, and 6 after treatment, respectively( F=18.00, P>0.05).No serious adverse reactions were reported during the treatment. Conclusion:Eculizumab can effectively improve the neurological function and alleviate pain in patients with AQP4-IgG-positive NMOSD during acute attacks, and demonstrate good safety.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of eculizumab in treating acute attacks of aquaporin-4 antibody(AQP4-IgG)positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder(NMOSD).Methods:Six patients with AQP4-IgG-positive NMOSD treated with eculizumab at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from August 2023 to April 2024 were included.The patients' clinical characteristics, changes in scores of neurological function, pain and spasm before and after eculizumab treatment, and adverse drug reactions during the treatment period were described, and the data were subjected to Friedman test using SPSS 25.0.Results:The median score of expanded disability status scale in the six patients decreased from 3.25 before treatment to 1.25 after treatment, and the difference was statistically significant ( F=44.77, P<0.01).The functional status score showed noticeable improvement as early as week 1, demonstrating greater sensitivity to treatment response.Three patients experienced moderate to severe pain before treatment, with a mean pain score of 6, which reduced to 4.67 and 1.33 at week 2 and 6, respectively( F=29.17, P<0.05).Two patients reported spasms before treatment, with a mean score of 3.00, which decreased to 2.00, 1.50, and 1.00 at week 2, 3, and 6 after treatment, respectively( F=18.00, P>0.05).No serious adverse reactions were reported during the treatment. Conclusion:Eculizumab can effectively improve the neurological function and alleviate pain in patients with AQP4-IgG-positive NMOSD during acute attacks, and demonstrate good safety.

Objective:To investigate the role of inhibitor of differentiation 2(Id2)in inducing the generation of central memory T(Tcm)cells and enhancing the anti-tumor persistence of T cells.Methods:CD8+na?ve T cells were sorted with magnetic beads and then co-cultured with carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)-loaded dendritic cells(DCs).These cells were induced into effector T(Teff)or Tcm cells by interleukin-2(IL-2)or IL-7/15/21/23,respectively.The mRNA and protein expression of Id2 and Id3 in T cells were detected using qPCR and WB,respectively.Id2 gene in T cells was knocked down using lentivirus,and the T cell memory phenotype was analyzed by flow cytometry.The expression of PI3K/AKT pathway-related proteins was examined by WB.The extracellular acidification rate(ECAR)and oxygen consumption rate(OCR)were assessed using a Seahorse extracellular flux analyzer.A zebrafish colorectal cancer HCT116 xenograft model was employed to analyze the anti-tumor differences between Teff and Tcm cells.The effect of Id2 gene knockdown in Tcm cells(Tcm-shId2)on the growth inhibition of secondary xenografts was also observed.Results:Tcm cells exhibited high expression of Id3 mRNA(P<0.05),whereas Teff cells showed high expression of Id2 mRNA(P<0.001).Tcm cells with Id2 knockdown(Tcm-shId2)were successfully constructed,showing significantly upregulated Id3 expression.Knockdown of Id2 promoted the formation of Tcm cell(P<0.05).Tcm-shId2 cells underwent metabolic reprogramming via the PI3K/AKT pathway,which effectively suppressed the growth of colorectal cancer xenografts in zebrafish and also produced significant inhibitory effects on secondary tumor growth(P<0.01).Conclusion:Id2 gene may regulate T cell metabolism through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway,promoting the differentiation of CD8+T cells into Tcm cells and effectively inhibiting the growth of colorectal cancer xenografts.

Objective:To develop a risk prediction model for identifying bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) associated pulmonary hypertension (PH) in very premature infants.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. The clinical data of 626 very premature infants whose gestational age <32 weeks and who suffered from BPD were collected from October 1 st, 2015 to December 31 st, 2021 of the Seventh Medical Center of the People′s Liberation Army General Hospital as a modeling set. The clinical data of 229 very premature infants with BPD of Hunan Children′s Hospital from January 1 st, 2020 to December 31 st, 2021 were collected as a validation set for external verification. The very premature infants with BPD were divided into PH group and non PH group based on the echocardiogram after 36 weeks′ corrected age in the modeling set and validation set, respectively. Univariate analysis was used to compare the basic clinical characteristics between groups, and collinearity exclusion was carried out between variables. The risk factors of BPD associated PH were further screened out by multivariate Logistic regression, and the risk assessment model was established based on these variables. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under curve (AUC) and Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test were used to evaluate the model′s discrimination and calibration power, respectively. And the calibration curve was used to evaluate the accuracy of the model and draw the nomogram. The bootstrap repeated sampling method was used for internal verification. Finally, decision curve analysis (DCA) to evaluate the clinical practicability of the model was used. Results:A total of 626 very premature infants with BPD were included for modeling set, including 85 very premature infants in the PH group and 541 very premature infants in the non PH group. A total of 229 very premature infants with BPD were included for validation set, including 24 very premature infants in the PH group and 205 very premature infants in the non PH group. Univariate analysis of the modeling set found that 22 variables, such as artificial conception, fetal distress, gestational age, birth weight, small for gestational age, 1 minute Apgar score ≤7, antenatal corticosteroids, placental abruption, oligohydramnios, multiple pulmonary surfactant, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS)>stage Ⅱ, early pulmonary hypertension, moderate-severe BPD, and hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) all had statistically significant influence between the PH group and the non PH group (all P<0.05). Antenatal corticosteroids, fetal distress, NRDS >stage Ⅱ, hsPDA, pneumonia and days of invasive mechanical ventilation were identified as predictive variables and finally included to establish the Logistic regression model. The AUC of this model was 0.86 (95% CI 0.82-0.90), the cut-off value was 0.17, the sensitivity was 0.77, and the specificity was 0.84. Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test showed that P>0.05. The AUC for external validation was 0.88, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test suggested P>0.05. Conclusions:A high sensitivity and specificity risk prediction model of PBD associated PH in very premature infants was established. This predictive model is useful for early clinical identification of infants at high risk of BPD associated PH.

[Abstract] Objective: To explore the role of adhesion molecule with Ig like domain 2 (AMIGO2) in the proliferation of nasopharyn‐ geal carcinoma (NPC) cells and its mechanisms. Methods: A total of 10 NPC tissue samples and 10 normal nasopharyngeal epithelial tissue samples collected at Fujian Cancer Hospital during September 2017 and November 2017 were used for this study; in addition, NPC cell lines (CNE-1, CNE-2, SUNE-1, 6-10B, C666-1) and human immobilized nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line NP69 were also collected. The relative expression of AMIGO2 mRNAin above mentioned tissues and cell lines was detected by qPCR. Lentivirus vectors were constructed to interfere AMIGO2 mRNA expression, and qPCR was used to verify its interference efficiency. CCK-8 method, Clonal formation and Flow cytometry were performed to evaluate the effect of AMIGO2 interference on proliferation, clone formation and apoptosis of NPC cells. The influence of AMIGO2 interference on PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and proliferation related molecular markers in NPC cells was assessed by Western blotting. Results: The results of qPCR showed that AMIGO2 was highly expressed in NPC tissues, CNE-2, and SUNE-1 cells (all P<0.01). The interference efficiency of AMIGO2 in CNE-2 and SUNE-1 cells could reach over 50%. The interfering of AMIGO2 expression significantly inhibited the proliferation and clone formation of CNE-2 and SUNE-1 cells (all P<0.01), promoted cell apoptosis (all P<0.01), reduced the phosphorylated protein expression levels of PI3K, AKT and mTOR in SUNE-1 cells (all P<0.01), as well as down-regulated the protein expressions of survivin and PCNA (all P<0.01). Conclusion: AMIGO2 may promote the proliferation as well as inhibit apoptosis of NPC cells by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, suggesting that AMIGO2 may be a potential target for NPC therapy.

Objective To evaluate the role of calcineurin ( CaN)/nuclear factor of activated T cell cytoplasmic 4 protein ( NFATc4) signaling pathway in inflammatory responses in lung tissues of rats with ventilator-induced lung injury ( VILI) . Methods Twenty-four clean-grade healthy male Wistar rats, aged 5-8 weeks, weighing 220-250 g, were divided into 3 groups ( n=8 each) using a random number table method: control C (group C), VILI group and cyclosporine A plus VILI group (group CsA+VILI). The animals were anesthetized with pentobarbital and tracheostomized. The rats were mechanically ventilated for 6 h with the tidal volume set at 40 ml/kg and respiratory rate at 40 breaths/min to establish the model of VI-LI. The rats kept spontaneous breathing in group C. CaN specific inhibitor cyclosporine A 10 mg/kg was in-traperitoneally injected at 1 h before ventilation in group CsA+VILI. Rats were sacrificed immediately after ventilation, lung tissues were obtained and stained with hematoxylin and eosin to evaluate lung injury, broncho-alveolar lavage fluid was collected for determination of tumor necrosis factor-alpha ( TNF-α) , inter-leukin-1beta ( IL-1β) and IL-6 concentrations by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the lungs were removed for determination of the wet to dry weight ratio ( W/D ratio) , expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 ( ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 ( VCAM-1) ( by real-time polymerase chain reaction) , and expression of calcineurin and NFATc4 in lung tissues ( using Western blot ) . Results Compared with group C, the W/D ratio, lung injury scores and concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-αin BALF were significantly increased, and the expression of CaN, NFATc4, ICAM-1 mRNA and VCAM-1 mRNA was up-regulated in group VILI ( P＜0. 05) . Compared with group VILI, the W/D ratio, lung injury scores and concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-αin BALF were significantly decreased, and the expres-sion of CaN, NFATc4, ICAM-1 mRNA and VCAM-1 mRNA was down-regulated in group CsA+VILI ( P＜0. 05) . Conclusion CaN/NFATc4 signaling pathway mediates inflammatory responses in lung tissues of rats with VILI.

AIM:To study the effcts of caspase recruitment domain membrane-associated guanylate kinase protein 3 (CARMA3) knockdown on the growth, migration and invasion of human colonic carcinoma HCT116 cells and to analyze the mechanism.METHODS:A colonic carcinoma cell line with CARMA3 over-expression was selected.The CARMA3 gene in the HCT116 cells was knocked down by lentivirus technique.After screening by puromycin, the stably-transfected HCT116-shCARMA3 cell line was constructed.CARMA3 expression at mRNA and protein levels was detected by real-time PCR and Western blot,respectively.The cell proliferation was analyzed by WST-1 assay and RTCA S16 system.The colony formation ability was measured by colony-forming assay.The cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry.The cell morphological changes were observed under microscope.The abilities of migration and invasion in vitro were observed by wound healing assay and Transwell assay.The changes of related molecules were determined by Western blot to explore the mechanism.RESULTS:The expression of CARMA3 at mRNA and protein levels in the HCT116 cells was the highest in the 4 colonic carcinoma cell lines.HCT116-shCARMA3 cells with stably-silenced CARMA3 gene were successfully established.Among them, HCT116-shCARMA3-93 cells showed the greatest inhibition of CARMA3 at mRNA and protein levels.Therefore,HCT116-shCARMA3-93 cells were chosen as the cell model.Compared with control group, the morphological changes of the HCT116-shCARMA3-93 cells had epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) reversion.The abilities of proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion in the HCT116-shCARMA3-93 cells were obviously suppressed (P<0.01).G0 /G1 phase proportion was increased and S phase proportion was correspondingly decreased (P<0.05).Bcl10 and NF-κB were down-regulated, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT-1)showed no change.Cyclin D1 was decreased obviously and cyclin A declined slightly.Metastasis-related mar-kers matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 were reduced,MMP-7 remained unchanged, while tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase(TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2 were up-regulated.Furthermore, EMT-associated molecule E-cadherin was increased, while N-cadherin, Snail, Slug and Twist were decreased to some extent.CONCLUSION:CARMA3 has an impact on the growth,migration and invasion of colonic carcinoma cell line, which is possibly related to NF-κB signaling pathway to change cell cycle and metastasis-related markers and to regulate EMT.

Objective To describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of dengue virus infection during pregnancy . Methods A retrospective study was performed based on the clinical data of manifestations ,pregnancy outcomes and neonates in patients with dengue virus infection during pregnancy from January 1st ,2014 to December 31th ,2014 at maternity ward in Guangzhou .Results The most common manifestations in patients with dengue virus infection during pregnancy were fever (100 .0％ ) , body soreness (42 .9％ ) ,headache (41 .3％ ) ,cutaneous rash (41 .3％ ) ,fatigue (34 .9％ ) and muscle pain or arthralgia (17 .5％ ) , nausea and vomiting (12 .7％ ) . The decline proportions of leukocyte , platelet and neutrophil count were 17 .5％ ,20 .6％ and 6 .3％ ,respectively ,and the lowest point was observed on 5 — 6 days after the onset of illness .Miscarriage was observed in 3 pregnant patients (4 .8％ , all in the first trimester ) ,intra-uterine death in one patient (1 .6％ ,at 22 weeks of gestation) and artificial abortion in 2 cases .A total of 48 patients delivered ,among whom caesarean section rate was 37 .5％ , prematurity rate was 12 .5％ and low birth weight rate was 8 .2％ .Maternal – foetal vertical transmission happened in 2 cases .Sequence alignment demonstrated that the homologies of the nucleic acids and amino acids within each dengue virus vertical transmission mother-infant pairs were > 99 .9％ .Conclusions The manifestations of dengue virus infected women with pregnancy are not specific .Early detection and early diagnosis should be made according to the history of epidemiology for women with reproductive age in endemic areas .Maternal dengue virus infection during pregnancy might cause vertical transmission and is correlated with bad outcomes of pregnancy , including miscarriage , intra-uterine death and premature birth .Perinatal infection might cause maternal-foetal vertical transmission .