ObjectiveTo investigate the variation of drug resistance genes in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 strains in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, so as to provide a basis for guiding the adjustment of treatment plans for ADIS patients or patients infected with HIV. MethodsA total of 555 samples were collected from 396 newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS patients who did not receive antiviral treatment from 2021 to 2023, in addition to 159 HIV/AIDS patients who received antiviral treatment for at least twelve months but failed during the same period.Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and nested polymerase chain reaction (nested PCR) were used to amplify the pol region gene of HIV-1. Lastly, the sequenced data were submitted to the HIV resistance database of Stanford University in the United States for resistance gene mutation analysis. ResultsDrug resistance mutations were detected in samples from 97 newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS patients and 77 patients with failed treatment, with the main subtypes being CRF01AE and CRF07-BC. The mutation rates of drug resistance genes in the patients untreated and patients with failed treatment were 24.49% (97/396) and 48.43% (77/159), respectively. Drug resistance gene mutations against protease inhibitor (PI), nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) were detected both in the untreated and failed treatment group. The drug resistance rates of untreated and failed treatment patients were 10.61% (42/396) and 45.28% (72/159), respectively. ConclusionThe pre-treatment drug resistance rate of HIV-1 strains in Huzhou City is at a moderate level, and which is at a relatively low level nationwide after antiviral treatment. The resistance genes in the region exhibit diverse and complex characteristics, and the prevalence of drug resistance is in the process of upward and evolution compared to the monitoring results in the previous years. It is necessary to continue to monitor the occurrence and development of drug resistant strains, and to adjust treatment plans in time to prevent the occurrence of transmissible drug resistance.

Objective To explore the effects of combined exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and high-fat diet on liver lipid metabolism and hepatocyte senescence in mice, and to elucidate the potential mechanisms of the onset and development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods Specific pathogen free C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into six groups, with 10 mice with equal numbers of each sex in each group. The mice in the control group and the simple BPA group were fed with regular diet, while others four groups of mice were fed with high-fat diet. At the same time, the mice in the simple BPA group were intragastric administered with BPA at a dose of 50 μg/kg body weight, while the mice in the low-, medium- and high-dose BPA+high-fat groups were intragastric administered with BPA at doses of 5, 50 and 500 μg/kg body weight respectively. The mice in the control group and the high-fat group were intragastric administered with the same volume of corn oil once per day for 90 consecutive days. Liver tissues were subjected to hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Oil Red O staining. Liver coefficients and lipid-stained area ratios were calculated. Serum level of total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were determined using an automatic biochemical analyzer. The hepatic tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relative expression of cholesterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1), CCAAT enhancer binding protein α, P16, and phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX) in liver tissues was detected using Western blotting. The interaction effect of the combined exposure to BPA and high-fat diet was observed based on the result of mice in the control group, the simple high-fat group, the simple BPA group, and the medium-dose BPA group+high-fat group (the combined exposure group) using a 2×2 factorial design. The results of mice in the simple high-fat group and the low-, medium-, and high-dose BPA+high-fat groups were used to observe the effect of BPA exposure dose under high-fat diet conditions. Results i) The interactive effect of combined exposure to BPA and high fat. The HE and Oil Red O staining results indicated that the combined exposure to BPA and high-fat diet successfully established NAFLD in mice. The interactive effect of combined exposure to BPA and high-fat diet on serum ALT activity and the relative expression of P16 in the liver tissue of female mice, as well as the serum ALT and AST activities and the relative expression of SREBP1 in the liver tissue of male mice was significant (all P<0.05). Specifically, the serum ALT activity of male mice in the combined exposure group was higher than that in the simple high-fat group (P<0.05), while the ALT activity in the serum of female mice in the combined exposure group was lower than that in the simple BPA group (P<0.05). The relative expression of SREBP1 protein in the liver tissue of male mice in the combined exposure group was higher than that in the control group, the simple high-fat group, and the simple BPA group (all P<0.05). For the other indicators, there were no significant differences in the interactive effect of combined exposure to BPA and high-fat diet (all P>0.05). ii) Dose effects of BPA exposure. The HE and Oil Red O staining result showed that the degree of vacuolar steatosis in the liver of female and male mice of medium- and high-dose BPA + high-fat groups was aggravated, and the range of inflammatory cell infiltration was expanded when compared with same-sex mice in the simple high-fat group. The serum ALT activity and the fat stained area ratio, as well as the relative expression of P16 in liver tissue of female mice in high-dose BPA + high-fat group increased (all P<0.05), while the level of IL-10 in liver tissue decreased (P<0.05), compared with the female mice in simple high-fat group. The serum ALT activity, the TNF-α level in liver tissue, and the relative expression of SREBP1, P16 and γ-H2AX proteins in liver tissue of male mice in high-dose BPA + high-fat group increased (all P<0.05), while the IL-6 level in liver tissue decreased (P<0.05), compared with the male mice in simple high-fat group. For the female or male mice in the low- and medium-dose BPA + high-fat groups, only some of the above indicators showed significant changes (all P<0.05). Conclusion The combined exposure to BPA and high-fat diet has a synergistic effect on the onset and development of NAFLD. The mechanism may be related to inducing cellular senescence and modulation of lipid synthesis pathways, thereby affecting liver steatosis. The exposure dose of BPA may affect the synergistic effect.

ObjectiveTo investigate the application of the novel inflammatory factor adsorption column CA280 combined with low-dose plasma exchange （LPE） in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure （ACLF）. MethodsA prospective cohort study was designed， and a total of 93 ACLF patients who were admitted to The Ninth Hospital of Nanchang from June 2023 to January 2025 were enrolled and randomly divided into DPMAS+LPE group with 50 patients and CA280+LPE group with 43 patients. In addition to comprehensive medical treatment， the patients in the DPMAS+LPE group received DPMAS and LPE treatment， and those in the CA280+LPE group received CA280 and LPE treatment. The two groups were observed in terms of routine blood test results， liver function parameters， renal function markers， electrolytes， coagulation function parameters， cytokines， adverse events， and 28-day prognosis before surgery （baseline）， during surgery （DPMAS or CA280）， and after surgery （after sequential LPE treatment）. The paired t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data before and after treatment within each group， and the independent-samples t test was used for comparison between groups； the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data before and after treatment within each group， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between groups. The chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups， and the Spearman test was used for correlation analysis. ResultsAfter CA280 treatment， the ACLF patients had significant reductions in the levels of cytokines （IL-6， IL-8， IL-10， TNF-α， and IFN-γ）， liver function parameters （ALT， AST， ALP， TBil， DBil， Alb， and glutathione reductase）， and the renal function marker urea nitrogen （all P<0.05）， and in terms of coagulation function parameters， there were significant increases in prothrombin time， activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT）， thrombin time， and international normalized ratio （INR） and significant reductions in prothrombin activity （PTA） and fibrinogen （FIB） （all P<0.05）. Compared with the DPMAS+LPE group， the CA280+LPE group showed better improvements in the serum cytokines IL-8 （Z=-2.63， P=0.009）， IL-10 （Z=-3.94， P<0.001）， and TNF-α （Z=-1.53， P=0.023）， and the two artificial liver support systems had a similar effect in improving liver function （ALT， AST， GGT， GR， TBil， and DBil） （all P >0.05）， but the CA280+LPE group showed a significantly greater reduction in Alb （Z=-2.08， P=0.037）. CA280+LPE was more effective in reducing uric acid （Z=-2.97， P=0.003）. Compared with DPMAS+LPE， CA280+LPE treatment resulted in a significant reduction in INR （Z=-4.01， P<0.001）， a significant increase in APTT （Z=-2.53， P=0.011）， and significant greater increases in PTA （Z=-6.28， P<0.001） and FIB （Z=-3.93， P<0.001）. There were no significant differences in the incidence rates of adverse reactions and the rate of improvement at discharge between the two groups （all P>0.05）. The Spearman correlation analysis showed that IL-6 was significantly correlated with WBC （r=0.22， P=0.042）， TBil （r=0.29， P=0.005）， and FIB （r=-0.33， P=0.003）； IL-8 was positively correlated with APTT （r=0.37， P<0.001） and INR （r=0.25， P=0.013）； TNF-α was significantly correlated with WBC （r=0.40， P<0.001） and TBil （r=0.34， P<0.001）. ConclusionCompared with DPMAS， CA280 combined with LPE can effectively clear proinflammatory cytokines and improve liver function in ACLF patients， but it has a certain impact on Alb and coagulation function. This regimen provides a new option for the individualized treatment of ACLF and can improve the short-term prognosis of patients， but further studies are needed to verify its long-term efficacy.

Objective To establish a method for the determination of mercury, methylmercury (MeHg) and ethylmercury (EtHg) in the hair of mercury-exposed individuals using high performance liquid chromatography-atomic fluorescence spectrometry. Methods About 0.20 g of hair was mixed with 5.0 mL of hydrochloric acid to a concentration of 5.00 mol/L. After standing for 12 hours, ultrasonic extraction was carried out for 30 minutes at room temperature. Ammonia solution was added dropwise into 2.0 mL supernatant after centrifuge to adjust the pH to 4-5. The solution was diluted to 10.0 mL with pure water after mixed with 0.2 mL of L-cysteine with a mass concentration of 10.0 g/L. The mobile phase consisted of 5.0% methanol + a mass concentration of 0.06 mol/L ammonium acetate + a 0.1% L-cysteine, and was used for separation by a C₁₈ liquid chromatography column, followed by detection using atomic fluorescence spectrometry after UV digestion. Results The linear relationship of mercury, MeHg and EtHg in human hair was good at mass concentrations of 0.0-10.0 μg/L, with all correlation coefficients >0.999 0. The detection limit of mercury, MeHg and EtHg was 0.008, 0.008, and 0.010 μg/g, respectively. The within- and between- run relative standard deviations of the three forms of mercury were 1.6%-4.3% and 2.0%-5.6%, respectively, and the recovery rates were 94.0%-101.2%. Conclusion This method is simple, with low detection limit, high sensitivity, and good accuracy, and is suitable for the simultaneous determination of mercury, MeHg and EtHg in the hair of mercury-exposed individuals.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mutation and genetic evolution of drug resistance gene of A（H1N1） pdm09 influenza pandemic strain in 2023 in Huzhou City， Zhejiang Province. MethodsRespiratory tract specimens from 2 influenza monitoring hospitals were collected forA（H1N1） pdm09 influenza virus nucleic acid detection. Positive specimens were inoculated with MDCK cells for influenza virus isolation and sequencing. DNA Star 7.1 software and Mega 4.0 software were used to analyze the neuraminidase （NA） enzyme active site and the amino acid sites related to drug resistance in M2 protein. ResultsNucleotide homology and amino acid homology of NA between the isolated and the vaccine strains were 98.87%‒99.22% and 98.94%‒99.36%， respectively. The nucleotide homology range of M gene was 99.07% to 99.85%， and the amino acid homology range was 99.02%‒99.94%. The isolates and vaccine strains belong to the evolutionary clades of 6B.1A.5a.2a. The amino acids at the key sites of the enzyme activity center of NA were still highly conserved， and the 9 key amino acid sites related to NA inhibitor resistance did not change， but some mutations occurred at the non-enzyme active sites in some popular strains. The 5 amino acid sites related to drug resistance of M2 protein were not replaced， but the 31st amino acid sites changed from serine to asparagine. ConclusionThe A（H1N1） pdm09 pandemic strain in Huzhou in 2023 has high homology with the 2023‒2024 vaccine strain recommended by WHO. All endemic strains are resistant to amantadines.

Objective:To report the long-term outcomes of Chinese rectal cancer patients after adopting a Watch and Wait (W&W) strategy following neoadjuvant therapy (NAT).Methods:This multicenter, cross-sectional study was based on real-world data. The study cohort comprised rectal cancer patients who had achieved complete or near complete clinical responses (cCRs, near-cCRs) after NAT and were thereafter managed by a W&W approach, as well as a few patients who had achieved good responses after NAT and had then undergone local excision for confirmation of pathological complete response. All participants had been followed up for ≥2 years. Patients with distant metastases at baseline or who opted for observation while living with the tumor were excluded. Data of eligible patients were retrospectively collected from the Chinese Wait-and-Watch Data Collaboration Group database. These included baseline characteristics, type of NAT, pre-treatment imaging results, evaluation of post-NAT efficacy, salvage measures, and treatment outcomes. We herein report the long-term outcomes of Chinese rectal cancer patients after NAT and W&W and the differences between the cCR and near-cCR groups.Results:Clinical data of 318 rectal cancer patients who had undergone W&W for over 2 years and been followed up were collected from eight medical centers (Peking University Cancer Hospital, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Shanghai Changhai Hospital, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Liaoning Cancer Hospital, the First Hospital of Jilin University, and Yunnan Cancer Hospital.) The participants comprised 221 men (69.4%) and 107 women (30.6%) of median age 60 (26-86) years. The median distance between tumor and anal verge was 3.4 (0-10.4) cm. Of these patients, 291 and 27 had achieved cCR or near-cCR, respectively, after NAT. The median duration of follow-up was 48.4 (10.2-110.3) months. The 5-year cumulative overall survival rate was 92.4% (95%CI: 86.8%-95.7%), 5-year cumulative disease-specific survival (CSS) rate 96.6% (95%CI: 92.2%-98.5%), 5-year cumulative organ-preserving disease-free survival rate 86.6% (95%CI: 81.0%-90.7%), and 5-year organ preservation rate 85.3% (95%CI: 80.3%-89.1%). The overall 5-year local recurrence and distant metastasis rates were 18.5% (95%CI: 14.9%-20.8%) and 8.2% (95%CI: 5.4%-12.5%), respectively. Most local recurrences (82.1%, 46/56) occurred within 2 years, and 91.0% (51/56) occurred within 3 years, the median time to recurrence being 11.7 (2.5-66.6) months. Most (91.1%, 51/56) local recurrences occurred within the intestinal lumen. Distant metastases developed in 23 patients; 60.9% (14/23) occurred within 2 years and 73.9% (17/23) within 3 years, the median time to distant metastasis being 21.9 (2.6-90.3) months. Common sites included lung (15/23, 65.2%), liver (6/23, 26.1%), and bone (7/23, 30.4%) The metastases involved single organs in 17 patients and multiple organs in six. There were no significant differences in overall, cumulative disease-specific, or organ-preserving disease-free survival or rate of metastases between the two groups (all P>0.05). The 5-year local recurrence rate was higher in the near-cCR than in the cCR group (41.6% vs. 16.4%, P<0.01), with a lower organ preservation rate (69.2% vs. 88.0%, P<0.001). The success rates of salvage after local recurrence and distant metastasis were 82.1% (46/56) and 13.0% (3/23), respectively. Conclusion:Rectal cancer patients who achieve cCR or near-cCR after NAT and undergo W&W have favorable oncological outcomes and a high rate of organ preservation. Local recurrence and distant metastasis during W&W follow certain patterns, with a relatively high salvage rate for local recurrence. Our findings highlight the importance of close follow-up and timely intervention during the W&W process.

Objective:To report the long-term outcomes of Chinese rectal cancer patients after adopting a Watch and Wait (W&W) strategy following neoadjuvant therapy (NAT).Methods:This multicenter, cross-sectional study was based on real-world data. The study cohort comprised rectal cancer patients who had achieved complete or near complete clinical responses (cCRs, near-cCRs) after NAT and were thereafter managed by a W&W approach, as well as a few patients who had achieved good responses after NAT and had then undergone local excision for confirmation of pathological complete response. All participants had been followed up for ≥2 years. Patients with distant metastases at baseline or who opted for observation while living with the tumor were excluded. Data of eligible patients were retrospectively collected from the Chinese Wait-and-Watch Data Collaboration Group database. These included baseline characteristics, type of NAT, pre-treatment imaging results, evaluation of post-NAT efficacy, salvage measures, and treatment outcomes. We herein report the long-term outcomes of Chinese rectal cancer patients after NAT and W&W and the differences between the cCR and near-cCR groups.Results:Clinical data of 318 rectal cancer patients who had undergone W&W for over 2 years and been followed up were collected from eight medical centers (Peking University Cancer Hospital, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Shanghai Changhai Hospital, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Liaoning Cancer Hospital, the First Hospital of Jilin University, and Yunnan Cancer Hospital.) The participants comprised 221 men (69.4%) and 107 women (30.6%) of median age 60 (26-86) years. The median distance between tumor and anal verge was 3.4 (0-10.4) cm. Of these patients, 291 and 27 had achieved cCR or near-cCR, respectively, after NAT. The median duration of follow-up was 48.4 (10.2-110.3) months. The 5-year cumulative overall survival rate was 92.4% (95%CI: 86.8%-95.7%), 5-year cumulative disease-specific survival (CSS) rate 96.6% (95%CI: 92.2%-98.5%), 5-year cumulative organ-preserving disease-free survival rate 86.6% (95%CI: 81.0%-90.7%), and 5-year organ preservation rate 85.3% (95%CI: 80.3%-89.1%). The overall 5-year local recurrence and distant metastasis rates were 18.5% (95%CI: 14.9%-20.8%) and 8.2% (95%CI: 5.4%-12.5%), respectively. Most local recurrences (82.1%, 46/56) occurred within 2 years, and 91.0% (51/56) occurred within 3 years, the median time to recurrence being 11.7 (2.5-66.6) months. Most (91.1%, 51/56) local recurrences occurred within the intestinal lumen. Distant metastases developed in 23 patients; 60.9% (14/23) occurred within 2 years and 73.9% (17/23) within 3 years, the median time to distant metastasis being 21.9 (2.6-90.3) months. Common sites included lung (15/23, 65.2%), liver (6/23, 26.1%), and bone (7/23, 30.4%) The metastases involved single organs in 17 patients and multiple organs in six. There were no significant differences in overall, cumulative disease-specific, or organ-preserving disease-free survival or rate of metastases between the two groups (all P>0.05). The 5-year local recurrence rate was higher in the near-cCR than in the cCR group (41.6% vs. 16.4%, P<0.01), with a lower organ preservation rate (69.2% vs. 88.0%, P<0.001). The success rates of salvage after local recurrence and distant metastasis were 82.1% (46/56) and 13.0% (3/23), respectively. Conclusion:Rectal cancer patients who achieve cCR or near-cCR after NAT and undergo W&W have favorable oncological outcomes and a high rate of organ preservation. Local recurrence and distant metastasis during W&W follow certain patterns, with a relatively high salvage rate for local recurrence. Our findings highlight the importance of close follow-up and timely intervention during the W&W process.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) loci of PLCE1 gene and primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS) and its response to glucocorticoid therapy in Guangxi Zhuang children. Methods:It was a retrospective cohort study. One hundred and fifty-five Guangxi Zhuang children with PNS in the Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Ethnic Medical College from October 2020 to May 2022, and 100 healthy Zhuang children during the same period as controls were included. Four SNP loci including rs17109674, rs10786156, rs3740360 and rs2274224 of PLCE1 gene were selected and high-throughput sequencing was used to analyze the genotypes. Logistic regression analysis model was used to analyze the correlation between each SNP locus and onset of PNS and steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome. The SHEsis online software was used to analyze the link disequilibrium of each SNP locus, and construct the haploid type. Results:(1) Logistic regression analysis results showed that AC+CC genotype (AA as reference, OR=0.449, 95% CI 0.256-0.786, P=0.005), AC genotype (AA as reference, OR=0.354, 95% CI 0.188-0.667, P=0.001) and C allele gene (A as reference, OR=0.615, 95% CI 0.390-0.971, P=0.037) of rs3740360 were correlated with the risk of PNS in children. The genotypes and allele genes of rs17109674, rs10786156, rs3740360 and rs2274224 were not associated with the risk of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome in children (all P>0.05). (2) Strong linkage disequilibrium existed between rs10786156 and rs2274224 ( D'=0.702, r2=0.484). rs17109674 and rs10786156 ( D'=0.128, r2=0.007), rs17109674 and rs3740360 ( D'=0.142, r2=0.007), rs17109674 and rs2274224 ( D'=0.045, r2=0.001), rs10786156 and rs3740360 ( D'=0.255, r2=0.023), and rs3740360 and rs2274224 ( D'=0.281, r2=0.028) all had weak linkage disequilibrium. (3) The haploid AGCG ( OR=0.282, 95% CI 0.079-1.008, P=0.038), GGCC ( OR=0.327, 95% CI 0.111-0.967, P=0.034) and GGAG ( OR=4.616, 95% CI 1.179-18.069, P=0.016) were all correlated with the risk of PNS in children. Conclusions:AC genotype, AC+CC genotype, and C allele gene of rs3740360 SNP locus may reduce the risk of PNS in Guangxi Zhuang children. Haploid AGCG and GGCC may be associated with decreased incidence of PNS, while GGAG may be associated with increased incidence of PNS in Guangxi Zhuang children. The genotypes and alleles of 4 SNP loci are not associated with the risk of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome.

Recent studies have revealed great functional and structural heterogeneity in the ribbon-type synapses at the basolateral pole of the isopotential inner hair cell (IHC). This feature is believed to be critical for audition over a wide dynamic range, but whether the spatial gradient of ribbon morphology is fine-tuned in each IHC and how the mitochondrial network is organized to meet local energy demands of synaptic transmission remain unclear. By means of three-dimensional electron microscopy and artificial intelligence-based algorithms, we demonstrated the cell-wide structural quantification of ribbons and mitochondria in mature mid-cochlear IHCs of mice. We found that adjacent IHCs in staggered pairs differ substantially in cell body shape and ribbon morphology gradient as well as mitochondrial organization. Moreover, our analysis argues for a location-specific arrangement of correlated ribbon and mitochondrial function at the basolateral IHC pole.
Animals ; Artificial Intelligence ; Cochlea/metabolism* ; Hair Cells, Auditory, Inner ; Mice ; Mitochondria ; Synapses/metabolism*

Tripterygium wilfordii is a valuable medicinal plant rich in biologically active diterpenoids, but there are few studies on the origins of these diterpenoids in its secondary metabolism. Here, we identified three regions containing tandemly duplicated diterpene synthase genes on chromosomes (Chr) 17 and 21 of T. wilfordii and obtained 11 diterpene synthases with different functions. We further revealed that these diterpene synthases underwent duplication and rearrangement at approximately 2.3-23.7 million years ago (MYA) by whole-genome triplication (WGT), transposon mediation, and tandem duplication, followed by functional divergence. We first demonstrated that four key amino acids in the sequences of TwCPS3, TwCPS5, and TwCPS6 were altered during evolution, leading to their functional divergence and the formation of diterpene secondary metabolites. Then, we demonstrated that the functional divergence of three TwKSLs was driven by mutations in two key amino acids. Finally, we discovered the mechanisms of evolution and pseudogenization of miltiradiene synthases in T. wilfordii and elucidated that the new function in TwMS1/2 from the terpene synthase (TPS)-b subfamily was caused by progressive changes in multiple amino acids after the WGT event. Our results provide key evidence for the formation of diverse diterpenoids during the evolution of secondary metabolites in T. wilfordii.