1.Expression characteristics of galectin-3 in silicosis and its mechanism in promoting pulmonary fibrosis via TGF-β1/Smads pathway
Ying CAO ; Xuxi CHEN ; Shuyu GONG ; Ling ZHANG ; Yuqin YAO ; Wen DU
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(5):643-650
Background Silicosis, caused by inhalation of silica (SiO2) dust, remains the most prevalent occupational pneumoconiosis in China. While galectin-3 (Gal-3) is known to play pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic roles in various diseases, its specific mechanism in the pathogenesis of silicosis has not been fully clarified. Objective To investigate the role and underlying mechanisms of Gal-3 in silicosis using clinical samples of silicosis and a silicosis mouse model. Methods Lung nodule biopsy samples were collected from patients with stage III pneumoconiosis. Concurrently a silicosis mouse model was constructed via non-exposed tracheal intubation with instillation of a SiO2 suspension. The expression levels of Gal-3 mRNA and protein in the lung tissues of the silicosis model mice were then detected using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. Single-cell transcriptomic sequencing (scRNA-seq) was performed on both human and murine lung samples to analyze the expression of the Gal-3-encoding gene Lgals3 across different cell types. In vitro, RAW264.7 macrophages were treated with varying concentrations of SiO2 suspension for 24 h and 48 h; the expression levels of Gal-3 mRNA and protein were measured by RT-qPCR and Western blot. The Gal-3 inhibitor TD139 was used to intervene in the SiO2-induced in vitro macrophage model, and Western blot was used to detect the intracellular expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Finally, mouse embryonic lung fibroblasts NIH/3T3 and Mlg2908 were treated with varying concentrations of recombinant mouse Gal-3 protein (rmGal-3) for 48 h, and Western blot was used to detect the expression of fibrosis markers [(Collagen I, Collagen III, Fibronectin, and α smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)] and proteins associated with the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway. Results RT-qPCR and IHC staining showed that both the gene and protein expression levels of Gal-3 were significantly elevated at all consecutive time points in the silicosis mouse model (P < 0.05). scRNA-seq revealed that Lgals3 was aberrantly highly expressed in lung tissues from pneumoconiosis patients and silicosis mouse models, with the highest expression observed in macrophages. After treatment of macrophages with different concentrations of SiO2 for 24 h and 48 h, the mRNA and protein expression levels of Gal-3 were significantly upregulated compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Following TD139 intervention, the protein expression levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and TGF-β1 in dust-exposed macrophages were markedly downregulated (P < 0.0001). After 48 h of stimulation with rmGal-3, the protein expression levels of Collagen I, Fibronectin, and α-SMA in mouse embryonic lung fibroblasts (NIH/3T3 and Mlg2908) were significantly increased in all treatment groups compared with the control group (P < 0.01). Moreover, Gal-3 treatment markedly upregulated TGF-β1 protein expression in Mlg2908 cells and enhanced the phosphorylation levels of Smad2 and Smad3 (P < 0.0001). Conclusion Gal-3 is abnormally expressed in silicotic lung tissues, which primarily originates from macrophages, and inhibition of Gal-3 suppresses SiO2-induced inflammatory and pro-fibrotic responses. In addition, Gal-3 promotes fibroblast differentiation and extracellular matrix production by activating the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway.
2.Expression characteristics of galectin-3 in silicosis and its mechanism in promoting pulmonary fibrosis via TGF-β1/Smads pathway
Ying CAO ; Xuxi CHEN ; Shuyu GONG ; Ling ZHANG ; Yuqin YAO ; Wen DU
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(5):643-650
Background Silicosis, caused by inhalation of silica (SiO2) dust, remains the most prevalent occupational pneumoconiosis in China. While galectin-3 (Gal-3) is known to play pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic roles in various diseases, its specific mechanism in the pathogenesis of silicosis has not been fully clarified. Objective To investigate the role and underlying mechanisms of Gal-3 in silicosis using clinical samples of silicosis and a silicosis mouse model. Methods Lung nodule biopsy samples were collected from patients with stage III pneumoconiosis. Concurrently a silicosis mouse model was constructed via non-exposed tracheal intubation with instillation of a SiO2 suspension. The expression levels of Gal-3 mRNA and protein in the lung tissues of the silicosis model mice were then detected using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. Single-cell transcriptomic sequencing (scRNA-seq) was performed on both human and murine lung samples to analyze the expression of the Gal-3-encoding gene Lgals3 across different cell types. In vitro, RAW264.7 macrophages were treated with varying concentrations of SiO2 suspension for 24 h and 48 h; the expression levels of Gal-3 mRNA and protein were measured by RT-qPCR and Western blot. The Gal-3 inhibitor TD139 was used to intervene in the SiO2-induced in vitro macrophage model, and Western blot was used to detect the intracellular expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Finally, mouse embryonic lung fibroblasts NIH/3T3 and Mlg2908 were treated with varying concentrations of recombinant mouse Gal-3 protein (rmGal-3) for 48 h, and Western blot was used to detect the expression of fibrosis markers [(Collagen I, Collagen III, Fibronectin, and α smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)] and proteins associated with the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway. Results RT-qPCR and IHC staining showed that both the gene and protein expression levels of Gal-3 were significantly elevated at all consecutive time points in the silicosis mouse model (P < 0.05). scRNA-seq revealed that Lgals3 was aberrantly highly expressed in lung tissues from pneumoconiosis patients and silicosis mouse models, with the highest expression observed in macrophages. After treatment of macrophages with different concentrations of SiO2 for 24 h and 48 h, the mRNA and protein expression levels of Gal-3 were significantly upregulated compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Following TD139 intervention, the protein expression levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and TGF-β1 in dust-exposed macrophages were markedly downregulated (P < 0.0001). After 48 h of stimulation with rmGal-3, the protein expression levels of Collagen I, Fibronectin, and α-SMA in mouse embryonic lung fibroblasts (NIH/3T3 and Mlg2908) were significantly increased in all treatment groups compared with the control group (P < 0.01). Moreover, Gal-3 treatment markedly upregulated TGF-β1 protein expression in Mlg2908 cells and enhanced the phosphorylation levels of Smad2 and Smad3 (P < 0.0001). Conclusion Gal-3 is abnormally expressed in silicotic lung tissues, which primarily originates from macrophages, and inhibition of Gal-3 suppresses SiO2-induced inflammatory and pro-fibrotic responses. In addition, Gal-3 promotes fibroblast differentiation and extracellular matrix production by activating the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway.
3.The status and influencing factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients' fear of complications
Yuqin LIU ; Guixia HUO ; Shaobo LI ; Yumin LI ; Yunpeng LU ; Zichen ZHANG ; Qiuhui DU ; Mengdi NI ; Farong LIU ; Honghong JIA
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2025;60(17):2118-2124
Objective To investigate the status and influencing factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)patients' fear of complications,and to provide a reference for formulating targeted intervention measures.Methods From April to November 2024,370 patients with T2DM in 2 tertiary general hospitals in Daqing City were selected by convenience sampling method.General data questionnaire,Fear of Complications Questionnaire,Self-Perceived Burden Scale,Psychological Capital Questionnaire,Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale and Family Apgar Index Questionnaire were used for investigation.Univariate analysis and binary Logistic regression were performed to analyze the influencing factors.Results A total of 364 valid questionnaires were collected,with an effective recovery rate of 98.38%.The score of Fear of Complications Questionnaire was(23.47±7.47),and the incidence of fear of complications was 22.25%.Logistic regression analysis showed that medical payment methods,the number of complications,positive psychological capital and family care were the influencing factors of FoC in T2DM patients.Conclusion The fear of complications in T2DM patients is at a moderate level.Nursing staff should pay attention to the early assessment of patients' fear of complications,promptly identify and take effective measures to reduce the level of patients' fear of complications,improve their quality of life.
4.Dental diagnosis and treatment and obstructive sleep apnea screening
Yuqin LUO ; Lijun TAN ; Shufang DU ; Ding BAI ; Jie FENG
STOMATOLOGY 2025;45(2):146-150
Lots of patients with obstructive sleep apnea(OSA)are first recognized in dental institutions.In consideration of dental characteristics,we summarize advances in the application of screening methods for adult OSA patients based on oral examination,craniofacial structure,imaging examination,medical history,clinical symptoms,manifestation,populations at risk and questionnaires.Dental practitioners can screen and identify potential OSA patients,play a better role in the multidisciplinary of OSA,and help the pre-vention of OSA.
5.The status and influencing factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients' fear of complications
Yuqin LIU ; Guixia HUO ; Shaobo LI ; Yumin LI ; Yunpeng LU ; Zichen ZHANG ; Qiuhui DU ; Mengdi NI ; Farong LIU ; Honghong JIA
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2025;60(17):2118-2124
Objective To investigate the status and influencing factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)patients' fear of complications,and to provide a reference for formulating targeted intervention measures.Methods From April to November 2024,370 patients with T2DM in 2 tertiary general hospitals in Daqing City were selected by convenience sampling method.General data questionnaire,Fear of Complications Questionnaire,Self-Perceived Burden Scale,Psychological Capital Questionnaire,Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale and Family Apgar Index Questionnaire were used for investigation.Univariate analysis and binary Logistic regression were performed to analyze the influencing factors.Results A total of 364 valid questionnaires were collected,with an effective recovery rate of 98.38%.The score of Fear of Complications Questionnaire was(23.47±7.47),and the incidence of fear of complications was 22.25%.Logistic regression analysis showed that medical payment methods,the number of complications,positive psychological capital and family care were the influencing factors of FoC in T2DM patients.Conclusion The fear of complications in T2DM patients is at a moderate level.Nursing staff should pay attention to the early assessment of patients' fear of complications,promptly identify and take effective measures to reduce the level of patients' fear of complications,improve their quality of life.
6.Dental diagnosis and treatment and obstructive sleep apnea screening
Yuqin LUO ; Lijun TAN ; Shufang DU ; Ding BAI ; Jie FENG
STOMATOLOGY 2025;45(2):146-150
Lots of patients with obstructive sleep apnea(OSA)are first recognized in dental institutions.In consideration of dental characteristics,we summarize advances in the application of screening methods for adult OSA patients based on oral examination,craniofacial structure,imaging examination,medical history,clinical symptoms,manifestation,populations at risk and questionnaires.Dental practitioners can screen and identify potential OSA patients,play a better role in the multidisciplinary of OSA,and help the pre-vention of OSA.
7.Analysis of adverse events in cancer radiotherapy with the first carbon ion therapy system in China
Xiaoting QIANG ; Li ZHANG ; Xue WANG ; Ying QI ; Xiaoyue DU ; Rong LIU ; Xiaoyun MA ; Yuqin LIU ; Yajuan YANG ; Shuanghui LIU ; Shan ZHENG
Chinese Journal of Radiation Oncology 2023;32(10):907-913
Objective:To analyze the clinical adverse events of the first carbon ion therapy system in radiotherapy for cancer patients in China.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical trial monitoring data of the carbon ion therapy system obtained by the Pharmacovigilance Center of Gansu Province. A descriptive study was conducted on the demographic characteristics, radiotherapy techniques, irradiation site and dose parameters, postoperative follow-up, and adverse event information of 46 tumor patients who received carbon ion therapy and participated in the clinical trial in Wuwei Cancer Hospital, Gansu Province from November 2018 to February 2019. Frequency and percentage were used to describe and analyze the occurrence of adverse events after carbon ion therapy for cancer patients in different groups. All subjects who received radiotherapy were grouped according to the treatment dose and fractionation method.Results:The median age of the 46 patients was 47 years old, and the male to female ratio was 30∶16. There were 15, 5, 8, 9, and 9 patients with head and neck, chest, abdomen, pelvic cavity, and limb spinal tumors, respectively. The total duration of radiotherapy was 2-4 weeks for 10-16 times. There were 246 adverse events in 45 cases, with an incidence of 98%. No severe adverse events occurred. The adverse events definitely related to carbon ion devices accounted for 19.1%, and no severe adverse events related to carbon ion devices occurred. According to the evaluation criteria of common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE), the main adverse events were CTCAE grade 2 and below, with only 1 (2%) head and neck tumor patient (nasopharyngeal malignant tumor) experienced CTCAE grade 3 adverse events after treatment. In addition, 43 patients developed acute adverse reactions, with an incidence of 93%, mainly involving the skin, mucosa, eyes, ears, pharynx and esophagus, upper gastrointestinal tract, lower gastrointestinal tract (including pelvic cavity), lung, genitourinary tract, heart, central nervous system and hematology (white blood cells, platelets and neutrophils), etc. Conclusion:The adverse reactions of patients treated with the first carbon ion therapy system are mainly CTCAE grade 2 and below, and the clinical adverse events are mild and controllable.
8.Performance of rural practitioners of endoscopic cleaning and disinfection on the Early Diagnosis and Treatment Program for Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers
Jibin LI ; Wenqiang WEI ; Yuqin LIU ; Jialin WANG ; Shangchun JIA ; Shaokai ZHANG ; Liang QIAO ; Lingbin DU ; Jinyi ZHOU ; Yongzhen ZHANG ; Liwei ZHANG ; Guiqi WANG
Chinese Journal of Digestive Endoscopy 2023;40(3):212-217
Objective:To evaluate the performance of rural practitioners of endoscopic cleaning and disinfection participating in the Early Diagnosis and Treatment Program for Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers and to analyze the influencing factors.Methods:The questionnaires for skill assessment were designed based on the skill scheme and clinical practice of the Early Diagnosis and Treatment Program for Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers in rural China, and the App Early diagnosis, Early treatment was used as the examination platform. The practitioners in 539 county hospitals from 25 provinces participating in the program in 2019 were assessed for techniques and skills for endoscopic cleaning and disinfection and the excellence rate was calculated. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors for the examination. Results:A total of 1 671 endoscopic cleaning and disinfection practitioners participated in the assessment with the score of 73.41±16.60. The passing rate was 85.82%, and the excellence rate was 44.94%. Among all questions, the correct rate of "opportunistic screening flow chart" was the highest (98.21%), and that of "the evaluation index for mass screening" was the lowest (57.89%). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the excellence rate was high in practitioners who had a bachelor degree or above ( OR=1.627,95% CI:1.319-2.007, P<0.001), the career for 5 to <15 years (5 to <10 years: OR=1.329,95% CI:1.045-1.689, P=0.020; 10 to <15 years: OR=1.384,95% CI:1.026-1.867, P=0.033), working in eastern and central regions (eastern regions: OR=3.476,95% CI:2.368-5.103, P<0.001;central regions: OR=4.028,95% CI:2.679-6.057, P<0.001) and with full understanding of the screening scheme ( OR=1.547,95% CI:1.246-1.921, P<0.001) . Conclusion:Practitioners on the Early Diagnosis and Treatment Program for Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers in rural China have mastered the basic screening scheme and skills for endoscopic cleaning and disinfection. The education background, duration of the career, area and understanding of screening scheme are influencing factors for the excellence rate of endoscopic cleaning and disinfection.
9.Application and design of lymphoma dataset based on real-world research
Lan MI ; Meng WU ; Feier FENG ; Tingting DU ; Luersulitan REYIZHA ; Mengmeng LIN ; Mingfang NIU ; Yuqin SONG ; Yan XIE ; Jun ZHU
Chinese Journal of Medical Science Research Management 2023;36(1):18-23
Objective:Considering the large amount and poor quality of clinical data, this study aims to explore the establishment of high-quality research database and its role in real-world research by taking the establishment of lymphoma research database as an example.Methods:The expert opinions in the field of lymphoma were collected, and the relevant guidelines and standards were referenced to establish a standard medical knowledge dataset. The electronic diagnosis and treatment data of lymphoma patients treated in Peking University Cancer Hospital from February 2005 to December 2020 were retrospectively extracted, the deep Learning, natural language processing were adopted to build a dynamic intelligent information integration and processing system of " lymphoma database based on electronic medical record system - biological sample information database - extended genetic information database" .Results:The research database not only meets the research needs of clinical researchers, but also realizes the management of traces in the whole process of application, approval, traceability and analysis of hospital medical record data and biological sample data. The total number of research variables in the database was 668, and the structured variables accounted for 46.0%. On December 25, 2021, there were 68 687 lymphoma patients in the database, the ratio of male to female patients was 8/9, and the proportion of patients with ≥3 visits accounted for 23.0%. In addition, researchers can superimpose searches in the database according to the target conditions, display the targeted medical records according to research hypothesis, and then establish a research cohort, conducting statistical modeling, and mining data information.Conclusions:By integrating management processes and using new natural language artificial intelligence technology to establish a high-level evidence-based database, it is helpful for the interconnection and resource sharing of hospital information systems, so as to achieve the purpose of providing reliable and detailed data for real-world research.
10.Interpretation of management guidelines for preventing exposure to antineoplastics
Wei LIU ; Ziyang WU ; Guanhua DU ; Baohua LI ; Liyan MIAO ; Haiqing SONG ; Yuqin WANG ; Kehu YANG ; Xianglin ZHANG ; Yanhua ZHANG ; Yu ZHANG ; Zhu ZHU ; Jun ZHU ; Suodi ZHAI
Adverse Drug Reactions Journal 2023;25(3):133-137
Exposure to antineoplastics is a potential health threat. If improperly disposed, it will also cause environmental pollution, which is a medical safety issue worthy of attention. In order to improve the protection awareness of healthcare professionals exposed to antineoplastic drugs (medical personnels, drug transportation staffs, patients and their caregivers, etc.), standardize exposure protection operations, and reduce the risk and harm of occupational exposure, the Division of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Chinese Pharmacological Society, the Hospital Pharmacy Professional Committee of Chinese Pharmaceutical Association, the Oncology Society of Chinese Medical Association, the Nursing Branch of China International Exchange and Promotive Association for Medical and Healthcare, and Chinese Pharmacological Society Professional Committee of Drug-induced Diseases formulated the Management guidelines for preventing exposure to antineoplastics, which was published in the 1st issue of Chinese Journal of Cancer Research in 2023. The guideline was developed referring to the World Health Organization handbook for guideline development and other international methodologies and focused on the full-process management of antineoplastics in hospitals. Using the Delphi method, clinical questions and 14 recommendations were formulated. This paper interprets 14 recommendations, hoping to help promote the implementation of the guideline.

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