1.The dual regulatory effect of locoregional therapy on the tumor immune microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma: Mechanisms and combined treatment strategies
Enyu WANG ; Hongbo WANG ; Liou ZHANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(5):1198-1203
Locoregional therapy (LRT), including transarterial chemoembolization, transarterial radioembolization, and various ablation techniques, is an important treatment method for hepatocellular carcinoma. Many studies in recent years have confirmed that LRT has a dual regulatory effect on tumor immune microenvironment. While LRT induces immunogenic cell death, activates dendritic cell-mediated and T cell-driven immunity, and triggers systemic antitumor responses, it concomitantly upregulates the adenosine signaling pathway, promotes the accumulation of TREM2+ macrophages, and enhances the expression of immunosuppressive factors, thereby forming an immunosuppressive microenvironment. At present, the combination of LRT and immune checkpoint inhibitors has shown a promising future and has promoted the exploration of novel targets within treatment-associated immunosuppressive pathways, such as adenosine, TREM2⁺ macrophages, and IL-6. This article summarizes the dual regulatory effect of LRT on immune microenvironment and highlights that multi-omics techniques and clinical trials should be used in the future to decipher its dynamic alterations, in order to optimize combination strategies, realize individualized precise treatment, and improve the prognosis of patients.
2.Epidemiological characteristics and prediction of incidence trend of hepatitis E in Huai'an City in 2015-2024
Wenling XIA ; Hongbo ZHANG ; Yang LI ; Ben CAI ; Wenyi ZHANG ; Chunyu WAN ; Qiang GAO
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2026;37(4):26-30
Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of hepatitis E (HE) in Huai'an City from 2015 to 2024, and construct and validate the prediction effect of the Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) model, and to provide a scientific basis for HE prevention and control. Methods Data of reported HE cases in Huai'an City from January 2015 to December 2024 were extracted from the National Disease Control and Prevention Information System. Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the temporal, regional and population distribution characteristics of HE incidence. After data preprocessing, stationarity test and randomness test, the SARIMA model was constructed. The optimal model was selected by minimizing the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). The model performance was evaluated by adjusted R-squared (Adj R2) and root mean square error (RMSE). The monthly incidence rate of HE in Huai'an City in 2025 was predicted and compared with the actual incidence data to validate the model. Results A total of 1 713 HE cases were reported in Huai'an City from 2015 to 2024, showing a fluctuating upward trend. Huaiyin District (339 cases) and Lianshui County (334 cases) were high-incidence areas. The cases were mainly concentrated in people aged 45 and above (83.3%), males (gender ratio 2.37:1) and farmers (70.8%). The optimal model was SARIMA (1,1,1)×(2,0,1)12, with residual as white noise sequence. There was no statistical difference between the actual incidence and predicted value from January to August 2025 (P>0.05). Conclusion HE incidence in Huai'an has obvious aggregation and temporal fluctuation characteristics. The SARIMA model has a good prediction effect, which can provide reference for formulating targeted prevention and control strategies.
3.An electrostatically coupled polypeptide affinity multimodal chromatography medium for the purification of antibodies and their separation efficiency.
Yuxuan CHENG ; Liuyang WANG ; Kaixuan JIANG ; Songping ZHANG ; Hongbo YAN ; Jian LUO
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(8):3262-3274
As the need for antibody production rises, there is an urgent need to lower the costs and enhance the efficiency of the separation process. Currently, the chromatographic media used for antibody separation and purification often focus on individual properties of antibodies, such as affinity, hydrophobicity, and charge, leading to issues like low purification efficiency or inadequate adsorption capacity. To address this, an electrostatically coupled polypeptide affinity medium (FD7-3, 5-diaminobenzoic acid n-sepharose, FD7-DA-Sepharose) was developed for rapid purification of antibodies from cell culture supernatant. This medium utilized 3, 5-diaminobenzoic acid as a spacer to attach the heptapeptide-affinity ligand (FYEILHD, FD7) to agarose microspheres. Antibodies could be adsorbed through charge interactions with the carboxyl functional group of the FD7-DA-Sepharose spacer, while FD7 enhanced electrostatic coupling and affinity adsorption through synergistic effects, significantly increasing the adsorption capacity while maintaining the affinity and specificity. The influences of pH and ionic strength on adsorption capacity were investigated with human immunoglobulin as a model protein. The static adsorption capacity (Qm) of FD7-DA-Sepharose in the solution of pH 6.0 reached 67.73 mg/mL, representing a 52.68% increase compared with that (44.36 mg/mL) of the commercial Protein A affinity medium. Furthermore, the elution conditions for FD7-DA- Sepharose were mild (20 mmol/L PB, 0.5 mol/L NaCl, pH 6.0), in contrast to the harsh acidic elution (pH 2.7-3.6) typically associated with Protein A, which can damage antibody integrity. The FD7-DA-Sepharose medium was then employed to purify antibodies from cell culture supernatant, achieving the yield of 94.8% and the purity of 98.4%. The secondary structure of the purified antibody was determined by circular dichroism spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that FD7-DA-Sepharose enabled efficient purification of antibodies from cell culture supernatant, which provided a cost-effective solution (approximately one-third the price of commercial Protein A affinity medium) with gentle elution conditions that preserve the natural conformation of antibodies. This approach paves a novel, economical, and efficient way for the separation and purification of antibodies from cell culture supernatant.
Chromatography, Affinity/methods*
;
Static Electricity
;
Humans
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Sepharose/analogs & derivatives*
;
Peptides/chemistry*
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Adsorption
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Antibodies/isolation & purification*
4.Clinical predictive value of Ki67 proliferation index combined with serum Ctn for prognosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma
Dongyuan LAN ; Mingyu YANG ; Hao CHI ; Hongbo WANG ; Kecheng BAI ; Yingjia QIU ; Chengqiu SUI ; Daqi ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Endocrine Surgery 2025;19(4):514-520
Objective:To investigate the clinical predictive value of Ki67 proliferation index combined with preoperative serum Ctn for postoperative biochemical cure of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) .Methods:Clinical data were collected from Dec. 2008 to Dec. 2024 from 90 patients with surgically confirmed MTC at China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University. The optimal cut-off value for preoperative Ctn prediction of biochemical cure (171.18pg/mL) was determined by the ROC curve; the Ki67 proliferation index cut-off value was adopted from the international MTC grading system standard (5%). Patients were divided into three groups based on the above cutoff values: double-low group (Ki67 <5% and Ctn <171.18pg/mL, n=23), single-high group (Ki67 ≥5% and Ctn <171.18pg/mL or Ki67 <5% and Ctn ≥171.18pg/mL, n=49), and double-high group (Ki67 ≥5% and Ctn ≥171.18pg/mL, n=18). The Kaplan-Meier method (Log-Rank and Trend test) was used to compare the differences in biochemical cure rates between groups, and the Cox proportional risk model was used to analyze the risk factors affecting biochemical cure. Results:The correlation between preoperative Ctn and Ki67 proliferation index was not significant. The three groups differed significantly in gender, tumor distribution, tumor size, vascular invasion, N stage, TNM stage, and biochemical cure ( P<0.05), with the double-high group being significantly associated with larger tumors, later N stage and TNM stage, and lower biochemical cure ( P<0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the biochemical cure rate in the double-high, single-high, and double-low groups showed a stepwise improvement.Cox univariate analysis showed that tumor size, N stage, TNM stage, preoperative Ctn, and Ki67 combined with Ctn were risk factors for failure to biochemically cure; multivariate analysis confirmed that the double-high group was an independent risk factor ( P<0.05). In the single-high group, the biochemical cure rate of patients in the low Ki67-high Ctn group was lower than that of the high Ki67-low Ctn group and more malignant. Ki67 had less effect on biochemical cure and disease-free survival at the low Ctn level, and Ki67 was an independent risk factor for failure to biochemically cure at the high Ctn level ( P=0.023) and was significantly associated with disease-free survival ( P=0.004) . Conclusions:Serum Ctn is more sensitive than Ki67 index in predicting biochemical cure after MTC, and the correlation between the two was weak. Ki67 proliferation index alone has limited prognostic value, but combines with preoperative Ctn significantly optimize the prognostic assessment of patients.The role of Ki67 index varied at different Ctn levels.
5.Toxic effects of subacute exposure to pyrethrin on the nervous system of mice
Chan ZHANG ; Luolin BAO ; Fenglian ZENG ; Hongbo YANG ; Qian ZHANG ; Xuelin QUAN
Chinese Journal of Neuroanatomy 2025;41(5):556-564
Objective:To investigate the effects and mechanisms of subchronic exposure to pyrethrin on the mice nervous system.Methods:Twenty-four male mice were randomly divided into a control group,low-,medium-,and high-dose groups,and were exposed continuously for 28 days.The control group received corn oil.The general condi-tion of the mice was observed,and the body weight and brain organ coefficient were measured.Neurobehavioral tests were conducted after the exposure period.The histopathological changes of the hippocampus in mice were observed by HE and nissl staining.The activities of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),superoxide dismutase(SOD),catalase(CAT)and the contents of malondialdehyde(MDA),glutathione(GSH),acetylcholine(ACh)and glutamate(Glu)in brain tissue of mice were detected by biochemical kit.The Western blot was employed to measure the expression levels of kelch-like ech-associated protein 1(Keap1),nuclearfactorerythroid2-relatedfactor2(Nrf2),and heme oxygenase 1(HO-1)in brain tissue of mice.Results:Compared with the control group,the body weight of the mice in the high-dose group decreased,the brain organ coefficient increased,and the neurological function test showed that the mice had reduced autonomic activity,delayed nerve reflex,and impaired sensory and motor function.Histopathology showed that the hippocampal neurons in the middle-and high-dose groups presented with pyknosis,vacuolization,and disordered arrangement of the CA3 area.Biochemical analysis indicated that in the brain tissue of mice,the activity of LDH and the content of MDA were increased in the medium-and high-dose groups,while the activity of CAT and the content of GSH were decreased.The content of Glu was increased and the content of ACh was decreased.The activity of SOD was reduced in the low-,medium-,and high-dose groups.Western blot analysis showed that the expression of HO-1 and Nrf2 protein in the brain tissue of mice in the middle-and high-dose groups was down-regulated,while the expression of Keap1 protein in the high-dose group was up-regulated.Conclusion:Pyrethrin may cause damage to the nervous system by affecting the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway and neurotransmitter levels.
6.Optineurin restrains CCR7 degradation to guide type II collagen-stimulated dendritic cell migration in rheumatoid arthritis.
Wenxiang HONG ; Hongbo MA ; Zhaoxu YANG ; Jiaying WANG ; Bowen PENG ; Longling WANG ; Yiwen DU ; Lijun YANG ; Lijiang ZHANG ; Zhibin LI ; Han HUANG ; Difeng ZHU ; Bo YANG ; Qiaojun HE ; Jiajia WANG ; Qinjie WENG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(3):1626-1642
Dendritic cells (DCs) serve as the primary antigen-presenting cells in autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and exhibit distinct signaling profiles due to antigenic diversity. Type II collagen (CII) has been recognized as an RA-specific antigen; however, little is known about CII-stimulated DCs, limiting the development of RA-specific therapeutic interventions. In this study, we show that CII-stimulated DCs display a preferential gene expression profile associated with migration, offering a new perspective for targeting DC migration in RA treatment. Then, saikosaponin D (SSD) was identified as a compound capable of blocking CII-induced DC migration and effectively ameliorating arthritis. Optineurin (OPTN) is further revealed as a potential SSD target, with Optn deletion impairing CII-pulsed DC migration without affecting maturation. Function analyses uncover that OPTN prevents the proteasomal transport and ubiquitin-dependent degradation of C-C chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7), a pivotal chemokine receptor in DC migration. Optn-deficient DCs exhibit reduced CCR7 expression, leading to slower migration in CII-surrounded environment, thus alleviating arthritis progression. Our findings underscore the significance of antigen-specific DC activation in RA and suggest OPTN is a crucial regulator of CII-specific DC migration. OPTN emerges as a promising drug target for RA, potentially offering significant value for the therapeutic management of RA.
7.A cardiac magnetic resonance-based risk prediction model for left ventricular adverse remodeling following percutaneous coronary intervention for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a multi-center prospective study.
Zhenyan MA ; Xin A ; Lei ZHAO ; Hongbo ZHANG ; Ke LIU ; Yiqing ZHAO ; Geng QIAN
Journal of Southern Medical University 2025;45(4):669-683
OBJECTIVES:
To develop a risk prediction model for left ventricular adverse remodeling (LVAR) based on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
METHODS:
A total of 329 acute STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI at 8 medical centers from January, 2018 to December, 2021 were prospectively enrolled. The parameters of CMR, performed at 7±2 days and 6 months post-PCI, were analyzed using CVI42 software. LVAR was defined as an increase >20% in left ventricular end-diastolic volume or >15% in left ventricular end-systolic volume at 6 months compared to baseline. The patients were randomized into training (n=230) and validation (n=99) sets in a 7∶3 ratio. In the training set, potential predictors were selected using LASSO regression, followed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression to construct a nomogram. Model performance was evaluated using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves, area under the curve (AUC), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis.
RESULTS:
LVAR occurred in 100 patients (30.40%), who had a higher incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events than those without LVAR (58.00% vs 16.16%, P<0.001). Left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS; OR=0.76, 95% CI: 0.61-0.95, P=0.015) and left atrial active strain (LAAS; OR=0.78, 95% CI: 0.67-0.92, P=0.003) were protective factors for LVAR, while infarct size (IS; OR=1.05, 95% CI: 1.01-1.10, P=0.017) and microvascular obstruction (MVO; OR=1.26, 95% CI: 1.01-1.59, P=0.048) were risk factors for LVAR. The nomogram had an AUC of 0.90 (95% CI: 0.86-0.94) in the training set and an AUC of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.81-0.94) in the validation set.
CONCLUSIONS
LVGLS, LAAS, IS, and MVO are independent predictors of LVAR in STEMI patients following PCI. The constructed nomogram has a strong predictive ability to provide assistance for management and early intervention of LVAR.
Humans
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Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
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Prospective Studies
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ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction/diagnostic imaging*
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Ventricular Remodeling
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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Male
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Female
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Middle Aged
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Risk Factors
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Aged
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Risk Assessment
8.Pirfenidone inhibits bladder cancer xenograft growth in mice by regulating regulatory T cells.
Hongbo ZHANG ; Mengyu YAN ; Jiandong ZHANG ; Peiwang SUN ; Rui WANG ; Yuanyuan GUO
Journal of Southern Medical University 2025;45(7):1513-1518
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the inhibitory effect of pirfenidone (PFD) on growth of bladder cancer xenograft and its regulatory effect on Treg cells in tumor-bearing mice.
METHODS:
Thirty-two C57BL/6 mice bearing ectopic bladder tumors were randomized into control and PFD groups (n=16). In PFD group, PFD was administered orally at the daily dose of 500 mg/kg, and tumor growth and survival of the mice were monitored. After treatment for 21 days, the tumors and vital organs were harvested for analysis. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess CD3, CD4, CD8, and FOXP3 expressions in the tumors. Flow cytometry and RT-qPCR were used to analyze the percentage of CD4⁺CD25⁺FOXP3⁺ Treg cells and IL-2, IL-10, and IL-35 expressions in the tumors and spleens; organ damage of the mice was examined with HE staining.
RESULTS:
Compared with the control group, the PFD-treated mice exhibited significantly lower tumor growth rate with smaller tumor volumes at day 21, along with improved survival at day 28. Immunohistochemistry revealed no significant differences in the infiltration of CD3⁺ and CD8⁺ cells between the two groups, but the percentages of CD4⁺ and FOXP3⁺ cells were significantly lower in the tumors of PFD-treated mice. Flow cytometric analysis confirmed a decrease in CD4⁺CD25⁺FOXP3⁺ Treg cells in the tumors from PFD-treated mice, which also had reduced expression levels of IL-2, IL-10 and IL-35 mRNAs in the tumors. No significant differences were found in Treg cell populations or cytokine expressions in the spleen tissues between the two groups. HE staining showed obvious organ damage in neither of the groups.
CONCLUSIONS
PFD inhibits bladder cancer growth and enhances survival of tumor-bearing mice possibly by suppressing Treg cells in the tumor microenvironment.
Animals
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Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/drug therapy*
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Mice
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T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/metabolism*
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Interleukins/metabolism*
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Interleukin-10/metabolism*
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Cell Line, Tumor
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Interleukin-2/metabolism*
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Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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Female
9.A case report of acute kidney injury associated with pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor injection
Hong ZHONG ; Hongbo QIU ; Xuanyi ZHANG ; Wenqiang KONG
Chinese Journal of Pharmacoepidemiology 2025;34(9):1104-1107
A 58-year-old female patient with breast cancer received treatment with pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor(PEG-rhG-CSF)injection after adjuvant chemotherapy.The serum creatinine level of the patient gradually increased from the normal baseline value to 199.3 μmol·L-1.The patient was diagnosed as acute kidney injury(AKI),after stopping the medication and providing symptomatic treatment,the patient's renal function gradually improved.The patient completed subsequent chemotherapy as planned without reusing PEG-rhG-CSF injection,and other medications and dosages remained unchanged.Renal function remained stable during follow-up.Naranjo's Assessment Scale was used to evaluate the association between PEG-rhG-CSF injection and AKI,the result was"probable."There are few reports of AKI occuring with PEG-rhG-CSF injection,and this case provides evidence for clinical safe medication.
10.Research status of digital twin in the field of nursing
Jiaqing YAN ; Liang ZHANG ; Hongbo ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing 2025;31(11):1528-1533
As an emerging concept, digital twin is a digital representation of physical objects. Due to its ability to accurately capture and present the physical world, it has been widely applied in multiple fields. Moreover, it also has good development prospects and potential in the field of nursing. This article reviews the application status of digital twin and its applications in chronic disease nursing, nursing management, clinical teaching, etc., aiming to provide references for the development and application of digital twin in the nursing field. It is expected that digital twin can better support doctors and patients in making clinical decisions in various ways, and achieve patient-centered, precise, and personalized nursing care.


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