Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of refractory nephrotic syndrome （RNS） in children. The first- generation rituximab is the most widely used in clinical practice； it shows definite efficacy in children with RNS， is recommended by guidelines， particularly for achieving a high remission rate in minimal change nephrosis， and can significantly reduce the cumulative use of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants. The second-generation ofatumumab has potential as an alternative treatment for patients who are intolerant or resistant to rituximab， while the third-generation obinutuzumab has shown efficacy in complex cases such as rituximab resistance or post-transplant recurrence. However， there is still controversy regarding the optimization of rituximab treatment dosage and whether ofatumumab and obinutuzumab offer greater advantages than rituximab for the treatment of RNS in children. The most common adverse reaction induced by anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies is infusion reactions， and long-term adverse events mainly include increased risks of sustained immunosuppression and infections. Rituximab has significant economic advantages for the treatment of RNS， but additional pharmacoeconomic research based on China’s healthcare environment is needed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of ofatumumab and obinutuzumab in this population. Given that the current use of ofatumumab and obinutuzumab in this field is considered off-label use， clinical application should only proceed after a rigorous evaluation of the patient’s benefits and risks.

OBJECTIVE: As an age-related neurodegenerative disease, the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) increases with age. Within the framework of traditional Chinese medicine, spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome (SKDS) is recognized as the most frequent MCI subtype. Due to the covert and gradual onset of MCI, in community settings it poses a significant challenge for patients and their families to discern between typical aging and pathological changes. There exists an urgent need to devise a preliminary diagnostic tool designed for community-residing older adults with MCI attributed to SKDS (MCI-SKDS). METHODS: This investigation enrolled 312 elderly individuals diagnosed with MCI, who were randomly distributed into training and test datasets at a 3:1 ratio. Five machine learning methods, including logistic regression (LR), decision tree (DT), naive Bayes (NB), support vector machine (SVM), and gradient boosting (GB), were used to build a diagnostic prediction model for MCI-SKDS. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, F1 score, and area under the curve were used to evaluate model performance. Furthermore, the clinical applicability of the model was evaluated through decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: The accuracy, precision, specificity and F1 score of the DT model performed best in the training set (test set), with scores of 0.904 (0.845), 0.875 (0.795), 0.973 (0.875) and 0.973 (0.875). The sensitivity of the training set (test set) of the SVM model performed best among the five models with a score of 0.865 (0.821). The area under the curve of all five models was greater than 0.9 for the training dataset and greater than 0.8 for the test dataset. The DCA of all models showed good clinical application value. The study identified ten indicators that were significant predictors of MCI-SKDS. CONCLUSION The risk prediction index derived from machine learning for the MCI-SKDS prediction model is simple and practical; the model demonstrates good predictive value and clinical applicability, and the DT model had the best performance. Please cite this article as: Ai YT, Zhou S, Wang M, Zheng TY, Hu H, Wang YC, Li YC, Wang XT, Zhou PJ. Development of a machine learning-based risk prediction model for mild cognitive impairment with spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome in the elderly. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(4): 390-397.
Humans ; Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnosis* ; Aged ; Male ; Female ; Machine Learning ; Spleen ; Aged, 80 and over ; Kidney ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Objective To explore the computed tomography angiography(CTA)and clinical features of Takayasu's arteritis(TA)with peripheral artery involvement.Methods In this retrospective study,CTA scan was performed in a total of 184 TA patients.TA patients were divided into two groups:60 patients within peripheral artery involvement(peripheral artery involvement group)and 124 patients without peripheral artery involvement(peripheral artery non-involvement group).The difference in comparison of clini-cal data and CTA findings were analyzed.Results A total of 194 peripheral arteries were involved in 60 patients.The most suscep-tible peripheral artery were axillary artery(52,26.8％),middle cerebral artery(26,13.4％)and femoral artery(22,11.3％).In the peripheral artery involvement group,the most common CTA manifestation was luminal stenosis(141,72.7％).The lumen dilata-tion,lumen stenosis with dilatation and wall calcification were not easy to be observed.The age and duration of disease in peripheral artery involvement group were significantly greater than those in peripheral artery non-involvement group(P＜0.05).The proportion of the peripheral artery involvement group in the active phase was significantly lower than that of the peripheral artery non-involvement group(P＜0.05).The incidence of pain in the limbs in peripheral artery involvement group was significantly higher than that in peripheral artery non-involvement group(P＜0.05).The utilization rate of tocilizumab in the peripheral artery involvement group was significantly higher than that in the peripheral artery non-involvement group(P＜0.05).Conclusion TA involving peripheral arteries is more common in patients with a long course of disease and in the inactive phase.Patients are prone to pain in their limbs.The CT A manifestations of these patients are also special,that is,the involved peripheral arteries are not prone to lumen dilatation and wall calcification.

Objective To construct a risk prediction model for postoperative delirium in elderly patients with primary liver cancer,and to validate its application value.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for 175 elderly patients with primary liver cancer who were admitted to Tianyou Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology from March 2020 to January 2023.The incidence rate of postoperative delirium was recorded,and the univariate and multivariate regression analyses was performed for factors that may affect the onset of delirium.A prediction model was constructed,and the clinical application value of the prediction model was analyzed and validated.The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups,and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups.The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed for factors that may affect the onset of delirium in elderly patients with primary liver cancer,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to investigate the value of the model in predicting the onset of delirium.Results Among the 175 elderly patients with primary liver cancer,41 experienced postoperative delirium,with an incidence rate of 23.43%.The univariate analysis showed that age,presence of more than two underlying diseases,Child-Pugh class of liver function,preoperative blood lactate,time of operation,preoperative hemoglobin,and preoperative serum albumin were associated with the onset of postoperative delirium(t=3.534,χ2=12.000,χ2=4.938,t=7.561,t=5.768,t=5.141,t=6.148,P<0.05).The multivariate logistic regression analysis of the factors with statistical significance in the univariate analysis showed that time of operation,preoperative hemoglobin,preoperative serum albumin,and age were included in the regression model(P<0.05),and they were independent risk factors for the onset of postoperative delirium in elderly patients with primary liver cancer.According to the results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis,a prediction model for postoperative delirium in elderly patients with primary liver cancer was constructed as follows:-2.222+3.678×time of operation-2.441×preoperative hemoglobin-3.904×preoperative serum albumin+1.807×age.The prediction performance of this model was analyzed,with an area under the ROC curve of 0.931(95%confidence interval:0.890-0.971,P<0.001)and an optimal cut-off value of-1.604(with a sensitivity of 87.80%and a specificity of 87.30%).A total of 56 elderly patients with primary liver cancer who underwent radical surgery in Tianyou Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology from February 2023 to June 2023 were enrolled in a prospective study for model validation.According to the above risk prediction model,there were 14 patients in the high-risk group and 42 patients in the low-risk group,and the high-risk group had a significantly higher incidence rate of postoperative delirium than the low-risk group(71.43%vs 11.90%,χ2=16.056,P<0.05).Conclusion Age,time of operation,preoperative serum albumin,and preoperative hemoglobin are important influencing factors for the onset of postoperative delirium in elderly patients with primary liver cancer.The risk prediction model based on these factors has a good prediction performance,which holds promise for further in-depth research.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of vorinostat （SAHA） on immune function in rats with Sjögren syndrome （SS） by regulating interleukin-6（IL-6）/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3）. METHODS SS model was constructed by complete/incomplete Freund’s adjuvant immune induction， and the rats with successful modeling were divided into model group， SAHA low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （25， 50， 100 mg/kg）， and high-dose SAHA+IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway activator group （100 mg/kg SAHA+0.05 mg/kg recombinant IL-6 protein）， with 10 rats in each group. Another 10 healthy rats were collected as the control group. Rats in each group were intraperitoneally injected with the corresponding drug/ normal saline， once a day， for consecutive 2 weeks. The water intake （1 d） and saliva flow （10 min） of rats in each group were measured， and the spleen index and submandibular gland index were measured； pathological changes in submandibular gland tissue were observed. The serum levels of interferon-γ （IFN-γ）， IL-17 and IL-10 were detected， and the differentiation of T lymphocyte subgroups in peripheral blood was also detected； the expressions of IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway-related proteins in submandibular gland were detected. RESULTS Compared with the control group， obvious focal infiltration of lymphocytes was observed in the submandibular gland tissue of rats in the model group， and the number of acinar cells was decreased significantly； the water intake， spleen index， pathological score of submandibular gland， serum levels of IFN-γ and IL-17， and the ratios of helper T cell 1 （Th1） and Th17 as well as the protein expression of IL-6 and the protein phosphorylation of STAT3 in submandibular gland were increased obviously （P＜0.05）； the saliva flow， submandibular gland index， serum level of IL-10 and regulatory T cell （Treg） ratio were obviously decreased （P＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， the damage to the submandibular gland in SAHA groups was relieved， the quantitative indexes were obviously improved in dose-dependent manner （P＜0.05）； recombinant IL-6 protein could reverse the improvement effect of SAHA on above indexes of rats （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS SAHA can relieve the injury of submandibular gland and regulate its immune function in SS rats， which may be related to inhibiting the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate whether long non-coding RNA(lncRNA) AW112010 can improve insulin resistance in aging adipocytes through the miR-204/POU2F2 signaling pathway.Methods:In vivo experiment: C57BL/6 mice were divided into young control group(4 months old) and aging model group(18 months old) based on body weight. The expression levels of AW112010, miR-204-5p, POU2F2, aging related indicators(p16, p21), and insulin signaling pathway genes [insulin receptor(INSR), insulin receptor substrate 1(IRS1), phosphatidylinositol kinase(PI3K), protein kinase B(AKT)] in epididymal adipose tissue were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR) and Western blotting. In vitro experiment: Using adriamycin(ADR) to induce 3T3-L1 aging adipocyte model, β-gal staining was used to observe cellular senescence, and miR-204 inhibitor and miR-204 mimic small interfering RNA were successfully constructed and transfected into 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Results:RT-qPCR and Western blot results showed that compared with the young group, the expression of AW112010 in the adipose tissue of aging mice was increased, while the expression of miR-204-5p was decreased. The expressions of POU2F2, p16, and p21 in the adipose tissue of aging mice were increased, while the expressions of INSR, IRS1, PI3K, GLUT4 mRNA and protein were decreased. The β-gal stainging results showed that the number of 3T3-L1 senescent adipocytes induced by ADR was significantly increased, and the expression levels of AW112010, POU2F2, p16, and p21 in ADR-induced senescent adipocytes were increased compared with the control group, while the expression levels of miR-204-5p, INSR, IRS1, PI3K, GLUT4 were decreased, and remaining glucose in the culture medium was increased. Compared with control, overexpression of miR-204 resulted in decreased expressions of aging indicators p16, p21, and target gene POU2F2 while the expressions of INSR and GLUT4 were increased.Conclusion:Upregulation of lncRNA AW112010 in adipocytes of aging mice may induce insulin resistance by targeting miR-204-5p/POU2F2/IRS1.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective To establish an improved simple and efficient method for isolation and culture of primary lung fibroblasts(LFB)from neonatal mice,and study their growth characteristics in vitro.Methods The lungs of 3-days-old mice or 8-weeks-old mice were taken under sterile conditions,and the stromal tissue was cut into 1mm3 tissue mass.High-glucose DMEM culture medium containing 10g/dl fetal bovine serum(FBS)or 20g/dl FBS was used for tissue adhesion culture.The LFB was purified by the differential time adhesion method,and the growth morphology and adherence state of the cells were observed dynamically under an inverted microscope.The primary LFB was identified by flow cytometry.The activity of the third-generation cell after culture was detected by CCK-8 assay.Results Lung tissues in mice at 3 days of age and 20g/dl FBS concentration cultured by the improved tissue mass adherent cultured method began to grow radially to the periphery on the 2nd day.On the day 7th,the cells growth density reached 90%,and the cell morphology was as a spindle.The CD140a positive and CD45 negative cells reached more than 90%after purification by differential time adhesion method,and the cells still maintain good cell activity after cultured for 3 generations.Conclusion The improved tissue adhesion method can obtain a large number of purified mice LFB with good activity simply and efficiently,which lays a foundation for the study of lung inflammation,tumors and in vitro efficacy of drugs.

Tripterifordin and neotripterifordin are important ent-kaurane diterpenoids in the Chinese medicinal herb Tripterygium wilfordii, possessing significant anti-HIV(human immunodeficiency virus) activity. On the basis of elucidating the natural biosynthetic pathways of these compounds, heterologous production with microbial cell factories can help to alleviate the reliance on plant resources and provide abundant raw materials for sustainable production. TwKO is the first CYP450 enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of tripterifordin and neotripterifordin. This study aimed to enhance the catalytic activity of TwKO by site-directed mutagenesis to benefit the production of tripterifordin and neotripterifordin in yeast. The AlphaFold DB established based on the AlphaFold 2 was employed to obtain the protein model of TwKO. According to multiple sequence alignments and principles of natural evolution, the key residues influencing the binding of TwKO to the substrate were identified. Subsequently, functional characterization of the mutants were conducted in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A total of 71 mutants were obtained, among which 11 and 11 mutants had the abilities of enhancing the production of 16α-hydroxy-ent-kaurenol and 16α-hydroxy-ent-kaurenoic acid, respectively. In addition, 10 mutants could increase the proportion of the oxidation product of 16α-hydroxy-ent-kaurenol. In particular, R304 was identified as a key residue affecting the catalytic specificity of TwKO, the mutation of which led to the specific prodiction of 16α-hydroxy-ent-kaurenol. This study was the first to reveal the key residue affecting the catalytic activity of TwKO and obtained the mutants with increased TwKO activity, lay a foundation for the biosynthesis of tripterifordin and neotripterifordin.
Tripterygium/chemistry* ; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed ; Diterpenes, Kaurane/chemistry* ; Plant Proteins/chemistry* ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/chemistry* ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism*

An 11-day-old female neonate was admitted for cough with mouth foaming and feeding difficulties. The laboratory results indicated hyperlactatemia, elevated markers of myocardial injury and inflammation, and high levels of acylcarnitine octanoylcarnitine and decanoylcarnitine in tandem mass spectrometry. Ultrasonography and MRI suggested cardiac insufficiency and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Whole exome sequencing showed that both the proband and her elderly sister had a compound heterozygous variant of c.1492dup (p.T498Nfs*13) and c.1376T>C (p.F459S) in the ATAD3A gene, inherited from their father and mother, respectively. The diagnosis of Harel-Yoon syndrome was confirmed. The proband and her sister were born with clinical manifestations of metabolic acidosis, hyperlactatemia, feeding difficulties, elevated markers of myocardial injury as well as cardiac insufficiency, and both died in early infancy.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Female ; Aged ; Mutation ; Hyperlactatemia ; ATPases Associated with Diverse Cellular Activities/chemistry* ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Mitochondrial Proteins/genetics*