1.Exploration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Characteristics in A Heart Failure Model Induced by Coronary Artery Ligation Based on Method of Syndrome Identification by Prescription Efficacy
Xiaoqian LIAO ; Peiyao LI ; Xingyu FAN ; Zhenyu ZHAO ; Junyu ZHANG ; Yuehang XU ; Zhixi HU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):169-177
Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a major global public health problem, and myocardial infarction is one of its main causes. The mouse model of heart failure induced by coronary artery ligation is widely used in the study of CHF, while the TCM syndrome attributes of this model have not yet been clarified. According to the theory of correspondence between prescriptions and syndromes, the method of syndrome identification by prescription efficacy is an important means of current syndrome research of animal models. This method deduces the syndrome characteristics of animal models through prescription efficacy. Taking the four basic syndrome elements of Qi, blood, Yin and Yang as the classification reference, this study used coronary artery ligation to construct a mouse model of CHF and treated the model with four representative TCM injections with the effects of replenishing Qi, warming Yang, nourishing Yin, and activating blood and enalapril. Echocardiography, tongue color parameters, histopathology, serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and cardiac troponin Ⅰ (cTnⅠ) levels, and systematically explored the TCM syndrome attributes of this model. The results showed that the coronary ligation model presented an obvious cardiac function decline, myocardial fibrosis, infarct size expansion, and purple dark tongue, which were consistent with the basic syndrome characteristics of blood stasis in CHF. Danhong injection had significant effects of improving the cardiac function, alleviating myocardial fibrosis, and reducing serum NT-proBNP and cTnⅠ levels. Huangqi Injection and Shenfu injection can improve the cardiac function and tongue color parameters, with limited effects. The effect of Shenmai injection group was not obvious. This study verifies that the established model conforms to blood stasis syndrome through the method of syndrome identification by prescription efficacy, which provides an experimental basis for the study of TCM syndrome mechanism of CHF.
2.Myocardial Metabolomics Reveals Mechanism of Shenfu Injection in Ameliorating Energy Metabolism Remodeling in Rat Model of Chronic Heart Failure
Xinyue NING ; Zhenyu ZHAO ; Mengna ZHANG ; Yang GUO ; Zhijia XIANG ; Kun LIAN ; Zhixi HU ; Lin LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):178-186
ObjectiveTo examine the influences of Shenfu injection on the endogenous metabolic byproducts in the myocardium of the rat model exhibiting chronic heart failure, thus deciphering the therapeutic mechanism of the Qi-reinforcing and Yang-warming method. MethodsSD rats were randomly allocated into a control group and a modeling group. Chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome in rats was modeled by multi-point subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol, and the rats were fed for 14 days after modeling. The successfully modeled rats were randomized into model, Shenfu injection (6.0 mL·kg-1), and trimetazidine (10 mg·kg-1) groups and treated with corresponding agents for 15 days. The control group and the model group were injected with equal doses of normal saline, and the samples were collected after the intervention was completed. Cardiac color ultrasound was performed. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe histopathological morphology, and the serum level of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mitochondrial morphological and structural changes of cardiomyocytes were observed by transmission electron microscopy, and the metabolic profiling was carried out by ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quantitative exactive-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QE-MS). Differential metabolites were screened and identified by orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and other methods, and then the MetaboAnalyst database was used for further screening. The relevant biological pathways were obtained through pathway enrichment analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was established to evaluate the diagnostic value of each potential biomarker for myocardial injury and the evaluation value for drug efficacy. ResultsThe results of color ultrasound showed that Shenfu Injection improved the cardiac function indexes of model rats (P<0.05). The results of HE staining showed that Shenfu injection effectively alleviated the pathological phenomena such as myocardial tissue structure disorder and inflammatory cell infiltration in model rats. The results of ELISA showed that Shenfu injection effectively regulated the serum NT-proBNP level in the model rats. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that Shenfu injection effectively restored the mitochondrial morphological structure. The results of metabolomics showed that the metabolic phenotypes of myocardial samples presented markedly differences between groups. Nine differential metabolites could be significantly reversed in the Shenfu injection group, involving three metabolic pathways: pyruvate metabolism, histidine metabolism, and citric acid cycle (TCA cycle). The results of ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) values of all metabolites were between 0.75 and 1.0, indicating that the differential metabolites had high diagnostic accuracy for myocardial injury, and the changes in their expression levels could be used as potential markers for efficacy evaluation. ConclusionShenfu injection significantly alleviated the damage of cardiac function, myocardium, and mitochondrial structure in the rat model of chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome by ameliorating energy metabolism remodeling. Reinforcing Qi and warming Yang is a key method for treating chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome.
3.Development of assessment indicators for healthcare-associated infection and public health emergency response capacity
Yanting WANG ; Qingfeng SHI ; Zhenyu WANG ; Limeng YAN ; Peng HU
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2026;38(5):361-366
ObjectiveTo construct an evaluation index system for public health emergency response capacity within the healthcare-associated infection prevention and control systems using the Delphi method, and to provide a basis for infection control management in municipal hospitals. MethodsBased on literature analyses and theoretical researches, a preliminary evaluation index system for response capacity was constructed. The Delphi method was employed to conduct two rounds of consultation with 17 experts. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to calculate the weights of the indicators. ResultsThe effective questionnaire return rates for both rounds of expert consultation were 100%. The expert authority coefficients for the first and second rounds were 0.97 and 0.95, respectively. Kendall’s W coefficients ranged from 0.31 to 0.58 in the first round and from 0.45 to 0.58 in the second round, with all differences being statistically significant (P<0.01). After two rounds of expert consultation, the municipal-level hospital infection prevention and control system emergency response capacity evaluation index system was finalized, comprising 5 first-level indicators, 18 second-level indicators and 59 third-level indicators. ConclusionThe constructed public health emergency response capacity evaluation index system for municipal-level hospital infection prevention and control systems demonstrates strong scientific rigor, reliability, and practicality, providing a theoretical foundation and valuable reference for enhancing the infection prevention and control capacity of municipal-level hospitals.
4.Development of a machine learning-based preoperative prediction model for spread through air spaces in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma
Kai CHU ; Xinrong XU ; Zhenyu LIU ; Qinglin REN ; Wenbo HE ; Minlu HU ; Xiaolin WANG ; Yusheng SHU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2026;33(08):1212-1221
Objective To develop and validate a machine learning model based on preoperative clinical characteristics, laboratory indices, and radiological features for the non-invasive prediction of spread through air spaces (STAS) in patients with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. Methods Preoperative data from patients with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma who underwent surgical resection at Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital between January 2020 and August 2025 were retrospectively collected. The data included clinical characteristics, laboratory indices, and radiological features. Patients were divided into a STAS-positive and a STAS-negative group based on postoperative pathological findings. The dataset was randomly split into a training set and a testing set at a 7 : 3 ratio. Feature variables were selected using the maximum relevance and minimum redundancy (mRMR) algorithm and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression. Five machine learning models were constructed: logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). Model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and decision curve analysis (DCA). The shapley additive explanations (SHAP) method was employed to interpret the optimal prediction model. Results A total of 377 patients were included, comprising 177 (46.9%) males and 200 (53.1%) females, with a mean age of (63.31±9.73) years. There were 261 patients in the training set and 116 patients in the testing set. In the training set, statistically significant differences were observed between the STAS-positive group (n=130) and STAS-negative group (n=131) across multiple features, including age, sex, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), clinical T stage, and maximum solid component diameter (P<0.05). A final set of 10 feature variables was selected by combining mRMR and LASSO regression, and five machine learning models (LR, RF, SVM, LightGBM, XGBoost) were developed. The XGBoost model demonstrated optimal performance in both the training and testing sets, achieving AUCs of 0.947 [95%CI (0.920, 0.975)] and 0.943 [95%CI (0.894, 0.993)], respectively. DCA indicated that the XGBoost model provided a high net clinical benefit across a wide range of threshold probabilities. SHAP analysis revealed that the vessel convergence sign, clinical T stage, age, consolidation-to-tumor ratio (CTR), and MLR were the features with the highest contributions to STAS prediction. Conclusion The XGBoost model effectively predicts preoperative STAS status in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma, exhibiting excellent discriminative performance and good clinical interpretability. Key predictors such as the vessel convergence sign, clinical T stage, age and CTR provide a crucial reference for preoperative risk assessment and the individualized selection of surgical strategies, ultimately benefiting patients.
5.Shenfu Injection Improve Chronic Heart Failure by Regulates Glycolytic Pathway Mediated by HIF-1α/PFKFB3 Pathway
Ji OUYANG ; Kun LIAN ; Xiaoqian LIAO ; Lichong MENG ; Lin LI ; Zhenyu ZHAO ; Zhixi HU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(16):136-145
ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the mechanism and targets of Shenfu Injection in regulating glycolysis to intervene in myocardial fibrosis in chronic heart failure based on the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/ 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) signaling pathway. MethodsA rat model of chronic heart failure was established by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol (ISO). After successful modeling, the rats were randomly divided into the Sham group, Model group, Shenfu injection (SFI, 6 mL·kg-1) group, and inhibitor (3PO, 35 mg·kg-1) group, according to a random number table, and they were treated for 15 days. Cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography, and serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Fasting body weight and heart weight were measured, and the heart index (HI) was calculated. Pathological changes in myocardial tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Masson staining, and the fibrosis rate was calculated. Biochemical assays were used to determine serum levels of glucose (GLU), lactic acid (LA), and pyruvic acid (PA). Western blot was used to analyze the expression of proteins related to the HIF-1α/PFKFB3 signaling pathway (HIF-1α and PFKFB3), glycolysis-related proteins (HK1, HK2, PKM2, and LDHA), and fibrosis-related proteins [transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and Collagen type Ⅰ α1 (ColⅠA1)]. Real-time PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of HIF-1α and PFKFB3 in myocardial tissue. ResultsCompared with the Sham group, the Model group showed significantly decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular shortening fraction (LVFS), interventricular septal thickness (IVSd), and interventricular septal strain (IVSs) (P<0.05), while left ventricular internal dimension at end-diastole (LVDd) and end-systole (LVIDs) were increased (P<0.05). Serum NT-proBNP levels were significantly increased (P<0.01), and body weight was decreased. Heart weight was increased, and the HIT index was increased (P<0.05). Myocardial tissue exhibited inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber deposition, and the fibrosis rate was significantly increased (P<0.05). Serum GLU was decreased (P<0.05), while LA and PA levels were increased (P<0.05). Protein expressions of HIF-1α, PFKFB3, HK1, HK2, PKM2, LDHA, TGF-β1, α-SMA, and ColⅠA1, as well as the mRNA expression of HIF-1α and PFKFB3 were increased (P<0.05). Compared with the Model group, both the SFI group and 3PO groups showed significant improvements in LVEF, LVFS, IVSd, and IVSs (P<0.05) and decreases in LVDd, LVIDs, and NT-proBNP levels (P<0.05). Body weight was significantly increased. Heart weight was significantly decreased, and the HIT index was significantly decreased (P<0.05). Inflammatory cell infiltration, collagen fiber deposition, and the fibrosis rate were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Serum GLU levels were significantly increased (P<0.05), while LA and PA levels were decreased (P<0.05). Expressions of glycolysis-related proteins, fibrosis-related proteins, and HIF-1α/PFKFB3 pathway-related proteins and mRNAs were significantly suppressed (P<0.05). ConclusionSFI improves cardiac function in chronic heart failure by downregulating the expression of HIF-1α/PFKFB3 signaling pathway-related proteins, regulating glycolysis, and inhibiting myocardial fibrosis.
6.N-terminal domain of Rep encoded by beet severe curly top virus mediates suppression of RNA silencing and induces VIM5 expression.
Jingyu XU ; Jianxin LU ; Zhenyu YU ; Meijie HU ; Chengkai GUO ; Zhongqi QIU ; Zhongqi CHEN
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(10):3956-3968
Geminiviruses cause substantial crop yield losses worldwide. The replication initiator protein (Rep) encoded by geminiviruses is indispensable for geminiviral replication. The Rep protein encoded by beet severe curly top virus (BSCTV, genus Curtovirus, family Geminiviridae) induces VARIANT IN METHYLATION 5 (VIM5) expression in Arabidopsis leaves upon BSCTV infection. VIM5 functions as a ubiquitination-related E3 ligase to promote the proteasomal degradation of methyltransferases, resulting in reduction of methylation levels in the BSCTV C2-3 promoter. However, the specific domains of Rep responsible for VIM5 induction remain poorly characterized. Although Rep proteins from several geminiviruses act as viral suppressors of RNA silencing (VSRs), whether BSCTV Rep also possesses VSR activity remains to be illustrated. In this study, we employed a transient expression system in the 16c-GFP transgenic and the wild-type Nicotiana benthamiana plants to analyze the VSR and the VIM5-inducing activities of different truncated Rep proteins haboring distinct domains. We found that the N-terminal domain (amino acids 1-180) of Rep suppressed GFP silencing in 16c-GFP transgenic N. benthamiana leaves. The minimal N-terminal fragment (amino acids 1-104) induced VIM5 expression upon co-infiltration, while C-terminal truncations lacked VIM5-inducing activity. Our results indicate that the N-terminal domain of Rep encoded by BSCTV mediates the suppression of RNA silencing and induces VIM5 expression. Thus, our findings contribute to a better understanding of interactions between geminiviral Rep and plant hosts.
Geminiviridae/genetics*
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Nicotiana/metabolism*
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Arabidopsis/metabolism*
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RNA Interference
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Viral Proteins/metabolism*
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Arabidopsis Proteins/metabolism*
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Plants, Genetically Modified/metabolism*
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Protein Domains
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Plant Diseases/virology*
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Methyltransferases/metabolism*
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Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism*
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DNA Helicases/genetics*
7.To explore the rule of diagnosis and treatment of chronic heart failure from "disease - syndrome - symptom - stage - molecular phenotype"
Kun LIAN ; Lichong MENG ; Ying DENG ; Zhenyu ZHAO ; Lin LI ; Zhixi HU
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;47(2):150-156
It is of great significance to study the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of chronic heart failure. This study took the name of Western medicine disease as the main line, took TCM syndromes as the aim, combined the symptoms, signs, stages and molecular phenotype, and explored the diagnosis and treatment law of the disease. It is believed that chronic heart failure includes the syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis, yang deficiency and blood stasis, qi-yin deficiency, heart-kidney yang deficiency and yang deficiency water syndrome. There were many clinical manifestations such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, fatigue, limb edema and pulse knot. It involved many pathological mechanisms and molecular phenotype such as myocardial fibrosis, inflammatory response and myocardial cell injury. Treatment should be divided into early, middle and late stages according to the characteristics of "disease - syndrome - symptom- stage- molecular phenotype".
8.Effectiveness of group skills training intervention on social ability of high functional autism spectrum disorder children
HU Shasha, ZHAO Xiao, ZHU Zhenzhen, LIU Xiaoli, WANG Rong, HU Zhenyu, ZHANG Wenwu
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(2):167-171
Objective:
To evaluate the intervention efficacy of integrated group social skills training on social ability in school age patients with high functioning ASD, so as to provide a reference for improving social skills in children with high functioning ASD.
Methods:
From January 2021 to December 2023, 62 children aged 7-12 with high functioning ASD who visited the Children s Psychiatry Outpatient Department of the Affiliated Kangning Hospital of Ningbo University were recruited, and were randomly divided into a training ( n =31) and a control group ( n =31) by a random number table method. The training group received a 20 week structured group social training program (mental interpretation courses and social courses), while the control group received only conventional treatment. Chinese version of Griffith Empathy Measure Parent Ratings (GEM-PR) and Social Response Scale (SRS) were used to assess the symptoms of social deficits before and after treatment. Emotional face recognition tasks and eye movement trajectories were used to test the characteristics of social visual attention in children with ASD. Group comparison was conducted using t-test and Mann-Whitney U test.
Results:
At baseline, there were no significant differences in GEM-PR score ( t = -1.20 to -0.81), SRS score ( t =-0.36-1.75), emotional face recognition accuracy and reaction time ( t =-0.58-1.85), and eye movement trajectory ( U/t =-1.63-0.29) between the two group ( P >0.05). After intervention, the total GEM-PR score and empathic cognitive factor score of training group [18.00(10.00,24.00),9.00(8.00,13.00)] were significantly higher than those of the control group [12.00(-1.00,18.00),2.00(-2.00,7.00)], and the total SRS score and social cognition, social perception, social communication, social motivation (73.23±14.20, 16.16±2.72, 6.58±2.50, 24.29±5.61, 9.52±3.73) were significantly lower than those of the control group (95.26±15.29, 19.90±2.84, 12.58±2.49,31.94±6.38, 13.74±4.81) ( U/t =-2.38, -4.59; -5.88, -5.29, -9.47, -5.01, -3.87, P <0.05). The overall correct rate of emotional face recognition and the correct rate of angry, fearful and neutral faces recognition in the training group [(81.55±6.62)%,(76.86±12.06)%,(79.61±12.42)%,(94.27±6.26)%] were significantly higher than the control group [(70.55±13.82)%,(62.82±18.77)%,(67.18±18.85)%,(79.60±20.05)%], and the average reaction time [(2 226.70±274.43)ms] was lower than the control group [(2 417.27±324.10)ms] (t=4.00, 3.50, 3.07, 3.89, -2.42, P<0.05). The time to first eye gaze [764.74 (748.64, 793.73) ms] in the training group was significantly lower than that in the control group [810.92 (782.86, 877.42) ms], and the proportion of moderatetohigh intensity attention area in the face [(37.37±1.27)%] was significantly higher than that in the control group [(30.34±1.23)%] (U/t=3.44, 8.89, P<0.05).
Conclusion
Integrated group social training can significantly improve the social communication and empathy ability of high functioning ASD children, increase active attention and recognition ability of faces, and improve mental development of children with ASD.
9.Effects of SIRT2 regulation on migration and proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts in Ang Ⅱ-induced mice
Lichan Lin ; Zhiyan Liu ; Zhenyu Liu ; Peng Liu ; Sui Sui ; Yunsen Zhang ; Xianwen Hu ; Rui Li ; Hui Tao
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(4):589-595, 603
Objective:
To investigate the effect of sirtuin 2(SIRT2) on the proliferation and migration of cardiac fibroblasts(CFs)in C57BL/6 mice under angiotensin II(Ang Ⅱ) stimulation.
Methods :
The hearts were taken from 1 to 2 days C57BL/6 milk mice. After cutting and digesting, CFs were extracted by different adhesion centrifugation. After CFs attachment, the cells were cultured under control medium and Ang Ⅱ(100 nmol/L) medium and treated using OE-SIRT2 plasmid to overexpression the SIRT2 gene. RT-qPCR was used to detect mRNA expression of SIRT2 proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA), periostin(POSTN)and type Ⅰ collagen procollagen A1(Col1A1), Western blot assay was used to measure the protein expression levels of SIRT2, PCNA, POSTN and Col1A1, CCK-8 assay and EdU assay were used to evaluate CFs proliferation rate, Transwell experiment was used to assess CFs migration activity.
Results:
Compared with control group, Ang Ⅱ stimulation led to down-regulation of SIRT2 expression in CFs, increased collagen expression, and promoted CFs proliferation and migration. The expression of SIRT2 was up regulated in CFs treated with OE-SIRT2 plasmid under Ang Ⅱ stimulation, Col1A1, POSTN and PCNA expression was down regulated, and CFs proliferation and migration ability decreased.
Conclusion
Overexpression of SIRT2 can inhibit the proliferation and migration of CFs under Ang Ⅱ stimulation, indicating that SIRT2 may be a key regulatory point in the onset and progression of cardiac fibrosis.
10.Clinicopathological features and molecular genetic characteristics of central nerv-ous system high-grade neuroepithelial tumors with BCOR alterations
Ming HAN ; Wanming HU ; Hongjuan ZHANG ; Yingmei WANG ; Danhui ZHAO ; Zhenyu KE ; Zhe WANG ; Yu-qiao XU
Chinese Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology 2025;41(9):1156-1162
Purpose To investigate the clinicopathological features,diagnosis,and molecular genetic characteris-tics of central nervous system(CNS)high-grade neuroepithelial tumors with BCOR alterations.Methods Five cases of CNS high-grade neuroepithelial tumors harboring BCOR alterations were collected.Using immunohistochemistry and molecular detection to analyze its clinical and histological characteristics,and review relevant literatures.Results A-mong the 5 patients,3 cases with EP300 ∷ BCOR tumor(male-to-female ratio 2∶1).These tumors were located in supratentorial regions(right temporal lobe,right frontotemporal lobe,and right frontal lobe).The 2 patients with BCOR-ITD tumors were younger,both with tumors located in the left cerebellum.Imaging studies revealed well-defined large mass lesions in all cases.Histologically,all 5 cases tumor exhibited ependymoma-like or oligodendroglioma-like morphology,featuring uniformly oval or round cells.Focal areas showed increased cellular density,nuclear enlarge-ment,and readily identifiable mitotic figures indicative of anaplastic features.A rich capillary network was frequently observed in the stroma.Palisading necrosis,microcystic changes,and microcalcifications were present in 3 cases.Im-munohistochemically,all 5 cases consistently expressed vimentin and CD56,focal Olig-2 positivity,variable S-100 ex-pression,and were uniformly negative for GFAP.BCOR immunostaining was weakly positive in 1 case with an EP300∷ BCOR fusion and strongly positive in 2 cases with BCOR-ITD.NGS identified an EP300 ∷ BCOR fusion in 3 cases,and Sanger sequencing confirmed the ITD in exon 15 of BCOR gene in 2 cases.During a follow-up period of 8 to 77 months,one pediatric patient with a BCOR-ITD tumor died,while the remaining four patients were alive with no evi-dence of recurrence or metastasis.Conclusion BCOR-ITD and EP300 ∷ BCOR fusion tumors are similar in morphology and immunophenotype,and the incidence rate of BCOR fusion tumors may be underestimated.NGS sequencing based on DNA and RNA and DNA methylation spectrum analysis are helpful for accurate diagnosis of this type of tumor.


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