1.Value of metabolic markers combined with anthropometric indicators in predicting and risk stratification of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and establishment of a nomogram model
Sirui ZHAO ; Zheyu LI ; Wenqiang HE ; Junfeng LI ; Liting ZHANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(5):1056-1066
ObjectiveTo develop a novel clinical predictive model for metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) based on metabolic markers and anthropometric indicators, and to provide a more effective tool for the early screening and intervention of MAFLD. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for 2 824 individuals who underwent abdominal color Doppler ultrasound at Health Examination Center of The First Hospital of Lanzhou University from January 1, 2024 to January 1, 2025, and at a ratio of 7∶3, they were randomly divided into training set with 1 976 patients and validation set with 848 patients. Clinical data, serological markers, and abdominal ultrasound results were collected from all patients, and triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, triglyceride-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio, and anthropometric indicators were calculated. The independent samples t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed or approximately normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data with skewed distribution between two groups; the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictive factors for MAFLD and intermediate- to high-risk MAFLD. Five risk prediction models were established for MAFLD based on the independent influencing factors, and a nomogram was plotted. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to assess model performance, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated. The calibration curve was used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the models, and decision curve analysis was used to assess the clinical practicability of the models. These models were then compared with traditional models. ResultsAmong the 1 976 individuals in the training set, 937 (47.42%) were diagnosed with MAFLD, and 423 (21.41%) were diagnosed with intermediate- to high-risk MAFLD; among the 848 individuals in the validation set, 406 (47.88%) were diagnosed with MAFLD. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that male sex (odds ratio [OR]=0.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.13 — 0.39, P<0.05), waist circumference (OR=1.11, 95%CI: 1.06 — 1.17, P<0.05), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) >40 U/L (OR=2.24, 95%CI: 1.44 — 3.51, P<0.05), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (OR=0.07, 95%CI: 0.04 — 0.15, P<0.05), TyG index (OR=8.27, 95%CI: 5.09 — 13.44, P<0.05), TG/HDL-C ratio (OR=0.84, 95%CI: 0.71 — 0.99, P<0.05), A Body Shape Index (ABSI) (OR=0.45, 95%CI: 0.39 — 0.52, P<0.05), and body roundness index (BRI) (OR=2.31, 95%CI: 1.50 — 3.55, P<0.05) were independent influencing factors for MAFLD, and male sex (OR=0.17, 95%CI: 0.10 — 0.31, P<0.05), age (OR=1.09, 95%CI: 1.07 — 1.11, P<0.05), hemoglobin (OR=0.98, 95%CI: 0.97 — 0.98, P<0.05), platelet count (OR=0.81, 95%CI: 0.70 — 0.93, P<0.05), fasting blood glucose (OR=0.80, 95%CI: 0.71 — 0.89, P<0.05), triglycerides (OR=0.14, 95%CI: 0.07 — 0.29, P<0.05), TG/HDL-C ratio (OR=0.78, 95%CI: 0.67 — 0.91, P<0.05), TyG index (OR=5.26, 95%CI: 3.32 — 8.33), waist circumference (OR=2.50, 95%CI: 1.72 — 3.61, P<0.05), ABSI (OR=0.58, 95%CI: 0.51 — 0.66, P<0.05), and BRI (OR=0.01, 95%CI: 0.00 — 0.21, P<0.05) were independent influencing factors for intermediate- to high-risk MAFLD. Among the five models established, model 5 (incorporating sex, ALT elevation, HDL-C, TyG index, TG/HDL-C ratio, waist circumference, and ABSI) had the best performance, with an AUC of 0.917 (95%CI: 0.905 — 0.929) in the training set and 0.911 (95%CI: 0.892 — 0.930) in the validation set. The calibration curve showed that model 5 had good predictive accuracy, and the decision curve analysis confirmed its clinical practicability. ConclusionThe predictive model for MAFLD constructed based on metabolic markers and anthropometric indicators has good discriminatory ability and can be used to assess the risk of MAFLD. In addition, this study shows that waist circumference, TyG index, TG/HDL-C ratio, ABSI, and BRI are independently associated with intermediate- to high-risk MAFLD, but further studies are needed to confirm their value in predicting liver fibrosis progression.
2.PD-L1 and TGF-β cooperatively regulate tumor immune escape: mechanisms and advances in dual-targeting therapy
Qianqian HE ; Yanli YANG ; Han ZHANG ; Zheyu CHEN ; Puzhong JI
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2026;33(3):533-543
While programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors have yielded breakthroughs in tumor therapy, their efficacy is constrained by the heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment and multiple immunosuppressive pathways. In recent years, research has revealed that transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) synergistically drives tumor cell immune escape with PD-L1 via pathways such as metabolic reprogramming, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and SOX family factors. Currently, various PD-L1/TGF-β bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) have exhibited promising therapeutic potential in early-phase clinical trials, yet they still confront challenges related to toxicity and drug resistance. This article systematically reviews the mechanisms by which PD-L1 and TGF-β synergistically regulate tumor immune escape, summarizes the clinical research progress of bsAbs, and discusses strategies for novel drug design and biomarker development, with the aim of offering new insights for the development of combined tumor immunotherapy strategies.
3.Research progress on evaluation index of workers’ task performance
Zheyu HUANG ; Yuhong SHEN ; Jian ZHANG ; Lihua HE ; Yun WANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(5):630-636
Task performance is an important concern in ergonomics. Task performance is often affected by adverse ergonomic factors, resulting in health and economic losses. How to utilize effective indicators to evaluate the degree of impact of adverse ergonomic factors on workers' task performance is particularly important. In this paper, we conducted a literature review and analysis on the impact of adverse ergonomic factors on workers' task performance, focusing on summarizing available physiological, psychological, and neurocognitive behavioral function test indicators for evaluating workers' task performance. This summary of existing evaluation indicators provided reference and guidance for future evaluations of the impact of adverse ergonomic factors on workers' task performance.
4.Exploring function-structure covariant patterns in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment based on multimodal magnetic resonance imaging
Yifan SHEN ; Ruipeng NING ; Renren LI ; Chenxi PAN ; Wei ZHANG ; Zheyu LI ; Zhihao XU ; Qiurong YU ; Dazhi YIN ; Yunxia LI ; Mingxia FAN
Chinese Journal of Medical Physics 2025;42(10):1298-1305
Objective To explore function-structure covariant patterns in Alzheimer's disease(AD)and mild cognitive impairment(MCI),and to investigate their associations with cognitive function and activities of daily living.Methods three-way parallel group independent component analysis(three-way pGICA),was used to identify the covariant patterns of resting-state functional MRI temporal data,gray matter density maps,and fractional anisotropy(FA)maps,and the differences between different groups were compared.Furthermore,the associations of covariant patterns with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Basic(MoCA_B)Scale scores and Activities of Daily Living Scale scores were analyzed.Results The function-structure covariant patterns in AD and MCI were characterized by the enhanced negative functional connectivity between the left posterior salience network and the right default mode network,the decreased gray matter density in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex,and the reduced FA values in the left superior corona radiata(correlations:P<0.001,FDR corrected).Compared with HC group,AD group showed significant abnormalities in all identified covariant patterns(P<0.01,FDR corrected),but MCI group only exhibited a significant decrease in gray matter density in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(P<0.05,FDR corrected).Additionally,AD group had significantly lower FA value in the left superior corona radiata than MCI group(P<0.05,FDR corrected).The loadings reflecting the degree of covariation were significantly correlated with the Activities of Daily Living Scale scores(P<0.05,FDR corrected)but not with MoCA_B Scale scores.Conclusion The function-structure covariant patterns in AD and MCI are consistent with the declines in activities of daily living.The multimodal fusion analysis(three-way pGICA)provides a novel approach to understand the brain damage mechanisms underlying the covariant evolution of MCI and AD.
5.Eating disorders: core beliefs from a transdiagnostic perspective
Jiajia ZHANG ; Zheyu LIN ; Changjun TENG ; Ning ZHANG ; Huifen QIAO
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(2):181-186
Eating disorders(ED) are a group of psychiatric disorders related to abnormal eating behaviors, with complex and variable symptoms, frequent crossover of diagnoses among various subtypes, high comorbidity rates, and often difficulties in medical treatment, which seriously affect the quality of life of patients. Understanding ED from a transdiagnostic perspective provides new ideas for treatment. According to the theory of cognitive behavioral therapy, psychological cognitive development is an important maintenance mechanism for the transdiagnosis of ED. Core beliefs, as the deepest level of psychological cognition, play an important role in the development and maintenance of ED. A large number of studies have found that among patients with various subtypes of ED, the core beliefs related to the self involve body shape and weight, achievement/worth, sense of control, and the core beliefs related to the world/others involve unloveability and abandonment influence both eating-related symptoms and comorbidity levels. For the first time, this paper focuses on sorting out the transdiagnostic core beliefs of patients with ED and further clarifying the relationship between transdiagnostic core beliefs and ED symptoms, in order to better understand, prevent and treat ED, then promote recovery and reduce relapse.
6.Exploring function-structure covariant patterns in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment based on multimodal magnetic resonance imaging
Yifan SHEN ; Ruipeng NING ; Renren LI ; Chenxi PAN ; Wei ZHANG ; Zheyu LI ; Zhihao XU ; Qiurong YU ; Dazhi YIN ; Yunxia LI ; Mingxia FAN
Chinese Journal of Medical Physics 2025;42(10):1298-1305
Objective To explore function-structure covariant patterns in Alzheimer's disease(AD)and mild cognitive impairment(MCI),and to investigate their associations with cognitive function and activities of daily living.Methods three-way parallel group independent component analysis(three-way pGICA),was used to identify the covariant patterns of resting-state functional MRI temporal data,gray matter density maps,and fractional anisotropy(FA)maps,and the differences between different groups were compared.Furthermore,the associations of covariant patterns with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Basic(MoCA_B)Scale scores and Activities of Daily Living Scale scores were analyzed.Results The function-structure covariant patterns in AD and MCI were characterized by the enhanced negative functional connectivity between the left posterior salience network and the right default mode network,the decreased gray matter density in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex,and the reduced FA values in the left superior corona radiata(correlations:P<0.001,FDR corrected).Compared with HC group,AD group showed significant abnormalities in all identified covariant patterns(P<0.01,FDR corrected),but MCI group only exhibited a significant decrease in gray matter density in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(P<0.05,FDR corrected).Additionally,AD group had significantly lower FA value in the left superior corona radiata than MCI group(P<0.05,FDR corrected).The loadings reflecting the degree of covariation were significantly correlated with the Activities of Daily Living Scale scores(P<0.05,FDR corrected)but not with MoCA_B Scale scores.Conclusion The function-structure covariant patterns in AD and MCI are consistent with the declines in activities of daily living.The multimodal fusion analysis(three-way pGICA)provides a novel approach to understand the brain damage mechanisms underlying the covariant evolution of MCI and AD.
7.Eating disorders: core beliefs from a transdiagnostic perspective
Jiajia ZHANG ; Zheyu LIN ; Changjun TENG ; Ning ZHANG ; Huifen QIAO
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(2):181-186
Eating disorders(ED) are a group of psychiatric disorders related to abnormal eating behaviors, with complex and variable symptoms, frequent crossover of diagnoses among various subtypes, high comorbidity rates, and often difficulties in medical treatment, which seriously affect the quality of life of patients. Understanding ED from a transdiagnostic perspective provides new ideas for treatment. According to the theory of cognitive behavioral therapy, psychological cognitive development is an important maintenance mechanism for the transdiagnosis of ED. Core beliefs, as the deepest level of psychological cognition, play an important role in the development and maintenance of ED. A large number of studies have found that among patients with various subtypes of ED, the core beliefs related to the self involve body shape and weight, achievement/worth, sense of control, and the core beliefs related to the world/others involve unloveability and abandonment influence both eating-related symptoms and comorbidity levels. For the first time, this paper focuses on sorting out the transdiagnostic core beliefs of patients with ED and further clarifying the relationship between transdiagnostic core beliefs and ED symptoms, in order to better understand, prevent and treat ED, then promote recovery and reduce relapse.
8.Altered patterns of interhemispheric functional connectivity in the cerebral cortex connected via the corpus callosum in Alzheimer's disease
Zheyu LI ; Yifan SHEN ; Renren LI ; Chenxi PAN ; Wei ZHANG ; Zhihao XU ; Qiurong YU ; Dazhi YIN ; Mingxia FAN ; Yunxia LI ; Ruipeng NING
Chinese Journal of Medical Physics 2025;42(11):1434-1444
Objective To investigate alterations in interhemispheric functional connectivity(FC)in the cerebral cortices connected via the corpus callosum in patients with Alzheimer's disease(AD),and to explore their relationships with cognitive function and activities of daily living.Methods Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from 28 patients with Alzheimer's dementia(d-AD),47 patients with mild cognitive impairment(MCI),and 37 healthy controls(HC).Using a trancallosal tract template,32 pairs of homologous cortical brain regions directly connected to 32 subregions of the corpus callosum were selected as regions of interest for interhemispheric FC analysis.Further correlation analyses were performed between FC values in patient groups and their scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Basic(MoCA-B)Scale and the Activities of Daily Living(ADL)Scale.Results Compared with HC group,both MCI and d-AD groups exhibited hyperconnectivity(significantly increased FC)in interhemispheric non-homologous brain regions.Specifically,hyperconnectivity in the MCI group was scattered across the frontal,parietal,temporal,and occipital lobes,while in the d-AD group,it was concentrated within the precentral and postcentral gyri.Notably,hyperconnectivity involving the prefrontal and occipital lobes in the MCI group showed significant declines in the d-AD group.The interhemispheric homologous FC in the d-AD group reduced more significantly than the MCI group.Additionally,in the d-AD group,2 interhemispheric FC within the prefrontal lobe(between the bilateral orbital parts of the inferior frontal gyrus,and between the left medial frontal gyrus and the right middle frontal gyrus)were correlated with MoCA-B scores,and 2 FC(between the bilateral middle occipital gyri,and between the left inferior parietal lobule and the right middle frontal gyrus)were correlated with ADL scores.Conclusion MCI and d-AD exhibit distinct patterns of interhemispheric FC alterations,and the interhemispheric FC changes in AD patients are non-progressive.The close relationships between interhemispheric homologous/non-homologous FC and MoCA-B/ADL scores in d-AD patients provide an objective basis and reference for clinical neuromodulation.
9.Association between liver radiodensity and the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B
Zheyu LI ; Lili WANG ; Xiaoyue ZHANG ; Cuifang HE ; Min LI ; Shan WANG ; Xiaoqin GAO ; Longzhen SHI ; Jianjun JIN ; Liting ZHANG ; Junfeng LI
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(7):1358-1363
Objective To investigate the association of liver radiodensity with the degree and progression of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB).Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 114 CHB patients who were hospitalized in The First Hospital of Lanzhou University from January to December 2019,and related clinical data were collected,including laboratory tests and abdominal CT.The metabolic characteristics of the patients were assessed,and liver radiodensity was measured.An analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between three groups,and the Kruskal-Wallis H rank sum test was used for comparison of continuous data with skewed distribution between three groups;the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between three groups.A logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for the degree of liver fibrosis,and the Cox proportional-hazards regression model analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for the progression of liver fibrosis in CHB.Results Among the 114 patients enrolled,43(37.72%)had no liver cirrhosis,30(26.32%)were suspected of liver cirrhosis,and 41(35.96%)had liver cirrhosis,with a median follow-up time of 538.5(322.75-1 031.50)days.Liver radiodensity on plain scan(odds ratio[OR]=0.81,95%confidence interval[CI]:0.68-0.97,P=0.025),liver radiodensity on contrast-enhanced scan(OR=0.95,95%CI:0.90-0.99,P=0.037),and liver volume(OR=0.99,95%CI:0.98-0.99,P<0.001)were independent influencing factors for the degree of liver fibrosis.The univariate Cox regression analysis showed that the low level of HDL(hazard ratio=2.81,95%CI:1.04-7.54,P=0.041)was associated with the progression of liver fibrosis in CHB patients,and the degree of liver fibrosis,liver volume,and liver radiodensity showed no significant association with the progression of liver fibrosis(all P>0.05).Conclusion In CHB patients,liver radiodensity is an independent influencing factor for the degree of liver fibrosis,and low HDL has a marked influence on the progression of liver fibrosis.
10.Association between liver radiodensity and the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B
Zheyu LI ; Lili WANG ; Xiaoyue ZHANG ; Cuifang HE ; Min LI ; Shan WANG ; Xiaoqin GAO ; Longzhen SHI ; Jianjun JIN ; Liting ZHANG ; Junfeng LI
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(7):1358-1363
Objective To investigate the association of liver radiodensity with the degree and progression of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB).Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 114 CHB patients who were hospitalized in The First Hospital of Lanzhou University from January to December 2019,and related clinical data were collected,including laboratory tests and abdominal CT.The metabolic characteristics of the patients were assessed,and liver radiodensity was measured.An analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between three groups,and the Kruskal-Wallis H rank sum test was used for comparison of continuous data with skewed distribution between three groups;the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between three groups.A logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for the degree of liver fibrosis,and the Cox proportional-hazards regression model analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for the progression of liver fibrosis in CHB.Results Among the 114 patients enrolled,43(37.72%)had no liver cirrhosis,30(26.32%)were suspected of liver cirrhosis,and 41(35.96%)had liver cirrhosis,with a median follow-up time of 538.5(322.75-1 031.50)days.Liver radiodensity on plain scan(odds ratio[OR]=0.81,95%confidence interval[CI]:0.68-0.97,P=0.025),liver radiodensity on contrast-enhanced scan(OR=0.95,95%CI:0.90-0.99,P=0.037),and liver volume(OR=0.99,95%CI:0.98-0.99,P<0.001)were independent influencing factors for the degree of liver fibrosis.The univariate Cox regression analysis showed that the low level of HDL(hazard ratio=2.81,95%CI:1.04-7.54,P=0.041)was associated with the progression of liver fibrosis in CHB patients,and the degree of liver fibrosis,liver volume,and liver radiodensity showed no significant association with the progression of liver fibrosis(all P>0.05).Conclusion In CHB patients,liver radiodensity is an independent influencing factor for the degree of liver fibrosis,and low HDL has a marked influence on the progression of liver fibrosis.

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