Objective To investigate the potential role of plasma adiponectin concentration in predicting the response of patients with depression to electroconvulsive therapy(ECT).Methods This study enrolled depressive patients scheduled for ECT at the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University between January 2022 and March 2024.Patients were categorized as either ECT responders(>50%reduction)or non-responders(≤50%reduction)based on post-ECT reduction rate of the 24-item Hamilton depression scale(HAMD)scores from baseline.Plasma adiponectin levels were measured in all patients before their first ECT treatment.To identify predictors of ECT response in patients with depression,the predictive value of plasma adiponectin was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.Results A total of 80 patients with depression were enrolled including 44 in the ECT-responsive group and 36 in the non-responsive group.The plasma adiponectin level was significantly higher in the responsive group than in the non-responsive group[5.67(3.64,10.55)μg/mL vs.4.01(2.59,5.04)μg/mL,P=0.002].Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between plasma adiponectin levels and the HAMD reduction rate(r=0.300,P=0.007).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that plasma adiponectin was independently associated with the response to ECT in patients with depression(OR=1.218,95%CI:1.009-1.470,P=0.040).Furthermore,ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the area under the curve(AUC)for adiponectin in predicting ECT response was 0.748(95%CI:0.583-0.813).Conclusion Pretreatment plasma adiponectin may serve as a potential biomarker for predicting response to ECT in patients with depression.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the correlation between the quality of life （QOL） and different traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes in patients with myasthenia gravis （MG）， identifying potential influencing factors to provide new insights for clinical interventions and improving the QOL of patients with MG. MethodsA questionnaire survey was conducted on 93 adults with MG who visited the Department of Neurology at the Affiliated Hospital of Changchun University of Chinese Medicine from March 2023 to January 2024. Statistical analysis was performed on the clinical data collected using SPSS 24.0 software. ResultsAmong the 93 patients with MG， the average score for myasthenia gravis quality of life-15 （MGQOL-15） was 17.65±6.27， and that for the 36-item short form health survey （SF-36） was （106.13±11.83） scores. The QOL was rated as good for 16 patients and moderate for 77 patients. There were no statistically significant differences in the scores of MGQOL-15， SF-36， and their individual scales by gender or education level. Age showed statistically significant differences in MGQOL-15 and the role physical （RP） scale （P<0.05）， and occupational type showed significant differences in the vitality （VT） scale （P<0.01）. The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America （MGFA） classification had statistical significance on the total SF-36 score （P<0.01）， VT scale （P<0.01）， role emotional （RE） scale （P<0.05）， social functioning （SF） scale （P<0.05）， and physical functioning （PF） scale （P<0.01）. Among patients with different TCM syndromes， there were significant differences in MGQOL-15 scores （F=4.919， P<0.01）. Moreover， significant differences were observed in SF-36 scores （P<0.01）， VT scale （P<0.01）， RE scale （P<0.05）， mental health （MH） scale （P<0.01）， and SF scale （P<0.05）. ConclusionFactors affecting the QOL of patients with MG include age， occupational type， and clinical classification of MG. Specifically， a greater impact on the QOL of older patients is observed， while physical laborers have a poorer QOL compared to non-physical laborers. Patients classified as MGFA type Ⅱ and higher have a poorer QOL. Additionally， there is a potential correlation between the QOL and TCM syndromes， with patients presenting with spleen and kidney Qi deficiency having a lower QOL than those with spleen and stomach Qi deficiency or Qi and Yin deficiency， which is particularly evident in the VT， RE， MH， and SF scales.

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis(C.pseudotuberculosis)is a group of intracellular Gram-positive bacteria that can cause zoonotic diseases.This study investigated the mechanisms of inflammatory mediator secretion and the phagocytic and bactericidal functions of mouse peritoneal macrophages following C.pseudotuberculosis infection.Initially,transcriptomic sequencing was em-ployed to identify genes critical for C.pseudotuberculosis infection in macrophages.Subsequently,gene knockout mice were utilized to assess the impact of these key genes on inflammatory media-tor secretion,activation of inflammatory signaling pathways,and the phagocytic and bactericidal functions of macrophages infected with C.pseudotuberculosis.Techniques such as ELISA,Western blot,and immunofluorescence were employed in this analysis.Further,transcriptomic sequencing was conducted to identify key downstream genes.Following C.pseudotuberculosis infection,GO enrichment analysis was performed,and TLR2 was identified as the focal point of the study.Perito-neal macrophages from C57BL/6J and TLR2 knockout(TLR2-/-)mice were infected with C.pseudotuberculosis.ELISA results revealed that the levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-10 were signifi-cantly downregulated in TLR2-/-macrophages compared to C57BL/6J macrophages post-infec-tion.Western blot demonstrated that the absence of TLR2 led to a marked decrease in M APK(p38 and ERK)signaling pathway phosphorylation following C.pseudotuberculosis infection.Immuno-fluorescence results indicated that the phagocytic rate of TLR2-/-macrophages was significantly higher than that of C57BL/6J macrophages after infection.Subsequently,transcriptomic analysis of C57BL/6J and TLR2-/-macrophages infected with C.pseudotuberculosis was performed,followed by GO enrichment analysis of differential genes.IL-36a,Cx3cr1,TLR1,and TLR2 were identified as key differential genes.TLR2 plays a crucial role in the inflammatory response induced by C.pseudotuberculosis infection in mice,influencing the progression of the inflammatory response and host outcomes through the secretion of inflammatory mediators,activation of signaling pathways,and modulation of phagocytic and bactericidal functions.IL-36a and Cx3cr1 were identified as key downstream factors in this process.

Objective To explore the serum placental growth factor (PlGF) and triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cell-1 (TREM1)levels in patients with diabetes foot,and the correlation between them and clinical grading and prognosis of patients. Methods From January 2021 to January 2023,97 patients with diabetes foot who were admitted to Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University were collected as the study object (diabetes foot group),and 102 healthy people who were examined in the hospital were collected as the healthy control group. The patients with diabetic foot were categorized into 33 cases of grade 0～1,39 cases of grade 2～3,and 25 cases of grade 4～5 according to Wanger grading criteria. Patients with diabetes foot were followed up for 6 months and divided into good prognosis group (n=72) and poor prognosis group (n=25).Serum PlGF and TREM1 levels were compared between groups. Spearman correlation analysis was applied to explore the correlation between serum PlGF and TREM1 levels and clinical grading in patients,factors influencing the prognosis of patients with diabetic foot was analyzed by Logistic regression . Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to investigate the predictive effect of serum PlGF and TREM1 on the prognosis of patients with diabetes foot. Results The expression level of serum PlGF in the diabetes foot group was lower than that in the healthy control group (53.86±15.13 pg/ml vs 87.57±18.28 pg/ml),and the level of TREM1 was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group (279.56±32.25 ng/L vs 195.37±26.28 ng/L),and the difference was statistically significance (t=14.133,20.232,all P<0.05).Serum PlGF expression (39.41±13.28 pg/ml vs 66.13±16.30 pg/ml,52.75±15.32 pg/ml) was lower in patients with clinical grades 4～5 than in patients with grades 0～1 and 2～3. TREM1 expression (326.66±35.75 ng/L vs 248.21±29.83 ng/L,275.89±32.06 ng/L) was higher than in patients with grades 0～1 and 2～3. Serum PlGF expression was lower in patients with clinical grades 2～3 than in patients with grades 0～1. TREM1 expression was higher than in patients with grades 0～1,and the differences were statistically significant (q=5.120～12.945,all P<0.05).Spearman correlation analysis,the serum PlGF expression level in diabetes foot patients was negatively correlated with their clinical grading (r=-0.696,P<0.001) and the TREM1 expression level was positively correlated with their clinical grading (r=0.657,P<0.001).Multivariate Logistic regression anaalysis,PlGF was an independent protective factor[OR(95％CI):0.725(0.531～0.990)]and TREM1 was an independent risk factor[OR(95％CI):2.308(1.284～4.147)]affecting the prognosis of diabetic foot patients.The AUC(95％CI) of PlGF,TREM1 levels and their combination to predict the prognosis of diabetes foot patients was 0.898(0.820～0.950),0.817(0.725～0.888)and 0.949 (0.885～0.984),respectively. The clinical efficacy of the combination of the two in predicting the poor prognosis of patients with diabetes foot was better than that of serum PlGF and TREM1 alone (Z=2.150,2.713,P=0.032,0.007). Conclusion The expression of PlGF in serum of patients with diabetes foot is significantly reduced,and the expression of TREM1 is significantly increased. Both of them are closely related to the clinical grading of patients,and they have good clinical efficacy in predicting prognosis.

Objective:To investigate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of tislelizumab combined with platinum-based drugs in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods:A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted. Eighty-six patients with clinical stage Ⅳ NSCLC in Huaibei People's Hospital from June 2020 to June 2023 were selected as the study subjects, and the patients were divided into the control group and the observation group based on the randomized numerical table method, with 43 cases in each group. The control group was treated with platinum-based drugs, the observation group was treated with platinum-based drugs combined with tislelizumab, and all patients were treated for 4-6 cycles. The two groups were compared in terms of therapeutic efficacy, serum tumor markers [carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cytokeratin 19 soluble fragment (CYFRA21-1) and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125)] detected by chemiluminescence method, serum immune function indicators [CD3 +, CD4 +, CD8 + cell ratios and CD4 + cell number-to-CD8 + cell number ratio (CD4 +/CD8 +)] detected by flow cytometry, and quality of life [European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life measurement scale (QLQ-C30) scores in functional domain and symptom domain], and incidence of adverse reactions. Results:The differences in baseline data of age, gender, degree of tumor differentiation, pathological type, lesion location, programmed death receptor ligand 1 expression between the observation group and the control group were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). After treatment, the objective remission rates in the observation and control groups were 34.9% (15/43) and 18.6% (8/43), respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant ( χ2 = 2.91, P = 0.088); the disease control rate in the observation group was 74.4% (32/43), which was higher than that in the control group [51.2% (22/43)], and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 4.98, P = 0.026). The differences in the serum levels of CEA, CYFRA21-1 and CA125 between the observation group and the control group before treatment were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05); the serum levels of CEA, CYFRA21-1 and CA125 in the observation group were lower than those in the control group after treatment, and the differences were all statistically significant (all P < 0.01). The differences in the CD3 +, CD4 +, CD8 + cell ratios and CD4 +/CD8 + between the observation group and the control group before treatment were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05); the CD3 +, CD4 + cell ratios and CD4 +/CD8 + in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, the CD8 + cell ratio was lower than that in the control group after treatment, and the differences were all statistically significant (all P < 0.01). Before treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in the scores of EORTC QLQ-C30 functional domain and symptom domain between the observation group and the control group (both P > 0.05); after treatment, the functional domain score of the observation group was higher than that of the control group, the symptom domain score was lower than that of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (both P < 0.01). The incidence rates of skin itching, rash and diarrhea in the observation group were 23.3% (10/43), 20.9% (9/43) and 48.8% (21/43), respectively, which were higher than those in the control group [4.7% (2/43), 2.3% (1/43) and 27.9% (12/43)], and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:Tislelizumab combined with platinum-based drugs in advanced NSCLC patients can enhance the short-term efficacy, reduce serum tumor marker levels, and improve the immune function and quality of life of the patients, but it will increase the occurrence of skin and digestive tract adverse reactions.

Objective To understand the status of medical laboratories participating in external quality assessment(EQA)program in China.Methods The test covered by an EQA control rate and acceptable performance rate of theinformation collection and data analy-sis systems in the EQA program developed by National Center for Clinical Laboratories in medical laboratories of nationwide various re-gions were evaluated descriptively and analyzed statistically.Forty analytes in various disciplines were selected to analyze statistically the implementation of the testing items and participation retes of EQA program.Results The number of medical laboratories participat-ing in EQA program increased yearly from 592 in 2019 to 1 169 in 2023.The nationwide median test covered by an EQA control rate and acceptable performance rate of EQA program reached over 91％and 98％,respectively.In 2023,the median test covered by an EQA control rate of EQA program in the medical laboratories of nationwide regions showed that the median test covered by an EQA con-trol rate reached 100％in Gansu and Hainan regions,and the medians of acceptable performance rate reached 100％in Beijing,Guangdong,Hubei,Jiangsu,Shandong,Shanxi,Shanghai,Tianjin,Xinjiang,and Zhejiang regions.Among the 40 analytes,the test covered by an EQA control rate of only 6 EQA items were greater than 80％in nationwide medical laboratories,i.e.,rheumatoid factor,neonatal deafness gene detection,high throughput sequencing of peripheral fetal chromosome aneuploidy(T21,T18 and T13)by high throughput sequencing,thalassemia gene typing,hepatitis C virus RNA quantification,and EGFR gene mutation,and the acceptable performance rates of only 3 EQA items were 100％,i.e.,HbA2,urine microalbumin,and non-invasive prenatal testing(NIPT).Thir-ty-six analytes exhibited acceptable performance rate above of 80％,while that of troponin I was below 80％.Conclusion The medical laboratories in China should further increase their test covered by an EQA control rate and acceptable performance rate of EQA pro-gram,and consistantly improve testing quality by utilizing EQA programs adequately.

Objective To explore the correlations of multimodal ultrasound manifestations of Hashimoto thyroiditis(HT)with normal thyroid function and serum thyroid peroxidase antibody(TPOAb)titer.Methods Data of gray-scale ultrasound,CDFI and shear wave elastography(SWE)of 100 HT patients with normal thyroid function were retrospectively analyzed.According to gray-scale ultrasound manifestations,HT was classified into focal type(type A),nodular-like type(type B),diffuse hypoechoic type(type C)and diffuse hyperechoic type(type D).Meanwhile,based on blood flow distribution shown on CDFI,HT was classified into abundant type,increased type,normal type and sparse type.Correlations of the mean Young's modulus(Emean)of thyroid gland and CDFI classification of HT with serum TPOAb titer were analyzed.Results For all 100 cases,serum TPOAb titer was(270.31±72.63)IU/ml.There were 38 cases of type A,26 cases of type B,20 cases of type C and 16 cases of type D based on gray-scale ultrasound,and 15 cases of abundant type,9 cases of increased type,69 cases of normal type and 7 cases of sparse type based on CDFI,respectively.The Emean of thyroid in all 100 cases was(22.31±7.38)kPa.Significant differences of serum TPOAb titer and thyroid Emean were found among different gray-scale ultrasound HT types(all P＜0.05).Thyroid Emean values of all 100 patients were positively correlated with TPOAb titer(rs=0.702,P=0.037).The thyroid Emean of patients with type A,B,C and D HT were positively correlated with TPOAb titer(rs=0.752,0.823,0.853,0.497,all P＜0.05),while the CDFI types of HT were negative correlated with serum TPOAb titer(rs=-0.746,P=0.035).Conclusion Both thyroid Emean and blood flow signals in HT patients with normal thyroid function were correlated with serum TPOAb titer.

Objective:To investigate the effect of mild moxibustion on transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1(TRPV1)channel expression in primary dysmenorrhea(PD)rats and explore its mechanism in alleviating central pain sensitization.Methods:Thirty-two female non-pregnant Wistar rats were randomized into a blank group,a model group,a mild moxibustion group,and a capsazepine group,with 8 rats in each group.Except for the blank group,the other three groups used estradiol benzoate,ice-water bath,and oxytocin to establish the rat PD model of cold-dampness stagnation pattern.The interventions began on day 1 of modeling,once a day,and lasted 10 d.The mild moxibustion group received mild moxibustion at Shenque(CV8)and Guanyuan(CV4),20 min/time;in the capsazepine group,capsazepine was injected at a dose of 2 mg/(kg·bw).The abdominal pain threshold was measured 10-30 min after oxytocin injection on day 11;enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum prostaglandin F2α(PGF2α)level;the expression of TRPV1,cluster of differentiation 11B(CD11B),and proto-oncogene c-Fos in the spinal dorsal horn and hypothalamus was detected by immunofluorescence and Western blotting.Results:Compared to the blank group,the model group showed a decreased pain threshold(P<0.05)and an increased serum PGF2α level with elevated TRPV1,CD11B,and c-Fos protein expression in the spinal dorsal horn and hypothalamus(P<0.05).Compared to the model group,both the mild moxibustion group and capsazepine group showed significantly increased pain thresholds(P<0.05),along with decreased serum PGF2α levels and reduced protein expression levels of TRPV1,CD11B,and c-Fos in the spinal dorsal horn and hypothalamus(P<0.05).Rat pain threshold in the capsazepine group was higher than that in the mild moxibustion group(P<0.05).Serum PGF2α level,the expression levels of CD11B and c-Fos proteins in the spinal dorsal horn,as well as TRPV1,CD11B,and c-Fos proteins in the hypothalamus of the capsazepine group were lower than those in the mild moxibustion group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Mild moxibustion at Shenque(CV8)and Guanyuan(CV4)may alleviate the central pain sensitization in PD rats by down-regulating TRPV1 channel expression in the spinal dorsal horn and hypothalamus,thus playing an analgesic effect.

Objective To investigate the effects of indirect moxibustion on the expressions of DNA methyltransferases(DNMT)and methylation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)promoter region in uterine tissues of rats with primary dysmenorrhea(PD);To explore the mechanism of epigenetic regulation of indirect moxibustion on PD model rats.Methods A total of 32 female SD rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group,indirect moxibustion group and Western medicine group,with 8 rats in each group.The PD model with cold dampness stagnation syndrome was established using ice-water baths combined with estradiol benzoate and oxytocin.Starting from the first day of modeling,the indirect moxibustion group received salt-partitioned moxibustion at"Shenque"and ginger-partitioned moxibustion at"Guanyuan"for 20 min,while the Western medicine group was gavaged ibuprofen solution.Both interventions were given once a day for 10 days.On day 11,writhing responses were observed and scored after oxytocin injection,Western blot and RT-qPCR were used to detect protein and mRNA expression of BDNF,DNMT3A and DNMT3B in uterine tissue,immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the positive expressions of DNMT3A and DNMT3B in uterine tissue.The DNA methylation of BDNF promoter region in uterine tissue was detected by sulfite sequencing.Results Compared with the blank group,the writhing latency was shortened and the writhing score increased in the model group(P<0.01);the protein and mRNA expressions of BDNF,DNMT3A and DNMT3B in uterine tissue increased(P<0.01),the positive expressions of DNMT3A and DNMT3B increased(P<0.01),and the DNA methylation rate in BDNF promoter region decreased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the writhing latency was lengthened and the writhing score decreased in the indirect moxibustion group and Western medicine group(P<0.05,P<0.01);the protein and mRNA expressions of BDNF,DNMT3A and DNMT3B in uterine tissue decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),the positive expressions of DNMT3A and DNMT3B decreased(P<0.01),and the DNA methylation rate in BDNF promoter region increased(P<0.01).Conclusion Indirect moxibustion at"Shenque"and"Guanyuan"may inhibit the transcription of BDNF by increasing the DNA methylation level of BDNF promoter region,and reduce the expression of BDNF,so as to relieve the pain of PD rats.

Objective:To assess the feasibility of first polar body transfer (PB1T) combined with preimplantation mitochondrial genetic testing for blocking the transmission of a pathogenic mitochondrial DNA 8993T>G mutation.Methods:A Chinese family affected with Leigh syndrome which had attended the Reproductive Medicine Centre of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University in September 2021 was selected as the study subject. Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation was carried out for the proband after completing the detection of the mitochondrial DNA 8993T>G mutation load among the pedigree members. Mature MII oocytes were inseminated by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), cultured in vitro for 5 to 6 days to the blastocyst stage, and trophoblastocytes were obtained by microbiopsy. Mitochondrial DNA testing (PGT-MT) and chromosomal aneuploidy (PGT-A) analyses were carried out after whole-genome amplification, and the embryos with zero mutation load were selected for transfer. Amniotic fluid and umbilical cord blood samples were collected during middle pregnancy and after birth respectively for mitochondrial DNA testing to verify the reliability of embryo screening. As an attempt, PB1 with good morphology of MⅡ oocytes was selected for transfer into the enucleated oocytoplasm from healthy donors, followed by ICSI fertilization, blastocyst culture and PGT of embryos using the same procedure. This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (No. 2021zhyx-B12). Results:An antagonist protocol was used for ovarian stimulation, and a total of 19 oocytes were obtained, of which 14 MⅡ were fertilized by ICSI, and 2 had developed into blastocysts. PGT-MT was carried out on biopsied trophoblastocytes, in which the mitochondrial DNA 8993T>G mutation load was not detected in one embryo, the other was 100% mutated, and the mutation loads of the remaining unfertilized eggs and developmentally arrested embryos ranged from 0% ~ 100%, presenting a clear biased distribution. With fully informed consent, one PGT-MT zero mutation load blastocyst was transferred and clinical pregnancy was achieved. Mitochondrial DNA and chromosomal testing of amniotic fluid cells during middle pregnancy had revealed no abnormalities. The proband had delivered a healthy boy through Caesarean section at 39+ 5 weeks of gestation, and no mutation was detected in the cord blood sample. Five well-formed PBs from 14 eggs were selected for PB1 transfer, followed by ICSI and culture, and two of the reconstituted embryos had formed blastocysts, with none of the above mutations detected in the biopsied samples.Conclusion:The PGT-MT technology can help families affected with mitochondrial diseases to have healthy offspring. PB1 transfer in combination with ICSI and PGT-MT holds the promise of turning waste into treasure and providing an alternative means of fertility for such families.