1.From Gene Expression to Transcriptome-wide Association Study: Development and Comparison of Methodology
Kun FANG ; Guozhuang LI ; Linting WANG ; Qing LI ; Kexin XU ; Lina ZHAO ; Zhihong WU ; Jianguo ZHANG ; Nan WU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(1):223-229
Over the past two decades, genome-wide association study(GWAS) has identified numerous genetic variants and loci associated with heritable diseases. With the gradual maturation and saturation of GWAS methodologies, transcriptome-wide association study(TWAS) offers a novel perspective by linkinggenetic phenotypes to gene expression levels. By integrating TWAS with other multi-omics analyses, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of heritable diseases. This article provides an overview of recent groundbreaking and representative TWAS methods and tools, analyzes their strengths and limitations, and discusses future trends in TWAS development.
2.Secular trends in energy and macronutrient intake across different occupational groups in nine provinces of China, 1989–2018
Yu WU ; Jiguo ZHANG ; Liusen WANG ; Lixin HAO ; Chang QU ; Yumeng SONG ; Zhihong WANG ; Huijun WANG ; Bing ZHANG ; Hongru JIANG ; Gangqiang DING
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(2):145-152
Background With China's socio-economic development, the dietary structure of Chinese residents has gradually shifted from a traditional Eastern pattern characterized by high carbohydrate intake to a relatively high-fat Western dietary model, alongside a growing burden of chronic diseases. However, dietary changes may vary across different occupational groups. Objective To analyze the long-term trends in dietary energy and three major macronutrient intake among various occupational groups aged 18-59 years in nine provinces of China from 1989 to 2018, providing a scientific basis for developing occupation-specific dietary intervention strategies. Methods Based on 11 waves of data (1989–2018) from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS),
3.Cardiometabolic risk factor trends across different occupational groups in nine provinces of China, 2009–2018
Yu WU ; Hongru JIANG ; Lixin HAO ; Liusen WANG ; Weiyi LI ; Shaoshunzi WANG ; Zijian WANG ; Zhihong WANG ; Huijun WANG ; Bing ZHANG ; Lili CHEN ; Gangqiang DING
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(2):153-159
Background With China's socioeconomic development, significant lifestyle changes have occurred among occupational groups, leading to alterations in cardiovascular metabolic risk factors. However, few studies have examined the secular trends of these risk factors in China's working population. Objective To analyze the trends in cardiovascular metabolic risk factors among the occupational population in nine provinces of China from 2009 to 2018, and to explore the associations between different occupational types and these risk factors, along with their clustering patterns, thereby providing evidence for targeted interventions. Methods This study utilized data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) in 2009, 2015, and 2018. The dataset covered
4.Change trend of compound obesity among different occupational groups in nine provinces of China from 1993 to 2018
Lixin HAO ; Yu WU ; Liusen WANG ; Lili CHEN ; Boya ZHAO ; Zhongting LU ; Zhihong WANG ; Bing ZHANG ; Hongru JIANG ; Huijun WANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(2):160-167
Background The global prevalence of obesity is on the rise and is closely associated with various chronic non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. There is a relative lack of long-term dynamic studies on compound obesity among occupational populations. Objective To explore the changing trends of compound obesity among different occupational groups aged 18–59 years in nine provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) of China from 1993 to 2018, and to provide a scientific basis for formulating targeted weight management strategies for occupational populations. Methods A total of
5.Association between changes in body mass index and hypertension among different occupational groups
Zhongting LU ; Lili CHEN ; Hongru JIANG ; Lixin HAO ; Liusen WANG ; Weiyi LI ; Yu WU ; Huijun WANG ; Bing ZHANG ; Jiguo ZHANG ; Zhihong WANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(2):168-173
Background With rising obesity rates and earlier hypertension onset among occupational populations, there is an urgent need to elucidate the long-term cardiovascular impacts of dynamic body weight patterns. Current evidence lacks trajectory modeling studies examining occupation-specific prevention strategies. Objective To investigate the association between long-term body mass index (BMI) trajectories and incident hypertension risk in Chinese working adults, and to examine occupation-specific heterogeneity in this relationship. Methods A dynamic sub-cohort of 4 413 occupational participants was constructed from ten survey waves (1991–2018) of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). Eligible individuals had valid key BMI records at three or more independent follow-ups before the outcome event; the individual baseline was set as the year of their first participation in the survey. Group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) was used to identify BMI change patterns. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for hypertension incidence across trajectory groups, with stratified analysis by occupational categories. Results Among
6.Sanjie Quban Prescription Affects Proliferation, Apoptosis, Migration, and Invasion of Human Keloid Fibroblasts via AhR/CYP1A1 Signaling Pathway
Zhihong HE ; Fengchuan ZHANG ; Dingquan YANG ; Chuhan HUANG ; Zhihan WANG ; Yatong WU ; Qingwu LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(17):164-174
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Sanjie Quban prescription (SJQB)-containing serum on the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of human keloid fibroblasts (KFs) and to elucidate its underlying mechanism, with a focus on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)/cytochrome P450 family 1 subfamily A member 1 (CYP1A1) signaling pathway. MethodsPrimary human KFs were cultured in vitro and assigned to the following groups: control (KFs+blank serum), asiaticoside (KFs+asiaticoside-containing serum), SJQB (KFs+SJQB-containing serum), AhR agonist (KFs+β-naphthoflavone), AhR inhibitor (KFs+CH223191), and AhR inhibitor+SJQB (KFs+CH223191+SJQB-containing serum). The optimal intervention concentrations were determined through the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were evaluated by the EdU assay, flow cytometry, wound healing assay, and Transwell assay, respectively. The expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was visualized by immunofluorescence. The mRNA and protein levels of AhR, CYP1A1, TGF-β1, and α-SMA were measured by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) and Western blot, respectively. ResultsCompared with the control group, the SJQB, asiaticoside, and AhR agonist groups demonstrated inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, along with an increased apoptosis rate (P<0.01). The AhR inhibitor group showed enhanced proliferation, migration, and invasion together with a reduced apoptosis rate in comparison with the AhR agonist group (P<0.01). The AhR inhibitor+SJQB group exhibited increased proliferation, migration, and invasion as well as decreased apoptosis compared with the SJQB group (P<0.05, P<0.01). At the molecular level, compared with the control group, the SJQB, asiaticoside, and AhR agonist groups presented upregulated protein and mRNA levels of AhR and CYP1A1 (P<0.05, P<0.01), while the SJQB and AhR agonist groups showed downregulated TGF-β1 and α-SMA expression at both protein and mRNA levels (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the asiaticoside group displayed decreased protein level of TGF-β1 and mRNA level of α-SMA (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with both the AhR agonist and control groups, the AhR inhibitor group exhibited decreased AhR and CYP1A1 expression but increased TGF-β1 and α-SMA expression at protein and mRNA levels (P<0.01). In comparison with the SJQB group, the AhR inhibitor+SJQB group demonstrated reduced AhR and CYP1A1 expression (P<0.01) and elevated TGF-β1 and α-SMA expression (P<0.05, P<0.01) at both protein and mRNA levels. ConclusionSJQB may activate the AhR/CYP1A1 signaling pathway to downregulate TGF-β1 and α-SMA expression, thereby suppressing the proliferation, migration, and invasion and inducing the apoptosis of KFs.
7.Comparative analysis of fine needle aspiration cytology and histopathology in axil-lary lymph nodes
Boya ZHAI ; Zhendong HUANG ; Jinxing ZHOU ; Yan WU ; Lei XI ; Cong WANG ; Zhihong ZHANG ; Rong RONG
Chinese Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology 2025;41(4):469-473
Purpose To investigate the role of ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology(US-FNAC)in the diagnosis of breast cancer.Methods Fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC)samples of 203 patients with breast cancer were selected and prepared by liquid-based cytology.The results of histopathology after neoadjuvant therapy were used as the gold standard to compare with the diagnostic results of FNAC samples,and then evaluated the diagnos-tic coincidence rate of FNAC samples.Results Of 203 axillary lymph node FNAC samples,111 cases were diagnosed as positive,38 cases were diagnosed as suspicious for positivity,and 54 cases were diagnosed as negative.The diag-nostic accuracy of FNAC was 85.2%,the sensitivity of FNAC was 98.0%,and the specificity of FNAC was 90.0%.Conclusion FNAC has high sensitivity and accuracy in the diagnosis of axillary lymph node metastasis.Sentinel lymph node biopsy is recommended for patients with negative FNAC but clinically and radiographically suspected lymph node metastasis.
8.Predictive study of brain gray matter volume combined with regional homogeneity on the alleviation of post-traumatic stress disorder in bereaved parents who lost their only child
Chensi LI ; Yifeng LUO ; Zhihong CAO ; Yuefeng LI ; Jiyuan GE ; Qingyue LAN ; Rongfeng QI ; Luo'an WU ; Li ZHANG ; Guangming LU
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(10):879-884
Objective:To investigate the predictive value of multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques in assessing symptom remission of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of bereaved parents who lost their only child.Methods:In this prospective study, 34 parents with PTSD resulting from the loss of the only child were followed-up for 2 years. Based on the PTSD diagnostic status at the end of the follow-up, participants were divided into the remission group and the persistent group.R 3.6.1 and SPSS 20.0 software were used for statistical analysis.Baseline clinical data and neuroimaging findings were compared between the two groups. Logistic regression and LASSO regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors of PTSD symptom remission. The predictive performance of these factors was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Results:Initial screening with univariate Logistic regression and LASSO regression revealed that regional homogeneity (ReHo) in the left middle temporal gyrus, the combined predictive value based on ReHo, and the integrated predictive value combining gray matter volume (GMV) and ReHo (GMV-ReHo predictor) were significant factors influencing symptom remission (all P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression further demonstrated that the GMV-ReHo predictor retained independent predictive significance ( P<0.05), with ROC curve analysis showing an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.979 (95% CI=0.935-0.996, P<0.001) for its ability to predict PTSD remission. Notably, a combined model incorporating both the scores of the clinician administered PTSD scale (CAPS) and the GMV-ReHo predictor achieved an enhanced predictive performance, yielding an AUC of 0.984 (95% CI=0.952-0.998, P<0.001). Conclusion:The GMV-ReHo predictor effectively identifies symptom remission in PTSD resulting from the loss of the only child.
9.Comparative analysis of fine needle aspiration cytology and histopathology in axil-lary lymph nodes
Boya ZHAI ; Zhendong HUANG ; Jinxing ZHOU ; Yan WU ; Lei XI ; Cong WANG ; Zhihong ZHANG ; Rong RONG
Chinese Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology 2025;41(4):469-473
Purpose To investigate the role of ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology(US-FNAC)in the diagnosis of breast cancer.Methods Fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC)samples of 203 patients with breast cancer were selected and prepared by liquid-based cytology.The results of histopathology after neoadjuvant therapy were used as the gold standard to compare with the diagnostic results of FNAC samples,and then evaluated the diagnos-tic coincidence rate of FNAC samples.Results Of 203 axillary lymph node FNAC samples,111 cases were diagnosed as positive,38 cases were diagnosed as suspicious for positivity,and 54 cases were diagnosed as negative.The diag-nostic accuracy of FNAC was 85.2%,the sensitivity of FNAC was 98.0%,and the specificity of FNAC was 90.0%.Conclusion FNAC has high sensitivity and accuracy in the diagnosis of axillary lymph node metastasis.Sentinel lymph node biopsy is recommended for patients with negative FNAC but clinically and radiographically suspected lymph node metastasis.
10.MRI study on the impact of intergenerational caregiving on the structure and function of grandparents' brains
Wenxi FENG ; Yifeng LUO ; Zhihong CAO ; Jiyuan GE ; Qingyue LAN ; Chenyu PAN ; Rongfeng QI ; Guangming LU ; Li ZHANG ; Luo'an WU
Journal of Practical Radiology 2025;41(6):895-899
Objective To investigate the impact of intergenerational caregiving on the brain structure and function of grandparents,and to analyze its correlation with caregiving factors.Methods Healthy adults(66 with grandchildren,24 without grandchildren)were recruited as study subjects,and clinical and MRI data were collected.Resting-state brain functional degree centrality(DC)and surface-based morphometry(SBM)methods were used to compare the differences in brain structure and function between the groups with and without grandchildren.The correlation between the differences in brain regions and △ values with grandchild's age,number,and time spent in childcare were assessed,respectively.Results Compared to the group without grandchildren,the group with grandchildren showed reduced surface area and cortical volume in the left middle temporal gyrus,as well as decreased DC values in the left medial superior frontal gyrus,bilateral orbital superior frontal gyrus,and left anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyrus(P<0.05),respectively.In the grandchildren group,DC values and △ values in the left orbital superior frontal gyrus,left anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyrus were significantly positively correlated with time spent in childcare.Conclusion The brain structures and functions of grandparents related to empathy and motivation are changed in intergenerational caregiving,which may reveal the neuroplasticity after caring for their grandchildren.

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