BACKGROUND:A large number of previous studies have confirmed that a high concentration of metabolites is significantly correlated with embryo quality and clinical outcome,and the theory of silencing embryo development indicates that normally developed embryos maintain a low level of material exchange with the outside world during in vitro culture,while embryos often show abnormal metabolic activity due to stress repair mechanism when DNA damage occurs. OBJECTIVE:To establish and verify an embryo quality prediction model based on the third-day 340 nm absorbance embryo cultures to provide the basis for a more objective and accurate embryo quality assessment. METHODS:269 patients at the Nanxishan Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region for in vitro fertilization and embryo transplantation from November 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.Among them,on day 3,162 cases who had 873 optimal embryos and 214 high-quality blastocysts were included in the high-quality embryo group.On day 3,107 cases who had 859 non-optimal embryos and 214 non-high-quality blastocysts were included in the non-high-quality embryo group.Lambert-beer law was used to screen out the characteristic wavelength with distinguishing degree between superior and non-superior embryos,analyze its correlation and influence trend with high-quality embryos,and establish the clinical prediction model and validation of absorbance for high-quality and non-high-quality embryos at this wavelength. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)There was a significant difference in absorbance between high-quality and non-high-quality embryos at 340 nm on day 3(P<0.001),and a negative correlation was found with the formation of high-quality embryos on day 3(r=-0.486,P<0.001).The absorbance of high-quality and non-high-quality blastocyst at 340 nm was significantly different(P<0.05),and was negatively correlated with the formation of high-quality blastocyst(r=-0.642,P<0.001).(2)The optimal cut-off value of absorbance at 340 nm between high-quality and non-high-quality embryos on day 3 was 0.235.The area under the curve was 0.799.Sensitivity was 62.9%.Specificity was 78.0%.Accuracy was 70.5%.The optimum cutoff value of high-quality and non-high-quality blastocysts of absorbance at 340 nm was 0.175.The area under the curve was 0.871.Sensitivity was 74.3%.Specificity was 89.1%.Accuracy was 82.2%.(3)Restricted cubic spline curve analysis showed that when the absorbance of the culture medium at 340 nm was greater than 0.221,there was a significant positive trend on the formation of non-high-quality embryos at day 3,and when the absorbance of the culture medium at 340 nm was greater than 0.160,there was a significant positive trend on the formation of non-high-quality blastocysts.(4)The clinical decision curve and clinical influence curve showed that the absorbance of the culture medium at 340 nm had the maximum clinical net benefit for the prediction models of high-quality embryos and high-quality blastocysts on the third day when the valve probability was 0.18-0.95 and 0.16-1.00,respectively,and the ratio of loss to gain within the valve probability range was always less than 1.It is proven that the prediction model has good efficacy in clinical applications.The results of embryo transfer showed that the absorbance of embryo culture medium at 340 nm in non-pregnant patients was significantly higher than that in clinical pregnancy,biochemical pregnancy and early abortion patients(P<0.05).(5)The high-quality and non-high-quality embryo culture in 340 nm absorbance has a significant difference with correlation.The embryo quality prediction model has a certain clinical value and application effectiveness.The joint embryo morphology evaluation to a certain extent improves the objectivity and accuracy of embryo quality evaluation.

Objective:To evaluated the clinical efficacy of a reduced-intensity preconditioning regimen for single non-blood-related umbilical cord blood transplantation (sUCBT) in the treatment of severe aplastic anemia (SAA) .Methods:The clinical data of 63 patients with SAA who underwent sUCBT from January 2021 to July 2023 at the Department of Hematology of the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC were retrospectively analyzed. Fifty-two patients received total body irradiation/total bone marrow irradiation (TMI) combined with fludarabine or a cyclophosphamide- conditioning regimen (non-rATG group) , while 11 patients received rabbit anti-human thymocyte immunoglobulin (rATG) combined with TMI, fludarabine, or the cyclophosphamide-conditioning regimen (rATG group) . All patients received cyclosporine A and mycophenolate mofetil for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. Complications post-transplantation and long-term survival were compared between the two groups.Results:The baseline parameters were balanced between the two groups ( P>0.05) . In the rATG group, all patients achieved stem cell engraftment, and in the non-rATG group, five patients had primary graft failure. There was no significant difference in the cumulative incidence of neutrophil engraftment at 42 days after transplantation or platelet engraftment at 60 days between the two groups. The incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ acute GVHD in the rATG group was significantly lower than in the non-rATG group (10.0% vs. 46.2% , P=0.032) , and the differences in the cumulative incidences of grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ acute GVHD and 1-year chronic GVHD were not statistically significant ( P=0.367 and P=0.053, respectively) . There were no significant differences in the incidences of pre-engraftment syndrome, bacterial bloodstream infections, cytomegalovirus viremia, or hemorrhagic cystitis between the two groups ( P>0.05 for all) . The median follow-up time for surviving patients was 536 (61-993) days, and the 1-year transplantation related mortality (TRM) of all patients after transplantation was 13.0% (95% CI 6.7% -24.3% ) . Among the patients in the non-rATG and rATG groups, 15.5% (95% CI 8.1% -28.6% ) and 0% ( P=0.189) , respectively, had mutations. The 1-year overall survival (OS) rate of all patients after transplantation was 87.0% (95% CI 75.7% -93.3% ) . The 1-year OS rates in the rATG group and non-rATG group after transplantation were 100% and 84.5% , respectively (95% CI 71.4% -91.9% ) ( P=0.198) . Conclusion:The preliminary results of sUCBT with a low-dose irradiation-based reduced-intensity conditioning regimen with fludarabine/cyclophosphamide for the treatment of patients with SAA showed good efficacy. Early application of low-dose rATG can reduce the incidence of acute GVHD after transplantation without increasing the risk of implantation failure or infection.

Background::Previous studies have reported associations of specific maternal and paternal lifestyle factors with offspring’s cognitive development during early childhood. This study aimed to investigate the prospective associations between overall parental lifestyle and offspring’s cognitive performance during adolescence and young adulthood in China.Methods::We included 2531 adolescents aged 10-15 years at baseline in 2010 from the China Family Panel Studies. A healthy parental lifestyle score (ranged 0-5) was constructed based on the following five modifiable lifestyle factors: Smoking, drinking, exercise, sleep, and diet. Generalized estimating equation models were used to examine the association between baseline parental healthy lifestyle scores and offspring’s fluid and crystallized intelligence in subsequent years (2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018).Results::Offspring in the top tertile of parental healthy lifestyle scores performed better in overall fluid intelligence (multivariable-adjusted β = 0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.29-0.77) and overall crystallized intelligence (multivariable-adjusted β = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.16-0.54) than those in the bottom tertile of parental healthy lifestyle scores. The results were similar after further adjustment for the offspring’s healthy lifestyle scores and persisted across the subgroups of parental socioeconomic status. Additionally, maternal and paternal healthy lifestyle scores were independently associated with better offspring’s cognitive performance, with significant contribution observed for paternal never-smoking, weekly exercise, and diversified diet. When both parents and offspring adhered to a healthier lifestyle, we observed the highest level of the offspring’s overall crystallized intelligence. Conclusions::Our study indicates that parental adherence to a healthier lifestyle is associated with significantly better offspring’s cognitive performance during adolescence and early adulthood, regardless of socioeconomic status. These findings highlight the potential cognitive benefits of promoting healthy lifestyles among parents of adolescents.

Background::With an increasing number of patients with hematological malignancies being treated with umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT), the correlation between immune reconstitution (IR) after UCBT and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) has been reported successively, but reports on double-negative T (DNT) cell reconstitution and its association with acute GVHD (aGVHD) after UCBT are lacking.Methods::A population-based observational study was conducted among 131 patients with hematological malignancies who underwent single-unit UCBT as their first transplant at the Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, between August 2018 and June 2021. IR differences were compared between the patients with and without aGVHD.Results::The absolute number of DNT cells in the healthy Chinese population was 109 (70-157)/μL, accounting for 5.82 (3.98-8.19)% of lymphocytes. DNT cells showed delayed recovery and could not reach their normal levels even one year after transplantation. Importantly, the absolute number and percentage of DNT cells were significantly higher in UCBT patients without aGVHD than in those with aGVHD within one year ( F = 4.684, P = 0.039 and F = 5.583, P = 0.026, respectively). In addition, the number of DNT cells in the first month after transplantation decreased significantly with the degree of aGVHD increased, and faster DNT cell reconstitution in the first month after UCBT was an independent protective factor for aGVHD (HR = 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.23-0.93; P = 0.031). Conclusions::Compared to the number of DNT cells in Chinese healthy people, the reconstitution of DNT cells in adults with hematological malignancies after UCBT was slow. In addition, the faster reconstitution of DNT cells in the early stage after transplantation was associated with a lower incidence of aGVHD.

Tirzepatide,the first and currently the only approved GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist worldwide,has demonstrated favorable effects in glycemic control and body weight reduction in several studies.In recent years,the effects of Tirzepatide on improving cardiovascular risk factors have gained increasing attentions.This article reviews the research progress of the effects of Tirzepatide on the cardiovascular system.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)combined with immune checkpoint inhibitor(ICI)and molecular targeted therapy for Child-Pugh grade B hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods The patients with Child-Pugh grade B HCC,who received TACE combined with ICI and molecular targeted therapy(combination group)or TACE monotherapy(monotherapy group)at the three medical centers including the Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University of China between January 2018 and May 2021,were enrolled in this study.The primary outcome was overall survival(OS),and the secondary outcomes included progression-free survival(PFS),objective response rate(ORR),and clinical safety.Results A total of 126 patients were enrolled in this study,including 64 patients in the combination group and 62 patients in the monotherapy group.No statistically significant difference in median OS existed between the combination group and the monotherapy group[17.7 months(95％CI:11.9-29.9 months)vs.13.2 months(95％CI:7.8-19.9 months);P=0.160].In the combination group,the patients having a Child-Pugh score of 7 points obtained a significantly better OS[19.0months(95％CI:13.6-NR)vs.13.2 months(95％CI:8.0-NR),P=0.024].The differences in the median PFS and ORR between the two groups were not statistically significant(P=0.720 and P=0.960 respectively).Grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ adverse events occurred in 19 patients(14.1％)of the combination group and in 6 patients(9.7％)of the monotherapy group.Conclusion In treating patients with Child-Pugh grade B HCC,TACE combined with ICI and molecular targeted therapy does not show a better prognosis than TACE monotherapy,however,the patients having a Child-Pugh score of 7 points in the combination group can have a much better OS.

Objective To observe the clinical effect of hypomethylating agents (HMAs) in the treatment of patients with intermediate- and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Methods A retrospective study was conducted in 58 patients with intermediate-and high-risk MDS. The study group(25 patients) received azacitidine or decitabine for hypomethylating treatment, while the control group(33 patients) received routine symptomatic supportive treatment. The clinical efficacy, hematologic parameters, quality of life, and adverse events were observed and compared between the two groups. Results After treatment, the complete remission rate, objective response rate, and disease control rate were higher in the study group than in the control group, while the disease progression rate was lower (P < 0.05). The 1-year survival rate was 92.00% in the study group, which was higher than 75.76% in the control group, but the difference showed no statistically significant (P>0.05). After treatment, hemoglobin, white blood cell, and platelet levels were higher in both groups than before treatment, and were higher in the study group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The total incidence of adverse events was lower in the study group than that in the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the quality of life scores (physical function, cognitive function, emotional function, role function, and social function) were higher in the study group than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion HMAs treatment is superior to routine symptomatic supportive treatment in patients with intermediate-and high-risk MDS, and not only improves the quality of life but also has good safety.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer patients who are positive for hormone receptor typically exhibit a favorable prognosis. It is controversial whether chemotherapy is necessary for them after surgery. Our study aimed to establish a multigene model to predict the relapse of hormone receptor-positive early-stage Chinese breast cancer after surgery and direct individualized application of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients after surgery. METHODS: In this study, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between relapse and nonrelapse breast cancer groups based on RNA sequencing. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to identify potential relapse-relevant pathways. CIBERSORT and Microenvironment Cell Populations-counter algorithms were used to analyze immune infiltration. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, log-rank tests, and multiple Cox regression were performed to identify prognostic signatures. A predictive model was developed and validated based on Kaplan-Meier analysis, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). RESULTS: A total of 234 out of 487 patients were enrolled in this study, and 1588 DEGs were identified between the relapse and nonrelapse groups. GSEA results showed that immune-related pathways were enriched in the nonrelapse group, whereas cell cycle- and metabolism-relevant pathways were enriched in the relapse group. A predictive model was developed using three genes ( CKMT1B , SMR3B , and OR11M1P ) generated from the LASSO regression. The model stratified breast cancer patients into high- and low-risk subgroups with significantly different prognostic statuses, and our model was independent of other clinical factors. Time-dependent ROC showed high predictive performance of the model. CONCLUSIONS A multigene model was established from RNA-sequencing data to direct risk classification and predict relapse of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in Chinese patients. Utilization of the model could provide individualized evaluation of chemotherapy after surgery for breast cancer patients.
Humans ; Female ; Breast Neoplasms/genetics* ; East Asian People ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/genetics* ; Breast ; Algorithms ; Chronic Disease ; Prognosis ; Tumor Microenvironment

The structure and size of the chloroplast genome of Castanopsis hystrix was determined by Illumina HiSeq 2500 sequencing platform to understand the difference between C. hystrix and the chloroplast genome of the same genus, and the evolutionary position of C. hystrix in the genus, so as to facilitate species identification, genetic diversity analysis and resource conservation of the genus. Bioinformatics analysis was used to perform sequence assembly, annotation and characteristic analysis. R, Python, MISA, CodonW and MEGA 6 bioinformatics software were used to analyze the genome structure and number, codon bias, sequence repeats, simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci and phylogeny. The genome size of C. hystrix chloroplast was 153 754 bp, showing tetrad structure. A total of 130 genes were identified, including 85 coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes. According to codon bias analysis, the average number of effective codons was 55.5, indicating that the codons were highly random and low in bias. Forty-five repeats and 111 SSR loci were detected by SSR and long repeat fragment analysis. Compared with the related species, chloroplast genome sequences were highly conserved, especially the protein coding sequences. Phylogenetic analysis showed that C. hystrix is closely related to the Hainanese cone. In summary, we obtained the basic information and phylogenetic position of the chloroplast genome of red cone, which will provide a preliminary basis for species identification, genetic diversity of natural populations and functional genomics research of C. hystrix.
Phylogeny ; Genome, Chloroplast ; Codon/genetics* ; Genomics ; Chloroplasts/genetics*

BACKGROUND: Microsatellite instability (MSI) is a key biomarker for cancer immunotherapy and prognosis. Integration of MSI testing into a next-generation-sequencing (NGS) panel could save tissue sample, reduce turn-around time and cost, and provide MSI status and comprehensive genomic profiling in single test. We aimed to develop an MSI calling model to detect MSI status along with the NGS panel-based profiling test using tumor-only samples. METHODS: From January 2019 to December 2020, a total of 174 colorectal cancer (CRC) patients were enrolled, including 31 MSI-high (MSI-H) and 143 microsatellite stability (MSS) cases. Among them, 56 paired tumor and normal samples (10 MSI-H and 46 MSS) were used for modeling, and another 118 tumor-only samples were used for validation. MSI polymerase chain reaction (MSI-PCR) was performed as the gold standard. A baseline was built for the selected microsatellite loci using the NGS data of 56 normal blood samples. An MSI detection model was constructed by analyzing the NGS data of tissue samples. The performance of the model was compared with the results of MSI-PCR. RESULTS: We first intersected the target genomic regions of the NGS panels used in this study to select common microsatellite loci. A total of 42 loci including 23 mononucleotide repeat sites and 19 longer repeat sites were candidates for modeling. As mononucleotide repeat sites are more sensitive and specific for detecting MSI status than sites with longer length motif and the mononucleotide repeat sites performed even better than the total sites, a model containing 23 mononucleotide repeat sites was constructed and named Colorectal Cancer Microsatellite Instability test (CRC-MSI). The model achieved 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity when compared with MSI-PCR in both training and validation sets. Furthermore, the CRC-MSI model was robust with the tumor content as low as 6%. In addition, 8 out of 10 MSI-H samples showed alternations in the four mismatch repair genes ( MLH1 , MSH2 , MSH6 , and PMS2 ). CONCLUSION MSI status can be accurately determined along the targeted NGS panels using only tumor samples. The performance of mononucleotide repeat sites surpasses loci with longer repeat motif in MSI calling.
Humans ; Microsatellite Instability ; Colorectal Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Microsatellite Repeats/genetics* ; DNA Mismatch Repair