1.Bibliometric analysis of research process and current situation of brain aging and exosomes
Liting LYU ; Xia YU ; Jinmei ZHANG ; Qiaojing GAO ; Renfan LIU ; Meng LI ; Lu WANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(7):1457-1465
BACKGROUND:In recent years,with the rapid development of biomedicine,the study of brain aging and exosomes has attracted more and more attention,but there is no bibliometrics analysis in this field. OBJECTIVE:To objectively analyze domestic and foreign literature on brain aging and exosomes in the past 15 years,to summarize the research status,hot spots,and development trends in this field. METHODS:Using the core database of Web of Science as a search platform,we downloaded the literature on brain aging and exosomes published from the establishment of the database to December 28,2022,and analyzed the data from the aspects of country or region,institution,author,keywords,and co-cited literature using CiteSpace 6.1.R6 visualization software. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:A total of 1 045 research articles were included,and the number of publications on brain aging and exosomes research both domestically and internationally was showing an increasing trend year by year.The United States ranked first with 429 papers,and China ranked second with 277 papers.Louisiana State University ranked first with 16 articles.Professor Lukiw Walter J from Louisiana State University in the United States was the author with the highest number of publications,and Professor Bartel DP from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was the author with the most citations.The most prolific Journal was the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.Alzheimer's disease,microRNA,gene expression,extracellular vesicles,exosomes,oxidative stress,and biomarkers are the most relevant terms.According to the research on hot topics,biomarkers have become a new research hotspot.The above results indicate that the research on brain aging and exosomes has gradually increased in the past 15 years.The research direction has gradually shifted from the initial exploration of the expression of miRNAs in central nervous system diseases related to brain aging to the search for biomarkers that can identify and diagnose neurodegenerative diseases.The study of exocrine miRNAs to protect central nervous system from damage has emerged as promising therapeutic strategy.
2.Jiawei Xiaoyao San exerts anti-liver cancer effects via exosomal miRNA pathway
Xiaoming LIU ; Jinlai CHENG ; Rushuang LI ; Niuniu LI ; Qiuyun QIN ; Meng XIA ; Chun YAO
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(19):4052-4062
BACKGROUND:Previous studies by our research group discovered that Jiawei Xiaoyao San has a significant anti-liver cancer effect,but the specific mechanism of action was unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the regulatory effects of the traditional Chinese medicine formula Jiawei Xiaoyao San on the levels of miRNAs in plasma exosomes of rats with diethylnitrosamine chronically induced primary liver cancer,based on high-throughput sequencing combined with bioinformatics. METHODS:SD rats were randomly divided into a blank control group,a liver cancer model group,and a Jiawei Xiaoyao San treatment group.Liver cancer models were induced by continuous administration of diethylnitrosamine for 12 weeks.Starting from the 17th week,rats in the Jiawei Xiaoyao San treatment group were administered Jiawei Xiaoyao San once daily until the end of the 20th week,while rats in the blank control and liver cancer model groups were given an equivalent volume of saline.Anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effects were validated by assessing the morphological structure of rat liver tissues,along with the expression of the hepatocellular carcinoma markers,Glypican-3 protein and serum alpha-fetoprotein.Plasma exosomes from each group of rats were isolated using ultracentrifugation.High-throughput sequencing technology was used to screen for differentially expressed miRNAs in rat plasma exosomes.Bioinformatics was used to predict the potential biomarkers through which Jiawei Xiaoyao San exerts its anti-liver cancer effects via liver cancer-derived exosomal miRNAs,followed by functional analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Jiawei Xiaoyao San significantly improved the morphological structure of liver tissues in a rat model of liver cancer.Compared with the liver cancer model group,the expression of liver cancer markers Glypican-3 protein and serum alpha-fetoprotein was significantly reduced in the Jiawei Xiaoyao San treatment group.(2)Bioinformatics analysis showed that in the Jiawei Xiaoyao San group,upregulated miR-223-3p in the liver cancer model group had target binding sites with genes E2F1 and NCOA1,which were closely related to liver cancer survival and prognosis.Therefore,Jiawei Xiaoyao San has a therapeutic effect on liver cancer,possibly by targeting negative regulation of NCOA1/E2F1 through liver cancer plasma-derived exosomal miR-223-3p,thereby playing anti-liver cancer effect.
3.Kidney transplantation from donors with Marfan syndrome: report of 2 cases and literature review
Meng ZHANG ; Yibin WANG ; Yuchen WANG ; Rumin LIU ; Ziyan YAN ; Renfei XIA ; Wenli ZENG ; Jialiang HUI ; Minjie ZHOU ; Jian XU ; Yun MIAO
Organ Transplantation 2024;15(2):257-262
Objective To investigate the feasibility and clinical experience of kidney transplantation from donors with Marfan syndrome (MFS). Methods Clinical data of 2 recipients undergoing kidney transplantation from the same MFS patient were retrospectively analyzed and literature review of 2 cases was conducted. Characteristics and clinical diagnosis and treatment of kidney transplantation from MFS patients were summarized. Results The Remuzzi scores of the left and right donor kidneys of the MFS patient during time-zero biopsy were 1 and 2. No significant difference was observed in the renal arteriole wall compared with other donors of brain death and cardiac death. Two recipients who received kidney transplantation from the MFS patient suffered from postoperative delayed graft function. After short-term hemodialysis, the graft function of the recipients received the left and right kidney began to gradually recover at postoperative 10 d and 20 d. After discharge, serum creatinine level of the recipient received the left kidney was ranged from 80 to 90 μmol/L, whereas that of the recipient received the right kidney kept declining, and the lowest serum creatinine level was 232 μmol/L before the submission date (at postoperative 43 d). Through literature review, two cases successfully undergoing kidney transplantation from the same MFS donor were reported. Both two recipients experienced delayed graft function, and then renal function was restored to normal. Until the publication date, 1 recipient has survived for 6 years, and the other recipient died of de novo cerebrovascular disease at postoperative 2 years. Conclusions MFS patients may serve as an acceptable source of kidney donors. However, the willingness and general conditions of the recipients should be carefully evaluated before kidney transplantation. Intraoperatively, potential risk of tear of renal arterial media should be properly treated. Extensive attention should be paid to the incidence of postoperative complications.
4.Expert consensus on the evaluation and management of dysphagia after oral and maxillofacial tumor surgery
Xiaoying LI ; Moyi SUN ; Wei GUO ; Guiqing LIAO ; Zhangui TANG ; Longjiang LI ; Wei RAN ; Guoxin REN ; Zhijun SUN ; Jian MENG ; Shaoyan LIU ; Wei SHANG ; Jie ZHANG ; Yue HE ; Chunjie LI ; Kai YANG ; Zhongcheng GONG ; Jichen LI ; Qing XI ; Gang LI ; Bing HAN ; Yanping CHEN ; Qun'an CHANG ; Yadong WU ; Huaming MAI ; Jie ZHANG ; Weidong LENG ; Lingyun XIA ; Wei WU ; Xiangming YANG ; Chunyi ZHANG ; Fan YANG ; Yanping WANG ; Tiantian CAO
Journal of Practical Stomatology 2024;40(1):5-14
Surgical operation is the main treatment of oral and maxillofacial tumors.Dysphagia is a common postoperative complication.Swal-lowing disorder can not only lead to mis-aspiration,malnutrition,aspiration pneumonia and other serious consequences,but also may cause psychological problems and social communication barriers,affecting the quality of life of the patients.At present,there is no systematic evalua-tion and rehabilitation management plan for the problem of swallowing disorder after oral and maxillofacial tumor surgery in China.Combining the characteristics of postoperative swallowing disorder in patients with oral and maxillofacial tumors,summarizing the clinical experience of ex-perts in the field of tumor and rehabilitation,reviewing and summarizing relevant literature at home and abroad,and through joint discussion and modification,a group of national experts reached this consensus including the core contents of the screening of swallowing disorders,the phased assessment of prognosis and complications,and the implementation plan of comprehensive management such as nutrition management,respiratory management,swallowing function recovery,psychology and nursing during rehabilitation treatment,in order to improve the evalua-tion and rehabilitation of swallowing disorder after oral and maxillofacial tumor surgery in clinic.
5.Mutational Signatures Analysis of Micropapillary Components and Exploration of ZNF469 Gene in Early-stage Lung Adenocarcinoma with Ground-glass Opacities.
Youtao XU ; Qinhong SUN ; Siwei WANG ; Hongyu ZHU ; Guozhang DONG ; Fanchen MENG ; Zhijun XIA ; Jing YOU ; Xiangru KONG ; Jintao WU ; Peng CHEN ; Fangwei YUAN ; Xinyu YU ; Jinfu JI ; Zhitong LI ; Pengcheng ZHU ; Yuxiang SUN ; Tongyan LIU ; Rong YIN ; Lin XU
Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer 2024;26(12):889-900
BACKGROUND:
In China, lung cancer remains the cancer with the highest incidence and mortality rate. Among early-stage lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD), the micropapillary (MPP) component is prevalent and typically exhibits high aggressiveness, significantly correlating with early metastasis, lymphatic infiltration, and reduced five-year survival rates. Therefore, the study is to explore the similarities and differences between MPP and non-micropapillary (non-MPP) components in malignant pulmonary nodules characterized by GGOs in early-stage LUAD, identify unique mutational features of the MPP component and analyze the relationship between the ZNF469 gene, a member of the zinc-finger protein family, and the prognosis of early-stage LUAD, as well as its correlation with immune infiltration.
METHODS:
A total of 31 malignant pulmonary nodules of LUAD were collected and dissected into paired MPP and non-MPP components using microdissection. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on the components of early-stage malignant pulmonary nodules. Mutational signatures analysis was conducted using R packages such as maftools, Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF), and Sigminer to unveil the genomic mutational characteristics unique to MPP components in invasive LUAD compared to other tumor tissues. Furthermore, we explored the expression of the ZNF469 gene in LUAD using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to investigate its potential association with the prognosis. We also investigated gene interaction networks and signaling pathways related to ZNF469 in LUAD using the GeneMANIA database and conducted Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Lastly, we analyzed the correlation between ZNF469 gene expression and levels of immune cell infiltration in LUAD using the TIMER and TISIDB databases.
RESULTS:
MPP components exhibited a higher number of genomic variations, particularly the 13th COSMIC (Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer) mutational signature characterized by the activity of the cytidine deaminase APOBEC family, which was unique to MPP components compared to non-MPP components in tumor tissues. This suggests the potential involvement of APOBEC in the progression of MPP components in early-stage LUAD. Additionally, MPP samples with high similarity to APOBEC signature displayed a higher tumor mutational burden (TMB), indicating that these patients may be more likely to benefit from immunotherapy. The expression of ZNF469 was significantly upregulated in LUAD compared to normal tissue, and was associated with poor prognosis in LUAD patients (P<0.05). Gene interaction network analysis and GO/KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that COL6A1, COL1A1, COL1A2, TGFB2, MMP2, COL8A2 and C2CD4C interacted with ZNF469 and were mainly involved in encoding collagen proteins and participating in the constitution of extracellular matrix. ZNF469 expression was positively correlated with immune cell infiltration in LUAD (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
The study has unveiled distinctive mutational signatures in the MPP components of early-stage invasive LUAD in the Asian population. Furthermore, we have identified that the elevated expression of mutated ZNF469 impacts the prognosis and immune infiltration in LUAD, suggesting its potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in LUAD.
Humans
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Lung Neoplasms/genetics*
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Adenocarcinoma of Lung/genetics*
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China
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Prognosis
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Transcription Factors
6.Establishment and evaluation of a prognosis model of soft tissue sarcoma based on lactic acid metabolism gene
Tian-Tian ZHANG ; Lian MENG ; Hao SUN ; Chun-Xia LIU
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(13):1958-1962
Objective To establish a risk model for lactate metabolism-related genes in soft tissue sarcomas,and to explore their correlation with tumor mutational burden,immune cells,immune related functions and immune checkpoints in the tumor microenvironment.Methods The differentially expressed genes associated with lactate metabolism in soft tissue sarcoma were obtained after intersecting the differentially expressed genes extracted by TCGA and GTEx database with lactate metabolism-related gene sets from the Msigdb database.The pathway enrichment analysis was carried out by gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes.By the univariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator to construct a risk score model,and divided the soft tissue sarcomas samples into high-risk and low-risk groups.Finally,the differences of the tumor mutational burden and immunity in the tumor microenvironment between the two groups were analyzed.Results A total of 29 differentially expressed genes associated with lactate metabolism were screened,and the results of pathways enrichment analysis showed that they were mainly related to metabolic processes.By constructing a predictive risk score model,soft tissue sarcoma samples were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups.Tumor mutational burden analysis showed that the first mutated gene was tumor protein p53 in all soft tissue sarcoma samples.Missense mutation was the most common type of somatic mutations,and the frequency of mutation was higher in the high-risk group than that in the low-risk group.The analysis of tumor microenvironment indicated that the infiltration of M0 and M2 macrophage was more in the high-risk group,while the low-risk group had a higher percentage of infiltrating CD8+T cells and monocytes.The immune related functional response and immune checkpoints expression was higher in the low-risk group.Conclusion The lactate metabolism scoring model can better evaluate the prognosis of patients with soft tissue sarcoma and reflect the state of tumor microenvironment.
7.National bloodstream infection bacterial resistance surveillance report (2022) : Gram-negative bacteria
Zhiying LIU ; Yunbo CHEN ; Jinru JI ; Chaoqun YING ; Qing YANG ; Haishen KONG ; Haifeng MAO ; Hui DING ; Pengpeng TIAN ; Jiangqin SONG ; Yongyun LIU ; Jiliang WANG ; Yan JIN ; Yuanyuan DAI ; Yizheng ZHOU ; Yan GENG ; Fenghong CHEN ; Lu WANG ; Yanyan LI ; Dan LIU ; Peng ZHANG ; Junmin CAO ; Xiaoyan LI ; Dijing SONG ; Xinhua QIANG ; Yanhong LI ; Qiuying ZHANG ; Guolin LIAO ; Ying HUANG ; Baohua ZHANG ; Liang GUO ; Aiyun LI ; Haiquan KANG ; Donghong HUANG ; Sijin MAN ; Zhuo LI ; Youdong YIN ; Kunpeng LIANG ; Haixin DONG ; Donghua LIU ; Hongyun XU ; Yinqiao DONG ; Rong XU ; Lin ZHENG ; Shuyan HU ; Jian LI ; Qiang LIU ; Liang LUAN ; Jilu SHEN ; Lixia ZHANG ; Bo QUAN ; Xiaoping YAN ; Xiaoyan QI ; Dengyan QIAO ; Weiping LIU ; Xiusan XIA ; Ling MENG ; Jinhua LIANG ; Ping SHEN ; Yonghong XIAO
Chinese Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases 2024;17(1):42-57
Objective:To report the results of national surveillance on the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical Gram-negative bacteria isolates from bloodstream infections in China in 2022.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria from blood cultures in member hospitals of national bloodstream infection Bacterial Resistant Investigation Collaborative System(BRICS)were collected during January 2022 to December 2022. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted by agar dilution or broth dilution methods recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI). WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 software were used to analyze the data.Results:During the study period,9 035 strains of Gram-negative bacteria were collected from 51 hospitals,of which 7 895(87.4%)were Enterobacteriaceae and 1 140(12.6%)were non-fermenting bacteria. The top 5 bacterial species were Escherichia coli( n=4 510,49.9%), Klebsiella pneumoniae( n=2 340,25.9%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa( n=534,5.9%), Acinetobacter baumannii complex( n=405,4.5%)and Enterobacter cloacae( n=327,3.6%). The ESBLs-producing rates in Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus spp. were 47.1%(2 095/4 452),21.0%(427/2 033)and 41.1%(58/141),respectively. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli(CREC)and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae(CRKP)were 1.3%(58/4 510)and 13.1%(307/2 340);62.1%(36/58)and 9.8%(30/307)of CREC and CRKP were resistant to ceftazidime/avibactam combination,respectively. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii(CRAB)complex was 59.5%(241/405),while less than 5% of Acinetobacter baumannii complex was resistant to tigecycline and polymyxin B. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa(CRPA)was 18.4%(98/534). There were differences in the composition ratio of Gram-negative bacteria in bloodstream infections and the prevalence of main Gram-negative bacteria resistance among different regions,with statistically significant differences in the prevalence of CRKP and CRPA( χ2=20.489 and 20.252, P<0.001). The prevalence of CREC,CRKP,CRPA,CRAB,ESBLs-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were higher in provinicial hospitals than those in municipal hospitals( χ2=11.953,81.183,10.404,5.915,12.415 and 6.459, P<0.01 or <0.05),while the prevalence of CRPA was higher in economically developed regions(per capita GDP ≥ 92 059 Yuan)than that in economically less-developed regions(per capita GDP <92 059 Yuan)( χ2=6.240, P=0.012). Conclusions:The proportion of Gram-negative bacteria in bloodstream infections shows an increasing trend,and Escherichia coli is ranked in the top,while the trend of CRKP decreases continuously with time. Decreasing trends are noted in ESBLs-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Low prevalence of carbapenem resistance in Escherichia coli and high prevalence in CRAB complex have been observed. The composition ratio and antibacterial spectrum of bloodstream infections in different regions of China are slightly different,and the proportion of main drug resistant bacteria in provincial hospitals is higher than those in municipal hospitals.
8.The expression mechanism of programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 and its role in immunomodulatory ability of mesenchymal stem cells
Zhuo CHEN ; Meng-Wei YAO ; Xiang AO ; Qing-Jia GONG ; Yi YANG ; Jin-Xia LIU ; Qi-Zhou LIAN ; Xiang XU ; Ling-Jing ZUO
Chinese Journal of Traumatology 2024;27(1):1-10
Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) is an important immunosuppressive molecule, which inhibits the function of T cells and other immune cells by binding to the receptor programmed cell death-1. The PD-L1 expression disorder plays an important role in the occurrence, development, and treatment of sepsis or other inflammatory diseases, and has become an important target for the treatment of these diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a kind of pluripotent stem cells with multiple differentiation potential. In recent years, MSCs have been found to have a strong immunosuppressive ability and are used to treat various inflammatory insults caused by hyperimmune diseases. Moreover, PD-L1 is deeply involved in the immunosuppressive events of MSCs and plays an important role in the treatment of various diseases. In this review, we will summarize the main regulatory mechanism of PD-L1 expression, and discuss various biological functions of PD-L1 in the immune regulation of MSCs.
9.National bloodstream infection bacterial resistance surveillance report(2022): Gram-positive bacteria
Chaoqun YING ; Yunbo CHEN ; Jinru JI ; Zhiying LIU ; Qing YANG ; Haishen KONG ; Haifeng MAO ; Hui DING ; Pengpeng TIAN ; Jiangqin SONG ; Yongyun LIU ; Jiliang WANG ; Yan JIN ; Yuanyuan DAI ; Yizheng ZHOU ; Yan GENG ; Fenghong CHEN ; Lu WANG ; Yanyan LI ; Dan LIU ; Peng ZHANG ; Junmin CAO ; Xiaoyan LI ; Dijing SONG ; Xinhua QIANG ; Yanhong LI ; Qiuying ZHANG ; Guolin LIAO ; Ying HUANG ; Baohua ZHANG ; Liang GUO ; Aiyun LI ; Haiquan KANG ; Donghong HUANG ; Sijin MAN ; Zhuo LI ; Youdong YIN ; Kunpeng LIANG ; Haixin DONG ; Donghua LIU ; Hongyun XU ; Yinqiao DONG ; Rong XU ; Lin ZHENG ; Shuyan HU ; Jian LI ; Qiang LIU ; Liang LUAN ; Jilu SHEN ; Lixia ZHANG ; Bo QUAN ; Xiaoping YAN ; Xiaoyan QI ; Dengyan QIAO ; Weiping LIU ; Xiusan XIA ; Ling MENG ; Jinhua LIANG ; Ping SHEN ; Yonghong XIAO
Chinese Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases 2024;17(2):99-112
Objective:To report the results of national surveillance on the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical Gram-positive bacteria isolates from bloodstream infections in China in 2022.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-positive bacteria from blood cultures in member hospitals of National Bloodstream Infection Bacterial Resistant Investigation Collaborative System(BRICS)were collected during January 2022 to December 2022. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted by agar dilution or broth dilution methods recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI). WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 software were used to analyze the data.Results:A total of 3 163 strains of Gram-positive pathogens were collected from 51 member units,and the top five bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus( n=1 147,36.3%),coagulase-negative Staphylococci( n=928,29.3%), Enterococcus faecalis( n=369,11.7%), Enterococcus faecium( n=296,9.4%)and alpha-hemolyticus Streptococci( n=192,6.1%). The detection rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA)and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci(MRCNS)were 26.4%(303/1 147)and 66.7%(619/928),respectively. No glycopeptide and daptomycin-resistant Staphylococci were detected. The sensitivity rates of Staphylococcus aureus to cefpirome,rifampin,compound sulfamethoxazole,linezolid,minocycline and tigecycline were all >95.0%. Enterococcus faecium was more prevalent than Enterococcus faecalis. The resistance rates of Enterococcus faecium to vancomycin and teicoplanin were both 0.5%(2/369),and no vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium was detected. The detection rate of MRSA in southern China was significantly lower than that in other regions( χ2=14.578, P=0.002),while the detection rate of MRCNS in northern China was significantly higher than that in other regions( χ2=15.195, P=0.002). The detection rates of MRSA and MRCNS in provincial hospitals were higher than those in municipal hospitals( χ2=13.519 and 12.136, P<0.001). The detection rates of MRSA and MRCNS in economically more advanced regions(per capita GDP≥92 059 Yuan in 2022)were higher than those in economically less advanced regions(per capita GDP<92 059 Yuan)( χ2=9.969 and 7.606, P=0.002和0.006). Conclusions:Among the Gram-positive pathogens causing bloodstream infections in China, Staphylococci is the most common while the MRSA incidence decreases continuously with time;the detection rate of Enterococcus faecium exceeds that of Enterococcus faecalis. The overall prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci is still at a low level. The composition ratio of Gram-positive pathogens and resistant profiles varies slightly across regions of China,with the prevalence of MRSA and MRCNS being more pronounced in provincial hospitals and areas with a per capita GDP≥92 059 yuan.
10.TSHR Variant Screening and Phenotype Analysis in 367 Chinese Patients With Congenital Hypothyroidism
Hai-Yang ZHANG ; Feng-Yao WU ; Xue-Song LI ; Ping-Hui TU ; Cao-Xu ZHANG ; Rui-Meng YANG ; Ren-Jie CUI ; Chen-Yang WU ; Ya FANG ; Liu YANG ; Huai-Dong SONG ; Shuang-Xia ZHAO
Annals of Laboratory Medicine 2024;44(4):343-353
Background:
Genetic defects in the human thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor (TSHR) gene can cause congenital hypothyroidism (CH). However, the biological functions and comprehensive genotype–phenotype relationships for most TSHR variants associated with CH remain unexplored. We aimed to identify TSHR variants in Chinese patients with CH, analyze the functions of the variants, and explore the relationships between TSHR genotypes and clinical phenotypes.
Methods:
In total, 367 patients with CH were recruited for TSHR variant screening using whole-exome sequencing. The effects of the variants were evaluated by in-silico programs such as SIFT and polyphen2. Furthermore, these variants were transfected into 293T cells to detect their Gs/cyclic AMP and Gq/11 signaling activity.
Results:
Among the 367 patients with CH, 17 TSHR variants, including three novel variants, were identified in 45 patients, and 18 patients carried biallelic TSHR variants. In vitro experiments showed that 10 variants were associated with Gs/cyclic AMP and Gq/11 signaling pathway impairment to varying degrees. Patients with TSHR biallelic variants had lower serum TSH levels and higher free triiodothyronine and thyroxine levels at diagnosis than those with DUOX2 biallelic variants.
Conclusions
We found a high frequency of TSHR variants in Chinese patients with CH (12.3%), and 4.9% of cases were caused by TSHR biallelic variants. Ten variants were identified as loss-of-function variants. The data suggest that the clinical phenotype of CH patients caused by TSHR biallelic variants is relatively mild. Our study expands the TSHR variant spectrum and provides further evidence for the elucidation of the genetic etiology of CH.

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