Objective To analyze the differences of free and esterified oxo-eicosatetraenoic acids (oxo-ETEs) in blood cells and plasma from arterial and venous blood in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods Arterial and venous blood samples from 12 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) before and after HD treatment at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany, from June to December 2020 were collected. The esterified and free oxo-ETEs derived from arachidonic acid in blood cells and plasma were measured by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Results Neither esterified nor free oxo-ETEs in blood cells displayed significant arteriovenous differences before and after HD. HD predominantly affected the metabolic levels of esterified and free oxo-ETEs in plasma. HD reduced the arteriovenous differences of esterified 12-oxo-ETE, free 15-oxo-ETE, and free 5-oxo-ETE in plasma, while raised the arteriovenous differences of esterified 15-oxo-ETE. Conclusions The oxo-ETEs in blood cells are relatively well-stabilized responding to HD treatment, whereas arteriovenous differences of free and esterified oxo-ETEs in plasma are present and active in response to HD treatment, potentially contributing to the cardiovascular disease.

Background/Aims: Systemic Inflammation (SI) is considered a key mechanism in disease progression and development of complications in decompensated liver cirrhosis. SI is mainly driven by portal hypertension and bacterial translocation. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) insertion represents an effective treatment for portal hypertension. This study aims to investigate the impact of TIPS insertion on SI and bacterial translocation. Methods: We prospectively included 59 cirrhotic patients undergoing TIPS insertion. Blood samples were collected at TIPS insertion and follow-up (FU) 1, 3, 6, and 12 months thereafter. At all time points, we performed a comprehensive analysis of SI including 43 soluble inflammatory markers (SIMs), and surrogates of bacterial translocation (sCD14, sCD163). To investigate long-term kinetics of SI, C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cells (WBC) were retrospectively analyzed in a cohort of 177 patients up to 3 years after TIPS insertion. Results: At TIPS insertion, 30/43 SIMs, sCD14, and sCD163 measured significantly higher in cirrhotic patients compared to healthy controls. By FU6 25 SIMs and sCD14 measured at significantly lower levels compared to baseline. Interestingly, in patients with TIPS indication of refractory ascites, IL-6 decreased to levels documented in earlier stages of cirrhosis. In long-term follow-up, CRP levels significantly decreased after TIPS insertion, which translated into lower mortality in Cox regression analysis (HR 0.968, p=0.042). Notably, patients with residual ascites post-TIPS showed significantly higher CRP and IL-6 levels across all follow-ups compared to patients with resolved ascites. Conclusions Decreasing portal hypertension via TIPS insertion leads to a significant attenuation of SI and bacterial translocation over time.

Background/Aims: Systemic Inflammation (SI) is considered a key mechanism in disease progression and development of complications in decompensated liver cirrhosis. SI is mainly driven by portal hypertension and bacterial translocation. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) insertion represents an effective treatment for portal hypertension. This study aims to investigate the impact of TIPS insertion on SI and bacterial translocation. Methods: We prospectively included 59 cirrhotic patients undergoing TIPS insertion. Blood samples were collected at TIPS insertion and follow-up (FU) 1, 3, 6, and 12 months thereafter. At all time points, we performed a comprehensive analysis of SI including 43 soluble inflammatory markers (SIMs), and surrogates of bacterial translocation (sCD14, sCD163). To investigate long-term kinetics of SI, C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cells (WBC) were retrospectively analyzed in a cohort of 177 patients up to 3 years after TIPS insertion. Results: At TIPS insertion, 30/43 SIMs, sCD14, and sCD163 measured significantly higher in cirrhotic patients compared to healthy controls. By FU6 25 SIMs and sCD14 measured at significantly lower levels compared to baseline. Interestingly, in patients with TIPS indication of refractory ascites, IL-6 decreased to levels documented in earlier stages of cirrhosis. In long-term follow-up, CRP levels significantly decreased after TIPS insertion, which translated into lower mortality in Cox regression analysis (HR 0.968, p=0.042). Notably, patients with residual ascites post-TIPS showed significantly higher CRP and IL-6 levels across all follow-ups compared to patients with resolved ascites. Conclusions Decreasing portal hypertension via TIPS insertion leads to a significant attenuation of SI and bacterial translocation over time.

Background/Aims: Systemic Inflammation (SI) is considered a key mechanism in disease progression and development of complications in decompensated liver cirrhosis. SI is mainly driven by portal hypertension and bacterial translocation. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) insertion represents an effective treatment for portal hypertension. This study aims to investigate the impact of TIPS insertion on SI and bacterial translocation. Methods: We prospectively included 59 cirrhotic patients undergoing TIPS insertion. Blood samples were collected at TIPS insertion and follow-up (FU) 1, 3, 6, and 12 months thereafter. At all time points, we performed a comprehensive analysis of SI including 43 soluble inflammatory markers (SIMs), and surrogates of bacterial translocation (sCD14, sCD163). To investigate long-term kinetics of SI, C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cells (WBC) were retrospectively analyzed in a cohort of 177 patients up to 3 years after TIPS insertion. Results: At TIPS insertion, 30/43 SIMs, sCD14, and sCD163 measured significantly higher in cirrhotic patients compared to healthy controls. By FU6 25 SIMs and sCD14 measured at significantly lower levels compared to baseline. Interestingly, in patients with TIPS indication of refractory ascites, IL-6 decreased to levels documented in earlier stages of cirrhosis. In long-term follow-up, CRP levels significantly decreased after TIPS insertion, which translated into lower mortality in Cox regression analysis (HR 0.968, p=0.042). Notably, patients with residual ascites post-TIPS showed significantly higher CRP and IL-6 levels across all follow-ups compared to patients with resolved ascites. Conclusions Decreasing portal hypertension via TIPS insertion leads to a significant attenuation of SI and bacterial translocation over time.

Thermal analysis technology has emerged as a pivotal tool for the identification and quality control of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） owing to its advantages of high sensitivity and capability for simultaneous multi-parameter detection. The application progress on thermogravimetric analysis （TGA）, differential thermal analysis （DTA）, and differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） in four key areas: authenticity identification of herbal medicines, optimization of processing techniques, evaluation of extract thermal stability, and construction of quality evaluation systems were summarized. Thermal analysis technology enables rapid authentication of medicinal materials by establishing a thermal fingerprint. When integrated with hyphenated techniques （e.g., FTIR and GC-MS）, it facilitates in-depth analysis of compositional differences in complex matrices. In Future, the development of thermal analysis databases and multi-technology integration will be expected to further promote the standardization of TCM quality control.

[摘 要] 目的：为解决野生型B细胞成熟抗原（BCMA）被γ分泌酶切割导致表达不稳定的问题，构建抵抗γ分泌酶切割的BCMA突变体并构建靶细胞，用于评价BCMA CAR-T细胞的杀伤功能。方法：将野生型BCMA的穿膜域替换为人CD8α穿膜域，构建抵抗γ分泌酶切割的BCMA突变体（BCMA-CD8α TM），构建过表达该突变体的U266（U266BCMA Mut）、K562（K562BCMA Mut）、SKOV3（SKOV3BCMA Mut）和CHO（CHOBCMA Mut）细胞；构建装载NFAT-EGFP报告基因的BCMA CAR Jurkat细胞（BCMA-CAR-Jurkat-Reporter）与U266BCMA Mut细胞共培养，采用FCM检测该细胞中EGFP表达水平以指示NFAT激活水平，荧光素酶法检测BCMA CAR-T细胞对Luciferase标记的K562BCMA Mut细胞的杀伤作用，实时无标记动态细胞分析技术（RTCA）检测BCMA CAR-T细胞对SKOV3BCMA Mut和CHOBCMA Mut细胞的杀伤作用。结果：应用γ分泌酶抑制剂LY411575抑制γ分泌酶活性，显著增强野生型U266细胞表面BCMA表达水平，平均荧光强度上调10倍以上；但撤除抑制剂后BCMA表达水平逐渐降低（P<0.01）；BCMA-CD8α TM突变体可抵抗γ分泌酶的切割作用，在U266细胞表面稳定表达（P>0.05）；U266细胞及过表达BCMA-CD8α TM的U266细胞与BCMA-CAR-Jurkat-Reporter细胞共培养后都可激活Reporter系统、增强EGFP表达，但该效应在BCMA-CD8α TM过表达的U266细胞中更显著（P<0.01）；BCMA-CD8α TM在BCMA表达阴性的K562、SKOV3和CHO 3种靶细胞中成功过表达，且在LY411575处理下该突变体的表达水平仅有小幅度升高；荧光素酶法检测结果显示，不同效靶比下，BCMA CAR-T细胞均可特异、高效杀伤过表达BCMA-CD8α TM的K562细胞；RTCA结果显示，不同效靶比下，BCMA CAR-T细胞均可有效识别、杀伤过表达BCMA-CD8α TM的SKOV3和CHO细胞，但同等效靶比下的Mock-T细胞无此效应。结论：本实验构建的BCMA-CD8α TM突变体能够抵抗γ分泌酶的切割，在多种靶细胞表面稳定表达，为评价BCMA CAR-T细胞体外杀伤的有效性和特异性提供多种检测手段。

Chronic hepatitis B （CHB） and fatty liver disease are common chronic liver diseases in China. With the changes in lifestyle， the number of patients with CHB and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease （MASLD） is increasing year by year. Both CHB and MASLD may lead to adverse events such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. The pathophysiological course of the liver during the coexistence of the two diseases may be different from the state of each disease alone， and consequently HBV replication may exist， affecting HBsAg seroclearance and antiviral therapy and increasing the risk of adverse events including hepatic fibrosis and HCC. It is clear that these problems will be of great significance to the monitoring， treatment， and prognosis of such patients. Therefore， this article briefly reviews the latest research advances in these problems.

Objective: To elucidate the biological basis of the heart qi deficiency (HQD) pattern, an in-depth understanding of which is essential for improving clinical herbal therapy. Methods: We predicted and characterized HQD pattern genes using the new strategy, TCM-HIN2Vec, which involves heterogeneous network embedding and transcriptomic experiments. First, a heterogeneous network of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) patterns was constructed using public databases. Next, we predicted HQD pattern genes using a heterogeneous network-embedding algorithm. We then analyzed the functional characteristics of HQD pattern genes using gene enrichment analysis and examined gene expression levels using RNA-seq. Finally, we identified TCM herbs that demonstrated enriched interactions with HQD pattern genes via herbal enrichment analysis. Results: Our TCM-HIN2Vec strategy revealed that candidate genes associated with HQD pattern were significantly enriched in energy metabolism, signal transduction pathways, and immune processes. Moreover, we found that these candidate genes were significantly differentially expressed in the transcriptional profile of mice model with heart failure with a qi deficiency pattern. Furthermore, herbal enrichment analysis identified TCM herbs that demonstrated enriched interactions with the top 10 candidate genes and could potentially serve as drug candidates for treating HQD. Conclusion Our results suggested that TCM-HIN2Vec is capable of not only accurately identifying HQD pattern genes, but also deciphering the basis of HQD pattern. Furthermore our finding indicated that TCM-HIN2Vec may be further expanded to develop other patterns, leading to a new approach aimed at elucidating general TCM patterns and developing precision medicine.

[摘 要] 目的：探讨解偶联蛋白2（UCP2）抑制剂京尼平（GEN）对人下咽癌FaDu细胞增殖及线粒体功能的影响。方法：使用不同浓度的GEN作用于FaDu细胞24 h，实验分为GEN 0（对照）、50、100、200和400 μmol/L组。采用CCK-8法检测各组细胞增殖能力，DCFH-DA探针及JC-1染色联合流式细胞术检测GEN对FaDu细胞活性氧（ROS）含量及线粒体膜电位的影响，激光共聚焦显微镜观察GEN对FaDu细胞线粒体膜通透性转换孔的影响，可见分光光度法检测细胞中乳酸的含量，WB法检测细胞中UCP2蛋白的表达变化。结果：与对照组相比，GEN可显著抑制FaDu细胞的增殖活力（P<0.05或P<0.01）、细胞中UCP2蛋白的表达（P<0.05），降低线粒体膜电位（P<0.05或P<0.01）、乳酸含量（P<0.000 1），改变细胞线粒体膜孔道通透性，提高细胞中ROS水平（P<0.05或P<0.01）。结论：GEN通过调节细胞中UCP2的表达水平进而影响细胞的氧化还原能力及线粒体功能，从而发挥抑制人下咽癌FaDu细胞增殖并诱导细胞凋亡的作用。

Background::Oral anti-coagulants (OAC) are the intervention for the prevention of stroke, which consistently improve clinical outcomes and survival among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The main purpose of this study is to identify problems in OAC utilization among hospitalized patients with AF in China.Methods::Using data from the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Atrial Fibrillation (CCC-AF) registry, guideline-recommended OAC use in eligible patients was assessed.Results::A total of 52,530 patients with non-valvular AF were enrolled from February 2015 to December 2019, of whom 38,203 were at a high risk of stroke, 9717 were at a moderate risk, and 4610 were at a low risk. On admission, only 20.0% (6075/30,420) of patients with a diagnosed AF and a high risk of stroke were taking OAC. The use of pre-hospital OAC on admission was associated with a lower risk of new-onset ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack among the diagnosed AF population (adjusted odds ratio: 0.54, 95% confidence interval: 0.43–0.68; P <0.001). At discharge, the prescription rate of OAC was 45.2% (16,757/37,087) in eligible patients with high stroke risk and 60.7% (2778/4578) in eligible patients with low stroke risk. OAC utilization in patients with high stroke risk on admission or at discharge both increased largely over time (all P <0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that OAC utilization at discharge was positively associated with in-hospital rhythm control strategies, including catheter ablation (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 11.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 10.04–13.47; P <0.001), electronic cardioversion (adjusted OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.65–3.51; P <0.001), and anti-arrhythmic drug use (adjusted OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.38–1.53; P <0.001). Conclusions::In hospitals participated in the CCC-AF project, >70% of AF patients were at a high risk of stroke. Although poor performance on guideline-recommended OAC use was found in this study, over time the CCC-AF project has made progress in stroke prevention in the Chinese AF population.Registration::ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02309398.