1.Integrated molecular characterization of sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma
Rong-Qi SUN ; Yu-Hang YE ; Ye XU ; Bo WANG ; Si-Yuan PAN ; Ning LI ; Long CHEN ; Jing-Yue PAN ; Zhi-Qiang HU ; Jia FAN ; Zheng-Jun ZHOU ; Jian ZHOU ; Cheng-Li SONG ; Shao-Lai ZHOU
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(2):426-444
Background:
s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated.
Methods:
In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs.
Results:
Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment.
Conclusions
We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression.
3.Integrated molecular characterization of sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma
Rong-Qi SUN ; Yu-Hang YE ; Ye XU ; Bo WANG ; Si-Yuan PAN ; Ning LI ; Long CHEN ; Jing-Yue PAN ; Zhi-Qiang HU ; Jia FAN ; Zheng-Jun ZHOU ; Jian ZHOU ; Cheng-Li SONG ; Shao-Lai ZHOU
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(2):426-444
Background:
s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated.
Methods:
In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs.
Results:
Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment.
Conclusions
We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression.
5.Integrated molecular characterization of sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma
Rong-Qi SUN ; Yu-Hang YE ; Ye XU ; Bo WANG ; Si-Yuan PAN ; Ning LI ; Long CHEN ; Jing-Yue PAN ; Zhi-Qiang HU ; Jia FAN ; Zheng-Jun ZHOU ; Jian ZHOU ; Cheng-Li SONG ; Shao-Lai ZHOU
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(2):426-444
Background:
s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated.
Methods:
In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs.
Results:
Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment.
Conclusions
We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression.
7.Short- to medium-term safety and efficacy of the implantable Corheart 6 left ventricular assist system in patients with end-stage heart failure
Zhibing QIU ; Xiaochun SONG ; Liangpeng LI ; Hongwei SHI ; Liqiong XIAO ; Yunzhang WU ; Xiaosong RONG ; Jidan FAN ; Liang WEI ; Xin CHEN
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(05):639-645
Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of the Corheart 6 left ventricular assist system in patients with end-stage heart failure. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on patients with end-stage heart failure who were treated with Corheart 6 left ventricular assist system from March 2022 to June 2024 in 4 hospitals in Jiangsu Province. The efficacy of the device was evaluated by comparing changes in clinical indicators at preoperative, discharge, 3-month postoperative, and 6-month postoperative timepoints, including the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD). The safety of the device was assessed by analyzing the intraoperative position and orientation of the blood pump inlet cannula, as well as the incidence of adverse events. Results In this study, 39 patients were collected, including 34 males and 5 females with a mean age of (56.4±12.5) years, ranging from 20 to 75 years. There was no operative death. There was no death in postoperative 3 months with a survival rate of 100.0%. There were 3 deaths in 6 months postoperatively, with a survival rate of 92.3%. All patients had a preoperative NYHA cardiac function classification of class Ⅳ. The NYHA cardiac function class of the patients improved (P<0.05) at discharge, 3 and 6 months after surgery when compared to the preoperative period. LVEF was significantly higher at 3 months after surgery than that during the preoperative period (P<0.05). LVEDD was significantly smaller at discharge, 3 and 6 months after surgery than that during the preoperative period (P<0.05). The safety evaluation's findings demonstrated that all 39 patients' intraoperative blood pump inlet tubes were oriented correctly, the artificial blood vessel suture sites were appropriate, there were no instances of device malfunction or pump thrombosis, or instances of bleeding or hemolysis, and the rate of the remaining adverse events was low. Conclusion With a low rate of adverse events and an excellent safety profile, the Corheart 6 left ventricular assist system can efficiently enhance cardiac function in patients with end-stage heart failure. It also has considerable clinical uses.
8.Epidemiological trend analysis of liver cancer incidence in Luzhou City, Sichuan Province from 2016 to 2022
Rong WANG ; Ningjun REN ; Ailing LI ; Run CHEN ; Zhi LEI ; Song FAN
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;36(1):47-52
ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological distribution and temporal trends of liver cancer incidence among Luzhou residents from 2016‒2022, and to provide a theoretical basis for improving liver cancer prevention and treatment strategies in Luzhou. MethodsData on liver cancer incidence among Luzhou residents from 2016 to 2022 were collected, and the incidence rate, age-specific incidence rate, and annual percentage change (APC) were calculated. A Joinpoint regression model was used to fit a time series segment to the monthly number of new cases in each district and county of Luzhou to explore the trend of liver cancer incidence rate. ResultsThe incidence rate of liver cancer in Luzhou increased from 22.96/105 in 2016 to 32.31/105 in 2022. The incidence rate of liver cancer in men was higher than that in women in both 2016 and 2022, and the incidence rate of liver cancer in men increased from 34.83/105 in 2016 to 47.95/105 in 2022, with an APC of 3.3%; the incidence rate of liver cancer in women increased from 10.50/105 in 2016 to 15.95/105 in 2022, with an APC of 3.0%, and the differences in the change trends were not statistically significant (P>0.05).The incidence of liver cancer was low in the age group of 0‒<40 years from 2016 to 2022 and increased with age; the incidence of liver cancer in the age group of 55 years and above was increasing at an average annual rate of 16.4%. ConclusionThe overall incidence of liver cancer in Luzhou is on the rise, and the incidence of liver cancer in men is higher than that in women. Middle-aged and elderly men are the key population for liver cancer prevention and treatment, and liver cancer prevention and treatment should be carried out in a targeted manner, taking into account regional development differences.
9.A Preliminary Study on the Construction and Visualization of Knowledge Graph for the Ancient Chinese Medical Book Ling Shu
Ying-Xuan CHEN ; Wei-Hao XIE ; Fan CHEN ; Qian XU ; Rong-Yao LI ; Zhen-Hu CHEN ; Xiu-Feng LIU
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;41(3):782-790
Objective To explore the construction and visualization for knowledge graph of Ling Shu(Spiritual Pivot),with a view to providing ideas for the structured storage and display of the theoretical knowledge of the ancient Chinese medical books.Methods Using the professional idea of constructing knowledge graphs for reference,text mining technology was applied to construct the thesaurus,and then word division,entity recognition,and relationship extraction for the original text of Ling Shu were performed to get the elements of knowledge graph construction.The graph database Neo4j was used for the storage and query of the knowledge graph,and then the visual display of the knowledge graph was achieved.Results The 1 216 high-quality words consisting of the thesaurus of Ling Shu were obtained,and the construction of the knowledge graph of the theory of Ling Shu was realized.The constructed knowledge graph basically displayed the traditional Chinese medicine theories such as the correlation of visceral manifestations with essence qi,and the relationship between emotions and the five-zang organs described in Ling Shu,which made the retrieval and utilization of the related entities and relationships possible,and provided ideas for the structured storage and display of the theoretical knowledge of the ancient books of Chinese medicine.Conclusion The knowledge graph construction technology can be used to obtain the Chinese medicine theoretical knowledge graph of Ling Shu,and to display the knowledge connections of yin-yang and the five elements,and the internal organs and meridians expressed in the Ling Shu.The construction of the knowledge graph and its storage in the graph database enable the knowledge graph involved in the text of Ling Shu to be displayed in the form of visualized semantic network graph,and also make the embedding of other search systems such as the semantic search and semantic wiki possible,which will be helpful for the development of Chinese medicine intelligent medical services.
10.Autosomal recessive axonal neuropathy with neuromyotonia in a Tibetan family caused by HINT1 gene variation and literature review
Xifang RU ; Rong ZHAO ; Yanbin FAN ; Shuang WANG ; Yilin YE ; Beiyu XU ; Chunde LI ; Zhen HUANG ; Hui XIONG
Chinese Journal of Applied Clinical Pediatrics 2024;39(2):128-133
Objective:To summarize the characteristics of autosomal recessive axonal neuropathy with neuromyotonia (ARAN-NM) caused by HINT1 gene mutation. Methods:Retrospective case summary.Clinical data of 2 Tibetan siblings diagnosed with ARAN-NM in the Department of Pediatrics of Peking University First Hospital in August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.A review of literature reporting relevant Chinese patients was conducted.Results:The proband and her elder brother were aged 13 and 19, respectively.Both developed abnormal gait at the age of 11, followed by varus, claudication, and weak thumb strength.The proband also had neuromyotonia.Physical examinations showed that the proband and her elder brother had decreased muscle strength of the extremities, mainly in the thumbs and distal ends of lower limbs.The distal muscles of the proband′s lower extremities and the muscles of both hands of the proband′s elder brother were atrophied.Both feet showed talipes equinovarus in the proband and her elder brother.The proband′s electromyography (EMG) showed peripheral nerve injuries (motor and sensory axonal involvement, especially in distal ends) and myotonic potentials.The trio-whole exon sequencing detected homozygous pathogenic variation in HINT1 gene in both the proband and her elder brother, who were diagnosed as ARAN-NM based on c. 169A>G (p.K57E). After the Carbamazepine treatment, the proband′s neuromyotonia, numbness and weakness were relieved.Both the proband and her elder brother underwent orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation.Their foot deformities and gait were significantly improved.Two Chinese literatures (2 patients) and four English literatures (8 patients) were retrieved.Including the proband and her elder brother in this study, there were 12 ARAN-NM patients, 10 of whom had clinical data.The ages of onset and diagnosis were 2-16 (1 case unknown) and 13-33 years old, respectively.Myasthenia was present in 9 patients, especially in distal ends.Eight patients were complicated with neuromyotonia, nine patients with muscle atrophy, seven patients with foot deformity, and two patients with sensory disturbance.Creatine kinase(CK) was elevated in all 9 patients tested or CK.EMG showed neurogenic injuries in all patients and neuromyotonia discharge in six patients.Three patients were treated with Carbamazepine, and some symptoms were relieved.Missense/nonsense mutations were found in the 12 patients, and the high-frequency variation was c. 112T>C (p.C38R). Conclusions:ARAN-NM is a rare autosomal recessive neuromuscular disease caused by HINT1 gene mutation.There is no ethnic difference in clinical manifestations, mainly distal limb weakness with neuromyotonia.Carbamazepine can alleviate some symptoms, and orthopaedic surgery can improve foot deformity and gait.

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