1.Ribosomal DNA copy number variation in peripheral blood and its influencing factors among patients with pneumoconiosis
GONG Xiaoxue ; FENG Lingfang ; CHEN Junfei ; FU Hao ; JIANG Zhaoqiang ; LIU Shuang ; DONG Xiaowen ; WU Fan ; LOU Jianlin
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;36(2):101-104
Objective:
To explore the changes in ribosomal DNA copy number in peripheral blood among patients with pneumoconiosis and its influencing factors, so as to provide insights into prevention and treatment of pneumoconiosis.
Methods:
Eighty-eight patients with pneumoconiosis who visited a designated hospital and 71 community residents with no history of pneumoconiosis or dust exposure were selected as the pneumoconiosis group and control group, and age, smoking history, drinking history and cumulative years of exposure to dust were collected through questionnaire surveys. The copy number of 45S rDNA and 5S rDNA was detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the differences between the two groups were compared. Factors affecting the copy number of 45S rDNA and 5S rDNA were identified by a multiple linear regression model.
Results:
The pneumoconiosis group had a median age of 56.00 (interquartile range, 15.25) and a mean cumulative dust exposure duration of (12.40±8.08) years, with 56.82% smoking and 62.50% drinking. The control group had a median age of 64.00 (interquartile range, 37.00) years, with 32.39% smoking and 26.76% drinking. The median copy number of 45S rDNA in the pneumoconiosis group was 1.29 (interquartile range, 0.59), which was lower than 2.10 (interquartile range, 1.88) in the control group; the median copy number of 5S rDNA in the pneumoconiosis group was 5.33 (interquartile range, 0.85), which was higher than 4.66 (1.34) in the control group (both P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis identified age (β=-0.034) and pneumoconiosis (β=-1.595) as factors affecting 45S rDNA copy number, age (β=-0.013) as a factor affecting 5S rDNA copy number, and age (β=0.018) as a factor affecting 5S rDNA copy number in the pneumoconiosis group (all P<0.05).
Conclusions
Compared with community residents with no history of pneumoconiosis or dust exposure, the copy number of 45S rDNA in peripheral blood among patients with pneumoconiosis is reduced and the copy number of 5S rDNA is increased.
2.The effect of E2 change on assisted pregnancy outcome in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome during ovulation induction with GnRH-ant protocol
Li LIU ; Caiyun WU ; Lingfang GUAN ; Ping ZHOU
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2024;59(6):961-965
Objective To study the effect of changes in estradiol(E2)levels on the reproductive outcomes of pa-tients with polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation(COS)with gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist(GnRH-ant)protocol.Methods A retrospective study was conducted involving 338 patients with polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)infertility who underwent GnRH-ant protocol for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation followed by in vitro fertilization(IVF)or intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI),and subse-quently underwent their first frozen-thawed embryo transfer(FET).The clinical data of these patients were ana-lyzed.Patients were grouped based on the changes in serum E2 levels on the first and fourth day of GnRH-ant ad-ministration(blood samples collected before GnRH-ant injection):the E2 elevation group(Group A,E2 value in-creased more than 30%,165 cases),the E2 stable group(Group B,E2 rate of change was within-30%~30%,162 cases),and the E2 decline group(E2 value declined more than 30%,11 cases,not included in statistical a-nalysis due to small sample size).The differences in demographic characteristics,ovulation induction outcomes,embryo outcomes and clinical pregnancy-related indicators were analyzed between Groups A and B.Results There were no statistically significant differences in basic information such as age,duration of infertility,body mass index(BMI),basal endocrine levels,and anti-Müllerian hormone(AMH)levels between groups A and B.Regarding embryo characteristics,there were no statistically significant differences in fertilization method and number of trans-ferred embryos between groups A and B.However,group A had a higher total number of retrieved oocytes,normal fertilization rate,number of high-quality embryos,and rate of high-quality embryos compared to group B,with sta-tistically significant differences(P<0.05).In terms of clinical pregnancy outcomes,there were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome(OHSS)between groups A and B.However,group A had higher rates of clinical pregnancy,implantation,and live birth compared to group B,with statistically significant differences.Group A also had a lower rate of early miscarriage compared to group B,with statistically significant differences.Conclusion Choosing the GnRH-ant protocol for IVF/ICSI-FET in PCOS patients,if the blood E2 level increases by more than 30%after 4 days of adding the antagonist(blood sample col-lected before administering GnRH-ant),the clinical pregnancy outcome will be better.
3.MobileNetV3 network-based diagnosis of caries and periapical periodontitis from periapical films
Kaixin WANG ; Feng LIU ; Lingfang ZENG ; Chao LIU
Journal of Prevention and Treatment for Stomatological Diseases 2024;32(1):43-49
Objective To research the effectiveness of deep learning techniques in intelligently diagnosing dental caries and periapical periodontitis and to explore the preliminary application value of deep learning in the diagnosis of oral diseases.Methods A dataset containing 2 298 periapical films,including healthy teeth,dental caries,and peri-apical periodontitis,was used for the study.The dataset was randomly divided into 1 573 training images,233 valida-tion images,and 492 test images.By comparing various neural network models,the MobileNetV3 network model with better performance was selected for dental disease diagnosis,and the model was optimized by tuning the network hyper-parameters.The accuracy,precision,recall,and F1 score were used to evaluate the model's ability to recognize dental caries and periapical periodontitis.Class activation map was used to visualization analyze the performance of the net-work model.Results The algorithm achieved a relatively ideal intelligent diagnostic effect with precision,recall,and accuracy of 99.42%,99.73%,and 99.60%,respectively,and the F1 score was 99.57%for classifying healthy teeth,den-tal caries,and periapical periodontitis.The visualization of the class activation maps also showed that the network model can accurately extract features of dental diseases.Conclusion The tooth lesion detection algorithm based on the Mo-bileNetV3 network model can eliminate interference from image quality and human factors and has high diagnostic accu-racy,which can meet the needs of dental medicine teaching and clinical applications.
4.A randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy combined with attention training technique on auditory hallucinations of schizophrenia
Xiuli ZHANG ; Xu'en LIU ; Shuo WANG ; Lingfang ZHANG ; Shuanrong LI
Chinese Mental Health Journal 2024;38(3):206-212
Objective:To evaluate the effects of cognitive behavior therapy(CBT)combined with attention training technique(ATT)on auditory hallucinations of schizophrenia.Methods:Sixty schizophrenia patients with au-ditory hallucinations were recruited according to the criteria of International Classification of Diseases,tenth Edition(ICD-10).They were randomly divided into the CBT group(30 cases,26 cases completed)and the CBT+ATT group(30 cases,25 cases completed).The CBT group received only 4 weeks of cognitive behavioral intervention for auditory hallucinations,and the CBT+ATT group received 6 weeks of attention training technology intervention based on cognitive behavioral intervention.At baseline and after 12 weeks,the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales-Auditory Hallucinations(PSYRATS-AH)and Scale of Social function in Psychosis Inpatients(SSPI)were used to evaluate the auditory hallucinations symptoms and social functioning of the two groups,and the Attentional Control Scale(ACS)was used to evaluate patients'attentional control ability of the CBT+ATT group.Results:After 12 weeks,the differences(post intervention score-baseline score)of PSYRATS-AH total scores[(-6.8±2.2)vs.(-4.2±1.5)],auditory hallucinations'frequency,duration,number of distresses,control of voices were lower in the CBT+ATT group than in the CBT group(Ps<0.05),and the differences of the SSPI total scores[(13.9± 2.9)vs.(11.6±4.2)]and scores of Factor I and Factor Ⅲ were higher in the CBT+ATT group than in the CBT group(Ps<0.05).Conclusion:This study shows cognitive behavioral therapy combined with attention training technique could improve auditory hallucinations and social function more effectively in patients with schizophrenia.
5.Construction of an index system of ideological and political education elements of Health Assessment course based on consensus methods
Zonghua WANG ; Li LIN ; Jiangshan FAN ; Lingfang HUANG ; Weiwei LIU ; Yu LUO
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research 2024;23(4):449-454
Objective:To construct an index system for including ideological and political education elements and cases in the Health Assessment course, and to provide a reference for the evaluation of ideological and political teaching of the Health Assessment course.Methods:By using literature analysis, the nominal group method, and the Delphi expert consultation method, we determined indicators for ideological and political elements and case inclusion criteria for the undergraduate nursing course Health Assessment. The analytic hierarchy method was applied to quantify the items and determine the final weights of the indicators at each level.Results:The response rates of two rounds of expert consultation were both 100%. The authority coefficient of the experts was 0.880. For the second-round consultation on the system of ideological and political elements, the coefficient of variation was 0.078, and the Kendall's coefficient of concordance was 0.334. For the second-round consultation on the inclusion criteria for ideological and political cases, the coefficient of variation was 0.075, and the Kendall's coefficient of concordance was 0.312. Finally, we determined 6 first-level indicators and 30 second-level indicators for the ideological and political elements of the Health Assessment course, and 9 indicators for the inclusion of ideological and political cases for the Health Assessment course.Conclusions:The established index system for the ideological and political elements and cases of the Health Assessment course for nursing undergraduates is reasonable, scientific, and reliable, which can provide a reference for subsequent construction of the ideological and political teaching system for the Health Assessment course.
6.Effect of night shift work and overweight/obesity on blood pressure of workers in chemical fiber industry
Shuang LIU ; Jianfei WANG ; Tao LI ; Ye ZHU ; Lingfang FENG ; Jiong ZHU ; Jing WANG ; Hailing XIA ; Yiqiu CHEN ; Jiaping LI ; Xing ZHANG ; Zhaoqiang JIANG ; Jianlin LOU
China Occupational Medicine 2023;50(5):529-534
{L-End}Objective To analyze the effects of night shift work and overweight/obesity on blood pressure of workers in chemical fiber industry. {L-End}Methods A total of 1 004 workers of a chemical fiber factory were selected as the study subjects using convenient sampling method, and their blood pressure and body mass index were measured. Multiple linear regression model was used to analyze the relationship between night shift work and blood pressure, and multiple logistic regression was used to assess the independent impact and combined impact of night shifts and overweight/obesity on the risk of hypertension. {L-End}Results Compared with the non-night shift workers, the prevalence of hypertension in night shift workers was increased (5.3% vs 13.0%, P<0.05), with elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure (both P<0.05). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that the systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure of the night shift workers were higher than those of the non-night shift workers (both P<0.05), and the systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure of overweight/obesity workers were higher than those of non-overweight/obesity workers (both P<0.01). The results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of hypertension in night shift workers and overweight/obesity workers was higher than that in non-night shift workers and non-overweight/obesity workers [odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were 2.49 (1.04-5.99) and 2.65 (1.77-3.95), both P<0.05]. Night shift work and overweight/obesity showed a synergistic effect on blood pressure of workers. Compared to non-overweight/obesity non-night shift workers, overweight/obesity night shift workers had a higher risk of hypertension (OR=4.93, 95%CI: 1.70-14.29, P<0.01). {L-End}Conclusion Night shift work could lead to elevated blood pressure in workers in the chemical fiber industry, which is a potential risk factor for hypertension. The synergistic effect of night shift work and overweight/obesity may contribute to the increased risk of hypertension.
7.Protective effect of NLRP12 knockdown on retinal damage in rats with ocular hypertension and its mechanism of inhibiting cell pyroptosis
Weiqiong SONG ; Fang HE ; Lingfang DU ; Huaxia TAN ; Dan LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Ophthalmology 2023;41(2):110-118
Objective:To investigate the effect and mechanism of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 12 (NLRP12) knockdown on inflammatory factor levels and retinal injury in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) of rats with high intraocular pressure.Methods:Seventy SPF adult male SD rats were selected and randomized into control group, high intraocular pressure (IOP) group, high IOP+ small interfering RNA negative control (siNC) group, high IOP+ siNLRP12 group and high IOP+ siNLRP12+ recombinant rat caspase-1 (rrcaspase-1) group, with 14 rats in each group.Rats in the control group were only treated with conjunctival incision in the right eye, and ocular hypertension model was established in the other four groups with external scleral vein cauterization.High IOP+ siNC group, high IOP+ siNLRP12 group and high IOP+ siNLRP12+ rrcaspase-1 group were injected with siNC, siNLRP12 and siNLRP12+ rrcaspase-1 reagent via the tail vein, respectively.The IOP of the right eye was measured at 1 day, 1, 2 and 3 weeks after the operation.Three weeks after the operation, the retinal structure was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, and the number of RGCs in each group was counted.RGCs were divided into control group, rrcaspase-1 group, siNC+ rrcaspase-1 group, siNLRP12+ rrcaspase-1 group.The cells in rrcaspase-1 group, siNC+ rrcaspase-1 group and siNLRP12+ rrcaspase-1 group were treated with rrcaspase-1, siNC+ rrcaspase-1 and siNLRP12+ rrcaspase-1 reagent for 24 hours, respectively.No treatment was given to the control group.The expression levels of NLRP12, caspase-1 and cleaved-caspase-1 proteins in RGCs and retinal tissue were detected by Western blot.The concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in rat serum or cell culture supernatant were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The study protocol was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of the First People's Hospital of Chenzhou (No.2020086).Results:Compared with control group, the IOP was higher in high IOP group at 1, 2 and 3 weeks after cauterization, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05). The retinal tissue was clear with the RGCs in a single layer arrangement in the control group.In the high IOP group and the high IOP+ siNC group, the RGCs layer was loose and the inner plexiform layer was thin.The inner plexiform layer was thickened in high IOP+ siNLRP12 group compared with high IOP group, and the RGCs layer was loose in the high IOP+ siNLRP12 group and the high IOP+ siNLRP12+ rrcaspase-1 group.The number of RGCs in control group, high IOP group, high IOP+ siNC group, high IOP+ siNLRP12 group and high IOP+ siNLRP12+ rrcaspase-1 group was 119.31±23.25, 89.19±16.98, 88.87±13.92, 109.33±10.25 and 92.89±12.58, respectively, showing a statistically significant overall difference ( F=201.932, P<0.001). The number of RGCs was lower in the high IOP group, high IOP+ siNC group, high IOP+ siNLRP12 group and high IOP+ siNLRP12+ rrcaspase-1 group than the control group, higher in the high IOP+ siNLRP12 group than the high IOP+ siNC group, and lower in the high IOP+ siNLRP12+ rrcaspase-1 group than the high IOP+ siNLRP12 group, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05). The relative expressions of caspase-1 and cleaved-caspase-1 proteins and the concentrations of TNF-α and IL-1β in the retinal tissue were higher in high IOP group, high IOP+ siNC group, high IOP+ siNLRP12 group and high IOP+ siNLRP12+ rrcaspase-1 group than control group, higher in high IOP+ siNLRP12 group than high IOP+ siNC group, and higher in high IOP+ siNLRP12+ rrcaspase-1 group than high IOP+ siNLRP12 group (all at P<0.05). Relative expression levels of caspase-1 and cleaved-caspase-1 protein were increased in rrcaspase-1 group and siNC+ rrcaspase-1 group compared with control group, and relative expression levels of NLRP12, caspase-1 and cleaved-caspase-1 protein were decreased in siNLRP12+ rrcaspase-1 group compared with control group (all at P<0.05). The relative mass concentrations of TNF-α and IL-1β were increased in rrcaspase-1 group, siNC+ rrcaspase-1 group and siNLRP12+ rrcaspase-1 group compared with the control group (all at P<0.05). Relative expression levels of NLRP12, caspase-1 and cleaved-caspase-1 proteins and relative mass concentrations of TNF-α and IL-1β in siNLRP12+ rrcaspase-1 group were lower than those in siNC+ rrcaspase-1 group (all at P<0.05). Conclusions:Knockdown of NLRP12 can reduce the inflammatory response and retinal injury induced by high IOP by inhibiting the activation of caspase-1.
8.Survival analysis of 36 patients with malignant mesothelioma
SHEN Wei ; LIU Jiaqi ; CHEN Junfei ; YING Shibo ; XIA Hailing ; FENG Lingfang ; JIN Mingying ; JIANG Zhaoqiang
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2022;34(1):66-69
Objective :
To analyze the survival of patients with malignant mesothelioma, so as to provide insights into the management of malignant mesothelioma.
Methods :
Totally 36 patients with malignant mesothelioma admitted to Cixi Third People’s Hospital from October 2012 to January 2021 were enrolled, and the demographic features, exposure to asbestos, and diagnosis and treatment were retrospectively reviewed. The survival rate and median survival time were calculated with the life-table method, and the factors affecting the survival rate of malignant mesothelioma were identified using the Kaplan-Meier estimate and log-rank test.
Results :
The 36 patients with malignant mesothelioma included 6 men ( 16.67% ) and 30 women ( 83.33% ), and had a median age of 61 ( interquartile range, 14 ) years. There were 30 cases with pleural malignant mesothelioma ( 83.33% ) and 6 cases with peritoneal malignant mesothelioma ( 16.67% ), 32 cases ( 88.89% ) with a history of occupational exposure to asbestos, and 26 cases ( 72.22% ) receiving palliative treatment. The 1-, 2- and 3-year cumulative survival rates were 30%, 15% and 3%, respectively, and the median survival time was 0.71 years. In addition, there were no significant differences in the survival period among patients with malignant mesothelioma in terms of gender, age, route of asbestos exposure, duration of asbestos exposure, pathogenic site and treatment regimens ( P>0.05 ).
Conclusion
The 36 patients with malignant mesothelioma had a median survival period of 0.71 years, and no association was found between the survival period and asbestos exposure or pathogenic site.
9.Effect of exposure to chrysotile on ribosomal DNA copy number variation and DNA damage response
Jiaqi LIU ; Lingfang FENG ; Junfei CHEN ; Hailing XIA ; Zhaoqiang JIANG ; Fan WU ; Xiaoxue GONG ; Jianlin LOU
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2022;34(6):547-554
Objective:
To investigate the effect of chrysotile exposure on ribosomal DNA (rDNA) copy number and DNA damage response, so as to provide insights into the mechanism of asbestos-induced carcinogenesis.
Methods:
Human pleural mesothelial MeT-5A cells were treated with chrysotile suspensions at doses of 1.25, 2.5 and 5 μg/cm2 (low-, medium-, high-dose group), while PBS served as controls. MeT-5A cells were harvested 6, 24, 48 and 72 h post-treatment, and the rDNA copy numbers and the BIRC5, HRAS, GINS4 and RRM2 mRNA expression were determined using a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay. The apoptosis of MeT-5A cells and DNA damage were detected using Muse cell analyzer. The rDNA copy numbers, DNA damage responses and BIRC5, HRAS, GINS4 and RRM2 mRNA expression were compared in MeT-5A cells treated with different doses of chrysotile suspensions.
Results:
There were significant differences in 45S rDNA copy numbers among low-, medium-, high-dose groups and the control groups 6, 48 and 72 h post-treatment with chrysotile suspensions, and significantly lower 45S rDNA copy numbers were measured in low-, medium- and high-dose groups than in the control group 6 h post-treatment, while significantly higher 45S rDNA copy numbers were found in the high-dose group than in low- and medium-dose groups 48 and 72 h post-treatment (all P<0.05). There were significant differences in 5S rDNA copy numbers among low-, medium-, high-dose groups and the control groups 24, 48 and 72 h post-treatment with chrysotile suspensions, and significantly lower 5S rDNA copy numbers were measured in medium- and high-dose groups than in the control group 24 and 48 h post-treatment, while significantly lower 5S rDNA copy numbers were found in medium- and high-dose groups than in the low-dose group 24, 72 h post-treatment (all P<0.05). There were significant differences in the overall apoptotic rate of MeT-5A cells among groups at different time points, and the overall apoptotic rate of MeT-5A cells were significantly higher in medium- and high-dose groups than in the control group (all P<0.05), with late-stage apoptosis predominantly detected. There were significant differences in the rates of ATM activation and DNA double-strand break in MeT-5A cells among groups 72 h post-treatment, and higher rates of ATM activation and DNA double-strand break were measured in medium- and high-dose groups than in the control group (all P<0.05). In addition, there were significant differences in the relative mRNA expression of BIRC5, HRAS, GINS4 and RRM2 genes among groups 24 and 48 h post-treatment, and significantly lower BIRC5, HRAS, GINS4 and RRM2 mRNA expression was quantified in medium- and high-dose groups than in the control group (all P<0.05).
Conclusion
Exposure to chrysotile may induce rDNA copy number variations and altered expression of nucleolar proteins in human pleural mesothelial cells, which may be involved in the regulation of DNA damage responses.
10.Anti-hepatoma Effect of Active Ingredients of Chinese Medicine via Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway: A Review
Yonghua ZHAO ; Yufeng ZHANG ; Yafang FAN ; Nannan LI ; Lingfang LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2022;28(21):276-282
Hepatoma is one of the most common malignant tumors of digestive system worldwide, and a main factor leading to cancer-related deaths. Its incidence is increasing year by year, posing a serious threat to human health. Currently, hepatoma is mainly treated by surgical resection, liver transplantation, radiation and drugs, but there are certain adverse reactions and problems of high recurrence rate and low survival rate. Chinese medicine has unique advantages in improving the comprehensive curative effect of hepatoma and reducing adverse reactions. With a variety of active ingredients, Chinese medicine can induce hepatoma cell apoptosis, inhibit the proliferation, migration and reverse multidrug resistance through multiple targets, thus exerting anti-hepatoma effect. It has become an important means for the prevention and treatment of hepatoma as well as a rich resource for anti-hepatoma drug research and development. Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, one of the most classical pathways in cancer, is involved in tumor cell proliferation, cell cycle, migration, invasion and tumor angiogenesis. Recently, many studies have reported that the active ingredients of Chinese medicine can play an anti-hepatoma role through this pathway. Therefore, this paper summarized the domestic and foreign literature in recent years, analyzed the relationship between wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and the specific mechanism of hepatoma occurrence and development, and combed the literature on the effect of flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, polysaccharides and other active ingredients of Chinese medicine on inducing hepatoma cell apoptosis, regulating cell cycle and inhibiting the invasion and metastasis through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. In addition, the paper summarized the research progress of relevant active ingredients of Chinese medicine against hepatoma, to explore their specific mechanism against hepatoma through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, so as to provide theoretical reference for further development of anti-hepatoma drugs.


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