To investigate the correlation between vitamin D nutritional status and insulin resistance in pubertal adolescents.

Objective To investigate the acute toxicology and intervention effect of Panacis Majoris Rhizoma on rats with chronic pharyngitis.Methods A single,maximum dose of Panacis Majoris Rhizoma(74.4 g·kg-1)was administered to Kunming mice to evaluate its toxicity,involving the assessment of the survival status of the mice,organ indices,morphological changes in major organs,blood routine,and biochemical indicators.SD rats were randomly divided into the control group,model group,prednisone group(6.25 mg·kg-1),and low-,medium-,and high-dose Panacis Majoris Rhizoma groups(0.58,1.16,and 2.32 g·kg-1).All rats received the corresponding drugs(or normal saline)via intragastric administration once daily for a duration of 30 days.Except the control group,chronic pharyngitis was induced in rats of the other groups by using β-hemolytic streptococcus.Following euthanasia,serum inflammatory levels of interleukin-6(IL-6),cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1),C-reactive protein(CRP),tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α),monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1),and prostaglandin E2(PGE2)were measured.Additionally,pharyngeal tissues were stained with HE and pathological characteristics were observed.Results Toxicological studies have demonstrated that the administration of Panacis Majoris Rhizoma resulted in significant increase in plasma alanine transaminase levels and spleen index of mice,along with corresponding tissue pathological alterations.Nevertheless,no noteworthy pathological changes were observed in other organs,and there were no notable changes in blood routine and plasma biochemical indicators.Pharmacodynamic investigations have revealed that Panacis Maioris Rhizoma effectively reduces the serum levels of inflammatory factors and improves pathological changes in pharyngeal tissues.Conclusion Panacis Maioris Rhizoma alleviated β-hemolytic streptococcus-induced CP by inhibiting inflammatory responses,and may show potential toxicity to the spleen.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with positive anti-SSA antibody.Methods:The data of patients with positive anti-SSA antibody hospitalized in Beijing Tiantan Hospital between December 2011 and May 2020 were retrieved. Patients who fulfilled the diagnosis of MS were enrolled. MS patients with negative anti-SSA antibody hospitalized in the same period were matched based on gender and age in a ratio of 1∶2. The clinical characteristics of MS patients with positive anti-SSA antibody and those with negative anti-SSA antibody were compared. We used SPSS 24.0 statistical software to perform data analysis. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to determine whether continuous variables conform to a normal distribution. The group differences of non-normal distribution of measurement data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test. Fisher exact probability method was used to compare the group differences of categorical variables. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:There were 785 hospitalized patients with anti-SSA positivity. Among these, a total of 7 patients (0.89%) were diagnosed as MS. Fourteen MS patients with negative anti-SSA antibody were included with matched sex and age. There was a statistical significant difference in the frequency of positive antinuclear antibody (ANA)and anti-Ro-52 antibody between MS patients with positive anti-SSA antibody and those with negative anti-SSA (6/7 vs. 0/14, P<0.001; 4/7 vs. 0/14, P=0.006, respectively). No statistical significant difference in other clinical features was detected between the two groups (P>0.05).Conclusion:The frequency of ANA and anti-Ro-52 antibody positivity is significantly higher in MS patients with positive anti-SSA antibody. Our results suggest the presence of positive anti-SSA antibody has no affect on clinical features of MS. The relationship between MS and anti-SSA positivity may be incidently coexisted.

Objective:To explore the association between polymorphisms of transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)signaling pathway and non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate(NSCL/P)among Asian populations,while considering gene-gene interaction and gene-environment interaction.Methods:A total of 1 038 Asian NSCL/P case-parent trios were ascertained from an international consortium,which conducted a genome-wide association study using a case-parent trio design to investigate the genes affec-ting risk to NSCL/P.After stringent quality control measures,343 single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)spanning across 10 pivotal genes in the TGF-β signaling pathway were selected from the original genome-wide association study(GWAS)dataset for further analysis.The transmission disequilibrium test(TDT)was used to test for SNP effects.The conditional Logistic regression models were used to test for gene-gene interaction and gene-environment interaction.Environmental factors collected for the study in-cluded smoking during pregnancy,passive smoking during pregnancy,alcohol intake during pregnancy,and vitamin use during pregnancy.Due to the low rates of exposure to smoking during pregnancy and al-cohol consumption during pregnancy(＜3％),only the interaction between maternal smoking during pregnancy and multivitamin supplementation during pregnancy was analyzed.The threshold for statistical significance was rigorously set at P=1.46 × 10-4,applying Bonferroni correction to account for multiple testing.Results:A total of 23 SNPs in 4 genes yielded nominal association with NSCL/P(P＜0.05),but none of these associations was statistically significant after Bonferroni's multiple test correction.How-ever,there were 6 pairs of SNPs rs4939874(SMAD2)and rs1864615(TGFBR2),rs2796813(TGFB2)and rs2132298(TGFBR2),rs4147358(SMAD3)and rs1346907(TGFBR2),rs4939874(SMAD2)and rs1019855(TGFBR2),rs4939874(SMAD2)and rs12490466(TGFBR2),rs2009112(TGFB2)and rs4075748(TGFBR2)showed statistically significant SNP-SNP interaction(P＜1.46 × 10-4).In contrast,the analysis of gene-environment interactions did not yield any significant results after being cor-rected by multiple testing.Conclusion:The comprehensive evaluation of SNP associations and interac-tions within the TGF-β signaling pathway did not yield any direct associations with NSCL/P risk in Asian populations.However,the significant gene-gene interactions identified suggest that the genetic architec-ture influencing NSCL/P risk may involve interactions between genes within the TGF-β signaling path-way.These findings underscore the necessity for further investigations to unravel these results and further explore the underlying biological mechanisms.

Objective:To delve into the intricate relationship between common genetic variations across the entire genome and the risk of non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate(NSCL/P).Methods:Utilizing summary statistics data from genome-wide association studies(GW AS),a thorough investigation to evaluate the impact of common variations on the genome were undertook.This involved assessing single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)heritability across the entire genome,as well as within specific genomic regions.To ensure the robustness of our analysis,stringent quality control measures were applied to the GWAS summary statistics data.Criteria for inclusion encompassed the absence of missing values,a minor allele frequency≥1％,P-values falling within the range of 0 to 1,and clear SNP strand orientation.SNP meeting these stringent criteria were then meticulously included in our analy-sis.The SNP heritability of NSCL/P was calculated using linkage disequilibrium score regression.Addi-tionally,hierarchical linkage disequilibrium score regression to partition SNP heritability within coding re-gions,promoters,introns,enhancers,and super enhancers were employed,and the enrichment levels within different genomic regions using LDSC(v1.0.1)software were further elucidated.Results:Our study drew upon GWAS summary statistics data obtained from 806 NSCL/P trios,comprising a total of 2 418 individuals from the Chinese population.Following rigorous quality control procedures,490 593 out of 492 993 SNP were deemed suitable for inclusion in SNP heritability calculations.The observed SNP heritability of NSCL/P was 0.55(95％CI:0.28-0.82).Adjusting for the elevated disease pre-valence within our sample,the SNP heritability scaled down to 0.37(95％CI:0.19-0.55)based on the prevalence observed in the general Chinese population.Notably,our enrichment analysis unveiled significant enrichment of SNP heritability within enhancer regions(15.70,P=0.04)and super enhan-cer regions(3.18,P=0.03).Conclusion:Our study sheds light on the intricate interplay between common genetic variations and the risk of NSCL/P in the Chinese population.By elucidating the SNP heritability landscape across different genomic regions,we contribute valuable insights into the genetic basis of NSCL/P.The significant enrichment of SNP heritability within enhancer and super enhancer re-gions underscores the potential role of these regulatory elements in shaping the genetic susceptibility to NSCL/P.This paves the way for further research aimed at uncovering novel genetic pathogenic factors un-derlying NSCL/P pathogenesis.

Purpose: The prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) is extremely poor, and systemic therapy is currently the mainstream treatment. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib combined with anti–programmed cell death-1 antibodies and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (triple therapy) in patients with HCC and PVTT. Materials and Methods: This retrospective multicenter study included patients with HCC and PVTT who received triple therapy, were aged between 18 and 75 years, classified as Child-Pugh class A or B, and had at least one measurable lesion. The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rates, and disease control rates were analyzed to assess efficacy. Treatment-related adverse events were analyzed to assess safety profiles. Results: During a median follow-up of 11.23 months (range, 3.07 to 34.37 months), the median OS was greater than 24 months, and median PFS was 12.53 months. The 2-year OS rate was 54.9%. The objective response rate and disease control rate were 69.8% (74/106) and 84.0% (89/106), respectively; 20.8% (22/106) of the patients experienced grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events and no treatment-related deaths occurred. The conversion rate to liver resection was 31.1% (33/106), with manageable postoperative complications. The median OS was not reached in the surgery group, but was 19.08 months in the non-surgery group. The median PFS in the surgery and non-surgery groups were 20.50 and 9.00 months, respectively. Conclusion Triple therapy showed promising survival benefits and high response rates in patients with HCC and PVTT, with manageable adverse effects.

Turner syndrome is a disease resulted from the complete or partial loss of an X chromosome, and the typical karyotype is 45, X. Patients with Turner syndrome are susceptible to many medical problems, including short stature, congenital agenesis of ovaries and cognitive function impairment. More specifically, recent studies reported that these patients’ brain structure and brain function are different with normal people, especially in the occipital area, the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobe.And they also show a particular pattern of cognitive impairment(including visuospatial ability, abstract reasoning and excutive function) and social impairment and an increased risk of specific neurodevelopmental disorders. Additionally, haploinsufficiency of escape genes, gonadal steroid deficiency and failure to express parentally imprinted genes may contribute to the differences in brain structure and brain function between these patients and normal people, causing cognitive and social impairment in patients with Turner syndrome. This study reviewed the alterations and biological mechanisms in brain structure, brain function and cognitive profile in patients with Turner syndrome.

Objective: To investigate family based child sexual abuse prevention education in rural areas of Luzhou, to provide guidance for child sexual abuse prevention and intervention. Methods: By stratified cluster sampling, from December 2021 to January 2022, 1 213 parents were investigated with the simplified scale of knowledge attitude practice of family sexual education. The influencing factors of family sexual education were analyzed by multiple linear regression. Results: The score of family sexual abuse prevention education in rural areas of Luzhou was (11.21 ± 3.99), and the pass rate was 51.69%. The results showed that maternal education of junior high school ( β =0.79), senior high school / technical secondary school( β =1.26) and bachelor / college degree or above( β =1.75), mothers to be the main educators ( β =1.29) were positively associated with, while being girls( β =-0.41) and left behind children ( β =-0.59) were negatively associated with family child sex abuse prevention education score( P <0.05). Children received sex education in school( β =0.81), adequate knowledge of sex education of parents ( β =1.11), positive attitudes towards sex education of parents ( β =1.51), communication with relatives and friends regarding sex education of parents ( β =1.94), parents having participated in sex education related activities( β =0.67) were positively associated with family child sex abuse prevention education score( P <0.05). Conclusion Family based child sexual abuse prevention education in rural areas of Luzhou is insufficient. Relevant departments need to set up personalized intervention measures according to the different conditions of families, carry out relative education activities, to improve the level of sex education of rural families and improve their awareness of self prevention.

Objective:To investigate the expression and clinical significance of peptide/histidine transporter solute carrier family 15 member 4 (SLC15A4) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Methods:Fifty-five patients with SLE were divided into active SLE group and stable SLE group according to SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) score, and 13 healthy volunteers were used as controls. The expression of SLC15A4 in PBMCs were detected by Western blot method. Moreover, the correlation between the expression of SLC15A4 and clinical and laboratory parameters of SLE patients were analyzed. The expression of SLC15a4 in the three groups was compared based on one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the correlation between SLC15A4 expression level and clinical indicators was analyzed by Pearson correlation.Results:The expression levels of SLC15A4 in active SLE group, stable SLE group and healthy control group were (0.96±0.19), (0.88±0.14), (0.78±0.24), respectively. The expression level of SLC15A4 in SLE with active disease was higher than that in healthy controls ( F=4.47, P=0.015). In addition, the expression of SLC15A4 in PBMCs of SLE patients was positively correlated with the quantity of anti-double stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) antibody, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) ( r=0.29, P=0.031; r=0.36, P=0.007; r=0.32, P=0.017, respectively). However, the expression of SLC15A4 in PBMCs had no significant correlation with 24-h urinary protein ( r=0.45, P=0.127) and C3 ( r=0.20, P=0.133). Conclusion:SLC15A4 is involved in the pathogenesis of SLE and its expression in PBMCs of SLE patients can be used as an index to evaluate disease activity.

One of the most common birth defects is cleft palate only (CPO) of which non-syndromic cleft palate only (NSCPO) accounts for 50%. NSCPO is a complex disease where multiple genes and environmental factors contribute to its risk. Unlike non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P), previous genome-wide association studies only identified a few common genetic variations achieving genome-wide significance. This review summarizes the recent findings on genetic epidemiology of NSCPO. According to the current evidence, the candidate genes are divided into three categories: candidate genes with strong evidence, candidate genes with suggestive evidence, and candidate genes with inadequate evidence. The findings of epigenetic studies, the next generation sequencing studies, interaction analysis on NSCPO are also reviewed.