A 20-year-old male patient presented to the Department of Dermatology of Peking Union Medical College Hospital with complaints of an 8-year history of facial scarring, swelling of the lower limbs, and a 4-year history of scalp thickening. Physical examination showed thickening furrowing wrinkling of the skin on the face and behind the ears, ciliary body hirsutism, blepharoptosis, and cutis verticis gyrate. Both lower limbs were swollen, especially the knees and ankles. The skin of the palms and soles of the feet was keratinized and thickened. Laboratory examination using bone and joint X-ray showed periostosis of the proximal middle phalanges and metacarpals of both hands, distal ulna and radius, tibia and fibula, distal femurs, and metatarsals.Genetic testing revealed two variants in SLCO2A1, c.1658T > A and c.96+4A > C.Through multidisciplinary consultation, we confirmed the diagnosis of pachydermoperiostosis.

ObjectiveTo understand the measles, rubella, and mumps antibody seroprevalence among the children aged 18 years and younger in Karamay City, and to evaluate the effectiveness of vaccination. MethodsA stratified whole cluster random sampling method was used to investigate the antibody seroprevalence of measles, rubella, and mumps among the healthy children aged 18 years and younger in Karamay City, and to further analyze the positive antibody rates and the geometric mean concentration (GMC) of antibodies. ResultsA total of 620 people were investigated, and the positive rates of IgG to measles, rubella, and mumps were 72.74%,62.26%, and 86.45%, respectively, with a GMC of308.94 mIU·mL^-1, 21.81 mIU·mL^-1, and 249.10 U·mL^-1. There were statistically significant differences in the positive rates of antibodies to measles, rubella, and mumps among different age groups (χ²_measles=76.707, P<0.001; χ²_rubella=60.804, P<0.001; χ²_mumps=35.407, P<0.001). The differences in positive rates were statistically significant among individuals with different intervals from the time of their last dose vaccination (χ²_measles=60.533, P<0.001; χ²_rubella=46.331, P<0.001; χ²_mumps=22.825, P<0.001). ConclusionThe antibody levels of measles, rubella and mumps among the people aged 18 years and younger in Karamay City are found to be low. Two doses of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine should be given to children born before 2020, and if necessary, supplementary immunization with MMR vaccine should be carried out before they are enrolled in nursery and kindergarten. Additionally, regular population-based antibody surveillance should be conducted to promptly identify the people with weak immunity, which is conducive to effectively reducing and controlling the epidemic situation of measles, rubella and mumps in schools.

ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological characteristics of varicella in Karamay City, to inform the prevention and control of the local varicella epidemic, and to guide adjustments to the varicella vaccine immunization strategy. MethodsThe data on varicella cases from 2015 to 2022 in Karamay were collected and the epidemiological characteristics were analyzed. ResultsA total of 3 380 varicella cases were reported in Karamay from 2015 to 2022, with an average annual incidence rate of 94.91/10⁵. The incidence of varicella showed a year-on-year downward trend from 2015 to 2022 (AAPC=-16.29%, P<0.05). Varicella cases demonstrated a seasonal variation, with peak incidence occurring from October to January of the following year and a slight increase from April to June. There were regional differences in the distribution of incidence rate, with 109.68/10⁵ in Karamay District, followed by 89.06/10⁵ in Baijiantan District, and 53.80/10⁵ in Dushanzi District, respectively. The incidence rates in the 10‒14 and 5‒9 years age groups were higher than that in other age groups, with an incidence rate of 447.01/10⁵ and 422.33/10⁵ in each group, respectively. Most of the cases were students, accounting for 59.17% of the total cases, followed by preschool children (17.40%). There were 645 breakthrough cases of varicella, accounting for 19.08% of the total cases. The average interval between the onset of breakthrough cases and the most recent vaccination was (5.77±3.43) years. ConclusionVaricella cases mainly occurred in schools and childcare institutions in Karamay City, highlighting the need for enhanced prevention and control efforts in these settings. A second dose of varicella vaccine is recommended for children before primary school enrollment.

Objective To explore the regulatory role of Abelson interactor 2(ABI2)in progression and prognosis of gastric cancer.Methods TIMER2.0,GEPIA,Kaplan-Meier Plotter and DAVID databases were used to analyze ABI2 expression in pan-cancer and its association with the prognosis of gastric cancer.Gastric cancer and adjacent tissues from 120 patients undergoing radical gastrectomy in our hospital between January,2016 and October,2018 were examined for ABI2 expression and its correlation with disease progression and prognosis.MGC-803 cell models of ABI2 knockdown and overexpression were established for observing the changes in cell proliferation,migration,and invasion,and the impact of ABI2 expression modulation on xenograft growth was evaluated in nude mice.Results Database analysis and examination of the clinical samples showed that ABI2 was highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues.Survival analysis suggested that gastric cancer patients with a high expression of ABI2 had a reduced postoperative 5-year survival rate(P<0.0001),and further Cox univariate and multivariate survival analyses indicated that a high ABI2 expression was an independent risk factor affecting the patients survival outcomes(P=0.022,HR=1.887,95%CI:1.096-3.249).Enrichment analysis suggested the involvement of ABI2 in Wnt signaling.In MGC-803 cells,ABI2 overexpression promoted cell proliferation and xenograft growth in nude mice,increased the expressions of vimentin and N-cadherin,and lowered E-cadherin expression,while ABI2 knockdown produced the opposite effects.Mechanistic analysis revealed that ABI2 overexpression promoted the expressions of Wnt2 and β-catenin in both MGC-803 cells and the xenografts,and their expressions were significantly lowered by ABI2 knockdown.Conclusion ABI2 is highly expressed in gastric cancer,which affects long-term prognosis of the patients,possible due to its regulatory effect on Wnt signaling to promote proliferation,migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells.

Objective To explore the regulatory role of Abelson interactor 2(ABI2)in progression and prognosis of gastric cancer.Methods TIMER2.0,GEPIA,Kaplan-Meier Plotter and DAVID databases were used to analyze ABI2 expression in pan-cancer and its association with the prognosis of gastric cancer.Gastric cancer and adjacent tissues from 120 patients undergoing radical gastrectomy in our hospital between January,2016 and October,2018 were examined for ABI2 expression and its correlation with disease progression and prognosis.MGC-803 cell models of ABI2 knockdown and overexpression were established for observing the changes in cell proliferation,migration,and invasion,and the impact of ABI2 expression modulation on xenograft growth was evaluated in nude mice.Results Database analysis and examination of the clinical samples showed that ABI2 was highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues.Survival analysis suggested that gastric cancer patients with a high expression of ABI2 had a reduced postoperative 5-year survival rate(P<0.0001),and further Cox univariate and multivariate survival analyses indicated that a high ABI2 expression was an independent risk factor affecting the patients survival outcomes(P=0.022,HR=1.887,95%CI:1.096-3.249).Enrichment analysis suggested the involvement of ABI2 in Wnt signaling.In MGC-803 cells,ABI2 overexpression promoted cell proliferation and xenograft growth in nude mice,increased the expressions of vimentin and N-cadherin,and lowered E-cadherin expression,while ABI2 knockdown produced the opposite effects.Mechanistic analysis revealed that ABI2 overexpression promoted the expressions of Wnt2 and β-catenin in both MGC-803 cells and the xenografts,and their expressions were significantly lowered by ABI2 knockdown.Conclusion ABI2 is highly expressed in gastric cancer,which affects long-term prognosis of the patients,possible due to its regulatory effect on Wnt signaling to promote proliferation,migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Current replacement procedures for stenosis or occluded arteries using prosthetic grafts have serious limitations in clinical applications, particularly, endothelialization of the luminal surface is a long-standing unresolved problem.METHOD: We produced a cell-based hybrid vascular graft using a bioink engulfing adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ADSCs) and a 3D bioprinting process lining the ADSCs on the luminal surface of GORE-Tex grafts. The hybrid graft was implanted as an interposition conduit to replace a 3-cm-long segment of the infrarenal abdominal aorta in Rhesus monkeys. RESULTS: Complete endothelium layer and smooth muscle layer were fully developed within 21 days post-implantation, along with normalized collagen deposition and crosslinking in the regenerated vasculature in all monkeys. The regenerated blood vessels showed normal functionality for the longest observation of more than 1650 days. The same procedure was also conducted in miniature pigs for the interposition replacement of a 10-cm-long right iliac artery and showed the same long-term effective and safe outcome. CONCLUSION This cell-based vascular graft is ready to undergo clinical trials for human patients.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the leading causes of death in the world. With the improvement of clinical therapy, the mortality of acute MI has been significantly reduced. However, as for the long-term impact of MI on cardiac remodeling and cardiac function, there is no effective prevention and treatment measures. Erythropoietin (EPO), a glycoprotein cytokine essential to hematopoiesis, has anti-apoptotic and pro-angiogenetic effects. Studies have shown that EPO plays a protective role in cardiomyocytes in cardiovascular diseases, such as cardiac ischemia injury and heart failure. EPO has been demonstrated to protect ischemic myocardium and improve MI repair by promoting the activation of cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs). This study aimed to investigate whether EPO can promote MI repair by enhancing the activity of stem cell antigen 1 positive stem cells (Sca-1⁺ SCs). Darbepoetin alpha (a long-acting EPO analog, EPO_anlg) was injected into the border zone of MI in adult mice. Infarct size, cardiac remodeling and performance, cardiomyocyte apoptosis and microvessel density were measured. Lin^- Sca-1⁺ SCs were isolated from neonatal and adult mouse hearts by magnetic sorting technology, and were used to identify the colony forming ability and the effect of EPO, respectively. The results showed that, compared to MI alone, EPO_anlg reduced the infarct percentage, cardiomyocyte apoptosis ratio and left ventricular (LV) chamber dilatation, improved cardiac performance, and increased the numbers of coronary microvessels in vivo. In vitro, EPO increased the proliferation, migration and clone formation of Lin^- Sca-1⁺ SCs likely via the EPO receptor and downstream STAT-5/p38 MAPK signaling pathways. These results suggest that EPO participates in the repair process of MI by activating Sca-1⁺ SCs.
Animals ; Mice ; Ventricular Remodeling ; Erythropoietin ; Myocardial Infarction ; Heart ; Stem Cells

The study aims to explore the active molecules of traditional Chinese medicine that specifically bind to interleukin-15 receptor α (IL-15Rα) using molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology. AutoDock molecular docking software was used to perform simulated docking of more than 3 000 compounds from 48 traditional Chinese medicines at IL-15Rα and screen the specific binding compounds. Then Biocore T200 biomolecular interaction analysis system of SPR was used to confirm the binding specificity of the selected target compounds. Finally, the biological effects of the target compounds on IL-15Rα were verified by cell biological experiments. The results showed that neoprzewaquinone A (Neo) possessed the highest specific binding affinity among the active molecules from traditional Chinese medicine, and the dissociation constant (K_D) value was (0.62 ± 0.20) µmol/L. The results of cell experiment showed that Neo significantly inhibited the proliferation of Mo7e cells induced by IL-15, and the IC₅₀ was 1.075 µmol/L, approximately 1/120 of the IC₅₀ of Cefazolin (IL-15 specific antagonist). These results suggest that Neo is a specific inhibitor of IL-15Rα and may be a potential active drug for the treatment of diseases related to the dysfunction of the IL-15Rα signaling.
Molecular Docking Simulation ; Interleukin-15/pharmacology* ; Surface Plasmon Resonance ; Interleukin-15 Receptor alpha Subunit/metabolism* ; Protein Binding

Objective:To explore the expressions of long non-coding RNA LINC00673 and ISG15 protein in pancreatic cancer and their clinical significances.Methods:The clinical data of 57 patients diagnosed as pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC) at the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya Medical College of Central South University from January 2014 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The relative expressions of LINC00673 in pancreatic cancer tissues and paracancerous normal tissues (within 3 cm from the edge of cancer tissues) were examined by using quantificational reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The ISG15 protein expressions in pancreatic cancer tissues and paracancerous normal tissues were examined by using immunohistochemistry. The difference in LINC00673 expression between ISG15 protein positive and negative patients was compared. The correlation between LINC00673 and ISG15 protein expressions in pancreatic cancer was analyzed by Spearman rank correlation analysis. Moreover, the correlations of LINC00673 and ISG15 protein expressions with clinical stage and pathological classification of pancreatic cancer patients were analyzed.Results:The positive expression of ISG15 protein in pancreatic cancer tissues was 40.4% (23/57), which was higher than that in paracancerous normal tissues [15.8% (9/57)] ( χ2 = 7.90, P = 0.004), and the relative expression of LINC00673 in pancreatic cancer tissues was 0.99±0.36, which was lower than that in paracancerous normal tissues (1.26±0.41) ( t = 4.80, P < 0.001). For 23 (40.4%) ISG15-positive patients and 34 (59.7%) ISG15-negative patients, the relative expression of LINC00673 was 0.77±0.46 and 0.45±0.27 ( P < 0.001). Spearman analysis showed that there was a correlation between LINC00673 and ISG15 protein expressions ( ρ = -0.429, P = 0.001). The relative expression of LINC00673 decreased in patients with low differentiated or undifferentiated tumor, vascular invasion and lymph node metastasis (all P < 0.05), but there was no correlation between LINC00673 expression and patients' age, tumor site, preoperative CA199 level, and TNM stage (all P > 0.05); ISG15 protein expression increased in patients with low differentiated or undifferentiated tumor, TNM stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ, vascular invasion and lymph node metastasis (all P < 0.05), but there was no correlation between ISG15 protein expression and patients' gender, age, tumor site, and preoperative CA199 level (all P > 0.05). Conclusions:The expression of LINC00673 in pancreatic cancer is related to vascular invasion, tumor differentiation degree and lymph node metastasis, and the expression of ISG15 in pancreatic cancer is related to vascular invasion, tumor differentiation degree, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage. The combined detection of LINC00673 and ISG15 protein could be a valuable prognostic indicator for pancreatic cancer. The therapies targeting LINC00673 and ISG15 protein signaling pathways are expected to be a potential option for immunotherapy of pancreatic cancer.

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was applied to determine the concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) in Lindera aggregata (Sims) Kosterm. The physiologically based extraction test (PBET) digestion in vitro/Caco-2 cell model was established to investigate the bioaccessible contents of Pb, Cd and As in decoction of Lindera aggregata (Sims) Kosterm. The target-organ toxicity dose modification of HI method (TTD) was used to evaluate the cumulative risk caused by the combined exposure of the total levels of Pb, Cd and As in Lindera aggregata (Sims) Kosterm. and the bioaccessible contents in the decoction. The results showed that the total contents of Pb, Cd and As in 4 batches of samples were in the range of 2.901-3.872, 1.299-1.800 and 0.062-0.216 mg·kg^-1, respectively. After transportation by Cacco-2 cells, the bioaccessible contents of Pb, Cd, and As in the decoction were in the range of 0.045-0.080, 0.070-0.112 and 0.004-0.018 mg·kg^-1. The results of risk assessment showed that calculated by the total amounts of heavy metals in the Lindera aggregata (Sims) Kosterm., for the end points of nervous system, the cumulative risks of co-exposure of heavy metals in 3 batches of samples were of concern. After decoction and transportation by Caco-2 cells, for the end points of cardiovascular system, blood, nervous system, kidney and testis, the TTD modification of HI values of all batches of samples were less than 1, and the health risks were acceptable. The study provided methodology basis for a more objective assessment of the health risks of heavy metals and harmful elements in traditional Chinese medicine and for a more scientific limit standard of heavy metals and harmful elements.