Relative efficacy of antibody-drug conjugates and other anti-HER2 treatments on survival in HER2-positive advanced breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Novel antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) drugs present a promising anti-cancer treatment, although survival benefits for HER2-positive advanced breast cancer (BC) remain controversial. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the comparative effect of ADCs and other anti-HER2 therapy on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for treatment of HER2-positive locally advanced or metastatic BC. METHODS: Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were retrieved from five databases. The risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for RCTs by RevMan5.4 software. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted to evaluate the benefit of ADCs on PFS and OS in HER2-positive advanced BC by meta-analysis. RESULTS: Meta-analysis of six RCTs with 3870 patients revealed that ADCs significantly improved PFS (HR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.49-0.80, P = 0.0002) and OS (HR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.72-0.86, P < 0.0001) of patients with HER2-positive locally advanced or metastatic BC. Subgroup analysis showed that PFS and OS were obviously prolonged for patients who previously received HER2-targeted therapy. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias suggested that the results were stable and reliable. CONCLUSION: Statistically significant benefits for PFS and OS were observed with ADCs in HER2-positive locally advanced or metastatic BC, especially for those who received prior anti-HER2 treatment.

Role of hydrogen sulfide in dermatological diseases.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), together with carbon monoxide (CO) and nitric oxide (NO), is recognized as a vital gasotransmitter. H2S is biosynthesized by enzymatic pathways in the skin and exerts significant physiological effects on a variety of biological processes, such as apoptosis, modulation of inflammation, cellular proliferation, and regulation of vasodilation. As a major health problem, dermatological diseases affect a large proportion of the population every day. It is urgent to design and develop effective drugs to deal with dermatological diseases. Dermatological diseases can arise from a multitude of etiologies, including neoplastic growth, infectious agents, and inflammatory processes. The abnormal metabolism of H2S is associated with many dermatological diseases, such as melanoma, fibrotic diseases, and psoriasis, suggesting its therapeutic potential in the treatment of these diseases. In addition, therapies based on H2S donors that release H2S are being developed to treat some of these conditions. In the review, we discuss recent advances in the function of H2S in normal skin, the role of altering H2S metabolism in dermatological diseases, and the therapeutic potential of diverse H2S donors for the treatment of dermatological diseases.

Interdependency or submission to authority? The impacts of horizontal and vertical collectivist orientation on vaccine attitudes in mainland China.

Culture has a profound impact on preventive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous research has revealed that collectivism is associated with more effective responses to COVID-19 on the national or regional level. However, the impact of different components of collectivist orientation on vaccine attitudes remains insufficiently explored on the individual level. Two survey studies conducted in August 2021 in mainland China consistently found that individual-level horizontal collectivist orientation, rather than vertical collectivist orientation, was linked with more favourable vaccine attitudes. Specifically, Study 1 (N = 731) indicated that horizontal collectivist orientation was positive associated with vaccination intention indirectly via risk perception, and horizontal collectivist orientation was also positively associated with vaccination persuasion both directly and indirectly via risk perception. Study 2 (N = 1481), employing multilevel modelling, demonstrated that the link between horizontal collectivist orientation and confidence in vaccines remained robust regardless of provincial-level variations in socioeconomic development and cultural tightness. These findings convergently suggest that the positive vaccine attitudes among mainland Chinese are primarily driven by an amplified risk perception due to concern for others, rather than submission to authority.

IL-33/ST2L signaling alleviates diabetic nephropathy by regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a serious chronic complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is an important factor in the regulation of pathological processes in DN, and excessive ER stress can lead to apoptosis. Although the IL-33/ST2 axis is known to be involved in diabetic kidney disease or related nephropathy, its role and molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood in terms of DN. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of IL-33/ST2 signaling on DN and to characterize the roles that ER stress and apoptosis play in DN. METHODS: To investigate this study, mice were randomly assigned into DN (induced by 0.1% STZ) and Control groups. Biochemical indices (FBG, BUN, UPR, UCE) were measured in serum and urine samples to reflect blood glucose and kidney damage. Quantitative real-time PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence were used to assess gene and protein expression of the IL-33/ST2 axis and ER stress relative signaling molecule. Apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: IL-33 levels are significantly increased in the kidneys of patients and mice with DN. Double immunofluorescence staining showed that IL-33 colocalized with CD31-positive endothelial cells. Treatment with IL-33 attenuated kidney injury in Streptozotocin (STZ)-treated mice. In vitro, we showed that IL-33 attenuated ER stress and apoptosis in glomerular endothelial cells. However, sST2 treatment significantly reversed these effects of IL-33. CONCLUSION: Together, these data suggest that IL-33/ST2 signaling mitigates STZ-induced renal damage, partly at least, by suppressing ER stress and apoptosis. Therefore, IL-33 may be an effective therapeutic target in DN.

Clinical Timing-Sequence Warning Models for Serious Bacterial Infections in Adults Based on Machine Learning: Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Serious bacterial infections (SBIs) are linked to unplanned hospital admissions and a high mortality rate. The early identification of SBIs is crucial in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to establish and validate clinically applicable models designed to identify SBIs in patients with infective fever. METHODS: Clinical data from 945 patients with infective fever, encompassing demographic and laboratory indicators, were retrospectively collected from a 2200-bed teaching hospital between January 2013 and December 2020. The data were randomly divided into training and test sets at a ratio of 7:3. Various machine learning (ML) algorithms, including Boruta, Lasso (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator), and recursive feature elimination, were utilized for feature filtering. The selected features were subsequently used to construct models predicting SBIs using logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) with 5-fold cross-validation. Performance metrics, including the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the ROC curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and other relevant parameters, were used to assess model performance. Considering both model performance and clinical needs, 2 clinical timing-sequence warning models were ultimately confirmed using LR analysis. The corresponding predictive nomograms were then plotted for clinical use. Moreover, a physician, blinded to the study, collected additional data from the same center involving 164 patients during 2021. The nomograms developed in the study were then applied in clinical practice to further validate their clinical utility. RESULTS: In total, 69.9% (661/945) of the patients developed SBIs. Age, hemoglobin, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein levels were identified as important features by at least two ML algorithms. Considering the collection sequence of these indicators and clinical demands, 2 timing-sequence models predicting the SBI risk were constructed accordingly: the early admission model (model 1) and the model within 24 hours of admission (model 2). LR demonstrated better stability than RF and XGBoost in both models and performed the best in model 2, with an AUC, accuracy, and sensitivity of 0.780 (95% CI 0.720-841), 0.754 (95% CI 0.698-804), and 0.776 (95% CI 0.711-832), respectively. XGBoost had an advantage over LR in AUC (0.708, 95% CI 0.641-775 vs 0.686, 95% CI 0.617-754), while RF achieved better accuracy (0.729, 95% CI 0.673-780) and sensitivity (0.790, 95% CI 0.728-844) than the other 2 approaches in model 1. Two SBI-risk prediction nomograms were developed for clinical use based on LR, and they exhibited good performance with an accuracy of 0.707 and 0.750 and a sensitivity of 0.729 and 0.927 in clinical application. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical timing-sequence warning models demonstrated efficacy in predicting SBIs in patients suspected of having infective fever and in clinical application, suggesting good potential in clinical decision-making. Nevertheless, additional prospective and multicenter studies are necessary to further confirm their clinical utility.

Loss of homeoprotein Msx1 and Msx2 leading to athletic and kinematic impairment related to the increasing neural excitability of neurons in aberrant neocortex in mice.

Although homeoproteins Msx1 and Msx2, the cell-specific transcription regulators, have been proven to play multiple roles in the embryogenesis of bone, muscle and tooth, the functions and mechanisms of Msx1 and Msx2 in the development of the central nervous system of mice after birth are not clear because of the death of Msx1 and Msx1/2 germline-deleted embryo at late gestation of mouse. In current research, Nestin-Cre mice was introduced to generate the central nervous system-specific knockout mice (Nestin-Cre;Msx1,Msx2fl/fl). We found that besides the falling of the body mass and the brain volume, the cortical tissue sections and staining showed the decreasing thickness of layer II-IV and declining number of vertebral cells in layer V resulting from Msx1/2 deletion. In addition, electrophysiological tests revealed the aberrant action potential parameters of deep pyramidal neurons in Nestin-Cre;Msx1,2 fl/fl mice, which may be related with the ethology impairment displayed in further experiments. We discovered Nestin-Cre;Msx1,2 fl/fl mice had severe impairment in their athletic ability and kinematic learning ability in rotate test, and exhibited hyperactivity in open-field test. Above all, our results revealed that deletion of homeoproteins Msx1 and Msx2 could lead to behavioral disorders and suggested that Msx1 and Msx2 played a crucial role in regulating the development and function of the neocortex. In addition, our current research provided a new mouse model for understanding the pathogenesis of human central nervous system disease.

Bone marrow-derived cells response in proximal regions of nerves after peripheral nerve injury.

In recent years, bone marrow-derived cells have been found to be crucial for peripheral nerve regeneration. After traumatic peripheral nerve injury, bone marrow-derived macrophages quickly infiltrate into the distal regions of nerves. To explore the changes caused by bone marrow-derived cells within the proximal regions of the nerves, sciatic nerves of chimeric mice carrying bone marrow cells expressing green fluorescent protein were crushed to observe the infiltration of invading bone marrow-derived cells. Seven days after surgery, abundant bone marrow-derived cells had infiltrated into the damaged proximal nerve segments. The numbers of these cells increased to a peak at 2 weeks and then gradually returned to normal levels within 30 weeks. Through immunofluorescence staining, many of these cells were identified as macrophages, and they showed a similar infiltration tendency toward distal nerve segments. However, fewer cells infiltrated proximal segments than distal nerve segments. In conclusion, these findings suggest that bone marrow-derived cells response not only occurs within the distal nerve segments but may also take place within the proximal segments of nerve tissues after nerve injury.

[Assay of Tetramethylpyrazine in Szechwan Lovage Rhizome and Cnidium Rhizome by HPLC-DAD-MS].

OBJECTIVE: To quantity the amount of tetramethylpyrazine in Szechwan Lovage Rhizome (Chuanxiong, the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., CX) and Cnidium Rhizome(Japanese Chuanxiong, the rhizome of Cnidium officinale Makino, JCX) for quality assessment. METHODS: An HPLC-DAD-MS technique was employed to detect tetramethylpyrazine in 27 CX and 10 JCX samples. Tetramethylpyrazine was separated on a Waters Symmetry C,, column (250 mm x 4. 6 mm, 5 µm). The mobile phase was methanol-acetonitrile-water(27: 1: 72) at a flow rate of 1. 0 mL/min. The column temperature was 35 °C. DAD detection wavelength was 280 nm, while electrospray ionization detector was set at positive mode to collect MS spectrum. RESULTS: In the total of 37 herb samples, 11 samples were found to contain tetramethylpyrazine with the mean amount of 2. 19 µg/g(n = 11). 6 of 27 CX samples and 5 of 10 JCX sample were found the existence of tetramethylpyrazine with the amount of 0. 60 - 11. 75 µg and 0. 61 - 3. 05 µg/g,respectively. The correlation was not found between tetramethylpyrazine and the cultivation area, morphological character, processing or storage method for CX and JCX samples. It was possible that tetramethylpyrazine resulted from the microbes in soil. CONCLUSION: The developed method is accurate to quantify tetramethylpyrazine in CX and JCX herbs. Both the two herbs indeed contain tetramethylpyrazine, but it is not suitable to be a chemical marker to assess the quality of CX and JCX owing to low content.

Self-assembled Fe3O4/polymer hybrid microbubble with MRI/ultrasound dual-imaging enhancement.

An Fe3O4 nanoparticle/polymer hybrid microbubble was developed using a facile self-assembly approach. This approach involves two steps, including the initial fabrication of the iron oxide nanoparticle (IONP)/polymer hybrid microcapsules via self-assembly and a subsequent gas-filling process to yield the final microbubbles. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that the composite gas-filled microbubbles exhibit excellent T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enhancement as well as ultrasound (US) imaging enhancement capabilities. Besides, this flexible approach allows the facile control of the microbubbles' size and thus the imaging capabilities of the microbubbles through the tuning of the molar ratio between the precursors.

Gestational diabetes and risk of perinatal depression in low- and middle-income countries: a meta-analysis.

Background: The relationship between gestational diabetes (GDM) and the risk of depression has been thoroughly investigated in high-income countries on their financial basis, while it is largely unexplored in low- and middle- income countries. This meta-analysis aims to assess how GDM influences the risk of perinatal depression by searching multiple electronic databases for studies measuring the odds ratios between them in low- and middle-income countries. Methods: Two independent reviewers searched multiple electronic databases for studies that investigated GDM and perinatal mental disorders on August 31, 2023. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the random effect model. Subgroup analyses were further conducted based on the type of study design and country income level. Results: In total, 16 observational studies met the inclusion criteria. Only the number of studies on depression (n=10) satisfied the conditions to conduct a meta-analysis, showing the relationship between mental illness and GDM has been overlooked in low- and middle-income countries. Evidence shows an elevated risk of perinatal depression in women with GDM (pooled OR 1.92; 95% CI 1.24, 2.97; 10 studies). The increased risk of perinatal depression in patients with GDM was not significantly different between cross-sectional and prospective design. Country income level is a significant factor that adversely influences the risk of perinatal depression in GDM patients. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that women with GDM are vulnerable to perinatal depressive symptoms, and a deeper understanding of potential risk factors and mechanisms may help inform strategies aimed at prevention of exposure to these complications during pregnancy.

Corticosteroid in non-COVID-19 induced community-acquired pneumonia, a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Corticosteroid treatment in non-COVID-19 induced Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains inconclusive. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the role of corticosteroid treatment in CAP. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search of online databases, including PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane, to identify articles published from January 1, 2000, to May 5, 2023. Double-blind RCTs were selected. Two authors screened studies and extracted data. The evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 12 RCTs, involving 2446 patients. Corticosteroids therapy may reduce short-term mortality in patients with severe CAP (sCAP) and shorten the hospital length of stay in patients with CAP. Furthermore, corticosteroids treatment can decrease the risk of requiring mechanical ventilation, developing septic shock and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). There were no significant differences between the corticosteroid and control groups concerning gastrointestinal bleeding and nosocomial infection. The use of corticosteroids could increase the risk of hyperglycemia. CONCLUSION: Corticosteroid treatment for sCAP has the potential to provide benefits in reducing short-term mortality, but this conclusion necessitates more evidence. Besides, we found no evidence that strongly prevents us from using corticosteroids in patients with sCAP or those at risk of progressing to sCAP.

Evasion of wheat resistance gene Lr15 recognition by the leaf rust fungus is attributed to the coincidence of natural mutations and deletion in AvrLr15 gene.

Employing race-specific resistance genes remains an effective strategy to protect wheat from leaf rust caused by Puccinia triticina (Pt) worldwide, while the newly emerged Pt races, owing to rapid genetic evolution, frequently overcome the immune response delivered by race-specific resistance genes. The molecular mechanisms underlying the newly evolved virulence Pt pathogen remain unknown. Here, we identified an avirulence protein AvrLr15 from Pt that induced Lr15-dependent immune responses. Heterologously produced AvrLr15 triggered pronounced cell death in Lr15-isogenic wheat leaves. AvrLr15 contains a functional signal peptide, localized to the plant nucleus and cytosol and can suppress BAX-induced cell death. Evasion of Lr15-mediated resistance in wheat was associated with a deletion and point mutations of amino acids in AvrLr15 rather than AvrLr15 gene loss in the Lr15-breaking Pt races, implying that AvrLr15 is required for the virulence function of Pt. Our findings identified the first molecular determinant of wheat race-specific immunity and facilitated the identification of the first AVR/R gene pair in the Pt-wheat pathosystem, which will provide a molecular marker to monitor natural Pt populations and guide the deployment of Lr15-resistant wheat cultivars in the field.

The potential role of hydrogen sulfide in cancer cell apoptosis.

For a long time, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been considered a toxic compound, but recent studies have found that H2S is the third gaseous signaling molecule which plays a vital role in physiological and pathological conditions. Currently, a large number of studies have shown that H2S mediates apoptosis through multiple signaling pathways to participate in cancer occurrence and development, for example, PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways. Therefore, the regulation of the production and metabolism of H2S to mediate the apoptotic process of cancer cells may improve the effectiveness of cancer treatment. In this review, the role and mechanism of H2S in cancer cell apoptosis in mammals are summarized.

Discovery of Novel N-(Anthracen-9-ylmethyl) Benzamide Derivatives as ZNF207 Inhibitors Promising in Treating Glioma.

Targeting tumor stemness is an innovative approach to cancer treatment. Zinc Finger Protein 207 (ZNF207) is a promising target for weakening the stemness of glioma cells. Here, a series of novel N-(anthracen-9-ylmethyl) benzamide derivatives against ZNF207 were rationally designed and synthesized. The inhibitory activity was evaluated, and their structure-activity relationships were summarized. Among them, C16 exhibited the most potent inhibitory activity, as evidenced by its IC50 values ranging from 0.5-2.5 µM for inhibiting sphere formation and 0.5-15 µM for cytotoxicity. Furthermore, we found that C16 could hinder tumorigenesis and migration and promote apoptosis in vitro. These effects were attributed to the downregulation of stem-related genes. The in vivo evaluation demonstrated that C16 exhibited efficient permeability across the blood-brain barrier and potent efficacy in both subcutaneous and orthotopic glioma tumor models. Hence, C16 may serve as a potential lead compound targeting ZNF207 and has promising therapeutic potential for glioma.

[Chemical change of chuanxiong raw materials during storage].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the chemical changes in Chuanxiong raw material (CX), the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., during CX storage and further assess its quality variety. METHODS: Four CX samples were sealed and stored at ambient temperature in room for two years. These samples were quantified on the amounts of characteristic chemical compounds by HPLC-DAD-(APCI) MS techniques. RESULTS: Eight characteristic peaks in HPLC fingerprint were found to be good separation and assigned as vanillin (1), ferulic acid (2), senkyunolide I (3), senkyunolide H (4), coniferyl ferulate (5), senkyunolide A (6), Z-ligustilide (7) and levistolide A(8), respectively based on their on-line APCI-MS data and UV spectra. After CX being stored, compounds 1 - 4, and 8 were decreased by 44.4%, 52.1%, 37.6%, 52.8% and 47.5% (n = 4), respectively, whilst compounds 5 - 7 were increased by 59.1%, 40.1% and 47.5% (n = 4), respectively. CONCLUSION: Multiple chemical compounds are found to be changed during CX storage, which results in the variety of quality and therapeutic effect because most of the tested compounds have been demonstrated to be bioactive by pharmacological study and clinical trials. It is suggested that CX should be stored under dark, cool and dry condition.

[Comparison on content of ligustilides in different danggui samples].

Bioactivity of Danggui is linked to the content of ligustilide, but the relationship between ligustilide with herb shape, cultivating areas and plant species is still unknown. The relationship was investigated by quantifying on the amounts of Z-ligustilide and E-ligustilide by HPLC-DAD-MS method, and then comparing the content of ligustilides (the sum of Z-ligustilide and E-ligustilide) among forty-four various "Danggui" samples containing thirty Chinese Danggui (CDG), six Japanese Danggui (JDG), four Korea Danggui (KDG) and four European Danggui (EDG). Results showed that the content of ligustilides in CDG samples (Angelica sinensis) was in the range of 5.63-24.53 mg x g(-1) with the mean of 11.02 mg x g(-1) (n = 30). Ligustilides amounts were varied among samples cultivated in different areas in China, i. e. 13.90 mg x g(-1) (n = 6) in Yannan, 12.51 mg x g(-1) (n = 6) in Sichuan and 10.04 mg x g(-1) (n = 13) in Gansu. It was also found that ligustilides content was related to the shape, color and fragrance of herb, e. g. the relative larger amount of ligustilides was in the small main root, long rootlet and perfumed sample. Further, ligustilides contents were estimated to be 1.00 mg x g(-1) (n = 6) in JDG samples (A. acutiloba and A. acutiloba var. sugiyamae) and 2.78 mg x g(-1) (n = 2) in EDG samples (lovage root, Levisticum officinale). However, ligustilides could not be detected in the four KDG samples (A. gigas) and two EDG samples (angelica root, A. archangelica). It has been concluded that ligustilide is significant variant among plant species, which may result in the variety of bioactivity and therapeutic effect.

Identification and validation of potential hypoxia-related genes associated with coronary artery disease.

Introduction: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the most life-threatening cardiovascular emergencies with high mortality and morbidity. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that the degree of hypoxia is closely associated with the development and survival outcomes of CAD patients. However, the role of hypoxia in CAD has not been elucidated. Methods: Based on the GSE113079 microarray dataset and the hypoxia-associated gene collection, differential analysis, machine learning, and validation of the screened hub genes were carried out. Results: In this study, 54 differentially expressed hypoxia-related genes (DE-HRGs), and then 4 hub signature genes (ADM, PPFIA4, FAM162A, and TPBG) were identified based on microarray datasets GSE113079 which including of 93 CAD patients and 48 healthy controls and hypoxia-related gene set. Then, 4 hub genes were also validated in other three CAD related microarray datasets. Through GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses, we found three upregulated hub genes (ADM, PPFIA4, TPBG) were strongly correlated with differentially expressed metabolic genes and all the 4 hub genes were mainly enriched in many immune-related biological processes and pathways in CAD. Additionally, 10 immune cell types were found significantly different between the CAD and control groups, especially CD8 T cells, which were apparently essential in cardiovascular disease by immune cell infiltration analysis. Furthermore, we compared the expression of 4 hub genes in 15 cell subtypes in CAD coronary lesions and found that ADM, FAM162A and TPBG were all expressed at higher levels in endothelial cells by single-cell sequencing analysis. Discussion: The study identified four hypoxia genes associated with coronary heart disease. The findings provide more insights into the hypoxia landscape and, potentially, the therapeutic targets of CAD.

Construction of the panoptosis-related gene model and characterization of tumor microenvironment infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common fatal cancer worldwide, patients with HCC have a high mortality rate and poor prognosis. PANoptosis is a novel discovery of programmed cell death associated with cancer development. However, the role of PANoptosis in HCC remains obscure. In this study, we enrolled 274 PANoptosis-related genes (PANRGs) and screened 8 genes to set up a prognostic model. A previous scoring system calculated PANscore was utilized to quantify the individual risk level of each HCC patient, and the reliability of the prognostic model has been validated in an external cohort. Nomogram constructed with PANscore and clinical characteristics were used to optimize individualized treatment for each patient. Single-cell analysis revealed a PANoptosis model associated with tumor immune cell infiltration, particularly natural killer (NK) cells. Further exploration of hub genes and assessment of the prognostic role of these 4 hub genes in HCC by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). In conclusion, we evaluated a PANoptosis-based prognostic model as a potential prognostic biomarker for HCC patients.

Evaluation of Chlamydia trachomatis screening from the perspective of health economics: a systematic review.

Background: Most Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections are asymptomatic. The infection can persist and lead to severe sequelae. Therefore, screening for CT can primarily prevent serious sequelae. Aim: To systematically evaluate CT screening from the perspective of health economics, summarize previous findings from different target populations, and make practical recommendations for developing local CT screening strategies. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochran Library, and National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database (Ovid) were searched from January 1, 2000, to March 4, 2023. Studies reporting the cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit, or cost-utility of CT screening were eligible to be included. A narrative synthesis was used to analyze and report the results following the PRISMA guidelines. The Consensus on Health Economic Criteria (CHEC) list was used to assess the methodological quality of included studies. Results: Our review finally comprised 39 studies addressing four populations: general sexually active people (n = 25), pregnant women (n = 4), women attending STD and abortion clinics (n = 4), and other high-risk individuals (n = 6). The total number of participants was ~7,991,198. The majority of studies assessed the cost-effectiveness or cost-utility of the screening method. The results showed that the following screening strategies may be cost-effective or cost-saving under certain conditions: performing CT screening in young people aged 15-24 in the general population, military recruits, and high school students; incorporating CT screening into routine antenatal care for pregnant women aged 15-30; opportunistic CT screening for women attending STD and abortion clinics; home-obtained sampling for CT screening using urine specimens or vaginal swab; performing CT screening for 14-30-year-old people who enter correctional institutions (i.e., jail, detention) as soon as possible; providing CT screening for female sex workers (FSWs) based on local incidence and prevalence; adding routine CT screening to HIV treatment using rectal samples from men who have sex with men (MSM). Conclusion: We found that CT screening in general sexually active people aged 15-24, military recruits, high school students, pregnant women aged 15-30, women attending STD and abortion clinics, people entering jail, detention, FSWs, and MSM has health economic value. Due to the different prevalence of CT, diversities of economic conditions, and varying screening costs among different populations and different countries, regions, or settings, no uniform and standard screening strategies are currently available. Therefore, each country should consider its local condition and the results of health economic evaluations of CT screening programs in that country to develop appropriate CT screening strategies.

Oxovanadium(v)-catalyzed oxidative cross-coupling of enolates using O2 as a terminal oxidant.

The oxovanadium(v)-catalyzed oxidative cross-coupling of enolates using O2 as a terminal oxidant is reported, where a boron enolate and a silyl enol ether were employed as enolates. The redox behavior of V(v/iv) in this reaction under O2 was investigated by ESR and 51V NMR experiments.