[Prevalence of Echinococcus infections in small rodents in Yushu City, Qinghai Province in 2023].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of Echinococcus infections in small rodents around human residential areas in Yushu City, Qinghai Province in 2023, so as to provide insights into precision echinococcosis control. METHODS: One or two quadrats, each measuring 50 m × 50 m, were randomly assigned in Shanglaxiu Township and Longbao Township, Yushu City, Qinghai Province on June 2023, respectively, and 300 plate-type mouse traps, each measuring 12.0 cm × 6.5 cm, were assigned in each quadrat. Small rodents were captured during the period between 10 : 00 and 18 : 00 each day for 4 days. Then, all captured small rodents were identified and dissected, and liver specimens with suspected Echinococcus infections were subjected to pathological examinations. The Echinococcus cytochrome c oxidase 1 (cox1) gene was amplified using PCR assay, and the sequence of the amplified product was aligned to that was recorded in the GenBank to characterize the parasite species. In addition, a phylogenetic tree of Echinococcus was generated based on the cox1 gene sequence using the neighbor-joining method. RESULTS: A total of 236 small rodents were captured in Shanglaxiu and Longbao townships, Yushu City, including 65 Qinghai voles and 51 plateau pikas in Shanglaxiu Township, and 62 Qinghai voles and 58 plateau pikas in Longbao Township, and there was no significant difference in the constituent ratio of small rodents between the two townships (χ2 = 0.294, P > 0.05). Seven plateau pikas and 12 Qinghai voles were suspected to be infected with Echinococcus by dissection, and pathological examinations showed unclear structure of hepatic lobules and disordered hepatocyte arrangement in livers of small rodents suspected of Echinococcus infections. PCR assay identified E. shiquicus DNA in 7 Qinghai voles, which were all captured from Shanglaxiu Township. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the cox1 gene sequence of Echinococcus in small rodents was highly homologous to the E. shiquicus cox1 gene sequence reported previously. CONCLUSIONS: Plateau pika and Qinghai vole were predominant small rodents around human residential areas in Yushu City, Qinghai Province in 2023, and E. shiquicus infection was detected in Qinghai voles.

[Application of V-Y advancement flap with facial artery perforator for the repair of midface skin defects].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of V-Y advancement flap with facial artery perforator for the repair of midface skin defects. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 18 patients with facial skin cancer, including 11 males and 7 females, aged 65-83 years, who underwent the repair of midface skin defects using V-Y advancement flap with facial artery perforator in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nantong University from January 2020 to April 2023. Medium, large or complex midface skin defects developed after surgical resections of the primary lesions. According to the defect site, size, location information of facial vessels, a V-Y advancement flap with appropriate shape was designed for each case. During the operation, the facial vessels and their perforators were retained in the pedicle of the flap, the facial nerve branches were dissected and protected, and the further denuded pedicle was determined according to actual amount of advancement. After the flap was advanced, the facial defect area was repaired without tension, and the anatomical positions and functions of the eyes, nose and mouth were restored as far as possible. Postoperative follow-ups were conducted to observe the survival rate of the flaps, postoperative complications, recurrences and metastases of tumors. Results: Midface defects of 3.0 cm×3.5 cm-6.5 cm×7.5 cm were observed after tumor resections, which involved one or more subregions. The sizes of the flaps were 3.5 cm×9.0 cm-7.0 cm×18.0 cm. All flaps were completely alive except for one with temporary local bruising. With following-up of 4-40 months, 5 of the 12 patients with lower eyelid and inner canthus invasions had lower eyelid ectropion, but no exposed keratitis was found; one case with poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma had lymph node metastasis in the submandibular region and underwent neck dissection again; no recurrence or metastasis occurred in the remaining cases. Conclusion: The V-Y advancement flap with facial artery perforator can be used to repair medium, large or complex midface skin defects, with a high survival rate, and the operation method is safe and reliable.

[Effectiveness of minimally invasive surgery in the treatment of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma].

Objective: To explore the effectiveness of minimally invasive surgical treatment for pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (PACC). Methods: Six patients with PACC diagnosed in Peking University Third Hospital from January 2010 to September 2022 were retrospectively selected. Preoperative evaluation was performed on whether the lesions were eligible for surgery, including whether radical resection of liver metastases could be performed. Laparoscopic or Da Vinci robot-assisted resection was performed on six patients, and spleen retention was determined according to the original lesions and the relationship with peripheral blood vessels and tissues, while simultaneous resection was performed on cases of peripheral organ tissue invasion. The patients' basic information, preoperative general conditions, preoperative diagnosis and tumor stage, minimally invasive surgery methods, postoperative complications, pathological results, tumor stage and follow-up data were collected and analyzed to explore the effectiveness of minimally invasive surgery. Results: Among the six patients, four were males and two were females, with the age of 25-69 years. Five patients had abdominal pain and distension before surgery, five patients had tumors located at the tail of the pancreatic body, and one patient had tumors located at the head of the pancreas. Preoperative imaging (enhanced CT and MRI) was performed to measure the tumor diameter (2.8-10.0 cm). Tumor markers were elevated in two patients before surgery, and six patients underwent surgery through laparoscopy or robotic platform. No complications such as postoperative pancreatic fistula and bleeding were clinically relevant during and after surgery. There were two cases with concurrent or heterochronous liver metastasis, two cases with lymph node metastasis and nodular metastasis, four cases with tumor invasion of surrounding organs (stomach, spleen or duodenum), and three cases with vascular cancer thrombi. The follow-up time of the six patients was 12 to 165 months, and one patient underwent three operations due to postoperative liver metastasis and residual pancreatic recurrence, and the results were satisfactory. All the six patients survived at the last follow-up. Conclusions: PACC is prone to invade the surrounding organs, and has a large tumor diameter. Radical surgery for PACC can be completed through minimally invasive surgery, and satisfactory oncology prognosis can be obtained. In addition, some PACC patients with recurrence and metastasis can still be treated by surgery.

Testosterone promotes the migration, invasion and EMT process of papillary thyroid carcinoma by up-regulating Tnnt1.

PURPOSE: To explore the key genes and molecular pathways in the progression of thyroid papillary carcinoma (PTC) promoted by testosterone using RNA-sequencing technology, and to provide new drug targets for improving the therapeutic effect of PTC. METHODS: Orchiectomy (ORX) was carried out to construct ORX mouse models. TPC-1 cells were subcutaneously injected for PTC formation in mice, and the tumor tissues were collected for RNA-seq. The key genes were screened by bioinformatics technology. Tnnt1 expression in PTC cells was knocked down or overexpressed by transfection. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation assay, scratch assay and transwell assay were adopted, respectively, for the detection of cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion. Besides, quantification real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot were utilized to determine the mRNA and protein expression levels of genes in tissues or cells. RESULTS: Both estradiol and testosterone promoted the growth of PTC xenografts. The key gene Tnnt1 was screened and obtained by bioinformatics technology. Functional analysis revealed that overexpression of Tnnt1 could markedly promote the proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process of PTC cells, as well as could activate p38/JNK pathway. In addition, si-Tnt1 was able to inhibit the cancer-promoting effect of testosterone. CONCLUSION: Based on the outcomes of bioinformatics and basic experiments, it is found that testosterone can promote malignant behaviors such as growth, migration, invasion and EMT process of PTC by up-regulating Tnnt1 expression. In addition, the function of testosterone may be achieved by activating p38/JNK signaling pathway.

[Clinical and imaging characteristics of optic nerve tumors as the differencial diagnosis of optic neuritis].

Objective: To investigate the clinical and imaging features of optic nerve tumors that require differential diagnosis from optic neuritis. Methods: A retrospective case series study was conducted. Clinical data of patients diagnosed with optic nerve tumors from January 2017 to December 2021 at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine were collected. A total of 29 patients (39 eyes) with clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings similar to optic neuritis or optic neuropathy were included. There were 15 cases of optic nerve sheath meningioma (ONSM) (17 eyes), 4 cases of optic nerve glioma (ONG) (5 eyes), and 10 cases of infiltrative optic nerve lesions (ION) (17 eyes). All patients underwent best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), anterior and posterior segment examinations, visual field examination, and orbital or cranial MRI examination. Patient data were observed and analyzed, treatment and follow-up information were recorded, and clinical and imaging features were summarized and compared with those of optic neuritis or optic neuropathy. Results: Among the 29 patients with optic nerve tumors, 10 were male and 19 were female, with an average age of (43.3±13.8) years and a range of 11 to 72 years. The follow-up time was 6.8 (2.0, 11.0) months, with a range of 1 to 33 months. Sixteen patients (21 eyes) with optic nerve tumors were initially misdiagnosed as having acute optic neuritis and showed poor response to steroid treatment. Of these, 9 cases (11 eyes) were ONSM, 4 cases (6 eyes) were ION, and 3 cases (4 eyes) were ONG. The diagnostic delay time was 7.1 (1.5, 12.0) months, with a range of 1 to 24 months. The main clinical symptoms of all affected eyes were acute vision loss in 23 eyes, slow vision loss in 5 eyes, transient blackouts in 4 eyes, and no obvious visual symptoms in 7 eyes. The median BCVA of all affected eyes was 0.1, ranging from light perception to 1.0. Fundus examination results showed optic disc edema in 34 eyes and normal optic disc in 5 eyes among the 39 eyes with optic nerve tumors. A total of 27 patients (33 eyes) completed visual field examinations, which revealed an enlarged physiological blind spot in 11 eyes, a concentric or tubular visual field contraction in 8 eyes, a diffuse decrease in light sensitivity in 7 eyes, an arcuate scotoma in 4 eyes, and a normal visual field in 3 eyes. All affected eyes completed orbital or cranial MRI examinations, which showed mild optic nerve thickening in 22 eyes, significant thickening in 6 eyes with distortion, and no significant thickening in 6 eyes. Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) MRI showed optic nerve parenchymal thickening in 5 eyes, all of which were ONG, and 2 of them had optic nerve parenchymal enhancement. Optic nerve sheath thickening and enhancement without optic nerve parenchymal thickening or enhancement were observed in 28 eyes, including 17 eyes of ION and 11 eyes of ONSM. There were 6 eyes with no obvious optic nerve thickening, which were all ONSM, showing mild or significant thickening and enhancement of the optic nerve sheath without optic nerve parenchymal thickening or enhancement. Conclusions: Optic nerve tumors can present with ophthalmic clinical features similar to optic neuritis, such as optic disc edema, and demonstrate MRI findings that resemble those of optic neuritis. Therefore, differentiation between the two is crucial, based on differences in their natural course and response to steroid therapy.

[Study on the relationship between indexes of different abnormal weight and dyslipidemia in adults in Beijing City].

Objective: To analyze the relationship and consistency between indexes of different abnormal weight and dyslipidemia in adults in Beijing City. Methods: From August to December of 2017, 4 975 residents aged 18 to 79 years old in 5 districts of Beijing were randomly selected as subjects by using a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method. Questionnaire, physical examination and laboratory tests were conducted. The prevalence of overweight/obesity, high body fat rate, central obesity, and high waist-to-height ratio was calculated. Partial correlation was used to analyze the correlation of blood lipid with body mass index (BMI), body fat rate, waist circumference and waist-height ratio. Logistic regression analysis for complex sampling was used to analyze the relationship between indexes of different abnormal weight and dyslipidemia after controlling for relevant risk factors, including age, sex, smoking status, drinking, insufficiency intake of vegetable and fruit, physical inactivity. Kappa value was computed to analyze the consistency between indexes of different abnormal weight. Results: The weighted prevalence of dyslipidemia was 30.48%, and it was higher in men than that in women (40.16% vs. 20.52%, P<0.01). The weighted rate of overweight/obesity, high body fat rate, central obesity, and high waist-to-height ratio was 56.65%, 47.52%, 42.48% and 59.45%, respectively. BMI, body fat rate, waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio were positively correlated with the level of total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Logistic regression analysis for complex sampling showed that the high body fat rate (OR=1.67, 95%CI: 1.35-2.07), overweight/obesity (OR=1.65, 95%CI: 1.26-2.14) and high waist-to-height ratio (OR=1.46, 95%CI: 1.09-1.96) were associated with dyslipidemias. Kappa values of high body fat rate with overweight/obesity, high waist-to-height ratio and central obesity were 0.65, 0.53 and 0.58, respectively (P<0.05). Conclusion: In 2017, the prevalence of dyslipidemia in adults in Beijing City is high, especially in men. Overweight/obesity, high body fat rate and high waist-to-height ratio are associated with dyslipidemia. The high body fat rate is most associated with dyslipidemia.

UCHL1 Impairs Periodontal Ligament Stem Cell Osteogenesis in Periodontitis.

Periodontitis comprises a series of inflammatory responses resulting in alveolar bone loss. The suppression of osteogenesis of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) by inflammation is responsible for impaired alveolar bone regeneration, which remains an ongoing challenge for periodontitis therapy. Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) belongs to the family of deubiquitinating enzymes, which was found to play roles in inflammation previously. In this study, the upregulation of UCHL1 was identified in inflamed PDLSCs isolated from periodontitis patients and in healthy PDLSCs treated with tumor necrosis factor-α or interleukin-1ß, and the higher expression level of UCHL1 was accompanied with the impaired osteogenesis of PDLSCs. Then UCHL1 was inhibited in PDLSCs using the lentivirus or inhibitor, and the osteogenesis of PDLSCs suppressed by inflammation was rescued by UCHL1 inhibition. Mechanistically, the negative effect of UCHL1 on the osteogenesis of PDLSCs was attributable to its negative regulation of mitophagy-dependent bone morphogenetic protein 2/Smad signaling pathway in periodontitis-associated inflammation. Furthermore, a ligature-induced murine periodontitis model was established, and the specific inhibitor of UCHL1 was administrated to periodontitis mice. The histological results showed increased active osteoblasts on alveolar bone surface and enhanced alveolar bone regeneration when UCHL1 was inhibited in periodontitis mice. Besides, the therapeutic effects of UCHL1 inhibition on ameliorating periodontitis were verified, as indicated by less bone loss and reduced inflammation. Altogether, our study proved UCHL1 to be a key negative regulator of the osteogenesis of PDLSCs in periodontitis and suggested that UCHL1 inhibition holds promise for alveolar bone regeneration in periodontitis treatment.

[Current situation and development of Chinese trauma care system].

Trauma has always been a global public health issue and urgently needed to be solved. It has great practical significance for the research of trauma care system. There are two mainstream models of trauma care system in the world. One is the prehospital care represented by the United States and the United Kingdom, which emphasizes rapid transport, and the other is the prehospital care represented by France and Germany, which emphasizes on-site care. The trauma care system was deficient in most developing countries. During the past ten years, rapid progresses have been achieved in trauma care system construction in China which refers to "Chinese regional trauma care system(CRTCS)". CRTCS is established in one administrative region, with one large tertiary hospital as trauma center and five to six secondary hospitals as trauma care sites to form the closed-cycle regional trauma triage and transportation protocols. After several years of construction and implementation, CRTCS is considered to be a feasible new trauma care system in line with the characteristics of China's national conditions, which can significantly shorten the time of trauma treatment and reduce the mortality of trauma. It is worthy of reference for developing countries.

[Exploration and thinking on functional preservation after orthotopic neobladder construction].

The concept of functional preservation after orthotopic neobladder construction has gradually attracted attention. Reconstruction of urine storage and voiding is the basic function preservation of orthotopic neobladder. Clinical exploration mainly focuses on the optimization of neobladder reconstruction methods and procedures, and there is still a lack of summary of existing surgical characteristics and high-quality functional comparative studies. For strictly selected patients, on the basis of tumor control and standardized postoperative rehabilitation guidance, most patients with preserved nerve can retain satisfied sexual function after surgery. The protection of neurovascular bundle and ancillary structures combined with postoperative exercise is crucial to the improvement of urinary continence. According to the characteristics of patients, choosing the appropriate urinary diversion methods and function preserving can help patients establish a normal life style after surgery and improve their self-image and quality of life.

Effect of resistance exercise on peripheral inflammatory biomarkers in healthy adults: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of resistance exercise on peripheral inflammatory biomarkers in healthy adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and SPORTDiscus, were searched from inception until April 1st, 2022. A meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model, followed by sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis, meta-regression analysis, and publication bias analysis. RESULTS: 15 randomized controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that resistance exercise significantly decreased TNF-α levels (SMD = -0.81, 95% CI: -1.42 to -0.20, p = 0.009) but did not affect IL-6 and CRP levels. Individuals with BMI 18.5-24.9 exhibited significantly decreased IL-6 levels, while moderate strength resistance exercise could significantly decrease TNF-α levels. Finally, age might be a confounding factor influencing the effect of resistance exercise on IL-6. CONCLUSIONS: Resistance exercise could reduce TNF-α levels in healthy adults, and resistance exercise with moderate intensity could reduce TNF-α levels more effectively.

[Toxic effects of long-term pesticides exposure and key gene discovery].

Objective: Bioinformatics methods were used to mine differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and enriched signal pathways induced by chronic pesticide exposure, and explore its potential pathogenic mechanisms and key genes. Methods: In July 2021, high-throughput gene expression profile data related to pesticide toxicity was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to obtain DEGs. The samples were from American male farm workers who had been exposed to pesticides for a long time and other industry workers. The functional enrichment analysis of GO, KEGG and Geme Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were performed by R package clusterProfiler. STRING, Cytoscape and other tools were applied to construct and visualize the protein interaction network. With the help of MCODE and Cytohubba plugins, gene function modules were obtained, and hub gene was screened out. Results: 189 DEGs were screened from GSE30335 dataset, including 101 up-regulated genes and 88 down-regulated genes. The results of GO, KEGG and GSEA were mainly enriched in biological functions such as regulation of neuron projection development, regulation of locomotion, ribosomal protein synthesis, and pathways related to complex nervous system diseases such as Parkinson's disease. And the comprehensive screening showed that KLF1 was the hub gene of pesticide exposure, with a fold change of 0.456 (t=-3.82, P=0.021) . Conclusion: Long term exposure to pesticides results in the differential expression of multiple genes in the exposed population, which may be involved in the pathological changes of nervous system by down regulating KLF1 and related biological pathways.

Clinicopathologic and prognostic significance of long non-coding RNA myocardial infarction-associated transcript in multiple cancers.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the meta-analysis was to explore the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) myocardial infarction-associated transcript (MIAT) in various cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched multiple databases, including PubMed, China National Knowledge 53 Infrastructure (CNKI), Springer, Web of Science, and Cochrane, for articles on the prognostic value of lncRNA MIAT in various cancers before 25 March 2021. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were adopted to evaluate the clinicopathological features and outcomes of cancers. The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset was used to identify the differential expression and prognostic significance of lncRNA MIAT. RESULTS: We enrolled 14 publications, including 1,573 cancer patients. Higher lncRNA MIAT expression was significantly related to worse overall survival (OR=3.13, 95% CI: 2.47-3.96, p<0.05), regardless of cancer types, sample size, and follow-up time of the included studies. Additionally, higher lncRNA MIAT expression was associated with larger tumour sizes (OR=1.67, 95% CI: 1.24-2.26, p<0.05), advanced clinical stage (OR=4.79, 95% CI: 3.38-6.79, p<0.05), lymph nodes metastasis (OR=7.33, 95% CI: 4.61-11.67, p<0.05), and distant metastasis (OR=2.62, 95% CI: 1.88-3.66, p<0.05), but not associated with age and gender. We found no publication bias, and sensitivity analysis indicated that the results were reliable. CONCLUSIONS: Higher lncRNA MIAT expression may predict larger tumour sizes, advanced clinical stage, metastasis of cancers, and lower overall survival rate. LncRNA MIAT may serve as a useful clinicopathological and prognostic biomarker for cancers.

[Progress in the epidemiological studies on coal mine dust exposure with workers' health damage].

Coal is one of the major fuels, which brings huge energy and economic benefits to global industry and daily life. large amounts of coal dust produced in the process of coal mining and transportation, which seriously threatens the health of related workers. Productive coal dust exposure not only directly leads to respiratory diseases, but also may cause health damage to various systems throughout the body. Numerous studies have shown that coal dust exposure is closely associated with decreased lung function, coal worker's pneumoconiosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, and the severity of diseases is affected by coal rank, coal dust concentration, cumulative dust exposure, coal dust composition, and individual lifestyle, etc. The article comprehensively summarized the progress of the epidemiological studies on the health hazards of coal miners from coal dust exposure, in order to provide clues for further researches on health damage and protect the health of the occupational population.

[Differential diagnosis of gallbladder polypoid lesions by micro-flow imaging].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of micro-flow imaging (MFI) in evaluating blood flow characteristics and differential diagnosis of gallbladder polypoid lesions. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data and ultrasound images of 73 patients with gallbladder polypoid lesions, including 24 patients with pathologically confirmed neoplastic polyps (n=24) and 49 with non-neoplastic polyps (n=49). All the patients underwent conventional ultrasound, MFI and contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) before cholecystectomy. The blood flow characteristics of the lesions in color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) and MFI were compared, and the consistency of the findings by these two modalities with those of CEUS were evaluated by weighted Kappa consistency test. The diagnostic performance of MFI for gallbladder polypoid lesions was assessed. RESULTS: There were significant differences between MFI and CDFI in the evaluation of blood flow characteristics of gallbladder polypoid lesions (χ2=37.684, P < 0.001). MFI showed better performance than CDFI in displaying the blood flow characteristics of the polyps. The consistency in the findings was 0.118 between CDFI and CEUS and 0.816 between MFI and CEUS. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MFI in distinguishing neoplastic polyps from non-neoplastic polyps were 75.00%, 93.88% and 87.67%, respectively. CONCLUSION: MFI has a good consistency with CEUS in displaying the blood flow characteristics of gallbladder polypoid lesions and can accurately distinguish neoplastic polyps from non-neoplastic polyps, thus providing new ultrasound diagnostic evidence to support clinical decisions on optimal treatments of gallbladder polypoid lesions.

[Characteristics of high-risk cardiovascular disease among residents aged 35-75 in 8 districts of Beijing].

Objective: To understand the characteristics and current situation of high risks related to cardiovascular disease among residents aged 35-75 in Beijing and to provide scientific reference for the formulation and improvement of cardiovascular disease prevention and control strategies and measures. Methods: According to the data of the Cardiovascular Disease Screening and Management Program in Beijing, 93 520 participants aged 35-75 in 8 districts of Beijing were selected for analysis. We used the χ2 test to compare the high-risk prevalence of cardiovascular disease in different population characteristics. The multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between population characteristics and the high risks of cardiovascular disease. Results: The prevalence of high-risk cardiovascular disease was 20.82% (19 471/93 520). The prevalence of high-risk population in the 65-75 years-old was significantly higher than those of other age groups [29.05% (5 151/17 733), χ2=3 359.37, P<0.001], and the prevalence increased with age (trend χ2=3 121.75, P<0.05). The prevalence of high risk in males was significantly higher than that of women (31.19%, 10 752/34 476 vs. 14.77%, 8 719/59 044, χ2=3 559.87, P<0.05). The most common clustered risk factors appeared as hypertension and diabetes (29.80%, 5 802/19 471), hypertension with smoking (37.84%, 4 069/10 752) in males, and hypertension with diabetes mellitus in females (49.32%, 4 300/8 719), in urban areas (33.62%, 2 571/7 647) and in suburbs (27.33%, 3 231/11 824). Lower education [high school (OR=1.56,95%CI:1.46-1.66), middle school (OR=1.99,95%CI:1.88-2.12), primary school and below (OR=2.28,95%CI:2.12-2.45)], non-Han ethnicity (OR=1.19, 95%CI: 1.07-1.33), unmarried (OR=1.16, 95%CI: 1.08-1.24), drinking alcohol (OR=3.06, 95%CI: 2.94-3.19), obesity (OR=1.85, 95%CI: 1.77-1.93), overweight (OR=1.41, 95%CI: 1.36-1.47), etc., were positively correlated with the high risk of cardiovascular disease. Conclusions: We noticed that the prevalence of high-risk groups of cardiovascular disease aged 35-75 years was around 20% in Beijing, and the proportion in males was higher than females. Low education, drinking, overweight, and obesity were positively correlated with the risks of cardiovascular disease.

MicroRNA-4463 facilitates the development of colon cancer by suppression of the expression of PPP1R12B.

PURPOSE: In the present work, we investigated the expression pattern of miR-4463 in the non-metastasis and metastasis colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and its regulation axis. METHODS: RT-qPCR assay was performed to assess miR-4463 expression in the serum and tissues of patients with non-metastasis and metastasis, and in the CRC cell lines. MTT assay, colony formation assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometry assay were used to examine the role of miR-4463 in CRC cell viability, proliferation, and migration. Bioinformatic analysis was used to identify the potential target gene of miR-4463, and the targeting relationship between miR-4463 and PPP1R12B was verified in vitro using dual luciferase assay. Western blotting assay was used to determine the protein level of the target gene PPP1R12B in CRC cells under the transfections of miR-4463 mimic, inhibitor and vectors overexpressing PPP1R12B. RESULTS: miR-4463 was markedly increased in the non-metastasis CRC tissues, and increased even higher in the metastasis CRC tissues, while miR-4463 expression had no significant difference in serum from non-metastasis and metastasis CRC samples. Besides, miR-4463 was upregulated in CRC cell lines. Functionally, miR-4463 promoted CRC cell proliferation, migration, and inhibiting cell apoptosis. Further analysis revealed that the miR-4463/PPP1R12B axis was responsible for the role of this miRNA. CONCLUSION: We reported the roles of miR-4463 in CRC proliferation and migration, supporting that miR-4463 could be a potential predictive diagnostic marker for colon cancer.

[Clinical characteristics and prognosis of MLL-AF6 positive patients with acute myeloid leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features and prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene rearrangements AF6 (MLL-AF6) positive. METHODS: In the study, 11 patients who were newly diagnosed with MLL-AF6 positive AML were analyzed retrospectively, related literature was reviewed to clarify the clinical features and prognosis of MLL-AF6 positive patients. RESULTS: Among the 11 patients, there were 6 males and 5 females, with a median age of 36 years. Six patients were diagnosed with AML M5 and five with M4 according to FAB classification (French-American-British classification systems). Gingival swelling and pain occurred in 6 cases and fever occurred in 5 cases. At first diagnosis, the median white blood cells were 55.5×109/L. Immunotype showed the expression of myeloid/monocyte and early stem cell series antigens. The expression level of MLL-AF6 fusion gene (real-time quantitative PCR) was 14.2%-214.5%, and 6/11 cases (54.5%) were associated with high EVI1 gene expression. Mutations of KRAS, TET2, ASXL1, TP53, DNMT3A, and FLT3-ITD were detected by next generation sequencing (NGS) in 4 patients. Chromosome G banding examination showed that 2 cases were t(6;11)(q27, q23) with complex karyotype abnormality, 4 cases with +8 abnormality and 2 cases with normal karyotype. Hematological complete remission (CR) was achieved in 8/11 patients (72.7%) after conventional induction chemotherapy, and primary drug resistance was observed in 3 patients. Two of the eight patients with CR were negative for minimal residual disease (MRD), with a median CR duration of 4.5 months. Two patients with positive MRD and three patients with refractory recurrence underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), but all died due to leukemia progression. At the end of follow-up on December 1, 2019, 2 patients were alive and 9 died, with median survival time of 9 months. CONCLUSION: The AML patients with MLL-AF6 positive were mostly young, the majority of FAB types were M4 and M5, and most of the patients often had fever as the first symptom, with increased white blood cells, accompanied by organ infiltration, and high EVI1 gene expression. The hematological remission rate of routine chemotherapy is not low, but it is difficult to achieve molecular remission, most of which have early recurrence. Early allo-HSCT in a molecular negative state may prolong the CR duration.