Fibrinogen-to-prealbumin and C-reactive protein-to-prealbumin ratios as prognostic indicators in severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome.

Background: The primary aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between serum levels of fibrinogen-to-prealbumin ratio (FPR) and C-reactive protein-to-prealbumin ratio (CPR) and prognostic outcomes among patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS). SFTS, characterized by elevated mortality rates, represents a substantial public health challenge as an emerging infectious disease. Methods: The study included 159 patients with SFTS. Clinical and laboratory data were compared between the survival and death groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were utilized to identify independent risk factors for mortality. The predictive efficacy of FPR and CPR was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Survival analysis was conducted using the Kaplan-Meier curve and the log-rank test was employed for comparison. Results: The death group exhibited significantly elevated levels of FPR and CPR compared to the survival group (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that both FPR and CPR independently correlated with a poorer prognosis among patients with SFTS. The ROC curve analysis indicated that FPR and CPR had superior predictive capabilities compared to C-reactive protein and fibrinogen. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that patients with SFTS who have FPR > 0.045 (log-rank test; χ2 = 17.370, P < 0.001) or CPR > 0.05 (log-rank test; χ2 = 19.442, P < 0.001) experienced significantly lower survival rates within a 30-day follow-up period. Conclusion: Elevated levels of FPR and CPR serve as distinct risk factors for mortality among patients with SFTS, indicating their potential to predict an unfavorable prognosis in these patients.

Novel [68Ga/177Lu]Ga/Lu-AZ-093 as PSMA-Targeting Agent for Diagnosis and Radiotherapy.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) overexpressed in prostate cancer cells can serve as a target for imaging and radioligand therapy (RLT). Previously, [68Ga]Ga-P16-093, containing a Ga(III) chelator, N,N'-bis[2-hydroxy-5-(carboxyethyl)benzyl]ethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetic acid (HBED-CC), displayed excellent PSMA-targeting properties and showed a high tumor uptake and retention useful for diagnosis in prostate cancer patients. Recently, [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 has been approved by the U.S. food and drug administration (FDA) for the treatment of prostate cancer patients. Derivatives of PSMA-093 using AAZTA (6-amino-6-methylperhydro-1,4-diazepinetetraacetic acid), as the chelator, were designed as alternative agents forming complexes with both diagnostic and therapeutic radiometals, such as gallium-68 (log K = 22.18) or lutetium-177 (log K = 21.85). The aim of this study is to evaluate AAZTA-Gly-O-(methylcarboxy)-Tyr-Phe-Lys-NH-CO-NH-Glu (designated as AZ-093, 1) leading to a gallium-68/lutetium-177 theranostic pair as potential PSMA targeting agents. Synthesis of the desired precursor, AZ-093, 1, was effectively accomplished. Labeling with either [68Ga]GaCl3 or [177Lu]LuCl3 in a sodium acetate buffer solution (pH 4-5) at 50 °C in 5 to 15 min produced either [68Ga]Ga-1 or [177Lu]Lu-1 with high yields and excellent radiochemical purities. Results of in vitro binding studies, cell uptake, and retention (using PSMA-positive prostate carcinoma cells line, 22Rv1-FOLH1-oe) were comparable to that of [68Ga]Ga-P16-093 and [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617, respectively. Specific cellular uptake was determined with or without the competitive blocking agent (2 µM of "cold" PSMA-11). Cellular binding and internalization showed a time-dependent increase over 2 h at 37 °C in the PSMA-positive cells. The cell uptakes were completely blocked by the "cold" PSMA-11 suggesting that they are competing for the same PSMA binding sites. In the mouse model with implanted PSMA-positive tumor cells, both [68Ga]Ga-1 and [177Lu]Lu-1 displayed excellent uptake and retention in the tumor. Results indicate that [68Ga]Ga/[177Lu]Lu-1 (68Ga]Ga/[177Lu]Lu-AZ-093) is potentially useful as PSMA-targeting agent for both diagnosis and radiotherapy of prostate cancer.

Evaluation of serum neurofilament light chain and glial fibrillary acidic protein in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the use of serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the differential diagnosis between AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: From September 2021 to October 2022, we collected venous blood from patients and healthy individuals who visited our hospital's Neurology Department, and we isolated serum to detect NfL and GFAP using direct chemiluminescence. The results were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: Pairwise comparisons among the three groups showed that compared with the health checkup (HC) group, serum NfL and GFAP were increased in both AD and MCI (PNfL < 0.05, PGFAP < 0.01). There were significant differences in GFAP between MCI and AD groups, and the level in AD group was higher (p < 0.01), while there was no difference in NfL. Both serum NfL and serum GFAP levels can independently diagnose AD (p < 0.01). The ROC curve showed that GFAP had a higher diagnostic efficacy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.928. The cut-off values of the two serum markers for the diagnosis of AD were NfL > 40.09 pg./mL and GFAP >31.40 pg./mL. Sensitivity and specificity for NfL in the diagnosis of AD were 59.6 and 76.2%, respectively, and for GFAP, they were 90.4 and 82.1%, respectively. The combined diagnosis of GFAP and NfL improved the diagnostic efficiency (AUC = 0.931, sensitivity = 78.8%, specificity = 92.3%). The cut-off value of GFAP for the differential diagnosis of MCI and AD was 46.05 pg./mL. Conclusion: Both serum NfL and serum GFAP can be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis of AD. Serum GFAP has better diagnostic efficacy and can distinguish AD from MCI. A combined diagnosis can improve diagnostic specificity.

The presumable effects of hydroxychloroquine and its metabolites in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is an essential drug in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study aimed to detect the concentrations of HCQ and its metabolites from peripheral blood of SLE patients and to investigate the relationship between those concentrations and SLE disease activity. METHODS: 176 SLE patients treated with HCQ were enrolled in this study. The concentrations of HCQ and its metabolites in their peripheral blood were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Patients' disease activity was evaluated with the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI). The variables between different concentrations or treatments were statistically analyzed. Linear regression was employed to explore relationships between the concentrations of HCQ and its metabolites with the disease activity. RESULTS: The SLEDAI was lower in patients with higher concentrations of HCQ, desethylhydroxychloroquine (DHCQ), and desethylchloroquine (DCQ) (P = 0.024, P = 0.018, and P = 0.003, respectively). There were no significant differences in SLEDAI and the concentrations of HCQ and its metabolites among groups with different treatments (P > 0.05). After adjusting age, gender, disease duration, HCQ dose adjusted to actual body weight, and glucocorticoid (GC) dose, the SLEDAI was negatively correlated with the concentrations of HCQ, DHCQ, DCQ and bisdesethylchloroquine (BDCQ) (P = 0.007, P = 0.011, P = 0.029, and P = 0.008, respectively). After grouping analysis, in patients treated with HCQ and GC, the SLEDAI was negatively correlated with concentrations of HCQ, DHCQ and BDCQ (P = 0.011, P = 0.035, and P = 0.036, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The concentrations of HCQ and metabolites were correlated with the SLE disease activity after adjusting possible confounding factors, indicating that HCQ and its metabolites might play certain immunoregulatory roles in SLE treatment. Moreover, GC might have a synergistic effect with HCQ. It is helpful in clinical management and follow-up to monitor the concentrations of HCQ and its metabolites in SLE patients.

[68Ga]Ga-HBED-CC-FAPI Derivatives with Improved Radiolabeling and Specific Tumor Uptake.

Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is selectively expressed in tumors and highly important for maintaining the microenvironment in malignant tumors. Radioisotope-labeled FAP inhibitors (FAPIs) were proven to be useful for diagnosis and radionuclide therapy of cancer and are under active clinical investigations. Ga-HBED complex displays a higher in vivo stability constant (log KGaL: 38.5), compared to that of Ga-DOTA (log KGaL: 21.3). Such advantage in stability constant suggests that it may be useful for development of alternative FAPI imaging agents. In this study, previously reported [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-02 and -04 were converted to the corresponding [68Ga]Ga-HBED-CC-FAPI-02 and -04 derivatives ([68Ga]Ga-4, [68Ga]Ga-5, [68Ga]Ga-6, and [68Ga]Ga-7). It was found that substituting the DOTA chelating group with HBED-CC led to several unique and desirable tumor-targeting properties: (1) robust, fast, and high yield labeling─readily adaptable to a kit formulation; (2) high stabilities in vitro; (3) excellent FAP binding affinities (IC50 ranging between 4 and 7 nM) and improved cell uptake and retention (in HT1080 (FAP+) cells); and (4) excellent selective in vivo tumor uptake in nude mice bearing U87MG tumor. It appeared that Ga(III) chelation with HBED-CC improved the in vivo kinetics favoring higher tumor uptake and retention compared to the corresponding Ga-DOTA complex. Out of the four tested ligands the new [68Ga]Ga-HBED-CC-FAPI dimer, [68Ga]Ga-6, displayed the best tumor localization properties, and further studies are warranted to demonstrate that it is an alternative FAP imaging agent for cancer patients.

Multi-fluorine labeled indanone derivatives as potential MRI imaging probes for ß-Amyloid plaques.

In order to realize the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), we designed and synthesized a series of multi-fluorine labeled indanone derivatives based on indanone which could target ß-amyloid (Aß). Through the in vitro staining experiment and affinity experiment, we selected 7d out, and then evaluated it through other in vivo and in vitro experiments. The staining of AD human brain adjacent sections revealed that compound 7d could bind to Aß plaques with high affinity. In the in vitro binding assay, 7d showed a balanced affinity with Aß1-40 (Kd = 367 ± 13) and Aß1-42 (Kd = 384 ± 56). Also, 7d exhibited a low toxicity (LD50 > 50 mg/kg) and an excellent ability to pass through the blood-brain barrier (Log p = 3.87). The biodistribution experiment in mice showed that 7d reached the highest brain uptake after 1 h of tail vein injection and cleared after 24 h. A low concentration of 7d (1.875 mg/ml) showed a strong imaging ability (19F-weighted mode), and the imaging capability increased with the increasing of concentration. All the results showed that 7d could provide a feasible solution for the early diagnosis of AD under non-radioactive condition.

Bis-iodine-labeled Curcumin as a Potential CT Imaging Agent for ß-amyloid Plaques in the Brain.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common causes of dementia, affecting many old people. OBJECTIVES: By designing and synthesizing intracerebral imaging probes, we tried to provide a new solution for the early diagnosis of AD. METHODS: We designed and synthesized bis-iodine-labeled curcumin, and verified its performance through in vivo and in vitro experiments. RESULTS: In this study, bis-iodine-labeled curcumin (7, BICUR) was synthesized. In the in vitro mass spectrum binding assay, Kd values of BICUR with Aß1-40 and Aß1-42 aggregates were 46.29 nM and 64.29 nM, respectively. Aß plaques in AD brain adjacent sections were positively stained by BICUR, which was similar to some other curcumin derivatives. The Log P value of BICUR was 1.45. In the biodistribution experiment, BICUR showed the highest initial brain uptake (5.87% compared to the blood concentration) two minutes after the tail vein injection and rapid clearance from the mouse brain. In the acute toxicity experiment, BICUR showed low toxicity, and the LD50 was >100 mg/kg. Moreover, BICUR showed a high stability in vitro (86.68% unchanged BICUR after incubation for 120min in mouse brain homogenate). Besides, BICUR produced an enhanced CT imaging effect that could be sensitively detected in vitro, but it also showed an obvious differentiation from surrounding tissues after intracerebral injection. CONCLUSION: All results suggested that BICUR could probably act as a targeted CT imaging agent for Aß plaques in the brain.

Influenza a virus triggers acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by increasing proinflammatory cytokines secretion via NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

BACKGROUND: Influenza A virus (IAV) triggers acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), but the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of IAV induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation to increase airway inflammation response in the progression of AECOPD. METHODS: Human bronchial epithelial cells were isolated and cultured from normal and COPD bronchial tissues and co-cultured with IAV. The NLRP3 inflammasome associated genes were identified using RNA sequencing, and the expressions of NLRP3 inflammasome components were measured using qRT-PCR and western blot after cells were transfected with siRNA and treated with MCC950. Moreover, IAV-induced COPD rat models were established to confirm the results; 37 AECOPD patients were included to measure the serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of interleukin (IL)-18 and IL-1ß. RESULTS: Increased levels of NLRP3 inflammasome components were not seen until 6 h post-inoculation in normal cells. However, both cell groups reached peak NLRP3 level at 12 h post-inoculation and maintained it for up to 24 h. ASC, Caspase-1, IL-1ß and IL-18 were also elevated in a similar time-dependent pattern in both cell groups. The mRNA and protein expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome components were decreased when COPD cells treated with siRNA and MCC950. In COPD rats, the NLRP3 inflammasome components were elevated by IAV. MCC950 alleviated lung damage, improved survival time, and reduced NLRP3 inflammasome components expression in COPD rats. Additionally, the serum and BALF levels of IL-1ß and IL-18 were increased in AECOPD patients. CONCLUSIONS: NLRP3 inflammasome is activated in COPD patients as a pre-existing condition that is further exacerbated by IAV infection.

Combined diagnosis of QF-PCR and CNV-Seq in fetal chromosomal abnormalities: A new perspective on prenatal diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of QF-PCR and CNV-seq in diagnosing prenatal fetal chromosomal aberrations, explore the advantages and necessity of multimethod joint diagnosis. METHODS: We chose pregnant women with the indication of fetal chromosome examination in our hospital last year, collected 657 cases of amniotic fluid for QF-PCR and CNV-seq analyzes. RESULTS: While detecting aneuploidy, the coincidence rate of QF-PCR and CNV-seq was 100% (56/56). For all 46 chromosomes, 523 cases (79.60%, 523/657) coincided precisely, 128 cases (19.48%, 128/657) showed abnormality with CNV-seq, 8 cases (1.22%, 8/657) revealed abnormality by QF-PCR. In serological Down's syndrome screening, 328 cases showed a high risk of trisomy 21, of which CNV-seq and QF-PCR were consistent in 4 cases (1.22%, 4/328), CNV-seq found 87 cases of CNVs in 78 samples except for chromosomal aneuploidy abnormalities, among these, 18 cases (20.69%, 18/87) were polymorphic, 7 cases (8.05%, 7/87) might cause disease, 13 cases (14.94%, 13/87) caused disease explicitly, 21 cases (24.14%, 21/87) were possibly benign, 17 cases (19.54%, 17/87) were explicitly benign, and the classification of 11 cases (12.64%, 11/87) was unclear. CONCLUSION: QF-PCR and CNV-seq were highly consistent in diagnosing chromosomal aneuploidy. The high risk of serological Down's screening might not only due to the aneuploidy of chromosomes 21, 18, and NTD, but also the microdeletion or microduplication of all 46 chromosomes. So using CNV-seq combined with QF-PCR could effectively reduce the risk of missed diagnosis.

Increased ApoE Expression in Follicular Fluid and the ApoE Genotype Are Associated With Endometriosis in Chinese Women.

More than 10% of women suffer from endometriosis (EMT) during their reproductive years. EMT can cause pain and infertility and requires further study from multiple perspectives. Previous reports have indicated that an increase inapolipoprotein E (ApoE) may be associated with a lower number of retrieved mature oocytes in older women, and an association between ApoE and spontaneous pregnancy loss may exist in patients with EMT. The purpose of this study was to investigate the existence of an increase in ApoE in follicular fluid (FF) and the possible relationship between ApoE and EMT in Chinese women. In the current study, 217 Chinese women (111 control subjects and 106 EMT patients) were included. The ApoE genotypes were identified by Sanger sequencing. We found that ApoE expression in FF was higher in patients with EMT than in the control group. In addition, a significant difference in ApoE4 carriers (ϵ3/ϵ4, ϵ4/ϵ4) was found between the control subjects and the patients with EMT. Furthermore, a nonparametric test revealed significant differences in the numbers of blastocysts and high-quality blastocysts, but not the hormone levels of FSH, LH, and E2, between the two groups. We also established a multifactor (BMI, high-quality blastocysts, and ϵ4) prediction model with good sensitivity for identifying patients who may suffer from EMT. Our results demonstrate that ApoE expression in FF is increased in EMT, the ApoE-ϵ4 allele is significantly linked to EMT, and a combined analysis of three factors (BMI, high-quality blastocysts, and ϵ4) could be used as a predictor of EMT.

68Ga-labelled-exendin-4: New GLP1R targeting agents for imaging pancreatic ß-cell and insulinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP1R) specifically expressed on the surface of pancreatic ß-cells and insulinoma, is a potential biomarker for imaging ß-cell mass (BCM). In this study, two new 68Ga-labelled GLP1R targeting agents were prepared and their biological properties for imaging BCM and insulinoma were evaluated. METHODS: [68Ga]Ga-HBED-CC-MAL-Cys39-exendin-4 ([68Ga]Ga-4) and its dimer ([68Ga]Ga-5) were synthesized from corresponding precursors. Cell uptake studies were evaluated in INS-1 cells. Biodistribution and microPET studies were performed in male normal Sprague-Dawley rats, diabetic rats and insulinoma xenograft NOD/SCID mice. RESULTS: [68Ga]Ga-4 and [68Ga]Ga-5 were efficiently radiolabelled by a simple one-step reaction without purification leading to high radiochemical yields and radiochemical purities (both >95%, decay corrected, n = 6, molar activity 15 GBq/µmol). They both showed excellent stability (~95%) in phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.4, and in rat serum (~90%) for 2 h. Biodistribution studies and small animal PET/CT imaging showed that [68Ga]Ga-4 displayed specific uptake in rat pancreas and mouse insulinoma, and a reduced uptake in the pancreas of diabetic rat was observed (~62% reduction). Notably, it exhibited a rapid time-to-peak pancreatic uptake (0.96 ± 0.19%ID/g in 15 min) and fast clearance from the kidney (42% clearance in 30 min). Results suggested a favorable in vivo kinetics for human imaging studies. CONCLUSIONS: [68Ga]Ga-4 targeting GLP1R of pancreatic ß-cells may be a potentially useful PET agent and a suitable candidate for further structural modification studies. This agent has demonstrated several advantages, rapid time-to-peak pancreatic uptake and faster clearance from the kidney, factors may enhance diagnosis of diabetes and insulinoma.

Melatonin binds with high affinity and specificity to beta-amyloid: LC-MS provides insight into Alzheimer's disease treatment.

To study the potential relationship between melatonin and beta-amyloid (Abeta), we established a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method to quantitatively analyze melatonin, deuterated isotopes (melatonin-D4), and internal standard 6-iodo-2-(4'-dimethylamino-) phenyl-imidazo(1,2) pyridine (IMPY) under positive (+) mode. The gradient elution was set to 6 min, and the corresponding peak time of melatonin and its isotope melatonin-D4 was 3.14 min, while the peak time for the internal standard IMPY was 3.24 min. Next, we established and optimized the molecule receptor saturation binding assay based on LC-MS to determine the melatonin affinity for beta-amyloid (Abeta). Melatonin showed a high and specific binding for Abeta. The corresponding equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) of melatonin with Abeta 1-40 and Abeta 1-42 was 814.37 ± 36.62 and 628.33 ± 13.57 nmol·L-1 ; besides, the Kd of melatonin with mixed plaques (1-40 and 1-42) was 461.13 ± 45.37 nmol·L-1 . The results may suggest the potential mechanism of action of MT on Abeta and provide a theoretical basis for the improvement of MT treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Auxiliary diagnosis of Lung Cancer on the basis of a Serum Protein Biomarker Panel.

Objectives: In this study, we established a serum protein biomarker panel (consisting of Pro-SFTPB, CA125, Cyfra21-1, and CEA) and evaluated the feasibility and performance for the auxiliary diagnosis of lung cancer in the Chinese population. Materials and Methods: The current study was a single-center study based on the Chinese population and performed in two cohorts (training cohort and validation cohort). Serum concentrations of Pro-SFTPB, CA125, Cyfra21-1, and CEA were measured by a bead-based flow fluorescence immunoassay. The discrimination performance of the model was assessed using sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). Results: For the biomarker panel model, the AUC was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.85-0.91) in the training cohort and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.86-0.92) in the validation data cohort, which was significantly greater than the AUC of each biomarker alone. For the nodule risk model, the AUC was improved to 0.96 (95% CI, 0.94-0.98) in the training cohort and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.93-0.97) in the validation cohort. In addition, the biomarker panel model yielded an AUC of 0.78 (95% CI, 0.74-0.81) for stage I & II lung cancer, better than the performance of individual biomarker alone. Conclusions: It was demonstrated that 4-protein biomarker panel had a significant performance in identifying lung cancer patients from healthy controls, especially combining with the nodule size. Specifically, it yielded excellent discrimination for identifying early-stage lung cancer patients than individual biomarker alone. A future large-scale study is underway to further define the clinical application of this method for the early diagnosis of lung cancer among Chinese populations.

Understanding of TEMPO-electrocatalyzed acceptorless dehydrogenation of tetrahydroquinoline by in situ extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

The TEMPO-electrocatalyzed acceptorless dehydrogenation of tetrahydroquinoline, a transformation in green synthesis and hydrogen storage, has been investigated by coupling of an electrocatalytic system with in situ extraction electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Dynamic changes in important species and intermediates were monitored, which evoked an updated AD understanding.

Identification of SARS-CoV-2 Variants and Their Clinical Significance in Hefei, China.

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represents one of the most exigent threats of our lifetime to global public health and economy. As part of the pandemic, from January 10 to March 10, 2020, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) began to spread in Hefei (Anhui Province, China) with a total of 174 confirmed cases of COVID-19. During this period, we were able to gather critical information on the transmission and evolution of pathogens through genomic surveillance. Particularly, the objective of our study was to track putative variants of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in Hefei for the first time and contribute to the global effort toward elucidating the molecular epidemic profile of the virus. Patients who showed symptoms of COVID-19 were routinely tested for SARS-CoV-2 infections via RT-PCR at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on 97 clinical samples collected from 29 confirmed COVID-19 patients. As a result, we identified a local novel single-nucleotide polymorphism site (10,380) harboring a G → T mutation (Gly → Val) in Hefei. Further phylogenetic network analysis with all the sequences of SARS-CoV-2 deposited in GenBank collected in East and Southeast Asia revealed a local subtype of S-type SARS-CoV-2 (a1) harboring a C → T synonymous mutation (Leu) at position 18,060 of ORF1b, likely representing a local SARS-CoV-2 mutation site that is obviously concentrated in Hefei and the Yangtze River Delta region. Moreover, clinical investigation on the inflammatory cytokine profile of the patients suggested that mutations at positions 18,060 (the shared variable site of subtype a1) and 28,253(harboring a C → T synonymous mutation, Phe) were associated with milder immune responses in the patients.

Human papillomavirus infection and follow-up on positive results in 7222 female samples obtained from 2016 to 2019 in Hefei, China.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection rates in women vary regionally. This study analyzed HPV infection in women of different age groups in Hefei, China, performed follow-up on positive cases, and discussed infection prognoses. METHODS: Samples (7,222) of exfoliated cervical cells were collected in Hefei and tested with an HPV assay kit against 27 HPV genotypes. Statistical software was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The total positive rate of infection was 17.13% (1,068 women), and the 51-60-year age group had the highest HPV infection rate (19.82%). There were statistically significant differences between rates in the 21-30 and 31-40 (P = 0.002), 21-30 and 41-50 (P = 0.0003), 21-30 and 51-60 (P = 0.00003), and 51-60 and >60 age groups (P = 0.046). High-risk infection (15.67%) and single infection (13.01%) were the main types of HPV infection. The dominant genotypes of high-risk infection were HPV 52 (2.42%), HPV 16 (2.01%), HPV 53 (1.43%), HPV 58 (1.32%) and HPV 66 (1.01%). We conducted follow-up on cases in 69 of 94 women who had a history of 1-4 years of positive infection, and in 18 (seven treated, 11 untreated) patients, infection status turned negative (26.09%). Seventeen of the fifty-one women whose infections did not turn negative received treatment. Persistent infection was predominantly observed in high-risk genotypes (56 of 69). CONCLUSIONS: The results recommend that women in Hefei improve health awareness and receive a 9-valent vaccine. Additionally, women with persistent infections should consult a gynecologist to prevent cervical lesions.

Study of the noncovalent interactions of ginsenosides and amyloid-ß-peptide by CSI-MS and molecular docking.

Noncovalent interactions between drugs and proteins play significant roles for drug metabolisms and drug discoveries. Mass spectrometry has been a commonly used method for studying noncovalent interactions. However, the harsh ionization process in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) is not conducive to the preservation of noncovalent and unstable biomolecular complexes compared with the cold spray ionization mass spectrometry (CSI-MS). A cold spray ionization providing a stable solvation-ionization at low temperature is milder than ESI, which was more suitable for studying noncovalent drug-protein complexes with exact stoichiometries. In this paper, we apply CSI-MS to explore the interactions of ginsenosides toward amyloid-ß-peptide (Aß) and clarify the therapeutic effect of ginsenosides on Alzheimer's disease (AD) at the molecular level for the first time. The interactions of ginsenosides with Aß were performed by CSI-MS and ESI-MS, respectively. The ginsenosides Rg1 bounded to Aß at the stoichiometries of 1:1 to 5:1 could be characterized by CSI-MS, while dehydration products are more readily available by ESI-MS. The binding force depends on the number of glycosyls and the type of ginsenosides. The relative binding affinities were sorted in order as follows: Rg1 ≈ Re > Rd ≈ Rg2 > Rh2, protopanaxatriol by competition experiments, which were supported by molecular docking experiment. CSI-MS is expected to be a more appropriate approach to determine the weak but specific interactions of proteins with other natural products especially polyhydroxy compounds.

An improved preparation of [18 F]AV-45 by simplified solid-phase extraction purification.

Amyvid (florbetapir f18, [18 F]AV-45, [18 F]5) was the first FDA-approved positron emission tomography imaging agent targeting ß-amyloid (Aß) plaques for assisting the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease. This work aimed to improve the [18 F]AV-45 ([18 F]5) preparation by using solid-phase extraction (SPE) purification. [18 F]AV-45 ([18 F]5) was synthesized by direct nucleophilic radiofluorination of O-tosylated precursor (1 mg) at 120°C in anhydrous dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), followed by acid hydrolysis of the N-Boc protecting group. Purification was accomplished by loading the crude reaction mixture to a cartridge (Oasis HLB 3 cc) and eluting with different combinations of solvents. This method removed the chemical impurity while leaving [18 F]AV-45 ([18 F]5) on the cartridge. The final dose was eluted by ethanol. [18 F]AV-45 ([18 F]5) was produced within 51 minutes (radiochemical yield 42.7 ± 5.9%, decay corrected, n = 3), and the radiochemical purity was greater than 95%. Total chemical impurity per batch (24.1 ± 2.7 µg per batch) was below the limit described in the package insert of Amyvid, florbetapir f18 (chemical mass: less than 50 µg/dose). In summary, [18 F]AV-45 ([18 F]5) was produced efficiently and reproducibly using a cartridge-based SPE purification. This method brings the process closer for routine preparation, similar to the commercially used [18 F]FDG.

Pharmacokinetics and absolute oral bioavailability of stemazole by UPLC-MS/MS and its bio-distribution through tritium labeling.

The small molecule, stemazole, has significant therapeutic effects on neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), due to its neuroprotective effects and remarkable survival-promoting activity in stem cells. However, pharmacokinetic properties of stemazole were unclear. In this study, a rapid and effective ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed to detect stemazole. The detector was operated in the positive-ion mode with an electrospray ionization (ESI) interface in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Chromatographic separation was performed on an Acquity UPLC® BEH C18 column with gradient elution. Stemazole was extracted from plasma following a one-step protein precipitation method. The method was fully validated for its selectivity, specificity, and sensitivity. The calibration curve range of 5-1125 ng/mL showed good linearity for stemazole. Intra-day and inter-day precision rates were less than 10%, and accuracy ranged from 95.87% to 105.23%. The pharmacokinetic profiles were illustrated through the newly developed method for the first time. The absolute oral bioavailability of stemazole is 32.10%. Therefore, it is feasible as an oral medication, which greatly facilitates its broad application. The biological distribution of tritium-labeled stemazole in mice was studied, and the results showed that stemazole was absorbed rapidly and distributed widely, mainly in the liver and kidneys. A specific amount was also detected in the brain, which provides a prerequisite for the use of stemazole to treat neurodegenerative diseases. This work represents first description of the pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and tissue distribution of stemazole and will lay the foundation for further investigation and drug development.

Elaeagnus mollis Oil Attenuates Non-alcoholic Fatty Disease in High-fat Diet Induced Obese Mice via Modifying the Expression of Lipid Metabolismrelated Genes.

Elaeagnus mollis oil (EMO), which is a type of plant oil, was extracted from the nuts of Elaeagnus mollis Diels that is known as a precious woodyoilcrop in China. The present study investigated the ameliorative effects of EMO on high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and explored relative regulation mechanism. The analysis of EMO fatty acids showed that EMO rich in unsaturated fatty acids (92.07%), such as linoleic acid (48.24%), oleic acid (34.20%) and linolenic acid (7.57%). In addition, supplementation of EMO could ameliorate the increase in body weight, fat weight, and abnormal serum lipids induced by high-fat diet. A further important implication is that the levels of serum ALT, serum AST, hepatic TG, TC, SOD, GSH/GSSG ration and MDA were improved after supplementing with EMO. All these changes may be due to the ability of EMO to inhibit fatty acid synthesis via reducing the mRNA expression of SREBP-1c, PPARγ and FAS, and elevate fatty acid oxidation by increasing the mRNA expression of PPARα and CPT-1. Meanwhile, our results also showed that endogenously synthesized n-3 PUFAs could significantly increase after treating with EMO. In conclusion, the results suggested that EMO could be regarded as a healthy food for preventing NAFLD.