Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab Versus Lenvatinib for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is often diagnosed in advanced stages. Following sorafenib, lenvatinib (LENV) has been approved as a first-line treatment option for unresectable HCC. In the past few years, at least 9 large-scale cohort studies have examined the efficacy and safety of LENV compared to atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (ATE/BEV) in unresectable HCC, but there is currently no direct meta-analysis conducted for a comprehensive consolidation. To provide the most updated meta-analysis of the clinical efficacy and safety of ATE/BEV versus LENV for patients with unresectable HCC. Our studies comparing the efficacy and safety of ATE/BEV and LENV in unresectable HCC were systematically searched in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from inception to February 2023. Outcomes measured were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), mortality, complete response (CR), partial response (PR), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progressive disease (PD), stable disease (SD), and adverse events (AEs). Seven eligible studies involving 4428 patients (1569 in the ATE/BEV group and 2859 in the LENV group) were included in the narrative synthesis. All baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups except for Child-Pugh class B. Ultimately, our meta-analysis showed that the LENV group had longer OS and PFS than the ATE/BEV group. Moreover, patients on LENV were more likely to achieve SD, whereas those on ATE/BEV were more likely to achieve PR.

The complete chloroplast genome of Brassica rapa var. purpuraria (L.H.Bailey) Kitam 1950 and its phylogenetic analysis.

Zicaitai (Brassica rapa var. purpuraria (L.H.Bailey) Kitam 1950) is a vegetable crop that boasts a high nutritional value and unique flavor. It originated from Central China and was formed after long-term cultivation and domestication. In this study, we obtained the complete sequence of the chloroplast genome of zicaitai, a circular molecule of 153,483 bp in length. This chloroplast genome consists of a large single-copy (LSC) region (83,282 bp), a small single-copy (SSC) region (17,775 bp), and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) (26,213 bp). By sequence annotation, 132 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes were identified in the zicaitai chloroplast. A total of 315 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were found located in LSC (197), SSC (72), and IR (46), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on chloroplast genomes indicated the relationship of zicaitai and the Brassicaceae family, which supports zicaitai as a variety of B. rapa in taxonomy. The results obtained in this study provide insight into further research on Brassica chloroplasts and their phylogeny.

Increased detection rates of advanced colorectal adenoma in women with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease.

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a new concept with its own diagnostic criteria. There are few studies on its relationship with colorectal adenoma. Objective: This study aimed to explore the relationship between MAFLD and colorectal adenoma and to compare the predictive value of MAFLD with other risk factors. Methods: A total of 4436 consecutive physical examination subjects were enrolled. They all underwent colonoscopy and abdominal ultrasound. MAFLD was diagnosed by both fatty liver disease and metabolic dysfunction. The correlation between colorectal adenoma and MAFLD was studied using a logistic regression model. Results: The prevalence of MAFLD was 31.72 % (1407/4436). The adenoma detection rate in MAFLD patients was higher than that in controls (13.50 %, 190/1407 vs. 10.70 %, 324/3029, p < 0.001). Univariate analysis indicated that MAFLD individuals were 1.303-fold as likely to have colonic adenoma as controls [odds ratio (OR) 1.303 and 95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.076-1.578, p = 0.007]. Multivariate analysis showed that age, male sex, BMI and smoking were positively associated with the risk of colorectal adenoma, with OR values of 1.044 (95 % CI, 1.031 to 1.058), 1.720 (95 % CI, 1.221 to 2.424), 1.046 (95 % CI, 1.009 to 1.085) and 1.342 (95 % CI, 1.072 to 1.680), respectively. MAFLD in women, but not in men, had an independent relationship with increased detection of advanced adenoma (OR 3.932, 95 % CI, 1.023-15.1117, p = 0.046). Conclusion: Individuals with MAFLD are more likely to develop colorectal adenoma than those without MAFLD. The influence of MAFLD on advanced colorectal adenoma was especially prominent in females.

Chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of Zicaitai (Brassica rapa var. purpuraria).

Zicaitai is a seasonal vegetable known for its high anthocyanin content in both stalks and leaves, yet its reference genome has not been published to date. Here, we generated the first chromosome-level genome assembly of Zicaitai using a combination of PacBio long-reads, Illumina short-reads, and Hi-C sequencing techniques. The final genome length is 474.12 Mb with a scaffold N50 length of 43.82 Mb, a BUSCO score of 99.30% and the LAI score of 10.14. Repetitive elements accounted for 60.89% (288.72 Mb) of the genome, and Hi-C data enabled the allocation of 430.87 Mb of genome sequences to ten pseudochromosomes. A total of 42,051 protein-coding genes were successfully predicted using multiple methods, of which 99.74% were functionally annotated. Notably, comparing the genome of Zicaitai with seven other species in the Cruciferae family revealed strong conservation in terms of gene numbers and structures. Overall, the high-quality genome assembly provides a critical resource for studying the genetic basis of important agronomic traits in Zicaitai.

Dysregulation of the circ_0087502/miR-1179/TGFBR2 pathway supports gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a cohort of non-coding RNAs generated by back-splicing events. Accumulating evidence supports the crucial role of circRNAs in human tumorigenesis, metastasis, and chemoresistance. However, the role and mechanism of circRNA circ_0087502 in pancreatic cancer are yet unknown. METHODS: The expression and function of circ_0087502 in pancreatic cancer were investigated using qRT-PCR and cell experiments. The predicted binding between circ_0087502 and microRNA-1179 (miR-1179), and between miR-1179 and TGFBR2, were examined using reporter assays. RESULTS: Pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines were discovered to express circ_0087502 at higher levels. Patients with pancreatic cancer who express circ_0087502 at high levels have a worse prognosis. In addition, circ_0087502 knockdown reduced the proliferation, migration, and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells and made them more sensitive to gemcitabine treatment. We found that circ_0087502 worked as a sponge for miR-1179, allowing miR-1179 to bind to the critical oncogene TGFBR2 in its 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). Pancreatic cancer cells were highly resistant to gemcitabine and had increased proliferation, migration, and invasion when miR-1179 was inhibited or overexpressed. CONCLUSION: These results confirm that circ_0087502 activates the miR-1179/TGFBR2 axis to promote gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer. Thus, our data might lay the groundwork for developing novel therapeutic strategies targeting circ_0087502 in pancreatic cancer patients.

Polymorphism and Light-Driven Forward Movement of TPE Derivative Micro-Crystal due to ArH-pi Interactions Difference.

Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) are two classes of opposite luminescence phenomena. It is almost impossible to show both AIE and ACQ effect simultaneously by the same molecule. However, here we report that a simple TPE derivative TAP-TPE grows into both AIE crystals and ACQ ones. It is found that equatorial, contact distance-longer and weak ArH-π interactions exist in AIE crystals while vertical, contact distance-shorter and strong ArH-π interactions appear in ACQ crystals. Theoretical calculation of electron density on the interaction atoms unveils that ACQ crystals have much larger change in electron density than AIE ones, suggesting that the intermolecular electron transfer aroused by the strong ArH-π hydrogen bonds leads to ACQ phenomenon. This result provides a new insight into the emission mechanism in aggregation state. Interestingly, due to the ArH-pi interactions difference, only one of five kinds of crystals shows rapid photochromism, and can act as multimode anti-counterfeiting materials. Very exceptionally, for the first time we find that the photochromic micrometric rod-like crystal even makes forward rolling movement as it repeatedly bends and straightens by responding to on and off of the ultraviolet light irradiation, displaying potential for photo-actuator and light-driven micro-vehicle.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Tetraphenylethylene Helicates and Their Full-Color CPL Emission with High glum and High Fluorescence Quantum Yield.

Tetraphenylethylene (TPE) helicates with single helical handedness not only owe high fluorescence quantum yield but also possess good helical chirality, showing an excellent circularly polarized luminescence active material. In this work, a new method for directly obtaining single-handed TPE helicates has been developed. By using chiral p-phenylenediamine derivatives as an intramolecular cyclization reagent of TPE, the single-handed propeller-like conformation and stable helical chirality of the TPE unit were obtained, avoiding complicated and expensive HPLC chiral column separation. The as-prepared chiral TPE helicates displayed strong emission with an almost quantitative fluorescence quantum yield (Φf) and strong circularly polarized luminescence (CPL). In addition, the chirality and CPL signals of the TPE helicates could be significantly magnified by the helical arrangement together with 4'-pentyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (5CB) liquid crystal molecules. Moreover, full-color CPL emissions with both a high absolute CPL dissymmetrical factor up to 0.43 and high Φf were afforded.

A High-Continuity Genome Assembly of Chinese Flowering Cabbage (Brassica rapa var. parachinensis) Provides New Insights into Brassica Genome Structure Evolution.

Chinese flowering cabbage (Brassica rapa var. parachinensis) is a popular and widely cultivated leaf vegetable crop in Asia. Here, we performed a high quality de novo assembly of the 384 Mb genome of 10 chromosomes of a typical cultivar of Chinese flowering cabbage with an integrated approach using PacBio, Illumina, and Hi-C technology. We modeled 47,598 protein-coding genes in this analysis and annotated 52% (205.9/384) of its genome as repetitive sequences including 17% in DNA transposons and 22% in long terminal retrotransposons (LTRs). Phylogenetic analysis reveals the genome of the Chinese flowering cabbage has a closer evolutionary relationship with the AA diploid progenitor of the allotetraploid species, Brassica juncea. Comparative genomic analysis of Brassica species with different subgenome types (A, B and C) reveals that the pericentromeric regions on chromosome 5 and 6 of the AA genome have been significantly expanded compared to the orthologous genomic regions in the BB and CC genomes, largely driven by LTR-retrotransposon amplification. Furthermore, we identified a large number of structural variations (SVs) within the B. rapa lines that could impact coding genes, suggesting the functional significance of SVs on Brassica genome evolution. Overall, our high-quality genome assembly of the Chinese flowering cabbage provides a valuable genetic resource for deciphering the genome evolution of Brassica species and it can potentially serve as the reference genome guiding the molecular breeding practice of B. rapa crops.

Development and validation of a diagnostic model for AFP-negative hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: AFP appears to be negative in about 30% of overall hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our study aimed to develop a nomogram model to diagnose AFP-negative HCC (AFPN-HCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The training set included 294 AFPN-HCC patients, 159 healthy objects, 63 patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB), and 64 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC). And the validation set enrolled 137 healthy controls objects, 47 CHB patients and 45 patients with LC. LASSO, univariate, and multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed to construct the model and then transformed into a visualized nomogram. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, the calibration curve, decision curve analysis (DCA), and clinical impact curve (CIC) were further used for validation. RESULTS: Four variables including age, PIVKA-II, platelet (PLT) counts, and prothrombin time (PT) were selected to establish the nomogram. The area under the curve (AUC) of the ROC to distinguish AFPN-HCC patients was 0.937(95% CI 0.892-0.938) in training set and 0.942(95% CI 0.921-0.963) in validation set. We also found that the model had high diagnostic value for small-size HCC (tumor size < 5 cm) (AUC = 0.886) and HBV surface antigen-positive AFPN-HCC (AUC = 0.883). CONCLUSIONS: Our model was effective for discrimination of AFPN-HCC from patients with benign liver diseases and healthy controls, and might be helpful for the diagnosis for AFPN-HCC.

Benign-malignant classification of pulmonary nodules by low-dose spiral computerized tomography and clinical data with machine learning in opportunistic screening.

BACKGROUND: Many people were found with pulmonary nodules during physical examinations. It is of great practical significance to discriminate benign and malignant nodules by using data mining technology. METHODS: The subjects' demographic data, baseline examination results, and annual follow-up low-dose spiral computerized tomography (LDCT) results were recorded. The findings from annual physical examinations of positive nodules, including highly suspicious nodules and clinically tentative benign nodules, was analyzed. The extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model was constructed and the Grid Search CV method was used to select the super parameters. External unit data were used as an external validation set to evaluate the generalization performance of the model. RESULTS: A total of 135,503 physical examinees were enrolled. Baseline testing found that 27,636 (20.40%) participants had clinically tentative benign nodules and 611 (0.45%) participants had highly suspicious nodules. The proportion of highly suspicious nodules in participants with negative baseline was about 0.12%-0.46%, which was lower than the baseline level except the follow-up of >5 years. In the 27,636 participants with clinically tentative benign nodules, only in the first year of LDCT re-examination was the proportion of highly suspicious nodules (1.40%) significantly greater than that of baseline screening (0.45%) (p < 0.001), and the proportion of highly suspicious nodules was not different between the baseline screening and other follow-up years (p > 0.05). Furthermore, 322 cases with benign nodules and 196 patients with malignant nodules confirmed by surgery and pathology were compared. A model and the top 15 most important clinical variables were determined by XGBoost algorithm. The area under the curve (AUC) of the model was 0.76 [95% CI: 0.67-0.84], and the accuracy was 0.75. The sensitivity and specificity of the model under this threshold were 0.78 and 0.73, respectively. In the validation of model using external data, the AUC was 0.87 and the accuracy was 0.80. The sensitivity and specificity were 0.83 and 0.77, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: It is important that pulmonary nodules could be more accurately identified at the first LDCT examination. A model with 15 variables which are routinely measured in the clinic could be helpful to distinguish benign and malignant nodules. It could help the radiological team issue a more accurate report; and it may guide the clinical team regarding LDCT follow-up.

Detection rates of adenomas, advanced adenomas, and colorectal cancers among the opportunistic colonoscopy screening population: a single-center, retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is effective in reducing CRC incidence and mortality. The aim of this study was to retrospectively determine and compare the detection rate of adenomas, advanced adenomas (AAs) and CRCs, and the number needed to screen (NNS) of individuals in an average-risk Chinese population of different ages and genders. METHODS: This was a retrospective study performed at the Institute of Health Management, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital. Colonoscopy results were analyzed for 53,152 individuals finally enrolled from January 2013 to December 2019. The detection rate of adenomas, AAs, or CRCs was computed and the characteristics between men and women were compared using chi-squared test. RESULTS: The average age was 48.8 years (standard deviation [SD], 8.5 years) for men and 50.0 years (SD, 9.0 years) for women, and the gender rate was 66.27% (35,226) vs . 33.73% (17,926). The detection rates of adenomas, AAs, serrated adenomas, and CRCs were 14.58% (7750), 3.09% (1641), 1.23% (653), and 0.59% (313), respectively. Men were statistically significantly associated with higher detection rates than women in adenomas (17.20% [6058/35,226], 95% confidence interval [CI] 16.74-17.53% vs . 9.44% [1692/17,926], 95% CI 8.94-9.79%, P  < 0.001), AAs (3.72% [1309], 95% CI 3.47-3.87% vs . 1.85% [332], 95% CI 1.61-2.00%, P  < 0.001), and serrated adenomas (1.56% [548], 95% CI 1.43-1.69% vs . 0.59% [105], 95% CI 0.47-0.70%, P  < 0.001). The detection rate of AAs in individuals aged 45 to 49 years was 3.17% (270/8510, 95% CI 2.80-3.55%) in men and 1.69% (69/4091, 95% CI 1.12-1.86%) in women, and their NNS was 31.55 (95% CI 28.17-35.71) in men and 67.11 (95% CI 53.76-89.29) in women. The NNS for AAs in men aged 45 to 49 years was close to that in women aged 65 to 69 years (29.07 [95% CI 21.05-46.73]). CONCLUSIONS: The detection rates of adenomas, AAs, and serrated adenomas are high in the asymptomatic population undergoing a physical examination and are associated with gender and age. Our findings will provide important references for effective population-based CRC screening strategies in the future.

ATP13A2 is a Prognostic Biomarker and Correlates with Immune Infiltrates in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To explore the expression and role of ATPase cation transporting 13A2 (ATP13A2) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression and prognosis. METHODS: The level of ATP13A2 in 63 HCC tissues was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. Then, the prognostic value of ATP13A2 for HCC was explored. GO and KEGG pathway enrichments were performed to predict ATP13A2-mediated biological functions. Besides, the correlations between ATP13A2 and key regulators involved in cell cycle and metastasis, the status of different tumor-infiltrating immune cells was investigated. RESULTS: ATP13A2 was frequently upregulated in 63 HCC tissues relatively to matched non-tumor tissues. The level of ATP13A2 significantly correlated with tumor stage and tumor grade. HCC patients with higher levels of ATP13A2 had a worse prognosis. Moreover, multivariate survival analysis supported ATP13A2 to be an independent prognostic factor for HCC. GO and KEGG analysis indicated a potential role of ATP13A2 on regulating cell cycle, metastasis, and immune infiltrates. Especially, the level of ATP13A2 was positively correlated with CCNB1, CCND3, CDC25B, CDK4, Vimentin, MMP9, MMP14, and LMNB2. A positive correlation was noticed between ATP13A2 and infiltration levels of B cells, CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells, monocytes, M2 macrophages, and exhausted T cells in HCC. CONCLUSION: Upregulation of ATP13A2 is a common feature as well as an independent prognostic biomarker for HCC. ATP13A2 are associated with key regulators involved in cell cycle, metastasis, and immune infiltrates in HCC, and may act as a potential immunotherapy target for HCC.

Assessment of the relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism and blood lipid profile: reliable or not?

BACKGROUND: The relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and blood lipid metabolism is controversial. This study is intended to evaluate the relationship between SCH and blood lipid profiles using well defined diagnostic criteria. METHODS: Data from 11,512 physical examinees in our hospital who had finished two tests with an interval of at least 3 months were analyzed, including 685 cases of SCH as stipulated in this study. In addition to common physical examination indicators, other parameters such as thyroid function indices and blood lipids were measured twice with an interval of at least 3 months. Subjects were diagnosed with SCH only when their levels of TT3, TT4, FT3 and FT4 were normal and TSH levels were increased on both tests, which meant these subjects were in a state of SCH for at least 3 months. The results of blood lipids for the second time were analyzed. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found in age, sex, BMI, hemoglobin, total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein (HDL-C), and BFP between the SCH and control groups (P < 0.001). However, there were no statistically significant differences in age, sex, blood pressure, blood lipids, blood glucose or BMI between patients with mild SCH and those with severe SCH (P > 0.05). After balancing the age and sex ratio, no factors were confirmed to be statistically significant independent factors of SCH. None of the parameters showed statistically significant differences between patients with mild SCH and those with severe SCH (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: After defining rigorous criteria for the diagnosis of SCH, no definite association between SCH and TC, LDL-C or HDL-C was confirmed in this study. SCH may have no relationship to the most concerning blood lipid profile.

Longitudinal analysis of factors related to Helicobacter pylori infection in Chinese adults.

This research aimed to analyze lifestyle-related factors which influence Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and outcomes in Chinese adults. A single-center, retrospective study was performed from January 2012 to December 2020. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect relevant lifestyle information, and the 13C-urea breath test was used to diagnose active Hp infection. A total of 18,211 subjects were enrolled in the study, of which 5,511 were females (30.26%). Subjects were studied longitudinally for up to five follow-up visits. At baseline, gastric Hp test was negative in 10,670 subjects (58.59%) and positive in 7,541 subjects (41.41%). Males exhibited a significantly higher Hp infection rate than females (38.56% vs 2.65%, respectively; χ 2 = 26.45, P < 0.001). Throughout the course of follow-up, Hp positive rates in the subjects decreased ( χ trend 2 = 666.04, P < 0.001). Among the subjects with baseline negative results, 3-6% changed from negative to positive during follow-up. In contrast, among those with baseline positive results, >70% remained positive, and 21-26% changed from positive to negative. However, only 22-27% of Hp-infected subjects received pharmacotherapy. The results indicate the prevalence of Hp infection is high in the Chinese population. That additional effort is required to prevent and control Hp infection.

Retrospective analysis of the relationship between bone mineral density and body composition in a health check-up Chinese population.

Purpose: This study was designed to explore the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition indicators in Chinese adults (≥50 years) in order to provide a scientific basis for optimal bone health management. Method: Individuals ≥50 years old who received physical examinations and routine check-ups at the Health Management Research Institute of PLA General Hospital from September 2014 through March 2022 were included as research subjects in this study. Basic clinical and demographic information were recorded for all subjects, along with smoking and drinking status, height and body weight. A panel of routine blood chemistry and metabolite markers were measured, along with lean muscle mass and body fat mass using body composition bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BFP), skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), and bone mineral density (BMD) were calculated for all individuals. For comparative analysis, individuals were grouped based on their BMI, BFP, SMI and BMD T-score. Follow-up examinations were performed in a cohort of 1,608 individuals matched for age, sex, smoking and drinking history for ≥5 years. Results: In this large cross-sectional study, age, smoking, homocysteine (Hcy) and blood glucose levels were established as independent risk factors for osteoporosis. Multi-factor logistic regression analysis showed that age, sex, BMI, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), SMI, BFP, smoking, blood levels of inorganic phosphate (P) and K+ were all significantly associated with osteoporosis risk (P<0.05). A subset of these factors- BMI, SMI, BFP and K+, were determined to be protective. In the cohort followed for ≥5 years, SMI and BMD decreased while BFP and BMI increased significantly (P<0.001) over time. Conclusion: Risk of osteoporosis may be reduced by increasing body weight, particularly lean muscle mass, while simultaneously controlling BFP.

Fluorescent TPE Macrocycle Relayed Light-Harvesting System for Bright Customized-Color Circularly Polarized Luminescence.

Artificial systems for sequential chirality transmission/amplification and energy relay are perpetual topics that entail learning from nature. However, engineering chiral light-harvesting supramolecular systems remains a challenge. Here, we developed new chiral light-harvesting systems with a sequential Förster resonance energy transfer process where a designed blue-violet-emitting BINOL (1,1'-Bi-2-naphthol) compound, BINOL-di-octadecylamide (BDA), functions as an initiator of chirality and light absorbance, a new green-emitting hexagonal tetraphenylethene-based macrocycle (TPEM) with aggregation-induced emission serves as a conveyor, and Nile red (NiR) or/and a near-infrared dye, tetraphenylethene (TPE)-based benzoselenodiazole (TPESe), are the terminal acceptors. Benefiting from the close contact and large optical overlap between donors and acceptors at each level, triad and tetrad relaying systems sequentially and efficiently furnish chirality transmission/amplification and energy transfer along the cascaded line BDA-TPEM-NiR (or/and TPESe), leading to bright customized-color circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) and bright white-light-emitting CPL (CIE coordinates: 0.33, 0.34) with an amplified dissymmetry factor (glum) of 3.5 × 10-2 over a wide wavelength range. This work provides a new direction for the construction of chiral light-harvesting systems for a broad range of applications in chiroptical physics and chemistry.

Comparison of Five Different Criteria for Diagnosis of Subclinical Hypothyroidism in a Large-Scale Chinese Population.

BACKGROUND: Several different criteria for subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) have been used in the literature, but the performance of these criteria was unknown. OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study was to evaluate the diagnostic criteria for SCH. METHODS: Eligible participants were based on centration of thyroglobulin antibodies (TG-Ab), thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab), and five thyroid-related hormones including total thyroxine (TT4), total triiodothyronine (TT3), free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Euthyroid individuals were identified via specific criteria. Five different SCH diagnostic criteria were compared based on the distributions of those indicators. An appropriate TSH cut-off value was reconsidered. RESULTS: The study included 145,015 participants. The number of SCH cases diagnosed using criterion 5 was significantly different compared to the cases diagnosed using criteria 1-4 (P<0.05) and had the highest positive proportions of TG-Ab and TPO-Ab. Analysis of 60,515 subjects with normal other thyroid hormones revealed a median TSH concentration of 2.04 mIU/L, and the P 2.5-P 97.5 CI was 0.48-7.03 mIU/L. When the threshold for TSH elevation was elevated from ≥4.5 mIU/L to ≥6.50 mIU/L, the number of diagnosed SCH cases decreased from 7.30% to 2.09% and the proportions of positive TG-Ab and TPO-Ab increased from 23.69% and 24.07% to 33.75% and 35.06%, respectively (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Combination of an elevated TSH and normal TT3, TT4, FT3, and FT4 concentrations is a must for the diagnosis of SCH. A new TSH threshold should be identified for better patient monitoring and management, according to the real-world characteristics of TSH distribution in Chinese population.

Gastroscopic results for the asymptomatic, average-risk population in Northern China: a cross-sectional study of 60,519 adults.

BACKGROUND: Studies on average-risk individuals undergoing gastroscopy screening in China are scarce. OBJECTIVE: To determine and compare the prevalence of lesions found by gastroscopy and the association between sex, age, Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric premalignant lesions. METHODS: Gastroscopy results were analysed for 60,519 individuals enrolled from January 2013 to December 2019. RESULTS: The median age was 49.84 years (SD, 9.47 years) for women and 48.90 years (SD, 8.82 years) for men, and the ratio of females to males was 35.10% (n = 21,240) to 64.90% (n = 39,279). The most common lesions detected by endoscopy were chronic gastritis, reflux oesophagitis, duodenitis and gastric polyps, detected in 24.48%, 10.28%, 3.96% and 3.61%, respectively. Oesophageal cancer and gastric cancer were detected in 0.33% and 0.47% of patients, respectively. The prevalence of chronic gastritis increased with age and was higher in males than in females (26.47% [n = 10396] versus 20.80% [n = 4417], p < .001). The prevalence of gastric ulcers was highest in the elderly group, and the H. pylori infection rate of gastric ulcer patients was 47.28%. The prevalence of gastric polyps was higher in females than in males (5.47% [n = 1161] versus 2.61% [n = 1024], p < .001), and the H. pylori infection rate in inflammatory polyp patients was higher than that in fundic gland polyp patients (28.32% [n = 442] versus 7.29% [n = 29], p < .001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of upper gastrointestinal endoscopic lesions is high in the asymptomatic population undergoing physical examination and is associated with sex, age, and H. pylori infection.

Hindered Tetraphenylethylene Helicates: Chiral Fluorophores with Deep-Blue Emission, Multiple-Color CPL, and Chiral Recognition Ability.

New hindered tetraphenylethylene (TPE) helicates with substitution at 2,6-position of phenyl rings were designed and synthesized. Due to the increased hindrance, the TPE helicates emit strong deep-blue to violet fluorescence both in the solid state and in solution, and could be resolved into enantiomers that emit strong and multicolor circularly polarized luminescence (CPL), and exhibit a high enantioselective recognition of chiral tartaric acid and its derivatives. Surprisingly, the derived helicate tetramines possess amino groups with an unpredented planar structure and sp2 -hybridized nitrogen, arousing the change between AIE effect and ACQ phenomenon through photoinduced electron transfer (PET). With advantages of short synthetic route, many modification positions, deep-blue to violet emission, wide CPL tuning, and high chiral recognition ability, the hindered TPE helicates show broad prospects as chiral materials.

X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 1 (XRCC1) loss promotes ß-lapachone -induced apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: ß-lapachone (ß-lap), the NQO1 bioactivatable drug, is thought to be a promising anticancer agent. However, the toxic side effects of ß-lap limit the drug use, highlighting the need for a thorough understanding of ß-lap's mechanism of action. ß-lap undergoes NQO1-dependent futile redox cycling, generating massive ROS and oxidative DNA lesions, leading to cell death. Thus, base excision repair (BER) pathway is an important resistance factor. XRCC1, a scaffolding component, plays a critical role in BER. METHODS: We knocked down XRCC1 expression by using pLVX-shXRCC1 in the MiaPaCa2 cells and BxPC3 cells and evaluated ß-lap-induced DNA lesions by γH2AX foci formation and alkaline comet assay. The cell death induced by XRCC1 knockdown + ß-lap treatment was analysed by relative survival, flow cytometry and Western blotting analysis. RESULTS: We found that knockdown of XRCC1 significantly increased ß-lap-induced DNA double-strand breaks, comet tail lengths and cell death in PDA cells. Furthermore, we observed combining XRCC1 knockdown with ß-lap treatment switched programmed necrosis with ß-lap monotherapy to caspase-dependent apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that XRCC1 is involved in the repair of ß-lap-induced DNA damage, and XRCC1 loss amplifies sensitivity to ß-lap, suggesting targeting key components in BER pathways may have the potential to expand use and efficacy of ß-lap for gene-based therapy.