Analysis of mutation characteristics in TKI-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia patients based on next-generation sequencing technology / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Objective:To explore the characteristics and patterns of gene mutations in tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients and their relationship with TKI-resistant CML.Methods:A retrospective case series study was performed. Clinical data and next-generation sequencing results from TKI-resistant CML patients in Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University and Yuebei People's Hospital of Shantou University Medical College from August 2018 to November 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, and the gene mutations of the patients in general and at different disease stages were analyzed.Results:Sixty patients were enrolled, with the age [ M ( Q1, Q3)] of 41.5 years old (32 years old, 53 years old); 38 cases (63.33%) were male and 22 cases (36.67%) were female; 43 cases were in the chronic stage, and 17 cases were in the progression stage (3 cases were in the accelerated stage and 14 cases were in the blast stage). non-ABL1 mutations were detected in 30 patients (50.00%) including 45 times of 15 non-ABL1 genes. The number of non-ABL1 mutation gene was 1 (0, 2) in 60 patients. Of the 60 patients, 21 (35.00%) had ASXL1 mutations, 5 (8.33%) had DNMT3A mutations, 5 (8.33%) had RUNX1 mutations, and 3 (5.00%) had SETBP1 mutations; the proportions of patients with 1 and ≥2 non-ABL1 mutations were 33.33% (20/60) and 16.67% (10/60), respectively. The total detection rates of non-ABL1 mutations were 52.94% (9/17) and 48.84% (21/43), and the detection rates of ≥2 non-ABL1 mutations were 23.53% (4/17) and 13.95% (6/43) in patients with progression and patients with chronic disease, and the differences were not statistically significant ( χ2 = 0.08, P = 0.774; χ2 = 0.80, P = 0.370). Seventeen of 60 patients (28.33%) had mutations in the ABL1 kinase region, of which 14 (82.35%) had non-ABL1 mutations; of these 17 cases, 6 patients with progressive disease all had non-ABL1 mutations, in 11 patients with chronic disease, 8 patients had non-ABL1 mutations, and the difference was not statistically significant ( P = 0.452). Conclusions:Patients with TKI-resistant CML have high frequencies of non-ABL1 mutations, and there is a trend for higher mutation rates in patients with progressive disease than in patients with chronic disease, and these may be related to the abnormal activation of ABL1 kinase by BCR-ABL1 fusion gene in patients with drug-resistant CML, which leads to the genome-level and epigenome-level mutations, and driving disease progression from chronic phase to accelerated or blast phase.

Research progresses of superb microvascular imaging in musculoskeletal diseases / 中国医学影像技术

Superb microvascular imaging(SMI)is a new kind of Doppler technology,being sensitive for displaying low-velocity microvascular blood flow in muscles,tendons,synovium,nerves and reflecting microcirculation changes,able to provide imaging evidences for diagnosing musculoskeletal system diseases,monitoring processes and evaluating therapeutic effect.The research progresses of SMI applicated in musculoskeletal diseases were reviewed in this article.

Association of time in range with metabolic associated fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis in patients with type 2 diabetes / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To investigate the association of time in range with metabolic associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD) and advanced liver fibrosis in patients with type 2 diabetes.Methods:This study was a retrospective study. A total of 494 type 2 diabetic patients were recruited in the Department of Endocrinololgy of Henan Provincial People′s Hospital from November 2019 to April 2022. Time in range(TIR) was calculated with continuous glucose monitoring data. Abdominal ultrasound scan was used to diagnose fatty liver. Liver stiffness measurement(LSM) by transient elastography was used to evaluate liver fibrosis. Pearson and multivariate linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between TIR and LSM. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association of TIR with risk of MAFLD and advanced liver fibrosis.Results:Pearson correlation analysis showed that LSM was negatively correlated with TIR( r=-0.86, P<0.001) and was positively correlated with homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance(HOMA-IR; r=0.48, P<0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, multivariate linear regression analysis showed that TIR significantly negatively predicted LSM( β=-0.75, P<0.001), and HOMA-IR significantly positively predicted LSM( β=0.21, P=0.025). After adjusting for confounding factors, logistic regression analysis showed that compared with TIR Q4 patients, TIR Q1 patients had an increased risk of MAFLD( OR=1.96, 95% CI 1.07-3.62, P=0.027), advanced liver fibrosis( OR=3.82, 95% CI 1.17-12.50, P=0.027), and HOMA-IR was an independent risk factor for MAFLD( OR=1.22, 95% CI 1.04-1.43, P=0.005) and advanced liver fibrosis( OR=1.26, 95% CI 1.03-1.54, P=0.025). Conclusions:TIR and insulin resistance are independent risk factors for MAFLD and advanced liver fibrosis in patients with type 2 diabetes. TIR has a significant predictive value for MAFLD and advanced liver fibrosis.

Clinical and genetic analysis of children with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy 18 caused by SZT2 gene variants / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical phenotype and genetic characteristics of developmental epileptic encephalopathy 18 (DEE18) caused by SZT2 gene variants. Methods:Clinical data of 2 children with SZT2 related DEE18 who visited the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Linyi People′s Hospital in March 2020 and July 2023 were collected. The whole exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing were applied to verify the child and their parents. SWISS-MODEL software was used to perform protein 3D modeling for the selected SZT2 gene variants. Results:Both of the 2 cases showed severe global developmental delay, epileptic seizures, autism, megacephaly, facial deformity, hypotonia, corpus callosum malformation, persistent cavum septum pellucidum, and slow background activity and focal discharge in video electroencephalography. Case 1 was easy to startle and thin in stature; case 2 had immune deficiency and clustered seizures. WES results showed that case 1 carried a compound heterozygous variant of c.5811G>A (p.W1937X) (paternal) and c.9269delG (p.S3090Ifs *94) (maternal), while case 2 carried a compound heterozygous variant of c.6302A>C(p.H2101P) (paternal) and c.7584dupA (p.E2529Rfs *20) (maternal), the parents of both patients with normal clinical phenotypes. The 4 mutations mentioned above were novel variations that had not yet been reported domestically or internationally. According to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics variant classification criteria and guidelines, the p.S3090Ifs *94 variant was interpreted as pathogenic; p.W1937X variant was interpreted as pathogenic; p.E2529Rfs *20 variant was interpreted as likely pathogenic; p.H2101P variant was interpreted as uncertain significance. 3D modeling showed that the variant of p.H2101P resulted in a significant change in the hydrogen bond around the 2 101st amino acid encoded, leading to a decrease in protein stability. The other 3 variants led to early truncation of peptide chain and obvious changes in protein structure. Conclusions:DEE18 caused by SZT2 gene mutation is mainly an autosome recessive genetic disease, and its clinical manifestations include global developmental delay, epileptic seizures, autism, craniofacial malformation, hypotonia, epileptic discharge, corpus callosum malformation, persistent cavum septum pellucidum, shock, small and thin stature, and immune deficiency. Four novel variants related to the SZT2 gene may be the genetic etiology of DEE18 patients in this study.

Clinical phenotype and genetic analysis of BRWD3 gene variation related infantile epileptic spasm syndrome / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical phenotype and genetic characteristics of infantile epileptic spasm syndrome caused by BRWD3 gene mutation. Methods:Clinical data of a child with BRWD3 related infantile epileptic spasm syndrome who was admitted to Department of Pediatric Neurology of Linyi People′s Hospital on August 2, 2019 were collected and followed up, whole exome sequencing technology and Sanger sequencing were applied to verify the child and his parents, and the pathogenicity of mutation site was analyzed. The studies till June 2023 were searched with keywords of " BRWD3" in both English and Chinese databases of China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, and PubMed. The clinical phenotype and genetic characteristics of patients with BRWD3 related epilepsy were summarized. Results:The patient was a 4 years and 4 months old boy, with a clinical phenotype including severe global development delay, focal seizures (the onset age was 4 months), epileptic spasm (the onset age was 6 months), autism, megacephaly, high forehead as well as hypsarrhythmia. The whole exome sequencing results showed a de novo and frameshift variation c.4318_4319del(p.Q1441Efs*20)(NM_153252) in the BRWD3 gene, and the variation was interpreted as pathogenic (PVS1+PS2+PM2) according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics variant classification criteria and guidelines. A total of 7 English literature articles were retrieved reporting 16 cases of BRWD3 gene related epilepsy in children (including 1 case of infantile epileptic spasm syndrome), and there has been no report in China yet. Totally there were 17 cases of BRWD3 gene related epilepsy including this case. All the cases showed X chromosome dominant inheritance, of whom 15 cases showed minor variations, including 7 missense variations, 3 frameshift variations, 3 splicing variations, 2 nonsense variations, and the remaining 2 cases showed large segment deletions. A total of 15 different variants were found. The phenotypes of the 17 patients mainly included epileptic seizures (17/17), intellectual disability (10/17), motor development disorder (7/17), speech impairment (9/17), megacephaly (8/17), facial malformation (8/17), autism (4/17) and hypotonia (4/17). The common seizure types were found to be focal seizures, occasionally epileptic spasm seizures and tonic seizures. Conclusions:BRWD3 gene variation related epilepsy is an X chromosome dominant genetic disease with a wide clinical phenotype spectrum. BRWD3 gene mutation c.4318_4319del(p.Q1441Efs *20) could cause infantile epileptic spasm syndrome, manifested as severe global developmental delay, epileptic spasm, focal seizures, autism, craniofacial malformation and hypsarrhythmia. This research enriches BRWD3 gene mutation spectrum.

Clinical phenotype and genotype characteristics of tuberous sclerosis complex in 52 children / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To analyze the clinical phenotypes and TSC1/TSC2 gene variations in 52 children with tuberous sclerosis complex. Methods:The clinical data of 59 children with tuberous sclerosis complex hospitalized in Linyi People′s Hospital between January 2017 and October 2022 were collected. The analysis of TSC1 and TSC2 gene variations on main family members was performed, and then bioinformatics analysis followed. The positive children were divided into TSC1 gene group and TSC2 gene group, and the difference of clinical characteristics between the two groups was analyzed. Results:Among 59 children, 52 cases were detected TSC1/ TSC2 gene variations (17 cases in the TSC1 gene group and 35 cases in the TSC2 gene group). Of the 52 children, 28 (53.8%) were male, 24 were female (46.2%); 17 (32.7%) were familial cases (10 with TSC1 gene variations and 7 with TSC2 gene variations), 35 (67.3%) were sporadic cases; 46 (88.5%) had hypomelanotic macules, 13 (25.0%) had facial angiofibromas, 5 (9.6%) had shagreen patches, 49 (94.2%) had subependymal nodules/calcifications, 47 (90.4%) had cortical nodules, 2 (3.8%) had subependymal giant cell astrocytomas, 39 (75.0%) had intellectual/developmental disabilities, 49 (94.2%) had epileptic seizures, 8 (15.4%) had cardiac rhabdomyomas, 9 (17.3%) had renal angiomyolipomas, and 4 (7.7%) had retinal hamartomas. Of the 52 children, 49 variations were detected, including 4 large fragment deletion/duplication variations, and 45 point variations; 41 pathogenic variations, 7 likely pathogenic variations, and 1 variation of uncertain significance. In this study, 16 point mutations and 1 large fragment duplication mutation which had not been reported at home and abroad, and 3 high-frequency mutation sites (p.Arg692 *, p.Arg228 *, and p.Arg1200Try) were found. There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of familial cases [10/17 vs 7/35(20%), χ2=7.838, P=0.005], median onset age of epilepsy [38.0(0.5-134.0) months vs 8.0(0.1-63.0) months, Z=3.506 , P<0.001] and the incidence of developmental retardation/intellectual impairment [8/17 vs 31/35(88.6%), χadj2=8.423, P=0.004] between the TSC1 gene and TSC2 gene groups. Conclusions:Tuberous sclerosis compiex has widespread phenotypes, can affect every body system, especially the skin and nervous system. The pathogenic gene is TSC1/ TSC2. The TSC1 gene group has more familial cases. The TSC2 gene group has an earlier onset age of epilepsy and a higher incidence of developmental retardation/intellectual impairment. In this study, 16 novel point mutations, 1 novel large fragment duplication mutation, and 3 hotspot mutations were identified, expanding the gene variation spectrum of tuberous sclerosis complex.

Conventional ultrasound combined with elastography for evaluating active lesions of juvenile localized scleroderma / 中国医学影像技术

Objective To observe the value of conventional ultrasound combined with ultrasonic elastography for evaluating the severity of active lesions of juvenile localized scleroderma(JLS).Methods Totally 27 JLS children with 46 active lesions were prospectively enrolled.The thickness,echo and blood flow of skin and subcutaneous tissue of JLS lesions and the paired sites were evaluated using conventional ultrasound,while the skin stiffness of all lesions and paired sites were assessed using shear wave elastography(SWE),and the strain ratio of lesions and surrounding skin were evaluated using strain elastography(SE).The thickness,echo and blood flow of skin as well as subcutaneous tissue,and the Young's modulus of skin were compared between JLS active lesions and the paired sites.The correlations of the individual sum total of each Young's modulus and the limited scleroderma activity index(LoSAI)or the limited scleroderma injury index(LoSDI)were explored.Results Compared with the paired site,no significant difference of the skin thickness was found among 46 JLS lesions(P＞0.05),but JLS lesions had thinner subcutaneous tissue(P＜0.05)and greater Young's moduli(all P＜0.05).The strain ratio of the lesions and surrounding skin were all larger than 2.For JLS children with active lesions,the individual sum total of Young's moduli had moderate rank correlations with LoSAI(rs=0.63-0.69,all P＜0.05),but there was no significant rank correlation with LoSDI(rs=0.27-0.33,P＞0.05).Conclusion Compared with the paired site,JLS active lesions had thinner subcutaneous tissue and stiffer skin.The higher the lesion skin stiffness,the more severe the JLS lesion activity.

Genetic analysis and prenatal diagnosis of a child with Multiple congenital malformations-hypotonia-epilepsy syndrome type 3 due to variants of PIGT gene / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the clinical features and genetic etiology of a child with Multiple congenital malformations-hypotonia-epilepsy syndrome type 3 (MCAHS3) and provide prenatal diagnosis for her parents.@*METHODS@#A female child who had presented at Linyi People's Hospital on 27 July 2022 for recurrent convulsions for over 4 years was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the child were collected. Peripheral blood samples were taken from the child and her parents and subjected for whole exome sequencing (WES). Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing. Prenatal diagnosis was carried out on amniotic fluid sample at 18 weeks' gestation. Bioinformatic software was used to analyze the pathogenicity of the protein model for the variant loci.@*RESULTS@#The child was a 4-year-old female with frequent seizures, peculiar facial appearance, hypotonia and severe developmental delay. Genetic analysis revealed that she has harbored compound heterozygous variants of the PIGT gene, namely c.1126del (p.H376Tfs*56) and c.1285G>C (p.E429Q), which were respectively inherited from her mother and father. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the c.1126del (p.H376Tfs*56) variant was predicted to be pathogenic (PVS1+PM2_Supporting+PM4), and c.1285G>C (p.E429Q) variant was predicted to be likely pathogenic (PM2_Supporting+PM3+PM4). Prenatal diagnosis suggested that the fetus also harbored the same compound heterozygous variants, and the pregnancy was terminated with induced labor.@*CONCLUSION@#The c.1126del (p.H376Tfs*56) and c.1285G>C (p.E429Q) compound heterozygous variants of the PIGT gene probably underlay the MCAHS3 in this patient, and prenatal diagnosis has prevented birth of further affected child in this family.

To compare the efficacy and incidence of severe hematological adverse events of flumatinib and imatinib in patients newly diagnosed with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To analyze and compare therapy responses, outcomes, and incidence of severe hematologic adverse events of flumatinib and imatinib in patients newly diagnosed with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) . Methods: Data of patients with chronic phase CML diagnosed between January 2006 and November 2022 from 76 centers, aged ≥18 years, and received initial flumatinib or imatinib therapy within 6 months after diagnosis in China were retrospectively interrogated. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed to reduce the bias of the initial TKI selection, and the therapy responses and outcomes of patients receiving initial flumatinib or imatinib therapy were compared. Results: A total of 4 833 adult patients with CML receiving initial imatinib (n=4 380) or flumatinib (n=453) therapy were included in the study. In the imatinib cohort, the median follow-up time was 54 [interquartile range (IQR), 31-85] months, and the 7-year cumulative incidences of CCyR, MMR, MR(4), and MR(4.5) were 95.2%, 88.4%, 78.3%, and 63.0%, respectively. The 7-year FFS, PFS, and OS rates were 71.8%, 93.0%, and 96.9%, respectively. With the median follow-up of 18 (IQR, 13-25) months in the flumatinib cohort, the 2-year cumulative incidences of CCyR, MMR, MR(4), and MR(4.5) were 95.4%, 86.5%, 58.4%, and 46.6%, respectively. The 2-year FFS, PFS, and OS rates were 80.1%, 95.0%, and 99.5%, respectively. The PSM analysis indicated that patients receiving initial flumatinib therapy had significantly higher cumulative incidences of CCyR, MMR, MR(4), and MR(4.5) and higher probabilities of FFS than those receiving the initial imatinib therapy (all P<0.001), whereas the PFS (P=0.230) and OS (P=0.268) were comparable between the two cohorts. The incidence of severe hematologic adverse events (grade≥Ⅲ) was comparable in the two cohorts. Conclusion: Patients receiving initial flumatinib therapy had higher cumulative incidences of therapy responses and higher probability of FFS than those receiving initial imatinib therapy, whereas the incidence of severe hematologic adverse events was comparable between the two cohorts.

Clinical Characteristics of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients with Deletion and Non-deletion of ASS Gene on Derivative Chromosome 9 / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase with deletion and non-deletion of the argininosuccinate synthesis gene (ASS gene) on the derivative chromosome 9. Methods The clinical data of patients with CML initially treated with imatinib and BCR/ABL1/ASS1 3-color fusion probe to detect ASS gene deletion were analyzed. The patients were divided into deletion group (n=27) and non-deletion group (n=92). Clinical characteristics, treatment effects, and prognosis were analyzed. Results The average age of 119 patients was 37.22±12.72 years old. The sokal score differed between the deletion and non-deletion groups (χ2=4.304, P=0.038). No statistically significant difference in other general characteristics was found (P > 0.05). The 3-month CCyR rate, 6-month CCyR rate, and BCR-ABLIS≤ 1% rate in the deletion group were lower than those in the non-deletion group (P < 0.05). The median follow-up of 119 patients was 35.0 (3.0-60.0) months. The PFS in the deletion group was lower than that in the non-deletion group (χ2=4.293, P=0.038). Overall survival was not significantly different between the two groups (χ2=0.008, P=0.931). Conclusion The deletion of the ASS gene in patients with chronic CML is related to the poor efficacy of imatinib treatment, poor prognosis, and high risk of disease progression.

Efficacy and safety of peginterferon-α2b for treatment of myeloproliterative neoplasms / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the clinical efficacy and adverse reactions of peginterferon-α2b for treatment of chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN).@*METHODS@#We retrospectively analyzed the data of 107 patients with MPN, including 95 with essential thrombocythemia (ET) and 12 with polycythemia vera (PV), who all received peginterferon-α2b treatment for at least 12 months. The clnical and follow-up data of the patients were analyzed to evaluate the efficacy and adverse reactions of the treatment.@*RESULTS@#After receiving peginterferon- α2b treatment, both ET and PV patients achieved high hematological remission rates, and the total remission rates did not differ significantly between the two groups (86% vs 78%, P>0.05). In the overall patients, the spleen index decreased by 13.5% (95%CI: 8.5%-18.5%) after the treatment. The patients with hematological remission showed a significantly greater reduction of the total symptom score than those without hematological remission (P < 0.01). The median percentage of JAK2V617F allele load of PV patients decreased from 67.23% (49.6%-84.86%) at baseline to 19.7% (0.57%-74.6%) after the treatment, and that of JAK2V617F-positive ET patients decreased from 48.97% (0.45%-74.24%) at baseline to 22.1% (0.33%-65.42%) after the treatment. Mild adverse reactions (grade 1-2) were observed in both ET and PV groups without significant differences between them. The overall incidence of thrombotic events during the treatment was 2.8% in these patients, and no serious adverse reactions were observed.@*CONCLUSION@#For patients with chronic myelodysplasia, peginterferon-α2b treatment can achieve a high peripheral blood cell remission rate and maintain a long-term stable state with good effect in relieving symptoms such as splenomegaly. Peginterferon- α2b treatment caused only mild adverse reactions, which can be tolerated by most of the patients.

A single-center study on the distribution and antibiotic resistance of pathogens causing bloodstream infection in patients with hematological malignancies / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To study the incidence of bloodstream infections, pathogen distribution, and antibiotic resistance profile in patients with hematological malignancies. Methods: From January 2018 to December 2021, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics, pathogen distribution, and antibiotic resistance profiles of patients with malignant hematological diseases and bloodstream infections in the Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University. Results: A total of 582 incidences of bloodstream infections occurred in 22,717 inpatients. From 2018 to 2021, the incidence rates of bloodstream infections were 2.79%, 2.99%, 2.79%, and 2.02%, respectively. Five hundred ninety-nine types of bacteria were recovered from blood cultures, with 487 (81.3%) gram-negative bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Eighty-one (13.5%) were gram-positive bacteria, primarily Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Enterococcus faecium, whereas the remaining 31 (5.2%) were fungi. Enterobacteriaceae resistance to carbapenems, piperacillin/tazobactam, cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam, and tigecycline were 11.0%, 15.3%, 15.4%, and 3.3%, with a descending trend year on year. Non-fermenters tolerated piperacillin/tazobactam, cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam, and quinolones at 29.6%, 13.3%, and 21.7%, respectively. However, only two gram-positive bacteria isolates were shown to be resistant to glycopeptide antibiotics. Conclusions: Bloodstream pathogens in hematological malignancies were broadly dispersed, most of which were gram-negative bacteria. Antibiotic resistance rates vary greatly between species. Our research serves as a valuable resource for the selection of empirical antibiotics.

Clinical and genetic analyses of 11 children with epilepsy associated with SCN2A gene variations / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective:To summarize the clinical and genetic characteristics of children with epilepsy associated with SCN2A gene variations. Methods:A retrospective study was performed. Eleven children with epilepsy admitted to Department of Pediatric Neurology, Linyi People's Hospital from January 2017 to December 2022 were included; all of them had pathogenic SCN2A gene mutation. Genetic results and clinical data as epileptic seizure type/frequency, intelligence and motor development of these 11 children were collected. Epilepsy-related variations and pathogenesis of SCN2A gene were analyzed, and their correlations with clinical phenotypes in these children were analyzed. Results:Among the 11 patients, 6 had self-limited epilepsy (4 with variation in the intracellular domain and 2 in the transmembrane domain), 1 had febrile convulsion accompanied by childhood absent epilepsy (with variation in the intracellular domain), and 4 had developmental epileptic encephalopathy (2 with variation in the extracellular domain and 2 with variation in the transmembrane domain). SCN2A gene was missense mutation in these 11 children, and the mutation site in 6 children was not reported before. Various forms of video EEG discharge were noted, and 1 child with self-limited epilepsy showed transient multifocal epileptic discharge during frequent seizures. Oxcarbazepine and topiramate were effective for self-limiting epilepsy, and lamotrigine was effective in 1 child with late-onset epileptic encephalopathy. Eleven patients were followed up for (66±32) months; the age ranged from 8 months to 11 years and 6 months at the last follow-up; 10 patients had seizure remission and 1 had uncontrolled seizure. Conclusions:Besides self-limited epilepsy and developmental epileptic encephalopathy, SCN2A gene mutations are also associated with febrile convulsion and childhood absent epilepsy. Phenotypic differences are highly correlated with mutation locations; developmental epileptic encephalopathy associated variants are mostly located in extracellular domains, while self-limited epileptic variants are mostly located in intracellular domains.

Clinical and genetic analysis of a child with hyperekplexia / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To analyze the clinical phenotype and gene sequencing results of a child with hyperekplexia, and to clarify her genetic etiology.Methods:The clinical information of the child was collected, and the whole exome sequencing of the child and her parents was performed. The suspected pathogenic variants were verified by Sanger sequencing and bioinformatics analysis.Results:There was a 12 years old girl, who was hospitalized in the Department of Pediatric Neurology of Linyi People′s Hospital because of "paroxysmal limb stiffness for more than 11 years and aggravated for half a month" on July 4, 2022. The girl showed exaggerated startle reflexes and generalized siffness in response to external sudden, unexpected stimuli, occasionally accompanied by apnea and cyanosis, frequent attacks occurred several times a day, lasting for 1-30 minutes, and early head and abdomen flexion can be relieved. She showed normal growth and development, no abnormality in brain magnetic resonance imaging and video electroencephalogram during seizure. The whole exome sequencing showed that there was a missense heterozygous mutation c.643T>C(p.W215R) in the SLC6A5 gene of the child. Neither of the parents carried this mutation, which was a novel and de novo variant. According to the guidelines of American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, this variant was a likely pathogenic variant [PS2: de novo (both maternity and paternity confirmed) in the patient with the disease and no family history; PM2: undetected variants in the normal population; PP3: multiple softwares predicted that this mutation would have harmful effects on genes or gene products], and highly conserved. Swiss modeling found that the hydrogen bond of the modified amino acid also changed. Conclusions:Hyperekplexia is relatively rare and prone to misdiagnosis. The main clinical features are excessive startle reflexes (limb shaking, or jumping) to unexpected external stimuli, resulting in overall stiffness, normal growth and development, and normal video electroencephalogram during the seizure. The likely pathogenic heterozygous missense variant c.643T>C (p.W215R) of SLC6A5 gene is the genetic cause of this case.

Research advances of lncRNAs in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease / 中国药理学通报

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of noncoding RNAs, are commonly defined as RNA molecules more than 200 nucleotides in length. LncRNA has been shown to get involved in various biological processes, such as chromatin modification, transcriptional activation and intranuclear transport. Emerging research have also indicated that lncRNA plays a vital role in the pathological processes of many diseases. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become one of the most common chronic liver diseases with an increasing incidence. Recent studies have confirmed that lncRNAs are key contributors to pathological processes that are underpinning the initiation and progression of NAFLD, including insulin resistance, lipid metabolism disorders and inflammation. This review summarizes the findings of the role of lncRNAs in the pathological processes of NAFLD that have obtained to date, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention, treatment, clinical detection of NAFLD, and the development of innovative anti-NAFLD drugs.

An investigation on the nutritional status and support of in-patients with common variable immunodeficiency / 中华预防医学杂志

The study aimed to reveal for the first time the clinical characteristics, nutritional and metabolic status and support of hospitalized patients with common variant immunodeficiency disease (CVID), and provide reference to improve the long-term nutritional management for such patients. This is a retrospective cross-sectional study. Through searching the electronic medical record system of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the study included 33 consecutive in-patients with CVID diagnosed in Jan 2016 to Jun 2021, with the male to female ratio of 16∶17. All their medical data, nutritional assessment and intervention retrospectively summarized and analyzed. Data with normal distribution were described using (x¯±s), and analyzed with independent sample t-test. Data with non-normal distribution were compared with non-parametric test. The results showed that the median onset-age of the included patients was 22 (10.0,36.5) years old, and the median duration was 9.0 (2.0,16.0) years. All patients had recurrent infections involving various systems (33/33), with development of autoimmune diseases (8/33) and lymphoproliferative disease or malignancy (9/33) in some cases among them. The nutritional risk screening 2002 (NRS 2002) scores revealed that 85.19% of adults had an NRS 2002≥3 points, and 33.33% of children had a BMI-for-age z score<-2. Weight loss occurred in 66.67% of patients (22/33), while 87.88% (29/33), 69.70% (23/33) and 81.82% (27/33) of patients respectively had anemia, hypoalbuminemia and decreased prealbumin. Among 22 patients with micronutrients status evaluated, 77.27% (17/22), 22.73% (5/22) and 31.82% (7/22) of patients respectively had lowered serum iron, folate deficiency and vitamin B12 insufficiency. Six patients underwent 25-OH-VD3 measurement, and were all testified to have vitamin D deficiency. Among all patients with nutritional risk, 56.00% of them underwent nutritional support: oral nutritional supplements (14 cases), enteral feeding (4 cases) and parenteral nutrition (5 cases). In conclusion, the condition of malnutrition was prevalent in patients with CVID, but was under-recognized and undertreated to some degree.

An investigation on the nutritional status and support of in-patients with common variable immunodeficiency / 中华预防医学杂志

The study aimed to reveal for the first time the clinical characteristics, nutritional and metabolic status and support of hospitalized patients with common variant immunodeficiency disease (CVID), and provide reference to improve the long-term nutritional management for such patients. This is a retrospective cross-sectional study. Through searching the electronic medical record system of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the study included 33 consecutive in-patients with CVID diagnosed in Jan 2016 to Jun 2021, with the male to female ratio of 16∶17. All their medical data, nutritional assessment and intervention retrospectively summarized and analyzed. Data with normal distribution were described using (x¯±s), and analyzed with independent sample t-test. Data with non-normal distribution were compared with non-parametric test. The results showed that the median onset-age of the included patients was 22 (10.0,36.5) years old, and the median duration was 9.0 (2.0,16.0) years. All patients had recurrent infections involving various systems (33/33), with development of autoimmune diseases (8/33) and lymphoproliferative disease or malignancy (9/33) in some cases among them. The nutritional risk screening 2002 (NRS 2002) scores revealed that 85.19% of adults had an NRS 2002≥3 points, and 33.33% of children had a BMI-for-age z score<-2. Weight loss occurred in 66.67% of patients (22/33), while 87.88% (29/33), 69.70% (23/33) and 81.82% (27/33) of patients respectively had anemia, hypoalbuminemia and decreased prealbumin. Among 22 patients with micronutrients status evaluated, 77.27% (17/22), 22.73% (5/22) and 31.82% (7/22) of patients respectively had lowered serum iron, folate deficiency and vitamin B12 insufficiency. Six patients underwent 25-OH-VD3 measurement, and were all testified to have vitamin D deficiency. Among all patients with nutritional risk, 56.00% of them underwent nutritional support: oral nutritional supplements (14 cases), enteral feeding (4 cases) and parenteral nutrition (5 cases). In conclusion, the condition of malnutrition was prevalent in patients with CVID, but was under-recognized and undertreated to some degree.

Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in kidney transplant recipients and analysis the risk factors for severe/critical infections / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in kidney transplant recipients(KTRs)and examine the risk factors for severe/critical infection.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted for 208 adult KTRs diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection between December 15, 2022, and March 15, 2023.They were assigned into two groups of mild/ordinary(n=168)and severe/critical(n=40)according to the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection.Two groups were compared with regards to general profiles, status of baseline vaccination against COVID-19, transplant history, immunosuppressive regimens, comorbidities and treatment outcomes.For continuous variables, t or Mann-Whitney U test was utilized for comparing the inter-group differences.For categorical variables, chi-square or Fisher's exact test was employed.Bonferroni correction was applied for multiple comparisons when p value was ≤0.05.Logistic regression analysis of univariates and multivariates was conducted for identifying the risk factors for severe/critical infections.Results:The rates of hospitalization, severe illness, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation and mortality among 208 KTRs with COVID-19 were 27.4%(57/208), 19.2%(40/208), 3.4%(7/208), 5.3%(11/208)and 1.9%(4/208)respectively.Among 57 COVID-19 infected individuals, 43.9%(25/57)experienced bone marrow suppression with an incidence of anemia 36.8%(21/57)and thrombocytopenia 22.8%(13/57). The lowest counts of whole blood lymphocyte, CD4 + T lymphocyte and CD8 + T lymphocyte were 390.0(245.0, 615.0), 138.0(78.0, 293.5)and 180.0(94.7, 575.2)cells/μL respectively.The incidence of bacterial, cytomegaloviral, Pneumocystis jirovecii and other fungal infections after COVID-19 infection was 17.8%(37/208), 3.8%(8/208), 2.9%(6/208)and 2.9%(6/208)respectively.The severe/critical group had a higher incidence of other pathogen infections as compared to mild/ordinary group, including bacterial infections[62.5%(25/40)vs 7.1%(12/168), 95% CI: 47.5%~63.3%, P<0.001], cytomegaloviral infections[15.0%(6/40)vs 1.2%(2/168), 95% CI: 8.1%~19.5%, P=0.001], P.jirovecii infections[15%(6/40)vs 0(0/168), 95% CI: 9.4%~20.6%, P<0.001]and other fungal infections of Candida, Cryptococcus, Malassezia and Aspergillus fumigatus[15.0%(6/40)vs 0(0/168), 95% CI: 9.4%~20.6%, P<0.001]. The incidence of acute kidney injury(AKI)after COVID-19 infection was 13.5%(28/208)and severe/critical group had a higher incidence of AKI than mild/ordinary group[52.5%(21/40)vs 4.2%(7/168), 95% CI: 40.3% to 56.3%, P<0.001]. Univariate analysis showed that age( P=0.003), male gender( P=0.002), smoking history( P=0.012), coronary heart disease( P=0.011), diabetes mellitus( P=0.002), chronic renal insufficiency( P=0.001)and pulmonary disease history( P=0.001)were significantly different between severe/critical and mild/ordinary groups.Multivariate regression analysis revealed that comorbid chronic kidney disease( OR=3.34, 95% CI: 1.46-7.64, P=0.004)and a history of lung disease( OR=3.42, 95% CI: 1.49-7.87, P=0.004)were independent risk factors for severe/critical illness.Baseline vaccination rate against COVID-19 was 17.8%(37/208). Completion of baseline vaccination was associated with a lower risk of severe/critical COVID-19 infection( OR=0.28, 95% CI: 0.08-0.98, P=0.047). Conclusions:KTRs with severe/critical COVID-19 infections are more prone to multiple pathogen co-infections and the incidence of kidney function impairment after infection has remained relatively high.Histories of pulmonary and chronic kidney diseases are independent risk factors for severe/critical infections.Completion of baseline vaccination provides protection against severe/critical infections.

Five-year outcomes of biodegradable versus second-generation durable polymer drug-eluting stents used in complex percutaneous coronary intervention / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#There are few data comparing clinical outcomes of complex percutaneous coronary intervention (CPCI) when using biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents (BP-DES) or second-generation durable polymer drug-eluting stents (DP-DES). The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of BP-DES and compare that with DP-DES in patients with and without CPCI during a 5-year follow-up.@*METHODS@#Patients who exclusively underwent BP-DES or DP-DES implantation in 2013 at Fuwai Hospital were consecutively enrolled and stratified into two categories based on CPCI presence or absence. CPCI included at least one of the following features: unprotected left main lesion, ≥2 lesions treated, ≥2 stents implanted, total stent length >40 mm, moderate-to-severe calcified lesion, chronic total occlusion, or bifurcated target lesion. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including all-cause death, recurrent myocardial infarction, and total coronary revascularization (target lesion revascularization, target vessel revascularization [TVR], and non-TVR) during the 5-year follow-up. The secondary endpoint was total coronary revascularization.@*RESULTS@#Among the 7712 patients included, 4882 (63.3%) underwent CPCI. Compared with non-CPCI patients, CPCI patients had higher 2- and 5-year incidences of MACE and total coronary revascularization. Following multivariable adjustment including stent type, CPCI was an independent predictor of MACE (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.151; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.017-1.303, P  = 0.026) and total coronary revascularization (aHR: 1.199; 95% CI: 1.037-1.388, P  = 0.014) at 5 years. The results were consistent at the 2-year endpoints. In patients with CPCI, BP-DES use was associated with significantly higher MACE rates at 5 years (aHR: 1.256; 95% CI: 1.078-1.462, P  = 0.003) and total coronary revascularization (aHR: 1.257; 95% CI: 1.052-1.502, P  = 0.012) compared with that of DP-DES, but there was a similar risk at 2 years. However, BP-DES had comparable safety and efficacy profiles including MACE and total coronary revascularization compared with DP-DES in patients with non-CPCI at 2 and 5 years.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Patients underwent CPCI remained at a higher risk of mid- to long-term adverse events regardless of the stent type. The effect of BP-DES compared with DP-DES on outcomes was similar in CPCI and non-CPCI patients at 2 years but had inconsistent effects at the 5-year clinical endpoints.

Cell-loaded hydrogel microspheres based on droplet microfluidics: a review / 生物工程学报

Droplet microfluidics technology offers refined control over the flows of multiple fluids in micro/nano-scale, enabling fabrication of micro/nano-droplets with precisely adjustable structures and compositions in a high-throughput manner. With the combination of proper hydrogel materials and preparation methods, single or multiple cells can be efficiently encapsulated into hydrogels to produce cell-loaded hydrogel microspheres. The cell-loaded hydrogel microspheres can provide a three-dimensional, relatively independent and controllable microenvironment for cell proliferation and differentiation, which is of great value for three-dimensional cell culture, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, stem cell research, single cell study and many other biological science fields. In this review, the preparation methods of cell-loaded hydrogel microspheres based on droplet microfluidics and its applications in biomedical field are summarized and future prospects are proposed.