Fujian Women and Children Hospital

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a frequent malignant tumor, exhibits a high propensity for both metastasis and recurrence. This study provided a comprehensive analysis of the burden, risk factors, and potential molecular mechanisms of NPC. Methods: Utilizing data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021, we analyzed NPC burden in relation to age, sex, risk factors, and the sociodemographic index (SDI). The average annual percent change (AAPC) was computed through joinpoint regression. To assess causal links between risk factors and NPC, we employed two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR). Future NPC incidence trends (2022–2050) were projected using the Bayesian age–period–cohort model. We also elucidated the molecular mechanisms that trigger NPC by a bioinformatics analysis. Results: Global NPC mortality (AAPC: −1.817) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates (AAPC: −1.932) declined from 1990 to 2021. However, rising prevalence (AAPC: +0.317) and persistent high burden in East/Southeast Asia [e.g., Malaysia age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR): 6.09/100 000]. Socioeconomic disparities are widening, with low-SDI regions experiencing slower burden reduction. Projections suggest continued ASIR decline to 1.08/100 000 by 2050. MR analysis confirms smoking as a causal risk [current smokers odds ratio (OR) = 3.10; former smokers OR = 7.00, compared to never smoking], while Secretoglobin family 1A member 1 (SCGB1A1) downregulation emerges as a key mechanistic link-driving immunosuppression via Th2/Treg infiltration and hub genes (CXCL11, CD19). Conclusion: We innovatively constructed a closed-loop on NPC by multiple bioinformatic techniques. Global NPC mortality and DALYs have significantly declined, while this progress is counterbalanced by a rising prevalence and persistently high burden in East/Southeast Asia. Smoking was detected as a strong causal risk factor for NPC, while SCGB1A1 downregulation served as a novel key molecular driver of NPC pathogenesis.

Objective:To analyze and summarize the detection results and distribution of common inhaled allergens in children with nosebleed in Fuzhou area. Methods:A total of 226 children with allergic rhinitis and common serum aspiration allergen sIgE were selected from the Otolaryngology clinic of our hospital due to rhinorrhagia from June 2021 to June 2023. The distribution of common inhaled allergens in children with epistaxis was analyzed according to gender, age, season of treatment and living environment. Results:Dust mites and household dust mites were the most important allergens, followed by weed pollen mixing and mold mixing. The sIgE positive rate of male children against dust mites and household dust mites was higher than that of female children. At the same time, with the increase of age, the sIgE positive rate of dust mite, house dust mite and weed pollen also showed an increasing trend. The positive rate of sIgE in the mixed mold group was higher than that in other seasons. The sIgE positive rate of mixed tree pollen and mixed weed pollen in mountainous rural group was higher than that in urban group and coastal rural group. Conclusion:Dust mites and dust mites are the most common inhalation allergens in children with nosebleed in Fuzhou area. The positive rate of common inhalation allergen sIgE in children with nosebleeds was different in gender, age, season of treatment and living environment.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a significant pathogen causing acute viral hepatitis globally, posing a particular threat to pregnant women. HEV infects a range of host species, with distinct genotypes exhibiting genotype-specific tropism for different host hepatocytes. The P domain of viral capsid protein plays a central role in host cell attachment, but the molecular determinants that govern its host specificity remain unclear. This study investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying HEV host tropism by using a zoonotic HEV specific antibody 6H8. An epitope involving residues 490 and 492 is identified crucial for both mAb 6H8 binding and virus-cell attachment. Structure-based mutagenesis, molecular dynamics simulations, virus-cell attachment assays, and viral infectivity assays highlight the importance of the N490 and M492 residues in maintaining the structural integrity of the 6H8 epitope, influencing host specificity. Mutations at 490 and 492 permit HEV-1’s and disrupt HEV-4’s binding and infection in porcine hepatocytes. However, they are insufficient alone for reestablishing swine infection in vivo, indicating additional factors are involved in HEV’s host tropism. Our findings suggest that N490 and M492 are critical but not sole determinants of HEV-4’s specific tropism for porcine hepatocytes and advance our understanding of HEV’s zoonotic transmission and host specificity.

This letter reviews Loschi et al’s study evaluating structured telerehabilitation for frail cirrhotic liver transplant candidates, which fills a critical pre-transplant care gap. The video-based program, using low-cost tools and asynchronous sessions, improved liver frailty index reduction and function in adherent patients (29.8%) although a high attrition rate (70%) highlighted engagement challenges. Limitations include a small, non-randomized sample, mixed frailty subgroups, and unexplored long-term effects. Future directions emphasize hybrid models, patient-centered barrier analysis, and policy-driven frailty screening. This work advances digital health for cirrhosis; however, larger trials are needed to optimize outcomes.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is marked by disruptions in metabolic and reproductive endocrine functions. This study synthesizes systemic metabolic profiles, alterations in gut microbiota, and follicular fluid metabolism to elucidate the reproductive and endocrine metabolic changes associated with PCOS. Furthermore, it aims to elucidate the potential mechanisms through which acupuncture may exert therapeutic effects. In this open-label randomized controlled trial conducted in China (November 2021-January 2023), 60 women with PCOS scheduled for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) were randomized to receive acupuncture combined with IVF treatment or IVF treatment alone, with 30 healthy women serving as controls. Gut microbiota was sequenced and analyzed by 16S rRNA and metagenomics; follicular fluid metabolites were determined by untargeted metabolomics. Compared with healthy controls, PCOS exhibited gut microbiota dysbiosis and metabolic disorders. The specific gut microbiota in PCOS dominated by s_Lachnospiraceae, s_Blautia_sp. and g_Escherichia-Shigella, which correlated with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and hormone levels. Acupuncture combined with IVF significantly regulated glucose and lipid metabolism, reduced g_Escherichia-Shigell abundance, and showed potential advantages in enhancing oocyte quality and embryonic developmental potential (p = 0.011). Analysis of the correlation between differential metabolites and oocyte and embryo quality demonstrated that methionine sulfoxide and boldione may be key metabolites to affect follicle quality. PCOS is associated with systemic multi-pathway metabolic dysregulation and gut microbiota dysbiosis. It described the potential therapeutic benefits of acupuncture combined with IVF for PCOS, laying a foundation for further understanding the disease and the mechanisms of acupuncture for PCOS metabolic disorders, and providing directions for future research.