Objective Viral encephalitis is an infectious disease severely affecting human health.It is caused by a wide variety of viral pathogens,including herpes viruses,flaviviruses,enteroviruses,and other viruses.The laborat...Objective Viral encephalitis is an infectious disease severely affecting human health.It is caused by a wide variety of viral pathogens,including herpes viruses,flaviviruses,enteroviruses,and other viruses.The laboratory diagnosis of viral encephalitis is a worldwide challenge.Recently,high-throughput sequencing technology has provided new tools for diagnosing central nervous system infections.Thus,In this study,we established a multipathogen detection platform for viral encephalitis based on amplicon sequencing.Methods We designed nine pairs of specific polymerase chain reaction(PCR)primers for the 12 viruses by reviewing the relevant literature.The detection ability of the primers was verified by software simulation and the detection of known positive samples.Amplicon sequencing was used to validate the samples,and consistency was compared with Sanger sequencing.Results The results showed that the target sequences of various pathogens were obtained at a coverage depth level greater than 20×,and the sequence lengths were consistent with the sizes of the predicted amplicons.The sequences were verified using the National Center for Biotechnology Information BLAST,and all results were consistent with the results of Sanger sequencing.Conclusion Amplicon-based high-throughput sequencing technology is feasible as a supplementary method for the pathogenic detection of viral encephalitis.It is also a useful tool for the high-volume screening of clinical samples.展开更多
Objective China is among the 30 countries with a high burden of tuberculosis(TB)worldwide,and TB remains a public health concern.Kashgar Prefecture in the southern Xinjiang Autonomous Region is considered as one of th...Objective China is among the 30 countries with a high burden of tuberculosis(TB)worldwide,and TB remains a public health concern.Kashgar Prefecture in the southern Xinjiang Autonomous Region is considered as one of the highest TB burden regions in China.However,molecular epidemiological studies of Kashgar are lacking.Methods A population-based retrospective study was conducted using whole-genome sequencing(WGS)to determine the characteristics of drug resistance and the transmission patterns.Results A total of 1,668 isolates collected in 2020 were classified into lineages 2(46.0%),3(27.5%),and 4(26.5%).The drug resistance rates revealed by WGS showed that the top three drugs in terms of the resistance rate were isoniazid(7.4%,124/1,668),streptomycin(6.0%,100/1,668),and rifampicin(3.3%,55/1,668).The rate of rifampicin resistance was 1.8%(23/1,290)in the new cases and 9.4%(32/340)in the previously treated cases.Known resistance mutations were detected more frequently in lineage 2 strains than in lineage 3 or 4 strains,respectively:18.6%vs.8.7 or 9%,P<0.001.The estimated proportion of recent transmissions was 25.9%(432/1,668).Multivariate logistic analyses indicated that sex,age,occupation,lineage,and drug resistance were the risk factors for recent transmission.Despite the low rate of drug resistance,drug-resistant strains had a higher risk of recent transmission than the susceptible strains(adjusted odds ratio,1.414;95%CI,1.023–1.954;P=0.036).Among all patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis(DR-TB),78.4%(171/218)were attributed to the transmission of DR-TB strains.Conclusion Our results suggest that drug-resistant strains are more transmissible than susceptible strains and that transmission is the major driving force of the current DR-TB epidemic in Kashgar.展开更多
High intraocular pressure causes retinal ganglion cell injury in primary and secondary glaucoma diseases,yet the molecular landscape characteristics of retinal cells under high intraocular pressure remain unknown.Rat ...High intraocular pressure causes retinal ganglion cell injury in primary and secondary glaucoma diseases,yet the molecular landscape characteristics of retinal cells under high intraocular pressure remain unknown.Rat models of acute hypertension ocular pressure were established by injection of cross-linked hyaluronic acid hydrogel(Healaflow■).Single-cell RNA sequencing was then used to describe the cellular composition and molecular profile of the retina following high intraocular pressure.Our results identified a total of 12 cell types,namely retinal pigment epithelial cells,rod-photoreceptor cells,bipolar cells,Müller cells,microglia,cone-photoreceptor cells,retinal ganglion cells,endothelial cells,retinal progenitor cells,oligodendrocytes,pericytes,and fibroblasts.The single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of the retina under acute high intraocular pressure revealed obvious changes in the proportions of various retinal cells,with ganglion cells decreased by 23%.Hematoxylin and eosin staining and TUNEL staining confirmed the damage to retinal ganglion cells under high intraocular pressure.We extracted data from retinal ganglion cells and analyzed the retinal ganglion cell cluster with the most distinct expression.We found upregulation of the B3gat2 gene,which is associated with neuronal migration and adhesion,and downregulation of the Tsc22d gene,which participates in inhibition of inflammation.This study is the first to reveal molecular changes and intercellular interactions in the retina under high intraocular pressure.These data contribute to understanding of the molecular mechanism of retinal injury induced by high intraocular pressure and will benefit the development of novel therapies.展开更多
Background In the modern sheep production systems,the reproductive performance of ewes determines the economic profitability of farming.Revealing the genetic mechanisms underlying differences in the litter size is imp...Background In the modern sheep production systems,the reproductive performance of ewes determines the economic profitability of farming.Revealing the genetic mechanisms underlying differences in the litter size is important for the selection and breeding of highly prolific ewes.Hu sheep,a high-quality Chinese sheep breed,is known for its high fecundity and is often used as a model to study prolificacy traits.In the current study,animals were divided into two groups according to their delivery rates in three consecutive lambing seasons(namely,the high and low reproductive groups with≥3 lambs and one lamb per season,n=3,respectively).The ewes were slaughtered within 12 h of estrus,and unilateral ovarian tissues were collected and analyzed by 10×Genomics single-cell RNA sequencing.Results A total of 5 types of somatic cells were identified and corresponding expression profiles were mapped in the ovaries of each group.Noticeably,the differences in the ovary somatic cell expression profiles between the high and low reproductive groups were mainly clustered in the granulosa cells.Furthermore,four granulosa cell subtypes were identified.GeneSwitches analysis revealed that the abundance of JPH1 expression and the reduction of LOC101112291 expression could lead to different evolutionary directions of the granulosa cells.Additionally,the expression levels of FTH1 and FTL in mural granulosa cells of the highly reproductive group were significantly higher.These genes inhibit necroptosis and ferroptosis of mural granulosa cells,which helps prevent follicular atresia.Conclusions This study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the high fecundity of Hu sheep.The differences in gene expression profiles,particularly in the granulosa cells,suggest that these cells play a critical role in female prolificacy.The findings also highlight the importance of genes such as JPH1,LOC101112291,FTH1,and FTL in regulating granulosa cell function and follicular development.展开更多
Seed plumules comprise multiple developing tissues and are key sites for above-ground plant organ morphogenesis.Here,the spatial expression of genes in developing rice seed plumules was characterized by single-cell tr...Seed plumules comprise multiple developing tissues and are key sites for above-ground plant organ morphogenesis.Here,the spatial expression of genes in developing rice seed plumules was characterized by single-cell transcriptome sequencing in Zhongjiazao 17,a popular Chinese indica rice cultivar.Of 15 cell clusters,13 were assigned to cell types using marker genes and cluster-specific genes.Marker genes of multiple cell types were expressed in several clusters,suggesting a complex developmental system.Some genes for signaling by phytohormones such as abscisic acid were highly expressed in specific clusters.Various cis-elements in the promoters of genes specifically expressed in cell clusters were calculated,and some key hormone-related motifs were frequent in certain clusters.Spatial expression patterns of genes involved in rapid seed germination,seedling growth,and development were identified.These findings enhanced our understanding of cellular diversity and specialization within plumules of rice,a monocotyledonous model crop.展开更多
The application of microorganisms as probiotics is limited due to lack of safety evaluation.Here,a novel multi-stress-tolerant yeast Meyerozyma guilliermondii GXDK6 with aroma-producing properties was identified from ...The application of microorganisms as probiotics is limited due to lack of safety evaluation.Here,a novel multi-stress-tolerant yeast Meyerozyma guilliermondii GXDK6 with aroma-producing properties was identified from marine mangrove microorganisms.Its safety and probiotic properties were assessed in accordance with phenotype and whole-genome sequencing analysis.Results showed that the genes and phenotypic expression of related virulence,antibiotic resistance and retroelement were rarely found.Hyphal morphogenesis genes(SIT4,HOG1,SPA2,ERK1,ICL1,CST20,HSP104,TPS1,and RHO1)and phospholipase secretion gene(VPS4)were annotated.True hyphae and phospholipase were absent.Only one retroelement(Tad1-65_BG)was found.Major biogenic amines(BAs)encoding genes were absent,except for spermidine synthase(JA9_002594),spermine synthase(JA9_004690),and tyrosine decarboxylase(inx).The production of single BAs and total BAs was far below the food-defined thresholds.GXDK6 had no resistance to common antifungal drugs.Virulence enzymes,such as gelatinase,DNase,hemolytic,lecithinase,and thrombin were absent.Acute toxicity test with mice demonstrated that GXDK6 is safe.GXDK6 has a good reproduction ability in the simulation gastrointestinal tract.GXDK6 also has a strong antioxidant ability,β-glucosidase,and inulinase activity.To sum up,GXDK6 is considered as a safe probiotic for human consumption and food fermentation.展开更多
Spermatogenic cell heterogeneity is determined by the complex process of spermatogenesis differentiation.However,effectively revealing the regulatory mechanisms underlying mammalian spermatogenic cell development and ...Spermatogenic cell heterogeneity is determined by the complex process of spermatogenesis differentiation.However,effectively revealing the regulatory mechanisms underlying mammalian spermatogenic cell development and differentiation via traditional methods is difficult.Advances in technology have led to the emergence of many single-cell transcriptome sequencing protocols,which have partially addressed these challenges.In this review,we detail the principles of 10x Genomics technology and summarize the methods for downstream analysis of single-cell transcriptome sequencing data.Furthermore,we explore the role of single-cell transcriptome sequencing in revealing the heterogeneity of testicular ecological niche cells,delineating the establishment and disruption of testicular immune homeostasis during human spermatogenesis,investigating abnormal spermatogenesis in humans,and,ultimately,elucidating the molecular evolution of mammalian spermatogenesis.展开更多
Bladder cancer(BC)is the 10th most common cancer worldwide,with about 0.5 million reported new cases and about 0.2 million deaths per year.In this scoping review,we summarize the current evidence regarding the clinica...Bladder cancer(BC)is the 10th most common cancer worldwide,with about 0.5 million reported new cases and about 0.2 million deaths per year.In this scoping review,we summarize the current evidence regarding the clinical implications of single-cell sequencing for bladder cancer based on PRISMA guidelines.We searched PubMed,CENTRAL,Embase,and supplemented with manual searches through the Scopus,and Web of Science for published studies until February 2023.We included original studies that used at least one single-cell technology to study bladder cancer.Forty-one publications were included in the review.Twenty-nine studies showed that this technology can identify cell subtypes in the tumor microenvironment that may predict prognosis or response to immune checkpoint inhibition therapy.Two studies were able to diagnose BC by identifying neoplastic cells through single-cell sequencing urine samples.The remaining studies were mainly a preclinical exploration of tumor microenvironment at single cell level.Single-cell sequencing technology can discriminate heterogeneity in bladder tumor cells and determine the key molecular properties that can lead to the discovery of novel perspectives on cancer management.This nascent tool can advance the early diagnosis,prognosis judgment,and targeted therapy of bladder cancer.展开更多
BACKGROUND This study aimed to identify characteristic gut genera in obese and normal-weight children(8-12 years old)using 16S rDNA sequencing.The research aimed to provide insights for mechanistic studies and prevent...BACKGROUND This study aimed to identify characteristic gut genera in obese and normal-weight children(8-12 years old)using 16S rDNA sequencing.The research aimed to provide insights for mechanistic studies and prevention strategies for childhood obesity.Thirty normal-weight and thirty age-and sex-matched obese children were included.Questionnaires and body measurements were collected,and fecal samples underwent 16S rDNA sequencing.Significant differences in body mass index(BMI)and body-fat percentage were observed between the groups.Analysis of gut microbiota diversity revealed lowerα-diversity in obese children.Differences in gut microbiota composition were found between the two groups.Prevotella and Firmicutes were more abundant in the obese group,while Bacteroides and Sanguibacteroides were more prevalent in the control group.AIM To identify the characteristic gut genera in obese and normal-weight children(8-12-year-old)using 16S rDNA sequencing,and provide a basis for subsequent mechanistic studies and prevention strategies for childhood obesity.METHODS Thirty each normal-weight,1:1 matched for age and sex,and obese children,with an obese status from 2020 to 2022,were included in the control and obese groups,respectively.Basic information was collected through questionnaires and body measurements were obtained from both obese and normal-weight children.Fecal samples were collected from both groups and subjected to 16S rDNA sequencing using an Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform for gut microbiota diversity analysis.RESULTS Significant differences in BMI and body-fat percentage were observed between the two groups.The Ace and Chao1 indices were significantly lower in the obese group than those in the control group,whereas differences were not significant in the Shannon and Simpson indices.Kruskal-Wallis tests indicated significant differences in unweighted and weighted UniFrac distances between the gut microbiota of normal-weight and obese children(P<0.01),suggesting substantial disparities in both the species and quantity of gut microbiota between the two groups.Prevotella,Firmicutes,Bacteroides,and Sanguibacteroides were more abundant in the obese and control groups,respectively.Heatmap results demonstrated significant differences in the gut microbiota composition between obese and normal-weight children.CONCLUSION Obese children exhibited lowerα-diversity in their gut microbiota than did the normal-weight children.Significant differences were observed in the composition of gut microbiota between obese and normal-weight children.展开更多
Due to the complex natures of dietary food components,it is difficult to elucidate how the compounds affect host health.Dietary food often selectively presents its mechanism of action on different cell types,and parti...Due to the complex natures of dietary food components,it is difficult to elucidate how the compounds affect host health.Dietary food often selectively presents its mechanism of action on different cell types,and participates in the modulation of targeted cells and their microenvironments within organs.However,the limitations of traditional in vitro assays or in vivo animal experiments cannot comprehensively examine cellular heterogeneity and the tissue-biased influences.Single-cell RNA sequencing(sc RNA-seq)has emerged as an indispensable methodology to decompose tissues into different cell types for the demonstration of transcriptional profiles of individual cells.Sc RNA-seq applications has been summarized on three typical organs(brain,liver,kidney),and two representative immune-and tumor related health problems.The everincreasing role of sc RNA-seq in dietary food research with further improvement can provide sub-cellular information and the coupling between other cellular modalities.In this review,we propose utilizing sc RNAseq to more effectively capture the subtle and complex effects of food chemicals,and how they may lead to health problems at single-cell resolution.This novel technique will be valuable to elucidate the underlying mechanism of both the health benefits of food nutrients and the detrimental consequences food toxicants at the cellular level.展开更多
The internal microbial diversity and small molecular metabolites of Nuodeng ham in different processing years(the first,second and third year sample)were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing technology and gas chrom...The internal microbial diversity and small molecular metabolites of Nuodeng ham in different processing years(the first,second and third year sample)were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing technology and gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrography(GC-TOF-MS)to study the effects of microorganisms and small molecular metabolites on the quality of ham in different processing years.The results showed that the dominant bacteria phyla of Nuodeng ham in different processing years were Proteobacteria and Firmicutes,the dominant fungi phyla were Ascomycota and Basidiomycota,while Staphylococcus and Aspergillus were the dominant bacteria and fungi of Nuodeng ham,respectively.Totally,252 kinds of small molecular metabolites were identified from Nuodeng ham in different processing years,and 12 different metabolites were screened through multivariate statistical analysis.Further metabolic pathway analysis showed that 23 metabolic pathways were related to ham fermentation,of which 8 metabolic pathways had significant effects on ham fermentation(Impact>0.01,P<0.05).The content of L-proline,phenyllactic acid,L-lysine,carnosine,taurine,D-proline,betaine and creatine were significantly positively correlated with the relative abundance of Staphylococcus and Serratia,but negatively correlated with the relative abundance of Halomonas,Aspergillus and Yamadazyma.展开更多
Objective:Autosomal recessive bestrophinopathy(ARB),a retinal degenerative disease,is characterized by central visual loss,yellowish multifocal diffuse subretinal deposits,and a dramatic decrease in the light peak on ...Objective:Autosomal recessive bestrophinopathy(ARB),a retinal degenerative disease,is characterized by central visual loss,yellowish multifocal diffuse subretinal deposits,and a dramatic decrease in the light peak on electrooculogram.The potential pathogenic mechanism involves mutations in the BEST1 gene,which encodes Ca2+-activated Cl−channels in the retinal pigment epithelium(RPE),resulting in degeneration of RPE and photoreceptor.In this study,the complete clinical characteristics of two Chinese ARB families were summarized.Methods:Pacific Biosciences(PacBio)single-molecule real-time(SMRT)sequencing was performed on the probands to screen for disease-causing gene mutations,and Sanger sequencing was applied to validate variants in the patients and their family members.Results:Two novel mutations,c.202T>C(chr11:61722628,p.Y68H)and c.867+97G>A,in the BEST1 gene were identified in the two Chinese ARB families.The novel missense mutation BEST1 c.202T>C(p.Y68H)resulted in the substitution of tyrosine with histidine in the N-terminal region of transmembrane domain 2 of bestrophin-1.Another novel variant,BEST1 c.867+97G>A(chr11:61725867),located in intron 7,might be considered a regulatory variant that changes allele-specific binding affinity based on motifs of important transcriptional regulators.Conclusion:Our findings represent the first use of third-generation sequencing(TGS)to identify novel BEST1 mutations in patients with ARB,indicating that TGS can be a more accurate and efficient tool for identifying mutations in specific genes.The novel variants identified further broaden the mutation spectrum of BEST1 in the Chinese population.展开更多
BACKGROUND:Prompt pathogen identification can have a substantial impact on the optimization of antimicrobial treatment.The objective of the study was to assess the diagnostic value of next-generation sequencing(NGS)fo...BACKGROUND:Prompt pathogen identification can have a substantial impact on the optimization of antimicrobial treatment.The objective of the study was to assess the diagnostic value of next-generation sequencing(NGS)for identifying pathogen and its clinical impact on antimicrobial intervention in immunocompromised patients with suspected infections.METHODS:This was a retrospective study.Between January and August 2020,47 adult immunocompromised patients underwent NGS testing under the following clinical conditions:1)prolonged fever and negative conventional cultures;2)new-onset fever despite empiric antimicrobial treatment;and 3)afebrile with suspected infections on imaging.Clinical data,including conventional microbial test results and antimicrobial treatment before and after NGS,were collected.Data were analyzed according to documented changes in antimicrobial treatment(escalated,no change,or deescalated)after the NGS results.RESULTS:The median time from hospitalization to NGS sampling was 19 d.Clinically relevant pathogens were detected via NGS in 61.7% of patients(29/47),more than half of whom suffered from fungemia(n=17),resulting in an antimicrobial escalation in 53.2% of patients(25/47)and antimicrobial de-escalation in 0.2% of patients(1/47).Antimicrobial changes were mostly due to the identification of fastidious organisms such as Legionella,Pneumocystis jirovecii,and Candida.In the remaining three cases,NGS detected clinically relevant pathogens also detected by conventional cultures a few days later.The antimicrobial treatment was subsequently adjusted according to the susceptibility test results.Overall,NGS changed antimicrobial management in 55.3%(26/47)of patients,and conventional culture detected clinically relevant pathogens in 14.9% of the patients(7/47).CONCLUSION:With its rapid identification and high sensitivity,NGS could be a promising tool for identifying relevant pathogens and enabling rapid appropriate treatment in immunocompromised patients with suspected infections.展开更多
Diabetes mellitus(DM),an increasingly prevalent chronic metabolic disease,is characterised by prolonged hyperglycaemia,which leads to long-term health consequences.Although much effort has been put into understanding ...Diabetes mellitus(DM),an increasingly prevalent chronic metabolic disease,is characterised by prolonged hyperglycaemia,which leads to long-term health consequences.Although much effort has been put into understanding the pathogenesis of diabetic wounds,the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.The advent of single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNAseq)has revolutionised biological research by enabling the identification of novel cell types,the discovery of cellular markers,the analysis of gene expression patterns and the prediction of develop-mental trajectories.This powerful tool allows for an in-depth exploration of pathogenesis at the cellular and molecular levels.In this editorial,we focus on progenitor-based repair strategies for diabetic wound healing as revealed by scRNAseq and highlight the biological behaviour of various healing-related cells and the alteration of signalling pathways in the process of diabetic wound healing.ScRNAseq could not only deepen our understanding of the complex biology of diabetic wounds but also identify and validate new targets for inter-vention,offering hope for improved patient outcomes in the management of this challenging complication of DM.展开更多
Background:Hypoplastic left heart syndrome(HLHS)is one of the most challenging congenital heart diseases in clinical treatment.In cardiac tissues,resident macrophages fulfill critical functions in maintaining a stable...Background:Hypoplastic left heart syndrome(HLHS)is one of the most challenging congenital heart diseases in clinical treatment.In cardiac tissues,resident macrophages fulfill critical functions in maintaining a stable cardiac state and have strong regenerative capacity and organ specificity.However,the molecular mechanisms of macro-phages in HLHS remained unclear.Methods:Single-nucleus RNA sequencing(snRNA-seq)data of HLHS and healthy control(donors)samples obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database were normalized and clustered using the Seurat package.The“FindMarkers”function was used to screen differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between the HLHS and donor groups and to analyze the functional enrichment of the set of genes of interest.Finally,cell-cell communication,pseudotime,and single-cell regulatory network inference and cluster-ing(SCENIC)analyses were used to study the mechanisms of macrophages in HLHS.Results:Based on the snRNA-seq data of HLHS and donors,we identified a total of 9 cell clusters,among which the proportion of macrophages was significantly less in the HLHS group than in the control group.Subdivision of macrophage subpopulations(Macrophages 1,2,and 3)showed that Macrophages 1 was mainly involved in nervous system development,angiogenesis,and apoptotic processes.In addition,analysis of communication between Macro-phages 1 and cardiomyocytes revealed that ligand-acceptor pairs such as GAS6/AXL,IL6,IGF1,THY1,and L1CAM were present only in the donor group.Finally,pesudotime and SCENIC analyses demonstrated that FOXO3 and ELF2 played a critical role for Macrophages 1 to maintain cardiac function in patients with HLHS.Conclusion:Our study improved the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of macrophage devel-opment in HLHS,showing that manipulating the regulatory role of macrophages in the heart can be a novel treat-ment for HLHS.展开更多
BACKGROUND Infectious diseases are still one of the greatest threats to human health,and the etiology of 20%of cases of clinical fever is unknown;therefore,rapid identification of pathogens is highly important.Traditi...BACKGROUND Infectious diseases are still one of the greatest threats to human health,and the etiology of 20%of cases of clinical fever is unknown;therefore,rapid identification of pathogens is highly important.Traditional culture methods are only able to detect a limited number of pathogens and are time-consuming;serologic detection has window periods,false-positive and false-negative problems;and nucleic acid molecular detection methods can detect several known pathogens only once.Three-generation nanopore sequencing technology provides new options for identifying pathogens.CASE SUMMARY Case 1:The patient was admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain for three days and cessation of defecation for five days,accompanied by cough and sputum.Nanopore sequencing of the drainage fluid revealed the presence of orallike bacteria,leading to a clinical diagnosis of bronchopleural fistula.Cefoperazone sodium sulbactam treatment was effective.Case 2:The patient was admitted to the hospital with fever and headache,and CT revealed lung inflammation.Antibiotic treatment for Streptococcus pneumoniae,identified through nanopore sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid,was effective.Case 3:The patient was admitted to our hospital with intermittent fever and an enlarged neck mass that had persisted for more than six months.Despite antibacterial treatment,her symptoms worsened.The nanopore sequencing results indicate that voriconazole treatment is effective for Aspergillus brookii.The patient was diagnosed with mixed cell type classical Hodgkin's lymphoma with infection.CONCLUSION Three-generation nanopore sequencing technology allows for rapid and accurate detection of pathogens in human infectious diseases.展开更多
BACKGROUND Brain abscess is a serious and potentially fatal disease caused primarily by microbial infection.Although progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of brain abscesses,the diagnostic timeliness o...BACKGROUND Brain abscess is a serious and potentially fatal disease caused primarily by microbial infection.Although progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of brain abscesses,the diagnostic timeliness of pathogens needs to be improved.CASE SUMMARY We report the case of a 54-year-old male with a brain abscess caused by oral bacteria.The patient recovered well after receiving a combination of metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS)-assisted guided medication and surgery.CONCLUSION Therefore,mNGS may be widely applied to identify the pathogenic microor-ganisms of brain abscesses and guide precision medicine.展开更多
Background:For patients with lung cancer,timely identification of new lung lesions as infectious or non-infectious,and accurate identification of pathogens is very important in improving OS of patients.As a new auxiliar...Background:For patients with lung cancer,timely identification of new lung lesions as infectious or non-infectious,and accurate identification of pathogens is very important in improving OS of patients.As a new auxiliary examination,metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS)is believed to be more accurate in diagnosing infectious diseases in patients without underlying diseases,compared with conventional microbial tests(CMTs).We designed this study tofind out whether mNGS has better performance in distinguishing infectious and non-infectious diseases in lung cancer patients using bronchoalveolar lavagefluid(BALF).Materials and Methods:This study was a real-world retrospective review based on electronic medical records of lung cancer patients with bronchoalveolar lavage(BAL)and BALF commercial mNGS testing as part of clinical care from 1 April 2019 through 30 April 2022 at The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.164 patients were included in this study.Patients were categorized into the pulmonary non-infectious disease(PNID)group(n=64)and the pulmonary infectious disease(PID)group(n=100)groups based onfinal diagnoses.Results:BALF mNGS increased the sensitivity rate by 60%compared to CMTs(81%vs.21%,p<0.05),whereas there was no significant difference in specificity(75%vs.98.4%,p>0.1).Among the patients with PID,bacteria were the most common cause of infection.Fungal infections occurred in 32%of patients,and Pneumocystis Yersini was most common.Patients with Tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKIs)therapy possess longer overall survival(OS)than other anti-cancer agents,the difference between TKIs and immuno-checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)was insignificant(median OS TKIs vs.ICIs vs.Anti-angiogenic vs.Chemo vs.Radiotherapy=76 vs.84 vs.61 vs.58 vs.60).Conclusions:our study indicates that BALF mNGS can add value by improving overall sensitivity in lung cancer patients with potential pulmonary infection,and was outstanding in identifying Pneumocystis infection.It could be able to help physicians adjust the follow-up treatment to avoid the abuse of antibiotics.展开更多
BACKGROUND The complexity of the immune microenvironment has an impact on the treatment of colorectal cancer(CRC),one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide.In this study,multi-omics and single-cell sequencing t...BACKGROUND The complexity of the immune microenvironment has an impact on the treatment of colorectal cancer(CRC),one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide.In this study,multi-omics and single-cell sequencing techniques were used to investigate the mechanism of action of circulating and infiltrating B cells in CRC.By revealing the heterogeneity and functional differences of B cells in cancer immunity,we aim to deepen our understanding of immune regulation and provide a scientific basis for the development of more effective cancer treatment strategies.AIM To explore the role of circulating and infiltrating B cell subsets in the immune microenvironment of CRC,explore the potential driving mechanism of B cell development,analyze the interaction between B cells and other immune cells in the immune microenvironment and the functions of communication molecules,and search for possible regulatory pathways to promote the anti-tumor effects of B cells.METHODS A total of 69 paracancer(normal),tumor and peripheral blood samples were collected from 23 patients with CRC from The Cancer Genome Atlas database(https://portal.gdc.cancer.gov/).After the immune cells were sorted by multicolor flow cytometry,the single cell transcriptome and B cell receptor group library were sequenced using the 10X Genomics platform,and the data were analyzed using bioinformatics tools such as Seurat.The differences in the number and function of B cell infiltration between tumor and normal tissue,the interaction between B cell subsets and T cells and myeloid cell subsets,and the transcription factor regulatory network of B cell subsets were explored and analyzed.RESULTS Compared with normal tissue,the infiltrating number of CD20+B cell subsets in tumor tissue increased significantly.Among them,germinal center B cells(GCB)played the most prominent role,with positive clone expansion and heavy chain mutation level increasing,and the trend of differentiation into memory B cells increased.However,the number of plasma cells in the tumor microenvironment decreased significantly,and the plasma cells secreting IgA antibodies decreased most obviously.In addition,compared with the immune microenvironment of normal tissues,GCB cells in tumor tissues became more closely connected with other immune cells such as T cells,and communication molecules that positively regulate immune function were significantly enriched.CONCLUSION The role of GCB in CRC tumor microenvironment is greatly enhanced,and its affinity to tumor antigen is enhanced by its significantly increased heavy chain mutation level.Meanwhile,GCB has enhanced its association with immune cells in the microenvironment,which plays a positive anti-tumor effect.展开更多
BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)is one of the most common malignancies worldwide,and its development comprises a multistep process from intraepithelial neoplasia(IN)to carcinoma(CA).However,the crit...BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)is one of the most common malignancies worldwide,and its development comprises a multistep process from intraepithelial neoplasia(IN)to carcinoma(CA).However,the critical regulators and underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown.AIM To explore the genes and infiltrating immune cells in the microenvironment that are associated with the multistage progression of ESCC to facilitate diagnosis and early intervention.METHODS A mouse model mimicking the multistage development of ESCC was established by providing warter containing 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide(4NQO)to C57BL/6 mice.Moreover,we established a control group without 4NQO treatment of mice.Then,transcriptome sequencing was performed for esophageal tissues from patients with different pathological statuses,including low-grade IN(LGIN),high-grade IN(HGIN),and CA,and controlled normal tissue(NOR)samples.Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified in the LGIN,HGIN,and CA groups,and the biological functions of the DEGs were analyzed via Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses.The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to detect the pattern of immune cell infilt-ration.Immunohistochemistry(IHC)was also conducted to validate our results.Finally,the Luminex multiplex cytokine analysis was utilized to measure the serum cytokine levels in the mice.RESULTS Compared with those in the NOR group,a total of 681541,and 840 DEGs were obtained in the LGIN,HGIN,and CA groups,respectively.Using the intersection of the three sets of DEGs,we identified 86 genes as key genes involved in the development of ESCC.Enrichment analysis revealed that these genes were enriched mainly in the keratinization,epidermal cell differentiation,and interleukin(IL)-17 signaling pathways.CIBERSORT analysis revealed that,compared with those in the NOR group,M0 and M1 macrophages in the 4NQO group showed stronger infiltration,which was validated by IHC.Serum cytokine analysis revealed that,compared with those in the NOR group,IL-1βand IL-6 were upregulated,while IL-10 was downregulated in the LGIN,HGIN,and CA groups.Moreover,the expression of the representative key genes,such as S100a8 and Krt6b,was verified in external human samples,and the results of immunohistochemical staining were consistent with the findings in mice.CONCLUSION We identified a set of key genes represented by S100a8 and Krt6b and investigated their potential biological functions.In addition,we found that macrophage infiltration and abnormal alterations in the levels of inflam-mation-associated cytokines,such as IL-1β,IL-6,and IL-10,in the peripheral blood may be closely associated with the development of ESCC.展开更多
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program(grant number:2022YFC2305304).
文摘Objective Viral encephalitis is an infectious disease severely affecting human health.It is caused by a wide variety of viral pathogens,including herpes viruses,flaviviruses,enteroviruses,and other viruses.The laboratory diagnosis of viral encephalitis is a worldwide challenge.Recently,high-throughput sequencing technology has provided new tools for diagnosing central nervous system infections.Thus,In this study,we established a multipathogen detection platform for viral encephalitis based on amplicon sequencing.Methods We designed nine pairs of specific polymerase chain reaction(PCR)primers for the 12 viruses by reviewing the relevant literature.The detection ability of the primers was verified by software simulation and the detection of known positive samples.Amplicon sequencing was used to validate the samples,and consistency was compared with Sanger sequencing.Results The results showed that the target sequences of various pathogens were obtained at a coverage depth level greater than 20×,and the sequence lengths were consistent with the sizes of the predicted amplicons.The sequences were verified using the National Center for Biotechnology Information BLAST,and all results were consistent with the results of Sanger sequencing.Conclusion Amplicon-based high-throughput sequencing technology is feasible as a supplementary method for the pathogenic detection of viral encephalitis.It is also a useful tool for the high-volume screening of clinical samples.
基金funded by the National Key R&D Program of China [2022YFC2305200]Natural Science Foundation of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region [2021A01D145 and 2022D01A115]Applied Technology Research and Development Programing Project of Kashgar Prefecture [KS2021031 and KS2021034]。
文摘Objective China is among the 30 countries with a high burden of tuberculosis(TB)worldwide,and TB remains a public health concern.Kashgar Prefecture in the southern Xinjiang Autonomous Region is considered as one of the highest TB burden regions in China.However,molecular epidemiological studies of Kashgar are lacking.Methods A population-based retrospective study was conducted using whole-genome sequencing(WGS)to determine the characteristics of drug resistance and the transmission patterns.Results A total of 1,668 isolates collected in 2020 were classified into lineages 2(46.0%),3(27.5%),and 4(26.5%).The drug resistance rates revealed by WGS showed that the top three drugs in terms of the resistance rate were isoniazid(7.4%,124/1,668),streptomycin(6.0%,100/1,668),and rifampicin(3.3%,55/1,668).The rate of rifampicin resistance was 1.8%(23/1,290)in the new cases and 9.4%(32/340)in the previously treated cases.Known resistance mutations were detected more frequently in lineage 2 strains than in lineage 3 or 4 strains,respectively:18.6%vs.8.7 or 9%,P<0.001.The estimated proportion of recent transmissions was 25.9%(432/1,668).Multivariate logistic analyses indicated that sex,age,occupation,lineage,and drug resistance were the risk factors for recent transmission.Despite the low rate of drug resistance,drug-resistant strains had a higher risk of recent transmission than the susceptible strains(adjusted odds ratio,1.414;95%CI,1.023–1.954;P=0.036).Among all patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis(DR-TB),78.4%(171/218)were attributed to the transmission of DR-TB strains.Conclusion Our results suggest that drug-resistant strains are more transmissible than susceptible strains and that transmission is the major driving force of the current DR-TB epidemic in Kashgar.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.82371051(to DW)the Natural Science Foundation of Beijing,No.7212092(to DW)+1 种基金the Capital’s Funds for Health Improvement and Research,No.2022-2-5041(to DW)the Fund of Science and Technology Development of Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital,Capital Medical University,No.2021R-001(to YL).
文摘High intraocular pressure causes retinal ganglion cell injury in primary and secondary glaucoma diseases,yet the molecular landscape characteristics of retinal cells under high intraocular pressure remain unknown.Rat models of acute hypertension ocular pressure were established by injection of cross-linked hyaluronic acid hydrogel(Healaflow■).Single-cell RNA sequencing was then used to describe the cellular composition and molecular profile of the retina following high intraocular pressure.Our results identified a total of 12 cell types,namely retinal pigment epithelial cells,rod-photoreceptor cells,bipolar cells,Müller cells,microglia,cone-photoreceptor cells,retinal ganglion cells,endothelial cells,retinal progenitor cells,oligodendrocytes,pericytes,and fibroblasts.The single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of the retina under acute high intraocular pressure revealed obvious changes in the proportions of various retinal cells,with ganglion cells decreased by 23%.Hematoxylin and eosin staining and TUNEL staining confirmed the damage to retinal ganglion cells under high intraocular pressure.We extracted data from retinal ganglion cells and analyzed the retinal ganglion cell cluster with the most distinct expression.We found upregulation of the B3gat2 gene,which is associated with neuronal migration and adhesion,and downregulation of the Tsc22d gene,which participates in inhibition of inflammation.This study is the first to reveal molecular changes and intercellular interactions in the retina under high intraocular pressure.These data contribute to understanding of the molecular mechanism of retinal injury induced by high intraocular pressure and will benefit the development of novel therapies.
基金supported by the mutton sheep industry technology system construction project of Shaanxi Province(NYKJ-2021-YL(XN)43).
文摘Background In the modern sheep production systems,the reproductive performance of ewes determines the economic profitability of farming.Revealing the genetic mechanisms underlying differences in the litter size is important for the selection and breeding of highly prolific ewes.Hu sheep,a high-quality Chinese sheep breed,is known for its high fecundity and is often used as a model to study prolificacy traits.In the current study,animals were divided into two groups according to their delivery rates in three consecutive lambing seasons(namely,the high and low reproductive groups with≥3 lambs and one lamb per season,n=3,respectively).The ewes were slaughtered within 12 h of estrus,and unilateral ovarian tissues were collected and analyzed by 10×Genomics single-cell RNA sequencing.Results A total of 5 types of somatic cells were identified and corresponding expression profiles were mapped in the ovaries of each group.Noticeably,the differences in the ovary somatic cell expression profiles between the high and low reproductive groups were mainly clustered in the granulosa cells.Furthermore,four granulosa cell subtypes were identified.GeneSwitches analysis revealed that the abundance of JPH1 expression and the reduction of LOC101112291 expression could lead to different evolutionary directions of the granulosa cells.Additionally,the expression levels of FTH1 and FTL in mural granulosa cells of the highly reproductive group were significantly higher.These genes inhibit necroptosis and ferroptosis of mural granulosa cells,which helps prevent follicular atresia.Conclusions This study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the high fecundity of Hu sheep.The differences in gene expression profiles,particularly in the granulosa cells,suggest that these cells play a critical role in female prolificacy.The findings also highlight the importance of genes such as JPH1,LOC101112291,FTH1,and FTL in regulating granulosa cell function and follicular development.
基金financially supported by the“STI2030-Major Project”of China(2023ZD04072)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFA1300400)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32372099 and 32188102)the Young Science and Technology Talents(He Jian)in Hunan Province(2022RC1015)。
文摘Seed plumules comprise multiple developing tissues and are key sites for above-ground plant organ morphogenesis.Here,the spatial expression of genes in developing rice seed plumules was characterized by single-cell transcriptome sequencing in Zhongjiazao 17,a popular Chinese indica rice cultivar.Of 15 cell clusters,13 were assigned to cell types using marker genes and cluster-specific genes.Marker genes of multiple cell types were expressed in several clusters,suggesting a complex developmental system.Some genes for signaling by phytohormones such as abscisic acid were highly expressed in specific clusters.Various cis-elements in the promoters of genes specifically expressed in cell clusters were calculated,and some key hormone-related motifs were frequent in certain clusters.Spatial expression patterns of genes involved in rapid seed germination,seedling growth,and development were identified.These findings enhanced our understanding of cellular diversity and specialization within plumules of rice,a monocotyledonous model crop.
基金This research was supported by the Funding Project of Chinese Central Government Guiding to the Guangxi Local Science and Technology Development(GUIKEZY21195021)the Natural Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China(2019GXNSFFA245011)+3 种基金the Funding Project of Chinese Central Government Guiding to the Nanning Local Science and Technology Development(20231012)the Funding Projects of Guangxi Key Research and Development Plan(GUIKE AB23075173)the Funding Project of Technological Development from Angel Yeast(Chongzuo)Co.,Ltd.(JS1006020230722019)the Innovation Project of Guangxi Graduate Education(YCBZ2021012).
文摘The application of microorganisms as probiotics is limited due to lack of safety evaluation.Here,a novel multi-stress-tolerant yeast Meyerozyma guilliermondii GXDK6 with aroma-producing properties was identified from marine mangrove microorganisms.Its safety and probiotic properties were assessed in accordance with phenotype and whole-genome sequencing analysis.Results showed that the genes and phenotypic expression of related virulence,antibiotic resistance and retroelement were rarely found.Hyphal morphogenesis genes(SIT4,HOG1,SPA2,ERK1,ICL1,CST20,HSP104,TPS1,and RHO1)and phospholipase secretion gene(VPS4)were annotated.True hyphae and phospholipase were absent.Only one retroelement(Tad1-65_BG)was found.Major biogenic amines(BAs)encoding genes were absent,except for spermidine synthase(JA9_002594),spermine synthase(JA9_004690),and tyrosine decarboxylase(inx).The production of single BAs and total BAs was far below the food-defined thresholds.GXDK6 had no resistance to common antifungal drugs.Virulence enzymes,such as gelatinase,DNase,hemolytic,lecithinase,and thrombin were absent.Acute toxicity test with mice demonstrated that GXDK6 is safe.GXDK6 has a good reproduction ability in the simulation gastrointestinal tract.GXDK6 also has a strong antioxidant ability,β-glucosidase,and inulinase activity.To sum up,GXDK6 is considered as a safe probiotic for human consumption and food fermentation.
基金supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFD1302201,2023YFF1000904)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32072806,32372970)+2 种基金Key Technologies Demonstration of Animal Husbandry in Shaanxi Province(20221086,20230978)Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Competition Leaders(2022JBGS0025)Xinjian Ugur Autonouous Region Scientific Research and Innovation Platform Construction Project“State Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement and Germplasm”。
文摘Spermatogenic cell heterogeneity is determined by the complex process of spermatogenesis differentiation.However,effectively revealing the regulatory mechanisms underlying mammalian spermatogenic cell development and differentiation via traditional methods is difficult.Advances in technology have led to the emergence of many single-cell transcriptome sequencing protocols,which have partially addressed these challenges.In this review,we detail the principles of 10x Genomics technology and summarize the methods for downstream analysis of single-cell transcriptome sequencing data.Furthermore,we explore the role of single-cell transcriptome sequencing in revealing the heterogeneity of testicular ecological niche cells,delineating the establishment and disruption of testicular immune homeostasis during human spermatogenesis,investigating abnormal spermatogenesis in humans,and,ultimately,elucidating the molecular evolution of mammalian spermatogenesis.
文摘Bladder cancer(BC)is the 10th most common cancer worldwide,with about 0.5 million reported new cases and about 0.2 million deaths per year.In this scoping review,we summarize the current evidence regarding the clinical implications of single-cell sequencing for bladder cancer based on PRISMA guidelines.We searched PubMed,CENTRAL,Embase,and supplemented with manual searches through the Scopus,and Web of Science for published studies until February 2023.We included original studies that used at least one single-cell technology to study bladder cancer.Forty-one publications were included in the review.Twenty-nine studies showed that this technology can identify cell subtypes in the tumor microenvironment that may predict prognosis or response to immune checkpoint inhibition therapy.Two studies were able to diagnose BC by identifying neoplastic cells through single-cell sequencing urine samples.The remaining studies were mainly a preclinical exploration of tumor microenvironment at single cell level.Single-cell sequencing technology can discriminate heterogeneity in bladder tumor cells and determine the key molecular properties that can lead to the discovery of novel perspectives on cancer management.This nascent tool can advance the early diagnosis,prognosis judgment,and targeted therapy of bladder cancer.
文摘BACKGROUND This study aimed to identify characteristic gut genera in obese and normal-weight children(8-12 years old)using 16S rDNA sequencing.The research aimed to provide insights for mechanistic studies and prevention strategies for childhood obesity.Thirty normal-weight and thirty age-and sex-matched obese children were included.Questionnaires and body measurements were collected,and fecal samples underwent 16S rDNA sequencing.Significant differences in body mass index(BMI)and body-fat percentage were observed between the groups.Analysis of gut microbiota diversity revealed lowerα-diversity in obese children.Differences in gut microbiota composition were found between the two groups.Prevotella and Firmicutes were more abundant in the obese group,while Bacteroides and Sanguibacteroides were more prevalent in the control group.AIM To identify the characteristic gut genera in obese and normal-weight children(8-12-year-old)using 16S rDNA sequencing,and provide a basis for subsequent mechanistic studies and prevention strategies for childhood obesity.METHODS Thirty each normal-weight,1:1 matched for age and sex,and obese children,with an obese status from 2020 to 2022,were included in the control and obese groups,respectively.Basic information was collected through questionnaires and body measurements were obtained from both obese and normal-weight children.Fecal samples were collected from both groups and subjected to 16S rDNA sequencing using an Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform for gut microbiota diversity analysis.RESULTS Significant differences in BMI and body-fat percentage were observed between the two groups.The Ace and Chao1 indices were significantly lower in the obese group than those in the control group,whereas differences were not significant in the Shannon and Simpson indices.Kruskal-Wallis tests indicated significant differences in unweighted and weighted UniFrac distances between the gut microbiota of normal-weight and obese children(P<0.01),suggesting substantial disparities in both the species and quantity of gut microbiota between the two groups.Prevotella,Firmicutes,Bacteroides,and Sanguibacteroides were more abundant in the obese and control groups,respectively.Heatmap results demonstrated significant differences in the gut microbiota composition between obese and normal-weight children.CONCLUSION Obese children exhibited lowerα-diversity in their gut microbiota than did the normal-weight children.Significant differences were observed in the composition of gut microbiota between obese and normal-weight children.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32170495)the Emergency Project for Risk Assessment of Areca Nut(Key Project of Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Hainan Province&Wanning Municipal People’s Government)。
文摘Due to the complex natures of dietary food components,it is difficult to elucidate how the compounds affect host health.Dietary food often selectively presents its mechanism of action on different cell types,and participates in the modulation of targeted cells and their microenvironments within organs.However,the limitations of traditional in vitro assays or in vivo animal experiments cannot comprehensively examine cellular heterogeneity and the tissue-biased influences.Single-cell RNA sequencing(sc RNA-seq)has emerged as an indispensable methodology to decompose tissues into different cell types for the demonstration of transcriptional profiles of individual cells.Sc RNA-seq applications has been summarized on three typical organs(brain,liver,kidney),and two representative immune-and tumor related health problems.The everincreasing role of sc RNA-seq in dietary food research with further improvement can provide sub-cellular information and the coupling between other cellular modalities.In this review,we propose utilizing sc RNAseq to more effectively capture the subtle and complex effects of food chemicals,and how they may lead to health problems at single-cell resolution.This novel technique will be valuable to elucidate the underlying mechanism of both the health benefits of food nutrients and the detrimental consequences food toxicants at the cellular level.
基金supported by Major Science and Technology Projects of Yunnan Science and Technology Plan(2019ZG003)Yunnan Young and Middle-aged Academic and Technical Leader Reserve Talent Project(202105AC160068)。
文摘The internal microbial diversity and small molecular metabolites of Nuodeng ham in different processing years(the first,second and third year sample)were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing technology and gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrography(GC-TOF-MS)to study the effects of microorganisms and small molecular metabolites on the quality of ham in different processing years.The results showed that the dominant bacteria phyla of Nuodeng ham in different processing years were Proteobacteria and Firmicutes,the dominant fungi phyla were Ascomycota and Basidiomycota,while Staphylococcus and Aspergillus were the dominant bacteria and fungi of Nuodeng ham,respectively.Totally,252 kinds of small molecular metabolites were identified from Nuodeng ham in different processing years,and 12 different metabolites were screened through multivariate statistical analysis.Further metabolic pathway analysis showed that 23 metabolic pathways were related to ham fermentation,of which 8 metabolic pathways had significant effects on ham fermentation(Impact>0.01,P<0.05).The content of L-proline,phenyllactic acid,L-lysine,carnosine,taurine,D-proline,betaine and creatine were significantly positively correlated with the relative abundance of Staphylococcus and Serratia,but negatively correlated with the relative abundance of Halomonas,Aspergillus and Yamadazyma.
文摘Objective:Autosomal recessive bestrophinopathy(ARB),a retinal degenerative disease,is characterized by central visual loss,yellowish multifocal diffuse subretinal deposits,and a dramatic decrease in the light peak on electrooculogram.The potential pathogenic mechanism involves mutations in the BEST1 gene,which encodes Ca2+-activated Cl−channels in the retinal pigment epithelium(RPE),resulting in degeneration of RPE and photoreceptor.In this study,the complete clinical characteristics of two Chinese ARB families were summarized.Methods:Pacific Biosciences(PacBio)single-molecule real-time(SMRT)sequencing was performed on the probands to screen for disease-causing gene mutations,and Sanger sequencing was applied to validate variants in the patients and their family members.Results:Two novel mutations,c.202T>C(chr11:61722628,p.Y68H)and c.867+97G>A,in the BEST1 gene were identified in the two Chinese ARB families.The novel missense mutation BEST1 c.202T>C(p.Y68H)resulted in the substitution of tyrosine with histidine in the N-terminal region of transmembrane domain 2 of bestrophin-1.Another novel variant,BEST1 c.867+97G>A(chr11:61725867),located in intron 7,might be considered a regulatory variant that changes allele-specific binding affinity based on motifs of important transcriptional regulators.Conclusion:Our findings represent the first use of third-generation sequencing(TGS)to identify novel BEST1 mutations in patients with ARB,indicating that TGS can be a more accurate and efficient tool for identifying mutations in specific genes.The novel variants identified further broaden the mutation spectrum of BEST1 in the Chinese population.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(72274067)。
文摘BACKGROUND:Prompt pathogen identification can have a substantial impact on the optimization of antimicrobial treatment.The objective of the study was to assess the diagnostic value of next-generation sequencing(NGS)for identifying pathogen and its clinical impact on antimicrobial intervention in immunocompromised patients with suspected infections.METHODS:This was a retrospective study.Between January and August 2020,47 adult immunocompromised patients underwent NGS testing under the following clinical conditions:1)prolonged fever and negative conventional cultures;2)new-onset fever despite empiric antimicrobial treatment;and 3)afebrile with suspected infections on imaging.Clinical data,including conventional microbial test results and antimicrobial treatment before and after NGS,were collected.Data were analyzed according to documented changes in antimicrobial treatment(escalated,no change,or deescalated)after the NGS results.RESULTS:The median time from hospitalization to NGS sampling was 19 d.Clinically relevant pathogens were detected via NGS in 61.7% of patients(29/47),more than half of whom suffered from fungemia(n=17),resulting in an antimicrobial escalation in 53.2% of patients(25/47)and antimicrobial de-escalation in 0.2% of patients(1/47).Antimicrobial changes were mostly due to the identification of fastidious organisms such as Legionella,Pneumocystis jirovecii,and Candida.In the remaining three cases,NGS detected clinically relevant pathogens also detected by conventional cultures a few days later.The antimicrobial treatment was subsequently adjusted according to the susceptibility test results.Overall,NGS changed antimicrobial management in 55.3%(26/47)of patients,and conventional culture detected clinically relevant pathogens in 14.9% of the patients(7/47).CONCLUSION:With its rapid identification and high sensitivity,NGS could be a promising tool for identifying relevant pathogens and enabling rapid appropriate treatment in immunocompromised patients with suspected infections.
基金Supported by Shenzhen Science and Technology Program,No.GJHZ20210705142543019Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation,No.2023A1515220074.
文摘Diabetes mellitus(DM),an increasingly prevalent chronic metabolic disease,is characterised by prolonged hyperglycaemia,which leads to long-term health consequences.Although much effort has been put into understanding the pathogenesis of diabetic wounds,the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.The advent of single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNAseq)has revolutionised biological research by enabling the identification of novel cell types,the discovery of cellular markers,the analysis of gene expression patterns and the prediction of develop-mental trajectories.This powerful tool allows for an in-depth exploration of pathogenesis at the cellular and molecular levels.In this editorial,we focus on progenitor-based repair strategies for diabetic wound healing as revealed by scRNAseq and highlight the biological behaviour of various healing-related cells and the alteration of signalling pathways in the process of diabetic wound healing.ScRNAseq could not only deepen our understanding of the complex biology of diabetic wounds but also identify and validate new targets for inter-vention,offering hope for improved patient outcomes in the management of this challenging complication of DM.
基金supported by Jiangsu Province Postgraduate Practice Innovation Program(SJCX22_0766)Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20231378)Leader of Geriatric Clinical Technology Application Research Project of Jiangsu Provincial Health Commission(LR2022002)。
文摘Background:Hypoplastic left heart syndrome(HLHS)is one of the most challenging congenital heart diseases in clinical treatment.In cardiac tissues,resident macrophages fulfill critical functions in maintaining a stable cardiac state and have strong regenerative capacity and organ specificity.However,the molecular mechanisms of macro-phages in HLHS remained unclear.Methods:Single-nucleus RNA sequencing(snRNA-seq)data of HLHS and healthy control(donors)samples obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database were normalized and clustered using the Seurat package.The“FindMarkers”function was used to screen differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between the HLHS and donor groups and to analyze the functional enrichment of the set of genes of interest.Finally,cell-cell communication,pseudotime,and single-cell regulatory network inference and cluster-ing(SCENIC)analyses were used to study the mechanisms of macrophages in HLHS.Results:Based on the snRNA-seq data of HLHS and donors,we identified a total of 9 cell clusters,among which the proportion of macrophages was significantly less in the HLHS group than in the control group.Subdivision of macrophage subpopulations(Macrophages 1,2,and 3)showed that Macrophages 1 was mainly involved in nervous system development,angiogenesis,and apoptotic processes.In addition,analysis of communication between Macro-phages 1 and cardiomyocytes revealed that ligand-acceptor pairs such as GAS6/AXL,IL6,IGF1,THY1,and L1CAM were present only in the donor group.Finally,pesudotime and SCENIC analyses demonstrated that FOXO3 and ELF2 played a critical role for Macrophages 1 to maintain cardiac function in patients with HLHS.Conclusion:Our study improved the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of macrophage devel-opment in HLHS,showing that manipulating the regulatory role of macrophages in the heart can be a novel treat-ment for HLHS.
基金Supported by Research and Development Funding for Medical and Health Institutions,No.2021YL007.
文摘BACKGROUND Infectious diseases are still one of the greatest threats to human health,and the etiology of 20%of cases of clinical fever is unknown;therefore,rapid identification of pathogens is highly important.Traditional culture methods are only able to detect a limited number of pathogens and are time-consuming;serologic detection has window periods,false-positive and false-negative problems;and nucleic acid molecular detection methods can detect several known pathogens only once.Three-generation nanopore sequencing technology provides new options for identifying pathogens.CASE SUMMARY Case 1:The patient was admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain for three days and cessation of defecation for five days,accompanied by cough and sputum.Nanopore sequencing of the drainage fluid revealed the presence of orallike bacteria,leading to a clinical diagnosis of bronchopleural fistula.Cefoperazone sodium sulbactam treatment was effective.Case 2:The patient was admitted to the hospital with fever and headache,and CT revealed lung inflammation.Antibiotic treatment for Streptococcus pneumoniae,identified through nanopore sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid,was effective.Case 3:The patient was admitted to our hospital with intermittent fever and an enlarged neck mass that had persisted for more than six months.Despite antibacterial treatment,her symptoms worsened.The nanopore sequencing results indicate that voriconazole treatment is effective for Aspergillus brookii.The patient was diagnosed with mixed cell type classical Hodgkin's lymphoma with infection.CONCLUSION Three-generation nanopore sequencing technology allows for rapid and accurate detection of pathogens in human infectious diseases.
文摘BACKGROUND Brain abscess is a serious and potentially fatal disease caused primarily by microbial infection.Although progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of brain abscesses,the diagnostic timeliness of pathogens needs to be improved.CASE SUMMARY We report the case of a 54-year-old male with a brain abscess caused by oral bacteria.The patient recovered well after receiving a combination of metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS)-assisted guided medication and surgery.CONCLUSION Therefore,mNGS may be widely applied to identify the pathogenic microor-ganisms of brain abscesses and guide precision medicine.
基金This study was funded by Science and Technology Projects in Guangzhou(No.202002030023).
文摘Background:For patients with lung cancer,timely identification of new lung lesions as infectious or non-infectious,and accurate identification of pathogens is very important in improving OS of patients.As a new auxiliary examination,metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS)is believed to be more accurate in diagnosing infectious diseases in patients without underlying diseases,compared with conventional microbial tests(CMTs).We designed this study tofind out whether mNGS has better performance in distinguishing infectious and non-infectious diseases in lung cancer patients using bronchoalveolar lavagefluid(BALF).Materials and Methods:This study was a real-world retrospective review based on electronic medical records of lung cancer patients with bronchoalveolar lavage(BAL)and BALF commercial mNGS testing as part of clinical care from 1 April 2019 through 30 April 2022 at The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.164 patients were included in this study.Patients were categorized into the pulmonary non-infectious disease(PNID)group(n=64)and the pulmonary infectious disease(PID)group(n=100)groups based onfinal diagnoses.Results:BALF mNGS increased the sensitivity rate by 60%compared to CMTs(81%vs.21%,p<0.05),whereas there was no significant difference in specificity(75%vs.98.4%,p>0.1).Among the patients with PID,bacteria were the most common cause of infection.Fungal infections occurred in 32%of patients,and Pneumocystis Yersini was most common.Patients with Tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKIs)therapy possess longer overall survival(OS)than other anti-cancer agents,the difference between TKIs and immuno-checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)was insignificant(median OS TKIs vs.ICIs vs.Anti-angiogenic vs.Chemo vs.Radiotherapy=76 vs.84 vs.61 vs.58 vs.60).Conclusions:our study indicates that BALF mNGS can add value by improving overall sensitivity in lung cancer patients with potential pulmonary infection,and was outstanding in identifying Pneumocystis infection.It could be able to help physicians adjust the follow-up treatment to avoid the abuse of antibiotics.
文摘BACKGROUND The complexity of the immune microenvironment has an impact on the treatment of colorectal cancer(CRC),one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide.In this study,multi-omics and single-cell sequencing techniques were used to investigate the mechanism of action of circulating and infiltrating B cells in CRC.By revealing the heterogeneity and functional differences of B cells in cancer immunity,we aim to deepen our understanding of immune regulation and provide a scientific basis for the development of more effective cancer treatment strategies.AIM To explore the role of circulating and infiltrating B cell subsets in the immune microenvironment of CRC,explore the potential driving mechanism of B cell development,analyze the interaction between B cells and other immune cells in the immune microenvironment and the functions of communication molecules,and search for possible regulatory pathways to promote the anti-tumor effects of B cells.METHODS A total of 69 paracancer(normal),tumor and peripheral blood samples were collected from 23 patients with CRC from The Cancer Genome Atlas database(https://portal.gdc.cancer.gov/).After the immune cells were sorted by multicolor flow cytometry,the single cell transcriptome and B cell receptor group library were sequenced using the 10X Genomics platform,and the data were analyzed using bioinformatics tools such as Seurat.The differences in the number and function of B cell infiltration between tumor and normal tissue,the interaction between B cell subsets and T cells and myeloid cell subsets,and the transcription factor regulatory network of B cell subsets were explored and analyzed.RESULTS Compared with normal tissue,the infiltrating number of CD20+B cell subsets in tumor tissue increased significantly.Among them,germinal center B cells(GCB)played the most prominent role,with positive clone expansion and heavy chain mutation level increasing,and the trend of differentiation into memory B cells increased.However,the number of plasma cells in the tumor microenvironment decreased significantly,and the plasma cells secreting IgA antibodies decreased most obviously.In addition,compared with the immune microenvironment of normal tissues,GCB cells in tumor tissues became more closely connected with other immune cells such as T cells,and communication molecules that positively regulate immune function were significantly enriched.CONCLUSION The role of GCB in CRC tumor microenvironment is greatly enhanced,and its affinity to tumor antigen is enhanced by its significantly increased heavy chain mutation level.Meanwhile,GCB has enhanced its association with immune cells in the microenvironment,which plays a positive anti-tumor effect.
基金Supported by National Natural Foundation of China,No.821742232019 Chinese and Western Medicine Clinical Collaborative Capacity Building Project for Major Difficult Diseases,No.2019-ZX-005。
文摘BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)is one of the most common malignancies worldwide,and its development comprises a multistep process from intraepithelial neoplasia(IN)to carcinoma(CA).However,the critical regulators and underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown.AIM To explore the genes and infiltrating immune cells in the microenvironment that are associated with the multistage progression of ESCC to facilitate diagnosis and early intervention.METHODS A mouse model mimicking the multistage development of ESCC was established by providing warter containing 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide(4NQO)to C57BL/6 mice.Moreover,we established a control group without 4NQO treatment of mice.Then,transcriptome sequencing was performed for esophageal tissues from patients with different pathological statuses,including low-grade IN(LGIN),high-grade IN(HGIN),and CA,and controlled normal tissue(NOR)samples.Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified in the LGIN,HGIN,and CA groups,and the biological functions of the DEGs were analyzed via Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses.The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to detect the pattern of immune cell infilt-ration.Immunohistochemistry(IHC)was also conducted to validate our results.Finally,the Luminex multiplex cytokine analysis was utilized to measure the serum cytokine levels in the mice.RESULTS Compared with those in the NOR group,a total of 681541,and 840 DEGs were obtained in the LGIN,HGIN,and CA groups,respectively.Using the intersection of the three sets of DEGs,we identified 86 genes as key genes involved in the development of ESCC.Enrichment analysis revealed that these genes were enriched mainly in the keratinization,epidermal cell differentiation,and interleukin(IL)-17 signaling pathways.CIBERSORT analysis revealed that,compared with those in the NOR group,M0 and M1 macrophages in the 4NQO group showed stronger infiltration,which was validated by IHC.Serum cytokine analysis revealed that,compared with those in the NOR group,IL-1βand IL-6 were upregulated,while IL-10 was downregulated in the LGIN,HGIN,and CA groups.Moreover,the expression of the representative key genes,such as S100a8 and Krt6b,was verified in external human samples,and the results of immunohistochemical staining were consistent with the findings in mice.CONCLUSION We identified a set of key genes represented by S100a8 and Krt6b and investigated their potential biological functions.In addition,we found that macrophage infiltration and abnormal alterations in the levels of inflam-mation-associated cytokines,such as IL-1β,IL-6,and IL-10,in the peripheral blood may be closely associated with the development of ESCC.