Xiaoyun Feng’s research while affiliated with Hangzhou First People's Hospital and other places

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread rapidly, leading to an Omicron outbreak in Shanghai in mid-December after adjustments to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) control strategy. To investigate the impact of COVID-19 infection among hypothyroid patients, we gathered data on the hypothyroid outpatients with COVID-19 infection during this time at the Thyroid Disease Center (TDC) of Shanghai Central Hospital. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether their hypothyroidism was caused by Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (HT): the HT and the non-HT group. We assessed the differences between pre-infection and clinical follow-up at one month (day (D) 30) and three months (D90) after COVID-19 infection. In HT group, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels decreased significantly compared to pre-infection levels (p = 0.013), while free triiodothyronine (FT3) levels increased at D90 compared to both D30 post-infection and pre-infection levels (p < 0.001 and p = 0.005). Hemoglobin levels also increased after COVID-19 infection (p = 0.033). For non-HT patients, FT3 levels increased at D30 compared to pre-infection levels (p = 0.017). Moreover, inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination can preserve thyroid function stability in patients with hypothyroidism.

Background Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the most prevalent global pandemic in recent times. Graves disease (GD), an autoimmune thyroid disease, is a clinical syndrome caused by excessive thyroid hormones. Our study is to understand the current epidemiological situation of COVID-19 infection in GD patients, and to analyze whether COVID-19 will affect the thyroid function, thyroid autoantibody and metabolism of GD patients. Methods 109 GD patients were followed by Shanghai General Hospital Thyroid Disease Center (TDC) from November 2022 to June 2023. There were three groups defined, i.e., pre, one-month after and three months after infection with COVID-19. SPSS was used to analyze the recruited data. Results 109 GD patients are infected with COVID-19 (72.48%), uncontrolled GD patients with high FT3 had a higher COVID-19 infection rate (79.31%). As for thyroid function in 35 GD patients with antithyroid drug (ATD) maintenance stage, there were significant differences in FT3, FT4, TT3 and TT4 before and after being infected with COVID-19. What’s more, there’s a significant difference between GD patients in one month and three months after COVID-19 infection of high TSAb group (p = 0.048) but no significant difference between pre and one month. What’s more, there were significant differences in TT3, TT4 of GD patients after infected COVID-19 in non. And Phosphorus (P), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D3), Procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide (P1NP) in GD patients were be affected by COVID-19 infection. Conclusion GD patients with uncontrolled thyroid function group are susceptible to COVID-19. COVID-19 may affect the thyroid function of GD in TT3, TT4, TSAb high level group infection. COVID-19 vaccine is conducive to the stability of GD patients' condition. And COVID-19 may affect the bone metabolism in GD patients before and after COVID-19 infection. But there is no effect on glucose metabolism or lipid metabolism.

Objective Obesity is associated with an increased risk of many metabolic disorders, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Recent studies have demonstrated that MicroRNA-mediated gene silencing plays an important role in hepatic triglyceride (TG) metabolism. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the pathological function of miR-361-5p in the development of NAFLD. Methods Expression levels of miR-361-5p was determined by quantitative real-time PCR in livers of obese mice and NAFLD patients. Liver tissues from mice with miR-361-5p overexpression or inhibition were collected and analyzed by TG contents, gene expression profile. Results Expression of miR-361-5p was increased in the livers of two obese mouse models and NAFLD subjects. Overexpression of miR-361-5p in C57BL/6 mice led to hepatosteatosis, whereas inhibition of miR-361-5p expression in db/db mice improved TG accumulation and insulin sensitivity. Mechanistically, we identified Sirt1 as a direct target gene of miR-361-5p and re-introduction of Sirt1 largely abolished the metabolic action of miR-361-5p. Conclusions Our results demonstrated the role of miR-361-5p in the regulation of hepatic TG homeostasis, which may provide potential therapeutic target for hepatosteatosis.

HOX genes have been well described as important players in development and morphogenesis, and more recently, in carcinogenesis. The role and clinical implication of homeodomain-containing gene 10 (HOXC10) in human thyroid cancer is poorly understand. Real-time PCR and bioinformatics analysis were used to detect the expression of HOXC10 in normal and human thyroid cancer samples from Shanghai First People's Hospital and TCGA dataset. The survival time of patients with human thyroid cancer was also detected. Cell Count Kit-8 (CCK8) analysis was used to detect cell proliferation, and cell cycle was assessed by flow cytometry. Migration and invasion were detected by transwell analysis. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to explore correlation of HOXC10 with signaling pathways. Real-time PCR and Western blot analysis were used to detect the expression of signaling pathway related genes in human thyroid cancer cells. HOXC10 expression in Shanghai First People's Hospital and TCGA dataset revealed a significantly increased in human thyroid cancer tissues and its expression was positivity correlated with the advanced age, poor pathologic stage, and poor prognosis. HOXC10 knockdown by shRNA conferred cell cycle blocking and inhibition of migration and invasion. GSEA in the TCGA datasets revealed that HOXC10 expression was positively correlated with Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and Chemokine signaling pathways. Our data suggest that inhibition of HOXC10 may be a therapeutic strategy for human thyroid cancer treatment. This study supplies the role and clinical implication of HOXC10 in human thyroid cancer.

Objective: To observe the effect of beraprost sodium on sciatic neuropathy in diabetic rats. Methods: Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into normal group, model control group and treatment group, 10 rats in each group. Rats in model control group and treatment group were peritoneally injected 60 mg/kg streptozotocin to establish diabetic models. After 24 weeks, motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) and sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) of all rats were detected. Pathological changes of sciatic nerve slices were observed by light microscope and electron microscope. Results: Nerve conduction velocities of rats in model control group was lower than those of normal group [MNCV (3.83±0.22) vs (4.59±0.87) m/s (P<0.01); SNCV (6.25±0.37) vs (9.26±0.53) m/s (P<0.01)] and sciatic nerve had obvious pathological changes indicating that diabetic rat models were successfully established. Compared with model control group, nerve conduction velocities [MNCV (6.83±0.86) vs (3.83±0.22) m/s (P<0.01); SNCV (7.32±0.78) vs (6.25±0.37) m/s (P<0.05)] were significantly increased, and pathological change degree of sciatic nerve of treatment group rats was decreased. Conclusion: Beraprost sodium can raise the nerve conduction velocities and reduce pathological damage of sciatic nerve of diabetic rats.

Objective: To compare the therapeutic efficacy and safety of human insulin 30R combined with acarbose and insulin aspart 30 in controlling the 2-hour postprandial blood glucose (PBG) in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Methods: Sixty cases of type 2 diabetic patients whose PBG were poorly controlled by human insulin 30R were randomized to receive combined therapy with human insulin 30R and acarbose or aspart 30. In group human insulin 30R + acarbose, human insulin 30R was subcutaneously injected half an hour before meals at the same dose as previous treatment, bid; acarbose was orally administered half an hour befere meals three times a day at the dose of 50 mg. In group aspart 30, aspart 30 was subcutaneously injected 15 min before meals at the same dose as previous treatment, bid. After treatment for 3 months, fasting blood glucose (FBG), PBG, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin dosage and the incidence of hypoglycemia were compared. Results: There was no statistical difference in FBG, HbA1c and average daily insulin dosage between the two groups (P>0.05). Compared with group human insulin 30R + acarbose, PBG in group aspart 30 was significantly reduced [(12.4±0.8) vs (11.0±0.6) mmol/L, P<0.01], and the occurrence of hypoglycemia was also significantly reduced (40.0% vs 16.7%, P<0.05). Conclusion: Insulin aspart 30 has better therapeutic efficacy and lower incidence of hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetic patients who were treated with premixed insulin previously.