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Zang Y, Ran X, Yuan J, Wu H, Wang Y, Li H, Teng H, Sun Z. Genomic hallmarks and therapeutic targets of ribosome biogenesis in cancer. Brief Bioinform 2024; 25:bbae023. [PMID: 38343327 PMCID: PMC10859687 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbae023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Hyperactive ribosome biogenesis (RiboSis) fuels unrestricted cell proliferation, whereas genomic hallmarks and therapeutic targets of RiboSis in cancers remain elusive, and efficient approaches to quantify RiboSis activity are still limited. Here, we have established an in silico approach to conveniently score RiboSis activity based on individual transcriptome data. By employing this novel approach and RNA-seq data of 14 645 samples from TCGA/GTEx dataset and 917 294 single-cell expression profiles across 13 cancer types, we observed the elevated activity of RiboSis in malignant cells of various human cancers, and high risk of severe outcomes in patients with high RiboSis activity. Our mining of pan-cancer multi-omics data characterized numerous molecular alterations of RiboSis, and unveiled the predominant somatic alteration in RiboSis genes was copy number variation. A total of 128 RiboSis genes, including EXOSC4, BOP1, RPLP0P6 and UTP23, were identified as potential therapeutic targets. Interestingly, we observed that the activity of RiboSis was associated with TP53 mutations, and hyperactive RiboSis was associated with poor outcomes in lung cancer patients without TP53 mutations, highlighting the importance of considering TP53 mutations during therapy by impairing RiboSis. Moreover, we predicted 23 compounds, including methotrexate and CX-5461, associated with the expression signature of RiboSis genes. The current study generates a comprehensive blueprint of molecular alterations in RiboSis genes across cancers, which provides a valuable resource for RiboSis-based anti-tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zang
- HIM-BGI Omics Center, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences and Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, China
| | - Xia Ran
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, China
| | - Jie Yuan
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, China
| | - Youya Wang
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, China
| | - He Li
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, China
| | - Huajing Teng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education) at Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Zhongsheng Sun
- HIM-BGI Omics Center, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, and Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
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Yi M, Wang M, Xu Y, Cao Z, Ling Y, Zhang Z, Cao H. CRISPR-based m 6A modification and its potential applications in telomerase regulation. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1200734. [PMID: 37519297 PMCID: PMC10382234 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1200734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomerase determines cell lifespan by controlling chromosome stability and cell viability, m6A epigenetic modification plays an important role in the regulation of telomerase activity. Using CRISPR epigenome editing to analyze specific m6A modification sites in telomerase will provide an important tool for analyzing the molecular mechanism of m6A modification regulating telomerase activity. In this review, we clarified the relevant applications of CRISPR system, paid special attention to the regulation of m6A modification in stem cells and cancer cells based on CRISPR system, emphasized the regulation of m6A modification on telomerase activity, pointed out that m6A modification sites regulate telomerase activity, and discussed strategies based on telomerase activity and disease treatment, which are helpful to promote the research of anti-aging and tumor related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingliang Yi
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-breeding, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Mingyue Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-breeding, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Yongjie Xu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-breeding, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Zhikun Cao
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-breeding, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Yinghui Ling
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-breeding, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Zijun Zhang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-breeding, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Hongguo Cao
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-breeding, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
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Yuan H, Qin X, Yang Q, Liu L, Fang Z, Fan Y, Xu D. Dyskerin and telomerase RNA component are sex-differentially associated with outcomes and Sunitinib response in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:46. [PMID: 37434223 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00526-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) displays sex-biased incidence, outcomes, molecular alterations and treatment efficacy; however, clinical managements are largely identical in male and female patients. Moreover, many biomarkers have been identified as predictors for ccRCC outcomes and response to therapeutic drugs, such as multitargeted tyrosine-kinase receptor (TKR) inhibitors, but little is known about their sex-specificity. Dyskerin (DKC1), encoded by the DKC1 gene within Xq28, is a telomerase co-factor stabilizing telomerase RNA component (TERC) and overexpressed in various cancers. Here, we determined whether DKC1 and/or TERC affect ccRCC sex-differentially. METHODS DKC1 and TERC expression in primary ccRCC tumors was assessed using RNA sequencing and qPCR. DKC1 association with molecular alterations and overall or progression-free survival (OS or PFS) was analyzed in the TCGA cohort of ccRCC. The IMmotion 151 and 150 ccRCC cohorts were analyzed to evaluate impacts of DKC1 and TERC on Sunitinib response and PFS. RESULTS DKC1 and TERC expression was significantly upregulated in ccRCC tumors. High DKC1 expression predicts shorter PFS independently in female but not male patients. Tumors in the female DKC1-high group exhibited more frequent alterations in PIK3CA, MYC and TP53 genes. Analyses of the IMmotion 151 ccRCC cohort treated with the TKR inhibitor Sunitinib showed that female patients in the DKC1-high group was significantly associated with lower response rates (P = 0.021) accompanied by markedly shortened PFS (6.1 vs 14.2 months, P = 0.004). DKC1 and TERC expression correlated positively with each other, and higher TERC expression predicted poor Sunitinib response (P = 0.031) and shorter PFS (P = 0.004), too. However, DKC1 rather than TERC acted as an independent predictor (P < 0.001, HR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.480-2.704). In male patients, DKC1 expression was associated with neither Sunitinib response (P = 0.131) nor PFS (P = 0.184), while higher TERC levels did not predict response rates. Similar results were obtained from the analysis of the Sunitinib-treated IMmotion 150 ccRCC patients. CONCLUSIONS DKC1 serves as an independent female-specific predictor for survival and Sunitinib efficacy in ccRCC, which contribute to better understanding of the sex-biased ccRCC pathogenesis and improve personalized interventions of ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiyang Yuan
- Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Xin Qin
- Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Qingya Yang
- Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Li Liu
- School of Nursing, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Zhiqing Fang
- Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
| | - Yidong Fan
- Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
| | - Dawei Xu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Bioclinicum and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institute and Karolinska University Hospital Solna, 171 76, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Hao J, Liu T, Xiu Y, Yuan H, Xu D. High DNA methylation age deceleration defines an aggressive phenotype with immunoexclusion environments in endometrial carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1208223. [PMID: 37388735 PMCID: PMC10303802 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1208223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Like telomere shortening, global DNA hypomethylation occurs progressively with cellular divisions or in vivo aging and functions as a mitotic clock to restrain malignant transformation/progression. Several DNA-methylation (DNAm) age clocks have been established to precisely predict chronological age using normal tissues, but show DNAm age drift in tumors, which suggests disruption of this mitotic clock during carcinogenesis. Little is known about DNAm age alterations and biological/clinical implications in endometrial cancer (EC). Here we address these issues by analyzing TCGA and GSE67116 cohorts of ECs. Horvath clock analysis of these tumors unexpectedly revealed that almost 90% of them exhibited DNAm age deceleration (DNAmad) compared to patient chronological age. Combined with an additional clock named Phenoage, we identified a subset of tumors (82/429) with high DNAmad (hDNAmad+) as assessed by both clocks. Clinically, hDNAmad+ tumors were associated with advanced diseases and shorter patient survival, compared to hDNAmad- ones. Genetically, hDNAmad+ tumors were characterized by higher copy number alterations (CNAs) whereas lower tumor mutation burden. Functionally, hDNAmad+ tumors were enriched with cell cycle and DNA mismatch repair pathways. Increased PIK3CA alterations and downregulation of SCGB2A1, the inhibitor of PI3K kinase, in hDNAmad+ tumors, might promote tumor growth/proliferation and stemness. In addition, the inactivation of aging drivers/tumor suppressors (TP53, RB1, and CDKN2A) while enhanced telomere maintenance occurred more frequently in hDNAmad+ tumors, which supports sustained tumor growth. Prominently, hDNAmad+ tumors were featured with immunoexclusion microenvironments, accompanied by significantly higher levels of VTCN1 expression while lower PD-L1 and CTLA4 expression, which indicates their poor response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based immunotherapy. We further showed significantly higher levels of DNMT3A and 3B expression in hDNAmad+ than in hDNAmad- tumors. Thus, the tumor suppressive function of aging-like DNA hypomethylation is severely impaired in hDNAmad+ tumors, likely due to enhanced expression of DNMT3A/3B and dysregulated aging regulators. Our findings not only enrich biological knowledge of EC pathogenesis but also help improve EC risk stratification and precision ICI immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Hao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Engineering Research Center of Biomarker and Artificial Intelligence Application, Jinan, China
| | - Tiantian Liu
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yuchen Xiu
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Huiyang Yuan
- Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Dawei Xu
- Department of Medicine, Bioclinicum and Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM), Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
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Qin X, Wang J, Wang X, Huang T, Fang Z, Yan L, Fan Y, Xu D. Widespread genomic/molecular alterations of DNA helicases and their clinical/therapeutic implications across human cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 158:114193. [PMID: 36586240 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.114193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA helicases are essential to genomic stability by regulating DNA metabolisms and their loss-of-function mutations lead to genomic instability and predisposition to cancer. Paradoxically, overexpression of DNA helicases is observed in several cancers. Here we analyzed genomic and molecular alterations in 12 important DNA helicases in TCGA pan-cancers to provide an overview of their aberrations. Significant expression heterogeneity of 12 DNA helicases was observed. We calculated DNA helicase score (DHS) based on their expression, and categorized tumors into high, low and intermediate subtypes. High DHS subtypes were robustly associated with stemness, proliferation, hyperactivated oncogenic signaling, longer telomeres, total mutation burden, copy number alterations (CNAs) and shorter survival. Importantly, tumors with high DHSs exhibited stronger expression of alternative end-join (alt-EJ) factors, indicative of sensitivity to chemo- and radio-therapies. High DHSs were also associated with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), BRCA1/2 mutations and sensitivity to PARP inhibitors. Moreover, several drugs are identified to inhibit DNA helicases, with the Auror A kinase inhibitor Danusertib as the strongest candidate that was confirmed experimentally. The aberrant expression of DNA helicases was associated with CNAs, DNA methylation and m6A regulators. Our findings thus reveal widespread dysregulation of DNA helicases and their broad connection with featured oncogenic aberrations across human cancers. The close association of DHS with the alt-EJ pathway and HRD, and identification of Danusertib as a putative DNA helicase inhibitor have translational significance. Taken together, these findings will contribute to DNA helicase-based cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Qin
- Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Urologic Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Xing Wang
- Department of Urology Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Tao Huang
- Department of Urologic Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Zhiqing Fang
- Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Lei Yan
- Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
| | - Yidong Fan
- Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
| | - Dawei Xu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Bioclinicum and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm 171 76, Sweden.
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Liu T, Li S, Xia C, Xu D. TERT promoter mutations and methylation for telomerase activation in urothelial carcinomas: New mechanistic insights and clinical significance. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1071390. [PMID: 36713366 PMCID: PMC9877314 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1071390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomerase, an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase synthesizing telomeric TTAGGG sequences, is primarily silent in normal human urothelial cells (NHUCs), but widely activated in urothelial cell-derived carcinomas or urothelial carcinomas (UCs) including UC of the bladder (UCB) and upper track UC (UTUC). Telomerase activation for telomere maintenance is required for the UC development and progression, and the key underlying mechanism is the transcriptional de-repression of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), a gene encoding the rate-limiting, telomerase catalytic component. Recent mechanistic explorations have revealed important roles for TERT promoter mutations and aberrant methylation in activation of TERT transcription and telomerase in UCs. Moreover, these TERT-featured genomic and epigenetic alterations have been evaluated for their usefulness in non-invasive UC diagnostics, recurrence monitoring, outcome prediction and response to treatments such as immunotherapy. Importantly, the detection of the mutated TERT promoter and TERT mRNA as urinary biomarkers holds great promise for urine-based UC liquid biopsy. In the present article, we review recent mechanistic insights into altered TERT promoter-mediated telomerase activation in UCs and discuss potential clinical implications. Specifically, we compare differences in senescence and transformation between NHUCs and other types of epithelial cells, address the interaction between TERT promoter mutations and other factors to affect UC progression and outcomes, evaluate the impact of TERT promoter mutations and TERT-mediated activation of human endogenous retrovirus genes on UC immunotherapy including Bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Finally, we suggest the standardization of a TERT assay and evaluation system for UC clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiantian Liu
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Shihong Li
- Department of Pathology, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Liaocheng, Liaocheng, China
| | - Chuanyou Xia
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China,*Correspondence: Chuanyou Xia, ; Dawei Xu,
| | - Dawei Xu
- Department of Medicine, Bioclinicum and Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM), Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden,*Correspondence: Chuanyou Xia, ; Dawei Xu,
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Wang C, Qin X, Guo W, Wang J, Liu L, Fang Z, Yuan H, Fan Y, Xu D. The chromosomal instability 25 gene signature is identified in clear cell renal cell carcinoma and serves as a predictor for survival and Sunitinib response. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1133902. [PMID: 37197417 PMCID: PMC10183591 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1133902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Chromosomal instability (CIN) is a cancer hallmark and it is difficult to directly measure its phenotype, while a CIN25 gene signature was established to do so in several cancer types. However, it is currently unclear whether there exists this signature in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), and if so, which biological and clinical implications it has. Methods Transcriptomic profiling was performed on 10 ccRCC tumors and matched renal non-tumorous tissues (NTs) for CIN25 signature analyses. TCGA and E-MBAT1980 ccRCC cohorts were analyzed for the presence of CIN25 signature, CIN25 score-based ccRCC classification, and association with molecular alterations and overall or progression-free survival (OS or PFS). IMmotion150 and 151 cohorts of ccRCC patients treated with Sunitinib were analyzed for the CIN25 impact on Sunitinib response and survival. Results The transcriptomic analysis of 10 patient samples showed robustly upregulated expression of the CIN25 signature genes in ccRCC tumors, which were further confirmed in TCGA and E-MBAT1980 ccRCC cohorts. Based on their expression heterogeneity, ccRCC tumors were categorized into CIN25-C1 (low) and C2 (high) subtypes. The CIN25-C2 subtype was associated with significantly shorter patient OS and PFS, and characterized by increased telomerase activity, proliferation, stemness and EMT. The CIN25 signature reflects not only a CIN phenotype, but also levels of the whole genomic instability including mutation burden, microsatellite instability and homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). Importantly, the CIN25 score was significantly associated with Sunitinib response and survival. In IMmotion151 cohort, patients in the CIN25-C1 group exhibited 2-fold higher remission rate than those in the CIN25-C2 group (P = 0.0004) and median PFS in these two groups was 11.2 and 5.6 months, respectively (P = 7.78E-08). Similar results were obtained from the IMmotion150 cohort analysis. Higher EZH2 expression and poor angiogenesis, well characterized factors leading to Sunitinib resistance, were enriched in the CIN25-C2 tumors. Conclusion The CIN25 signature identified in ccRCC serves as a biomarker for CIN and other genome instability phenotypes and predicts patient outcomes and response to Sunitinib treatment. A PCR quantification is enough for the CIN25-based ccRCC classification, which holds great promises in clinical routine application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Wang
- Department of Emergency, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Department of Emergency, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xin Qin
- Department of Emergency, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Department of Emergency, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Urologic Oncology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei, China
| | - Li Liu
- School of Nursing, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiqing Fang
- Department of Emergency, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Huiyang Yuan
- Department of Emergency, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Huiyang Yuan, ; Yidong Fan, ; Dawei Xu,
| | - Yidong Fan
- Department of Emergency, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Huiyang Yuan, ; Yidong Fan, ; Dawei Xu,
| | - Dawei Xu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Bioclinicum and Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institute and Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Huiyang Yuan, ; Yidong Fan, ; Dawei Xu,
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