Clinical Research Directory

Metabolic and Functional Study of γδ T Cells in Critically Ill Patients

This prospective observational cohort study investigates the subset-specific metabolic adaptation and functional remodeling of cytotoxic γδ T cells in critically ill patients with and without sepsis. As a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity, γδ T cells contribute to early antimicrobial defense; however, their cytotoxic function and its metabolic regulation in sepsis remain incompletely understood. Our preliminary single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed altered expression of cytotoxicity-associated genes (GZMB, PRF1, and GNLY) and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway genes in cytotoxic γδ T cells from patients with sepsis. In particular, COX6C expression correlated with cytotoxic effector gene expression. Across healthy volunteers, critically ill non-septic patients, and critically ill septic patients, we will integrate flow cytometry, mitochondrial function assays, and functional validation experiments to characterize circulating cytotoxic γδ T-cell abundance and function and examine the contribution of COX6C to mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired cytotoxicity. To investigate the relationship between systemic tryptophan metabolism and these cellular abnormalities, targeted tryptophan-pathway metabolomics using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) will quantify kynurenic acid (KYNA), tryptophan, kynurenine, and related metabolites in paired peripheral blood and fecal samples. Patients with sepsis will be stratified into older (≥65 years) and non-older (\<65 years) groups and compared with age-matched healthy volunteers, with critically ill non-septic patients providing an additional disease control group. Metabolite concentrations and pathway-related ratios will be analyzed in relation to cytotoxic γδ T-cell abundance, cytotoxic function, mitochondrial OXPHOS, and COX6C expression, accounting for renal function, disease severity, antibiotic exposure, and nutritional support. These analyses will assess whether age-associated alterations in tryptophan metabolism, particularly KYNA, are associated with cytotoxic γδ T-cell dysfunction and identify candidate metabolic mechanisms for subsequent validation.

Study on the Establishment of a System for Early Warning and Prognostic Evaluation of Patients With Heat Stroke

Heat stroke is a clinical syndrome with high incidence and high fatality rate in summer. Patients with liver, kidney, and brain damage are prone to secondary MODS, and the prognosis is poor due to high medical costs. At present, there is no unified diagnostic criteria for acute liver injury associated with heat stroke, and the commonly used prognosis scores are rarely included in liver injury indicators, which is not good for practicality.

Quantitative Ultrasound Assessment of Abdominal Cavity Space

This is a prospective observational study to observe the diagnostic efficacy of a quantitative ultrasound assessment plan for pathological accumulation in the abdominal cavity space of critically ill patients, and to explore its correlation with patient clinical outcomes.

Clinical Outcomes and Inflammatory Responses in Viral vs. Bacterial Sepsis

This observational cohort study aims to compare clinical outcomes and inflammatory responses between patients with viral sepsis, specifically COVID-19-associated sepsis, and those with bacterial sepsis. Conducted at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, the study will retrospectively analyze data from ICU patients admitted between July 2021 and December 2023. The primary objective is to identify reliable biomarkers and diagnostic methods to improve patient outcomes through personalized diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.