To analyze the disease burden of hypertension in the elderly population from 1990 to 2021 and to predict future trends in China and globally, thereby providing insights for public health decision-making regarding older adults with hypertension in China.

Hepatolenticular degeneration， also known as Wilson disease （WD）， is a hereditary disease caused by mutations in the ATP7B gene， leading to copper metabolism disorders. Gene mutations result in impaired synthesis of copper-binding protein， and abnormal excretion of copper through bile leads to pathological deposition of copper in various organs， ultimately causing multi-organ damage. The insidious onset and low specificity of symptoms make it difficult to diagnose this disease. On the basis of existing studies and the theory of latent toxin， this paper proposes that latent toxin in kidney collaterals is the main pathogenesis of renal injury in WD. It is pointed out that health Qi deficiency and latent pathogen are the premises for the occurrence of this disease， and the transformation of latent pathogen into toxin is the ley pathological process. Toxin damaging kidney collaterals is the ultimate result. According to the pathogenesis， this paper proposes the treatment principle of reinforcing healthy Qi and resolving toxin and treatment based on syndrome differentiation. This review provides new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of renal injury in WD with traditional Chinese medicine.

As the third-level diagnosis of migraine， recurrent gastrointestinal disturbance is a group of disorders with recurrent episodic attacks of abdominal pain and/or discomfort and nausea and/or vomiting that may be associated with migraine， and it is a clinical syndrome with the core symptom of abdominal pain， with the presence of clinical and neurobiological associations. This article reviews the similarities of the two diseases from the aspects of epidemiological characteristics， gender distribution tendency， clinical course， auxiliary examination， and treatment response， as well as three potential mechanisms in pathophysiology. This strong association between functional recurrent abdominal pain and migraine suggests that although there is no definitive evidence， adult functional recurrent abdominal pain， or at least its specific subsets， may belong to the spectrum of migraine. In other words， functional recurrent abdominal pain itself without headache may be a “migraine phenomenon”. In the future， it is necessary to conduct more rigorously designed observational studies on the association between the two diseases to clarify such possibility， in order to provide strong supporting evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with functional recurrent abdominal pain and migraine and relieve pain as soon as possible.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the correlation between the expression levels of Tim-3, C-myc and the proportion of T lymphocyte subsets and prognosis in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). METHODS: The research group selected 60 ALL patients admitted to our hospital from December 2019 to December 2021, while the control group selected 55 healthy volunteers who underwent physical examination in our hospital. The expression levels of Tim-3, C-myc mRNA and the proportion of T lymphocyte subsets in the two groups were detected. The mortality rate of ALL patients was calculated, and the correlation between the expression levels of Tim-3, C-myc, and the proportion of T lymphocyte subsets and pathological features and prognosis was analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the levels of Tim-3, C-myc and CD8⁺ in the research group were increased, while the levels of CD3⁺ , CD4⁺ and CD4⁺ /CD8⁺ were decreased (all P < 0.001). The levels of Tim-3, C-myc mRNA, CD3⁺ , CD4⁺ , CD8⁺ , CD4⁺ /CD8⁺ were correlated with risk classification and extramedullary infiltration (all P < 0.05). The survival rate of patients with low expression of Tim-3, C-myc, and CD8⁺ was higher than that of patients with high expression, while the survival rate of patients with high expression of CD3⁺ , CD4⁺ , and CD4⁺ /CD8⁺ was higher than that of patients with low expression (all P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that the deceased patients had higher proportions of extramedullary infiltration and high-risk classification, as well as higher levels of Tim-3, C-myc, and CD8⁺ , while lower levels of CD3⁺ , CD4⁺ , and CD4⁺ /CD8⁺ compared with surviving patients (all P < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that extramedullary invasion, risk classification, Tim-3, C-myc, CD3⁺ , CD4⁺ , CD8⁺ , CD4⁺ /CD8⁺ were the main factors affecting the prognosis of ALL patients (all P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the combination of Tim-3, C-myc, and T lymphocyte subsets had higher sensitivity and accuracy in predicting prognosis of ALL patients compared with the single diagnosis of Tim-3, C-myc, CD3⁺ , CD4⁺ , CD8⁺ , and CD4⁺ /CD8⁺ (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION ALL patients show higher levels of Tim-3, C-myc mRNA and CD8⁺ but lower levels of CD3⁺ , CD4⁺ and CD4⁺/CD8⁺. Moreover, the expression levels of Tim-3, C-myc, CD3⁺ , CD4⁺ , CD8⁺ and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ are correlated with extramedullary invasion, high-risk classification and prognosis.
Humans ; Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2/metabolism* ; Prognosis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/metabolism* ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/diagnosis* ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Adolescent ; RNA, Messenger

Increasing evidence has underscored the significance of post-stroke alterations along gut-brain axis, while its role in pathogenesis and treatment of ischemic stroke (IS) remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to elucidate the therapeutic effects and action targets of Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) on IS and explore a novel pathogenesis and treatment strategy of IS via profiling the microbial community and metabolic characteristics along gut-brain axis. Our findings revealed for the first time that the therapeutic effect of PNS on IS was microbiota-dependent. Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) modeling significantly down-regulated Lactobacilli in rats, and PNS markedly recovered Lactobacilli, particularly Lactobacillus reuteri (L.Reu). Metabolomics showed a significant reduction in serum histidine (HIS) in clinical obsolete IS patients and rehabilitation period I/R rats. Meanwhile, the L.Reu colonization in I/R rats exhibited significant neuroprotective activity and greatly increased HIS in serum, gut microbiota, and brain. Moreover, exogenous HIS demonstrated indirect neuroprotective effects through metabolizing to histamine. Notably, vagus nerve severance in I/R rats was performed to investigate HIS's neuroprotective mechanism. The results innovatively revealed that PNS could promote HIS synthesis in gut by enhancing L.Reu proportion, thereby increasing intracerebral HIS through peripheral pathway. Consequently, our data provided novel insights into HIS metabolism mediated by L.Reu in the pathogenesis and treatment of IS.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the mechanism of Shenqi Buzhong (SQBZ) Formula for alleviating mitochondrial dysfunction in a rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in light of the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway. METHODS: Fifty male SD rat models of COPD, established by intratracheal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) instillation, exposure to cigarette smoke, and gavage of Senna leaf infusion, were randomized into 5 groups (n=10) for treatment with saline (model group), SQBZ Formula at low, moderate and high doses (3.08, 6.16 and 12.32 g/kg, respectively), or aminophylline (0.024 g/kg) by gavage for 4 weeks, with another 10 untreated rats as the control group. Pulmonary function of the rats were tested, and pathologies and ultrastructural changes of the lung tissues were examined using HE staining and transmission electron microscopy. The levels of SOD, ATP, MDA, and mitochondrial membrane potential in the lungs were detected using WST-1, colorimetric assay, TBA, and JC-1 methods. Flow cytometry was used to analyze ROS level in the lung tissues, and the protein expression levels of P-AMPKα, AMPKα, SIRTI, and PGC-1α were detected using Western blotting. RESULTS: The rat models of COPD showed significantly decreased lung function, severe histopathological injuries of the lungs, decreased pulmonary levels of SOD activity, ATP and mitochondrial membrane potential, increased levels of MDA and ROS, and decreased pulmonary expressions of P-AMPKα, SIRTI, and PGC-1α proteins. All these changes were significantly alleviated by treatment with SQBZ Formula and aminophylline, and the efficacy was comparable between high-dose SQBZ Formula group and aminophylline group. CONCLUSIONS SQBZ Formula ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction in COPD rats possibly by activating the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway.
Animals ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Sirtuin 1/metabolism* ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Male ; Rats ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Signal Transduction/drug effects*

ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of metabolic associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） on metabolic markers in patients with HIV infection， and to assess the risk of new-onset MAFLD in previously untreated HIV patients. MethodsA total of 161 HIV patients who attended the outpatient service of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from April 2020 to December 2021 were enrolled， and they were treated with the lamivudine/efavirenz/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate （3TC/EFV/TDF） regimen and were followed up for more than 36 months. According to the presence or absence of MAFLD， they were divided into MAFLD group with 42 patients and non-MAFLD group with 119 patients， and metabolic markers were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the paired t-test was used for comparison within each group before and after treatment； the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparison within each group before and after treatment； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. Hepatic steatosis index （HIS） and Zhejiang University （ZJU） index were used to assess the risk of new-onset MAFLD after antiretroviral therapy. ResultsAfter 36 months of 3TC/EFV/TDF treatment， the MAFLD group had significant increases in body mass index （BMI） ［24.8 （23.2 — 25.9） kg/m² vs 25.3 （22.8 — 27.7） kg/m²， Z=-2.540， P=0.011］， total cholesterol （TC） （4.0±0.6 mmol/L vs 4.3±0.6 mmol/L， t=-2.388， P=0.022）， and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） ［0.9 （0.8 — 1.1） mmol/L vs 1.1 （0.9 — 1.2） mmol/L， Z=-2.858， P=0.004］ and a significant reduction in serum uric acid （462.1±101.6 μmol/L vs 383.3±85.2 μmol/L， t=4.361， P<0.001）. There was a significant difference in BMI between the MAFLD group and the non-MAFLD group after 3TC/EFV/TDF treatment ［25.3 （22.8 — 27.7） kg/m² vs 21.6 （19.9 — 23.4） kg/m²， Z=-5.462， P<0.001］， while there were no significant differences between the two groups in serum uric acid， TC， triglyceride， HDL-C， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol， lipoprotein a， and CD4⁺ T cell count （all P >0.05）. Furthermore， for the patients in the non-MAFLD group after treatment， there was a significant increase in the proportion of patients at a high risk of MAFLD based on HSI and ZJU indices （χ²=10.829 and 5.658， P=0.001 and 0.017）. ConclusionAfter 36 months of 3TC/EFV/TDF treatment， there are increases in blood lipid levels in HIV patients with MAFLD， and there is an increase in the risk of new-onset MAFLD in HIV patients without MAFLD.

Objective To investigate the role of high-mobility group AT-hook 2(HMGA2)in osteogenic differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells(ADSCs)and the effect of Hmga2 knockdown for promoting bone defect repair.Methods Bioinformatics studies using the GEO database and Rstudio software identified HMGA2 as a key factor in adipogenic-osteogenic differentiation balance of ADSCs.The protein-protein interaction network of HMGA2 in osteogenic differentiation was mapped using String and visualized with Cytoscape to predict the downstream targets of HMGA2.Primary mouse ADSCs(mADSCs)were transfected with Hmga2 siRNA,and the changes in osteogenic differentiation of the cells were evaluated using alkaline phosphatase staining and Alizarin red S staining.The expressions of osteogenic markers Runt-related transcription factor 2(RUNX2),osteopontin(OPN),and osteocalcein(OCN)in the transfected cells were detected using RT-qPCR and Western blotting.In a mouse model of critical-sized calvarial defects,mADSCs with Hmga2-knockdown were transplanted into the defect,and bone repair was evaluated 6 weeks later using micro-CT scanning and histological staining.Results GEO database analysis showed that HMGA2 expression was upregulated during adipogenic differentiation of ADSCs.Protein-protein interaction network analysis suggested that the potential HMGA2 targets in osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs included SMAD7,CDH1,CDH2,SNAI1,SMAD9,IGF2BP3,and ALDH1A1.In mADSCs,Hmga2 knockdown significantly upregulated the expressions of RUNX2,OPN,and OCN and increased cellular alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium deposition.In a critical-sized calvarial defect model,transplantation of mADSCs with Hmga2 knockdown significantly promoted new bone formation.Conclusion HMGA2 is a crucial regulator of osteogenic differentiation in ADSCs,and Hmga2 knockdown significantly promotes osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs and accelerates ADSCs-mediated bone defect repair in mice.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in children in Jiangsu Province from 2014 to 2023.Methods:The acute respiratory infection cases in children aged 0-14 years were selected from outpatient/emergency or inpatient departments in 2 surveillance sentinel hospitals, respectively, in Nanjing, Suzhou and Taizhou of Jiangsu from 1 July 2014 to 31 December 2023, and RSV nucleic acid test was conducted and the intensity of the RSV infection was accessed by WHO influenza epidemiological threshold method, and case information and clinical data were collected. χ2 test was used to compare the differences between groups, and the Bonferroni method was used for pairwise comparisons between groups. Results:In 4 946 cases of acute respiratory infections, the RSV positive rate was 8.21% (406/4 946), and the age M( Q1, Q3) of the cases was 1 (0, 3) years. The RSV positive rate was 10.92% (258/2 362) during 2014-2019 and 6.06% (118/1 948) during 2019-2023, the difference was significant ( χ2=31.74, P<0.001). RSV infection mainly occurred from October to March during 2014-2019, with the incidence peak in December and moderate or higher intensity. The seasonality of RSV infection was not obvious during 2019-2023, with low intensity. The RSV positive rate was highest in children in age group 0- years (17.85%, 151/846), and the positive rate declined gradually with age ( χ2=184.51, P<0.001). The RSV positive rate was higher in inpatient cases (9.84%, 244/2 480) than in outpatient/emergency cases (6.57%, 162/2 466) ( χ2=17.54, P<0.001). In the 155 RSV infection cases with complete clinical data, the clinical symptoms mainly included cough (99.35%, 154/155), fever (55.48%, 86/155), and shortness of breath (45.16%, 70/155). In the cases aged <6 months, the proportion of those with fever was low, but the proportion of those with shortness of breath, transferred to intensive care units, and receiving oxygen therapy were higher (all P<0.05). Children aged <6 months and those with underlying diseases were more likely to have severe RSV infection (all P<0.05). Conclusions:RSV infection in children in Jiangsu Province showed seasonal prevalence in winter from 2014 to 2019. Since 2020, the seasonal characteristics of the epidemic have changed, the epidemic period has been dispersed and the epidemic intensity has decreased. Infants <1 year old were at high risk for RSV infection, and those <6 months old and with underlying diseases might have severe infection.