Objective:To investigate microstructural alterations in the optic chiasm and optic radiations of multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) based on diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI).Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. Retrospective analyses were conducted on the clinical and imaging data of 63 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 62 patients with NMOSD diagnosed at First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2019 to December 2023. According to the occurrence of optic neuritis (ON), they were categorized into ON-positive MS (ON+MS) group (40 cases), ON-negative MS (ON-MS) group (23 cases), ON-positive NMOSD (ON+NMOSD) group (40 cases) and ON-negative NMOSD (ON-NMOSD) group (22 cases). In addition, 40 healthy controls were enrolled during the same period. DKI data of all subjects were collected, and DKI post-processing was performed to obtain fractional anisotropy (FA), mean kurtosis (MK), axial kurtosis (AK), and radial kurtosis (RK) values of the optic chiasm and bilateral optic radiations. The scores of the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), and expanded disability status scale (EDSS) were obtained. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze the differences in DKI parameters of the optic chiasm and bilateral optic radiation among the 5 groups, and the Holm-Bonferroni method was employed for multiple comparison correction in pairwise comparisons.Results:There were statistically significant overall differences in the DKI parameters of the optic chiasm and bilateral optic radiations among healthy control group, ON+MS group, ON-MS group, ON+NMOSD group, and ON-NMOSD group (all P0.05). The FA value of the optic chiasm in ON+NMOSD group was significantly lower than that of healthy control group and ON-MS group, as well as ON-NMOSD group ( P0.05). The FA value of the left optic radiation in ON+NMOSD group was lower than that in healthy control group and the ON-MS group. The RK value of the optic chiasm in ON+MS group was lower than that in the healthy control group and ON-NMOSD group ( P0.05). The MK and RK values of the left optic radiation in ON-MS group were significantly lower than those in the ON+NMOSD group and ON-NMOSD group ( P0.05). Conclusions:NMOSD and RRMS patients demonstrate varying degrees of microstructural damage in the optic chiasm and optic radiations. Differences of DKI parameters suggest different pathological mechanisms of visual pathway damage between NMOSD and MS, which may be helpful for early detection of occult visual pathway lesions.

Objective:To explore the impact of the interaction between alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity on the risk of hypertension.Methods:It was a cross-sectional study, and convenient sampling was used to enroll physical examination participants aged 18-60 years from the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University and Luzhou People′s Hospital from June to November in 2020. All the participants were given questionnaire survey, physical examination and biochemical tests. A total of 5 000 questionnaires were distributed in the study, and 4 878 questionnaires were collected, of which 4 397 (90.14%) were valid. According to the diagnostic criteria for hypertension, the study participants were divided into hypertension group (1 128 cases) and non-hypertension group (3 269 cases), and t-test and chi-square test were used to compare the differences in gender, age, and other data between the two groups; and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association of alcohol consumption, overweight/obesity with the risk of hypertension and the interaction between alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity on the risk of hypertension, and relative excess risk of interaction, attributable proportion of interaction and the synergy index were used to evaluate the impact of the interaction between alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity on the risk of hypertension. Results:Among the 4 397 individuals included in the analysis, 3 116 were male and 1 281 were female, with a mean age of (42.42±8.83) years. The detection rate of hypertension was 25.7% (1 128/4 397). The risk of hypertension in overweight/obese individuals was 2.566 times ( OR=2.566, 95% CI: 2.167-3.038) higher than that of non-overweight/obese individuals, and the risk of hypertension in alcohol consumption individuals was 1.486 times ( OR=1.486, 95% CI: 1.250-1.766) higher than that of non-drinkers. The risk of hypertension in drinking+non-overweight/obesity group, non-drinking+overweight/obesity group, and drinking+overweight/obesity group was 1.468 times ( OR=1.468, 95% CI: 1.112-1.936), 2.538 times ( OR=2.538, 95% CI: 1.968-3.272), and 3.796 times ( OR=3.796, 95% CI: 2.963-4.863) higher than that of non-drinking+non-overweight/obesity group, respectively (all P<0.05). Alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity had an additive interaction effect on the risk of hypertension, and the relative excess risk of interaction, attributable proportion of interaction and the synergy index was 0.791 (95% CI: 0.158-1.424), 0.208 (95% CI: 0.049-0.368), 1.394 (95% CI: 1.030-1.888), respectively. There was no significant multiplicative interaction between alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity on the risk of hypertension ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity are both associated higher risk of hypertension. In addition, there is an additive interaction between alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity on the risk of hypertension.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 1 (PTPN1) gene polymorphism and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).Methods:In this case-control study, 4 835 pregnant women who delivered from March, 2012 to July, 2014 in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University were consecutively enrolled. Among them, 789 cases were diagnosed with GDM. A simple random sampling method was used to select 334 pregnant women with GDM as the case group, and 334 healthy pregnant women matched by maternal age, gestation time and residence were set as control. The DNA genotyping was performed in the subjects, and those with genotyping deletions10% were excluded; and finally, 322 and 317 subjects were included in case and control group, respectively. Under the codominant, dominant, recessive, and allelic genetic models, the unconditional logistic regression model was used to check the relationship between 13 candidate single nucleotide polymorphism (snp) loci in PTPN1 gene and the risk of GDM. The Haploview was used to analyze the relationship between haplotypes and risk of GDM, and multiple comparisons were adjusted with the false discovery rate (FDR) method.Results:The age of the 639 pregnant women analyzed in this study was (30.28±4.32) years. The proportions of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI)≥24.0 kg/m 2 and having a family history of diabetes were significantly higher in the GDM group compared to those in the control group (29.19% vs 16.72% and 13.04% vs 6.31%, respectively, both P0.05). The rs6096644 locus was positively associated with increased risk of GDM in co-dominant (GG vs AA, OR=2.76, 95% CI: 1.18-6.44) and recessive (GG vs AA+AG, OR=2.78, 95% CI: 1.20-6.46) genetic models (all q0.2). The rs6096655 locus was positively associated with increased risk of GDM in codominant (AA vs GG, OR=5.90, 95% CI: 1.27-27.36) and recessive (AA vs GG+GA, OR=5.50, 95% CI: 1.19-25.38) and alleles (A vs G, OR=1.51, 95% CI: 1.09-2.08) genetic models (all q0.2). The rs6013317 locus was associated with an increased risk of GDM in the allele (A vs G, OR=1.74, 95% CI: 1.15-2.63) genetic model (all q0.2). The GAGG haplotype and GGAG haplotype in haplotype block 1 (rs4811262, rs6096646, rs6096655, rs6013317), and the GGGA haplotype in haplotype block 2 (rs6068018, rs6123105, rs6013324, rs2869621) of the PTPN1 gene were all positively associated with an increased risk of GDM (all P0.05). Conclusion:PTPN1 gene polymorphisms may associated with risk of GDM, moreover, complex haplotype structures within the gene influence the risk of GDM.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of mild hypothermia arch-clamping technique in the surgical treatment of DeBakey Type Ⅰ aortic dissection.Methods:From December 2019 to November 2023, a total of 97 patients with DeBakey type Ⅰ aortic dissection who underwent arch-clamping technique in Beijing Anzhen Hospital were prospectively enrolled. The patients were divided into mild hypothermia group and moderate hypothermia group according to the lowest rectal temperature during the circulatory arrest period. The perioperative data of the two groups were compared, and complex adverse outcomes consisting of 30-day death, stroke, paraplegia and CRRT were used as the primary endpoint. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the predictors of clinical adverse outcomes. Survival analysis was evaluated by the Kaplan- Meier method. Results:The overall incidence of complex adverse outcomes was 20.6%, 13.6% in the mild hypothermia group and 22.7% in the moderate hypothermia group( P=0.535), and the incidence of stroke was 4.6% and 6.7%( P=1.000), respectively. The cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic-clamping time in the mild hypothermia group were significantly shortened (147.5 min vs. 163.0 min, P=0.032; 89 min vs. 99 min, P=0.042). There was no significant difference in long-term survival and reintervention between the two groups(91.9% vs. 89.3%, P=0.87; 9.1% vs. 5.3%, P=0.13). Conclusion:Mild hypothermia arch-clamping technique is a safe and effective method for the treatment of DeBakey type Ⅰ aortic dissection, with satisfactory short-term and long-term efficacy.

Objective:To investigate microstructural alterations in the optic chiasm and optic radiations of multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) based on diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI).Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. Retrospective analyses were conducted on the clinical and imaging data of 63 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 62 patients with NMOSD diagnosed at First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2019 to December 2023. According to the occurrence of optic neuritis (ON), they were categorized into ON-positive MS (ON+MS) group (40 cases), ON-negative MS (ON-MS) group (23 cases), ON-positive NMOSD (ON+NMOSD) group (40 cases) and ON-negative NMOSD (ON-NMOSD) group (22 cases). In addition, 40 healthy controls were enrolled during the same period. DKI data of all subjects were collected, and DKI post-processing was performed to obtain fractional anisotropy (FA), mean kurtosis (MK), axial kurtosis (AK), and radial kurtosis (RK) values of the optic chiasm and bilateral optic radiations. The scores of the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), and expanded disability status scale (EDSS) were obtained. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze the differences in DKI parameters of the optic chiasm and bilateral optic radiation among the 5 groups, and the Holm-Bonferroni method was employed for multiple comparison correction in pairwise comparisons.Results:There were statistically significant overall differences in the DKI parameters of the optic chiasm and bilateral optic radiations among healthy control group, ON+MS group, ON-MS group, ON+NMOSD group, and ON-NMOSD group (all P0.05). The FA value of the optic chiasm in ON+NMOSD group was significantly lower than that of healthy control group and ON-MS group, as well as ON-NMOSD group ( P0.05). The FA value of the left optic radiation in ON+NMOSD group was lower than that in healthy control group and the ON-MS group. The RK value of the optic chiasm in ON+MS group was lower than that in the healthy control group and ON-NMOSD group ( P0.05). The MK and RK values of the left optic radiation in ON-MS group were significantly lower than those in the ON+NMOSD group and ON-NMOSD group ( P0.05). Conclusions:NMOSD and RRMS patients demonstrate varying degrees of microstructural damage in the optic chiasm and optic radiations. Differences of DKI parameters suggest different pathological mechanisms of visual pathway damage between NMOSD and MS, which may be helpful for early detection of occult visual pathway lesions.

Objective:To explore the impact of the interaction between alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity on the risk of hypertension.Methods:It was a cross-sectional study, and convenient sampling was used to enroll physical examination participants aged 18-60 years from the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University and Luzhou People′s Hospital from June to November in 2020. All the participants were given questionnaire survey, physical examination and biochemical tests. A total of 5 000 questionnaires were distributed in the study, and 4 878 questionnaires were collected, of which 4 397 (90.14%) were valid. According to the diagnostic criteria for hypertension, the study participants were divided into hypertension group (1 128 cases) and non-hypertension group (3 269 cases), and t-test and chi-square test were used to compare the differences in gender, age, and other data between the two groups; and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association of alcohol consumption, overweight/obesity with the risk of hypertension and the interaction between alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity on the risk of hypertension, and relative excess risk of interaction, attributable proportion of interaction and the synergy index were used to evaluate the impact of the interaction between alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity on the risk of hypertension. Results:Among the 4 397 individuals included in the analysis, 3 116 were male and 1 281 were female, with a mean age of (42.42±8.83) years. The detection rate of hypertension was 25.7% (1 128/4 397). The risk of hypertension in overweight/obese individuals was 2.566 times ( OR=2.566, 95% CI: 2.167-3.038) higher than that of non-overweight/obese individuals, and the risk of hypertension in alcohol consumption individuals was 1.486 times ( OR=1.486, 95% CI: 1.250-1.766) higher than that of non-drinkers. The risk of hypertension in drinking+non-overweight/obesity group, non-drinking+overweight/obesity group, and drinking+overweight/obesity group was 1.468 times ( OR=1.468, 95% CI: 1.112-1.936), 2.538 times ( OR=2.538, 95% CI: 1.968-3.272), and 3.796 times ( OR=3.796, 95% CI: 2.963-4.863) higher than that of non-drinking+non-overweight/obesity group, respectively (all P<0.05). Alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity had an additive interaction effect on the risk of hypertension, and the relative excess risk of interaction, attributable proportion of interaction and the synergy index was 0.791 (95% CI: 0.158-1.424), 0.208 (95% CI: 0.049-0.368), 1.394 (95% CI: 1.030-1.888), respectively. There was no significant multiplicative interaction between alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity on the risk of hypertension ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity are both associated higher risk of hypertension. In addition, there is an additive interaction between alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity on the risk of hypertension.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 1 (PTPN1) gene polymorphism and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).Methods:In this case-control study, 4 835 pregnant women who delivered from March, 2012 to July, 2014 in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University were consecutively enrolled. Among them, 789 cases were diagnosed with GDM. A simple random sampling method was used to select 334 pregnant women with GDM as the case group, and 334 healthy pregnant women matched by maternal age, gestation time and residence were set as control. The DNA genotyping was performed in the subjects, and those with genotyping deletions10% were excluded; and finally, 322 and 317 subjects were included in case and control group, respectively. Under the codominant, dominant, recessive, and allelic genetic models, the unconditional logistic regression model was used to check the relationship between 13 candidate single nucleotide polymorphism (snp) loci in PTPN1 gene and the risk of GDM. The Haploview was used to analyze the relationship between haplotypes and risk of GDM, and multiple comparisons were adjusted with the false discovery rate (FDR) method.Results:The age of the 639 pregnant women analyzed in this study was (30.28±4.32) years. The proportions of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI)≥24.0 kg/m 2 and having a family history of diabetes were significantly higher in the GDM group compared to those in the control group (29.19% vs 16.72% and 13.04% vs 6.31%, respectively, both P0.05). The rs6096644 locus was positively associated with increased risk of GDM in co-dominant (GG vs AA, OR=2.76, 95% CI: 1.18-6.44) and recessive (GG vs AA+AG, OR=2.78, 95% CI: 1.20-6.46) genetic models (all q0.2). The rs6096655 locus was positively associated with increased risk of GDM in codominant (AA vs GG, OR=5.90, 95% CI: 1.27-27.36) and recessive (AA vs GG+GA, OR=5.50, 95% CI: 1.19-25.38) and alleles (A vs G, OR=1.51, 95% CI: 1.09-2.08) genetic models (all q0.2). The rs6013317 locus was associated with an increased risk of GDM in the allele (A vs G, OR=1.74, 95% CI: 1.15-2.63) genetic model (all q0.2). The GAGG haplotype and GGAG haplotype in haplotype block 1 (rs4811262, rs6096646, rs6096655, rs6013317), and the GGGA haplotype in haplotype block 2 (rs6068018, rs6123105, rs6013324, rs2869621) of the PTPN1 gene were all positively associated with an increased risk of GDM (all P0.05). Conclusion:PTPN1 gene polymorphisms may associated with risk of GDM, moreover, complex haplotype structures within the gene influence the risk of GDM.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of mild hypothermia arch-clamping technique in the surgical treatment of DeBakey Type Ⅰ aortic dissection.Methods:From December 2019 to November 2023, a total of 97 patients with DeBakey type Ⅰ aortic dissection who underwent arch-clamping technique in Beijing Anzhen Hospital were prospectively enrolled. The patients were divided into mild hypothermia group and moderate hypothermia group according to the lowest rectal temperature during the circulatory arrest period. The perioperative data of the two groups were compared, and complex adverse outcomes consisting of 30-day death, stroke, paraplegia and CRRT were used as the primary endpoint. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the predictors of clinical adverse outcomes. Survival analysis was evaluated by the Kaplan- Meier method. Results:The overall incidence of complex adverse outcomes was 20.6%, 13.6% in the mild hypothermia group and 22.7% in the moderate hypothermia group( P=0.535), and the incidence of stroke was 4.6% and 6.7%( P=1.000), respectively. The cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic-clamping time in the mild hypothermia group were significantly shortened (147.5 min vs. 163.0 min, P=0.032; 89 min vs. 99 min, P=0.042). There was no significant difference in long-term survival and reintervention between the two groups(91.9% vs. 89.3%, P=0.87; 9.1% vs. 5.3%, P=0.13). Conclusion:Mild hypothermia arch-clamping technique is a safe and effective method for the treatment of DeBakey type Ⅰ aortic dissection, with satisfactory short-term and long-term efficacy.

Neutrophils play an immune defense role by releasing the proteases such as neutrophil elastase and myeloperoxidase to form neutrophil extracellular trap （NET） and participate in the inflammatory response of various liver diseases， but the excessive release of NET may worsen liver tissue damage and has thus become one of the risk factors for liver diseases. In recent years， studies have shown that the excessive release of NET can promote the progression of liver diseases （such as viral hepatitis， nonalcoholic steatohepatitis， and hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury） to liver cancer， and clarifying the mechanism of action of NET is of great importance for the diagnosis and progression of liver diseases. Therefore， this article elaborates on the latest research advances in NET in liver diseases， so as to provide new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases and the prevention of liver cancer.

Objective To investigate the expression of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and phagocytic function in the peripheral blood of patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE), and to examine their correlations with clinical inflamma tory indicators and liver functions. Methods A total of 50 patients with HAE admitted to Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University from August 2022 to June 2023 were enrolled, while 50 age- and gender-matched healthy individuals from the Centre for Healthy Examinations of the hospital during the same period served as controls. The levels of NETs markers neutrophil myeloperoxidase (MPO) and neutrophil elastase (NE) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Peripheral blood neutrophils were isolated using density gradient centrifugation, stimulated in vitro using phorbol 12-myristate 13 acetate (PMA), and the levels of MPO and citrullination histone H3 (CitH3) released by neutrophils were quantified using flow cytometry. The phagocytic functions of neutrophils were examined using flow cytometry. In addition, the correlations of MPO and NE levels with clinical inflammatory indicators and liver biochemical indicators were examined using Spearman correlation analysis among HAE patients. Results The peripheral blood plasma MPO［(417.15 ± 76.08) ng/mL vs. (255.70 ± 80.84) ng/mL; t = 10.28, P < 0.05］, NE［(23.16 ± 6.75) ng/mL vs. (11.92 ± 3.17) ng/mL; t = 10.65, P < 0.05］and CitH3 levels［(33.93 ± 18.93) ng/mL vs. (19.52 ± 13.89) ng/mL; t = 4.34, P < 0.05］were all significantly higher among HAE patients than among healthy controls, and a lower phagocytosis rate of neutrophils was detected among HAE patients than among healthy controls［(70.85 ± 7.32)% vs. (94.04 ± 3.90)%; t = 20.18, P < 0.05］, and the ability to produce NETs by neutrophils was higher among HAE patients than among healthy controls following in vitro PMA stimulation. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the phagocytosis rate of neutrophils correlated negatively with platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), interleukin-6 (IL-6) level and C-reactive protein (CRP) level (r_s = −0.515 to −0.392, all P values < 0.05), and the MPO and NE levels positively correlated with inflammatory markers NLR, PLR, CRP and IL-6 (r_s = 0.333 to 0.445, all P values < 0.05) and clinical liver biochemical indicators aspartic transaminase, alanine aminotransferase, direct bilirubin and total bilirubin among HAE patients (r_s = 0.290 to 0.628, all P values < 0.001). Conclusions Excessive formation of NETs is found among HAE patients, which affects the phagocytic ability of neutrophils and results in elevated levels of inflammatory indicators. NETs markers may be promising novel biomarkers for early diagnosis, monitoring, and severity assessment of liver disease.