Metabolites produced as intermediaries or end-products of microbial metabolism provide crucial signals for health and diseases, such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). These metabolites include products of the bacterial metabolism of dietary substrates, modification of host molecules (such as bile acids [BAs], trimethylamine-N-oxide, and short-chain fatty acids), or products directly derived from bacteria. Recent studies have provided new insights into the association between MASLD and the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). Furthermore, alterations in microbiota composition and metabolite profiles, notably altered BAs, have been described in studies investigating the association between MASLD and the risk of CKD. This narrative review discusses alterations of specific classes of metabolites, BAs, fructose, vitamin D, and microbiota composition that may be implicated in the link between MASLD and CKD.

Metabolites produced as intermediaries or end-products of microbial metabolism provide crucial signals for health and diseases, such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). These metabolites include products of the bacterial metabolism of dietary substrates, modification of host molecules (such as bile acids [BAs], trimethylamine-N-oxide, and short-chain fatty acids), or products directly derived from bacteria. Recent studies have provided new insights into the association between MASLD and the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). Furthermore, alterations in microbiota composition and metabolite profiles, notably altered BAs, have been described in studies investigating the association between MASLD and the risk of CKD. This narrative review discusses alterations of specific classes of metabolites, BAs, fructose, vitamin D, and microbiota composition that may be implicated in the link between MASLD and CKD.

Metabolites produced as intermediaries or end-products of microbial metabolism provide crucial signals for health and diseases, such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). These metabolites include products of the bacterial metabolism of dietary substrates, modification of host molecules (such as bile acids [BAs], trimethylamine-N-oxide, and short-chain fatty acids), or products directly derived from bacteria. Recent studies have provided new insights into the association between MASLD and the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). Furthermore, alterations in microbiota composition and metabolite profiles, notably altered BAs, have been described in studies investigating the association between MASLD and the risk of CKD. This narrative review discusses alterations of specific classes of metabolites, BAs, fructose, vitamin D, and microbiota composition that may be implicated in the link between MASLD and CKD.

An 11-year-old boy presented with erythematous plaques over the bilateral mandibular and mental regions for 2 years, accompanied by cough and dyspnea for more than 2 months. Chest computed tomography angiography revealed marked stenosis of the right pulmonary artery, irregular aortic caliber, and aortic wall thickening. Histopathological examination of the skin lesion, including immunohistochemistry and special stains, confirmed a chronic suppurative inflammation. Whole-exome sequencing was negative. A final diagnosis of granuloma faciale and Takayasu arteritis was established. Combination therapy with systemic tocilizumab, prednisone, and methotrexate, along with topical 0.1% tacrolimus ointment, resulted in a favorable clinical response. This report summarizes the clinical features of a pediatric case of granuloma faciale and Takayasu arteritis and reviews the etiology, diagnostic approach, and current treatment strategies for the disorders, aiming to enhance clinicians' understanding of these conditions.
Humans ; Male ; Child ; Takayasu Arteritis/diagnosis* ; Facial Dermatoses/diagnosis*

BACKGROUND: Medical informatics accumulated vast amounts of data for clinical diagnosis and treatment. However, limited access to follow-up data and the difficulty in integrating data across diverse platforms continue to pose significant barriers to clinical research progress. In response, our research team has embarked on the development of a specialized clinical research database for cardiology, thereby establishing a comprehensive digital platform that facilitates both clinical decision-making and research endeavors. METHODS: The database incorporated actual clinical data from patients who received treatment at the Cardiovascular Medicine Department of Chinese PLA General Hospital from 2012 to 2021. It included comprehensive data on patients' basic information, medical history, non-invasive imaging studies, laboratory test results, as well as peri-procedural information related to interventional surgeries, extracted from the Hospital Information System. Additionally, an innovative artificial intelligence (AI)-powered interactive follow-up system had been developed, ensuring that nearly all myocardial infarction patients received at least one post-discharge follow-up, thereby achieving comprehensive data management throughout the entire care continuum for high-risk patients. RESULTS: This database integrates extensive cross-sectional and longitudinal patient data, with a focus on higher-risk acute coronary syndrome patients. It achieves the integration of structured and unstructured clinical data, while innovatively incorporating AI and automatic speech recognition technologies to enhance data integration and workflow efficiency. It creates a comprehensive patient view, thereby improving diagnostic and follow-up quality, and provides high-quality data to support clinical research. Despite limitations in unstructured data standardization and biological sample integrity, the database's development is accompanied by ongoing optimization efforts. CONCLUSION The cardiovascular specialty clinical database is a comprehensive digital archive integrating clinical treatment and research, which facilitates the digital and intelligent transformation of clinical diagnosis and treatment processes. It supports clinical decision-making and offers data support and potential research directions for the specialized management of cardiovascular diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To describe survival trends and global patterns of esophageal cancer (EC) using survival data from population-based cancer registries. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, SEER, and SinoMed databases for articles published up to 31 December 2023. Eligible EC survival estimates were evaluated according to country or region, period, sex, age group, pathology, and disease stage. RESULTS: After 2010, Jordan exhibited the highest age-standardized 5-year relative survival rates (RSRs)/net survival rates (NSRs) at 41.1% between 2010 and 2014, while India had the lowest, at 4.1%. Survival rates generally improved with diagnostic age across most countries, with significant increases in South Korea and China, of 12.7% and 10.5% between 2000 and 2017, respectively. Survival was higher among women compared to men, ranging from 0.4%-10.9%. Survival rates for adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma were similar, differing by about 4%. In China, the highest age-standardized RSRs/NSRs was 33.4% between 2015 and 2017. Meanwhile, the lowest was 5.3%, in Qidong (Jiangsu province) between 1992-1996. CONCLUSION Global EC survival rates have improved significantly in recent decades, but substantial geographical, sex, and age disparities still exist. In Asia, squamous cell carcinoma demonstrated superior survival rates compared to adenocarcinoma, while the opposite trend was observed in Western countries. Future research should clarify the prognostic factors influencing EC survival and tailor prevention and screening strategies to the changing EC survival patterns.
Humans ; Esophageal Neoplasms/mortality* ; Registries ; Male ; Female ; Survival Analysis ; Middle Aged ; Survival Rate ; Aged ; Global Health

To develop a milestone-based evaluation system for the core "knowledge and skills" competency of neurology residents that is tailored to China's medical context, so as to provide precise guidance for their training and assessment.

Objective: To examine the association between serum vitamin D level and thyroid function indicators among elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), so as to provide the evidence for the prevention and treatment of thyroid function abnormality among elderly patients with T2DM. Methods: Inpatients aged 60 years and older and admitted to the department of endocrinology of Zhejiang Hospital were selected as the study subjects. Gender, age, course of disease and other basic information were collected through questionnaire surveys. The serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D[25-(OH) D], thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), total triiodothyronine (TT3), and total thyroxine (TT4) were measured. The correlation between serum vitamin D level and thyroid function indicators in elderly patients with T2DM was evaluated by a multiple linear regression model. Results: A total of 402 elderly patients with T2DM were surveyed, including 210 males (52.24%) and 192 females (47.76%), and had a median age of 70.00 (interquartile range, 12.00) years and a median course of disease of 14.00 (interquartile range, 14.00) years. There were 162 patients with insufficiency of vitamin D (40.30%) and 182 patients with deficiency (45.27%). The levels of TSH and glycated hemoglobin in the vitamin D deficiency group were (2.34±1.66) μIU/mL and (8.83±2.14) %, respectively, which were higher than those in the normal group [(1.74±1.10) μIU/mL and (8.11±1.75) %; P<0.05]. The levels of FT3 and FT3/FT4 in the vitamin D deficiency group were (2.86±0.48) μIU/mL and 2.85±0.71, respectively, which were lower than those in the vitamin D insufficiency group [(3.09±0.47) pg/mL and 3.14±0.81, P<0.05]. Multiple linear regression analysis showed a negative correlation between 25- (OH) D and TSH (β'=-0.159, P=0.001). Conclusion The vitamin D deficiency may be associated with the increase of TSH level among the elderly patients with T2DM.

Standardized reporting is a crucial factor affecting the use of patient guidelines （PGs）， particularly in the reporting and presentation of recommendations. This paper introduced the current status of PG reporting， including the research on PG content and presentation formats， and provided comprehensive recommendations for PG reporting from aspects such as overall framework， recommendations， presentation format， and readability. First， the presentation of PG recommendations should include clearly defined clinical questions， recommendations and their rationale， and guidance on how patients should implement the interventions； for specific content in the PG， such as level of evidence， level of recommendation， it is recommended to explain in text the reasons for giving different levels of recommendation， i.e.， to present the logic behind giving the level of recommendation to the patient； additional information needed in the recommendation framework should be supplemented by tracing references or authoritative textbooks and literature that support the recommendations. Subsequently， the PG text should be written based on the Reporting Checklist for Public Versions of Guidelines （RIGHT-PVG） reporting framework. Finally， to enhance readability and comprehension， it is recommended to refer to the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool （PEMAT） for translating PG content. To enhance the readability of PGs， it is suggested to present the PG content in a persona-lized and layered manner.