OBJECTIVE: To investigate the triglyceride (TG)-lowering effects of PCSK9 inhibitor in patients with in different baseline triglyceride levels. METHODS: Between February, 2019 and March, 2020, a total of 59 patients were treated with PCSK9 inhibitor (Evolocumab) in 5 hospitals, including Nanfang Hospital, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Foshan Nanhai District People's Hospital and Yulin First People's Hospital. According to baseline triglyceride levels, the patients were divided into normal TG group (< 1.70 mmol/L, =24), mild hypertriglyceridemia group (1.70-2.29 mmol/L, =11), moderate hypertriglyceridemia group (2.30-5.63 mmol/L, =13), and severe hypertriglyceridemia group (≥5.64 mmol/L, =11), and the changes in TG level after the treatment were compared among the 4 groups. RESULTS: In the groups with normal and mildly elevated baseline TG level, the patients did not show significant changes in TG levels after the treatment. In patients with moderately and severely elevated baseline TG levels, treatment with PCSK9 inhibitor significantly reduced their TG levels ( < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS PCSK9 inhibitor has a significant TG-lowering effect in patients with moderate to severe hypertriglyceridemia but not in patients with only mildly elevated baseline TG level.
Humans ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Hypolipidemic Agents ; Proprotein Convertase 9 ; Triglycerides

Periapical periodontitis arises from the interaction between microbial factors and the inflammatory response of the host's periapical tissues. In this process, bacteria and their byproducts serve as the primary drivers for the initiation, progression, and spread of the disease. Pulp infections and periapical lesions are primarily dominated by gram-negative bacteria. The endotoxin lipopolysaccharide component of these bacteria plays a crucial role in pulp infection, triggering clinical symptoms, inflammatory reactions, and bone tissue resorption. Similarly, lipoteichoic acid and lipopolysaccharide from gram-positive bacteria exhibit similar pathogenic characteristics, causing damage to pulp and periapical tissues. The aim of this review is to delve deeper into the distribution patterns and pathogenesis of periapical microorganisms in chronic periapical periodontitis.

Objective To investigate ecological isolation between Oncomelania hupensis snail populations in hilly regions and marshland and lake regions in Yuanjiang valley, Changde City, Hunan Province, and to unravel its underlying mechanisms. Methods Taoyuan County, Shimen County, Linli County and Lixian County in Changde City were selected as snail sampling sites in hilly regions, and Lixian County, Jinshi City, West Lake Administration District, Hanshou County and Dingcheng District were selected as snail sampling sites in marshland and lake areas. Cytochrome C oxidase 1 (cox 1) gene was amplified in snail samples and sequenced. The genetic sequences of O. hupensis snails were aligned using the software MEGA 11, and the haplotypes of O. hupensis snails were determined using the software DNASP 5.10.01. The phylogenetic tree was generated using Bayesian inference with the software MrBayes 3.2, and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was performed to analyze the source of genetic divergence and estimate the genetic divergence index (F_ST) among snail populations with the software Arlequin 3.5.2.2. The genetic barrier among 11 O. hupensis snail populations was estimated using the Monmonier algorithm of adegenet toolkit in R package. The settings with “land in winter and water in summer” in the Yuanjian River section were divided into two categories according to the upstream and downstream, and the areas with “land in winter and water in summer” in the upstream and downstream were transformed into raster data, and then loaded into the software Fragstats 4 for analysis of landscape indicators. The trends in changes of digital elevation were extracted from the Yuanjiang River section based on the digital elevation model, and made three-dimensional visualization using the R package. Results The mitochondrial cox 1 gene were amplified in 165 O. hupensis snais from 11 sampling sites and sequenced, and a total of 152 valid gene sequences were obtained, with 46 haplotypes or 9 populations determined. No haplotype was shared in snails between Taoyuan County and Dingcheng District and Hanshou County along the downstream of the Yuanjiang River. The total area of settings with “land in winter and water in summer” was 617.66 hm² in the upsteram of the Yuanjiang River, which consisted of 473 patches, with each patch measuring 1.31 hm², the largest area index of 0.735 2, the landscape division index of 0.999 9, and the landscape shape index of 45.293 7. The total area of settings with “land in winter and water in summer” was 9 956.92 hm² in the downstream of the Yuanjiang River, which consisted of 771 patches, with each patch measuring 12.91 hm², the largest area index of 97.839 9, the landscape division index of 0.042 7, and the landscape shape index of 7.249 6. The area of settings with “land in winter and water in summer” was much larger in the downstream than that in the upstream of the Yuanjiang River, and the stronger landscape connectivity and non-remarkable alteration of riverbed elevation provided suitable habitats for snail breeding. Conclusion The hydrological and environmental characteristics of the upstream of the Yuanjiang River restrain the breeding and spread of O. hupensis, resulting in ecological isolation between Oncomelania hupensis in Taoyuan County and those in the downstream of Yuanjiang River.