Using an integrated bioinformatics approach to find novel biomarkers that can predict asthma severity. From June 2022 to December 2022, this clinical medical study was conducted and completed in the Department of Allergy, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University. The gene chip dataset GSE43696 was screened and downloaded from the high-throughput Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and the gene chip data preprocessing was completed using package "affy" in R and "rma" algorithm in turn. Use the the "edgeR" and "limma" packages to screen out the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between normal controls, mild to moderate asthma patients and severe asthma patients, and then use the "clusterProfiler" package to perform GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs, finally use the STRING website to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs to further screen key genes. Using the R language "WGCNA" package, the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed on the dataset GSE43696, and the modules significantly related to the severity of asthma were screened out, then the hub genes were obtained by intersecting the WGCNA analysis results with the DEGs screened by PPI. Datasets GSE43696 and GSE63142 were used to verify the expression of hub genes, and the diagnostic value was evaluated according to the ROC curve, then the potential function of hub genes in dataset GSE43696 was further clarified by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). The results showed that a total of 251 DEGs were screened, including 39 in the normal group and mild to moderate asthma group, 178 in the normal group and severe asthma group, and 34 in the mild to moderate asthma group and severe asthma group, mainly involved in biological processes such as response to toxic substance, response to oxidative stress, extracellular structure organization, extracellular matrix organization. Two modules significantly correlated with asthma severity were screened out (red module, P=7e-6, r=0.43; pink module, P=5e-8, r=-0.51), and finally six hub genes were obtained, including B3GNT6, CEACAM5, CCK, ERBB2, CSH1 and DPPA5. The comparison of gene expression levels and ROC curve analysis of datasets GSE43696 and GSE63142 further verified the six hub genes, which may associated with o-glycan biosynthesis, alpha linolenic acid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, pentose and glucoronate interconversions. In conclusion, through a variety of bioinformatics analysis methods, this study identified six hub genes significantly related to the severity of asthma, which potentially provided a new direction for the prediction and targeted therapy of asthma.
Humans ; Asthma/genetics* ; Computational Biology ; Hospitals

Using an integrated bioinformatics approach to find novel biomarkers that can predict asthma severity. From June 2022 to December 2022, this clinical medical study was conducted and completed in the Department of Allergy, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University. The gene chip dataset GSE43696 was screened and downloaded from the high-throughput Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and the gene chip data preprocessing was completed using package "affy" in R and "rma" algorithm in turn. Use the the "edgeR" and "limma" packages to screen out the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between normal controls, mild to moderate asthma patients and severe asthma patients, and then use the "clusterProfiler" package to perform GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs, finally use the STRING website to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs to further screen key genes. Using the R language "WGCNA" package, the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed on the dataset GSE43696, and the modules significantly related to the severity of asthma were screened out, then the hub genes were obtained by intersecting the WGCNA analysis results with the DEGs screened by PPI. Datasets GSE43696 and GSE63142 were used to verify the expression of hub genes, and the diagnostic value was evaluated according to the ROC curve, then the potential function of hub genes in dataset GSE43696 was further clarified by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). The results showed that a total of 251 DEGs were screened, including 39 in the normal group and mild to moderate asthma group, 178 in the normal group and severe asthma group, and 34 in the mild to moderate asthma group and severe asthma group, mainly involved in biological processes such as response to toxic substance, response to oxidative stress, extracellular structure organization, extracellular matrix organization. Two modules significantly correlated with asthma severity were screened out (red module, P=7e-6, r=0.43; pink module, P=5e-8, r=-0.51), and finally six hub genes were obtained, including B3GNT6, CEACAM5, CCK, ERBB2, CSH1 and DPPA5. The comparison of gene expression levels and ROC curve analysis of datasets GSE43696 and GSE63142 further verified the six hub genes, which may associated with o-glycan biosynthesis, alpha linolenic acid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, pentose and glucoronate interconversions. In conclusion, through a variety of bioinformatics analysis methods, this study identified six hub genes significantly related to the severity of asthma, which potentially provided a new direction for the prediction and targeted therapy of asthma.
Humans ; Asthma/genetics* ; Computational Biology ; Hospitals

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify the consistency of invasive dynamic blood pressure (BP) monitoring between the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and the common carotid artery (CCA). METHODS: Eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were cannulated in SMA and CCA simultaneously for BP monitoring, respectively. The abdominal aorta was prepared for the induction of BP change through clamping/de-clamping by a microvascular clip. The dynamic BP monitoring was performed by a polygraph system. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) values would be recorded during different time periods: the baseline (T1), the increasing period after clamping (T2), the platform period during clamping (T3), the decreasing period after de-clamping (T4), and the final platform period (T5). Three trials were performed on each rat with 15-minute intervals between consecutive monitoring. RESULTS: Systolic BP showed no significant differences between SMA and CCA. However, significant difference was found in diastolic blood pressure except at T5 (P=0.534). Mean arterial pressure of two arteries were signifi cantly different only at T1 (P=0.015). The strength of association was significantly high between BP measurements through SMA and CCA (P<0.001). The Bland- Altman analyses showed that mean bias of MAP changed no more than 5 mmHg and standard deviation less than 8 mmHg during T2 and T4, respectively. CONCLUSION: The study indicates SMA might be an alternative site for invasive BP monitoring during abdominal aorta occlusion and release, especially in cerebrovascular-related research.

In recent years, ureteral repair and reconstruction techniques, such as appendiceal onlay flap, oral mucosal patch for repairing middle and upper ureteral stenosis, and Boari bladder muscle flap for repairing lower ureteral stenosis, have been continuously introduced and widely used to achieve satisfactory clinical results.In clinical practice, it is important to carefully select suitable patients and adequately prepare for the perioperative period. Factors to consider include the surgical approach, planning the sequence of left and right reconstruction, to ensure optimal results for ureteral repair. This paper provides a detailed account of our center’s experience, reviews relevant literature on robot-assisted appendix graft ureteroplasty combined with Boari flap ureteroplasty for one-stage repair of bilateral ureteral strictures, and discusses the current clinical progress.

Systemic sclerosis is a disease characterized by skin and internal organ fibrosis, lacking specific therapeutic drugs and having a poor prognosis. Early diagnosis and intervention of the disease is of significant value in improving patient prognosis. This article provides a systematic review of the early diagnosis and treatment of systemic sclerosis, including early symptom recognition, laboratory testing, and drug intervention. It will provide a reference for the prevention of this disease.
Humans ; Scleroderma, Systemic/prevention & control*

Systemic sclerosis is a disease characterized by skin and internal organ fibrosis, lacking specific therapeutic drugs and having a poor prognosis. Early diagnosis and intervention of the disease is of significant value in improving patient prognosis. This article provides a systematic review of the early diagnosis and treatment of systemic sclerosis, including early symptom recognition, laboratory testing, and drug intervention. It will provide a reference for the prevention of this disease.
Humans ; Scleroderma, Systemic/prevention & control*

Objective To investigate the surgical diagnosis and treatment of late vitamin K deficiency intracranial hemorrhage caused by biliary atresia. Methods Clinical data of six cases of biliary atresia with late vitamin K deficiency intracranial hemorrhage were collected in the Department of Neurosurgery of Tianjin Children’s Hospital from January 2000 to December 2013. Data were analyzed to identify the biliary atresia as soon as possible in the treatment of intracranial hemorrhage and prolonged jaundice in children. Results Six cases (1 male, 5 female), mean age was (16.0±2.6) days, and were treated with external drainage of intracranial hematoma and infusion therapy. In the treatment, children were found jaundice exacerbation and doubted about biliary atresia. After consultation by general surgeons, children were transferred to the department of general surgery for further treatment at an average age of (29.1±1.2) days, and were diagnosed as biliary atresia by intraoperative cholangiography. Conclusion Pediatric neurosurgeon should have a sufficient understanding and make an early diagnosis to late vitamin K deficiency intracranial hemorrhage caused by biliary atresia, to avoid delaying the optimal treatment time of biliary atresia.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical significance of co-infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in HBV-related liver diseases such as chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 487 patients with HBV infection who were diagnosed in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from May 2016 to August 2018, among whom 194 (39.8%) had co-infection with HBV and EBV. The patients were divided into groups according to the copy number of EBV DNA (＞400 IU/ml), Child-Pugh class (Child-Pugh class A, B, and C), and progression of liver disease (CHB, liver cirrhosis, and HCC), and related indices were compared between groups. The t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups; an analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups, and the Dunn-Bonferroni test was used for further comparison between two groups. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. ResultsThe patients with CHB had a significantly higher copy number of HBV-DNA than those with liver cirrhosis or HCC (t=2.417 and 3.258, P=0.017 and 0.001), while the patients with HCC tended to have a higher copy number of EBV DNA than those with CHB or liver cirrhosis, but there was no significant difference between the three groups (F=1.161, P=0.315). After adjustment for liver function based on Child-Pugh class, the HCC patients with Child-Pugh class A liver function had a significantly higher copy number of EBV DNA than the CHB patients and the patients with liver cirrhosis (t=2.062 and 2.615, P=0.041 and 0.010)， the liver cirrhosis patients with Child-Pugh class C liver function had a significantly higher copy number of EBV DNA than the CHB patients (t=2.647,P=0.012). ALT/AST, globulin, and lymphocyte percentage were specific clinical indices for co-infection with HBV and EBV. ConclusionThere is an increase in EBV load in HCC patients, and both EBV and HBV are involved in the progression of liver diseases. Dynamic quantification of EBV DNA in patients with HBV infection has a certain significance in early intervention of the progression of liver diseases.

The mechanism underlying CD4CD25Foxp3regulatory T cells (Tregs) promoting the development of colorectal cancer (CRC) was elucidated in the present study. Forty-eight cases of colorectal carcinomas, 22 cases of colon polyps and 21 cases of normal colorectal tissues were collected. The correlation among Foxp3, IL-10 and Stat3, and the clinical relevance of these three indexes were analyzed. The results showed that the levels of Foxp3 expressed in infiltrating CD4CD25Foxp3Tregs, and IL-10 and Stat3 in CRC tissues were all significantly higher than those in polypus tissues and normal colon tissues (P< 0.01). Pearson correlation analysis indicated that the expression level of Foxp3 was positively correlated with Stat3 at mRNA level (r=0.526, P=0.036), and was positively correlated with IL-10 at protein level (r=0.314, P=0.030). The Foxp3 expressed in CD4CD25Foxp3Tregs was correlated with the histological grade, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage of CRC (P<0.05 for all). The IL-10 expression was correlated with the histological grade and TNM stage (both P<0.05). The Stat3 expression was correlated with the lymph node metastasis and TNM stage (both P<0.05). It was concluded that CD4CD25Foxp3Tregs can inhibit tumor immunity in combination with some other related inhibitory cytokines and that Foxp3 expression in CD4CD25Foxp3Tregs correlates with CRC progression.
Adult ; Aged ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; genetics ; immunology ; pathology ; Female ; Forkhead Transcription Factors ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunity ; genetics ; Interleukin-10 ; biosynthesis ; immunology ; Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit ; immunology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; biosynthesis ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; immunology

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), Simplified Acute Physiology Score Ⅱ (SAPS-Ⅱ), Oxford Acute Severity of Illness Score (OASIS) and Logistic Organ Dysfunction System (LODS) scoring systems for predicting ICU mortality in patients with sepsis. METHODS: We collected the data of a total of 2470 cases of sepsis recorded in the MIMIC-III database from 2001 to 2012 and retrieved the scores of SOFA, SAPS-Ⅱ, OASIS and LODS of the patients within the first day of ICU admission. We compared with the score between the survivors and the non-survivors and analyzed the differences in the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the 4 scoring systems. Binomial logistic regression was performed to compare the predictive value of the 4 scoring systems for ICU mortality of the patients. RESULTS: In the 2470 patients with sepsis, 1966 (79.6%) survived and 504 (20.4%) died in the ICU. Compared with the survivors, the non-survivors had a significantly older mean age, higher proportion of patients receiving mechanical ventilation, and higher initial lactate level, creatinine, urea nitrogen, SOFA score, SAPS-Ⅱ score, OASIS score and LODS score ( < 0.05) but with significantly lower body weight and platelet counts ( < 0.05). The AUCs of the SOFA score, SAPS-Ⅱ score, OASIS score, and LODS score were 0.729 ( < 0.001), 0.768 ( < 0.001), 0.757 ( < 0.001), and 0.739 ( < 0.001), respectively. The AUC of SAPS-Ⅱ score was significantly higher than those of SOFA score (=3.679, < 0.001) and LODS score (=3.698, < 0.001) but was comparable with that of OASIS score (=1.102, =0.271); the AUC of OASIS score was significantly higher than that of LODS score (=2.172, =0.030) and comparable with that of SOFA score (=1.709, =0.088). For predicting ICU mortality in patients without septic shock, the AUC of SAPS-Ⅱ score was 0.769 (0.743-0.793), the highest among the 4 scoring systems; in patients with septic shock, the AUCs SAPS-Ⅱ score and OASIS score, 0.768 (0.745-0.791) and 0.762 (0.738-0.785), respectively, were significantly higher than those of the other two scoring systems. Binomial logistic regression showed the corrected SOFA, SAPS-Ⅱ, and OASIS scores, but not LODS scores, were significantly correlated with ICU mortality in patients with sepsis, and their ORs were 1.08 (95% CI: 1.03-1.14, =0.001), 1.04 (95% CI: 1.02-1.05, < 0.001), 1.04 (95% CI: 1.01-1.06, =0.001), 0.96 (95% CI: 0.89-1.04, =0.350), respectively. CONCLUSIONS The scores of SOFA, SAPS-Ⅱ, OASIS, and LODS can predict ICU mortality in patients with sepsis, but SAPS-Ⅱ and OASIS scores have better predictive value than SOFA and LODS scores.
Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Prognosis ; ROC Curve ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis