Objective: To analyze the mediating effects of loneliness and depressive symptoms on family functioning and life satisfaction among rural elderly patients with chronic diseases, so as to provide the basis for improving the life satisfaction of this population. Methods: Rural elderly patients with chronic diseases aged ≥60 years in Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province were selected using a multi-stage stratified random cluster sampling method from June to September 2022. Basic information such as gender, age, and chronic diseases were collected. Family function, life satisfaction, loneliness and depressive symptoms were evaluated using Family Care Index Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the b-item Revised VCLA Loneliness Sale and the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale, respectively. The structural equation model was constructed using Amos software to analyze the mediating effects of loneliness and depressive symptoms on the relationship between family function and life satisfaction. The Bootstrap method was employed to test the mediating effects. Results: A total of 1 145 rural elderly patients with chronic diseases were recruited, including 517 males (45.15%) and 628 females (54.85%). Among the participants, 657 individuals (57.38%) were aged 60-<71 years, and 540 individuals (47.16%) had three or more chronic diseases. The scores for family function, life satisfaction, loneliness, and depressive symptoms were (3.90±1.18), (18.88±5.25), (12.88±2.99), and (6.65±2.26), respectively. Mediating effect analysis showed that family function had a direct positive effect on life satisfaction (β=0.179, 95%CI: 0.126-0.231). It also indirectly positively influenced the life satisfaction of rural elderly patients with chronic diseases through the independent mediating effect of depressive symptoms (β=0.035, 95%CI: 0.021-0.054) and the chained mediating effect of loneliness and depressive symptoms (β=0.021, 95%CI: 0.013-0.030). The mediating effect of depressive symptoms accounted for 14.89% of the total effect, while the chained mediating effect of loneliness and depressive symptoms accounted for 8.94% of the total effect. Conclusion Good family function can directly enhance the life satisfaction of rural elderly patients with chronic diseases and can also indirectly improve their life satisfaction by reducing loneliness and depressive symptoms.

Objective To investigate the common molecular features of immunothrombosis, thus enhancing the comprehension of thrombosis triggered by immune and inflammatory responses and offering crucial insights for identifying potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Methods Differential gene expression analysis and functional enrichment analysis were conducted on datasets of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and venous thromboembolism (VTE). The intersection of differentially expressed genes in SLE and VTE with those of neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) yielded cross-talk genes (CG) for SLE-NET and VTE-NET interaction. Further analysis included functional enrichment and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network assessments of these CG to identify hub genes. Venn diagrams and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were employed to pinpoint the most effective shared diagnostic CG, which were validated using a graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) dataset. Results Differential expression genes in SLE and VTE were associated with distinct biological processes, whereas SLE-NET-CG and VTE-NET-CG were implicated in pathways related to leukocyte migration, inflammatory response, and immune response. Through PPI network analysis, several hub genes were identified, with matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and S100 calcium-binding protein A12 (S100A12) emerging as the best shared diagnostic CG for SLE (AUC: 0.936 and 0.832) and VTE (AUC: 0.719 and 0.759). Notably, MMP9 exhibited good diagnostic performance in the GVHD dataset (AUC: 0.696). Conclusion This study unveils the common molecular features of SLE, VTE, and NET, emphasizing MMP9 and S100A12 as the optimal shared diagnostic CG, thus providing valuable evidence for the diagnosis and therapeutic strategies related to immunothrombosis. Additionally, the expression of MMP9 in GVHD highlights its critical role in the risk of VTE associated with immune system disorders.
Humans ; Computational Biology/methods* ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/immunology* ; Protein Interaction Maps/genetics* ; Venous Thromboembolism/therapy* ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9/genetics* ; Extracellular Traps/metabolism* ; Gene Regulatory Networks ; Thrombosis/immunology* ; Graft vs Host Disease/genetics* ; Gene Expression Profiling

Pheochromocytoma is a neuroendocrine tumor that produces catecholamines, leading to elevated blood pressure and metabolic changes in patients. It can result in serious complications affecting the heart, brain, kidneys, and blood vessels, potentially becoming a primary cause of death. Most pheochromocytoma patients present with atypical symptoms, making misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis common. This article reports a case of pheochromocytoma crisis misdiagnosed as severe viral myocarditis and includes a review of the relevant literature.

Objective:To explore the potential influencing factors of parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis（PNAC）in extremely premature infants.Methods:A total of 83 cases of extremely premature infants who received parenteral nutrition and developed PNAC admitted to Shanxi Children's Hospital between October 2020 and October 2023 were selected as the case group，while 99 extremely premature infants who received parenteral nutrition but did not develop PNAC during the same period were selected as the control group. Basic information such as gender，gestational age，birth weight，and duration of parenteral nutrition were collected for the extremely premature infants. The health status of the infants at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth was assessed using the Apgar standardized scoring method. One week after parenteral nutrition,platelet count(PLC)，mean platelet volume(MPV)，and platelet volume distribution width(PDW) were measured. Univariate analysis and non-conditional Logistic regression were used to analyze the potential influencing factors of PNAC in extremely premature infants after parenteral nutrition. Receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves were plotted to evaluate the performance of the influencing factors and combined predictive factors in predicting PNAC in extremely premature infants receiving parenteral nutrition.Results:The 1-min and 5-min Apgar scores in the case group were lower than those in the control group( P<0.001);the percentages of gestational hypertension in mothers and postnatal infections in children were higher than those in the control group( P<0.05);and the duration of parenteral nutrition was longer than that in the control group( t=4.655, P<0.001), the differences were statistically significant. In the case group, after one week of parenteral nutrition,PLC was lower than that in the control group( t=4.949, P<0.001),MPV was higher than that in the control group( t=12.193, P<0.001), and PDW was higher than that in the control group( t=10.744, P<0.001), the differences were statistically significant.Multifactorial Logistic analysis showed that after adjusting for gender and gestational age，1-minute Apgar score（ OR=0.898），5-minute Apgar score（ OR=0.900），postnatal infection（ OR=1.256），duration of parenteral nutrition（ OR=1.426），one week after parenteral nutrition，PLC（ OR=0.902），MPV（ OR=1.441），and PDW（ OR=1.195）were independent influencing factors for PNAC in extremely premature infants（all P<0.05）. ROC curves showed that each factor and combined predictive factors had certain efficacy in predicting the occurrence of PNAC in extremely premature infants after parenteral nutrition. Conclusion:One-minute Apgar score,5-minute Apgar score，duration of parenteral nutrition，postnatal infection，one week after parenteral nutrition，the PLC,MPV and PDW are independent influencing factors for PNAC in extremely premature infants receiving parenteral nutrition.Each factor predicts the efficacy of parenteral nutrition for PNAC in extremely premature infants, and relevant factors should be controlled in time to reduce the incidence of PNAC in extremely premature infants.

Objective:To explore the potential influencing factors of parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis（PNAC）in extremely premature infants.Methods:A total of 83 cases of extremely premature infants who received parenteral nutrition and developed PNAC admitted to Shanxi Children's Hospital between October 2020 and October 2023 were selected as the case group，while 99 extremely premature infants who received parenteral nutrition but did not develop PNAC during the same period were selected as the control group. Basic information such as gender，gestational age，birth weight，and duration of parenteral nutrition were collected for the extremely premature infants. The health status of the infants at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth was assessed using the Apgar standardized scoring method. One week after parenteral nutrition,platelet count(PLC)，mean platelet volume(MPV)，and platelet volume distribution width(PDW) were measured. Univariate analysis and non-conditional Logistic regression were used to analyze the potential influencing factors of PNAC in extremely premature infants after parenteral nutrition. Receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves were plotted to evaluate the performance of the influencing factors and combined predictive factors in predicting PNAC in extremely premature infants receiving parenteral nutrition.Results:The 1-min and 5-min Apgar scores in the case group were lower than those in the control group( P<0.001);the percentages of gestational hypertension in mothers and postnatal infections in children were higher than those in the control group( P<0.05);and the duration of parenteral nutrition was longer than that in the control group( t=4.655, P<0.001), the differences were statistically significant. In the case group, after one week of parenteral nutrition,PLC was lower than that in the control group( t=4.949, P<0.001),MPV was higher than that in the control group( t=12.193, P<0.001), and PDW was higher than that in the control group( t=10.744, P<0.001), the differences were statistically significant.Multifactorial Logistic analysis showed that after adjusting for gender and gestational age，1-minute Apgar score（ OR=0.898），5-minute Apgar score（ OR=0.900），postnatal infection（ OR=1.256），duration of parenteral nutrition（ OR=1.426），one week after parenteral nutrition，PLC（ OR=0.902），MPV（ OR=1.441），and PDW（ OR=1.195）were independent influencing factors for PNAC in extremely premature infants（all P<0.05）. ROC curves showed that each factor and combined predictive factors had certain efficacy in predicting the occurrence of PNAC in extremely premature infants after parenteral nutrition. Conclusion:One-minute Apgar score,5-minute Apgar score，duration of parenteral nutrition，postnatal infection，one week after parenteral nutrition，the PLC,MPV and PDW are independent influencing factors for PNAC in extremely premature infants receiving parenteral nutrition.Each factor predicts the efficacy of parenteral nutrition for PNAC in extremely premature infants, and relevant factors should be controlled in time to reduce the incidence of PNAC in extremely premature infants.

Pheochromocytoma is a neuroendocrine tumor that produces catecholamines, leading to elevated blood pressure and metabolic changes in patients. It can result in serious complications affecting the heart, brain, kidneys, and blood vessels, potentially becoming a primary cause of death. Most pheochromocytoma patients present with atypical symptoms, making misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis common. This article reports a case of pheochromocytoma crisis misdiagnosed as severe viral myocarditis and includes a review of the relevant literature.

Objective To construct a nomogram to predict the prognosis of patients with gallbladder cancer(GBC).Methods The clinicopathological data of GBC patients were extracted from the SEER database,and the independent prognostic factors of GBC patients were analyzed by Cox regression,and a nomogram was constructed.Finally,the column diagrams in the training queue and validation queue are verified.Results Age,T stage,M stage,histological grade,radiotherapy,surgery and tumor size were independent prognostic factors in GBC patients,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).In the training cohort,the C index was 0.735(95％CI=0.721～0.749),and the AUC values at 1,3 and 5 years were 0.821,0.820 and 0.833,respectively.In the verification group,the C index was 0.733(95％CI=0.711～0.755),and the AUC values for 1,3 and 5 years were 0.816,0.807 and 0.827,respectively.The calibration curve shows that the predicted values of the nomogram are in good agreement with the observed values.The decision curve shows that the nomogram model has better prediction ability than TNM staging system.Conclusion The constructed dynamic prognosis nomogram of GBC patients has high accuracy and reliability.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of the combination of total saponin of Astragali Radix-total alkaloids of Nelumbinis Folium on reversal cholesterol transport （RCT） in hyperlipidemia rats， and to discuss its mechanism. MethodSixty SD rats were randomly divided into control group， high-fat diet group， total saponin of Astragali Radix-total alkaloids of Nelumbinis Folium low （17 mg·kg^-1+40 mg·kg^-1）， middle （34 mg·kg^-1+80 mg·kg^-1）， high dose （68 mg·kg^-1+160 mg·kg^-1） groups and simvastatin （2.1 mg·kg^-1） group， with 10 mice in each group. The Hyperlipidemia model was duplicated by feeding rats with a high-fat diet for 6 weeks. From the 3rd week， except for the control group and the high-fat diet group given distilled water， other groups were given corresponding drugs intragastric treatment for 4 weeks. The changes in blood lipid and liver function of rats were detected by an automatic biochemical analyzer. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and oil red O staining were used to observe the pathological morphological changes and steatosis of rat liver tissue. The contents of total cholesterol （TC） and total bile acid （TBA） in rat liver tissue and feces were determined by a semi-automatic biochemical analyzer. The mRNA and protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptors γ （PPARγ）， liver X receptors α （LXRα）， ATP-binding cassette transporter G1 （ABCG1） and cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase （CYP7A1） in rat liver tissue were detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot. ResultCompared with the control group， the contents or activities of TC， triglyceride （TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， TBA， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT） in serum were significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the contents of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） in the high-fat diet group were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The hepatocyte was clearly swollen like ballooning degeneration， with a lot of fat vacuoles and red fat droplets. The contents of TC and TBA in liver tissue and feces were significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the mRNA and protein expression levels of PPARγ， LXRα， ABCG1， and CYP7A1 in liver tissue were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the high-fat diet group， the contents or activities of TC， TG， LDL-C， TBA， AST， and ALT in the serum of rats in administered groups were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， while the content of HDL-C was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Hepatocyte swelling was significantly reduced， and the ballooning degeneration， fat vacuoles， and red lipid droplets in liver tissue were significantly decreased. The contents of TC and TBA in liver tissue were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the contents of TC and TBA in feces were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression levels of PPARγ， LXRα， ABCG1， and CYP7A1 in liver tissue were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionTotal saponin of Astragali Radix-total alkaloids of Nelumbinis Folium has a positive effect on the prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia rats， and its mechanism may be related to the activation of PPARγ/LXRα/ABCG1 signaling pathway and regulation of RCT.

Objective To investigate the effect of artesunate(ART)on hypoxia/reoxygenation(H/R)-induced injury of human renal proximal tubular HK-2 cells by regulating the high mobility group protein B1(HMGB1)-receptor of advanced glycation endproduct(RAGE)signaling pathway.Methods HK-2 cells cultured in vitro were stochastically separated into control group,model group,L-ART group(4 μg/ml ART),H-ART group(16 μg/ml ART),H-ART+pcDNA NC group(16 μg/ml ART+transfected pcDNA NC plasmid),and H-ART+pcDNA-HMGB1 group(16 μg/ml ART+transfected pcDNA-HMGB1 plasmid).HK-2 cells in the control group were cultured normally,while the cells in the other groups were induced with hypoxia/reoxygenation(H/R).MTT and plate clone formation experiments were applied to detect the proliferation of cells in each group;ELISA kits were used to measure the expression of interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in various groups;flow cytometry was applied to detect the apoptosis in various groups;Western blot was applied to detect the expression of proliferation related proteins(PCNA),apoptosis related proteins(Bcl-2,Bax),and HMGB1-RAGE signaling pathway related proteins(HMGB1,RAGE)in each group.Results Compared with the control group,the survival rate,clone number,PCNA and Bcl-2 proteins expression of HK-2 cells decreased in the model group,but the apoptosis rate,IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,Bax,HMGB1 and RAGE proteins expression increased(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the survival rate,clone number,PCNA and Bcl-2 proteins expression of HK-2 cells increased in L-ART and H-ART groups,but the apoptosis rate,IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,Bax,HMGB1 and RAGE proteins expression decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the H-ART and H-ART+pcDNA NC groups,the survival rate,clone number,PCNA and Bcl-2 proteins expression of HK-2 cells decreased in the H-ART+pcDNA-HMBB1 group,but the apoptosis rate,IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,Bax,HMGB1 and RAGE proteins expression increased(P<0.05).Conclusion ART may suppress inflammatory response and cell apoptosis,promote cell proliferation,and alleviate H/R-induced injury of renal proximal tubular HK-2 cells by inhibiting the HMGB1-RAGE signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the effect of artesunate(ART)on hypoxia/reoxygenation(H/R)-induced injury of human renal proximal tubular HK-2 cells by regulating the high mobility group protein B1(HMGB1)-receptor of advanced glycation endproduct(RAGE)signaling pathway.Methods HK-2 cells cultured in vitro were stochastically separated into control group,model group,L-ART group(4 μg/ml ART),H-ART group(16 μg/ml ART),H-ART+pcDNA NC group(16 μg/ml ART+transfected pcDNA NC plasmid),and H-ART+pcDNA-HMGB1 group(16 μg/ml ART+transfected pcDNA-HMGB1 plasmid).HK-2 cells in the control group were cultured normally,while the cells in the other groups were induced with hypoxia/reoxygenation(H/R).MTT and plate clone formation experiments were applied to detect the proliferation of cells in each group;ELISA kits were used to measure the expression of interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in various groups;flow cytometry was applied to detect the apoptosis in various groups;Western blot was applied to detect the expression of proliferation related proteins(PCNA),apoptosis related proteins(Bcl-2,Bax),and HMGB1-RAGE signaling pathway related proteins(HMGB1,RAGE)in each group.Results Compared with the control group,the survival rate,clone number,PCNA and Bcl-2 proteins expression of HK-2 cells decreased in the model group,but the apoptosis rate,IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,Bax,HMGB1 and RAGE proteins expression increased(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the survival rate,clone number,PCNA and Bcl-2 proteins expression of HK-2 cells increased in L-ART and H-ART groups,but the apoptosis rate,IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,Bax,HMGB1 and RAGE proteins expression decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the H-ART and H-ART+pcDNA NC groups,the survival rate,clone number,PCNA and Bcl-2 proteins expression of HK-2 cells decreased in the H-ART+pcDNA-HMBB1 group,but the apoptosis rate,IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,Bax,HMGB1 and RAGE proteins expression increased(P<0.05).Conclusion ART may suppress inflammatory response and cell apoptosis,promote cell proliferation,and alleviate H/R-induced injury of renal proximal tubular HK-2 cells by inhibiting the HMGB1-RAGE signaling pathway.