1.Causal relationship between immune cells and chronic pancreatitis:a bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis
Jiaoxing WU ; Ruiqi CAO ; Zhengyuan FENG ; Shuai WU ; Wanxing DUAN ; Xue YANG ; Cancan ZHOU ; Zheng WU
Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University(Medical Sciences) 2025;46(3):455-462
Objective To explore the casual relationship between immune cells and chronic pancreatitis(CP)using Mendelian randomization(MR)analysis.Methods The immune cell phenotypes and CP GWAS data used in this study were obtained from public databases,and 731 immune cell phenotypes were included.The bidirectional MR analysis was used to explore the causal relationship between immune cells and CP,and various sensitivity analysis methods were used to verify the heterogeneity and level multiplicity of the results.Results This study identified 33 immune cell phenotypes with a causal relationship with CP,of which 18 were inhibitory factors,and the rest were risk factors.Among the 18 inhibitory factors,CD25 on CD4+in the Treg cell group showed the most significant inhibitory effect.Among the 15 risk factors,CD8br AC in the TBNK cell group,CD8br on TD CD8br in the mature T cell group,and CD39+CD8br% T cell and CD28 on CD4+in the Treg cell group showed statistical significance.The reverse MR results further confirmed the unidirectionality of the causal relationship.Conclusion Our study revealed the close relationship between immune cells and CP through MR method,highlighting the complex interaction pattern between the immune system and CP.
2.Bidirectional mendelian randomization study on the causal relationship between autism spectrum disorder and chronic pancreatitis
Fangzhou WANG ; Ruiqi CAO ; Cancan ZHOU ; Zheng WANG ; Zheng WU
Chinese Journal of Pancreatology 2025;25(5):362-366
Objective:To evaluate the causal relationship between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and chronic pancreatitis (CP) using a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.Methods:Based on genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, forward and reverse two-sample MR analyses were conducted to examine the causal relationship between ASD and CP. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) reaching genome-wide significance were selected from the GWAS data as candidate instrumental variables, and the Steiger directionality test was used to confirm the causal direction. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was applied as the primary analysis to estimate the causal effect of the exposure on the outcome. MR-Egger regression and weighted median methods were used as supplementary sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of the results. Pleiotropy and heterogeneity tests were performed to evaluate the reliability of the findings.Results:The forward MR analysis ultimately identified 29 SNPs. The IVW analysis indicated that ASD had a significant positive causal effect on CP risk ( OR=1.197, 95% CI 1.047-1.368, P=0.008), with no evidence of horizontal pleiotropy or significant heterogeneity. In the reverse MR analysis, 17 SNPs were included; the IVW analysis did not detect a significant causal effect of CP on ASD ( OR=0.990, 95% CI 0.935-1.047, P=0.717), also with no evidence of horizontal pleiotropy or significant heterogeneity. Causal effect estimates from MR-Egger regression and weighted median analyses were generally consistent with those of IVW. Conclusions:These findings indicate that, at the level of genetic susceptibility, ASD is a risk factor for CP.
3.Causal relationship between immune cells and chronic pancreatitis:a bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis
Jiaoxing WU ; Ruiqi CAO ; Zhengyuan FENG ; Shuai WU ; Wanxing DUAN ; Xue YANG ; Cancan ZHOU ; Zheng WU
Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University(Medical Sciences) 2025;46(3):455-462
Objective To explore the casual relationship between immune cells and chronic pancreatitis(CP)using Mendelian randomization(MR)analysis.Methods The immune cell phenotypes and CP GWAS data used in this study were obtained from public databases,and 731 immune cell phenotypes were included.The bidirectional MR analysis was used to explore the causal relationship between immune cells and CP,and various sensitivity analysis methods were used to verify the heterogeneity and level multiplicity of the results.Results This study identified 33 immune cell phenotypes with a causal relationship with CP,of which 18 were inhibitory factors,and the rest were risk factors.Among the 18 inhibitory factors,CD25 on CD4+in the Treg cell group showed the most significant inhibitory effect.Among the 15 risk factors,CD8br AC in the TBNK cell group,CD8br on TD CD8br in the mature T cell group,and CD39+CD8br% T cell and CD28 on CD4+in the Treg cell group showed statistical significance.The reverse MR results further confirmed the unidirectionality of the causal relationship.Conclusion Our study revealed the close relationship between immune cells and CP through MR method,highlighting the complex interaction pattern between the immune system and CP.
4.Bidirectional mendelian randomization study on the causal relationship between autism spectrum disorder and chronic pancreatitis
Fangzhou WANG ; Ruiqi CAO ; Cancan ZHOU ; Zheng WANG ; Zheng WU
Chinese Journal of Pancreatology 2025;25(5):362-366
Objective:To evaluate the causal relationship between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and chronic pancreatitis (CP) using a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.Methods:Based on genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, forward and reverse two-sample MR analyses were conducted to examine the causal relationship between ASD and CP. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) reaching genome-wide significance were selected from the GWAS data as candidate instrumental variables, and the Steiger directionality test was used to confirm the causal direction. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was applied as the primary analysis to estimate the causal effect of the exposure on the outcome. MR-Egger regression and weighted median methods were used as supplementary sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of the results. Pleiotropy and heterogeneity tests were performed to evaluate the reliability of the findings.Results:The forward MR analysis ultimately identified 29 SNPs. The IVW analysis indicated that ASD had a significant positive causal effect on CP risk ( OR=1.197, 95% CI 1.047-1.368, P=0.008), with no evidence of horizontal pleiotropy or significant heterogeneity. In the reverse MR analysis, 17 SNPs were included; the IVW analysis did not detect a significant causal effect of CP on ASD ( OR=0.990, 95% CI 0.935-1.047, P=0.717), also with no evidence of horizontal pleiotropy or significant heterogeneity. Causal effect estimates from MR-Egger regression and weighted median analyses were generally consistent with those of IVW. Conclusions:These findings indicate that, at the level of genetic susceptibility, ASD is a risk factor for CP.
5.Causal relationship between educational attainment and pancreatitis: a Mendelian randomization study
Ruiqi CAO ; Zhengyuan FENG ; Jiaoxing WU ; Jie LI ; Zheng WANG ; Zheng WU ; Cancan ZHOU
Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University(Medical Sciences) 2024;45(2):200-205
【Objective】 To explore the causal relationship between education level and pancreatitis risk through Mendelian randomization. 【Methods】 A two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis was conducted using genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data. The GWAS data for education level and pancreatitis were obtained from SSGAC database and the FinnGen database (version R9). Causal relationship between education level and pancreatitis was explored using the inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, and weighted median methods. Heterogeneity and directional pleiotropy were evaluated using Cochran’s Q test and funnel plots. 【Results】 Totally 604 SNPs associated with education level were included. The results provided evidence that there was negative relationship between education level and pancreatitis risk. For acute pancreatitis, OR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.44-0.62, P=2.43×10-14 while for chronic pancreatitis, OR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.41-0.64, P=7.20×10-9. Results from MR-Egger and weighted median analyses obtained the same results. The results of sensitivity analysis indicated that this study did not violate the basic assumptions of Mendelian randomization. 【Conclusion】 There is a causal relationship between education level and the occurrence of pancreatitis. The educational level is negatively correlated with the risk of pancreatitis.
6.Investigation of Efficacy and Mechanism of Zukamu Granules on Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension
Ruiqi LIU ; Tianyi YUAN ; Ranran WANG ; Ruifang ZHENG ; Difei GONG ; Shoubao WANG ; Jianguo XING ; Guanhua DU ; Lianhua FANG
Herald of Medicine 2024;43(4):550-560
Objective To explore and verify the protective and therapeutic effects and possible mechanisms of Zukamu granules on hypoxia alone and hypoxia+Su5416-induced hypoxic pulmonary hypertension(HPH)in mice.Methods Multiple databases and related literature were used to collect the active ingredients data in Zukamu granules and the HPH-related targets were predicted and obtained.The network construction and enrichment analysis were performed.The HPH mouse models were es-tablished by two-week hypoxia and four-week hypoxia+Su5416 induction,and the relevant indicators and the main pharmacodyna-mic indexes such as right ventricular pressure were tested.Masson staining was used to observe the pathological changes in lung tissues,and Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of bax,bcl-2,PI3K,p-PI3K,eNOS,and HIF-1α in lung tis-sues.Results A total of 167 active ingredients of Zukamu granules were screened,with 179 intersecting targets with HPH,in-cluding targets like PIK3CA and HIF-1.The validation experimental results showed that Zukamu granules could significantly re-duce right ventricular systolic pressure and right ventricular hypertrophy in HPH mice,and down-regulate the expression of bcl-2 and HIF-1α and up-regulate the expression of bax,PI3K,p-PI3K and eNOS in mice lung tissues.Conclusion Zukamu gran-ules may act against HPH by modulating bax/bcl and PI3K-eNOS/HIF-1α signaling pathways.
7.Construction of a prognostic Nomogram for patients with incidental gallbladder cancer
Jiantao MO ; Ruiqi CAO ; Jiaqiang REN ; Zhimin GENG ; Zheng WU ; Yali CHENG
Journal of Surgery Concepts & Practice 2024;29(1):40-45
Objective To construct and validate an effective prognostic nomogram for the patients with incidental gallbladder cancer(IGBC).Methods The clinical data of 161 patients with IGBC requiring radical surgery admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from May 2011 to October 2022 was analyzed retrospectively.COX proportional risk regression model was used to screen for influencing factors on overall survival(OS)of IGBC.Nomogram was constructed based on independent influencing factors that affected the prognosis of IGBC patients.The concordance index(C-index)and calibration curve were used to validate the performance of the model.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis and decision curve analysis(DCA)were used to validate the predictive accuracy and net benefit of the plotted column chart.Results Univariate COX regression analysis suggested that age,T stage,N stage,M stage,preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA),preoperative carbohydrate antigenl9-9(CA19-9),preoperative red blood cell volume distribution on width coefficient of variation(RDW-CV),treatment method,and recurrence and metastasis were risk factors which affected the long-term survival of IGBC patients after radical surgery.Multivariate COX regression analysis suggested that T stage,N stage,preoperative CA19-9,preoperative RDW-CV,preoperative AST,treatment methods,and recurrence and metastasis were independent risk factors which affected the prognosis of IGBC patients.The C-index of the constructed prognostic model was 0.872.The calibration plot demonstrated good performance of the Nomogram.ROC curve analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.869,confirming a high sensitivity and specificity.A high net benefit was proven by DCA.Conclusions The constructed Nomogram.can accurately and intuitively predict the survival probability of IGBC patients after radical surgery.
8.Advantages of Ciona intestinalis as a Model Organism and Its Applications
Ruiqi LI ; Han DUAN ; Luo GAN ; Yuan ZHENG ; Wen YANG
Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine 2024;44(2):162-179
With the continuous development of experimental biology, the limitations of commonly utilized model organisms are becoming increasingly apparent. Discrepancies between research conducted on laboratory animals and humans significantly impede the translational application of findings derived from animal experiments. This review introduces ascidian Ciona intestinalis as a novel model organism, an invertebrate that is evolutionarily closest to vertebrates and is a sister group to vertebrates. The review summarizes recent research progress on Ciona intestinalis in various fields to illustrate the significant advantages and promising application prospects of it as a model organism. The research progress outlined in the review mainly encompasses: (1) The whole-genome sequencing of Ciona intestinalis has been determined and numerous related databases have been established. Various embryonic gene editing technologies have been successfully applied, making it an animal model easy to manipulate genetically and study the functions and interactions of target genes visually. (2) In the field of neurobiology, Ciona intestinalis boasts a central nervous system structure similar to that of vertebrates and possesses numerous homologous neuropeptides and hormone molecules. These features grant it an edge in exploring the mechanisms and functional evolution of endocrine and neuroendocrine-related molecules. Additionally, the sensitivity and habituation of its larvae to light stimulation provide an avenue for exploring mechanisms related to behavioral plasticity. (3) In the field of immunology, Ciona intestinalis possesses a mature innate immune system and has evolved precursor genes to the adaptive immune system, with a relatively simple coding of immune-related genes. These features make it an exemplary model organism for immunological studies. (4) In the field of developmental biology, many studies have focused on the notochord development process in Ciona intestinalis and the regulatory mechanisms of gene expression within it, indicating common evolutionary developmental strategies among chordates. Additionally, insights into its heart development also significantly enhance our comprehension on the genetic network of human heart development. (5) In medical research, the ability of Ciona intestinalis to regenerate its neural complex and siphon, as well as the resilience of its heart to recover contractile function from substantial damage, renders it a valuable animal model for the study of regeneration and heart injury. It also has unique advantages as a research model for Alzheimer's disease and new drug development. Furthermore, its brief five-month lifespan facilitates the observation and recording of the entire aging process and the exploration of the effects of various factors on aging. In summary, this review aims to demonstrate that Ciona intestinalis stands out as a model organism with unique attributes and is expected to play a significant role in a wider range of scientific research areas.
9.Application of decision aids in thyroid cancer patients: a scoping review
Ruiqi JIANG ; Lihong ZHENG ; Jun LYU ; Shuhan YANG ; Xiuying LU
Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing 2024;30(5):684-690
Objective:To carry out a scoping review on the development process, main forms, main contents and outcome indicators of decision aids for thyroid cancer patients, providing a theoretical basis for future research in China.Methods:The Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework was used to analyze the literature. Electronic retrieval was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang Data, VIP, and China Biomedical Database, and the search period was from database establishment to August 21, 2023.Results:A total of 11 articles were included. The forms of decision aids included paper decision support manuals, web-based decision support tools, conversation support tools and so on. The main content was to provide disease knowledge and the advantages and disadvantages of various treatment plans, help patients clarify their values, understand patient preferences, and assist doctors and patients make decisions. Outcome indicators involved treatment choice, medical knowledge, decision conflict, decision regret, decision satisfaction, anxiety and so on.Conclusions:The application of decision aids has a positive effect in thyroid cancer patients. Future research should encourage many people to participate in decision-making in order to improve the quality of decision-making for thyroid cancer patients.
10.A case of assisted pregnancy by PGT-M in a patient carrying NDP gene mutation combined with undifferentiated connective tissue disease and thrombosis
Minhui ZENG ; Lingyan ZHENG ; Nengyong OUYANG ; Ruiqi LI ; Hui CHEN ; Wenjun WANG
Chinese Journal of Reproduction and Contraception 2024;44(4):413-418
Objective:To summarize the experience of assisted pregnancy through preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic diseases (PGT-M) in a Norrie disease family where the female has undifferentiated connective tissue disease and thrombosis.Methods:This article mainly reported the clinical process for a patient with a heterozygous deletion in exon 2 of the NDP gene combined with undifferentiated connective tissue disease and thrombosis, which was conducted through a multidisciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic process involving reproductive genetics, reproductive medicine, ophthalmology, rheumatology, and obstetrics. The stages of treatment included family pedigree construction, controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, embryo testing, frozen-thawed embryo transfer, amniocentesis, as well as antenatal and perinatal monitoring. Results:The patient successfully conceived and gave birth to a healthy baby girl at full term.Conclusion:Through multidisciplinary management, we successfully helped the couple achieve a healthy offspring with one PGT-M cycle, thus relieved their psychological and physiological burden.

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