Objective:To investigate urinary pH distribution and its influencing factors in gout patients, to provide insights for individualized treatment.Methods:This is a retrospective study. The gout patients in the Gout Outpatient Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from September 2019 to August 2021 were collected. Clinical data were collected and relevant indicators were measured. The patients were divided into different groups according to urinary pH. Clinical characteristics and factors related to urinary pH were compared among the groups. SPSS 23.0 software was used.Results:A total of 2 553 patients were enrolled. There were significant statistical differences in age, body mass index, triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase(ALT), blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR), blood uric acid, urinary uric acid/creatinine ratio, fraction excretion of uric acid(FEUA) among groups with different urinary pH( F were 5.114, 4.772, 7.170, 4.721, 13.603, 2.812, 3.422, 22.834, 18.230, 26.332, all P<0.05). Urinary uric acid and FEUA in acute group were higher than those in remission group( Z were -2.295, -3.528, both P<0.05). After adjusting for gender, age, eGFR, logistics regression analysis showed that body mass index, triglyceride, total cholesterol, ALT, blood uric acid, and blood urea nitrogen were still risk factors. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that triglyceride, blood uric acid, and blood urea nitrogen were independent risk factors associated with acid urine. Linear correlation analysis showed that urinary pH was negatively correlated with body mass index, triglyceride, total cholesterol, blood uric acid, fasting glucose, blood urea nitrogen, ALT( r were -0.079, -0.106, -0.051, -0.186, -0.040, -0.122, -0.051, all P<0.05), but positively correlated with eGFR( r=0.058, P=0.003). Conclusion:The overall urine pH levels in patients with primary gout are below normal reference. Several metabolic components are related to it. Triglyceride, blood uric acid, and blood urea nitrogen are independent risk factors of acidic urine. In clinical practice, attention should be paid to timely alkalization of urine to prevent complications.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a difficult to treat fibrotic disease with multiple triggering factors and complex pathogenesis. It is characterized by diffuse inflammatory damage, tissue structure destruction, and persistent fibrosis, resulting in irreversible damage to lung function. The Hippo signaling pathway is involved in regulating various biological processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, apoptosis, and is closely related to the occurrence of pulmonary fibrosis. In order to further explore the mechanism of pulmonary fibrosis, this paper comprehensively analyzes the Hippo signaling pathway and its cellular and pathological imbalance related to pulmonary fibrosis, revealing the influence of Hippo signaling pathway in pulmonary fibrosis and its possible mechanism of action, which is expected to provide new targets and strategies for the prevention and treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a difficult to treat fibrotic disease with multiple triggering factors and complex pathogenesis. It is characterized by diffuse inflammatory damage, tissue structure destruction, and persistent fibrosis, resulting in irreversible damage to lung function. The Hippo signaling pathway is involved in regulating various biological processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, apoptosis, and is closely related to the occurrence of pulmonary fibrosis. In order to further explore the mechanism of pulmonary fibrosis, this paper comprehensively analyzes the Hippo signaling pathway and its cellular and pathological imbalance related to pulmonary fibrosis, revealing the influence of Hippo signaling pathway in pulmonary fibrosis and its possible mechanism of action, which is expected to provide new targets and strategies for the prevention and treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

Objective:To explore the status of microsatellite instability (MSI) and its relationship with clinicopathological characteristics of patients with endometrial carcinoma.Methods:The clinical data of 365 patients with endometrial carcinoma who received surgery in Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital between January 2020 and December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of 4 DNA mismatch repair (MMR) proteins (MLH1, MSH2, MHS6, and PMS2), estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and p53 mutant protein in postoperative cancer tissue samples from 365 patients with endometrial carcinoma. All patients were divided into MSI group (1 or more non-expression of MMR protein) and microsatellite stability (MSS) group (4 proteins were all expressed), and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients in both groups were compared. φ efficient was used to analyze the correlation of MSI with ER, PR, p53 mutant protein expressions. Results:There were 72 cases (19.7%) in MSI group and 293 cases (80.3%) in MSS group; and the age of all patients was (53±19) years (21-83 years). There were statistically significant differences in the proportion of MSI patients in endometrial carcinoma patients with different age [>50 years vs. ≤50 years: 22.1% (61/276) vs. 12.4% (11/89)], tumor diameter [≤2 cm vs. > 2 cm: 25.9% (30/116) vs. 16.8% (42/249)], International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging [stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ vs. stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ: 31.1% (14/45) vs. 18.1% (58/320)], histological type [type Ⅰ vs. type Ⅱ: 21.7% (71/327) vs. 2.6% (1/38)] (all P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the proportion of MSI patients with different depth of invasion, degree of differentiation, lymph node metastasis, vascular involvement, and lesion location (all P > 0.05). Among 327 cases of type Ⅰendometrial carcinoma, 1 case was mucinous adenocarcinoma (MSS status), and the other 326 cases were endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Of the 72 patients with MSI, 71 cases were endometrioid carcinoma and the other was 1 of 3 mixed carcinomas in type Ⅱ endometrial carcinoma. There was a negative correlation between MSI and mutant p53 ( φ coefficient was -0.11, P = 0.031), and φ coefficient of the correlation of MSI with ER and PR was -0.03 and -0.06, while there were no statistically significant differences ( P value was 0.578 and 0.255, respectively). Conclusions:Endometrioid adenocarcinoma is the main type of endometrial cancer patients with MSI. MSI in endometrial cancer is correlated with age, FIGO staging, tumor diameter and histological type of patients, while negatively correlated with mutant p53.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors of multiple tophi among gout patients.Methods:Gout patients treated at Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from September 2017 to September 2021 were included retrospectively. According to the number of tophi, the patients were divided into the multiple tophi group, the single tophi group and the non-tophi group. Clinical data were collected, biochemical indices and urine pH value were determined. One- way ANOVA or Chi-square test was used to compare groups, and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors. Results:The age, disease course, blood pressure, serum uric acid, urea nitrogen, and the rate of family history, smoking, drinking, gout attacks≥2 twice per year, hypertension, cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, kidney stones in the multiple tophi group were significantly higher than those in the single tophi group and the non-tophi group. The glomerular filtration rate, urine pH value and the rate of regular exercise were significantly lower than those of single tophi group and non-tophi group. In the multiple tophi group, 245 cases(44.46%) were involved in the interphalangeal joint or metacarpophalangeal joint, 212 cases(38.47%) were involved in other joints of the upper limb, which was second only to the first metatarsophalangeal joint(349 cases, 63.33%). Logistic regression analysis showed that the course of disease, urea nitrogen, serum uric acid, positive family history, drinking, gout attacks ≥twice per year and hypertension were the risk factors for multiple tophi in gout patients. Conclusion:Patients with a long disease course, elevated uric acid, high urea nitrogen, positive family history, alcohol consumption, frequent gout flare and hypertension are more likely to develop multiple tophi.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and risk factors of impaired liver and renal function in hospitalized patients with gout.Methods:A total of 494 hospitalized patients with confirmed gout were selected and divided into four groups according to liver and renal function, control(Con), impaired liver function (ILF), impaired renal function (IRF), and both function impaired (ILRF) group. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors related with impaired liver and renal function.Results:Compared to Con group, ILF group were younger with shorter gout duration, higher body mass index, waist circumference, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), serum uric acid, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol, triglycerides, C reactive protein, higher prevalence of dyslipidemia, obesity, fatty liver, and monosodium urate crystal (MSU) deposition (all P<0.05). IRF group were older and with higher serum uric acid, serum creatinine, C reactive protein, and hypertension, MSU deposition prevalence, with lower prevalence of fatty liver (all P<0.05). Compared to ILF group, IRF group were older, with longer gout duration, lower level of body mass index, waist circumference, HOMA-IR, LDL-C, total cholesterol, triglycerides, lower prevalence of obesity, fatty liver, and higher prevalence of hypertension and type 2 diabetes (all P<0.05). The univariate logistic regression analysis showed that age( OR=0.941, 95% CI 0.906-0.977, P<0.001), serum uric acid ( OR=1.002, 95% CI 1.000-1.005, P=0.043), HOMA-IR ( OR=1.147, 95% CI 1.024-1.285, P=0.018), and MSU deposition ( OR=1.959, 95% CI 1.154-3.326, P=0.013) were the independent risk factors of impaired liver function, while the independent risk factors of impaired renal function were age ( OR=1.104, 95% CI 1.048-1.162, P<0.001), serum uric acid ( OR=1.007, 95% CI 1.004-1.010, P<0.001), and MSU deposition ( OR=2.393, 95% CI 1.191-4.805, P=0.014). Conclusions:Serum uric acid and MSU deposition are the common independent risk factors for impaired liver and renal function in patients with gout. Younger patients with insulin resistance are susceptible to impaired liver function, older patients with hypertension and diabetes are susceptible to impaired renal function.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with the formation of subcutaneous tophi among young gout patients.Methods:Gout patients treated at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from September 2016 to June 2020 were included. The clinical information was collected and relevant biochemical indices were detected. Fasting urine was collected to test urine pH value, urine uric acid and urine creatinine. Patients were divided into young tophi group and non-tophi group according to age. The measurement data of normal distribution was expressed as Mean±Standard deviation, and independent sample t test and one-way analysis of variance were used. The counting data was tested by Chi-square test. The risk factors were analyzed by logistic regression. Results:A total of 4 798 primary gout patients were collected. There were 915 patients with subcutaneous tophi, 2 308 young gout patients, 252 young gouty tophi patients among them. The average BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, triglyceride level, serum uric acid level, glomerular filtration rate, alanineamino -transferase (ALT) and aspartate amino -transferase (AST) in the young tophi group were significantly higher than those in the middle-age tophi group ( F=46.074, 2.551, 9.203, 10.370, 15.118, 68.741, 35.023, 5.175, all P<0.05). Average age of disease onset, systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, urine FEUA, Uua/Ucr and urea nitrogen level in young tophi group were significantly lower than those in middle-age tophi group ( F=474.876, 7.629, 6.441, 34.877, 3.633, 50.867, all P<0.05]. The age [(35±7) years old vs (33±7) years old], disease course [(7±4) years vs (4±3) years], blood pressure [(139±17) mmHg vs (135±16) mmHg], [(90±13) mmHg vs (86±12) mmHg], serum triglyceride [(2.6±2.1) mmol/L vs (2.4±2.0) mmol/L], total cholesterol [(4.9±1.4) mmol/L vs (4.6±1.4) mmol/L], serum uric acid [(547±171) μmol/L vs (490±160) μmol/L], urea nitrogen [(5.0±2.0) mmol/L vs (4.4±1.7) mmol/L], family history (27.0% vs 19.6%) and smoking rate(56.0% vs 48.9%) of tophi patients were significantly higher than those of non-tophi patients in young patients ( t=4.717, P<0.05; t=12.838, P<0.05; t=3.414, P<0.05; t=4.676, P<0.05; t=2.085, P<0.05; t=2.451, P<0.05; t=5.308, P<0.05; t=4.090, P<0.05; χ2=7.423, P<0.05; χ2=4.235, P<0.05) . The age of disease onset [(28±6) years vs (29±7) years] and glomerular filtration rate [(96±21) ml·min -1·1.73 m -2vs (103±21) ml·min -1·1.73 m -2] were statistically significantly lower than those of non-tophi patients ( t=-2.711, P<0.01; t=-4.907, P<0.01). Logistics regression analysis showed that age, course of disease, blood pressure, blood lipids level, serum uric acid level, family history of gout and smoking were risk factors for the formation of tophi in young people. After further adjusted for age, course of disease and family history of gout, it was found that serum uric acid, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and urea nitrogen remined risk factors for tophi, while glomerular filtration rate remained a protective factor in young patients. Conclusion:Young tophi patients are always obese and have lipid metabolism disorder. Young patients with high level of serum uric acid and blood pressure, decreased renal function are prone to complicate with subcutaneous tophi. More attention should be paid in clinical practice to prevent or delay the formation of tophi.

Objective: To investigate the risk factors for susceptibility of abnormal liver function in patients with gout. Methods: A total of 5 044 cases of male gout patients in remission were selected and divided into normal liver function group with 3 693 patients and abnormal liver function group with 1 351 patients. The clinical information was collected and relevant biochemical indices were detected. Serum uric acid(SUA) was divided into quartiles, and its associations with elevated ALT were evaluated. Results: There were significant differences in the history of drinking, family history, combining with hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, and coronary heart disease between the abnormal liver function group and normal function group(P<0.05 or P<0.01). There were significant statistical differences in age, disease duration, body mass index, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol and triglyceride, uric acid, and creatinine clearance rate between 2 groups(P<0.01), while without significant difference in history of smoking, regular exercise, combining hypertension and diabetes, the means of systolic blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose(all P>0.05). Further logistic regression analysis indicated that body mass, waist circumference, combining fatty liver, higher SUA level, higher cholesterol and triglyceride were risk factors of the early onset of abnormal liver function. ALT and the proportion of abnormal liver function were increased with the increase of UA. After adjustment for BMI, TG, TC and fatty liver, the ALT level and the proportion of abnormal liver function decreased significantly while still showed an upward trend. Conclusion Patients with obesity, high level of uric acid, high blood lipids and fatty liver were more likely to develop abnormal liver function, SUA was independently associated with elevated ALT.

Objective: To screen gene mutation information of gout pedigree through whole genome sequencing and to carry out preliminary analysis. Methods: One typical gout pedigree was selected as the study subjects. The clinical data and the peripheral blood samples were collected and constructed charts of the pedigree. DNAs were extracted from peripheral blood and analyzed by the whole genome sequencing, and by the software analysis and comparison, screening out the pathogenic genes and related mutations. Then the verifications were conducted in the family members and the controls. Bioinformatics software was applied to predict the effect of mutation on gene expression. Results: Based on the sequencing results, advanced informational analysis was performed to screen out the mutations 1040-8 A> G near the 5 ′end near the exon 8 of the PLAA gene. The results showed that all the gout patients in the family had 1040 -8 A> G sites, and none of the mutants were found in the non-gout group and 200 controls; bioinformatics analysis suggested that the mutation could affect PLAA gene expression, but not affecting PLAA mRNA structure. Conclusion PLAA gene 1040-8 A> G mutation is separated from patients in the gout pedigree, and the newly discovered PLAA gene may act as a gout pathogenic gene.

Objective:To explore the risk factors for hypogonadism in male patients with hyperuricemia(HUA).Methods:A total of 245 male patients with HUA were enrolled. Height, weight, waist circumference (WC), blood pressure, serum uric acid(SUA), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase, glutamyltranspeptidase, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, fasting blood glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FINS)and sex hormones were measured in all patients. And then body mass index (BMI), free testosterone(FT), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR)were calculated. Male androgen deficiency questionnaire (ADAM)and male aging symptom questionnaire (AMS)were conducted. The patients were divided into hypogonadism group ( n=102)and normal gonadal function group ( n=143) according to FT level as well as ADAM and AMS questionnaires. The differences in different metabolic indicators between the two groups and the correlation with hypogonadism were analyzed. Results:Compared with the normal gonadal function group, WC, SUA, BMI, FPG, FINS, HOMA-IR, TG, and ALT were significantly increased, while estradiol level was significantly reduced in the hypogonadism group (all P<0.05). The proportions of nonalcoholic fatty liver, hyperlipidemia, and obesity were significantly increased in the hypogonadism group (all P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that SUA, BMI, WC, HOMA-IR, and TG were independent risk factors for hypogonadism in male HUA patients. Multivariate regression analysis showed that SUA still was a risk factor after adjusting for other factors. Conclusion:Male patients with HUA were often accompanied by hypogonadism. SUA, BMI, WC, HOMA-IR, and TG were risk factors for hypogonadism in male patients with HUA.