Objective To investigate the causal relationship between gut microbiota and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Methods Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data of gut microbiota and IPF were obtained from MiBioGen and IEU OpenGWAS, respectively. Instrumental variables were screened by means of significance, linkage disequilibrium, weak instrumental variable screening, and removal of confounding factors (genetics, smoking, host characteristics). Inverse variance weighted (IVW) was used as the main Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis method, and the weighted median, simple mode, MR-Egger, and weighted mode were used to perform MR to reveal the causal effect of gut microbiota and IPF. The Cochrane's Q, leave-one-out, MR-Egger-intercept, and Mendelian randomization pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) and Steiger tests were used to analyze the heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy, outliers, and directionality, respectively. Results IVW analysis results showed that Actinobacteria [OR=1.773, 95%CI (1.323, 2.377), P<0.001], Erysipelatoclostridium [OR=2.077, 95%CI (1.107, 3.896), P=0.023], and Streptococcus [OR=1.35, 95%CI (1.100, 1.657), P=0.004] could increase the risk of IPF. Bifidobacterium [OR=0.668, 95%CI (0.620, 0.720), P<0.001], Ruminococcus [OR=0.434, 95%CI (0.222, 0.848), P=0.015], and Tyzzerella [OR=0.479, 95%CI (0.304, 0.755), P=0.001] could reduce the risk of IPF. No significant heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy, outliers, and reverse causality were found. Conclusion Actinobacteria, Erysipelatoclostridium and Streptococcus may increase the risk of IPF, while Bifidobacterium, Ruminococcus and Tyzzerella may reduce the risk of IPF. Regulation of the above gut microbiota may become a new direction in the study of the pathogenesis of IPF.

Objective To analyze the influenza-like illness (ILI) data in Ordos City from 2017 to 2023 and conduct nucleic acid detection of the virus to understand the local influenza epidemic situation, and to provide a reliable basis for influenza prevention and control in the city. Methods Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to identify virus subtypes in ILI throat swab samples. Comparisons of positive rates were conducted using the chi-square test, with a significance level of α=0.05. Results From 2017 to 2023, a total of 3,283,434 outpatient and emergency visits were recorded at the Ordos City Central Hospital, including 74,159 ILI cases, with an ILI proportion of 2.26%. The majority of ILI cases (74.43%) occurred in children aged 0~14 years old. The overall positive rate of influenza virus nucleic acid detection was 10.87%, with the highest proportion being subtype A (seasonal H3) at 43.03%. The highest detection rate was observed in the 5~14 years age group, with statistically significant differences in positive rates across age groups (χ²=155.638, P<0.001). Influenza peaks occurred mainly from November to March of the following year. From January to April, three types of influenza were prevalent alternately or mixed, while from October to December, subtype A (seasonal H3) predominated. Positive rates varied significantly across months (χ²=250.923, P<0.001). The temporal trends of ILI proportions and PCR-positive rates were consistent. Conclusion Influenza in Ordos City exhibits distinct seasonal and age distribution characteristics, with alternating or mixed circulation of three virus types. Continued efforts are needed to strengthen influenza surveillance, especially the prevention and control of influenza in infants and adolescents.

ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological characteristics of foodborne disease outbreaks in Wuhan from 2006 to 2023, and to provide a scientific basis for the development of foodborne disease prevention and control measures. MethodsDescriptive statistical analyses were performed on foodborne disease outbreaks confirmed by the district and municipal center for disease control and prevention (CDC) in Wuhan from 2006 to 2023, and the attack rate and case fatality rate were calculated as well. ResultsA total of 182 foodborne disease outbreaks were reported in Wuhan from 2006 to 2023, with a cumulative of 2 820 cases. Among which, 3 cases were dead, with an annual average attack rate of 1.22% and a case fatality rate of 0.11%. The highest number of outbreaks occurred in collective canteens (43.96%, 80/182), the highest attack rate was observed in catering facilities (11.03%), and the highest case fatality rate was found in households (1.45%). Among the foodborne disease outbreaks with identified etiologies, microbial factors were the leading causes (36.26%, 66/182), with the main pathogens being norovirus, Bacillus cereus, and other unspecified bacteria. Fungal factors were mainly attributed to poisonous mushrooms, with a relatively high fatality rate of 2.22% (2/90). Outbreaks caused by bacterial factors were more common in the central urban area (30.28%, 33/109), while fungal-related outbreaks were more frequent in the outlying urban areas (24.66%, 18/73). ConclusionCollective canteens are the main venues for foodborne disease outbreaks in Wuhan. Microbial factors are the main pathogenic factors, and poisonous mushrooms are the leading causes to death. It is necessary to strengthen the supervision on collective canteens, carry out various forms of public awareness campaigns on poisonous mushroom poisoning, and, if required, cooperate with the gardening department to eradicate wild poisonous mushrooms in the green belts. A collaborative cooperation involving multiple departments is essential to reduce the occurrence of foodborne disease outbreaks.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent inflammation and joint damage, accompanied by the accumulation of plasma cells, which contributes to its pathogenesis. Understanding the genetic alterations occurring during plasma cell differentiation in RA can deepen our comprehension of its pathogenesis and guide the development of targeted therapeutic interventions. Here, our study elucidates the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying plasma cell differentiation by demonstrating that PRDX1 interacts with DOK3 and modulates its degradation by the autophagy-lysosome pathway. This interaction results in the inhibition of plasma cell differentiation, thereby alleviating the progression of collagen-induced arthritis. Additionally, our investigation identifies Salvianolic acid B (SAB) as a potent small molecular glue-like compound that enhances the interaction between PRDX1 and DOK3, consequently impeding the progression of collagen-induced arthritis by inhibiting plasma cell differentiation. Collectively, these findings underscore the therapeutic potential of developing chemical stabilizers for the PRDX1-DOK3 complex in suppressing plasma cell differentiation for RA treatment and establish a theoretical basis for targeting PRDX1-protein interactions as specific therapeutic targets in various diseases.

ObjectiveTo analyze the surveillance results of foodborne diseases in Wuhan to investigate the temporal, spatial, and demographic distribution of foodborne disease in Wuhan, so as to provide an evidence for the prevention and control of foodborne diseases. MethodsData were collected through the foodborne disease surveillance network system and analyzed statistically. Stool, blood, rectal swabs, and vomitus samples from some diarrhea cases were collected for pathogens detection, including Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia coli, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and norovirus. ResultsA total of 14 733 cases of foodborne diseases were reported in Wuhan from 2019 to 2022, with a male-to-female ratio of 1∶0.92. The highest incidence was 3.58 per 10 000 person-years in 2019 and the lowest was 2.19 per 10 000 person-years in 2020. The peak incidence occurred from June to October. Higher incidence rates were observed in central districts such as Jiang’an District, Wuchang District, and Caidian District. The age group with the highest incidence was 20‒29 years, while the age group with the highest total pathogen detection rate was 0‒9 years old. The affected population primarily included middle school students, household workers, and unemployed individuals, and children living at home. Suspected food sources were mainly vegetarian, other miscellaneous foods, and animal-based food. Of the 3 499 biological samples collected, 1 820 of them was conducted a detection for norovirus, the overall detection rate of pathogenic bacteria was 22.89% (801/3 499), with detection rates of Salmonella and Escherichia coli at 19.23% (673/3 499) and 3.03% (106/3 499), respectively. The detection rate of norovirus was 4.12% (75/1 820). The detection rate of pathogenic bacteria in biological samples of the patients who consumed infant food, milk, and egg-based foods was higher, at 53.33% and 42.93%, respectively. In terms of detected pathogens, the highest detection rate of Salmonella was found in the biological samples of patients who consumed infant food, milk, and egg-based foods, the highest detection rate of Escherichia coli was found in the biological samples of patients who consumed milk, egg, and animal-based foods, while Vibrio parahaemolyticus and norovirus had higher detection rates in patients who consumed beverages and alcoholic drinks. Suspected food sources were often found in food services, retail or farmer products markets, and homemade food. Salmonella, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and diarrheagenic Escherichia coli were detected more frequently from June to September, while norovirus was detected more frequently in winter and spring. ConclusionThe population aged between 0‒29 years in Wuhan is the key high-risk group for foodborne diseases. Salmonella, diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, and norovirus are the main pathogens causing foodborne diseases in Wuhan. Market supervision departments should focus on strengthening the regulation of infant food.

Separation/conversion disorders in functional coma with pseudocataplexy are rare.On De-cember 9,2021,a young female patient with separation/conversion disorders was treated in the Department of Neurology in the First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University.The main symptoms were episodic consciousness disorders,sudden fainting,and urinary incontinence.Complete laboratory tests and cranial mag-netic resonance imaging showed no obvious abnormalities.Standard multi-channel sleep monitoring and multiple sleep latency tests were performed.The patient was unable to wake up during nap and underwent stimulation tests.There was no response to orbital pressure,loud calls,or tapping,while the α rhythm in all electroenceph-alogram leads and the increased muscular tone in the mandibular electromyography indicated a period of wakeful-ness.The results of 24-hour sleep monitoring suggested that the patient had sufficient sleep at night and thus was easy to wake up in the morning.The results of daytime unrestricted sleep and wake-up test showed that the patient took one nap in the morning and one nap in the afternoon.When the lead indicated the transition from N3 to N2 sleep,a wake-up test was performed on the patient.At this time,the patient reacted to the surrounding environ-ment and answered questions correctly.Because the level of orexin in the cerebrospinal fluid was over 110 pg/mL,episodic sleep disorder was excluded and the case was diagnosed as functional coma accompanied by pseudocata-plexy.The patient did not present obvious symptom remission after taking oral medication,and thus medication withdrawl was recommended.Meanwhile,the patient was introduced to adjust the daily routine and mood.The follow-up was conducted six months later,and the patient reported that she did not experience similar symptoms after adjusting lifestyle.Up to now,no similar symptoms have appeared in multiple follow-up visits for three years.Functional coma with pseudocataplexy is prone to misdiagnosis and needs to be distinguished from true co-ma and episodic sleep disorders.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The study examined the association between homocysteine and diabetes mellitus in patients with H-type hypertension and assessed the possible effect modifiers. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 1,255 eligible participants in the ‘H-type Hypertension Management and Stroke Prevention Strategic International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Project’ among rural Chinese people with H-type hypertension. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between homocysteine and diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: The mean level of total homocysteine (tHcy) in the diabetes mellitus population was 19.37 μmol/L, which was significantly higher than the non-diabetic patients (18.18 μmol/L). When tHcy was analyzed as a continuous variable, the odds ratio (OR) of diabetes was 1.17 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–1.35; per interquartile range). When tHcy was stratified according to the quintile, the ORs for diabetes were 2.86 (95% CI, 1.22–6.69) in the highest quintile (tHcy ≥ 20.60 μmol/L) compared to the reference group (tHcy < 12.04 μmol/L). When tHcy was grouped by 15 μmol/L and 20 μmol/L, patients with tHcy ≥ 20 μmol/L had a significantly (P = 0.037) higher risk of diabetes (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.04–3.96) than in those with tHcy < 15 μmol/L. Subgroup analysis showed that the tHcy-diabetes association was unaffected by other variables. CONCLUSION In this study of rural Chinese people with H-type hypertension, the tHcy levels showed a positive association with diabetes mellitus. This independent association is unaffected by other potential risk factors.

Objective To investigate the correlation between TCM syndrome types and solar term of onset in patients with gastric cancer.Methods A total of 359 patients with gastric cancer admitted to the Cancer Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to August 2023 were included in this study,and the frequency distribution method was used to analyze their information such as sex,age,solar term of onset,differentiation,metastasis and TCM syndrome type.The solar term of onset corresponding to the onset date was calculated,and then the association between solar term of onset and TCM syndrome type in gastric cancer was analyzed.The circular distribution method was used to explore the peak of solar term of onset and TCM syndrome type.Results Among the 359 patients with gastric cancer included in this study,male patients were more than female patients(1.69∶1).The age of onset was mainly between 60 and 70 years old(117 cases,32.6%),and male patients(85 cases,72.6%)were more than female patients(32 cases,27.3%)in this age group.The most common TCM syndromes were qi and blood deficiency syndrome(160 cases,44.6%)and phlegm damp condensation syndrome(94 cases,26.2%).The onset of the disease mainly occurred in winter(132 cases,36.8%),and the peaks were light snow(31 cases,23.5%),major cold(25 cases,18.9%),heavy snow(23 cases,17.4%)and the start of winter(22 cases,16.7%).Qi and blood deficiency syndrome and phlegm damp condensation syndrome in patients with gastric cancer were correlated with solar terms and seasons(P<0.05).The 285 patients with gastric cancer were mainly poorly differentiated gastric cancer(175 cases,61.4%),mainly concentrated in winter(66 cases,37.7%).The main route of gastric cancer metastasis is lymph node metastasis,followed by liver and abdominal cavity metastasis.Conclusion Qi and blood deficiency syndrome and phlegm dampness condensation syndrome are common in patients with gastric cancer.The onset time of gastric cancer is mostly in winter,and the syndrome type is significantly correlated with the onset solar term and differentiation degree.

Objective:To predict and analyze the number of acute pancreatitis (AP) inpatients based on time series model, and to explore the predictive efficiency of the model.Methods:Clinical data of AP inpatients in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from January 2014 to December 2019 were collected. R software was used to collect the time series of AP inpatients, and the trend and seasonal characteristics of AP inpatients from 2014 to 2018 were analyzed. Furthermore, the autoregressive moving average (ARIMA) model was established through stationarity test, model ordering and model testing steps, and the best selected model was used to predict the monthly number of inpatients in 2019 to verify its prediction efficiency.Results:A total of 3 939 AP patients were included in the study. The most common etiology for AP was cholestrogenic (48.2%), followed by hyperacylglyceremia (36.3%). The peak age of hospitalization was from 40 to 60 years old. Time series analysis showed that the number of AP inpatients increased year by year. The highest peak of the disease was from February to March, followed by September to November; and there was seasonal variation and the incidence was relatively small in summer. The established original training set sequence did not pass the stationarity test ( P=0.061), so the ARIMA model was established after it was transformed into a stationarity sequence by first-order difference. According to the criterion of minimum AIC value, ARIMA(2, 1, 1)(1, 1, 1) 12 was selected as the best model. The model was used to predict the number of AP inpatients in 2019, showing that it could better fit the trend of onset time and had good short-term prediction effect. The mean root error and absolute error were 6.8790 and 4.7783, respectively. Conclusions:The number of AP inpatients increases year by year with seasonal changes. ARIMA model is effective in predicting the number of AP inpatients and can be used for short-term prediction.

In the past, the use of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer did not exhibit survival benefits and was not recommended by the practicing guidelines. In recent years, with the emergence of novel hormonal therapeutics such as Abiraterone, Enzalutamide, Apalutamide and Darolutamide, the interest for neoadjuvant therapy has been reignited. Here, we summarize the four categories of neoadjuvant therapy with new hormonal agents, and discuss how to evaluate the efficacy and explore the molecular mechanism after neoadjuvant therapy.