Objective: To systematically evaluate the association between random urinary electrolyte levels and hypertension among children and adolescents in Guizhou Province, so as to provide evidence for region specific dietary guidance and interventions. Methods: In 2023, a total of 2 480 children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years were recruited from a nine-year coherent style school in Guizhou Province in a children health cohort, with follow ups conducted in 2024 and 2025. Random urine samples were collected to measure urinary sodium, potassium, calcium, and chloride, and the urinary sodium to potassium ratio (Na/K) was calculated. The diagnosis of hypertension was based on the criteria established by the Chinese Guidelines for Hypertension Prevention and Treatment (2024 revised edition) and relevant research. Linear mixed models and multinomial Logistic regression were used to assess the associations of urinary electrolytes with systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and the risk of hypertension. Results: At baseline, SBP, DBP, and MAP were 102.33 (94.33, 110.33), 61.33 (56.33, 67.00) and 75.22 (69.67, 81.33)mmHg among children and adolescents, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders and two follow-ups, higher urinary Na/K ratio was positively associated with higher of SBP ( β=0.054, 95%CI =0.028- 0.081 ) and MAP ( β=0.038, 95%CI =0.010-0.066), as well as higher risks of hypertension ( OR=1.248, 95%CI =1.006-1.548) (all P <0.05). Higher of urinary chloride levels were positively associated with higher of SBP ( β=0.088, 95%CI = 0.009- 0.167), whereas higher of urinary potassium (SBP: β=-0.062, 95%CI =-0.096 to -0.028; MAP: β=-0.041, 95%CI = -0.078 to -0.005) and calcium levels (SBP: β=-0.036, 95%CI =-0.065 to -0.007) were negatively associated with blood pressure (all P < 0.05 ). Conclusion The urinary Na/K, as a comprehensive electrolyte marker, more stably reflects sodium load and excretory pressure in children and adolescents, and may serve as an early predictor of hypertension risk.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the protective effects and potential mechanism of alisol B 23-acetate on acute alcoholic liver injury in mice. METHODS Fifty male Kunming mice were divided into the blank group， model group， and alisol B 23-acetate low-， medium- and high-dose groups （10， 20， 40 mg/kg）， with 10 mice in each group. Each group was given relevant drug solution or normal saline intragastrically， once a day， for 2 consecutive weeks. On the 15th day， mice in the blank group were given normal saline intragastrically， while the other four groups were given 12 mL/kg white wine intragastrically， twice at six-hour intervals， to establish an acute alcoholic liver injury model. On the 16th day of the experiment， the liver indexes of mice in each group were calculated； the serum levels of alanine transaminase （ALT）， aspartate transaminase （AST）， total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， malondialdehyde （MDA） and glutathione （GSH） were also determined. The histopathological morphology of their liver tissues was observed and scored. The protein expressions of cytochrome P450 2E1 （CYP2E1）， Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 （Keap1）， nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2） and NAD（P）H： quinone oxidoreductase 1 （NQO1） were measured in liver tissue. RESULTS Compared with model group， mice in each dosage group of alisol B 23-acetate showed varying degrees of recovery in body weight， along with improvements in pathological changes in liver tissues such as inflammatory cell infiltration and fatty vacu oles. Their liver indexes， histopathological scores of liver tissue， serum levels of ALT， AST， TC， TG and MDA， as well as the protein expressions of CYP2E1 and Keap1 in liver tissue， were all significantly decreased （ P ＜0.05 or P ＜0.01）. The serum GSH levels and the protein expressions of Nrf2 （except for the alisol B 23-acetate low-dose group） and NQO1 in liver tissue were significantly increased （ P ＜0.05 or P ＜0.01）， and the changes in the above quantitative indicators showed a dose-dependent pattern. CONCLUSIONS Alisol B 23-acetate can ameliorate acute alcoholic liver injury in mice， and its mechanism may be related to improving antioxidant capacity by regulating the Keap1/Nrf2/NQO1 signaling pathway while simultaneously improving liver lipid metabolism-related indexes.

Objective To understand the current status of blood pressure variability and dyslipidemia in young and middle-aged patients with ischemic stroke, and to explore their relationship with prognosis. Methods A total of 312 young and middle-aged patients with ischemic stroke who met the inclusion criteria in Beijing Pinggu District Hospital from January 2022 to January 2025 were selected. The prognosis status [modified Rankin scale (mRS)], blood pressure variability, and blood lipids [total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)] were analyzed. The correlation of blood pressure variability and blood lipids levels with prognosis was explored by logistic regression analysis. Results There were 206 patients with good prognosis and 106 patients with poor prognosis. The number of patients who received diversified health education in the good prognosis group was more than that in the poor prognosis group (P<0.05). The systolic blood pressure successive variation (SV) and average real variability (ARV), and diastolic blood pressure SV and ARV were lower in the good prognosis group than those in the poor prognosis group (P<0.05). Furthermore, compared with the poor prognosis group, the good prognosis group had lower levels of TC, TG and LDL-C, while the number of patients receiving diversified health education and the level of HDL-C were higher (P<0.05). After logistic regression analysis, it was found that the levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, systolic blood pressure SV and ARV, and diastolic blood pressure SV and ARV were risk factors for poor prognosis. Conversely, receiving diversified health education and HDL-C level were protective factors for poor prognosis (P<0.05). Conclusion High blood pressure fluctuation, dyslipidemia, and lack of health education will increase the risk of poor prognosis in young and middle-aged stroke patients.

Objective: To investigate the associations between childhood obesity and performance of six minute walk test (6MWT), providing evidence for exercise tolerance assessment and exercise intervention strategies for children and adolescents. Methods: From March 2021 to December 2023, a cohort study was conducted among students recruited from a primary and secondary school in Chongqing, a total of 709 valid samples were included. The 6MWT was used to assess exercise tolerance, with vital signs measured before and after the test. Anthropometric indicators, including height, weight, and waist circumference, were measured using standardized procedures. Generalized additive models (GAM) and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression were employed to analyze the nonlinear relationships between obesity related indicators and six minute walk distance (6MWD). Results: The mean 6MWD of participants was (602.59±70.73)m. GAM showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, body mass index (BMI) and weight had non linear relationships with 6MWD [effective degrees of freedom were 1.55 and 7.13 respectively], and overweight/obesity was associated with a decrease in 6MWD ( β =-18.65) (all P <0.01). Further RCS regression analysis showed that both BMI and weight showed an "inverted U shaped" non linear relationship with 6MWD in the overall population and sex stratified subgroups; the 6MWD of females was lower than that of males, and it showed a significant downward trend with the increase of BMI or weight (all P <0.05). Conclusion Body weight and BMI in children and adolescents have an important impact on 6MWD, and obesity in children and adolescents is markedly associated with decline in exercise tolerance.

Riboflavin-ultraviolet A (UVA) collagen cross-linking has not only achieved good clinical efficacy in the treatment of corneal diseases such as dilatation keratopathy, bullae keratopathy, infectious keratopathy, and in the combined treatment of corneal refractive surgeries, but also its efficacy and safety in scleral collagen cross-linking have been initially confirmed. To better promote the application of cross-linking in the clinical treatment of corneal and scleral diseases, exploring controllability and predictability of the surgical efficacy are both important for evaluating the surgical efficacy and personalized precision treatment. In this paper, the progress on the cross-linking depth of riboflavin-UVA collagen cross-linking, and its relationship with the cross-linking effect will be reviewed. It will provide the reference for further application of this procedure in ophthalmology clinics.
Riboflavin/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Collagen/radiation effects* ; Ultraviolet Rays ; Cross-Linking Reagents ; Corneal Diseases/drug therapy* ; Photosensitizing Agents/therapeutic use*

Objective:To explore the clinical phenotypes and genetic characteristics of a pedigree with Distal arthrogryposis type 5D (DA5D) caused by compound heterozygous variants in the ECEL1 gene. Methods:A child (proband) diagnosed with DA5D and his family members (proband′s parents and sister) who was admitted to the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of Henan Children′s Hospital in July 2022 due to " multiplex distal arthrogryposis" were enrolled into this study. Clinical data of the proband were collected and peripheral blood samples were obtained from the proband and members of his family about 3 mL. Trio-whole genome sequencing (trio-WGS) was carried out to detected the genetic variations of the proband and his family members. The candidate′s pathogenic gene variants were screened and analyzed by Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD) and other databases. The screened variants wer annotated for clinical phenotypes using databases like the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM). The pathogenicity of the candidate variants was predicted by bioinformatics tools such as Provean. Based on the guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), pathogenicity ratings were conducted for variant sites. The protein conservation and mutation structure prediction of ECEL1 protein among species were carried out though MEGA-X and PyMOL. The research protocol of this study was reviewed by the Ethics Committee of Henan Provincial Children′s Hospital (Approval No. 2023-H-H01), and informed consent for clinical research was obtained from the guardians of the probands.Results:The proband had multiplex distal arthrogryposis involving hands, feet, knees, and ankles, and had right ptosis, micrognathia, low auricular position, and upturned nose. The parents and sister both had normal phenotypes. Trio-WGS and Sanger sequencing revealed that the child had compound heterozygous variants of paternal c. 1742_c.1743insT and maternal c. 2314T>G, for which the father and sister were carriers of the c. 1742_c.1743insT heterozygous variant and the mother was carrier of c. 2314T>A. Neither mutation site has been reported. According to guidelines of ACMG, the c. 1742_c.1743insT variant was classified as likely pathogenic (PSV1+ PM2_Supporting), and c. 2314T>G was classified as uncertain (PM2_Supporting+ PM3+ PP3). The results of conserved analysis of amino acid residue sequences of ECEL1 protein showed that the missense mutation of the maternal c. 2314T>G(p.Cys772Gly) was highly conserved among humans and other seven species. The protein structure prediction revealed that the c.1742_c.1743insT frameshift mutation led to the protein truncation, and the c. 2314T>G missense mutation resulted in the failure of forming 1 disulfide bond.Conclusion:The compound heterozygous variants of ECEL1 gene were considered to be pathogenic for this DA5D patient, which have expanded the mutational spectrum of the ECEL1 gene and provided a reference for clinical diagnosis as well as genetic counseling for this family.

Objective:To investigate the associations between thyroid homeostasis and risk of carotid plaque in healthy euthyroid individuals.Methods:In this retrospective cohort study, 4 726 healthy euthyroid adults who received health examination two times or more in the Health Promotion Center of the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University from January 2018 to December 2024 and had no carotid artery plaques at the baseline were selected. Data encompassed demographics, physical and laboratory tests, carotid ultrasound, and calculated thyroid sensitivity indices [thyroid feedback quantile-based index (TFQI), thyroid hormone resistance index (TT4RI), thyroid-stimulating hormone index (TSHI), and free triiodothyronine (FT3)/free thyroxine (FT4) ratio] were recorded. The participants were divided into two groups based on whether they had newly-developed carotid plaques. The associations between thyroid homeostasis indices and risk of carotid plaque were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression and restricted cubic splines.Results:During 11 459 person-years of follow-up, the cumulative incidence of carotid plaque was 16.84%, with an incidence density of 6.95 cases per 100 person-years. After multivariable adjustment, FT3 ( HR=0.79, 95% CI: 0.68-0.93) and FT4 ( HR=0.95, 95% CI: 0.91-0.98) were inversely associated with risk of carotid plaque. TSH and thyroid hormone sensitivity showed no significant association with the occurrence of carotid plaques. Subgroup analysis showed that there was no significant interaction between thyroid function indicators and risk of carotid plaque among different subgroups, but the decreased FT3 and FT4 levels significantly increased the risk of new-onset carotid plaques in individuals aged<60 years, without diabetes, without hypertension, or without lipid-lowering medication use. Restricted cubic spline analysis indicated that when TFQI (nonlinear P=0.028, node value was 0.29) and TT4RI (nonlinear P=0.014, node value was 54.95) exceeded specific thresholds, their increase were associated with a reduced risk of carotid plaque. Conclusions:The reduction of FT3 and FT4 in healthy euthyroid adults is associated with an increased risk of carotid plaque. When TFQI and TT4RI are higher than specific thresholds, their increase are associated with a reduced risk of new-onset plaques.

Objective To investigate the relationships of computed tomography (CT) angiography (CTA)-derived coronary plaque properties with platelet function and whole blood cell-derived inflammatory markers in elderly patients with coronary heart disease. Methods The clinical data of 142 elderly patients with coronary heart disease who underwent coronary CTA examination in the hospital between April 2022 and April 2025 were retrospectively analyzed. The CT value of CTA, platelet function parameters (mean platelet volume, platelet-derived growth factor BB, von Willebrand factor), and whole blood cell-derived inflammatory markers were recorded at admission. The correlations of the CT value of CTA-derived coronary plaque properties with platelet function parameters and whole blood cell-derived inflammatory markers in elderly patients with coronary heart disease were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients. Based on the evaluation of CTA-derived coronary plaque properties, the patients were divided into a soft plaque group (CT value ≤ 60 HU), a calcified plaque group (CT value ≥ 130 HU), and a mixed plaque group (60 HU < CT value < 130 HU). The platelet function parameters (mean platelet volume, platelet-derived growth factor BB, von Willebrand factor) and whole blood cell-derived inflammatory markers (systemic immune-inflammation index, systemic inflammation response index, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio) on admission were compared among the three groups. Results The coronary CTA examination showed 37 (26.06%) cases in the calcified plaque group, 47 (33.10%) cases in the soft plaque group, and 58 (40.84%) cases in the mixed plaque group. The CT values were (189.57 ± 22.14) HU for the calcified plaque group, (31.74 ± 4.12) HU for the soft plaque group, and (94.52 ± 8.29) HU for the mixed plaque group. The levels of platelet function parameters and whole blood cell-derived inflammatory markers at admission were in the following order: soft plaque group > mixed plaque group > calcified plaque group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). After adjustment for sex, age, cardiac function grading, hypertension, diabetes, and blood lipids as covariates, partial correlation analysis revealed that the CT value of CTA-derived coronary plaque properties in elderly patients with coronary heart disease was negatively correlated with the levels of platelet function parameters and whole blood cell-derived inflammatory markers (P < 0.05). Conclusion In this study, the coronary plaque CT value in elderly patients with coronary heart disease was negatively correlated with the levels of platelet function parameters and whole blood cell-derived inflammatory markers. Furthermore, increasing plaque instability may be associated with more pronounced platelet activation and a heightened systemic inflammatory state.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical phenotypes and genetic characteristics of a pedigree with Distal arthrogryposis type 5D (DA5D) caused by compound heterozygous variants in the ECEL1 gene. METHODS: A child (proband) diagnosed with DA5D and his family members (proband's parents and sister) who was admitted to the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of Henan Children's Hospital in July 2022 due to "multiplex distal arthrogryposis" were enrolled into this study. Clinical data of the proband were collected and peripheral blood samples were obtained from the proband and members of his family about 3 mL. Trio-whole genome sequencing (trio-WGS) was carried out to detected the genetic variations of the proband and his family members. The candidate's pathogenic gene variants were screened and analyzed by Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD) and other databases. The screened variants were annotated for clinical phenotypes using databases like the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM). The pathogenicity of the candidate variants was predicted by bioinformatics tools such as Provean. Based on the guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), pathogenicity ratings were conducted for variant sites. The protein conservation and mutation structure prediction of ECEL1 protein among species were carried out though MEGA-X and PyMOL. The research protocol of this study was reviewed by the Ethics Committee of Henan Provincial Children's Hospital (Approval No. 2023-H-H01), and informed consent for clinical research was obtained from the guardians of the probands. RESULTS: The proband had multiplex distal arthrogryposis involving hands, feet, knees, and ankles, and had right ptosis, micrognathia, low auricular position, and upturned nose. The parents and sister both had normal phenotypes. Trio-WGS and Sanger sequencing revealed that the child had compound heterozygous variants of paternal c.1742_c.1743insT and maternal c.2314T>G, for which the father and sister were carriers of the c.1742_c.1743insT heterozygous variant and the mother was carrier of c.2314T>A. Neither mutation site has been reported. According to guidelines of ACMG, the c.1742_c.1743insT variant was classified as likely pathogenic (PSV1+PM2_Supporting), and c.2314T>G was classified as uncertain (PM2_Supporting+PM3+PP3). The results of conserved analysis of amino acid residue sequences of ECEL1 protein showed that the missense mutation of the maternal c.2314T>G (p.Cys772Gly) was highly conserved among humans and other seven species. The protein structure prediction revealed that the c.1742_c.1743insT frameshift mutation led to the protein truncation, and the c.2314T>G missense mutation resulted in the failure of forming 1 disulfide bond. CONCLUSION The compound heterozygous variants of ECEL1 gene were considered to be pathogenic for this DA5D patient, which have expanded the mutational spectrum of the ECEL1 gene and provided a reference for clinical diagnosis as well as genetic counseling for this family.
Humans ; Pedigree ; Arthrogryposis/genetics* ; Male ; Female ; Heterozygote ; Phenotype ; Mutation ; Child ; Metalloendopeptidases

OBJECTIVES: To explore the molecular mechanism by which lncRNA SNHG15 regulates proliferation, invasion and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells. METHODS: The lncRNA microarray chip dataset GSE196584 and LncBase were used to predict the lncRNAs that interact with miR-30b-3p, and their association with patient prognosis were investigated using online databases, after which lncRNA nucleolar RNA host gene 15 (SNHG15) was selected for further analysis. The subcellular localization of lncRNA SNHG15 and its expression levels in normal human lung epithelial cells and lung adenocarcinoma cell lines were detected using fluorescence in situ hybridization and qRT-PCR. In cultured A549 cells, the changes in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion following transfection with a SNHG15 knockdown plasmid (sh-SNHG15), a miR-30b-3p inhibitor, or their co-transfection were assessed with EdU, wound healing, and Transwell assays. Bioinformatics analyses were used to predict the regulatory relationship between lncRNA SNHG15 and COX6B1, and the results were verified using Western blotting and rescue experiments in A549 cells transfected with sh-SNHG15, a COX6B1-overexpressing plasmid, or both. RESULTS: LncRNA SNHG15 was shown to target miR-30b-3p, and the former was highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma, and associated with a poor patient prognosis. LncRNA SNHG15 was localized in the cytoplasm and expressed at higher levels in A549 and NCI-H1299 cells than in BEAS-2B cells. In A549 cells, lncRNA SNHG15 knockdown significantly inhibited cell migration, invasion and proliferation, and these changes were reversed by miR-30b-3p inhibitor. A regulatory relationship was found between lncRNA SNHG15 and COX6B1, and their expression levels were positively correlated (r=0.128, P=0.003). MiR-30b-3p knockdown obviously decreased COX6B1 expression in A549 cells, and COX6B1 overexpression rescued the cells from the inhibitory effects of lncRNA-SNHG15 knockdown. CONCLUSIONS LncRNA SNHG15 may compete with COX6B1 to bind miR-30b-3p through a ceRNA mechanism to affect proliferation, migration, and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells.
Humans ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics* ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Movement ; Lung Neoplasms/genetics* ; Adenocarcinoma of Lung ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; A549 Cells ; Adenocarcinoma/genetics* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Cell Line, Tumor