BACKGROUND: Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), a rare and recurrent autoinflammatory disease, imposes a substantial burden on patients and society. Awareness of GPP in China remains limited. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey, conducted between September 2021 and May 2023 across 14 hospitals in China, included GPP patients of all ages and disease phases. Data collected encompassed demographics, clinical characteristics, economic impact, disease severity, quality of life, and treatment-related complications. Risk factors for GPP recurrence were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 127 patients (female/male ratio = 1.35:1), the mean age of disease onset was 25 years (1st quartile [Q1]-3rd quartile [Q3]: 11-44 years); 29.2% had experienced GPP for more than 10 years. Recurrence occurred in 75.6% of patients, and nearly half reported no identifiable triggers. Younger age at disease onset ( P  = 0.021) and transitioning to plaque psoriasis ( P  = 0.022) were associated with higher recurrence rates. The median diagnostic delay was 8 months (Q1-Q3: 2-41 months), and 32.3% of patients reported misdiagnoses. Comorbidities were present in 53.5% of patients, whereas 51.1% experienced systemic complications during treatment. Depression and anxiety affected 84.5% and 95.6% of patients, respectively. During GPP flares, the median Dermatology Life Quality Index score was 19.0 (Q1-Q3: 13.0-23.5). This score showed significant differences between patients with and without systemic symptoms; it demonstrated correlations with both depression and anxiety scores. Treatment costs caused financial hardship in 55.9% of patients, underscoring the burden associated with GPP. CONCLUSIONS The substantial disease and economic burdens among Chinese GPP patients warrant increased attention. Patients with early onset disease and those transitioning to plaque psoriasis require targeted interventions to mitigate the high recurrence risk.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Psoriasis/pathology* ; Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adolescent ; Child ; Young Adult ; Quality of Life ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; East Asian People

Objective:To establish normal reference value ranges for dynamic balance function parameters in healthy Chinese adults aged 20-69 years. Methods:A total of 100 healthy subjects were selected and evenly divided into five age groups: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60-69 years, with equal gender distribution in each group. Balance function was assessed using the EquiTest system （NeuroCom）, with following tests performed Sensory Organization Test （SOT）, Motor Control Test （MCT）, Adaptation Test （ADT）, and Limits of Stability （LOS） test. All parameters were statistically analyzed and expressed as ±S. Results:The normal reference ranges for SOT, MCT, ADT, and LOS parameters were established for each age group. Multiple balance function parameters demonstrated a gradual decline with advancing age, with more pronounced deterioration observed after the age of 60. Specific findings included decreased vestibular ratio and reduced visual preference in SOT, as well as prolonged reaction time, impaired directional control, and reduced maximum excursion in the backward direction during LOS testing. Conclusion:This study is the first to establish age-specific reference ranges for dynamic balance function parameters in a healthy Chinese population aged 20-69 years, providing localized and objective criteria for the assessment of balance function and supporting clinical diagnosis of balance-related disorders in China.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Postural Balance/physiology* ; Reference Values ; Aged ; Male ; Female ; Young Adult ; Healthy Volunteers

Metformin has been demonstrated to attenuate hyperglycaemia by modulating the gut microbiota. However, the mechanisms through which the microbiome mediates metformin monotherapy failure (MMF) are unclear. Herein, in a prospective clinical cohort study of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients treated with metformin monotherapy, metagenomic sequencing of faecal samples revealed that Phocaeicola vulgatus abundance was approximately 12 times higher in nonresponders than in responders. P. vulgatus rapidly hydrolysed taurine-conjugated bile acids, leading to ceramide accumulation and reversing the improvements in glucose intolerance conferred by metformin in high-fat diet-fed mice. Interestingly, C22:0 ceramide bound to mitochondrial fission factor to induce mitochondrial fragmentation and impair hepatic oxidative phosphorylation in P. vulgatus-colonized hyperglycaemic mice, which could be exacerbated by metformin. This work suggests that metformin may be unsuitable for P. vulgatus-rich T2DM patients and that clinicians should be aware of metformin toxicity to mitochondria. Suppressing P. vulgatus growth with cefaclor or improving mitochondrial function using adenosylcobalamin may represent simple, safe, effective therapeutic strategies for addressing MMF.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the expression profile of circular RNAs (circRNAs) and their potential roles in prognosis and progression of Wilms' tumor (WT). METHODS: Four pairs of WT and adjacent tissues were collected for high-throughput circRNA sequencing to identify the differentially expressed circular RNAs. RT-qPCR was used to verify the expression levels of the top 6 candidate circRNAs in the clinical samples. hsa_circ_0001900 was selected for analysis of its correlation with clinicopathological features and prognosis in 34 patients with WT. Sanger sequencing and RNase R digestion experiments were used to verify the cycling site and structural stability of hsa_circ_0001900 molecule. RESULTS: A total of 23 978 circular RNA molecules were identified in WT tissues by high-throughput circular RNA sequencing, and among them 614 were differentially expressed in WT. hsa_circ_0001900 showed the highest expression level among the differentially expressed circRNAs, which was consistent with the findings in clinical tumor samples and the sequencing results. Correlation analysis showed that hsa_circ_0001900 expression level was positively correlated with WT volume, and the children with high hsa_circ_0001900 expression had a lowered recurrence-free survival rate. The results of Sanger sequencing verified the circular splice site sequence of the molecule, and Rnase R digestion assay confirmed its stable covalent structure. CONCLUSIONS This study presents a comprehensive expression profile of circular RNAs in WT, and the expression level of hsa_circ_0001900 is related to the size of WT and the patients' prognosis, suggesting its possible role as a key driving gene in WT progression.
Humans ; RNA, Circular ; Wilms Tumor/pathology* ; Prognosis ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Kidney Neoplasms/genetics* ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Male ; Female

Objective To identify the key genes differentially expressed in Wilms tumor and analyze their potential impacts on prognosis and immune responses of the patients. Methods High-throughput RNA sequencing was used to identify the differentially expressed mRNAs in clinical samples of Wilms tumor and paired normal tissues, and their biological functions were analyzed using GO, KEGG and GSEA enrichment analyses. The hub genes were identified using STRING database, based on which a prognostic model was constructed using LASSO regression. The mutations of the key hub genes were analyzed and their impacts on immunotherapy efficacy was predicted using the cBioPortal platform. RT-qPCR was used to verify the differential expressions of the key hub genes in Wilms tumor. Results Of the 1612 differentially expressed genes identified in Wilms tumor, 1030 were up-regulated and 582 were down-regulated, involving mainly cell cycle processes and immune responses. Ten hub genes were identified, among which 4 genes (TP53, MED1, CCNB1 and EGF) were closely related to the survival of children with Wilms tumor. A 3-gene prognostic signature was constructed through LASSO regression analysis, and the patients stratified into with high- and low-risk groups based on this signature had significantly different survival outcomes (HR=1.814, log-rank P=0.002). The AUCs of the 3-, 5-and 7-year survival ROC curves of this model were all greater than 0.7. The overall mutations in the key hub genes or the individual mutations in TP53/CCNB1 were strongly correlated with a lower survival rates, and a high TP53 expression was correlated with a poor immunotherapy efficacy. RT-qPCR confirmed that the key hub genes had significant differential expressions in Wilms tumor tissues and cells. Conclusion TP53 gene plays an important role in the Wilms tumor and may potentially serve as a new immunotherapeutic biomarker as well as a therapeutic target.

Objective To identify the key genes differentially expressed in Wilms tumor and analyze their potential impacts on prognosis and immune responses of the patients. Methods High-throughput RNA sequencing was used to identify the differentially expressed mRNAs in clinical samples of Wilms tumor and paired normal tissues, and their biological functions were analyzed using GO, KEGG and GSEA enrichment analyses. The hub genes were identified using STRING database, based on which a prognostic model was constructed using LASSO regression. The mutations of the key hub genes were analyzed and their impacts on immunotherapy efficacy was predicted using the cBioPortal platform. RT-qPCR was used to verify the differential expressions of the key hub genes in Wilms tumor. Results Of the 1612 differentially expressed genes identified in Wilms tumor, 1030 were up-regulated and 582 were down-regulated, involving mainly cell cycle processes and immune responses. Ten hub genes were identified, among which 4 genes (TP53, MED1, CCNB1 and EGF) were closely related to the survival of children with Wilms tumor. A 3-gene prognostic signature was constructed through LASSO regression analysis, and the patients stratified into with high- and low-risk groups based on this signature had significantly different survival outcomes (HR=1.814, log-rank P=0.002). The AUCs of the 3-, 5-and 7-year survival ROC curves of this model were all greater than 0.7. The overall mutations in the key hub genes or the individual mutations in TP53/CCNB1 were strongly correlated with a lower survival rates, and a high TP53 expression was correlated with a poor immunotherapy efficacy. RT-qPCR confirmed that the key hub genes had significant differential expressions in Wilms tumor tissues and cells. Conclusion TP53 gene plays an important role in the Wilms tumor and may potentially serve as a new immunotherapeutic biomarker as well as a therapeutic target.

Objective To investigate clinical features and risk factors of obstructive sleep apnea(OSA)complicated with metabolic associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD),and to construct a prediction model,so as to provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treat-ment.Methods A total of 228 OSA patients admitted to Xiangyang No.1 People's Hospital Affiliate to Hubei University of Medicine from January 2020 to December 2022 were selected.According to whether complicated with MAFLD,the patients were divided into OSA+MAFLD group(n=94)and OSA group(n=134).According to the liver/spleen CT values,OSA+MAFLD group was further di-vided into OSA+mild MAFLD group(n=56)and OSA+moderate-severe MAFLD group(n=38).General clinical data,polysomnog-raphy(PSG),serological examination and other related indicators and parameters of all patients were collected for statistical analysis.Results Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences between the OSA group and the OSA+MAFLD group in age,hypertension,diabetes,hyperlipidemia,body mass index(BMI),apnea hypopnea index(AHI),oxygen reduction index(ODI),lon-gest apnea time(LAT),snore frequency,lowest saturation oxygen(LSpO2),mean oxygen saturation(MSpO2),CT90％,fasting plasma glucose(FPG),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),γ-glutamyltransferase(GGT)(P＜0.05);and there were significant differences between the OSA+mild MAFLD group and the OSA+moderate-severe MAFLD group in age,hyperlip-idemia,BMI,AHI,ODI,LAT,snore frequency,LSpO2,MSpO2,CT90％and ALT(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analy-sis showed that age,BMI,AHI,snore frequency were independent risk factors for OSA and MAFLD(P＜0.05);Age,BMI,AHI and ALT were independent risk factors for OSA with moderate-severe MAFLD(P＜0.05).The Logistic regression model was established:Y1=-13.183+0.083age+0.205BMI+0.039AHI+0.002snore frequency,the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.915,and the sensitivity and specificity of the regression model were 87.2％and 82.8％.Y2=-44.956+0.146age+0.510BMI+0.056AHI+0.022ALT,the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.924,and the sensitivity and specificity of the regression model were 78.9％and 91.1％.Conclusion In clinical work,the occurrence of MAFLD should be considered for OSA pa-tients with older age,higher BMI,higher AHI,and more snoring frequency.OSA patients with MAFLD with older age,higher BMI,higher AHI,and higher ALT are more serious.Moreover,the combined prediction model constructed in this study has better diagnostic value,and can provide reference for early diagnosis of OSA complicated with MAFLD.

Stroke is a cerebrovascular disease characterized by high rates of disability,recurrence and mortal-ity.It results primarily from cerebrovascular rupture or transient/permanent occlusion.Due to the complex pathological mechanism of stroke and the lack of early-stage biomarkers,effective treatment options remain limited.Circular RNAs(circRNAs)are stable and conserved endogenous long noncoding RNA that regulate the pathological process of stroke,in-cluding oxidative stress,inflammation,apoptosis and autophagy.In addition,the regulatory roles of circRNAs in stroke include ceRNA,DNA methylation and histone modification.This review provides a comprehensive overview of circRNA biogenesis,major functions and characteristics.Furthermore,it presents the latest research findings on circRNAs in the context of stroke pathology,with the aim of providing new insights and potential approaches for unraveling the underlying mechanism,diagnosis and treatment of such diseases.

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors of secondary osteoporosis in stroke patients with hemiplegia, and to construct a nomogram prediction model and evaluate it.Methods:The study subjects were 110 patients with hemiplegia after stroke who were treated in our hospital from Jun. 2019 to Jun. 2023, and were divided into osteoporosis group and non-osteoporosis group by bone mineral density detection. Clinical data and laboratory indicators were collected. Single factor analysis and binary Logistic multiple factor regression analysis were used to screen the influencing factors. R software (R3.3.2) and software package rms were used to construct the nomogram prediction model.Results:There were 52 patients with osteoporosis and 58 patients without osteoporosis. In the osteoporosis group, the proportion of female, unilateral anterior circulation multiple infarction and less sunlight was significantly higher than that in the non-osteoporosis group, with statistical significance ( χ2=8.27, 14.77 and 6.96, respectively, P<0.05). Systolic blood pressure (159.32±21.72 vs. 151.67±19.52), total cholesterol (4.29±0.50 vs. 3.57±0.42), LDL-C (2.87±0.33 vs. 2.04±0.31), Hcy (3.81±2.51 vs. The level of 112.33±2.47 was significantly higher than that of the non-osteoporosis group, and the difference was statistically significant ( t was 5.23, 8.38, 7.98 and 5.63, respectively, P<0.001). The level of albumin (38.15±5.21 vs. 33.26±5.73) was significantly lower than that of the non-osteoporosis group. The difference was statistically significant ( t=4.90, P<0.05). Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that female, higher total cholesterol, LDL-C, Hcy levels and less sun exposure were independent risk factors for secondary osteoporosis in stroke patients with hemiplegia ( P<0.05). ROC curve analysis results showed that the area under the curve of the established model to predict secondary osteoporosis in stroke hemiplegia patients was 0.891 (0.833-0.949), and the sensitivity and specificity were 80.8% and 79.3%, respectively. Conclusion:The categorization and consistency of the nomogram model based on the influencing factors of secondary osteoporosis in patients with stroke hemiplegia are good, which can provide a certain reference for the identification and early intervention of high-risk groups with stroke hemiplegia.

Objective:To explore and analyze the predictive value of EuroSCORE Ⅱ and SYNTAX Ⅱ scores for clinical outcomes in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery.Methods:A total of 500 coronary artery disease (CAD) patients who underwent CABG in Shanxi Cardiovascular Hospital from April 2014 to July 2023 were selected as the study subjects, all patients were given EuroSCORE Ⅱand SYNTAX Ⅱ scores to evaluate the predictive value of EuroSCOREⅡfor perioperative mortality and SYNTAX Ⅱ for 4-year mortality. Univariate and multivariate Logistic analysis were employed to analyze the independent risk factors for perioperative and 4-year mortality.Results:There were 3 deaths during the perioperative period, with a mortality rate of 0.60%, the predicted mortality rate of EuroSCOREⅡwas 1.71%; there were 21 deaths at 4 years after surgery, with a mortality rate of 4.23% and the predicted mortality rate of SYNTAX Ⅱwas 9.02%. Logistic regression analysis showed that left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was the only independent protective factor for perioperative mortality, and advanced age was the only independent risk factor for 4-year postoperative mortality in patients ( P<0.05). The analysis of the working characteristic curve of the subjects found that the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ( ROC) of EuroSCORE Ⅱ for perioperative mortality was 0.782, and the area under ROC curve of SYNTAX Ⅱfor postoperative 4-year mortality was 0.743. Conclusion:Both EuroSCORE Ⅱand SYNTAX Ⅱhave certain predictive value for perioperative mortality and postoperative 4-year mortality in patients undergoing CABG, respectively, but the predicted mortality rate is relatively higher.