OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) in atherosclerotic plaques for regulating inflammatory responses during atherosclerosis (AS) progression. METHODS: Human coronary artery specimens from autopsy cases were examined for ATF3 protein expression and localization using immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting. Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE^-/-) mouse models of AS induced by high-fat diet (HFD) feeding for 12 weeks were subjected to tail vein injection of adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) to knock down ATF3 expression. After an additional 5 weeks of HFD feeding, the mice were euthanized for analyzing structural changes of the aortic plaques, and the expression levels of ATF3, inflammatory factors (CD45, CD68, IL-1β, and TNF-α), and NF-κB pathway proteins (P-IKKα/β and P-NF-κB p65) were detected. In the cell experiment, THP-1-derived foam cells were transfected with an ATF3-overexpressing plasmid or an ATF3-specific siRNA to validate the relationship between ATF3 and NF‑κB signaling. RESULTS: In human atherosclerotic plaques, ATF3 expression was significantly elevated and partially co-localized with CD68. ATF3 knockout in ApoE^-/- mice significantly increased aortic plaque volume, upregulated the inflammatory factors, enhanced phosphorylation of the NF‑κB pathway proteins, and increased the expressions of VCAM1, MMP9, and MMP2 in the plaques. In THP-1-derived foam cells, ATF3 silencing caused activation of the NF‑κB pathway, while ATF3 overexpression suppressed the activity of the NF-κB pathway. CONCLUSIONS AS promotes ATF3 expression, and ATF3 deficiency exacerbates AS progression by enhancing plaque inflammation via activating the NF-κB pathway, suggesting the potential of ATF3 as a therapeutic target for AS.
Animals ; Activating Transcription Factor 3/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Humans ; Mice ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic/metabolism* ; Inflammation/metabolism* ; Apolipoproteins E ; Atherosclerosis/metabolism* ; Diet, High-Fat

Clear aligner treatment is a novel technique in current orthodontic practice. Distinct from traditional fixed orthodontic appliances, clear aligners have different material features and biomechanical characteristics and treatment efficiencies, presenting new clinical challenges. Therefore, a comprehensive and systematic description of the key clinical aspects of clear aligner treatment is essential to enhance treatment efficacy and facilitate the advancement and wide adoption of this new technique. This expert consensus discusses case selection and grading of treatment difficulty, principle of clear aligner therapy, clinical procedures and potential complications, which are crucial to the clinical success of clear aligner treatment.
Humans ; Consensus ; Orthodontic Appliance Design ; Orthodontic Appliances, Removable ; Tooth Movement Techniques/methods* ; Malocclusion/therapy* ; Orthodontics, Corrective/instrumentation*

Objective To investigate the causal relationship between gut microbiota and viral pneumonia,as well as the underlying mechanisms,using two-sample and two-step Mendelian randomization(MR)approaches,thereby providing novel insights for the prevention and treatment of viral pneumonia.Methods All data were obtained from publicly available genome-wide association studies(GWAS)pooled datasets,including gut microbiota data from the MiBioGen Consortium and the Netherlands Microbiome Project,viral pneumonia data from the FinnGen R10 database,and plasma metabolome data from the publicly available GWAS Catalog.Instrumental variables(IVs)were extracted according to the predefined threshold values.MR analyses were conducted using inverse variance weighting(IVW),MR-Egger,weighted median(WME),weighted mode(WM),and Bayesian-weighted Mendelian randomization(BWMR)methods.Reverse MR analysis was performed to determine whether there was a reverse association.Two-step MR analysis was used to explore the potential mediating role of plasma metabolites,and a series of sensitivity analyses were performed to test the stability of the results.Results Among 196 gut microbiota taxa from the MiBioGen consortium GWAS,11 taxa were associated with viral pneumonia.An increase in the abundance of 4 taxa increased the risk of viral pneumonia,while an increase in the abundance of 7 taxa had a protective effect against viral pneumonia.Among the 207 gut microbiota taxa from the Dutch Microbiome Project GWAS data,10 taxa were associated with viral pneumonia,with 6 risk-increasing and 4 protective taxa identified.Mediation analysis results showed that the causal effect of Defluviitaleaceae on viral pneumonia(OR=0.708,95%CI 0.540-0.929,P=0.013)was mediated to some extent by the N6-acetyllysine levels,with a mediation ratio of 18.4%.Sensitivity analyses did not reveal significant heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy.Conclusions Specific gut microbiota are causally associated with viral pneumonia and show potential differences across different populations;the protective effect of Defluviitaleaceae against viral pneumonia may be mediated by the N6-acetyllysine levels.Targeting metabolites may become a potential therapeutic approach for viral pneumonia.

Sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectins(Siglecs)are expressed on most white blood cells and play a key role in signal transduction of immune cells.Recent studies have shown that many bacterial pathogens regulate the host immune response through the interaction between sialic acid(Sia)and Siglecs,thereby influencing the occurrence and development of diseases.Understanding bacterial pathogenic mechanisms is essential to identify potential effective therapeutic targets and help manage bacterial infectious diseases.Herein,the structure,biological function,and research progress in Siglecs in bacterial in-fectious diseases are briefly reviewed.

Objective To explore the clinical curative effect of azithromycin combined with high-dose vitamin C (VC) in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP)and its influences on peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets, serum interleukin (IL)-17, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), E2-associated factor 2 (Nrf2) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and P1 proteins in throat swab. Methods A total of 240 children with MPP confirmed in the hospital were enrolled as observation objects between June 2020 and June 2023. They were randomly divided into high-dose VC group, low-dose VC group and control group, with 80 cases in each group. The control group was treated with azithromycin, low-dose VC group was treated with azithromycin plus low-dose VC, and high-dose VC group was treated with azithromycin plus high-dose VC, the three groups all treated for 2 weeks. The clinical curative effect and duration of clinical symptoms in the three groups were recorded. Before and after treatment, fasting venous blood and throat swabs were collected in the three groups. T lymphocyte subsets (CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺, CD4⁺/CD8⁺) in peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry. The levels of serum IL-17, hs-CRP and VC were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA levels of Nrf2 protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and P1 protein in throat swabs were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The adverse reactions during treatment in the three groups were recorded and compared. Results After treatment, time of fever, cough, expectoration and lung moist rale, and length of hospital stay were shorten in high-dose VC group and low-dose VC group when compared with those in the control group (P < 0.05), and were shorten in the high-dose VC group when compared with those in the low-dose VC group (P < 0.05). After treatment, levels of peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets (CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD4⁺/CD8⁺) were increased when compared with those before treatment in the three groups (P < 0.05). The levels of CD3⁺, CD4⁺ and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ in the high-dose VC group were higher than those in the low-dose VC group and control group (P < 0.05), and CD4⁺ level in the low-dose VC group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, levels of serum IL-17 and hs-CRP were decreased as compared with those before treatment in the three groups (P < 0.05). The levels of serum IL-17 and hs-CRP in the high-dose VC group were lower than those in the low-dose VC and control group, but there was no difference between low-dose VC group and control group (P>0.05). After treatment, levels of serum VC were increased as compared with that before treatment in high-dose VC group and low-dose VC group, and it was higher in the high-dose VC group than low-dose VC group (P < 0.05). There were no differences in IL-17 and hs-CRP between low-dose VC group and control group (P>0.05). After treatment, mRNA levels of Nrf2 protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and P1 protein in throat swabs were decreased compared with those before treatment in the three groups (P < 0.05). The expression level of Nrf2 mRNA in the high-dose VC group was higher than that in the low-dose VC group and control group (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in mRNA expression of PI protein among the three groups (P>0.05). There were no obvious adverse reactions in any group during treatment. Conclusion Azithromycin combined with high-dose VC can effectively improve clinical symptoms, enhance immunity, reduce IL-17 and hs-CRP levels, maintain Nrf2 mRNA level and improve clinical curative effect in MPP children, and has higher safety.

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of children with allergic diseases suffering from SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant strains. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 43 pediatric patients with allergic diseases infected by SARS-CoV-2 from April 25, 2022 to June 8, 2022 in Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine were selected as the allergic disease group, while 114 cases without underlying diseases and 16 cases with other underlying diseases were selected as control groups diagnosed at the same period. Clinical data including clinical features, laboratory tests, duration of hospitalization, and the time to negative turn of novel coronavirus nucleic acid were collected and analysed. Kruskal-Wallis H test, chi-square test or Fisher exact test were used for comparison among three groups. Results: Among the 43 patients with allergic diseases, 28 were males and 15 were females, with an age of 4.4 (2.1, 8.2) years on admission, including 32 mild cases and 11 common cases. The allergic disease group included 20 cases (46.5%) of atopic dermatitis and eczema, followed by 14 cases (32.6%) of rhinitis, 8 cases (18.6%) of food allergies, 7 cases (16.3%) of asthma, 4 cases (9.3%) of allergic conjunctivitis and 2 cases (4.7%) of drug allergy. Among the 114 cases without underlying diseases, 57 were males and 57 were females, with an age of 2.8 (1.2, 5.6) years on admission, including 93 mild cases and 21 common cases. Among the 16 cases with other underlying diseases, 9 were males and 7 were females, with an age of 3.0 (2.6, 10.8) years on admission, including 13 cases mild and 3 cases common cases. Children with allergic diseases had higher frequency of sore throat and vomiting than those without underlying diseases (10 cases (23.3%) vs.9 cases (7.9%), 14 cases (32.6%) vs. 11 cases (9.6%), χ²=6.93, 12.24, both P<0.05). The lymphocyte count of patients with allergic disease was lower than those without underlying disease (1.1 (0.7,1.7)×10⁹ vs. 1.6 (1.1,2.7)×10⁹/L, H=-28.00,P=0.005). There were no significant differences in age, gender, typing of SARS-CoV-2, the duration of hospitalization, cycle threshold values of SARS-CoV-2 and the time to negative turn of novel coronavirus nucleic acid among the three groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Children with allergic diseases may suffer from sore throat and vomiting more frequently when infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. The combination of allergic diseases hardly influenced the disease course of SARS-CoV-2 in children.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Child ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 ; China/epidemiology* ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Pharyngitis

Type II innate lymphoid cell (ILC2) is a newly identified innate immunological cell that belongs to the lymphocyte lineage in cell morphology, resides in the body's mucosal tissues, and has the dual functions of innate and adaptive immunity to promote tissue remodeling and repair after injury. Additionally, it is involved in the occurrence and development of a variety of liver diseases and plays an important role in maintaining the immunological homeostasis of the liver region. This article reviews the differentiation, development, and biological functions of ILC2, with particular attention to the research progress in liver diseases.
Humans ; Immunity, Innate ; Lymphocytes ; Cell Differentiation ; Liver Diseases

Objective To investigate the age-related changes of biomechanical properties for humerus, femur and tibia in male rats and their application values in age estimation. Methods According to different weeks of age, 90 healthy male SD rats were divided into 2, 4, 6, 8, 17, 26, 52, 78 and 104-week groups with 10 rats in eachgroup. After the rats were executed by excessive anesthesia, humerus, femur, and tibia were separated and the attached soft tissues were removed. The length of the above-mentioned bones and the diameter of the middle section (compression site) were measured with vernier caliper, and the three-point bending test was conducted with electronic universal material testing machine to detect the ultimate load and displacement under ultimate load. Results There were significant differences in the ultimate load of humerus, femur and tibia among male rats in different age groups (P<0. 05). With the increase of week age, the ultimate loads of the humerus, femur and tibia increased first and then decreased, and reached the peak value in 52-week age group, showing a strong positive correlation with week age before 52 weeks ( r = 0. 884,0. 933,0. 929, P<0. 05). There was no significant difference in humerus and tibia. The displacement of femur under ultimate load was weakly positively correlated with week age (R= 0. 406,P<0. 05). The age prediction accuracy for automatic linear modeling of ultimate load for humerus, femur, tibia and three above-mentioned bones in rats before 52-week age was 78. 2% , 86. 8% , 84. 1% and 88. 3% , respectively. There was a strong positive correlation between the length of humerus, femur and tibia and the ultimate load (R= 0. 904, 0. 897, 0. 814, P<0. 05). The diameters of humerus, femur and tibia were strongly positively correlated with the ultimate load (R = 0. 759, 0. 814 and 0. 745, P<0. 05). Conclusions The ultimate loads of humerus, femur and tibia in male rats increased first and then decreased with age, and were positively correlated with age before 52 weeks, which could be used for age inference. The highest accuracy of age estimation was ultimate loads of three bones, followed by femur. The length/ middle diameter of humerus, femur and tibia were strongly positively correlated with the ultimate load.

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics, cytogenetics, molecular biology, treatment, and prognosis of patients with therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia (t-MDS/AML) secondary to malignancies. Methods: The clinical data of 86 patients with t-MDS/AML in West China Hospital of Sichuan University between January 2010 and April 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical characteristics, primary tumor types, and tumor-related therapies were analyzed. Results: The study enrolled a total of 86 patients with t-MDS/AML, including 67 patients with t-AML, including 1 patient with M(0), 6 with M(1), 27 with M(2), 9 with M(3), 12 with M(4), 10 with M(5), 1 with M(6), and 1 with M(7). Sixty-two patients could be genetically stratified, with a median overall survival (OS) of 36 (95% CI 22-52) months for 20 (29.9%) patients in the low-risk group and 6 (95% CI 3-9) months for 10 (14.9%) in the intermediate-risk group. The median OS time was 8 (95% CI 1-15) months in 32 (47.8%) patients in the high-risk group. For patients with non-acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and AML, the median OS of the low-risk group was 27 (95% CI 18-36) months, which was significantly longer than that of the non-low-risk group (χ(2)=5.534, P=0.019). All 9 APL cases were treated according to the initial treatment, and the median OS was not reached, and the 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates were 100.0%, (75.0±6.2) %, and (75.0±6.2) % respectively. Of the 58 patients with non-APL t-AML (89.7%), 52 received chemotherapy, and 16 achieved complete remission (30.8%) after the first induction chemotherapy. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates of the non-APL t-AML group were (42.0 ± 6.6) %, (22.9±5.7) %, and (13.4±4.7) %, respectively. The median OS of patients who achieved remission was 24 (95% CI 18-30) months, and the median OS of those who did not achieve remission was 6 (95% CI 3-9) months (χ(2)=10.170, P=0.001). Bone marrow CR was achieved in 7 (53.8%) of 13 patients treated with vineclar-containing chemotherapy, with a median OS of 12 (95% CI 9-15) months, which was not significantly different from that of vineclar-containing chemotherapy (χ(2)=0.600, P=0.437). In 19 patients with t-MDS, the 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates were (46.8±11.6) %, (17.5±9.1) %, and (11.7±9.1) % with a median OS of 12 (95% CI 7-17) months, which was not significantly different from that in t-AML (χ(2)=0.232, P=0.630) . Conclusions: Breast cancer, bowel cancer, and other primary tumors are common in patients with t-MDS/AML, which have a higher risk of adverse genetics. Patients with APL had a high induction remission rate and a good long-term prognosis, whereas patients without APL had a low remission rate and a poor long-term prognosis.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy* ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute/therapy* ; Prognosis ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes/drug therapy* ; Neoplasms, Second Primary/drug therapy* ; Remission Induction ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical treatment outcomes and the changes of the outcomes over time in extremely preterm twins in Guangdong Province, China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for 269 pairs of extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks who were admitted to the department of neonatology in 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province from January 2008 to December 2017. According to the admission time, they were divided into two groups: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. Besides, each pair of twins was divided into the heavier infant and the lighter infant subgroups according to birth weight. The perinatal data of mothers and hospitalization data of neonates were collected. The survival rate of twins and the incidence rate of complications were compared between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 groups. RESULTS: Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of severe asphyxia and smaller head circumference at birth (P<0.05). The mortality rates of both of the twins, the heavier infant of the twins, and the lighter infant of the twins were lower in the 2013-2017 group compared with the 2008-2012 group (P<0.05). Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of pulmonary hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (P-IVH), and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and a higher incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant increase in the survival rate over time in extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks in the 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province. The incidences of severe asphyxia, pulmonary hemorrhage, PDA, P-IVH, and NRDS decrease in both the heavier and lighter infants of the twins, but the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia increases. With the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the multidisciplinary collaboration between different fields of fetal medicine including prenatal diagnosis, obstetrics, and neonatology is needed in the future to jointly develop management strategies for twin pregnancy.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome