BACKGROUND:Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a destructive cardiopulmonary disease for which there is no cure.An association between plasma proteins and pulmonary arterial hypertension has been suggested,but the causal relationship has not been specifically elucidated.OBJECTIVE:To elucidate the causal relationship between plasma proteome and pulmonary arterial hypertension using a two-sample Mendelian randomization method,thereby searching for potential therapeutic targets for pulmonary arterial hypertension.METHODS:Plasma Protein Gene-Wide Association Analysis Statistics for 4 907 Aptamer Measurements in 35 559 Icelanders from the Icelandic Database;Genome-wide association analysis statistics for pulmonary arterial hypertension were obtained from the Finn Gen database,version R9,including 234 cases and 265 626 controls.Analyses were performed using Mendelian randomization and Bayesian co-localization analysis,the findings were examined using sensitivity analyses,and protein-protein interaction network maps were constructed to explore the causal relationship between plasma proteins and pulmonary arterial hypertension.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The results of inverse variance weighting,maximum likelihood and Wald ratio methods showed 19 proteins causally associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension(P＜0.05).Among them,10 plasma proteins,including Beta-1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase manic fringe(odds ratio[OR]=0.12,95％confidence interval[CI]0.02-0.61,P=0.01)and interferon alpha/beta receptor 1(OR=0.45,95％CI 0.24-0.84,P=0.012),might be associated with a reduced risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension.In contrast,nine plasma proteins,such as glucoside xylosyltransferase 1(OR=3.48,95％CI 1.51-8.00,P=0.003)and plasminogen(OR=42.78,95％CI 2.49-734.31,P=0.01),might be associated with an increased risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension.After the false discovery rate was corrected,19 proteins remained significantly associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension.(2)Multiple sensitivity analyses such as the MR-Egger intercept test and leave-one-out method showed no horizontal multiplicity or heterogeneity in the results of the study,indicating the stability of the study's results.(3)Bayesian co-localization analysis showed that six plasma proteins,including plasminogen(PPH4=1.0)and glucoside xylosyltransferase 1(PPH4=0.94),had PPH4＞0.8,suggesting that plasma proteins and the genome-wide association study of pulmonary arterial hypertension had similar causal variance in terms of genetic association.(4)By constructing a protein-protein interaction network map,plasminogen,Annexin A1,fibrinogen gamma chain and matrix metalloproteinase 7 were found to be core proteins.(5)The article used Mendelian randomization analysis to reveal a potential causal association between 4 907 plasma proteins and pulmonary arterial hypertension,suggesting that plasma proteins may be potential therapeutic targets for pulmonary arterial hypertension.The core proteins identified in the study also provide a theoretical basis for further in-depth study of the pathophysiological mechanisms of pulmonary arterial hypertension.Secondly,analyses using the large-scale international databases of Iceland and FinnGen provide new research directions and treatment ideas for pulmonary arterial hypertension in specific populations and environments,as well as ideas and methods that can be used to prevent and treat pulmonary arterial hypertension in China.

BACKGROUND:Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a destructive cardiopulmonary disease for which there is no cure.An association between plasma proteins and pulmonary arterial hypertension has been suggested,but the causal relationship has not been specifically elucidated.OBJECTIVE:To elucidate the causal relationship between plasma proteome and pulmonary arterial hypertension using a two-sample Mendelian randomization method,thereby searching for potential therapeutic targets for pulmonary arterial hypertension.METHODS:Plasma Protein Gene-Wide Association Analysis Statistics for 4 907 Aptamer Measurements in 35 559 Icelanders from the Icelandic Database;Genome-wide association analysis statistics for pulmonary arterial hypertension were obtained from the Finn Gen database,version R9,including 234 cases and 265 626 controls.Analyses were performed using Mendelian randomization and Bayesian co-localization analysis,the findings were examined using sensitivity analyses,and protein-protein interaction network maps were constructed to explore the causal relationship between plasma proteins and pulmonary arterial hypertension.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The results of inverse variance weighting,maximum likelihood and Wald ratio methods showed 19 proteins causally associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension(P＜0.05).Among them,10 plasma proteins,including Beta-1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase manic fringe(odds ratio[OR]=0.12,95％confidence interval[CI]0.02-0.61,P=0.01)and interferon alpha/beta receptor 1(OR=0.45,95％CI 0.24-0.84,P=0.012),might be associated with a reduced risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension.In contrast,nine plasma proteins,such as glucoside xylosyltransferase 1(OR=3.48,95％CI 1.51-8.00,P=0.003)and plasminogen(OR=42.78,95％CI 2.49-734.31,P=0.01),might be associated with an increased risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension.After the false discovery rate was corrected,19 proteins remained significantly associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension.(2)Multiple sensitivity analyses such as the MR-Egger intercept test and leave-one-out method showed no horizontal multiplicity or heterogeneity in the results of the study,indicating the stability of the study's results.(3)Bayesian co-localization analysis showed that six plasma proteins,including plasminogen(PPH4=1.0)and glucoside xylosyltransferase 1(PPH4=0.94),had PPH4＞0.8,suggesting that plasma proteins and the genome-wide association study of pulmonary arterial hypertension had similar causal variance in terms of genetic association.(4)By constructing a protein-protein interaction network map,plasminogen,Annexin A1,fibrinogen gamma chain and matrix metalloproteinase 7 were found to be core proteins.(5)The article used Mendelian randomization analysis to reveal a potential causal association between 4 907 plasma proteins and pulmonary arterial hypertension,suggesting that plasma proteins may be potential therapeutic targets for pulmonary arterial hypertension.The core proteins identified in the study also provide a theoretical basis for further in-depth study of the pathophysiological mechanisms of pulmonary arterial hypertension.Secondly,analyses using the large-scale international databases of Iceland and FinnGen provide new research directions and treatment ideas for pulmonary arterial hypertension in specific populations and environments,as well as ideas and methods that can be used to prevent and treat pulmonary arterial hypertension in China.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and validate novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis of sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) and precise continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) using proteomics. METHODS: A prospective multicenter cohort study was conducted. Patients with sepsis admitted to five hospitals in Taizhou City of Zhejiang Province from April 2019 to December 2021 were continuously enrolled, based on the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI). Sepsis patients were divided into SA-AKI group and non-SA-AKI group, and healthy individuals who underwent physical examinations during the same period were used as control (NC group). Peripheral blood samples from participants were collected for protein mass spectrometry analysis. Differentially expressed proteins were identified, and functional enrichment analysis was conducted on these proteins. The levels of target proteins were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the predictive value of target protein for SA-AKI were evaluated by receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve). Additionally, sepsis patients and healthy individuals were selected from one hospital to externally verify the expression level of the target protein and its predictive value for SA-AKI, as well as the accuracy of CRRT treatment. RESULTS: A total of 37 patients with sepsis (including 19 with AKI and 18 without AKI) and 31 healthy individuals were enrolled for proteomic analysis. Seven proteins were identified with significantly differential expression between the SA-AKI group and non-SA-AKI group: namely cystatin C (CST3), β ₂-microglobulin (β ₂M), insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 4 (IGFBP4), complement factor I (CFI), complement factor D (CFD), CD59, and glycoprotein prostaglandin D2 synthase (PTGDS). Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these proteins were involved in immune response, complement activation, coagulation cascade, and neutrophil degranulation. ELISA results demonstrated specific expression of each target protein in the SA-AKI group. Additionally, 65 patients with sepsis (38 with AKI and 27 without AKI) and 20 healthy individuals were selected for external validation of the 7 target proteins. ELISA results showed that there were statistically significant differences in the expression levels of CST3, β ₂M, IGFBP4, CFD, and CD59 between the SA-AKI group and non-SA-AKI group. ROC curve analysis indicated that the area under the curve (AUC) values of CST3, β ₂M, IGFBP4, CFD, and CD59 for predicting SA-AKI were 0.788, 0.723, 0.723, 0.795, and 0.836, respectively, all exceeding 0.7. Further analysis of patients who underwent CRRT or not revealed that IGFBP4 had a good predictive value, with an AUC of 0.84. CONCLUSIONS Based on proteomic analysis, CST3, β ₂M, IGFBP4, CFD, and CD59 may serve as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of SA-AKI, among which IGFBP4 might be a potential biomarker for predicting the need for CRRT in SA-AKI patients. However, further clinical validation is required.
Humans ; Sepsis/complications* ; Acute Kidney Injury/blood* ; Proteomics ; Prospective Studies ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Male ; Female ; beta 2-Microglobulin/blood* ; Middle Aged ; Cystatin C/blood* ; Aged

Objective:To identify the risk factors for acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) undergoing haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HID-HSCT) .Methods:A total of 141 AML patients who underwent HID-HSCT at the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from January 2020 to July 2021 were included. The cumulative incidence of aGVHD was analyzed using the Fine-Gray competing risk model, with relapse and death as competing events, to compare differences between groups. Potential risk factors were evaluated by univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses to determine their independent effects on aGVHD.Results:Among the 141 patients, 86 (61.0%) were male and 55 (39.0%) were female, with a median age at transplantation of 34 years. Within 100 days post-transplant, 59 patients developed grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD, whereas 86 patients experienced no or grade Ⅰ aGVHD (the grade 0-Ⅰ aGVHD group) . Survival analysis showed that the 3-year overall survival was 68.7% (95% CI: 57.7%-81.9%) in the grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD group, compared with 78.8% (95% CI: 70.4%-88.3%) in the grade 0 - Ⅰ aGVHD group, with the difference not being statistically significant ( P=0.190) . Univariable analysis identified donor age ( P=0.020, HR=1.020, 95% CI: 1.000-1.040) and the female donor-male recipient sex combination ( P=0.033, HR=1.980, 95% CI: 1.160-3.380) as risk factors for grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD. Multivariable analysis confirmed that donor age ( P=0.005, HR=1.026, 95% CI: 1.008-1.047) and the female donor-male recipient sex combination ( P=0.002, HR=2.339, 95% CI: 1.354-4.037) were independent risk factors for aGVHD. Patients receiving grafts from donors aged >45 years had a significantly higher 100-day cumulative incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD compared with those receiving grafts from donors ≤45 years [54.7% (95% CI: 42.3%-67.0%) vs 31.6% (95% CI: 21.0%-42.1%) , P=0.006]. Similarly, patients with the female donor-male recipient sex combination had a higher 100-day cumulative incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD than those with other sex combinations [56.8% (95% CI: 40.4%-73.1%) vs 36.9% (95% CI: 27.5%-46.3%) , P=0.015]. Conclusion:Older donor age and the female donor-male recipient sex combination remain independent risk factors for aGVHD in patients with AML undergoing HID-HSCT.

Small cell lung cancer(SCLC)is a neuroendocrine tumor that is highly heterogeneous and invasive.SCLC is prone to distant meta-stasis,and most patients are diagnosed in the extensive stage(ES-SCLC)after metastasis has occurred.Immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)combined with chemotherapy currently serve as standard first-line treatment for ES-SCLC.However,the accompanying immune-related ad-verse events(irAEs)may affect patients'quality of life and treatment efficacy.Studies suggest a correlation between irAE occurrence and treatment response rates as well as survival benefits,although the mechanisms underlying this correlation are not fully understood.This art-icle provides a comprehensive review of the application of ICIs in ES-SCLC,exploring the association between irAEs and clinical ICI efficacy,the potential underlying biological mechanisms of their association,predictive biomarkers of irAEs,and strategies for managing irAEs.This study offers insights for optimizing immunotherapy for treating ES-SCLC.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of systemic immune inflammatory index (SII) for severe traumatic brain injury secondary to acute lung injury (sTBI-ALI).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on patients with severe traumatic brain injury admitted to the trauma center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2021 to November 2023. Patients received standard treatments including hemostasis and intracranial pressure management. Vital signs and blood routine data were collected upon admission. Patients were categorized into sTBI group and sTBI-ALI group based on established clinical diagnostic criteria for ALI to evaluate the diagnostic utility of SII. Subsequently, within the sTBI-ALI group, patients were stratified into survival and non-survival groups based on their 30-day outcomes to assess the prognostic value of SII.Results:A total of 260 sTBI patients were enrolled, of whom 113 developed ALI. Among the sTBI-ALI patients, 73 survived at 30 days. Compared to the sTBI group, the sTBI-ALI group exhibited significantly higher respiratory rates, heart rates, white blood cell counts, neutrophil counts, platelet counts, and SII levels (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that SII index ( OR=1.003, 95% CI: 1.002-1.004, P<0.001) was an independent risk factor for ALI development in sTBI patients. The combined predictive model incorporating SII and heart rate yielded an AUC of 0.801 (95% CI: 0.740-0.862). The non-survival group had significantly higher neutrophil counts and SII levels, and significantly lower Glasgow Coma Scale scores than the survival group (all P<0.05). Multifactorial regression analysis indicated that SII index ( OR=1.002, P=0.004, 95% CI: 1.000-1.003) served as an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality in sTBI-ALI patients. The combined predictive model of SII and GCS achieved an AUC of 0.904 (95% CI: 0.848-0.960). Conclusions:SII demonstrates potential as a biomarker for predicting the development of ALI following sTBI. Furthermore, incorporating SII into predictive models significantly enhances the ability to forecast mortality risk in sTBI-ALI patients.

Background Previous studies have demonstrated that the vagus nerve stimulation improves upper limb function in patients with stroke sequelae(six month-two years).This study aimed to investigate whether the auricular intradermal acupuncture(AIA)acted on the auricular branch of the vagus nerve can facilitate the recovery of upper limb motor function and expedite the effects and characteristics of rehabilitation processes in flaccid phase after stroke in Phase Brunnstrom Ⅰ.Methods This study utilized a randomized controlled single-blinded clinical design.Patients with ischemic stroke in Phase Brunnstrom Ⅰ were randomly assigned to the auricular intradermal acupuncture(AIA)group(AIA,standard rehabilitation,conventional acupuncture)or the sham auricular intradermal acupuncture(sham AIA)group(the sham AIA,standard rehabilitation,conventional acupuncture)for 6 days of 1 week(6 times).Primary outcome measures:Brunnstrom(Ueda Assessment),Fugl-Meyer assessment of the upper extremity(FMA-UE)and its subtype score(FMA-UEFS,FMA-UEES),Wolf motor function test scale(WMFT).Secondary outcome measures:Upper limb active range of joint motion(AROM),manual muscle test(MMT)of upper limb muscles,Barthel index(BI).Results Of the 332 patients who were screened,70 patients met the criteria and were recruited.There were 35 patients in the AIA group,1 patient was fall off,34 patients were actually completed;35 patients in the sham AIA group had no falling off case.Primary outcome measures:The upper Ueda assessment of the AIA group were better than those of the sham AIA group after treatment on days 3 and 6(P<0.05,P<0.001,respectively).The FMA-UEFS score on days 6 of the AIA group were significantly better than those of the sham AIA group(P<0.05).FMA-UEES of the AIA group was more associated with FMA-UE than FMA-UEFS with FMA-UE after treatment on day 6(FMA-UEFS:r=0.728,P<0.001;FMA-UEES:r=0.744,P<0.001).After 3 days and 6 days of treatment,the AIA group of the WMFT were significantly improved in the sham AIA group(P<0.05,P<0.001,respectively).Secondary outcome measures:AROM:After 6 days of treatment,the AIA group of shoulder abduction were more improved than in the sham AIA group(P<0.05).MMT:The muscle strength of elbow flexion,and elbow extension muscle improved more in the AIA group than in the sham AIA group(P<0.05).Barthel index(BI):After 6 days of treatment,there was a significant improvement in the group compared with before treatment(P<0.05),but no difference compared with the group(P>0.05).Conclusions AIA combined with conventional rehabilitation and acupuncture,can effectively improve the upper limb motor function of patients with post-ischemic stroke flaccid hemiplegia and accelerates the rehabilitation process of upper limb motor function.Clinical Trial Registration The study protocol is registered withhttp://www.chictr.org.cn(accession number:ChiCTR2200058141).

Pruritus is the earliest and commonest symptom of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), and its pathogenesis has not been fully elucidated. This review summarizes the progress in the pathogenesis of CTCL-related pruritus, in order to provide possible intervention targets for clinical treatment.

Objective:To investigate the current situation of water-borne endemic fluorosis in Anhui Province, and provide basic data for the adjusting the prevention and control measures.Methods:Using cross-sectional survey method, all villages in the water-borne endemic fluorosis areas were investigated in Anhui Province from 2019 to 2022. In water-borne endemic fluorosis village, the situation of water improvement project and the fluoride level of drinking water were investigated, and dental fluorosis of all children aged 8 - 12 was examined. The criteria for determining the achievement of control targets for water-borne endemic fluorosis in affected counties were based on the "Evaluation Measures for Control and Elimination of Key Endemic Diseases (2019 Edition)".Results:From 2019 to 2022, the rate of water improvement village in water-borne endemic fluorosis areas were 88.47% (1 527/1 726), 100% (1 726/1 726), 100% (1 726/1 726) and 100% (1 726/1 726), respectively. The qualified proportion of water fluoride in water-borne endemic fluorosis villages was 33.84% (584/1 726), 63.09% (1 089/1 726), 70.74% (1 221/1 726) and 74.33% (1 283/1 726), respectively. The prevalence rates of dental fluorosis in children aged 8 - 12 were 25.48% (45 461/178 440), 15.78% (27 959/177 200), 13.68% (23 505/171 880) and 12.66% (23 315/184 200), respectively. The proportion of affected counties that had achieved the control target of water-borne endemic fluorosis was 16% (4/25), 60% (15/25), 36% (9/25) and 40% (10/25), respectively.Conclusions:The water-borne endemic fluorosis areas in Anhui Province have improved the water fluoride qualification rate and reduced the incidence of fluorosis in children through prevention and control measures such as water improvement and fluoride reduction. However, the prevention and control efforts in key areas and counties need to be further improved.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of fire dragon pot comprehensive therapy in patients with knee paralysis due to liver and kidney deficiency following total knee arthroplasty(TKA).Methods A total of 114 patients undergoing unilateral TKA were randomly assigned to two groups using a random number table.The control group(n=57)received standard enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS)nursing care,while the intervention group(n=57)received high-frequency general massage(HGM)therapy in addition to the standard ERAS protocol.Outcomes including visual analogue scale(VAS)scores,Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA)scores,Hospital for Special Surgery(HSS)knee scores,and serum levels of inflammatory markers[C-reactive protein(CRP),neutrophil count(NE),and lymphocyte count(LY)]were compared between the two groups.Results Compared with the control group,the intervention group exhibited significantly lower VAS scores at 3 days postoperatively and at discharge,reduced HAMA scores from the preoperative period through 3 days after surgery,improved HSS scores[specifically in pain,function,range of motion,stability,and total score]at 2 weeks postoperatively,and more pronounced improvements in inflammatory markers,including lower levels of CRP and NE and higher LY levels(all P<0.05).Conclusion The comprehensive moxibustion therapy using Huolongjar effectively alleviates postoperative pain following TKA,enhances joint function,reduces anxiety levels,and mitigates inflammatory responses.This intervention is safe,simple to administer,and holds promise for clinical application and wider dissemination.