The insula is a complex brain region central to the orchestration of taste perception, interoception, emotion, and decision-making. Recent research has shed light on the intricate connections between the insula and other brain regions, revealing the crucial role of this area in integrating sensory, emotional, and cognitive information. The unique anatomical position and extensive connectivity allow the insula to serve as a critical hub in the functional network of the brain. We summarize its role in interoceptive and exteroceptive sensory processing, illustrating insular function as a bridge connecting internal and external experiences. Drawing on recent research, we delineate the insular involvement in emotional processes, highlighting its implications in psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and addiction. We further discuss the insular contributions to cognition, focusing on its significant roles in time perception and decision-making. Collectively, the evidence underscores the insular function as a dynamic interface that synthesizes diverse inputs into coherent subjective experiences and decision-making processes. Through this review, we hope to highlight the importance of the insula as an interface between sensation, emotion, and cognition, and to inspire further research into this fascinating brain region.
Humans ; Emotions/physiology* ; Cognition/physiology* ; Insular Cortex/physiology* ; Sensation/physiology* ; Animals ; Interoception/physiology* ; Cerebral Cortex/physiology* ; Decision Making/physiology*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of serum IgA/C3 ratio in the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy and explore its relationship with the clinicopathological features of the patients.

METHODSSixty-six patients with IgA nephropathy, 111 with other glomerular diseases, and 40 healthy control subjects without kidney disease were tested for serum IgA and C3 levels using CRM470 adjusted standardized immune turbidimetric method, and the IgA/C3 ratio was calculated. According to Oxford and Lee's classification criteria, we analyzed the pathological grades of the renal biopsy samples from patients with IgA nephropathy. The ROC curve was used to assess the value of serum IgA and IgA/C3 ratio in predicting IgA nephropathy.

RESULTSPatients with IgA nephropathy had an elevated serum IgA/C3 ratio than those with other glomerular diseases and the control subjects, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.776. An elevated serum IgA/C3 ratio was not found to significantly correlate with the pathological grade of renal biopsy samples in patients with IgA nephropathy.

CONCLUSIONIn the absence of renal biopsy findings, serum IgA/C3 ratio can help in the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy.

Biopsy ; Case-Control Studies ; Complement C3 ; analysis ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; blood ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; blood ; Kidney ; pathology

Objective To investigate the value of serum IgA/C3 ratio in the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy and explore its relationship with the clinicopathological features of the patients. Methods Sixty-six patients with IgA nephropathy, 111 with other glomerular diseases, and 40 healthy control subjects without kidney disease were tested for serum IgA and C3 levels using CRM470 adjusted standardized immune turbidimetric method, and the IgA/C3 ratio was calculated. According to Oxford and Lee's classification criteria, we analyzed the pathological grades of the renal biopsy samples from patients with IgA nephropathy. The ROC curve was used to assess the value of serum IgA and IgA/C3 ratio in predicting IgA nephropathy. Results Patients with IgA nephropathy had an elevated serum IgA/C3 ratio than those with other glomerular diseases and the control subjects, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.776. An elevated serum IgA/C3 ratio was not found to significantly correlate with the pathological grade of renal biopsy samples in patients with IgA nephropathy. Conclusion In the absence of renal biopsy findings, serum IgA/C3 ratio can help in the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy.

Objective To investigate the value of serum IgA/C3 ratio in the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy and explore its relationship with the clinicopathological features of the patients. Methods Sixty-six patients with IgA nephropathy, 111 with other glomerular diseases, and 40 healthy control subjects without kidney disease were tested for serum IgA and C3 levels using CRM470 adjusted standardized immune turbidimetric method, and the IgA/C3 ratio was calculated. According to Oxford and Lee's classification criteria, we analyzed the pathological grades of the renal biopsy samples from patients with IgA nephropathy. The ROC curve was used to assess the value of serum IgA and IgA/C3 ratio in predicting IgA nephropathy. Results Patients with IgA nephropathy had an elevated serum IgA/C3 ratio than those with other glomerular diseases and the control subjects, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.776. An elevated serum IgA/C3 ratio was not found to significantly correlate with the pathological grade of renal biopsy samples in patients with IgA nephropathy. Conclusion In the absence of renal biopsy findings, serum IgA/C3 ratio can help in the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of 0.1% tacrolimus ointment and 0.1% mometasone furoate cream in the treatment of chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD). Methods Forty male patients with CAD were recruited and divided into two groups randomly.Twenty cases were treated with 0.1%tacrolimus ointment (Group A), and the other 20 cases were treated with 0.1% mometasone furoate cream (Group B) . The medications mentioned were applied topically to the lesions on the face twice a day and mizolastine tablet 10 mg per day given orally for 4 weeks. The therapeutic efficacy and side effects of medications were observed. The enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to measure the serum levels of IFN-γ, IL-2 and IL12 in CAD patients before and after treatment with topical tacrolimus ointment and mometasone furoate cream. Results (1) Both groups had overall response rates of 100%, with no statistically significant difference ( > 0.05) . (2) Serum levels of IFN-γ,IL-2 and IL-12 were down-regulated after treatment in both treatment groups respectively ( < 0.01) . No statistically significant difference was found between the two treatment groups ( > 0.05) . Conclusion 0.1%tacrolimus ointment is effective in the treatment of CAD. Its therapeutic efficacy is equivalent to that of 0.1%mometasone furoate cream. It can be used as a possible steroid sparing equivalent.

Objective To investigate the effect of different programs of preconditioning with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R) in rabbits. Methods Forty-five New Zealand rabbits aged 4-5 months weighing 2.0-2.5 kg were randomly divided into 5 groups: group S, sham operation ( n = 5);group IR, spinal cord I/R injury (n = 10);group H_(1～3) , the animals were pretreated with 100% O_2 at 2.5 ATA 1 h/d for 5 (group H_1 ), 10 (group H_2 ) , or 20 (group H_3 ) consecutive days respectively 24 h before spinal cord I/R. The animals were anesthetized with iv pentobarbital sodium 30 mg/kg. The artery in the ear and left femoral artery were cannulated for proximal and distal mean blood pressure monitoring. Spinal cord ischemia was produced by cross-clamping of abdominal aorta distal to renal artery for 20 min. Hind-limb motor function was assessed at 48 h after reperfusion according to the modified criteria established by Tarlov (0 = no spontaneous movement, 4= normal motor function) . The animals were then killed and the L_5 segment of the spinal cord was removed for detection of neuronal survival (by HE staining), apoptosis (by TUNEL) and degeneration (by Fluoro-Jade B staining). Results Preconditioning with 5 or 10 d of HBO improved the hind-limb motor function and preserved more normal neurons in the spinal cord after I/R injury. Both apoptotic and degenerative cell death were attenuated in H_1 and H_2 groups. There was no significant difference in hind-limb motor dysfunction and the number of normal neurons in the lumbar spinal cord between H_3 group and I/R group. Conclusion Preconditioning with 5 d or 10 d HBO induces tolerance against spinal cord I/R injury, whereas preconditioning with 20 d of HBO fails to protect the spinal cord from I/R injury.