Background Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is associated with the development of metabolic syndrome (MS). However, the role of amino acids in PAH-induced MS remains unclear. Objective To explore the impact of PAHs exposure on the incidence of MS among coking workers, and to determine potential modifying effect of amino acid on this relationship. Methods Unmatched nested case-control design was adopted and the baseline surveys of coking workers were conducted in two plants in Taiyuan in 2017 and 2019, followed by a 4-year follow-up. The cohort comprised 667 coking workers. A total of 362 participants were included in the study, with 84 newly diagnosed cases of MS identified as the case group and 278 as the control group. Urinary levels of 11 PAH metabolites and plasma levels of 17 amino acids were measured by ultrasensitive performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between individual PAH metabolites and MS. Stratified by the median concentration of amino acids, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model was employed to assess the mixed effects of PAHs on MS. Due to the skewed data distribution, all PAH metabolites and amino acids in the analysis were converted by natural logarithm ln (expressed as lnv). Results The median age of the 362 participants was 37 years, and 83.2% were male. Compared to the control group, the case group exhibited higher concentrations of urinary 2-hydroxyphenanthrene (2-OHPhe), 9-hydroxyphenanthrene (9-OHPhe), and hydroxyphenanthrene (OHPhe) (P=0.005, P=0.049, and P=0.004, respectively), as well as elevated levels of plasma branched chain amino acid (BCAA) and aromatic amino acid (AAA) (P<0.05). After being adjusted for confounding factors, for every unit increase in lnv_2-OHPhe in urine, the OR (95%CI) of MS was 1.57 (1.11, 2.26), and for every unit increase in lnv_OHPhe, the OR (95%CI) of MS was 1.82 (1.16, 2.90). Tyrosine, leucine, and AAA all presented a significant nonlinear correlation with MS. At low levels, tyrosine, leucine, and AAA did not significantly increase the risk of MS, but at high levels, they increased the risk of MS. In the low amino acid concentration group, as well as in the low BCAA and low AAA concentration groups, it was found that compared to the PAH metabolite levels at the 50th percentile (P₅₀), the log-odds of MS when the PAH metabolite levels was at the 75th percentile (P₇₅) were 0.158 (95%CI: 0.150, 0.166), 0.218 (95%CI: 0.209, 0.227), and 0.262 (95% CI: 0.241, 0.282), respectively, However, no correlation between PAHs and MS was found in the high amino acid concentration group. Conclusion Amino acids modify the effect of PAHs exposure on the incidence of MS. In individuals with low plasma amino acid levels, the risk of developing MS increases with higher concentrations of mixed PAH exposure. This effect is partly due to the low concentrations of BCAA and AAA.

ObjectiveTo investigate the accuracy of multiple discriminant analysis （MDA） versus fibrosis-4 （FIB-4） in assessing liver fibrosis degree in patients with HBV infection， as well as the possibility of MDA as an indicator for disease progression. MethodsA total of 263 patients with HBV infection who underwent liver biopsy in The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from April 2010 to April 2024 were included， and their clinical data were collected. According to the results of pathological examination， they were divided into non-significant fibrosis group （F<2） with 126 patients and significant fibrosis group （F≥2） with 137 patients. The correlation of MDA and FIB-4 with liver fibrosis degree was analyzed， and MDA and FIB-4 were compared in terms of their accuracy in assessing significant liver fibrosis. A total of 62 patients completed follow-up， and according to the presence or absence of progression to liver cirrhosis at the last follow-up visit， they were divided into progressive group with 21 patients and non-progressive group with 41 patients； the efficacy of MDA and FIB-4 in diagnosing disease progression was analyzed and compared. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups； the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between multiple groups， and the Bonferroni method was used for further comparison between two groups. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data. The Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used for correlation analysis. The Wilcoxon signed rank sum test was used for the analysis of baseline data and data at the end of follow-up， and the binary Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for progression to liver cirrhosis. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of indicators， the Z-test was used for comparison of the area under the ROC curve （AUC）， and the paired chi-square test was used for comparison of the sensitivity， specificity， and accuracy of the two indicators. ResultsThe correlation coefficient between FIB-4 and liver fibrosis degree was 0.378， while the correlation coefficient between MDA and liver fibrosis degree was -0.325 （both P<0.001）. FIB-4 had an AUC of 0.688， a sensitivity of 64.96%， a specificity of 68.87%， a positive predictive value of 67.42%， a negative predictive value of 63.36%， an accuracy of 65.40%， and a cut-off value of 1.01， while MDA had an AUC of 0.653， a sensitivity of 52.55%， a specificity of 78.57%， a positive predictive value of 72.73%， a negative predictive value of 60.37%， an accuracy of 65.02%， and a cut-off value of 0.29， suggesting that compared with FIB-4， MDA had a lower sensitivity （P=0.004） and a higher specificity （P=0.001）. The progressive group had a significantly higher age than the non-progressive group at baseline （t=2.611， P=0.011）. For the progressive group， there was an increase in FIB-4 and a reduction in MDA from baseline to the end of follow-up （both P<0.001）， while the non-progressive group showed no significant changes （both P>0.05）. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that aspartate aminotransferase （odds ratio ［OR］=0.940， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 0.885‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.998， P<0.05） and MDA （OR=0.445， 95%CI： 0.279‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.710， P<0.001） were independent influencing factors for disease progression. MDA had an AUC of 0.893 and an optimal cut-off value of -0.01 in diagnosing the disease progression of liver cirrhosis. ConclusionMDA has a comparable accuracy to FIB-4 in the diagnosis of significant liver fibrosis， and MDA<-0.01 has a high accuracy in diagnosing the progression of liver fibrosis to liver cirrhosis， which can help to reduce the need for liver biopsy in clinical practice.

[摘 要] 目的：探讨圣草次苷对食管癌KYSE30细胞增殖的影响，并基于铁死亡探讨其可能的作用机制。方法：将食管癌KYSE30细胞分为8组：对照组（常规培养）、RSL3组（用3 μmol/L铁死亡诱导剂RSL3处理）、圣草次苷组（用75 μmol/L圣草次苷处理）、圣草次苷 + Fer-1组（用5 μmol/L铁死亡抑制剂Fer-1 + 75 μmol/L圣草次苷处理）、Fer-1组（用5 μmol/L Fer-1处理）、oe-NC组（转染空白载体对照）、oe-STAT3组（转染STAT3过表达载体）、oe-STAT3 + 圣草次苷组（转染STAT3过表达载体后，用75 μmol/L圣草次苷处理）。采用CCK-8法、EdU掺入实验和克隆形成实验分别检测各组细胞的增殖能力，ELISA检测细胞内铁死亡相关指标的水平，WB法检测STAT3/GPX4通路相关蛋白的表达。构建KYSE30细胞裸鼠皮下移植瘤模型，观察圣草次苷及Fer-1对移植瘤生长的影响。结果：圣草次苷能够抑制KYSE30细胞增殖和克隆形成，增加活性氧（ROS）、丙二醛（MDA）、Fe2+水平，降低谷胱甘肽（GSH）水平（均P < 0.05），并抑制裸鼠移植瘤的生长，这些作用能够被Fer-1所逆转（P < 0.05）。STAT3过表达可消除圣草次苷对铁死亡的诱导效应及其对STAT3/GPX4通路的抑制作用（P < 0.05）。结论：圣草次苷能够通过抑制STAT3/GPX4信号通路来诱导食管癌KYSE30细胞铁死亡，从而在食管癌中发挥显著的抗肿瘤效应。

Tumors are the second leading cause of death worldwide. Exosomes are a type of extracellular vesicle secreted from multivesicular bodies, with particle sizes ranging from 40 to 160 nm. They regulate the tumor microenvironment, proliferation, and progression by transporting proteins, nucleic acids, and other biomolecules. Compared with other drug delivery systems, exosomes derived from different cells possess unique cellular tropism, enabling them to selectively target specific tissues and organs. This homing ability allows them to cross biological barriers that are otherwise difficult for conventional drug delivery systems to penetrate. Due to their biocompatibility and unique biological properties, exosomes can serve as drug delivery systems capable of loading various anti-tumor drugs. They can traverse biological barriers, evade immune responses, and specifically target tumor tissues, making them ideal carriers for anti-tumor therapeutics. This article systematically summarizes the methods for exosome isolation, including ultracentrifugation, ultrafiltration, size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), immunoaffinity capture, and microfluidics. However, these methods have certain limitations. A combination of multiple isolation techniques can improve isolation efficiency. For instance, combining ultrafiltration with SEC can achieve both high purity and high yield while reducing processing time. Exosome drug loading methods can be classified into post-loading and pre-loading approaches. Pre-loading is further categorized into active and passive loading. Active loading methods, including electroporation, sonication, extrusion, and freeze-thaw cycles, involve physical or chemical disruption of the exosome membrane to facilitate drug encapsulation. Passive loading relies on drug concentration gradients or hydrophobic interactions between drugs and exosomes for encapsulation. Pre-loading strategies also include genetic engineering and co-incubation methods. Additionally, we review approaches to enhance the targeting, retention, and permeability of exosomes. Genetic engineering and chemical modifications can improve their tumor-targeting capabilities. Magnetic fields can also be employed to promote the accumulation of exosomes at tumor sites. Retention time can be prolonged by inhibiting monocyte-mediated clearance or by combining exosomes with hydrogels. Engineered exosomes can also reshape the tumor microenvironment to enhance permeability. This review further discusses the current applications of exosomes in delivering various anti-tumor drugs. Specifically, exosomes can encapsulate chemotherapeutic agents such as paclitaxel to reduce side effects and increase drug concentration within tumor tissues. For instance, exosomes loaded with doxorubicin can mitigate cardiotoxicity and minimize adverse effects on healthy tissues. Furthermore, exosomes can encapsulate proteins to enhance protein stability and bioavailability or carry immunogenic cell death inducers for tumor vaccines. In addition to these applications, exosomes can deliver nucleic acids such as siRNA and miRNA to regulate gene expression, inhibit tumor proliferation, and suppress invasion. Beyond their therapeutic applications, exosomes also serve as tumor biomarkers for early cancer diagnosis. The detection of exosomal miRNA can improve the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosing prostate and pancreatic cancers. Despite their promising potential as drug delivery systems, challenges remain in the standardization and large-scale production of exosomes. This article explores the future development of engineered exosomes for targeted tumor therapy. Plant-derived exosomes hold potential due to their superior biocompatibility, lower toxicity, and abundant availability. Furthermore, the integration of exosomes with artificial intelligence may offer novel applications in diagnostics, therapeutics, and personalized medicine.

Background and Objectives: The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea. Methods: A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D. Results: From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Conclusions Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.

BACKGROUND:Magnetic resonance imaging is the gold standard for the diagnosis of osteonecrosis of femoral head,and previous methods of predicting osteonecrosis of femoral head collapse based on magnetic resonance images mostly require the combined assessment of coronal and sagittal images.However,osteonecrosis of femoral head tends to occur bilaterally,most hospitals perform bilateral hip magnetic resonance imaging scans during clinical examinations,but the bilateral hip scans can only view coronal and cross-sectional images,and it is difficult to obtain sagittal images,which affects the assessment of the risk of collapse.Therefore,it is of clinical value to establish a method to assess the risk of early osteonecrosis of femoral head collapse by applying the images that can be obtained after bilateral hip magnetic resonance scanning. OBJECTIVE:To establish a method of applying coronal and cross-sectional images of bilateral hip magnetic resonance imaging to assess the risk of osteonecrosis of femoral head collapse. METHODS:The medical records of 111 patients(181 hips)with early-stage osteonecrosis of femoral head diagnosed at the outpatient clinic of Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University from October 2017 to October 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.They were categorized into collapsed and non-collapsed groups according to the femoral head collapse at the final follow-up,with 69 hips in the collapsed group and 112 hips in the non-collapsed group.The angle of necrotic range on the images of median coronal plane,transverse plane or one level above and below it was measured on the magnetic resonance imaging system.The sum of the two angles of necrotic angle on the coronal and transverse planes was used as the combined necrotic angle.The average of the three combined necrotic angles of each hip was taken to get the average combined necrotic angle of each hip.Finally,the correlation between the three combined necrotic angles and the average combined necrotic angle with the collapse of osteonecrosis of femoral head was analyzed,and the specificity and sensitivity of the four combined necrotic angles in predicting collapse were evaluated by using receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Totally 69 hips(38.1%)had femoral head collapse at the last follow-up and were included in the collapsed group;112 hips(61.9%)did not have progression of collapse and were included in the non-collapsed group.(2)The difference between the collapsed group and the non-collapsed group in terms of Association Research Circulation Osseous(ARCO)stage was significant(P<0.001).The difference in age,body mass index,follow-up time,gender distribution,side of onset,and causative factors was not significant(P>0.05).(3)The results of independent samples t-test suggested that all four combined necrotic angles were significantly correlated with collapse(P<0.000 1);and the differences in combined necrotic angles between the collapsed group and the non-collapsed group of ARCO stage I and the two groups of ARCO stage II were all significant(P<0.000 1).(4)In the analysis of the receiver operating characteristic,the area under the curve of the average combined necrotic angle was greater than that of the combined necrotic angle on the lower level of the median,the middle level,and the upper level of the median.(5)The average combined necrotic angle had a higher accuracy in the prediction of collapse than the lower level of the median,the middle level,and the upper level of the combined necrotic angle.(6)It is concluded that the accuracy of the average combined necrotic angle in predicting the risk of osteonecrosis of femoral head collapse is higher,and the clinical practicability is stronger,so we can consider using this method to predict the risk of osteonecrosis of femoral head collapse.

Background: The association of changes in metabolic syndrome (MetS) with cognitive function remains unclear. We explored this association using prospective and Mendelian randomization (MR) studies. Methods: MetS components including high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), systolic blood pressure (SBP), waist circumference (WC), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and triglycerides were measured at baseline and two follow-ups, constructing a MetS index. Immediate, delayed memory recall, and cognitive function along with its dimensions were assessed by immediate 10- word recall test (IWRT) and delayed 10-word recall test (DWRT), and mini-mental state examination (MMSE), respectively, at baseline and follow-ups. Linear mixed-effect model was used. Additionally, the genome-wide association study (GWAS) of MetS was conducted and one-sample MR was performed to assess the causality between MetS and cognitive function. Results: Elevated MetS index was associated with decreasing annual change rates (decrease) in DWRT and MMSE scores, and with decreases in attention, calculation and recall dimensions. HDL-C was positively associated with an increase in DWRT scores, while SBP and FPG were negatively associated. HDL-C showed a positive association, whereas WC was negatively associated with increases in MMSE scores, including attention, calculation and recall dimensions. Interaction analysis indicated that the association of MetS index on cognitive decline was predominantly observed in low family income group. The GWAS of MetS identified some genetic variants. MR results showed a non-significant causality between MetS and decrease in DWRT, IWRT, nor MMSE scores. Conclusion Our study indicated a significant association of MetS and its components with declines in memory and cognitive function, especially in delayed memory recall.

Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver injury resulting from factors like viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, fatty liver disease, and cholestatic liver disease. Liver transplantation is currently the gold standard for treating severe liver diseases. However, it is limited by a shortage of donor organs and the necessity for lifelong immunosuppressive therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into various liver cells and enhance liver function when transplanted into patients due to their differentiation and proliferation capabilities. Therefore, it can be used as an alternative therapy for treating liver diseases, especially for liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver transplant complications. However, due to the potential tumorigenic effects of MSCs, researchers are exploring a new approach to treating liver fibrosis using extracellular vesicles (exosomes) secreted by stem cells. Many studies show that exosomes released by stem cells can promote liver injury repair through various pathways, contributing to the treatment of liver fibrosis. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms by which stem cell exosomes affect liver fibrosis through different pathways and their potential therapeutic targets. Additionally, we discuss the advantages of exosome therapy over stem cell therapy and the possible future directions of exosome research, including the prospects for clinical applications and the challenges to be overcome.

Background: The association of changes in metabolic syndrome (MetS) with cognitive function remains unclear. We explored this association using prospective and Mendelian randomization (MR) studies. Methods: MetS components including high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), systolic blood pressure (SBP), waist circumference (WC), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and triglycerides were measured at baseline and two follow-ups, constructing a MetS index. Immediate, delayed memory recall, and cognitive function along with its dimensions were assessed by immediate 10- word recall test (IWRT) and delayed 10-word recall test (DWRT), and mini-mental state examination (MMSE), respectively, at baseline and follow-ups. Linear mixed-effect model was used. Additionally, the genome-wide association study (GWAS) of MetS was conducted and one-sample MR was performed to assess the causality between MetS and cognitive function. Results: Elevated MetS index was associated with decreasing annual change rates (decrease) in DWRT and MMSE scores, and with decreases in attention, calculation and recall dimensions. HDL-C was positively associated with an increase in DWRT scores, while SBP and FPG were negatively associated. HDL-C showed a positive association, whereas WC was negatively associated with increases in MMSE scores, including attention, calculation and recall dimensions. Interaction analysis indicated that the association of MetS index on cognitive decline was predominantly observed in low family income group. The GWAS of MetS identified some genetic variants. MR results showed a non-significant causality between MetS and decrease in DWRT, IWRT, nor MMSE scores. Conclusion Our study indicated a significant association of MetS and its components with declines in memory and cognitive function, especially in delayed memory recall.

Background: The association of changes in metabolic syndrome (MetS) with cognitive function remains unclear. We explored this association using prospective and Mendelian randomization (MR) studies. Methods: MetS components including high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), systolic blood pressure (SBP), waist circumference (WC), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and triglycerides were measured at baseline and two follow-ups, constructing a MetS index. Immediate, delayed memory recall, and cognitive function along with its dimensions were assessed by immediate 10- word recall test (IWRT) and delayed 10-word recall test (DWRT), and mini-mental state examination (MMSE), respectively, at baseline and follow-ups. Linear mixed-effect model was used. Additionally, the genome-wide association study (GWAS) of MetS was conducted and one-sample MR was performed to assess the causality between MetS and cognitive function. Results: Elevated MetS index was associated with decreasing annual change rates (decrease) in DWRT and MMSE scores, and with decreases in attention, calculation and recall dimensions. HDL-C was positively associated with an increase in DWRT scores, while SBP and FPG were negatively associated. HDL-C showed a positive association, whereas WC was negatively associated with increases in MMSE scores, including attention, calculation and recall dimensions. Interaction analysis indicated that the association of MetS index on cognitive decline was predominantly observed in low family income group. The GWAS of MetS identified some genetic variants. MR results showed a non-significant causality between MetS and decrease in DWRT, IWRT, nor MMSE scores. Conclusion Our study indicated a significant association of MetS and its components with declines in memory and cognitive function, especially in delayed memory recall.