Objective To investigate the clinical features of chronic hepatitis C(CHC)patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 3(HCV GT3)infection and the risk factors for disease progression.Methods A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted among 1 002 CHC patients from 11 clinical centers in Northwest China from December 2017 to November 2023,and according to their genotype,they were divided into GT1,GT2,GT3,and GT6 groups.Clinical features were compared between the patients with different genotypes.The one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups,and the Scheffe test was used for further comparison between two groups.The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of data with skewed distribution between groups;the chi-square test or Fisher test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors for the progression of CHC to liver cirrhosis.Results In terms of the genotype,there were 427 patients with GT1 infection,242 with GT2 infection,299 with GT3 infection(210 patients with GT3a infection,87 with GT3b infection,and 2 with unclassified genotype),and 34 with GT6 infection.The patients with GT3 infection had a significantly younger age than those with GT1 infection(51.3±0.5 years vs 53.2±0.6 years,P<0.05)or GT2 infection(51.3±0.5 years vs 53.7±0.8 years,P<0.05),and for the patients with liver cirrhosis,the patients with GT3 infection had a significantly younger age than those with GT1 infection(52.1±0.5 years vs 59.4±0.9 years,P<0.001)or GT2 infection(52.1±0.5 years vs 58.1±1.1 years,P<0.001).Among the patients with GT3 infection,male patients accounted for 77.9%and the patients with liver cirrhosis accounted for 46.2%,which were significantly higher than those among the patients with GT1,GT2 or GT6 infection(all P<0.001).At baseline,the patients with GT3 infection had significantly higher levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)than those with GT1 or GT2 infection,significantly higher aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index(APRI)and fibrosis-4(FIB4)than those with GT1,GT2 or GT6 infection,a significantly lower platelet count(PLT)than those with GT2 or GT6 infection,a significantly higher level of alpha-fetoprotein than those with GT2 or GT6 infection,and a significantly lower level of albumin(Alb)than those with GT6 infection(all P<0.05).There were no significant differences between the patients with GT3a infection and those with GT3b infection in age,sex,the proportion of patients with liver cirrhosis,comorbidities,HCV RNA quantification,PLT,ALT,AST,alkaline phosphatase,Alb,APRI,and FIB-4(all P>0.05).The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that PLT≤150×109/L(odds ratio[OR]=10.72,95%confidence interval[CI]:5.76-35.86,P<0.001)and Alb≤35 g/L(OR=3.74,95%CI:1.22-11.45,P=0.021)were risk factors for liver cirrhosis.Conclusion Most CHC patients with GT3 infection are male in Northwest China,and compared with the patients with other genotypes,such patients tend to have a younger age of onset and higher degrees of liver inflammation activity and fibrosis.Low PLT and a low level of Alb are risk factors for progression to liver cirrhosis in CHC patients with GT3 infection.

Objective To investigate the expression levels of serum miR-186-5p and miR-942-5p in patients with glioma and their clinical significance.Methods A total of 98 patients with glioma who were treated in this hospital from October 2019 to December 2021 were selected as the monitored group,and 101 healthy indi-viduals who underwent physical examinations a the same time were selected as the control group.Quantitative fluorescent PCR(qPCR)method was applied to detect the expression levels of miR-186-5p and miR-942-5p in serum,and multivariate COX regression was applied to analyze the prognostic factors of glioma patients.Re-ceiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and area under curve(AUC)were used to analyze the diagnostic value of serum miR-186-5p and miR-942-5p in glioma.Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to analyze the re-lationship between serum miR-186-5p and miR-942-5p expression and prognosis of patients.Results The ex-pression level of serum miR-186-5p in monitored group was lower than that in the control group(P＜0.05),and the expression level of miR-942-5p was higher than that in the control group(P＜0.05).The AUC of ser-um miR-186-5p and miR-942-5p in the diagnosis of glioma alone and in combination were 0.735,0.809 and 0.895,respectively.There were significant differences in the proportion of low miR-186-5p expression and high miR-942-5p expression in serum of patients with different preoperative Karnofsky performance status(KPS)scores,World Health Organization(WHO)grades and local infiltration(P＜0.05).The 2-year surviv-al rate of patients with high expression of miR-186-5p was higher than that of patients with low expression of miR-186-5p(x2=6.455,P=0.011).The 2-year survival rate of patients with high miR-942-5p expression was lower than that of patients with low miR-942-5p expression(x2=9.858,P=0.002).miR-186-5p was a protective factor for mortality in glioma patients(P＜0.05),while miR-942-5p was a risk factor(P＜0.05).Conclusion Serum miR-186-5p expression level decreases and miR-942-5p expression level increases in glioma patients,both of which have certain diagnostic value for the occurrence of glioma.

Objective To investigate the correlation between different TCM syndrome types and RNF180/Septin9 gene methylation in patients with chronic gastritis.Methods Hospitalized cases diagnosed with chronic gastritis from March 2022 to July 2024 were retrieved through the information system of Wangjing Hospital,China Academy of Medical Sciences.Information such as general conditions,pathological findings and RNF180/Septin9 gene methylation detection results were collected.A total of 441 patients with chronic gastritis were finally collected according to the attrition criteria,and were divided into 5 types:liver-stomach disharmony syndrome,spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome,spleen-stomach weakness syndrome,stomach-collateral stasis syndrome and stomach-yin deficiency syndrome.SPSS 25.0 was used to analyze the correlation between TCM syndrome types of chronic gastritis and methylation of RNF180/Septin9 gene.Results The majority of 441 patients with chronic gastritis were spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome.The results of statistical analysis showed that there were differences in gender,smoking and drinking history and age distribution among different TCM syndrome types(P<0.05).The positive rate of RNF180/Septin9 gene methylation in stomach-collateral stasis syndrome was significantly higher than that in other syndrome types(P<0.01).Correlation analysis further showed that spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome and stomach-collateral stasis syndrome were positively correlated with RNF180/Septin9 gene methylation(P<0.05),and the correlation of stomach-collateral stasis syndrome was particularly significant(P<0.01).Conclusion Spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome and stomach-collateral stasis syndrome are positively correlated with RNF180/Septin9 gene methylation in patients with chronic gastritis.Pathological products such as blood stasis and damp-pathogenic bacteria can increase the risk of"inflammatory-cancer"transformation,and its prognosis is worse than other syndrome types.Timely intervention and regular examination should be conducted to achieve early diagnosis and treatment.

BACKGROUND:Observations from several clinical studies suggest a close relationship between hypertension and osteoporosis,but the causal relationship between hypertension and osteoporosis is unclear. OBJECTIVE:To determine whether there is a causal relationship between hypertension and osteoporosis,multisite bone mineral density and osteoporosis with fractures in Asian and European populations,respectively,using a comprehensive two-sample Mendelian randomized analysis. METHODS:Data of osteoporosis in Asian populations were obtained through Japan biological bank. Data of osteoporosis in European populations were obtained from UK Biobank,a British biological bank. Data of hypertension,multisite bone mineral density and osteoporosis with fractures were all from FinnGen R10 database. Inverse variance weighted method,MR-Egger regression method,weighted median method,weighted model method and simple model method were used to study the causal relationship between hypertension and osteoporosis,multisite bone mineral density and osteoporosis with fracture in Asian and European populations. Comprehensive sensitivity analysis was used to verify the robustness,heterogeneity and level pleiotropy of the results. Stsiger test was used to determine whether there was a reverse causal relationship between osteoporosis and hypertension. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In Asian populations,there was no significant genetic predictive causal relationship between hypertension and osteoporosis,and there was a positive causal relationship between hypertension and calcaneal bone mineral density. In European populations,hypertension had a negative causal relationship with osteoporosis,and there was no significant causal relationship between hypertension and systemic bone mineral density,calcaneal bone mineral density,forearm bone mineral density and osteoporosis with fracture. According to the stsiger test,there was no reverse causal relationship between osteoporosis,multiplesite bone mineral density,osteoporosis with fracture and hypertension in Asian and European populations. These results indicate that there is a causal relationship between hypertension and osteoporosis,that is,in Asian populations,hypertension and calcaneal bone mineral density show a positive causal relationship;in European populations,hypertension and osteoporosis show a negative causal relationship,but no reverse causal relationship.

BACKGROUND:The relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and coronary atherosclerosis has received extensive attention.Inflammation is related to rheumatoid arthritis and coronary atherosclerosis,indicating that there may be a common pathophysiological pathway between the two diseases.However,observational studies have not yet clarified the causal relationship.OBJECTIVE:To explore whether there is a causal relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and coronary atherosclerosis,as well as the potential causal relationship with 1 400 serum metabolites and 91 inflammatory factors through a Mendelian randomization analysis.METHODS:Coronary atherosclerosis data are from Finngen database,rheumatoid arthritis data are from IEU OpenGWAS database,serum metabolites data are from Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging,Augsburg Cooperative Health Research and British Twin Project Research,and data of 91 inflammatory proteins are from research published in Nature Immunology in 2023.Mendelian randomization analysis was performed using data from genome-wide association studies,and causal effects were evaluated using inverse variance weighting,MR-Egger regression,weighted median,weighted model,and simple model methods,with inverse variance weighting being the primary analysis method.To enhance robustness,Cochran's Q-test MR-Egger intercept was used for sensitivity analysis.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Inverse variance weighting results showed that rheumatoid arthritis was positively correlated with the increased relative risk of coronary atherosclerosis(odds ratio=1.002,95％confidence interval=1.001-1.003,P=0.003).There was no reverse causal relationship between coronary atherosclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.In addition,96 serum metabolites and 9 inflammatory factors were found to have causal relationships with coronary atherosclerosis.There was a causal relationship between 51 serum metabolites and 7 inflammatory factors and rheumatoid arthritis.(2)This study provided epidemiological evidence between rheumatoid arthritis and coronary atherosclerosis,and emphasized the potential role of serum metabolites and inflammatory factors in the pathogenesis of these diseases.These findings may contribute to the development of new treatment strategies.Due to the limited inclusion of data from Asian populations,most contemporary studies used international databases and European population analyses.By collecting and analyzing the health data of European populations,it is conducive to a better understanding of the effects and potential role of Chinese medicine in Europe,and to further promote the practice of modern integration of Western and Chinese medicine.Meanwhile,through the comparative study with the European databases,it is possible to reveal the genetic differences and susceptibility to diseases among different populations,providing more dimensions and perspectives for global health research.

Objective To investigate the correlation between different TCM syndrome types and RNF180/Septin9 gene methylation in patients with chronic gastritis.Methods Hospitalized cases diagnosed with chronic gastritis from March 2022 to July 2024 were retrieved through the information system of Wangjing Hospital,China Academy of Medical Sciences.Information such as general conditions,pathological findings and RNF180/Septin9 gene methylation detection results were collected.A total of 441 patients with chronic gastritis were finally collected according to the attrition criteria,and were divided into 5 types:liver-stomach disharmony syndrome,spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome,spleen-stomach weakness syndrome,stomach-collateral stasis syndrome and stomach-yin deficiency syndrome.SPSS 25.0 was used to analyze the correlation between TCM syndrome types of chronic gastritis and methylation of RNF180/Septin9 gene.Results The majority of 441 patients with chronic gastritis were spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome.The results of statistical analysis showed that there were differences in gender,smoking and drinking history and age distribution among different TCM syndrome types(P<0.05).The positive rate of RNF180/Septin9 gene methylation in stomach-collateral stasis syndrome was significantly higher than that in other syndrome types(P<0.01).Correlation analysis further showed that spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome and stomach-collateral stasis syndrome were positively correlated with RNF180/Septin9 gene methylation(P<0.05),and the correlation of stomach-collateral stasis syndrome was particularly significant(P<0.01).Conclusion Spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome and stomach-collateral stasis syndrome are positively correlated with RNF180/Septin9 gene methylation in patients with chronic gastritis.Pathological products such as blood stasis and damp-pathogenic bacteria can increase the risk of"inflammatory-cancer"transformation,and its prognosis is worse than other syndrome types.Timely intervention and regular examination should be conducted to achieve early diagnosis and treatment.

Objective To investigate the clinical features of chronic hepatitis C(CHC)patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 3(HCV GT3)infection and the risk factors for disease progression.Methods A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted among 1 002 CHC patients from 11 clinical centers in Northwest China from December 2017 to November 2023,and according to their genotype,they were divided into GT1,GT2,GT3,and GT6 groups.Clinical features were compared between the patients with different genotypes.The one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups,and the Scheffe test was used for further comparison between two groups.The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of data with skewed distribution between groups;the chi-square test or Fisher test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors for the progression of CHC to liver cirrhosis.Results In terms of the genotype,there were 427 patients with GT1 infection,242 with GT2 infection,299 with GT3 infection(210 patients with GT3a infection,87 with GT3b infection,and 2 with unclassified genotype),and 34 with GT6 infection.The patients with GT3 infection had a significantly younger age than those with GT1 infection(51.3±0.5 years vs 53.2±0.6 years,P<0.05)or GT2 infection(51.3±0.5 years vs 53.7±0.8 years,P<0.05),and for the patients with liver cirrhosis,the patients with GT3 infection had a significantly younger age than those with GT1 infection(52.1±0.5 years vs 59.4±0.9 years,P<0.001)or GT2 infection(52.1±0.5 years vs 58.1±1.1 years,P<0.001).Among the patients with GT3 infection,male patients accounted for 77.9%and the patients with liver cirrhosis accounted for 46.2%,which were significantly higher than those among the patients with GT1,GT2 or GT6 infection(all P<0.001).At baseline,the patients with GT3 infection had significantly higher levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)than those with GT1 or GT2 infection,significantly higher aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index(APRI)and fibrosis-4(FIB4)than those with GT1,GT2 or GT6 infection,a significantly lower platelet count(PLT)than those with GT2 or GT6 infection,a significantly higher level of alpha-fetoprotein than those with GT2 or GT6 infection,and a significantly lower level of albumin(Alb)than those with GT6 infection(all P<0.05).There were no significant differences between the patients with GT3a infection and those with GT3b infection in age,sex,the proportion of patients with liver cirrhosis,comorbidities,HCV RNA quantification,PLT,ALT,AST,alkaline phosphatase,Alb,APRI,and FIB-4(all P>0.05).The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that PLT≤150×109/L(odds ratio[OR]=10.72,95%confidence interval[CI]:5.76-35.86,P<0.001)and Alb≤35 g/L(OR=3.74,95%CI:1.22-11.45,P=0.021)were risk factors for liver cirrhosis.Conclusion Most CHC patients with GT3 infection are male in Northwest China,and compared with the patients with other genotypes,such patients tend to have a younger age of onset and higher degrees of liver inflammation activity and fibrosis.Low PLT and a low level of Alb are risk factors for progression to liver cirrhosis in CHC patients with GT3 infection.

Objective To utilize a comprehensive two-sample Mendelian randomized analysis for determining the causal relation-ship between immune cells and heart failure.Methods Immune cell data were collected from the genome-wide association analysis da-tabase,while the data of heart failure were obtained from the FinnGen database.The inverse variance weighted method,MR-Egger re-gression method,weighted median method,and weighted model method were employed to analyze the causal relationship between immune cells and heart failure.Comprehensive sensitivity analysis was utilized to verify the robustness,heterogeneity,and level pleiotropy of the results.The Stsiger test was applied to determine whether there was a reverse causal relationship between heart failure and immune cells.Results A total of 2557single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNP)were obtained from 731 immune cells.A total of 25 immunophenotypes were identified as having a causal function before the adjustment.After Bonferroni adjustment,only three results retained statistical signifi-cance.The inverse variance weighted analysis showed that there was a significant causal relationship between the absolute lymphocyte count and the increased risk of heart failure(HF)(OR=1.199,95％CI:1.104-1.302,P=1.70 × 10-5).The absolute count of T cells(OR=1.186,95％CI:1.095-1.284,P=2.84×10-5),and the absolute count of plasma-like dendritic cells(OR=1.137,95％CI:1.056-1.224,P=0.0007)were positively correlated with HF.The Stsiger test did not detect a causal relationship between heart failure and immune cells.Conclusion There exists a causal relationship between immune cells and the risk of heart failure.

Objective To utilize a comprehensive two-sample Mendelian randomized analysis for determining the causal relation-ship between immune cells and heart failure.Methods Immune cell data were collected from the genome-wide association analysis da-tabase,while the data of heart failure were obtained from the FinnGen database.The inverse variance weighted method,MR-Egger re-gression method,weighted median method,and weighted model method were employed to analyze the causal relationship between immune cells and heart failure.Comprehensive sensitivity analysis was utilized to verify the robustness,heterogeneity,and level pleiotropy of the results.The Stsiger test was applied to determine whether there was a reverse causal relationship between heart failure and immune cells.Results A total of 2557single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNP)were obtained from 731 immune cells.A total of 25 immunophenotypes were identified as having a causal function before the adjustment.After Bonferroni adjustment,only three results retained statistical signifi-cance.The inverse variance weighted analysis showed that there was a significant causal relationship between the absolute lymphocyte count and the increased risk of heart failure(HF)(OR=1.199,95％CI:1.104-1.302,P=1.70 × 10-5).The absolute count of T cells(OR=1.186,95％CI:1.095-1.284,P=2.84×10-5),and the absolute count of plasma-like dendritic cells(OR=1.137,95％CI:1.056-1.224,P=0.0007)were positively correlated with HF.The Stsiger test did not detect a causal relationship between heart failure and immune cells.Conclusion There exists a causal relationship between immune cells and the risk of heart failure.

BACKGROUND:Observations from several clinical studies suggest a close relationship between hypertension and osteoporosis,but the causal relationship between hypertension and osteoporosis is unclear. OBJECTIVE:To determine whether there is a causal relationship between hypertension and osteoporosis,multisite bone mineral density and osteoporosis with fractures in Asian and European populations,respectively,using a comprehensive two-sample Mendelian randomized analysis. METHODS:Data of osteoporosis in Asian populations were obtained through Japan biological bank. Data of osteoporosis in European populations were obtained from UK Biobank,a British biological bank. Data of hypertension,multisite bone mineral density and osteoporosis with fractures were all from FinnGen R10 database. Inverse variance weighted method,MR-Egger regression method,weighted median method,weighted model method and simple model method were used to study the causal relationship between hypertension and osteoporosis,multisite bone mineral density and osteoporosis with fracture in Asian and European populations. Comprehensive sensitivity analysis was used to verify the robustness,heterogeneity and level pleiotropy of the results. Stsiger test was used to determine whether there was a reverse causal relationship between osteoporosis and hypertension. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In Asian populations,there was no significant genetic predictive causal relationship between hypertension and osteoporosis,and there was a positive causal relationship between hypertension and calcaneal bone mineral density. In European populations,hypertension had a negative causal relationship with osteoporosis,and there was no significant causal relationship between hypertension and systemic bone mineral density,calcaneal bone mineral density,forearm bone mineral density and osteoporosis with fracture. According to the stsiger test,there was no reverse causal relationship between osteoporosis,multiplesite bone mineral density,osteoporosis with fracture and hypertension in Asian and European populations. These results indicate that there is a causal relationship between hypertension and osteoporosis,that is,in Asian populations,hypertension and calcaneal bone mineral density show a positive causal relationship;in European populations,hypertension and osteoporosis show a negative causal relationship,but no reverse causal relationship.