OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the association between susceptibility genes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children with obesity. METHODS: We conducted a two-step case-control study. Ninety-three participants were subjected to whole-exome sequencing (exploratory set). Differential genes identified in the small sample were validated in 1,022 participants using multiplex polymerase chain reaction and high-throughput sequencing (validation set). RESULTS: In the exploratory set, 14 genes from the NAFLD-associated pathways were identified. In the validation set, after adjusting for sex, age, and body mass index, ECI2 rs2326408 (dominant model: OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.02-1.72; additive model: OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.01-1.47), C6orf201 rs659305 (dominant model: OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.01-1.69; additive model: OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.00-1.45), CALML5 rs10904516 (pre-ad dominant model: OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.01-1.83; adjusted dominant model: OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.03-1.91; and pre-ad additive model: OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.04-1.66) polymorphisms were significantly associated with NAFLD in children with obesity ( P < 0.05). Interaction analysis revealed that the gene-gene interaction model of CALML5 rs10904516, COX11 rs17209882, and SCD5 rs3733228 was optional ( P < 0.05), demonstrating a negative interaction between the three genes. CONCLUSION In the Chinese population, the CALML5 rs10904516, C6orf201 rs659305, and ECI2 rs2326408 variants could be genetic markers for NAFLD susceptibility.
Humans ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/genetics* ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Case-Control Studies ; Exome Sequencing ; Adolescent ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Obesity/complications* ; Pediatric Obesity/complications* ; China

Objective To investigate the effects of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy(LSG)on the cardiac structure and function in obese patients with heart failure(HF)and compare the efficacy of LSG across obese patients with different HF types.Methods This study included 33 obese patients with HF who underwent LSG.The clinical indicators were compared between before operation and 12 months after operation.Repeated measures analysis of variance was employed to evaluate the changes in echocardiographic parameters before operation and 3,6,and 12 months after operation.Patients were allocated into a HF with preserved ejection fraction group(n=17),a HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction group(n=5)and a HF with reduced ejection fraction(HFrEF)group(n=11)based on left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)before operation for subgroup analyses of the effects of LSG on the cardiac structure and function of obese patients with HF.The paired samples t-test was conducted to assess the degree of cardiac structural and functional alterations after LSG.Results The 33 patients included 69.7% males,with an average age of(35.3±9.9)years,and a body mass index(BMI)of(51.2±9.8)kg/m².The median follow-up was 9.0(5.0,13.3)months.Compared with the preoperative values,the postoperative BMI(P=0.002),body surface area(BSA)(P=0.009),waist circumference(P=0.010),hip circumference(P=0.031),body fat content(P=0.007),and percentage of patients with cardiac function grades Ⅲ-IV(P<0.001)decreased.At the 12-month follow-up left atrial diameter(P=0.006),right atrial long-axis inner diameter(RAD1)(P<0.001),right atrial short-axis inner diameter(RAD2)(P<0.001),right ventricular inner diameter(P=0.002),interventricular septal thickness at end-diastolic(P=0.002),and left ventricular end-diastolic volumes(P=0.004)and left ventricular end-systolic volumes(P=0.003) all significantly reduced compared with preoperative values.Additionally,left ventricular fractional shortening and LVEF improved(both P<0.001).Subgroup analyses revealed that cardiac structural parameters significantly decreased in the HF with preserved ejection fraction,HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction,and HFrEF subgroups compared with preoperative values.Notably,the HFrEF group demonstrated the best performance in terms of left atrial diameter(P=0.003),left ventricular inner diameter at end-diastole(P=0.008),RAD1(P<0.001),RAD2(P=0.004),right ventricular inner diameter(P=0.019),left ventricular end-diastolic volume(P=0.004)and left ventricular end-systolic volume(P=0.001),cardiac output(P=0.006),tricuspid regurgitation velocity(P=0.002),and pulmonary artery systolic pressure(P=0.001) compared to preoperatively.Postoperative left ventricular fractional shortening(P<0.001,P=0.003,P<0.001)and LVEF(P<0.001,P=0.011,P=0.001)became higher in all the three subgroups than the preoperative values.Conclusions LSG decreased the body weight,BMI,and BSA,improved the cardiac function grade,reversed the enlargement of the left atrium and left ventricle,reduced the right atrium and right ventricle,and enhanced the left ventricular systolic function.It was effective across obese patients with different HF types.Particularly,LSG demonstrates the best performance in improving the structures of both atria and ventricles in obese patients with HFrEF.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Gastrectomy/methods* ; Heart Failure/complications* ; Adult ; Obesity/physiopathology* ; Laparoscopy ; Middle Aged ; Heart/physiopathology* ; Stroke Volume

Objective To investigate the risk factors for pneumonia complicating infectious mononucleosis(IM)in adults and construct a nomogram prediction model.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 198 IM patients admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from January 2015 to December 2021.Patients were divided into pneumonia group(n=52)and non-pneumonia group(n=146)based on whether pulmonary infection occurred during hospitalization.The baseline data(age,gender,place of onset,etc.),clinical manifestations(maximum body temperature,lymph node enlargement,splenomegaly,etc.),and inflammatory indicators[white blood cell count(WBC),C-reactive protein(CRP),etc.]were compared between the two groups.Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted to analyze the key indicators affecting the hospital stay of IM patients.Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors for pneumonia complicating IM in adults and construct a nomogram prediction model based on the identified risk factors.The predictive efficacy of the model was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the consistency of the model was assessed using the calibration curve.The fit of the model was evaluated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test.Additionally,the sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of the model were assessed using confusion matrix.Results Compared with non-pneumonia group,the pneumonia group had a significantly higher proportion of patients from rural areas,with body mass index(BMI)≥24 kg/m2,smoking history,hepatomegaly,fever duration of≥7 d,as well as increased total hospitalization costs and average daily hospitalization costs,and prolonged hospital stay(P<0.05).The proportion of patients with a history of antibiotic use was lower in the pneumonia group(P<0.05).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients from rural areas,with BMI≥24 kg/m2,smoking history,no prophylactic use of antibiotics,fever duration≥7 d,and hepatomegaly had significantly prolonged hospital stays(P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that living in a rural area(OR=4.089,P<0.05),hepatomegaly(OR=4.082,P<0.05),and elevated WBC(OR=1.205,P<0.05)were independent risk factors for pneumonia complicating IM in adults,while the prophylactic use of antibiotics(OR=0.142,P<0.05)was an independent protective factor.The area under the ROC curve of the constructed nomogram prediction model was 0.827(95%CI 0.762-0.892),and the slope of the calibration curve was close to 1,and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed χ2=5.299,P=0.725,indicating good consistency and fit of the prediction model.The results of the confusion matrix assessment showed that the sensitivity of the model was 0.669(0.624-0.773),the specificity was 0.827(0.724-0.930),and the accuracy was 0.732(0.665-0.793).Conclusion The nomogram prediction model based on place of onset,hepatomegaly,the prophylactic use of antibiotics and WBC has excellent fit and discrimination,providing an effective quantitative tool for prognosis assessment of IM.

Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) is an important immunosuppressive molecule, which inhibits the function of T cells and other immune cells by binding to the receptor programmed cell death-1. The PD-L1 expression disorder plays an important role in the occurrence, development, and treatment of sepsis or other inflammatory diseases, and has become an important target for the treatment of these diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a kind of pluripotent stem cells with multiple differentiation potential. In recent years, MSCs have been found to have a strong immunosuppressive ability and are used to treat various inflammatory insults caused by hyperimmune diseases. Moreover, PD-L1 is deeply involved in the immunosuppressive events of MSCs and plays an important role in the treatment of various diseases. In this review, we will summarize the main regulatory mechanism of PD-L1 expression, and discuss various biological functions of PD-L1 in the immune regulation of MSCs.

Background::The potential impact of pre-existing coronary artery stenosis (CAS) on acute pulmonary embolism (PE) episodes remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the association between pre-existing CAS and the elevation of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) levels in patients with PE.Methods::In this multicenter, prospective case-control study, 88 cases and 163 controls matched for age, sex, and study center were enrolled. Cases were patients with PE with elevated hs-cTnI. Controls were patients with PE with normal hs-cTnI. Coronary artery assessment utilized coronary computed tomographic angiography or invasive coronary angiography. CAS was defined as ≥50% stenosis of the lumen diameter in any coronary vessel >2.0 mm in diameter. Conditional logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between CAS and hs-cTnI elevation.Results::The percentage of CAS was higher in the case group compared to the control group (44.3% [39/88] vs. 30.1% [49/163]; P = 0.024). In multivariable conditional logistic regression model 1, CAS (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.680; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.243–5.779), heart rate >75 beats/min (OR, 2.306; 95% CI, 1.056–5.036) and N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) >420 pg/mL (OR, 12.169; 95% CI, 4.792–30.900) were independently associated with elevated hs-cTnI. In model 2, right CAS (OR, 3.615; 95% CI, 1.467–8.909) and NT-proBNP >420 pg/mL (OR, 13.890; 95% CI, 5.288–36.484) were independently associated with elevated hs-cTnI. Conclusions::CAS was independently associated with myocardial injury in patients with PE. Vigilance towards CAS is warranted in patients with PE with elevated cardiac troponin levels.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of Chang'an Juntai Granules(mainly composed of Pseudostellariae Radix,Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma,Poria,Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Praeparata cum Melle,Paeoniae Radix Alba,Saposhnikoviae Radix,Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium,Coptidis Rhizoma,and Aucklandiae Radix)in the treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome(IBS-D)with liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome,and to evaluate its safety.Methods A single-center,randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled clinical trial was designed.A total of 130 patients with IBS-D of liver depression and spleen deficiency were included.The patients were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group by random number table method,with 65 cases in each group.The treatment group was treated with Chang'an Juntai Granules,and the control group was treated with Chang'an Juntai Placebo Granules.The course of treatment covered 12 weeks.The changes in the scores of IBS Symptom Severity Scale(IBS-SSS),Bristol Stool Form Scale(BSFS),IBS Quality of Life Questionnaire(IBS-QOL)and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS)in the two groups were observed before and after treatment.After treatment,the clinical efficacy and medication safety in the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)During the trial,six cases in the treatment group and eight cases in the control group fell off.Eventually,a total of 116 patients completed the clinical trial,including 59 cases in the treatment group and 57 cases in the control group.(2)After 12 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate of the treatment group was 88.14％(52/59),and that of the control group was 45.61％(26/57).The intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the clinical efficacy of the treatment group was significantly superior to that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,the IBS-SSS scores of the two groups and the BSFS and IBS-QOL scores of the treatment group were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.01),while the scores of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale(HADA)and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression subscale(HADD)in the two groups and the BSFS and IBS-QOL scores in the control group showed no obvious changes(P＞0.05).Compared with the control group,the decrease of IBS-SSS,BSFS and IBS-QOL scores in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(4)During the trial,no serious adverse reactions or adverse events occurred in the two groups,no drug-related abnormalities of liver and kidney function,blood,and heart function were found,either.Conclusion Chang'an Juntai Granules are effective on improving the clinical symptoms and fecal characteristics of IBS-D patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome,and on enhancing the quality of life of patients.The granules excert definite curative effect and high safety,and has certain value of clinical application.

Objective To establish the pharmacokinetic model of linezolid in neonates,and to optimize the administration regimen. Methods A prospective study was conducted among 64 neonates with sepsis who received linezolid as anti-infective therapy,and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to measure the plasma concentration of the drug. Clinical data were collected,and nonlinear mixed effects modeling was used to establish a population pharmacokinetic (PPK) model. Monte Carlo simulation and evaluation was performed for the optimal administration regimen of children with different features. Results The pharmacokinetic properties of linezolid in neonates could be described by a single-compartment model with primary elimination,and the population typical values for apparent volume of distribution and clearance rate were 0.79 L and 0.34 L/h,respectively. The results of goodness of fit,visualization verification,and the Bootstrap method showed that the model was robust with reliable results of parameter estimation and prediction. Monte Carlo simulation results showed that the optimal administration regimen for linezolid in neonates was as follows:6 mg/kg,q8h,at 28 weeks of gestational age (GA);8 mg/kg,q8h,at 32 weeks of GA;9 mg/kg,q8h,at 34-37 weeks of GA;11 mg/kg,q8h,at 40 weeks of GA. Conclusions The PPK model established in this study can provide a reference for individual administration of linezolid in neonates. GA and body weight at the time of administration are significant influencing factors for the clearance rate of linezolid in neonates.

AIM To evaluate the quality of Yanyangke Mixture.METHODS The HPLC fingerprints were established,after which cluster analysis,principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis were performed.The contents of liquiritin,rosmarinic acid,sheganoside,irisgenin,honokiol,monoammonium glycyrrhizinate,irisflorentin,isoliquiritin and magnolol were determined,the analysis was performed on a 35 ℃ thermostatic Agilent ZORBAX SB-C18 column(5 μm,250 mmx4.6 mm),with the mobile phase comprising of 0.1％phosphoric acid-acetonitrile flowing at 1 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and multi-wavelength detection was adopted.RESULTS There were ten common peaks in the fingerprints for twelve batches of samples with the similarities of more than 0.9.Various batches of samples were clustered into three types,three principal components displayed the acumulative variance contribution rate of 87.448％,peaks 5、14(honokiol),3(liquiritin),11(monoammonium glycyrrhizinate)and 15(asarinin)were quality markers.Nine constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(r＞0.999 0),whose average recoveries were 98.5％-103.6％with the RSDs of 0.92％-1.7％.CONCLUSION This stable and reliable method can provide a basis for the quality control of Yanyangke Mixture.

Background and aims:Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is a tumor of high heterogeneity and complexity,which poses significant challenges to effective treatment and patient prognosis because of its immune evasion characteristics.To address these issues,single-cell technology and machine learning methods have emerged as a promising approach to identify genes associated with immune escape in HCC.This study aimed to develop a prognostic risk score model for HCC by identifying intrinsic immune-evasion genes(IIEGs)through single-cell technology and machine learning,providing insights into immune infiltration,enhancing predictive accuracy,and facilitating the development of more effective treatment strategies.Materials and methods:The study utilized data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database to analyze gene expression profiles and clinical data related to intrinsic immune evasion in patients with HCC.Various tools,including the Human Protein Atlas,cBioPortal,single-cell analysis,machine learning,and Kaplan-Meier plot,were used to analyze IIEGs.Functional enrichment analysis was conducted to explore po-tential mechanisms.In addition,the abundance of infiltrating cells in the tumor microenvironment was investigated using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis,CIBERSORT,xCELL,and tumor immu-nophenotype algorithms.The expression of glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor attachment 1(GPAA1)was examined in the clinical sample of HCC by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction,Western blotting,and immunohistochemical staining.Results:Univariate Cox analysis identified 63 IIEGs associated with the prognosis of HCC.Using random forest,least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis,and support vector machine,a risk score model consisting of six IIEGs(carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 2,aspartate transcarbamylase,and dihydroorotase(CAD),phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis class U(PIGU),endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein complex subunit 3(EMC3),centrosomal protein 55(CEP55),autophagy-related 10(ATG10),and GPAA1)developed,which was validated using 10 pairs of HCC and adjacent non-cancerous samples.Based on the calculated median risk score,HCC samples were categorized into high-and low-risk groups.The Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that the high-risk group had a worse prognosis compared with the low-risk group.Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated the accurate predictive capability of the risk score model for HCC prognosis.Furthermore,immune infiltration analysis showed a positive correlation between the risk score model and 40 immune checkpoint genes as well as Th2 cells.Conclusions:A prognostic risk score model was formulated by six IIEG signatures and showed promise in predicting the prognosis of patients diagnosed with HCC.The utilization of the IIEG risk score as a novel prognostic index,together with its significance as a valuable biomarker for immunotherapy in HCC,provides benefit for patients with HCC in determining therapeutic strategies for clinical application.

Ketone bodies have beneficial metabolic activities, and the induction of plasma ketone bodies is a health promotion strategy. Dietary supplementation of sodium butyrate (SB) is an effective approach in the induction of plasma ketone bodies. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms are unknown. In this study, SB was found to enhance the catalytic activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 2 (HMGCS2), a rate-limiting enzyme in ketogenesis, to promote ketone body production in hepatocytes. SB administrated by gavage or intraperitoneal injection significantly induced blood ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in mice. BHB production was induced in the primary hepatocytes by SB. Protein succinylation was altered by SB in the liver tissues with down-regulation in 58 proteins and up-regulation in 26 proteins in the proteomics analysis. However, the alteration was mostly observed in mitochondrial proteins with 41% down- and 65% up-regulation, respectively. Succinylation status of HMGCS2 protein was altered by a reduction at two sites (K221 and K358) without a change in the protein level. The SB effect was significantly reduced by a SIRT5 inhibitor and in Sirt5-KO mice. The data suggests that SB activated HMGCS2 through SIRT5-mediated desuccinylation for ketone body production by the liver. The effect was not associated with an elevation in NAD⁺/NADH ratio according to our metabolomics analysis. The data provide a novel molecular mechanism for SB activity in the induction of ketone body production.
Mice ; Animals ; Butyric Acid/metabolism* ; Ketone Bodies/metabolism* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Hydroxybutyrates/metabolism* ; Down-Regulation ; Sirtuins/metabolism* ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Synthase/metabolism*