Under the background of climate change, the escalating air pollution and extreme weather events have been identified as risk factors for chronic respiratory diseases (CRD), causing serious public health burden worldwide. This review aims to summarize the effects of changed atmospheric environment caused by climate change on CRD. Results indicated an increased risk of CRD (mainly COPD, asthma) associated with environmental factors, such as air pollutants, adverse meteorological conditions, extreme temperatures, sandstorms, wildfire, and atmospheric allergens. Furthermore, this association can be modified by factors such as socioeconomic status, adaptability, individual behavior, medical services. Potential pathophysiological mechanisms linking climate change and increased risk of CRD involved pulmonary inflammation, immune disorders, oxidative stress. Notably, the elderly, children, impoverished groups and people in regions with limited adaptability are more sensitive to respiratory health risks caused by climate change. This review provides a reference for understanding risk factors of CRD in the context of climate change, and calls for the necessity of adaptive strategies. Further interdisciplinary research and global collaboration are needed in the future to enhance adaptability and address climate health inequality.
Climate Change ; Humans ; Air Pollution/adverse effects* ; Risk Factors ; Respiratory Tract Diseases/etiology* ; Chronic Disease ; Air Pollutants/adverse effects* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects*

Dent disease is a rare X-linked recessive inherited renal tubular disorder characterized by low molecular weight proteinuria (LMWP), hypercalciuria, nephrocalcinosis, and other clinical features, and can lead to progressive renal failure. It is primarily caused by mutations in the CLCN5 gene. This article reports the case of a 10-year-old male patient of Chinese descent who was incidentally found to have asymptomatic proteinuria during a routine health examination. Comprehensive biochemical testing and clinical evaluation revealed significant LMWP and hypercalciuria, while renal biopsy showed mesangial cell and matrix proliferation. Whole exome sequencing identified a novel deletion mutation in the CLCN5 gene (NM_001127899.4, c.1158delC, p.F387Lfs*42) causing a frameshift and premature termination, which is likely to disrupt its role in chloride/hydrogen ion exchange and endosomal acidification. Bioinformatic analysis indicated the variant is pathogenic. Genetic testing plays an important role in diagnosing rare kidney diseases. Early identification of pathogenic mutations is essential for facilitating timely intervention and appropriate management, potentially enhancing patient outcomes. This report expands the CLCN5 mutation spectrum and contributes to understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms of Dent disease.
Humans ; Chloride Channels/genetics* ; Dent Disease/genetics* ; Male ; Child ; Computational Biology ; Mutation ; Proteinuria/genetics* ; Hypercalciuria/genetics*

Objective:To explore the value of high resolution computed tomography（HRCT） combined with Magnetic Resonance Imaging（MRI） in the diagnosis of inner ear malformation. Methods:HRCT and MRI data of 82 patients with inner ear malformations were analyzed retrospectively. HRCT MPR and CPR reconstruction of the inner ear structure, facial nerve canal and oblique sagittal MRI reconstruction of the internal auditory canal were performed. The inner ear malformations were classified, the conditions of facial nerve canal and cochlear nerve were evaluated. The association between inner ear malformation and cochlear nerve dysplasia were analyzed by Chi-square test with continuity correction. Results:Among the 82 patients with inner ear malformations,there were 49 cases of bilateral symmetry, 11 cases of bilateral asymmetry and 22 cases of unilateral inner ear malformations. Respectively, the most prevalent types were IP-Ⅱ（42.96%）, dilatation of atrium aqueduct（18.31%） and malformations of atrium and semicircular canal 19.72%. Out of 50 cases of cochlear malformations,only 3 were isolated cochlear malformations, and the rest were accompanied by other malformations of varying degrees. In the 67 ears examined by MRI, 26（38.81%） had cochlear nerve deficiency（CND）, and the incidence of CND varied with different types of inner ear malformations. Out of 142 ears, 28（19.72%） had abnormalities of the facial nerve canal. Conclusion:HRCT combined with MRI can accurately distinguish the types of inner ear malformation and effectively evaluate the facial nerve canal and cochlear nerve, and further provides the important finger and Guide value for the clinician to formulate the reasonable treatment and the operation plan.
Humans ; Ear, Inner/diagnostic imaging* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Female ; Male ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods* ; Child ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Child, Preschool ; Cochlear Nerve/diagnostic imaging* ; Facial Nerve/abnormalities* ; Cochlea/abnormalities* ; Infant ; Young Adult

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the primary fibrogenic cells in the liver, and their activation plays a crucial role in the development and progression of hepatic fibrosis. Here, we report that retinoid X receptor-alpha (RXRα), a unique member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is a key modulator of HSC activation and liver fibrosis. RXRα exerts its effects by modulating calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ)-mediated activation of AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha (AMPKα). In addition, we demonstrate that K-80003, which binds RXRα by a unique mechanism, effectively suppresses HSC activation, proliferation, and migration, thereby inhibiting liver fibrosis in the CCl₄ and amylin liver NASH (AMLN) diet animal models. The effect is mediated by AMPKα activation, promoting mitophagy in HSCs. Mechanistically, K-80003 activates AMPKα by inducing RXRα to form condensates with CaMKKβ and AMPKα via a two-phase process. The formation of RXRα condensates is driven by its N-terminal intrinsic disorder region and requires phosphorylation by CaMKKβ. Our results reveal a crucial role of RXRα in liver fibrosis regulation through modulating mitochondrial activities in HSCs. Furthermore, they suggest that K-80003 and related RXRα modulators hold promise as therapeutic agents for fibrosis-related diseases.

Osteoporosis is a prevalent skeletal condition characterized by reduced bone mass and strength, leading to increased fragility. Buqi-Tongluo (BQTL) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has yet to be fully evaluated for its potential in treating bone diseases such as osteoporosis. To investigate the mechanism by which BQTL decoction inhibits osteoclast differentiation in vitro and validate these findings through in vivo experiments. We employed MTS assays to assess the potential proliferative or toxic effects of BQTL on bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) at various concentrations. TRAcP experiments were conducted to examine BQTL's impact on osteoclast differentiation. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were utilized to evaluate the relative expression levels of osteoclast-specific genes and proteins under BQTL stimulation. Finally, in vivo experiments were performed using an osteoporosis model to further validate the in vitro findings. This study revealed that BQTL suppressed receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast resorption activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner without observable cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effects of BQTL on osteoclast formation and function were attributed to the downregulation of NFATc1 and c-fos activity, primarily through attenuation of the MAPK, NF-κB, and Calcineurin signaling pathways. BQTL's inhibitory capacity was further examined in vivo using an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model, demonstrating a strong protective effect against bone loss. BQTL may serve as an effective therapeutic TCM for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and the alleviation of bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency and related conditions.
Animals ; NFATC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Ovariectomy ; Osteoclasts/metabolism* ; Female ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Osteoporosis/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Bone Resorption/genetics* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Humans ; RANK Ligand/metabolism* ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Transcription Factors

Objective:To investigate the correlation between non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection by using the method of two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.Methods:Genetic variation data for NHL came from the Finnish database (FinnGen) Consortium 2021 public genome-wide association study (GWAS) dataset including 1 088 patients with NHL and 299 952 control subjects. The GWAS dataset for chronic HBV infection was derived from GWAS analysis published in 2021, including 145 NHL patients and 351 740 control subjects. NHL was used as an exposure factor, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) significantly associated with NHL was used as an instrumental variable (IV), chronic HBV infection was used as an outcome variable. The two-sample MR analysis was performed by using inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method. Chronic HBV infection was taken as an exposure factor, SNP significantly associated with chronic HBV infection was taken as IV, and NHL was taken as outcome variable, and then reverse two-sample MR analysis was performed. The IVW method used the inverse variance of each IV as the weight to fit, and the ratio method was used to measure SNP one by one and make weighted regression analysis, so as to obtain the overall estimate. MR-Egger regression and the weighted median (WME) method were also used to supplement the IVW method. In sensitivity analysis, leave-one-out sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate the impact of a single SNP. Cochran Q test was used to analyze the heterogeneity of the selected IV. MR-Egger regression was used to measure the average horizontal pleiotropy of IV, and the P-value of directivity was calculated. The MR-pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) Global Test was used to exclude possible horizontal pleiotropic outliers and reduce bias. Results:In the leave-one-out sensitivity analysis, SNP with significant effects on causal associations was excluded. In forward MR analysis, IVs were 10 SNPs associated with NHL; the IVW method indicated that there was no causal association between NHL and chronic HBV infection ( OR = 0.979, 95% CI: 0.925-1.036, P = 0.465). MR-Egger regression ( OR = 0.992, 95% CI: 0.926-1.062, P = 0.825) and WME method ( OR = 0.992, 95% CI: 0.934-1.055, P = 0.805) were used as supplementary methods to obtain the consistent results. In sensitivity analysis, Cochran Q test showed no heterogeneity among IVs (IVW method: P = 0.271, MR-Egger regression: P = 0.239). Horizontal pleiotropy was not found in the MR-Egger regression (intercept was -0.01, P = 0.778) and the MR-PRESSO Global Test ( P > 0.05), suggesting robust results. In the reverse MR analysis, IVs were 8 SNPs associated with NHL; the IVW method ( OR = 1.117, 95% CI: 0.942-1.324, P = 0.202) also found no significant causal relationship between chronic HBV infection and NHL; MR-Egger regression ( OR = 0.777, 95% CI: 0.450-1.343, P = 0.401) and WME method ( OR = 1.120, 95% CI: 0.887-1.415, P = 0.351) also showed similar risk estimates. Sensitivity analysis also suggested the consistency and reliability of the results. Cochran Q test showed no heterogeneity among IVs (IVW method: P = 0.775, MR-Egger regression: P = 0.903). Horizontal pleiotropy was not found by MR-Egger regression (intercept was 0.102, P = 0.548) and MR-PRESSO Global Test ( P > 0.05). Conclusions:MR analysis suggests no causal relationship between NHL and chronic HBV infection.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex and heterogeneous disease characterized by airway inflammation. Airway inflammation dominated by eosinophils (EOS) has attracted increasing attention in the occurrence and development of COPD. EOS type COPD is a special population in a large number of COPD patients. In recent years, there have been many studies on EOS type COPD, involving type 2 immune response, COPD progression and the use of glucocorticoids. This article reviews the above relationships. It is helpful to further understand EOS type COPD and provide help for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of COPD.

Objective To observe the value of artificial intelligence(AI)knowledge graph and image classification for quality control(QC)of chest posterior-anterior position X-ray radiograph(abbreviated as chest film).Methods Totally 9 236 chest films from 595 medical institutions in Anhui province imaging cloud platform were retrospectively enrolled.QC knowledge graph containing 21 classification labels were constructed.Firstly,QC of chest films based on the above knowledge graph were performed by 10 technicians for 2 rounds of single person and 1 round of multi person,and the results were recorded as A,B and C,respectively.Then AI algorithms were used to classify and evaluate based on knowledge graph,and the result was recorded as D.Finally,a QC expert reviewed results C and D to determine the final QC results and taken those as references to analyze the efficiency of the above 4 QC.Results The area under the curve(AUC)of AI algorithm for QC of chest films were all ≥0.780,with an average value of 0.939.The average precision of QC for chest films of A,B,C and D was 81.15％,85.47％,91.65％and 92.21％,respectively.Conclusion AI knowledge graph and image classification technology could be effectively used for QC of chest posterior-anterior position X-ray radiograph.

Objective To compare the contents of alkaloid in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix with different degrees of processing and their effects on electrocardiogram and vagus nerve action potential in SD rats;To establish a toxicity evaluation method for Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix and its processed products.Methods HPLC was used to determine the contents of six alkaloid components,including benzoyl neoaconitine,benzoyl aconitine,benzoyl subeaconitine,neoaconitine,subeaconitine and aconitine in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix and Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix Cocta of soaking and boiled for 30 minutes,boiled for 4 h without soaking,soaking and boiled for 4 h,and soaking and boiled for 8 h.SD rats were subjected to sublingual drainage with Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix and four types of processed products.The vagus nerve action potential and electrocardiogram of rats before and after administration were recorded,and the correlation analysis between alkaloid content and vagus nerve action potential and heart rate was conducted.Results The contents of alkaloid of the four processed products showed that the content of diester alkaloids was soaking and boiled for 30 min>boiled for 4 h without soaking>soaking and boiled for 4 h>soaking and boiled for 8 h;monoester alkaloid content:boiled for 4 h without soaking>soaking and boiled for 30 min>soaking and boiled for 4 h>soaking and boiled for 8 h.After the administration of each sample,compared with the basal discharge,the vagus nerve discharge of rats with different processed products was changed by sublingual administration,heart rate increased,the degree of arrhythmia increased,and it varied with the degree of processing;the results of correlation analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between the nerve discharge area and the contents of diester alkaloids and total alkaloids.Conclusion The action potential of the vagus nerve and electrocardiogram of rats after sublingual drainage administration can reflect the degree of numbness in the tongue,which can provide reference for the study of tongue sensation of Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix.

Objective To explore the differences in MRI signs between traumatic and non-traumatic rotator cuff tears and their correlation with the degree of rotator cuff tears.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data and MRI man-ifestations of 82 patients in the trauma group and 80 patients in the non-trauma group with rotator cuff tears confirmed by arthroscopy.MRI indicators included 10 parameters:the degree of rotator cuff tear,tendon kinking-sign,tendon retraction,muscle edema,fatty degeneration,muscle atrophy,long head of the biceps tendon injury,acromion type,acromio-humeral distance(AHD),and lateral acro-mion angle(LAA).The clinical data and MRI indicators of the two groups were compared,and the correlation between MRI indica-tors and the degree of rotator cuff tears was analyzed.Results There were no significant difference in age and gender between the trauma group and the non-trauma group(P＞0.05),but the onset time of symptoms was significantly shorter in the trauma group compared to the non-trauma group(30 d vs 135 d,P＜0.001).Muscle edema,tendon kinking-sign,and long head of the biceps tendon injury were more common in the trauma group(P＜0.05),while fatty degeneration and type Ⅲ acromion were more common in the non-trauma group.The average AHD was smaller in the non-trauma group compared to the trauma group(P＜0.001).In addition,type Ⅲ acromion was more commonly seen in full-thickness rotator cuff tears,and AHD value was negatively correlated with the degree of rotator cuff tears(P＜0.05).Conclusion Muscle edema,tendon kinking-sign,and long head of the biceps tendon injury on MRI are highly suggestive of traumatic rotator cuff tears,while fatty degeneration,type Ⅲ acromion and smaller AHD indicate non-traumatic rotator cuff tears.Type Ⅲ acromion and decreased AHD increase the risk of full-thickness rotator cuff tears.