BACKGROUND: Spicy food consumption has been reported to be inversely associated with mortality from multiple diseases. However, the effect of spicy food intake on the incidence of vascular diseases in the Chinese population remains unclear. This study was conducted to explore this association. METHODS: This study was performed using the large-scale China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) prospective cohort of 486,335 participants. The primary outcomes were vascular disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD), major coronary events (MCEs), cerebrovascular disease, stroke, and non-stroke cerebrovascular disease. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the association between spicy food consumption and incident vascular diseases. Subgroup analysis was also performed to evaluate the heterogeneity of the association between spicy food consumption and the risk of vascular disease stratified by several basic characteristics. In addition, the joint effects of spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of vascular disease were also evaluated, and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the reliability of the association results. RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 12.1 years, a total of 136,125 patients with vascular disease, 46,689 patients with IHD, 10,097 patients with MCEs, 80,114 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 56,726 patients with stroke, and 40,098 patients with non-stroke cerebrovascular disease were identified. Participants who consumed spicy food 1-2 days/week (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = [0.93, 0.97], P <0.001), 3-5 days/week (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = [0.94, 0.99], P = 0.003), and 6-7 days/week (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = [0.95, 0.99], P = 0.002) had a significantly lower risk of vascular disease than those who consumed spicy food less than once a week ( Ptrend <0.001), especially in those who were younger and living in rural areas. Notably, the disease-based subgroup analysis indicated that the inverse associations remained in IHD ( Ptrend = 0.011) and MCEs ( Ptrend = 0.002) risk. Intriguingly, there was an interaction effect between spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of IHD ( Pinteraction = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS Our findings support an inverse association between spicy food consumption and vascular disease in the Chinese population, which may provide additional dietary guidance for the prevention of vascular diseases.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Vascular Diseases/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Cerebrovascular Disorders/epidemiology* ; East Asian People

Objective:To detect the prevalence of mosaic loss of chromosome Y in adult men in ten study areas in China, describe the epidemiological distribution of mosaic loss of chromosome Y (mLOY) carriers and assess its prospective association with lung cancer.Methods:Based on the data from baseline survey, genetic analysis and follow-up (as of December 31, 2018) from China Kadoorie Biobank, we used Mosaic Chromosomal Alterations pipeline to detect mLOY carriers in 10 areas in China and described the epidemiological characteristics of mLOY carriers in adult men, including age, area distribution, lifestyle and disease history. We used multivariate logistic regression model to identify the potential relevant factor of mLOY. Cox proportional hazard regression model was fitted to assess the prospective association of mLOY with lung cancer. Stratification analysis were conducted to evaluate the potential modification effects of smoking and age. We also conducted mediation analysis to assess the mediating effect of mLOY in the association between smoking and lung cancer.Results:A total of 42 859 adult men were included in our analysis, in whom 2 458 mLOY carriers were detected (5.7%). The detection rate increased with age ( P<0.05). The detection rate was higher in urban area (7.3%±0.2%) than that in rural area (4.7%±0.1%). The results of logistic regression analysis indicated that smoking might be a risk factor for the detection of mLOY ( OR=1.49, 95% CI:1.36-1.64). After follow-up for average 11.1 years, 1 041 lung cancer cases were observed. The prospective analysis showed that mLOY carriers had an increased risk for lung cancer by 24% compared with non-mLOY carriers ( HR=1.24, 95% CI:1.01-1.52) and expanded mLOY carriers (mLOY cell proportion ≥10%) had an increased risk for lung cancer by 50% ( HR=1.50, 95% CI:1.13-2.00). Stratification analysis showed no modification effects of smoking and age in the association between mLOY and lung cancer (interaction P>0.05). Mediation analysis showed that mLOY could be a mediating factor in the association between smoking and lung cancer, the estimated effect was 0.09 (0.01-0.17). Conclusions:There were significant differences in the detection rate of mLOY in adult men with different social-economic characteristics and lifestyles in ten areas in China. Besides, mLOY carriers, especially expanded mLOY carriers, had increased risk for lung cancer and mLOY might be a mediating factor in the association between smoking and lung cancer.

Objective : To investigate the changes of lipid biomarkers and lipid metabolic pathways related to liver injury in BTBR ob/ob mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus by biochemical and metabolomics methods． Methods : 16 BTBR wild-type (WT) mice (WT group) and 14 BTBR ob/ob obese mice (ob / ob group) at 7 weeks of age were selected and fed in SPF environment until 20 weeks of age．Liver injury was compared between the two groups : The activities of mitochondrial respiratory enzyme complex in liver tissue were detected by high-resolution respirators，and the lipid metabolomic analysis of liver tissue samples in the two groups of mice was performed by ultra-perform- ance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry，mainly detecting endogenous metabolites. Principal component analysis (PCA) ，orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis ( OPLS-DA) and other models were used to screen potential biomarkers，and the metabolic pathway analysis of the identified metabolites was performed by MetaboAnalyst 5. 0 . Results : Compared with the WT group，the ob / ob group had significantly increased body weight，fasting blood glucose ，serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase ( AST) ，alanine amin- otransferase (ALT) ，low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and cholesterol ( CHO) (P＜0. 01) ．Liver hematoxylin-eo- sin staining (HE) staining showed that the mice in ob / ob group had structural disorder of liver lobules，swelling of liver cells ，a large number of fat vacuoles in cells ，diffuse distribution and loose cytoplasm． Oil red O staining showed that there was a large amount of lipid deposition in the hepatocytes ofob/ob mice．The high resolution spi- rometer showed that the ob/ob mice had mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation disorder and the activity of complex Ⅳ decreased．Lipid metabolomic analysis showed that the lipid metabolic profile of ob/ob mice changed，and the metabolic pathways involved mainly included glycerophospholipid metabolism，glycosylphosphatidylinositol ( GPI) anchor biosynthesis，triglyceride metabolism，linoleic acid metabolism，α-linolenic acid metabolism and arachidon- ic acid metabolism． Conclusion The liver injury of ob / ob group mice may be related to the disorder of lipid me- tabolism，in which the disorder of glycerophospholipid metabolism is the most critical metabolic pathway.

Objective:To investigate the value of an MRI and digital pathology images based omics nomogram for the prediction of recurrence risk in soft tissue sarcoma (STS).Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. From January 2016 to March 2021, 192 patients with STS confirmed by pathology in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were enrolled, among which 112 patients in the Laoshan campus were enrolled as training set, and 80 patients in the Shinan campus were enrolled as validation set. The patients were divided into recurrence group ( n=87) and no recurrence group ( n=105) during follow-up. The clinical and MRI features of patients were collected. The radiomics features based on fat saturated T 2WI images and pathomics features based on digital pathology images of the lesions were extracted respectively. The clinical model, radiomics model, pathomics model, radiomics-pathomics combined model, and omics nomogram which combined the optimal prediction model and the clinical model were established by multivariate Cox regression analysis. The concordance index (C index) and time-dependent area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (t-AUC) were used to evaluate the performance of each model in predicting STS postoperative recurrence. The DeLong test was used for comparison of t-AUC between every two models. The X-tile software was used to determine the cut-off value of the omics nomogram, then the patients were divided into low risk ( n=106), medium risk ( n=64), and high risk ( n=22) groups. Three groups′ cumulative recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were calculated and compared by the Kaplan-Meier survival curve and log-rank test. Results:The performance of the radiomics-pathomics combined model was superior to the radiomics model and pathomics model, with C index of 0.727 (95% CI 0.632-0.823) and medium t-AUC value of 0.737 (95% CI0.584-0.891) in the validation set. The omics nomogram was established by combining the clinical model and the radiomics-pathomics combined model, with C index of 0.763 (95% CI 0.685-0.842) and medium t-AUC value of 0.783 (95% CI0.639-0.927) in the validation set. The t-AUC value of omics nomogram was significantly higher than that of clinical model, TNM model, radiomics model, and pathomics model in the validation set ( Z=3.33, 2.18, 2.08, 2.72, P=0.001, 0.029, 0.037, 0.007). There was no statistical difference in t-AUC between the omics nomogram and radiomics-pathomics combined model ( Z=0.70, P=0.487). In the validation set, the 1-year RFS rates of STS patients in the low, medium, and high recurrence risk groups were 92.0% (95% CI 81.5%-100%), 55.9% (95% CI 40.8%-76.6%), and 37.5% (95% CI 15.3%-91.7%). In the training and validation sets, there were statistically significant in cumulative RFS rates among the low, medium, and high groups of STS patients (training set χ2=73.90, P<0.001; validation set χ2=18.70, P<0.001). Conclusion:The omics nomogram based on MRI and digital pathology images has favorable performance for the prediction of STS recurrence risk.

Objective To explore the correlation between serum vitamin D levels,vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism,and the incidence of chronic urticaria in children,and to provide clinical evidence for screening the genetic susceptibility of chronic urticaria in children.Methods Clinical data and peripheral blood samples were collected from 100 children with chronic urticaria in the test group and 100 healthy children in the control group who were admitted to the Dermatological Department of Pingshan Distinct Maternal and Child Health Hospital from December 2021 to January 2023.Chemiluminescent assays were used to measure the levels of 25(OH)D,IgE and IgG.PCR amplification was performed to amplify the VDR gene polymorphic sites ApaI,BsmI,TaqI,FokI,and Tru9I,followed by sequencing to assess the VDR gene polymorphism and the expression levels of the associated genetic polymorphic sites rs7975232,rs1544410,rs731236,rs2228570,and rs757343.Results The levels of 25(OH)D in the test group were lower than that in the control group,while IgE and IgG levels were higher than those in the control group,and the differences were statistically sig-nificant.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the T allele of rs757343 was a risk factor for the incidence of chronic urticaria in children(OR=1.45 8,95％CI:1.015-2.153,P=0.047),while the CC geno-type of rs757343 and 25(OH)D were protective factors(OR=0.250,95％CI:0.056-0.786,P=0.031;OR=0.553,95％CI:0.373-0.713,P＜0.001).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve for 25(OH)D,white blood cell count,neutrophil percentage,lymphocyte percentage,and basophil percentage were 0.928,0.701,0.808,0.797 and 0.753,all＞0.7.Conclusion Vitamin D can assist in the diagnosis of uricaria in children and evaluate the progression of the disease.25(OH)D is a protective factor for the onset of chronic urticaria in children,the T allele of the VDR gene polymorphism rs757343 is a risk factor for chronic urticaria in children,while the CC genotype is a protective factor.

Objective:To investigate the changes of ROS/TXNIP/NLRP3 signaling pathway in pyroptosis of human embryonic trophoblast cells induced by high glucose.Methods:Human embryonic trophoblast cells were cultured in vitro to establish high glucose injury model, and they were randomly divided into control group, high glucose (HG) group and HG + ROS inhibitor N-acetyl-L-cysteine (HG + NAC) group. MTT assay was used to detect the cell survival rate. The level of ROS in each group was detected by dihydroethidine ROS fluorescence probe. Expression of TXNIP and NLRP3 mRNA was detected by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression levels of TXNIP, NLRP3, Caspase-1, interleukin (IL) -1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and GSDMD proteins. In addition, pyroptosis was detected by flow cytometry.Results:The optimal glucose concentration for high glucose-induced injury of human embryonic trophoblast cells was 30 mmol/L. Compared with the control group (96.27±3.10) %, the survival rate of human embryonic trophoblast cells in HG group (55.44±2.15) % was significantly lower ( P<0.05), while the fluorescence intensity (ROS level) of 7 'dichlorofluorescein (DCF), the expression levels of TXNIP and NLRP3 proteins, the number of pyroptosis, expression levels of Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1β and TNF-α proteins were significantly higher ( P<0.05) ; Compared with HG group, the survival rate of human embryonic trophoblast cells in HG+NAC group (84.75±2.33) % was significantly higher ( P<0.05), the fluorescence intensity (ROS level) of DCF, the expression levels of TXNIP and NLRP3 proteins, the number of pyroptosis, and expression levels of Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1β and TNF-α proteins were significantly lower ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:Inhibition of ROS level in human embryonic trophoblast cells induced by high glucose may promote cell proliferation and reduce the occurrence of pyroptosis by inhibiting TXNIP/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of Shengmaisan granules on myocardial fibrosis in chronic heart failure patients with Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome by cardiac magnetic resonance （CMR） imaging and serological indicators. MethodSixty-six chronic heart failure patients with Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome who visited the Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine， Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from October 2021 to January 2023 were selected. The patients were assigned into a control group （33 cases） and an observation group （33 cases） by the minimization random method. Both groups received standardized Western medicine treatment for heart failure. In addition， the control group was treated with placebo granules， and the observation group with Shengmaisan granules for a course of 6 months. The baseline data， clinical efficacy， TCM symptom scores， serological indicators ［high-sensitivity C-reactive protein （hs-CRP）， soluble growth stimulation expressed gene 2 protein （sST2）， pro-collagen Ⅲ N-terminal peptide （PⅢNP）， interleukin （IL）-6， IL-11， transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁）］， echocardiography ［Left atrial diameter （LAD）， left ventricular end systolic diameter （LVEDs）， left ventricular end diastolic diameter （LVEDd）］ and CMR indicators ［left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）， myocardial extracellular volume fraction （ECV）， and longitudinal relaxation time （T1）］ were compared between the two groups. ResultFinally， 31 patients in the control group and 30 patients in the observation group were included. There was no significant difference in baseline data or indicators between the two groups before treatment. Compared with those before treatment， the scores of TCM symptoms （shortness of breath， fatigue， palpitations， spontaneous or night sweats， thirst/dry throat， feverish feeling in palms and soles， and edema in lower limbs）， total score of TCM symptoms， ECV， T1， inflammation/fibrosis indicators （hs-CRP， sST2， PⅢNP， IL-6， IL-11， and TGF-β₁） in observation group decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the scores of TCM symptoms （except feverish feeling in palms and soles）， T1， and inflammation/fibrosis indicators in the control group decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. After treatment， the observation group had lower scores of TCM symptoms （except feverish feeling in palms and soles and edema in lower limbs）， ECV， T1， and inflammation/fibrosis indicators than the control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. After treatment， the total response rate in the observation group was 93.33% （28/30）， which was higher than that （80.65%， 25/31） in the control group （Z=2.976， P<0.01）. There was no significant difference in adverse reactions between the two groups during treatment. ConclusionFor patients with chronic heart failure with Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome， Shengmaisan Granules can alleviate the TCM symptoms， reduce inflammation， and inhibit myocardial fibrosis by regulating the TGF-β₁/IL-11 signaling axis.

Objective:To summarize the preliminary experience of endoscopically assisted mid-cheek benign tumor resection using a single preauricular or transoral incision and to evaluate its indications, advantages, and disadvantages.Methods:Thirty-six patients with benign mid-cheek tumors were prospectively enrolled, including 11 males and 25 females, aged (37.2± 15.9) years and ranged from 11 to 65 years old. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: endoscope-assisted tumor dissections through a single preauricular incision (preauricular group, 19 cases) or transoral incision (transoral group, 17 cases). Their surgical approaches were introduced, and the tumor long-axis length, incision length, operative time, estimated intraoperative bleeding, postoperative drainage amount and time, aesthetic satisfaction, perioperative complications, and follow-up were recorded and analyzed.Results:The difference between the tumor long-axis lengths in the preauricular group [(2.2±0.9) cm] and the transoral group [(2.1± 0.7) cm] was not statistically significant ( t=0.46, P=0.687), and all surgical procedures were completed as planned. There was no significant difference in the incision size ( t=1.57, P=0.100) or operative time ( t=0.44, P=0.736). Compared with the preauricular group [(30.8±8.7) ml], transoral group [(23.6±8.9) ml] significantly reduced intraoperative blood loss ( t=2.97, P=0.006) and improved aesthetic pleasure ( t=3.44, P=0.015). Two cases of earlobe numbness and one case of temporary facial palsy were observed in the preauricular group; two cases of postoperative effusion were noted in the transoral group, and no signs of nerve injury were detected. No tumor recurrence was found during the 1-54-month of follow-up. Conclusions:Endoscopic-assisted preauricular or transoral incision for dissecting mid-cheek benign tumors provides excellent aesthetic and minimally invasive results, reducing complications and obtaining satisfactory aesthetic results.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical effect of microbotox injection of botulinum toxin type A in improving the fine lines of lower eyelid skin and achieving the rejuvenation of the eye area.Methods:The clinical data of patients with mildly sagging lower eyelid skin and fine wrinkles admitted to Facial and Neck Plastic Surgery, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College; Deparment of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Guangyuan Central Hospital; Department of Dermatology, People’s Hospital of Qingshen County; Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Dujiangyan People’s Hospital; Devision of Women’s Healthcare, Panzhihua Maternal and Child Hospital; Chengdu Badachu Cosmetic Hospital from August 2022 to January 2023 were analyzed retrospectively. Using the microbotox injection method, the botulinum toxin type A with a diluted concentration of 8 U/ml was micro-injected into the dermis layer or between the dermis and the superficial muscle layer at an interval of 0.6 cm, and a single point injection of 0.2 U. The injection range was the anatomical distribution range of the orbicularis oculi muscle. After treatment, patients were followed up to investigate patient satisfaction, which was divided into very satisfied, satisfied, dissatisfied and very dissatisfied, and to calculate subjective satisfaction (percentage of the number of very satisfied and satisfied cases in the total number of cases). At the same time, a independent physician used the global aesthetic improvement scale (GAIS) to evaluate the effect based on the patient’s photos before treatment and during follow-up. 5 indicates as worse than before, 4 as no improvement, 3 as were slight improvement, 2 as moderate improvement, and 1 as significant improvement. SPSS 24.0 software was used for descriptive analysis of the data.Results:A total of 23 patients were enrolled, including 1 male and 22 females, aged (36.4±2.5) years old. The follow-up was 1-6 months, with an average of 1.4 months, and the subjective satisfaction of patients was 100% (23/23). The result of the independent physician evaluation were as follows: the overall cosmetic improvement score of the observers was 1.26±0.54, 100% (23/23) of the patients reached the standard of obvious or moderate improvement. In terms of complications, 2 patients presented local epidermis bruises after injection, who recovered within 1 week; 1 patient complained of pain after injection, which was significantly relieved 12 hours later. No ectropion, symblepharon, facial palsy, dry eyes, or other complications were observed.Conclusion:Application of botulinum toxin type A microbotox injection can improve periorbital wrinkles and improve skin texture at the same time, and the therapeutic effect is definite.