Objective To explore the relationship between nutritional status and sarcopenia in patients with chronic kidney disease. Methods This study included 310 patients with chronic kidney disease (assigned to the kidney disease group) and 150 healthy volunteers who underwent physical examinations during the same period (assigned to the healthy group) between May 2022 and October 2024.The clinical data and related nutritional indicators were compared between the two groups, and the correlation between nutritional status indicators and clinical parameters was analyzed. According to the presence or absence of sarcopenia in the kidney disease group, the patients were divided into a sarcopenia group (n=107) and a non-sarcopenia group (n=203). The nutritional indicators were compared between the two subgroups, the correlation between patients' nutritional status and sarcopenia was analyzed, and the value of nutritional status indicators in diagnosing sarcopenia was evaluated. Results BMI, 25(OH)D3, total body water, muscle mass, and adipose mass in the kidney disease group were significantly lower than those in the healthy group (P<0.05), while the UA, SCr, TC, TG, LDL-C, BUN, CRP, and UACR were significantly higher than those in the healthy group (P<0.05). BMI, 25(OH)D3, total body water, and muscle mass in the kidney disease group were significantly negatively correlated with UA, SCr, CRP, TC, TG, and LDL-C (P<0.05), while UACR was significantly positively correlated with UA, SCr, CRP, TC, TG, and LDL-C (P<0.05). BMI, 25(OH)D3, total body water, and total muscle volume in the sarcopenia group were significantly lower than in the non-sarcopenia group (P<0.05), whereas UACR was significantly higher (P<0.05). BMI, 25(OH)D3, total body water, and muscle mass were protective factors against sarcopenia (OR < 1, P < 0.05), whereas UACR was a risk factor associated with sarcopenia (OR > 1, P < 0.05). The AUCs of BMI, 25 (OH) D3, UACR, total body water, and muscle mass for predicting sarcopenia were 0.614, 0.786, 0.881, 0.675, and 0.734, respectively. The combined diagnostic AUC was 0.951, indicating higher diagnostic value. Conclusion In patients with chronic kidney disease, decreases in BMI, 25(OH)D3, total body water, and muscle mass, and an increase in UACR, can all indicate the occurrence of sarcopenia. Among these, BMI, 25(OH)D3, total body water, and muscle mass serve as nutritional status indicators, and their combination with UACR has auxiliary diagnostic value for sarcopenia.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of plasma cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6 and interferon (IFN)-γ in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).Methods:A retrospective case-control study was conducted. A total of 48 NHL patients admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University between January 2020 and December 2022 were selected as NHL group, and another 34 healthy people who underwent physical examimation during the same period were selected as the healthy control group. The levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) - α and IFN-γ in the plasma of patients at first admission and healthy subjects during physical examination were detected by using flow cytometry. The differences in general data and all cytokines levels of both groups were compared. The collinearity stepwise screening was made in 7 cytokines levels, and the screened variables were included in multivariate binary logistic regression model. Plasma cytokines with independent effects on the pathogenesis of NHL were screened. Taking local biopsy, histopathological examination or immunohistochemical examination as the gold standard, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of individual and combined diagnosis of NHL based on the selected cytokines were drawn to judge the diagnostic effect of all indicators on NHL.Results:There were 32 males (66.7%) and 16 females (33.3%) in NHL group, with the median age [ M ( Q1, Q3)] of 56.50 (45.75, 67.50) years; there were 28 males (82.4%) and 6 females (17.6%) in the healthy control group, with the median age of 52.00 (47.50, 55.50) years. There were no statistically significant differences in age and gender composition between the 2 groups (all P > 0.05). The levels of IL-2 [1.44 (1.36, 1.85) pg/ml vs. 1.19 (0.86, 1.68) pg/ml] and TNF-α [3.46 (2.68, 4.06) pg/ml vs. 2.23 (1.52, 3.46) pg/ml] in NHL group were higher than those in the healthy control group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, IFN-γ levels (all P > 0.05). According to collinear stepwise screening of independent variables, IL-4 and TNF-α were excluded from 7 cytokines, and the other 5 cytokines were included in multivariate logistic regression model, and the result showed that the decreased level of IL-2 ( OR = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.08-0.53, P = 0.001) and the increased levels of IL-6 ( OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.04-1.33, P = 0.009) and IFN-γ ( OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.08-1.46, P = 0.003) were independent risk factors for the onset of NHL. The results showed that the area under the curve of IL-2, IL-6, IFN-γ and the combination of 3 indexes for the diagnosis of NHL was 0.760 (95% CI: 0.651-0.870), 0.595 (95% CI: 0.468-0.722), 0.508 (95% CI: 0.373-0.642), 0.847 (95% CI: 0.763-0.930), and the optimal cut-off value of the combination of 3 indexes was 0.730 which was calculated by logistic regression model formula; the corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 70.2% and 94.1%, respectively. Conclusions:The decreased level of IL-2 and increased levels of IL-6 and IFN-γ at initial diagnosis are risk factors for the onset of NHL. The combined detection of the 3 indexes shows a good value in the diagnosis of NHL.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features and prognostic factors of newly-treated elderly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with intermediate-risk karyotype.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted. A total of 87 newly-treated elderly AML patients with intermediate-risk karyotype in the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital) from January 2013 to December 2023 were selected. The clinical characteristics were summarized. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards model was used to make univariate and multivariate analyses of prognostic factors.Results:The median age [ M ( Q1, Q3)] of 87 patients was 69 (60, 87) years. The patients with normal karyotype and abnormal karyotype accounted for 77.1% (67/87), 22.9% (20/87), respectively. A total of 74 patients (85.1%) had 1 or more gene mutations, of which FLT3-ITD, NPM1 mutation, CEBPA mutation and WT1 high expression accounted for 29.9% (26/87), 26.4% (23/87), 19.5% (17/87), and 65.5% (57/87), respectively; additionally, 44.7% (39/87) of patients had 2 or more gene mutations. The objective response rate of patients after induction therapy was 47.7% (41/87), while the relapse rate was 73.2% (30/41). The median progression-free survival (PFS) time was 7.8 months, and the median overall survival (OS) time was 12.1 months. Univariate analysis result revealed that age, FLT3-ITD, hypomethylating agents, and minimal residual disease complete remission (MDR-CR) were factors influencing the OS of newly-treated elderly AML patients with intermediate-risk karyotype (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that MDR-CR was an independent risk factor for OS (yes vs. no: HR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.14-0.51, P < 0.001). Conclusions:Newly-treated elderly AML patients with intermediate-risk karyotype have a high relapse rate and poor prognosis, and MDR-CR is identified as an independent influencing factor for the prognosis of these patients.

AIM:To investigate the effects of puerarin(PU)on fecal metabolomics in atherosclerosis(AS)model mice.METHODS:Apolipoprotein E gene knockout(ApoE-/-)mice were fed a high-fat,high-cholesterol diet to es-tablish an AS model.The mice were randomly divided into control,model,and PU treatment groups,with five mice in each group.Body weight changes were recorded weekly.After 12 weeks,plasma inflammatory cytokines,lipid profiles,and aortic plaque area were measured,and fecal metabolomic analysis was performed using untargeted metabolomics.RE-SULTS:(1)The high-fat,high-cholesterol diet successfully induced the AS model,with significant increases in body weight(P<0.01),plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6),and IL-1β(P<0.01),as well as higher levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),total cholesterol(TC),and triglycerides(TG),and reduced levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)(P<0.01).The plaque area in both the whole aorta and the aortic sinus was significantly increased(P<0.01).(2)PU treatment significantly reduced body weight(P<0.05)and inflammatory cytokine levels(P<0.01),and improved lipid metabolism disorders.Specifically,TC,TG,and LDL-C lev-els significantly decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01),while HDL-C levels significantly increased(P<0.01).In addition,the plaque area in both the whole aorta and the aortic sinus was significantly reduced in the PU-treated group(P<0.01).(3)Metabolomic analysis showed that PU regulated the levels of L-valine,L-phenylalanine,and L-histidine,restoring abnor-mal amino acid metabolism pathways.Additionally,PU downregulated abnormal levels of phosphatidylcholine and ce-ramide,promoting lipid metabolism balance.PU also modulated bile acid metabolism and oxidative stress mechanisms,improving purine and pyrimidine metabolism and related energy metabolism pathways.CONCLUSION:PU significantly ameliorates metabolic abnormalities in AS mouse models by regulating lipid metabolism,amino acid metabolism,bile acid metabolism,and gut microbiota-related metabolic pathways.

Dendrobium moniliforme (D. moniliforme) is a traditional medicinal herb widely cultivated in Asia. Flavonoids, one of the largest groups of secondary metabolites in plants, are significant medicinal components in Dendrobium species. Several subgroups of R2R3-MYB proteins have been validated to directly regulate flavonoid biosynthesis. Using PacBio sequencing technology, we assembled a high-quality chromosome-level D. moniliforme genome with a total length of 1.20 Gb and a contig N50 of 3.97 Mb. The BUSCO assessment of genome annotation was 91.4%. By integrating the genome and transcriptome, we identified biosynthesis pathway enzyme genes related to flavonoids, polysaccharides, carotenoids, and alkaloids. A total of 90 R2R3-MYBs were identified in D. moniliforme and classified into 21 subgroups. Studies on the functions of R2R3-MYB transcription factors revealed that R2R3-MYB in SG6 can up-regulate flavonoid biosynthesis. Various validation experiments, including subcellular localization, transient overexpression, UPLC-MS/MS, HPLC, yeast one-hybrid, and dual-luciferase assays, demonstrated that DMYB69 directly up-regulates the expression of enzyme genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis, increasing the content of flavonoids such as anthocyanin, flavone, and flavonol. Additionally, DMYB44 was shown to directly up-regulate the expression of carotenoid biosynthesis enzyme genes, thereby increasing carotenoid content. This study provides an essential genome resource and theoretical basis for molecular breeding research in D. moniliforme.

Objective To explore the mechanism of Modified Xiaoxianxiong Decoction(MXD)in"treating different diseases with the same method"for type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and obstructive sleep apnea(OSA)using network pharmacology and molecular docking.Methods Active components and related targets of the seven herbs in MXD(composed of Coptidis Rhizoma,Pinelliae Rhizoma,Trichosanthis Fructus,Bupleuri Radix,Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Paeoniae Radix Rubra,Astragali Radix)were retrieved and screened from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP).Swiss Target Prediction was used for target prediction of active components,followed by gene standardization using the UniProt database.Disease-related targets of T2DM and OSA were obtained from DisGeNET,OMIM,and GeneCards databases.A Venn diagram was used to identify overlapping targets between disease-related targets and active component-related targets,yielding potential therapeutic targets of MXD for both T2DM and OSA.The STRING database and Cytoscape 3.10.2 were employed to construct a protein-protein interaction(PPI)network and a"drug-component-target"network,respectively.Core active components and core targets were identified through network topology analysis.GO functional and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed on potential targets using Metascape.Molecular docking validation was conducted using AutoDock to assess binding affinity between core targets and compounds.Results A total of 157 active components of MXD acted on 1 043 protein targets.After comparison with 1 798 OSA-related targets and 3 466 T2DM-related targets,253 potential therapeutic targets were identified.GO enrichment analysis revealed that these targets were primarily involved in biological processes such as upregulation of phosphorus metabolism,regulation of cell migration,circulatory system processes,and hormone level regulation.KEGG pathway analysis identified key pathways including Rap1,AGE-RAGE,cAMP,and Alzheimer's disease.PPI and"drug-component-target"network topology analysis screened 39 core targets(e.g.,IL-6,TNF,Akt1,IL-1β,EGFR)and core active components(e.g.,salvianolic acid B,tanshinone IIA,baicalin,curcumin).Molecular docking confirmed stable binding between these components and their corresponding target proteins.Conclusion The common pharmacodynamic basis of MXD in"treating different diseases with the same method"for T2DM and OSA includes active components such as salvianolic acid B,baicalin,and curcumin.The shared mechanism may involve key targets(e.g.,IL-6,TNF,Akt1)and modulation of signaling pathways such as Rap1,AGE-RAGE,and cAMP.

Objective:To explore the relationship between the changes of quadriceps femoris and ICU acquired weakness(ICU-AW)in children.Method:A prospective collection of pediatric patients treated in the intensive care unit of Shenzhen children's hospital from October 2022 to March 2023.The thickness and cross-sectional area of rectus femoris and the thickness of vastus intermedius were measured by ultrasound on the 1st,4th and 7th day after ICU.The first day served as the baseline to calculate the atrophy rate for each muscle.On the 7th day,the Medical Re-search committee muscle strength score(MRC score)and critical physical function test score(PFIT-s score)were performed.According to the MRC score＜48,patients were divided into ICU-AW group and non-ICU-AW group to analyze the relationship between ICU-AW and the changes of quadriceps femoris.Result:A total of 21 critically ill children were included,including 11 males and 10 females.The incidence of ICU-AW in children was 41.2％(4 cases were not evaluated because of delirium).Within 7 days after en-tering ICU,the atrophy rate of cross-sectional area of rectus femoris was the highest,reaching-8.00％±15.10％.Both groups showed the greatest rate of change in the vastus intermedius thickness over 7 days,with the ICU-AW group mainly showing an increase in thickness(19.51％±16.51％over 4 days,14.14％±28.13％over 7 days),while the non-ICU-AW group primarily showed atrophy(-16.07％±17.46％over 4 days,-15.55％±30.04％over 7 days).The ICU-AW group had an average increase in rectus femoris thickness of 4.51％±8.38％within 7 days of ICU admission,while the non-ICU-AW group had an average atrophy rate of-8.19％±11.79％.There was no correlation between muscular atrophy rate and PFIT-s score(all P＞0.05),but there was a moderate negative correlation between rectus femoris thickness atrophy rate and femoral intermediate muscle thickness atrophy rate and MRC score within 4 days,respectively(ritual color 0.541 million 0.657 million 0.004),and moderate negative correlation between MRC score and thickness atrophy rate of rectus femoris and vastus medius within 7 days.There was no significant correlation between the atrophy rate of cross-section-al area of rectus femoris and MRC score.Conclusion:Compared with the non-ICU-AW group,the muscle thickness in the ICU-AW group is mainly thickened rather than atrophied,which can be identified by ultrasound on the 4th day after ICU.The specific diagnostic threshold is worthy of further study.

AIM:To investigate the mechanism of Qianggu-Kangshu formula(QGKSF)in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis(RA)bone destruction based on network pharmacology,molecular docking,and cell experiments.METHODS:The main active ingredients and potential targets of QGKSF were obtained through TCMSP database and litera-ture search.OMIM database and GeneCards database were used to search the targets related to RA bone destruction,and Venny 2.1.0 was employed to screen the intersected targets of QGKSF and RA bone destruction.The protein-protein inter-action network of potential intersected targets was constructed by STRING database,and topological analysis was carried out by Cytoscape software to screen core targets.The screened targets of QGKSF related to RA bone destruction were evalu-ated through the Metascape system.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)and Gene Ontology were applied to complete enrichment analysis.AutoDock and PyMOL software was used to carry out molecular docking between the core components and the core proteins.Mouse RAW264.7 macrophages were cultured in vitro,and the cell viability was de-tected by CCK-8 assay.The number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase(TRAP)positive multinucleated cells in each group was calculated by TRAP staining.The enzyme activity of the cells was evaluated by determination of TRAP activity.F-actin ring formation was detected by phalloidin staining.Western blot analysis was conducted to detect the protein levels of nuclear factor of activated T cells 1(NFATc1),TRAP,cathepsin K(CTSK),c-Fos,matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP9),osteoprotegerin(OPG),receptor activator of nuclear factor κB(RANK),RANK ligand(RANKL)and phos-phorylated protein kinase B(p-AKT).RESULTS:A total of 136 active ingredients and 126 targets were selected corre-lated with QGKSF,whil 207 intersected targets of QGKSF and RA bone destruction were screened,175 of which were core targets.There were 199 pathways obtained by GO enrichment,and 20 pathways related to osteoclasts were screened out,including phosphatidylinoinosiol 3-kinase/AKT signaling pathway and osteoclast differentiation,etc.The results of TRAP staining,TRAP enzyme activity determination and phalloidin staining showed less positive cell formation,de-creased enzyme activity and decreased F-actin ring formation in QGKSF and methotrexate(MTX)groups compared with model group.Western blot results showed that compared with model group,the protein levels of NFATc1,TRAP,CTSK,c-Fos,MMP9,p-AKT,RANK and RANKL were decreased(P＜0.05),while the expression of OPG protein was in-creased(P＜0.05)in QGKSF and MTX groups.CONCLUSION:Treatment with QGKSF inhibits RANKL-induced dif-ferentiation of RAW264.7 cells into osteoclasts possibly by inhibiting the over-differentiation of osteoclasts via regulating RANKL/RANK/OPG signaling pathway.

Objective:To explore the predictive value of prognostic nutritional index (PNI) combined with serum peroxiredoxin 3 (PRX3) level for the prognosis of patients with advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) .Methods:A total of 103 patients with advanced HGSOC admitted to Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University from Jan. 2020 to Dec. 2022 were retrospectively selected and included in the study. Serum albumin (Alb), PRX3 levels and peripheral blood lymphocyte count (LY) levels were measured. The patients were followed up for 2 years, and they were divided into good prognosis group (70 cases) and poor prognosis group (33 cases). Multivariate stepwise Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the prognostic factors. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive efficacy of PNI combined with PRX3 on prognosis.Results:The age, proportion of postoperative residual lesions, proportion of lymph node metastasis, proportion of stage Ⅲ, and PRX3 level in the poor prognosis group were higher than those in the good prognosis group, and the PNI level was lower than that in the good prognosis group ( P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that postoperative residual lesions ( OR=2.731, 95% CI: 1.562-4.774), clinical stage ( OR=3.526, 95% CI: 1.503-8.271), PNI level ( OR=0.148, 95% CI: 1.503-8.271) 0.057-0.387) and PRX3 level ( OR=4.011, 95% CI: 1.972-8.154) were independent influencing factors for the prognosis of patients ( P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of PNI, PRX3 and their combination for predicting the prognosis of advanced HGSOC patients were 0.807, 0.781 and 0.874, respectively ( P<0.05). The survival curve of patients with high PNI and PRX3 levels was different from that of patients with low PNI and PRX3 levels ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:PNI and PRX3 are independent prognostic factors for advanced HGSOC patients, and the combination of PNI and PRX3 has a better prognostic value in patients with advanced HGSOC.

Osteoporosis is a systemic disease characterized by imbalanced bone metabolism and destruction of bone microstructure, with reduced bone density, decreased bone quality, and significantly increased risk of fracture as its hallmarks. At present, osteoporosis is primarily diagnosed through bone density measurement. However, this method has low sensitivity and is challenging for the early diagnosis of osteoporosis. We analyzed osteoporosis-related metabolomics studies based on blood, urine, and fecal samples, as well as the application of multi-omics approaches in elucidating its pathogenesis. Evidence suggests that metabolomics can detect metabolic alterations prior to measurable changes in bone mineral density, offering promising avenues for early osteoporosis detection. Blood-based metabolomics studies indicate that amino acid metabolism dysregulation is a key feature of osteoporosis. Specifically, glycine, glutamine, lysine, and hydroxyproline exhibit negative correlations with bone mineral density, whereas tryptophan, branched-chain amino acids, and arginine show positive associations. Lipid metabolism disturbances are characterized by increased levels of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and triglycerides, alongside decreased levels of sphingomyelin and carnitine. Fecal metabolomics studies highlight the significance of the "gut-bone axis" in osteoporosis, where gut microbiota dysbiosis influences bone metabolism through modulation of arginine and proline metabolism and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathways. Multi-omics approaches integrate metabolomics, genomics, proteomics, and other omics data to provide a more comprehensive understanding of osteoporosis' molecular mechanisms, enabling the identification of key biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Metabolomics holds considerable potential for early diagnosis, while multi-omics integration offers novel insights into the complex pathophysiological mechanisms underlying osteoporosis. As detection technologies and analytical methods continue to advance, omics-based strategies are expected to play a pivotal role in the development of precision medicine for osteoporosis.