Objective To investigate the sputum metabolic profiles of patients with occupational coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) by an untargeted metabolomics method, and to identify relevant differential metabolic pathways and potential biomarkers. Methods A total of 12 male patients with stage Ⅰ CWP were selected as the CWP group, and 16 healthy male individuals were selected as the control group, using a judgmental sampling method. Sputum metabolites of individuals in both groups were detected to perform non-targeted metabolomic analysis using the ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Differential metabolites (DMs) and their pathways were screened using principal component analysis, partial least squares discriminant analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Potential biomarkers were analyzed and identified via the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Results There were apparent metabolic alterations observed in sputum of CWP patients compared with healthy controls. In the positive ion mode, a total of 42 DMs were identified in sputum from CWP patients, including 19 downregulated and 23 upregulated metabolites. In the negative ion mode, a total of 25 DMs were identified in sputum from CWP patients, including 16 downregulated and 9 upregulated metabolites. KEGG enrichment analysis of sputum from CWP patients showed that seven DMs pathways were enriched in ABC transporters, histidine metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, purine metabolism, and oxidative phosphorylation, involving 26 DMs. ROC analysis indicated that 16(R)-hydroxyarachidonic acid, pyrophosphate, and 2-hydroxyphenylacetate of these 26 DMs may serve as potential biomarkers for CWP. Conclusion Sputum metabolomic profiles were altered in CWP patients compared with healthy controls. The potential biomarkers of CWP prevention and treatment are 16(R)-hydroxyarachidonic acid, pyrophosphate, and 2-hydroxyphenylacetate.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Coptidis Rhizoma and Ophiopogonis Radix on renal tissue injury and epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway in rats with diabetic nephropathy （DN） and explore its possible mechanism of delaying DN. MethodThirty-six male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal group （6 rats） and a model group （30 rats）. The model group was fed with a high-fat and high-sugar diet combined with streptozotocin （STZ） to establish a rat model of type 2 diabetes. After the successful preparation of the model， the rats were randomly divided into the model group， low， medium， and high dose groups of Coptidis Rhizoma and Ophiopogonis Radix （100， 200， 400 mg·kg^-1）， and metformin group （200 mg·kg^-1）. After administration， the levels of fasting blood glucose （FBG）， 24 h urine protein （24 h-UTP）， creatinine （SCr）， urea nitrogen （BUN）， and uric acid （UA） were detected. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes of renal tissue in rats. Western blot and Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were used to detect the related protein expression of EGFR， PI3K， and Akt and their mRNA expression levels in the renal tissue of rats in each group. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the levels of FBG， SCr， BUN， UA， 24 h-UTP， and kidney index in the model group were significantly increased （P<0.01）， most renal tubular epithelial cells were necrotic， and the content of collagen in glomeruli was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the above indexes of rats in each administration group were improved to varying degrees. The FBG， SCr， BUN， UA， 24 h-UTP， and kidney index of rats in each dose group and metformin group were significantly decreased （P<0.01， P<0.05）. The necrosis degree of renal tubular epithelial cells was reduced， and the fibrosis area was decreased （P<0.01）. There related protein and mRNA expressions of EGFR， PI3K， and Akt were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionCoptidis Rhizoma and Ophiopogonis Radix can alleviate renal tissue injury in rats with DN， and their mechanism may be related to the regulation of the EGFR/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the relationship between blood uric acid levels and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type H hypertension.Methods The clinical data of 284 patients with type H hyper-tension admitted to the Cardiovascular Department,Xianyang Hospital,Yan'an University in 2022 were collected and retrospectively reviewed.The patients were divided into NAFLD group(n=88)and normal group(n=196)according to whether they had NAFLD.The general information and laboratory indicators were compared between the two groups.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the influencing factors of NAFLD in H-type hypertension patients.The draw ROC curves were plotted to observe the role of SUA in predicting NAFLD and select the optimal cutoff value based on the maximum Youden index.Results The NAFLD group demonstrated higher levels in body mass index,systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,total cholesterol,triglycerides,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,SUA,γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase and alanine aminotransferase compared to the normal group,but significantly lower levels at age and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(P＜0.05).The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that elevated levels of BMI(OR=1.173,95%CI:1.066～1.291),SUA(OR=1.005,95%CI:1.001～1.010),and TG(OR=1.929,95%CI:1.042～3.574)were risk factors for NAFLD in patients with type H hypertension(P＜0.05).The ROC curves showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of SUA,TG,BMI,and their combination were 0.709,0.707,0.750,and 0.796,respectively.Conclusion type H hypertensive NAFLD patients have high levels of BMI,SUA,TG compared to non-NAFLD patients.Elevated SUA is a risk factor for type H hypertensive NAFLD patients,with SUA＞337 μmol/L as a significant value for predicting NAFLD.

Tumor treatment remains a significant medical challenge, with many traditional therapies causing notable side effects. Recent research has led to the development of immunotherapy, which offers numerous advantages. Bacteria inherently possess motility, allowing them to preferentially colonize tumors and modulate the tumor immune microenvironment, thus influencing the efficacy of immunotherapy. Bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) secreted by gram-negative bacteria are nanoscale lipid bilayer structures rich in bacterial antigens, pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), various proteins, and vesicle structures. These features allow OMVs to stimulate immune system activation, generate immune responses, and serve as efficient drug delivery vehicles. This dual capability enhances the effectiveness of immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy or phototherapy, thereby improving anticancer drug efficacy. Current research has concentrated on engineering OMVs to enhance production yield, minimize cytotoxicity, and improve the safety and efficacy of treatments. Consequently, OMVs hold great promise for applications in tumor immunotherapy, tumor vaccine development, and drug delivery. This article provides an overview of the structural composition and immune mechanisms of OMVs, details various OMVs modification strategies, and reviews the progress in using OMVs for tumor treatment and their anti-tumor mechanisms. Additionally, it discusses the challenges faced in translating OMV-based anti-tumor therapies into clinical practice, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of OMVs' potential for in-depth research and clinical application.

Objective To investigate the prevalence and progression process of atopic diseases in adolescents, and to assess their relationship with filaggrin(FLG)mutations. Methods Totally, 334 adolescents aged from 11 to 19 years in a middle school in shanghai were enrolled into this study. A clinical interview was carried out to determine the prevalence of atopic diseases (such as ichthyosis, atopic dermatitis (AD), asthma, rhinitis, etc)in these subjects. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 285 out of the 334 adolescents for screening for common FLG mutations, including 3321delA and K4671X. Five years later, these adolescents were followed up for reevaluation of clinical presentations of atopic diseases. Statistical analysis was carried out by the chi-square test with the SPSS 20.0 software. Results As the baseline survey showed, 19 (5.69%)of the 334 adolescents had AD, 14 (4.19%)had ichthyosis vulgaris, 36(10.78%)had allergic rhinitis, and 4(1.20%)had asthma. FLG mutations were observed in 24(8.42%) of the 285 adolescents. Five years later, 265 adoscents completed the follow-up, and 69 (20.66%)were lost to follow-up. Of the 265 adolescents reevaluated, 13(4.89%)had AD, 15(5.64%)had ichthyosis vulgaris, 27(10.15%)had allergic rhinitis, and 1 (0.38%)had asthma. By the time the second survey was performed, 6 out of the 19 patients initially diagnosed with AD had achieved complete regression, 13 had experienced a marked decrease in SCORing atopic dermatitis (SCORAD)score, and symptoms had disappeared in 9 of the 36 patients initially diagnosed with allergic rhinitis. The frequency of FLG mutations was 10.0%in patients with AD, 55.6%in those with ichthyosis, and 40.0%in those with both AD and ichthyosis, and the development of ichthyosis was associated with FLG mutations(P<0.001). Conclusions The frequency of common FLG mutations was 8.42%in these adolescents. FLG gene may be a semidominant gene associated with ichthyosis vulgaris, and multiple factors influence its expression.

ABSTRACT:Objective To observe the effect of acupoint plaster based on the theory of meridian stream of time-choosing in patients with bronchial asthma.Methods 200 bronchial asthma patients were randomly divided into experimental group and control group with 100 patients in each group.The experimental group were applied acupoint plaster on Shen time of 15:00-17:00 of the hottest time of summer while the control group were applied plasters on different time of Shen time on the early,middle and Mofu time in the summer for three times in total.Effective rate,the quality of life and psychological status of patients in two groups were compared in the summer.Re-sults Efficacy of anti-recurrence,quality of life and mental state of patients in experimental group were significantly better than that in control group,which showed statistically significant difference (P <0.05).Conclusion Meridian stream of acupoint plaster can significantly improve the thera-peutic efficacy of bronchial asthma,so it is worthy of clinical popularization and application.

ABSTRACT:Objective To observe the effect of acupoint plaster based on the theory of meridian stream of time-choosing in patients with bronchial asthma.Methods 200 bronchial asthma patients were randomly divided into experimental group and control group with 100 patients in each group.The experimental group were applied acupoint plaster on Shen time of 15:00-17:00 of the hottest time of summer while the control group were applied plasters on different time of Shen time on the early,middle and Mofu time in the summer for three times in total.Effective rate,the quality of life and psychological status of patients in two groups were compared in the summer.Re-sults Efficacy of anti-recurrence,quality of life and mental state of patients in experimental group were significantly better than that in control group,which showed statistically significant difference (P <0.05).Conclusion Meridian stream of acupoint plaster can significantly improve the thera-peutic efficacy of bronchial asthma,so it is worthy of clinical popularization and application.