OBJECTIVES: To investigate the changes in blood levels of calcium and bone metabolism biochemical markers in patients with primary osteoporosis receiving treatment with denosumab. METHODS: Seventy-three patients with primary osteoporosis treated in our Department between December, 2021 and December 2023 were enrolled. All the patients were treated with calcium supplements, vitamin D and calcitriol in addition to regular denosumab treatment every 6 months. Blood calcium, parathyroid hormone (PTH), osteocalcin (OC), type I procollagen amino-terminal propeptide (PINP), and type I collagen carboxy-terminal telopeptide β special sequence (β‑CTX) data before and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after the first treatment were collected from each patient. RESULTS: Three months after the first denosumab treatment, the bone turnover markers (BTMs) OC, PINP, and β-CTX were significantly decreased compared to their baseline levels by 39.5% (P<0.001), 56.2% (P<0.001), and 81.8% (P<0.001), respectively. At 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment, OC, PINP, and β-CTX remained significantly lower than their baseline levels (P<0.001). Blood calcium level was decreased (P<0.05) and PTH level increased (P<0.05) significantly in these patients at months of denosumab treatment, but their levels were comparable to the baseline levels at 6, 9, and 12 months of the treatment (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Denosumab can suppress BTMs and has a good therapeutic effect in patients with primary osteoporosis, but reduction of blood calcium and elevation of PTH levels can occur during the first 3 months in spite of calcium supplementation. Blood calcium and PTH levels can recover the baseline levels as the treatment extended, suggesting the importance of monitoring blood calcium and PTH levels during denosumab treatment.
Humans ; Denosumab/therapeutic use* ; Calcium/blood* ; Parathyroid Hormone/blood* ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Osteoporosis/blood* ; Osteocalcin/blood* ; Procollagen/blood* ; Female ; Collagen Type I/blood* ; Peptide Fragments/blood* ; Bone Density Conservation Agents/therapeutic use* ; Bone and Bones/metabolism* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Vitamin D ; Peptides/blood* ; Aged

This study was performed to investigate the features of HBV-specific CD8+T cell reactivity in patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB),HBV-induced liver cirrhosis(LC)or hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).A total of 124 CHB patients,36 LC patients,and 114 HCC patients were enrolled in this study.The reactive HBV-specific CD8+T cells in peripheral blood were enumerated using an innovative ELISPOT system.In addition,19 CHB patients and 20 HCC patients were longitudinally monitored with an interval of 3-5 months.Data showed that the numbers of reactive HBV-specific CD8+T cells in CHB group were not significantly different from that in LC group,but obviously lower than that in HCC group(P=0.009 9),especially HBsAg-,HBpol-and HBe/cAg-specific CD8+T cells.In CHB group,the patients with normal ALT level,AST level,or low HBV-DNA load showed significantly more reactive HBV-specific CD8+T cells than the patients with abnormal ALT level,abnormal AST level,or high HBV-DNA load.Furthermore,the duration of NUCs treatment had an impact on the HBV-specific CD8+T cell reactivity in CHB patients,while different NUCs at the same treatment duration did not bring different reactivity of HBV-specific T cells.In LC group,the HBeAg-positive patients presented much more reactive HBV-specific CD8+T cells than the HBeAg-negative patients did.In HCC group,the numbers of reactive HBV-specific CD8+T cells in the patients with normal AFP level or normal DCP level were significantly higher than that in the patients with abnormal AFP level or abnormal DCP level.Longitudinal monitoring results showed that HBV-specific CD8+T cell reactivity displayed a slow upward trend in the CHB patients undergoing NUCs treatment,and an obvious increasing in the HCC patients undergoing combined treatment of targeted drugs and immunotherapy.Taken together,the features of HBV-specific CD8+T cell reactivity are distinct among the CHB,LC and HCC patients,and are influenced by virological indicators,tumor markers and treatment regimens.Therefore,more attention should be paid to the changes of HBV-specific CD8+T cell reactivity during clinical treatment.

Objective:To investigate the associated factors of depressive symptoms among patients with neo-plasms.Methods:Nationwide(excluding Hong Kong,Macao,and Taiwan),30 505 residents were selected by a combination of stratified sampling and quota sampling according to the proportion of the seventh national population census.Patient Health Questionnaire-9(PHQ-9),General Anxiety Disorder-7(GAD-7),self-made questionnaire,and simplified perceived social support scale used to evaluate depressive symptoms,anxiety symptoms,behaviors,and perceived social support among patients with neoplasms.Results:Totally 359(1.2％)patients with self-repor-ted clinically diagnosed neoplasms were included,of which 151(42.1％)patients with malignant neoplasms and 208(57.9％)patients with benign neoplasms.The detection rate of depressive symptoms in patients with neo-plasms was 76.6％.Less than three days of walking for more than 10 minutes per day in the past week(OR=6.63),4-6 days of walking for more than 10 minutes per day in the past week(OR=5.00),the low(OR=4.80)or medium(OR=3.06)overall sleep quality,the lower perceived friend support(OR=4.66),and anxiety symp-toms(OR=1.74)among patients with neoplasms were risk factors for depressive symptoms.Conclusion:Patients with neoplasms generally might be at a high risk of depressive symptoms,especially for those patients with less ex-ercise,poor sleep quality,and low perceived social support.

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of HBV-specific T cell reactivity among pregnant, postpartum and non-pregnant women at childbearing age with chronic HBV infection.Methods:A total of 100 patients with chronic HBV infection were enrolled in this study, including 43 pregnant women (pregnant group), 26 patients giving birth within six months (postpartum group), and 31 non-pregnant patients at childbearing age (non-pregnant group). The functional HBV-specific T cells in peripheral blood were detected by ELISPOT. Clinical data as well as the results of virological and serological tests of HBV were collected for stratified analysis.Results:There was no significant difference in the number of functional HBV-specific T cells between the pregnant group and the postpartum group, but the number was significantly lesser in the pregnant group than in the non-pregnant group ( P<0.05). Furthermore, the number of functional HBV-specific T cells was significantly higher in the nucleoside analogues (NUCs)-treated pregnant women than in the NUCs-untreated pregnant women ( P<0.05). Among the patients without NUCs treatment, there were no significant differences in the numbers of hepatitis B envelope antigen/hepatitis B core antigen (HBeAg/HBcAg)-specific T cells between the pregnant group and the postpartum group, but the numbers were lower in the pregnant group than in the non-pregnant group ( P<0.05). Among the NUCs-treated patients, there was no significant difference in the number of functional HBV-specific T cells between the pregnant group and the non-pregnant group, and the numbers in the two groups were significantly higher than that in the postpartum group (both P<0.05). Additionally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve indicated that the number of functional HBV-specific T cells in combination with HBV DNA load [area under the curve (AUC)=0.807] or hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels (AUC=0.916) had a good predictive performance for hepatitis progression during pregnancy. Conclusions:Pregnancy can reduce HBV-specific T cell reactivity in women with chronic HBV infection, but NUCs treatment may improve the function of specific T cells. Routine monitoring of HBV-specific T cells during pregnancy and postpartum period can provide valuable guidance for the evaluation of immune function and treatments.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. Fat accumulation "sensitizes" the liver to insult and leads to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). G protein-coupled receptor 35 (GPR35) is involved in metabolic stresses, but its role in NAFLD is unknown. We report that hepatocyte GPR35 mitigates NASH by regulating hepatic cholesterol homeostasis. Specifically, we found that GPR35 overexpression in hepatocytes protected against high-fat/cholesterol/fructose (HFCF) diet-induced steatohepatitis, whereas loss of GPR35 had the opposite effect. Administration of the GPR35 agonist kynurenic acid (Kyna) suppressed HFCF diet-induced steatohepatitis in mice. Kyna/GPR35 induced expression of StAR-related lipid transfer protein 4 (STARD4) through the ERK1/2 signaling pathway, ultimately resulting in hepatic cholesterol esterification and bile acid synthesis (BAS). The overexpression of STARD4 increased the expression of the BAS rate-limiting enzymes cytochrome P450 family 7 subfamily A member 1 (CYP7A1) and CYP8B1, promoting the conversion of cholesterol to bile acid. The protective effect induced by GPR35 overexpression in hepatocytes disappeared in hepatocyte STARD4-knockdown mice. STARD4 overexpression in hepatocytes reversed the aggravation of HFCF diet-induced steatohepatitis caused by the loss of GPR35 expression in hepatocytes in mice. Our findings indicate that the GPR35-STARD4 axis is a promising therapeutic target for NAFLD.

Presynaptic dopaminergic PET imaging is a useful method for the diagnosis of parkinsonism. Based on the expert consensus on operation and clinical application of dopamine transporter brain PET imaging technology published in 2020, this paper further recommends the relevant elements of result interpretation of presynaptic dopaminergic PET imaging.

BACKGROUND: There is little published evidence about the role of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the progression from prehypertension to hypertension. This study was conducted to investigate the association of NAFLD and its severity with the risk of hypertension developing from prehypertension. METHODS: The study cohort comprised 25,433 participants from the Kailuan study with prehypertension at baseline; those with excessive alcohol consumption and other liver diseases were excluded. NAFLD was diagnosed by ultrasonography and stratified as mild, moderate, or severe. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of incident hypertension according to the presence and 3 categories of severity of NAFLD. RESULTS: During a median of 12.6 years of follow-up, 10,638 participants progressed to hypertension from prehypertension. After adjusting for multiple risk factors, patients with prehypertension and NAFLD had a 15% higher risk of incident hypertension than those without NAFLD (HR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.10-1.21). Moreover, the severity of NAFLD was associated with the incidence of hypertension, which was higher in patients with more severe NAFLD (HR = 1.15 [95% CI 1.10-1.21] in the mild NAFLD group; HR = 1.15 [95% CI 1.07-1.24] in the moderate NAFLD group; and HR = 1.20 [95% CI 1.03-1.41] in the severe NAFLD group). Subgroup analysis indicated that age and baseline systolic blood pressure may modify this association. CONCLUSIONS NAFLD is an independent risk factor for hypertension in patients with prehypertension. The risk of incident hypertension increases with the severity of NAFLD.
Humans ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/complications* ; Prehypertension/diagnosis* ; Risk Factors ; Hypertension ; Incidence

Objective:To explore the influence of chronic rhinitis on depressive symptoms of college freshmen and the mediating effect of avoidant personality.Methods:A cluster sampling method was used to survey 8 079 college freshmen from April 2018 to October 2018 using the Beck depression inventory and the avoidant personality diagnosis questionnaire based on DSM-Ⅳ.SPSS 25.0 software was used for descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation analysis, and the macro program PROCESS version 3.3 was used for the mediating effect.Results:(1) The detection rates of chronic rhinitis, avoidant personality and depressive symptoms were 22.90% (1 850/8 079), 19.22% (1 553/8 079) and 6.28% (507/8 079). The scores for avoidant personality disorder and depressive symptoms were 1.00 (0, 3.00) and 1.00 (0, 4.00), respectively. (2) The chronic rhinitis, avoidant personality and depressive symptoms were positively correlated ( rchronic rhinitis-avoidant personality=0.094, rchronic rhinitis-depressive symptoms=0.095, ravoidant personality-depressive symptoms=0.416, all P<0.001). (3) Chronic rhinitis could positively predict depressive symptoms ( β=1.113, P<0.001). (4) Avoidant personality played a mediating role between chronic rhinitis and depressive symptoms ( β=1.094, P<0.001), and accounted for 44.92%(0.500/1.113) of the total effect. Conclusion:Chronic rhinitis directly affect the depressive symptoms of college freshmen, and indirectly affect the depressive symptoms of college freshmen through the mediating role of avoidant personality.

Due to the availability of 18F-FDG in PET centers, this article aims to advocate and promote the standardization of 18F-FDG PET brain imaging in dementia in order to improve the reliability, repeatability and comparison of the imaging process and results. It is also provided to guide the PET imaging operation standard and to give suggestions on image interpretation.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between blood glucose fluctuation and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the predictive value of betatrophin.Methods:A total of 180 newly diagnosed T2DM patients in Taiyuan Central Hospital from June 2018 to December 2019 were included for the study. And they were divided into normal intima-media group (81 cases), intima-media thickening group (60 cases) and plaque formation group (39 cases) according to the results of carotid ultrasound. The body test indexes, glucose and lipid metabolism indexes, blood glucose fluctuation and betatrophin level were compared among the three groups, and the correlation of these indexes with CIMT and risk factors of CIMT were analyzed.Results:The mean and maximal amplitude of glycemic excursions (AGE) in the plaque formation group and intima-media thickening group were significantly higher than those in the normal intima-media group [(5.08±0.62), (4.06±0.54) vs (3.17±0.41) mmol/L and (5.20±0.72), (4.26±0.54) vs (3.34±0.59) mmol/L] (all P<0.05), and these indexes in the plaque formation group were significantly higher than the intima-media thickening group (all P<0.05). Betatrophin levels in intima-media thickening group and plaque formation group were significantly higher than those in normal intima-media group [(423.35±76.24) and (490.68±97.84) vs (358.29±92.27) ng/L] (both P<0.05). Hip circumference and triglyceride (TG) in plaque formation group were obviously higher than those of the normal intima-media group and intima-media thickening group [(103.5±6.3) vs (97.6±7.0), (99.5±7.4) cm and 2.99 (1.32, 3.92) vs 1.70 (1.21, 2.39), 1.84(1.43, 2.93) mmol/L] (all P<0.05), and waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), insulin resistance of homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) levels in plaque formation group were significantly higher than those in normal intima-media group [(94.0 (86.0, 102.0) vs 88.0 (82.5, 94.0) cm, (136.2±18.0) vs (125.9±15.3) mmHg, 10.16 (8.43, 13.23) vs 8.49 (6.98, 9.97) mmol/L, (6.31±0.90) vs (4.99±0.99) mmol/L, 4.90 (3.50, 7.13) vs 2.77 (1.32, 5.07)] (all P<0.05). CIMT was positively correlated with waist circumference, hip circumference, systolic blood pressure (SBP), FBG, TC, TG, HOMA-IR, betatrophin, the mean and maximal AGE, blood glucose fluctuation coefficient (BGFC) (all P<0.05), and it was negatively correlated with time in range (TIR) ( P<0.05). The mean and maximal AGE, TC, TG and betatrophin were independent risk factors of CIMT (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Blood glucose fluctuation is closely related to CIMT in patients with T2DM, and betatrophin is expected to be an early predictor of diabetic macroangiopathy.