ObjectiveThis study aims to observe the effect of sinomenine （SIN） on fatty acid binding protein 4 （FABP4） in synovial tissue of rats with osteoarthritis （OA） and investigate the therapeutic mechanism of SIN on OA， further providing new ideas for the management of osteoarthritis by traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. MethodsAn OA rat model was constructed and randomly divided into a control group， an OA group， an OA + SIN-L group （50 mg·kg^-1）， an OA + SIN-M （100 mg·kg^-1）， an OA + SIN-H （200 mg·kg^-1）， and an OA + prednisone （PDN） group （5 mg·kg^-1）. Following surgical modeling for three weeks， an appropriate medication was administered for four weeks. During modeling and administration， a hot plate test was performed to detect the pain and swelling of the knee joints of the rats. The periarticular tissue was collected for arthropathological observation at the end of drug administration. The expression of cleaved Caspase-3， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2 associated X protein （Bax）， and FABP4 in the synovial tissue of rats was detected by Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and the expression and distribution of FABP4 protein in the synovial membrane were detected by immunofluorescence. ResultsCompared with those in the control group， the levels of inflammatory factors and FABP4 in the serum of rats in the OA group were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and joint swelling was significantly elevated （P<0.01）. The thermal pain threshold was significantly reduced （P<0.01）， and the expression of FABP4 protein and the fluorescence intensity were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The synovial tissue exhibited significantly increased inflammatory infiltration， proliferated fibroblasts， and an elevated apoptotic index （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with those in the OA group， the serum lipid metabolism indexes of rats in the SIN administration group gradually returned to normal （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the levels of inflammatory factors and FABP4 in the serum of rats in the SIN-administered group were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and joint swelling was significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The thermal pain threshold was significantly elevated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the expression of FABP4 protein and fluorescence intensity in the synovial tissue were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The synovial tissue displayed significantly reduced inflammatory infiltration and a decreased apoptotic index （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionThe therapeutic effect of SIN on OA may be related to the down-regulation of FABP4 expression， reduction of apoptosis， and inhibition of inflammatory factor expression.

Objective:To explore the potential role of mRNA m7G modification in the pathogenesis of human adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG).Methods:Pathological tissue specimens from four AEG patients who underwent surgical treatment at the People′s Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University between 2018 and 2019 were selected. Tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues were collected from these patients. RNA was extracted from both tissue types and subjected to m7G methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (m7G-MeRIP-seq) to analyze the patterns of m7G modification, the characteristics of differential m7G modification sites, the differentially expressed mRNA, and the correlation between m7G modification and mRNA expression levels. Differential m7G-modified genes ( MSH6, BRCA1, and SOX9) were further validated using methylated RNA immunoprecipitation quantitative PCR (MeRIP-qPCR), while the expression of METTL1 and WDR4 genes was examined by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the People′s Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University (Ethics No. 20150083). Results:① m7G-MeRIP-seq analysis revealed that m7G modifications in both AEG and adjacent normal tissues were predominantly located in the GC-rich region surrounding the internal start codon of mRNA. Differential m7G modification sites between the two groups were closely associated with cancer-related genes. ② mRNA library analysis showed that differentially expressed mRNA were predominantly upregulated in AEG tissues and downregulated in adjacent normal tissues. ③ Cross-analysis indicated that genes with hypermethylation tended to exhibit upregulated expression, while genes with hypomethylation were typically downregulated in AEG tissues. ④ MeRIP-qPCR validation confirmed that the mRNA expression of MSH6, BRCA1, and SOX9 were significantly upregulated in AEG tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues (AEG vs. normal, P<0.05). ⑤ RT-qPCR results demonstrated that the mRNA expression levels of METTL1 and WDR4 were also upregulated in AEG tissues (AEG vs. normal, P<0.000 5). Conclusion:These findings suggest that mRNA m7G modification plays a significant role in the development of AEG. Furthermore, proteins as METTL1 and WDR4 may facilitate AEG progression by regulating mRNA m7G modification. These results provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying AEG and may inform future therapeutic strategies for this malignancy.

Objective:To explore the association between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2073618 and rs3102735 of the TNFRSF11B gene and the susceptibility to gastric cancer. Methods:A case-control study was conducted. A total of 577 patients with primary gastric cancer treated at Zhenjiang First People′s Hospital from May 2013 to June 2017 were selected as the case group, and 678 healthy individuals who underwent physical examinations at the same hospital during the same period were enrolled as the control group. Blood samples were collected from both groups, and genomic DNA was extracted. The target gene fragments were amplified using PCR, and genotyping was performed using the Snapshot technique. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS v2.0 software. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Zhenjiang First People′s Hospital (Ethics No. 20150083). Results:① The smoking rate was significantly higher in the case group than in the control group ( P=0.006). ② The T > C polymorphism at the rs3102735 locus of the TNFRSF11B gene was significantly associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer (CC vs. TT: OR=2.164, 95% CI=1.063~4.406, P=0.030). In contrast, the rs2073618 polymorphism did not show a significant association with gastric cancer susceptibility ( P>0.05). ③ Stratified analysis by age, gender, smoking status, and drinking status revealed no significant association between the rs2073618 polymorphism and gastric cancer susceptibility ( P>0.05). However, the rs3102735 polymorphism showed a significant association with gastric cancer risk in individuals over 62 years of age (CC vs. TT: OR=5.44, 95% CI=1.54~19.21, P=0.003). Conclusion:The rs3102735 polymorphism of the TNFRSF11B gene may be associated with susceptibility to gastric cancer, particularly in older populations. This polymorphism could serve as a potential indicator for identifying high-risk groups for gastric cancer.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between blood lipid levels and arterial stiffness in middle-aged and elderly Han Chinese individuals with angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE)gene I/D polymorphism in Beijing.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study.The Han Chinese residents, aged 45 years and above, from Haidian District of Beijing, were recruited for the survey from May to August 2022.Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 356 subjects were included, of which 100(28.09%)were male and 256(71.91%)were female.According to the population division criteria proposed by the World Health Organization, the subjects were divided into 253 cases in the middle-aged group[45-59 years old, median age 52.5(49.0, 56.0)years]and 103 cases in the elderly group[60-89 years old, median age 63.0(61.0, 65.0)years].Subjects were tested for ACE genotyping, lipids and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity(baPWV).Lipid indices included triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol(TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C).Results:In the middle-aged group, there were no significant differences in plasma levels of TC, TG and HDL-C between individuals with the DD genotype and those with the ID/Ⅱ genotype(all P>0.05).Similarly, in the elderly group, no significant differences were observed in plasma TC, TG, and HDL-C levels between individuals with the DD genotype and those with the ID/Ⅱ genotype(all P>0.05).In the middle-aged group, plasma LDL-C levels were significantly higher in the DD phenotype than in the ID/Ⅱ phenotype( Z=-2.483, P=0.013), while there was no significant difference in plasma LDL-C levels between the two phenotypes in the elderly group( Z=-0.935, P=0.350).There were no significant differences in baPWV between the DD and ID/Ⅱ phenotypes in both the middle-aged and elderly groups( Z=-0.104, -1.490, P=0.917, 0.136).In the elderly group, plasma TG levels were positively correlated with baPWV in the DD phenotype( r=0.590, P=0.016).In the middle-aged group, plasma TG levels were positively correlated with baPWV in the ID/Ⅱ phenotype( r=0.158, P=0.019), while plasma HDL-C levels were negatively correlated with baPWV( r=-0.174, P=0.009). Conclusions:Among middle-aged and elderly individuals with different ACE gene I/D polymorphisms, there are differences in blood lipid indicators sensitive to arterial stiffness.For middle-aged individuals with the ID/Ⅱ phenotype, arterial stiffness is more sensitive to high TG and low HDL-C levels, whereas for elderly individuals with the DD phenotype, arterial stiffness is more sensitive to high TG levels.These findings offer an experimental foundation for tailored blood lipid management strategies across diverse populations, aiming to maintain cardiovascular health and reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of sepsis-induced myocardial injury and microbial distribution.Methods:It was a retrospective observational study conducted from Jan 2023 to Dec 2023 in the Department of Emergency Intensive Care Medicine, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University. Patients meeting the sepsis 3.0 criteria were included, excluding those with underlying cardiovascular diseases or incomplete data. Patients were categorized into myocardial injury (SIMI) and non-myocardial injury (Non-SIMI) groups based on troponin levels. General patient information, laboratory results, microbial findings, and prognostic indicators were collected. Differences in clinical parameters between the two groups were compared. Factors showing statistical differences in univariate analysis were further analyzed using multivariable logistic regression to identify risk factors for SIMI. Conduct propensity score matching among Pulmonary infection patients who underwent bronchoalveolar lavage high-throughput sequencing to compare microbial distribution between groups. Bracken was used to estimate species-level abundance from Kraken2 results, and α and β diversity analyses were conducted on the metagenomic samples.Results:A total of 179 patients were included in the study, with 98 (54.4%) in the Non-SIMI group and 81 (45.5%) in the SIMI group. There were 69 deaths overall (38.5%), with 23 (23.7%) in the Non-SIMI group and 46 (56.8%) in the SIMI group (χ 2=20.347, P<0.01). The 28-day survival curve indicated survival rates in the SIMI group were significantly lower compared to the Non-SIMI group (Log Rank χ 2=21.270, P<0.01). Univariate analysis revealed that fungal infection rate ( P=0.007), C-reactive protein ( P=0.021), procalcitonin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, alanine transaminase, and lactate levels were higher in the SIMI group compared to the Non-SIMI group (all P<0.01), prothrombin time was prolonger ( P<0.01) and APACHEⅡ scores were higher ( P<0.01), while serum albumin, base excess, and platelet levels were lower (all P<0.01). Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that fungal infection ( OR=3.441, P=0.015) was a risk factor for SIMI, whereas base excess and platelets were protective factors ( OR=0.845, 0.988, both P<0.01). Comparison of bronchoalveolar lavage high-throughput sequencing results in the pulmonary infection subgroup showed the relative abundance of Haemophilus paraininfluenzae in Non-SIMI group was higher than SIMI group among the top 20 species ( P=0.013). There were no statistically significant differences in microbial αand β-diversity between the two groups. Conclusions:The incidence of SIMI is relatively highamong sepsis patients and it affects their prognosis. Risk factors for SIMI include fungal infection, decreased platelet count, and reduced base excess levels. Among patients with pulmonary infections, there is a lower risk of SIMI associated with Haemophilus influenzae infection.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the potential role of mRNA m7G modification in the pathogenesis of human adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG). METHODS: Pathological tissue specimens from four AEG patients who underwent surgical treatment at the People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University between 2018 and 2019 were selected. Tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues were collected from these patients. RNA was extracted from both tissue types and subjected to m7G methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (m7G-MeRIP-seq) to analyze the patterns of m7G modification, the characteristics of differential m7G modification sites, the differentially expressed mRNA, and the correlation between m7G modification and mRNA expression levels. Differential m7G-modified genes (MSH6, BRCA1, and SOX9) were further validated using methylated RNA immunoprecipitation quantitative PCR (MeRIP-qPCR), while the expression of METTL1 and WDR4 genes was examined by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University (Ethics No. 20150083). RESULTS: m7G-MeRIP-seq analysis revealed that m7G modifications in both AEG and adjacent normal tissues were predominantly located in the GC-rich region surrounding the internal start codon of mRNA. Differential m7G modification sites between the two groups were closely associated with cancer-related genes. mRNA library analysis showed that differentially expressed mRNA were predominantly upregulated in AEG tissues and downregulated in adjacent normal tissues. Cross-analysis indicated that genes with hypermethylation tended to exhibit upregulated expression, while genes with hypomethylation were typically downregulated in AEG tissues. MeRIP-qPCR validation confirmed that the mRNA expression of MSH6, BRCA1, and SOX9 were significantly upregulated in AEG tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues (AEG vs. normal, P < 0.05). RT-qPCR results demonstrated that the mRNA expression levels of METTL1 and WDR4 were also upregulated in AEG tissues (AEG vs. normal, P < 0.000 5). CONCLUSION These findings suggest that mRNA m7G modification plays a significant role in the development of AEG. Furthermore, proteins as METTL1 and WDR4 may facilitate AEG progression by regulating mRNA m7G modification. These results provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying AEG and may inform future therapeutic strategies for this malignancy.
Humans ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism* ; Adenocarcinoma/pathology* ; Esophagogastric Junction/metabolism* ; Esophageal Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; DNA Methylation ; Methyltransferases/metabolism* ; Stomach Neoplasms/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2073618 and rs3102735 of the TNFRSF11B gene and the susceptibility to gastric cancer. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted. A total of 577 patients with primary gastric cancer treated at Zhenjiang First People's Hospital from May 2013 to June 2017 were selected as the case group, and 678 healthy individuals who underwent physical examinations at the same hospital during the same period were enrolled as the control group. Blood samples were collected from both groups, and genomic DNA was extracted. The target gene fragments were amplified using PCR, and genotyping was performed using the Snapshot technique. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS v2.0 software. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Zhenjiang First People's Hospital (Ethics No. 20150083). RESULTS: The smoking rate was significantly higher in the case group than in the control group (P = 0.006). The T>C polymorphism at the rs3102735 locus of the TNFRSF11B gene was significantly associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer (CC vs. TT: OR = 2.164, 95%CI = 1.063~4.406, P = 0.030). In contrast, the rs2073618 polymorphism did not show a significant association with gastric cancer susceptibility (P > 0.05). Stratified analysis by age, gender, smoking status, and drinking status revealed no significant association between the rs2073618 polymorphism and gastric cancer susceptibility (P > 0.05). However, the rs3102735 polymorphism showed a significant association with gastric cancer risk in individuals over 62 years of age (CC vs. TT: OR = 5.44, 95%CI = 1.54~19.21, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION The rs3102735 polymorphism of the TNFRSF11B gene may be associated with susceptibility to gastric cancer, particularly in older populations. This polymorphism could serve as a potential indicator for identifying high-risk groups for gastric cancer.
Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms/genetics* ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Male ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Middle Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Osteoprotegerin/genetics* ; Aged ; Adult ; Genotype

Objective To reveal the molecular mechanism by which nuclear epidermal growth factor receptor(nEGFR)synergistically regulates the expression of cell migration-inducing protein(CEMIP)by forming a complex with the transcription factor Yin Yang 1(YY1),and to investigate the biological functions of the nEGFR-YY1-CEMIP signaling axis in invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods After HCC cells were serum-starved for 24 h,the cells were treated with 100 ng/mL EGF.Thus,the cells were divided into a control group and EGF-treated groups at different time points.Nuclear expression and localization changes of EGFR were detected by Western blotting and immunofluorescence(IF).To investigate the interaction between nEGFR and YY1,their nuclear colocalization and interaction were examined by IF and co-immunoprecipitation(Co-IP),respectively.Transcriptional profiling was performed using RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)to identify differentially expressed genes at the genome-wide level.Combined with Gene Ontology(GO)functional enrichment analysis and transcription factor binding profiles via using the JASPAR database,CEMIP was identified as a candidate target gene.To validate the regulatory mechanism,the following experimental groups were established,Control,EGF,siYY1,and siYY1+EGF.The expression of CEMIP at protein and mRNA levels was detected by Western blotting and RT-qPCR.To elucidate the molecular mechanism of nEGFR/YY1 binding to the CEMIP promoter,the control and EGF-treated groups were established.Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by quantitative PCR(ChIP-qPCR)was performed to assess the enrichment of nEGFR/YY1 at the CEMIP promoter region.Luciferase reporter assay was conducted following transfection with either wild-type EGFR(EGFR-WT),nuclear localization-deficient mutant(EGFR-dNLS),YY1 overexpression plasmid(YY1-OE),or dominant-negative YY1 mutant(YY1-DN)to evaluate changes in promoter activity.Subsequently,cell migration and invasion capabilities were evaluated using scratch wound healing assay and Transwell assay,while hyaluronic acid(HA)level was quantified by ELISA.The expression of matrix metalloproteinases(MMP2/9)was analyzed via Western blotting to assess the regulatory role of the nEGFR/YY1-CEMIP axis in the migration and invasion of HCC cells.By analyzing the CEMIP expression profiles in HCC patients from National Center for Biotechnology Information(NCBI)public databases,its potential association with tumor metastasis risk was validated.Results Western blotting and IF demonstrated that EGF treatment significantly induced nuclear translocation of EGFR,peaking at 30 min(P<0.001).Co-IP and IF assays indicated both physical interaction and nuclear co-localization between nEGFR and YY1.RNA-seq analysis identified CEMIP as a significantly differentially expressed gene.GO enrichment analysis revealed that CEMIP was significantly enriched in biological processes related to cell invasion promotion.JASPAR prediction identified conserved YY1 potential binding region within the CEMIP promoter region.Western blot and RT-qPCR analyses confirmed that EGF treatment up-regulated CEMIP at both protein and mRNA levels(P<0.05).Notably,YY1 knockdown significantly suppressed CEMIP expression,while exogenous EGF supplementation restored CEMIP level in YY1-deficient cells(P<0.05).ChIP-qPCR analysis demonstrated specific enrichment of the nEGFR/YY1 complex at the CEMIP promoter region,with EGF stimulation significantly enhancing its binding affinity(P<0.001).Luciferase reporter assay confirmed that nEGFR/YY1 robustly enhanced CEMIP promoter activity(P<0.01),while either the EGFR-dNLS or the YY1-DN substantially attenuated this transcriptional activation.Functional phenotyping showed that the nEGFR/YY1-CEMIP axis significantly enhanced the migration and invasion of HCC cells by promoting HA catabolism and up-regulating MMP2/9 expression(P<0.05).Analysis of NCBI datasets revealed that CEMIP expression was significantly up-regulated in HCC tumor tissues than adjacent normal tissues(P<0.001).Moreover,HCC patients with elevated CEMIP expression exhibited higher risk of metastasis(P<0.001).Conclusion nEGFR promotes HCC invasion by forming a transcriptional complex with YY1 to cooperatively activate CEMIP expression.

Objective To reveal the mechanism by which the programmed death-ligand 1(PD-L1)-protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B(PTP1B)-focal adhesion kinase(FAK)signaling axis promotes the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and elucidate its effector functions in HCC.Methods GEPIA database was used to plot a 10-year survival curve for PD-L1 and FAK expression levels in HCC patients.Immunohistochemical(IHC)staining was utilized to analyze the relative expression levels of PD-L1 and FAK phosphorylated at the Y397 site[p-FAK(Y397)]in HCC tissues,and the results were compared to those in the adjacent non-tumor tissues.Subsequently,endogenous PD-L1 expression was detected with Western blotting in HCC cell lines with low(SNU-387)and high(Hep3B)PD-L1 expression levels.After lentivirus-transduced SNU-387PDL1+and Hep3BPDL1-cells were constructed,the effect of high and low expression of PD-L1 on the expression of p-FAK(Y397)with Western blotting.To elucidate the functional mechanism of FAK in HCC,functional rescue experiments were performed by administering a FAK inhibitor to SNU-387PDL1+cells and a FAK activator to Hep3BPDL1-cells,combined with wound healing scratch assay,Transwell invasion assay,EdU proliferation assay,and colony formation assay to evaluate tumor malignant effects.The GENEMANIA database predicted functional interactions between protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B(PTP1B),PD-L1,and FAK.IHC staining was performed to analyze the correlation among PD-L1,PTP1B,and p-FAK(Y397)expression.Co-immunoprecipitation(Co-IP)and indirect immunofluorescence(IF)were applied to validate the interaction between PD-L1 and PTP1B.Western blotting was utilized to confirm the regulatory relationship between PD-L1 and PTP1B.In vitro PTP1B phosphatase activity assay measured the changes in PTP1B activity.Subsequently,Western blotting was used to screen cell lines with high endogenous PTP1B expression(SNU-387)and low endogenous PTP1B expression(Hep3B).Furthermore,Hep3BPTP1B+and SNU-387PTP1B-cell lines were generated,and then p-FAK(Y397)levels were then detected in these modified cell lines,and the aforementioned functional effect assays(migration,invasion,proliferation and colony formation)and rescue experiments were repeated.Furthermore,Western blotting was employed to detect changes in downstream signaling pathways following enhancement or attenuation of p-FAK(Y397)in SNU-387 and Hep3B cells.Results IHC staining revealed a positive correlation between PD-L1 and p-FAK(Y397)expression in HCC tissues(95%CI:1.065～3.801,P<0.01).In SNU-387PDL1+cells,PD-L1 overexpression significantly enhanced phosphorylation at the FAK Y397 site(P<0.01)and increased cell migration,invasion,proliferation,and colony formation capabilities(P<0.01),and these effects could be reversed by FAK inhibitor treatment(P<0.05).Conversely,in Hep3BPDL1-cells,PD-L1 knockdown significantly reduced FAK Y397 phosphorylation(P<0.01)and decreased cell migration,invasion,proliferation,and colony formation abilities(P<0.01),and these effects were restored by FAK activator treatment(P<0.05).IHC staining further showed a negative correlation between PTP1B expression and both PD-L1 and p-FAK(Y397)in HCC tissues(95%CI:1.886～3.514,P<0.05).Co-IP and IF assays confirmed a direct interaction between PD-L1 and PTP1B,with PD-L1 suppressing PTP1B expression level and reducing its activity(P<0.01).In SNU-387PTP1B-cells,PTP1B knockdown significantly increased FAK Y397 phosphorylation(P<0.01)and enhanced cell migration,invasion,proliferation,and colony formation(P<0.01),and these effects were reversed by FAK inhibitor(P<0.05).While in Hep3BPTP1B+cells,PTP1B overexpression significantly decreased FAK Y397 phosphorylation(P<0.01)and reduced cell migration,invasion,proliferation,and colony formation(P<0.01),and those effects were restored by FAK activator treatment(P<0.05).Furthermore,enhanced phosphorylation at the FAK Y397 site in SNU-387 cells activated downstream PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK signaling pathways(P<0.01),whereas inhibition of FAK(Y397)phosphorylation in Hep3B cells attenuated the activation of these signaling pathways(P<0.01).Conclusion PD-L1 activates FAK by suppressing PTP1B,thereby promoting migration,invasion,and proliferation in HCC.

Objective:The clinical significance of aural fullness in patients with vestibular migraine（VM） remains unclear, and it is yet to be determined whether VM with aural fullness represents a distinct subtype of VM; this study aimed to compare differences in demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, audiological findings, and vestibular function tests between VM patients with and without aural fullness, and explore whether the former is a subtype of VM and whether it requires differentiated treatment. Methods:A total of 174 VM patients were enrolled, including 75 with aural fullness（aural fullness group） and 99 without aural fullness（non-aural fullness group）; demographic data, vertigo characteristics, medical history, family history, pure-tone audiometry, and vestibular function tests were thoroughly recorded, and independent samples t-test and chi-square test were used for inter-group comparisons. Results:①Regarding demographic characteristics, the age of the aural fullness group was significantly lower than that of the non-aural fullness group[（44.08±13.97） years vs. （49.45±16.05） years, P=0.020）, while the two groups showed consistent gender distribution（more females than males） with no statistically significant difference. ②For aural fullness characteristics, unilateral aural fullness accounted for 65.0% in the aural fullness group, significantly higher than bilateral aural fullness（35.0%, P<0.001）. ③In terms of vertigo characteristics, there were no statistically significant inter-group differences in the nature of attacks（rotational vertigo: 36.0% vs. 41.4%, P=0.463; dizziness: 21.3% vs. 11.1%, P=0.064; rotational vertigo or dizziness: 29.3% vs. 25.3%, P=0.548; dizziness with unsteady gait: 9.3% vs. 11.1%, Fisher P=0.806; visual oscillation with unsteady gait: 4.0% vs. 11.1%, Fisher P=0.086）, duration（several hours: 34.7% vs. 33.3%, P=0.841; several minutes: 22.7% vs. 21.2%, P=0.808; several seconds: 5.3% vs. 8.1%, Fisher P=0.557; several days: 9.3% vs. 9.1%, Fisher P=1.000; multiple combined patterns: 17.3% vs. 15.2%, P=0.686）, or incidence of nausea and vomiting（84.0% vs. 72.7%, P=0.071, no statistical significance）. ④No statistically significant inter-group differences were found in medical history and family history, including motion sickness history（8.0% vs. 4.0%, Fisher P=0.337）, headache history（22.7% vs. 34.3%, P=0.084）, and family history of dizziness（12.0% vs. 14.1%, P=0.666）. ⑤For audiological characteristics, 21.3%（16/75） of patients in the aural fullness group had low-frequency hearing loss, significantly higher than 5.1% in the non-aural fullness group（χ²=10.66, P=0.001）; among patients with unilateral aural fullness, 28.6%（14/49） had ipsilateral low-frequency hearing loss, significantly higher than 7.7%（2/26） of those with bilateral aural fullness（χ²=4.41, P=0.036）; however, there was no statistically significant difference in the rate of bilateral high-frequency hearing loss between the two groups（54.7%[41/75]vs. 50.5%[50/99], χ²=0.30, P=0.586）. ⑥In vestibular function tests, no statistically significant inter-group differences were observed in smooth pursuit type Ⅲ/Ⅳ（12.5% vs. 13.1%, P=0.913）, caloric test with CP>25%（31.2% vs. 37.4%, P=0.411）, abnormal video head impulse test（vHIT） rate（30.8% vs. 32.6%, P=0.865）, or abnormal vestibular evoked myogenic potential（VEMP） rate（53.8% vs. 38.9%, Fisher P=0.484）. Conclusion:VM patients with aural fullness have an earlier age of onset, with nearly 1/4 accompanied by low-frequency hearing loss; VM patients with and without aural fullness are highly consistent in gender distribution, nature/duration of vertigo, vestibular function impairment, and presence of bilateral high-frequency hearing loss, suggesting that the core clinical phenotypes of the two groups are consistent, while the former has an earlier age of onset and a higher proportion of unilateral hearing loss, which may be related to the pathological mechanism of VM and inner ear microcirculation disorders.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Migraine Disorders/classification* ; Young Adult ; Vertigo ; Age of Onset ; Aged ; Hearing Loss