Objective: This prospective study evaluated the feasibility of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI for assessing disease activity in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Materials and Methods: A total of 88 patients with active TAO, 76 with inactive TAO, and 30 healthy controls were enrolled. CEST MRI-derived magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) and MTR asymmetry (MTRasym) at 1 ppm, 2 ppm, and 3.5 ppm were calculated. Clinical data, MTR, and MTRasym values for the extraocular muscles (one representative muscle per eye, yielding two measurements per participant) were compared among the groups. Spearman’s correlation was used to examine associations between imaging parameters and the clinical activity score (CAS) in patients with TAO. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent associations between imaging parameters and disease activity in patients with TAO (active vs. inactive). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance for discriminating active from inactive TAO. Results: Patients with active TAO showed lower MTR values (P < 0.001) and higher MTRasym (1 ppm), MTRasym (2 ppm), and MTRasym (3.5 ppm) (all P < 0.001) compared with those with inactive TAO. MTR was negatively correlated with CAS (r = -0.402; P < 0.001), while MTRasym (1 ppm), MTRasym (2 ppm), and MTRasym (3.5 ppm) were positively correlated with CAS (r = 0.369, 0.350, and 0.349, respectively;all P < 0.001). MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) were independently associated with TAO activity. The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) for MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) in discriminating active from inactive TAO were 0.772 and 0.730, respectively. Combining MTR with MTRasym (1 ppm) significantly improved diagnostic performance compared with either parameter alone, achieving an AUC of 0.805 (P = 0.029 and 0.001). Conclusion MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) were independently associated with TAO activity. Their combination further enhanced diagnostic performance in distinguishing active from inactive TAO, suggesting their potential as quantitative imaging biomarkers to guide treatment in patients with TAO.

Objective:The pregnancy outcome,related influencing factors and genetic results of pregnant women with intracranial cysts were comparatively analyzed to provide evidence for prenatal consultation and clini-cal treatment of the fetus with intracranial cyst.Methods:A total of 92 pregnant women with fetal intracranial cysts were selected.The data of pregnancy and delivery were collected by electronic medical record system.The prog-nosis of newborn was recorded by telephone follow-up.According to the pregnancy outcome,they were divided into continued pregnancy group(80/92,87%)and induced labor group(12/92,13%).Analyze the factors that might influence the pregnancy outcome of intracranial cysts,as well as genetic outcomes.Results:Compared with the continued pregnancy group and the induced labor group,there were statistical differences between the gesta-tion age at diagnosis≤28 weeks and the presence of other abnormalities(P＜0.05),but there were no statistical differences in the age of pregnant women and the number of intracranial cysts(P＞0.05).The results of genetic examination were compared between normal and abnormal groups of 25 cases,and there were no statistical differences in the age of pregnant women,the gestation age at diagnosis,whether there was adverse pregnancy history,whether there was single cyst,and the presence of other abnormalities(P＞0.05).Conclusions:Diagno-sis of fetal intracranial cyst at≤28 weeks gestation and other systemic abnormalities are risk factors affecting pregnancy outcome.

Objective:The pregnancy outcome,related influencing factors and genetic results of pregnant women with intracranial cysts were comparatively analyzed to provide evidence for prenatal consultation and clini-cal treatment of the fetus with intracranial cyst.Methods:A total of 92 pregnant women with fetal intracranial cysts were selected.The data of pregnancy and delivery were collected by electronic medical record system.The prog-nosis of newborn was recorded by telephone follow-up.According to the pregnancy outcome,they were divided into continued pregnancy group(80/92,87%)and induced labor group(12/92,13%).Analyze the factors that might influence the pregnancy outcome of intracranial cysts,as well as genetic outcomes.Results:Compared with the continued pregnancy group and the induced labor group,there were statistical differences between the gesta-tion age at diagnosis≤28 weeks and the presence of other abnormalities(P＜0.05),but there were no statistical differences in the age of pregnant women and the number of intracranial cysts(P＞0.05).The results of genetic examination were compared between normal and abnormal groups of 25 cases,and there were no statistical differences in the age of pregnant women,the gestation age at diagnosis,whether there was adverse pregnancy history,whether there was single cyst,and the presence of other abnormalities(P＞0.05).Conclusions:Diagno-sis of fetal intracranial cyst at≤28 weeks gestation and other systemic abnormalities are risk factors affecting pregnancy outcome.

Objective:The pregnancy outcome,related influencing factors and genetic results of pregnant women with intracranial cysts were comparatively analyzed to provide evidence for prenatal consultation and clini-cal treatment of the fetus with intracranial cyst.Methods:A total of 92 pregnant women with fetal intracranial cysts were selected.The data of pregnancy and delivery were collected by electronic medical record system.The prog-nosis of newborn was recorded by telephone follow-up.According to the pregnancy outcome,they were divided into continued pregnancy group(80/92,87%)and induced labor group(12/92,13%).Analyze the factors that might influence the pregnancy outcome of intracranial cysts,as well as genetic outcomes.Results:Compared with the continued pregnancy group and the induced labor group,there were statistical differences between the gesta-tion age at diagnosis≤28 weeks and the presence of other abnormalities(P＜0.05),but there were no statistical differences in the age of pregnant women and the number of intracranial cysts(P＞0.05).The results of genetic examination were compared between normal and abnormal groups of 25 cases,and there were no statistical differences in the age of pregnant women,the gestation age at diagnosis,whether there was adverse pregnancy history,whether there was single cyst,and the presence of other abnormalities(P＞0.05).Conclusions:Diagno-sis of fetal intracranial cyst at≤28 weeks gestation and other systemic abnormalities are risk factors affecting pregnancy outcome.

Objective:The pregnancy outcome,related influencing factors and genetic results of pregnant women with intracranial cysts were comparatively analyzed to provide evidence for prenatal consultation and clini-cal treatment of the fetus with intracranial cyst.Methods:A total of 92 pregnant women with fetal intracranial cysts were selected.The data of pregnancy and delivery were collected by electronic medical record system.The prog-nosis of newborn was recorded by telephone follow-up.According to the pregnancy outcome,they were divided into continued pregnancy group(80/92,87%)and induced labor group(12/92,13%).Analyze the factors that might influence the pregnancy outcome of intracranial cysts,as well as genetic outcomes.Results:Compared with the continued pregnancy group and the induced labor group,there were statistical differences between the gesta-tion age at diagnosis≤28 weeks and the presence of other abnormalities(P＜0.05),but there were no statistical differences in the age of pregnant women and the number of intracranial cysts(P＞0.05).The results of genetic examination were compared between normal and abnormal groups of 25 cases,and there were no statistical differences in the age of pregnant women,the gestation age at diagnosis,whether there was adverse pregnancy history,whether there was single cyst,and the presence of other abnormalities(P＞0.05).Conclusions:Diagno-sis of fetal intracranial cyst at≤28 weeks gestation and other systemic abnormalities are risk factors affecting pregnancy outcome.

Objective To study the relationship between serum neuron-specific enolase(NSE)and clinical features of pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma(PPGL).Methods Totally 501 PPGL patients diagnosed from January 2019 to December 2022 were divided into normal NSE group(NSE≤16.3 ng/mL)and elevated NSE group(NSE＞16.3 ng/mL).The clinical characteristics were compared between the two groups.Results Compared with normal NSE group,patients in the elevated NSE group had larger diameter in primary tumor(5.00 cm vs.4.60 cm),higher 24-hour urinary norepinephrine(NE)and 24-hour urinary dopamine(DA)levels,and a higher rate of metasta-sis(31.6%vs.13.7%)(P＜0.05).NSE level was positively correlated with the primary tumor size(r=0.131,P＜0.05),24-hour urinary NE level(r=0.195,P＜0.05)and 24-hour urinary DA level(r=0.119,P＜0.05).Conclusions The level of NSE is related to tumor size,secretion function and metastasis in PPGL patients.

BACKGROUND:It is known that N6-methyladenosine(m6A)plays a role in the pathogenesis of various diseases and studies have suggested its involvement in the pathologic changes of steroid-induced femoral head necrosis(SNFH).However,research on m6A methylation modifications in steroid-induced femoral head necrosis is limited. OBJECTIVE:Using bioinformatics methods to identify the differential expression of m6A-related genes in steroid-induced femoral head necrosis and to predict miRNAs associated with these genes to further elucidate the role and mechanism of m6A methylation in steroid-induced femoral head necrosis. METHODS:Differential gene expression between steroid-induced femoral head necrosis and control groups was analyzed using GSE123568 gene expression data and identified using the"limma"package in R.Functional enrichment analysis was performed on the differentially expressed genes.Differential analysis of the related genes was carried out using the"ggstatsplot"package in R.The differential genes were cross-validated using the GSE74089 dataset.An mRNA-miRNA regulatory network was constructed,and co-expression analysis was performed on the module genes followed by enrichment analysis.Differences in immune cell infiltration between steroid-induced femoral head necrosis and control groups were quantified using the ssGSEA method. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Correlation analysis revealed 13 m6A-related genes,and further analysis through the protein-protein interaction network identification and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that YTHDF2 was expected to be a core differential gene as a potential early biomarker.Enrichment analysis indicated that differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in inflammation and immune response and were closely related to osteoclasts.Cross-validation analysis showed that differential gene expression results between the two datasets were consistent.mRNA-miRNA regulatory network analysis revealed that YTHDF2 was negatively correlated with miRNA-27a.Immune infiltration analysis revealed an increase in immune cell infiltration in steroid-induced femoral head necrosis,and YTHDF2 was positively correlated with the infiltration of CD4+T cells.To conclude,m6A-related gene YTHDF2 can serve as a potential biomarker of steroid-induced femoral head necrosis and is valuable for the early clinical diagnosis and treatment of steroid-induced femoral head necrosis.The negative correlation between YTHDF2 and mir-27a and the positive correlation between YTHDF2 and CD4+T cell infiltration provide new insights into the early diagnosis and treatment of steroid-induced femoral head necrosis and shed light on the mechanism of m6A in steroid-induced femoral head necrosis.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between blood uric acid level and body composition, exercise capacity, and cardiopulmonary function in medical examination population.Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 83 individuals who underwent physical examinations at Peking University Third Hospital from June 1, 2023, to October 1, 2023, and met the inclusion criteria were included. According to whether they had hyperuricemia (HUA), the participants were divided into HUA group (53 cases) and non-HUA group (30 cases). Body composition parameters, such as body mass index and visceral fat area, were measured with a body composition analyzer. Exercise capacity indicators, including grip strength, vertical jump, back strength, and sit-and-reach test, were measured using specific monitoring devices. Cardiopulmonary function was assessed using the stair index test. The clinical characteristics of the two groups were compared with t-tests or chi-square tests, and the correlation between uric acid levels and body composition, exercise capacity, and cardiopulmonary function was analyzed. Results:The HUA group had significantly higher skeletal muscle mass, body fat mass, body mass index, and visceral fat area when compared with the non-HUA group [(31.92±5.60) vs (26.11±6.19) kg, (23.66±9.33) vs (17.19±5.00) kg, (26.53±3.68) vs (23.27±3.59) kg/m2, 91.20 (74.25, 123.90) vs 68.25 (56.25, 90.48) cm 2, respectively] (all P<0.05). The grip strength, vertical jump, and back pull strength were all lower in the HUA group [32.70 (25.25, 40.30) vs 42.35 (35.95, 48.10) kg, 30.30 (24.10, 36.48) vs 40.55 (33.06, 45.10) kg, 24.20(20.60, 32.23) vs 29.90 (25.20, 35.50) cm, 65.60 (51.75, 78.00) vs 91.00 (67.25, 111.50) kg, respectivley] (all P<0.05). The increased step index was positively correlated with reduced risk of hyperuricemia ( OR=0.875, 95% CI: 0.793-0.966) ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Blood uric acid level is correlated with cardiopulmonary function in medical examination population. Individuals with better cardiopulmonary function have a lower risk of developing HUA. However, the relationship between blood uric acid level and body composition and exercise capacity is not clear.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the effects of P.odoratum extract on lactase activity and microflora diversity in mice with bacterial dysbacteriosis.Methods SPF male BALB/c mice were randomized into 4 groups:control,model,P.odoratum extract low dose(1.56 g·kg-1·d-1)and high dose(3.12 g·kg-1·d-1)treatment group.There were 8 mice in each group(5 in the blank group).In addition to the control group,after 7 days of intragastric administration of mixed antibiotics,the administration groups were given P.odoratum extract for 7 days,and the control group and the model group were given the same amount of sterile water.The changes of diarrhea,body weight and food intake of mice were recorded.The colon HE staining sections,ZO-1 protein,IL-6 expression,and serum LPS concentration were detected.Feces were collected for lactase activity and microbial diversity determination with 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology.Results After 7 days of antibiotic intervention,compared with the control group,the mice in the model group had soft stool,weight loss,reduced food intake,and significantly reduced intestinal flora diversity.At the 14th day,in the model group,ulceration accompanied by slight interstitial congestion and edema was seen in the colon,ZO-1 expression was significantly reduced,IL-6 expression was significantly increased,serum LPS was significantly increased,lactase activity was significantly reduced,and intestinal flora diversity was still lower compared with the control group.After 7 days of administration,compared with the model group,P.odoratum reduced the diarrhea rate of mice,promoted a recovery of body weight and food intake,downregulated pathological colon tissue damage,significantly increased ZO-1 protein expression,and reduced colon factor IL-6 and serum LPS concentration.In addition,P.odoratum can significantly up-regulate lactase activity and improve the community richness and diversity of dysbacteriosis mice.It is shown that three phyla(up-regulated Firmicutes,down-regulated Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes)and seven genera(up-regulated Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group,Rikenella,Colidextribacter,norank_f__Lachnospiraceae,norank_f__Oscillospiraceae,and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group,down-regulated Alloprevotella),the abundance of which was significantly correlated with body weight and lactase activity,serum LPS,and colon factor IL-6.Conclusion P.odoratum can alleviate the gut barrier injury and dysfunction caused by antibiotic induced dysbiosis,and its mechanism may be achieved by regulating microflora structure.