BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with common pathophysiological processes, such as inflammation and fibrosis, in both the heart and the kidney. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that drive these processes are not yet fully understood. Therefore, this study focused on the molecular mechanism of heart and kidney injury in CKD. METHODS: We generated an microRNA (miR)-26a knockout (KO) mouse model to investigate the role of miR-26a in angiotensin (Ang)-II-induced cardiac and renal injury. We performed Ang-II modeling in wild type (WT) mice and miR-26a KO mice, with six mice in each group. In addition, Ang-II-treated AC16 cells and HK2 cells were used as in vitro models of cardiac and renal injury in the context of CKD. Histological staining, immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and Western blotting were applied to study the regulation of miR-26a on Ang-II-induced cardiac and renal injury. Immunofluorescence reporter assays were used to detect downstream genes of miR-26a, and immunoprecipitation was employed to identify the interacting protein of LIM and senescent cell antigen-like domain 1 (LIMS1). We also used an adeno-associated virus (AAV) to supplement LIMS1 and explored the specific regulatory mechanism of miR-26a on Ang-II-induced cardiac and renal injury. Dunnett's multiple comparison and t -test were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Compared with the control mice, miR-26a expression was significantly downregulated in both the kidney and the heart after Ang-II infusion. Our study identified LIMS1 as a novel target gene of miR-26a in both heart and kidney tissues. Downregulation of miR-26a activated the LIMS1/integrin-linked kinase (ILK) signaling pathway in the heart and kidney, which represents a common molecular mechanism underlying inflammation and fibrosis in heart and kidney tissues during CKD. Furthermore, knockout of miR-26a worsened inflammation and fibrosis in the heart and kidney by inhibiting the LIMS1/ILK signaling pathway; on the contrary, supplementation with exogenous miR-26a reversed all these changes. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that miR-26a could be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of cardiorenal injury in CKD. This is attributed to its ability to regulate the LIMS1/ILK signaling pathway, which represents a common molecular mechanism in both heart and kidney tissues.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Angiotensin II/toxicity* ; Mice ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/chemically induced* ; Mice, Knockout ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Signal Transduction/genetics* ; LIM Domain Proteins/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Cell Line ; Humans

Inherited thrombocytopenia (IT) is a group of rare hereditary platelet disorders characterized by reduced platelet counts and, sometimes accompanied by platelet dysfunction. This review comprehensively summarizes various cell models used in IT research, which are derived from different sources, including patient-derived primary cells (such as megakaryocytes, platelets, and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells), stem cell lines (encompassing both adult and pluripotent stem cells), and immortalized megakaryocyte cell lines derived from tumor cells. These cell models provide an indispensable research platform for in-depth exploration of the pathogenesis of IT, screening of potential therapeutic drugs, and evaluation of drug efficacy. Additionally, this review delves into the research progress of utilizing gene editing technologies to simulate IT-causing mutations and their pathogenic mechanisms, and summarizes the application prospects and challenges of in vitro cell models in the field of IT research.

ObjectiveTo explore psychological experiences and care needs of elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following dysphagia. MethodsFrom April to June, 2024, 13 elderly patients with COPD and dysphagia received treatment in Yixing No. 2 People's Hospital (Yixing Occupational Disease Institute) and Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital were interviewed. Nvivo 11.0 and content analysis were employed to analyze and summarize themes. ResultsTwo main themes were identified. The psychological experiences included fear of eating due to swallowing and choking, swallowing anxiety in social situations, concerns about malnutrition, and emotional loss related to family. The care needs included improvement in swallowing function, adjustment of food texture, assistance with disease adaptation and effective access to health education information. ConclusionHealthcare professionals should thoroughly understand the psychological and needs of elderly patients with COPD-related dysphagia, and comprehensive nursing strategies should be developed and implemented to improve swallowing function and overall quality of life.

Objective To evaluate the prognostic value of C-reactive protein (CRP), performance status (PS), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), albumin (ALB) and derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) composite index (C-PLAN) as a prognostic indicator in advanced esophageal cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI). Methods Hematologic indexes of 147 patients with advanced esophageal cancer treated by ICI in the Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University were collected before the first immunotherapy. CRP, PS, LDH, ALB and dNLR were scored and added to obtain C-PLAN index. Chi-square test was used to analyze the correlation between C-PLAN index and clinicopathological features; Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to analyze the effects of C-PLAN index on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Univariate and multifactor Cox proportional regression models were used to analyze whether C-PLAN index could be used as an independent factor affecting prognosis. Results A total of 147 patients with advanced esophageal cancer were divided into low-risk group (scored < 2, n=46) and high-risk group (scored ≥2, n=101) according to C-PLAN index. C-PLAN index was not correlated with age, sex, PS score, smoking, clinical stage, body mass index, pathological type, treatment strategy and operation (P>0.05). PFS and OS in the low-risk group were significantly better than those in the high-risk group (P < 0.001). In univariate Cox regression analysis, C-PLAN index was the influencing factor of PFS (P < 0.001) and OS (P=0.002). In multivariate Cox analysis, C-PLAN index was an independent prognostic factor of PFS (P=0.001) and OS (P=0.006). Conclusion C-PLAN index can be used as a reliable clinical index to predict the prognosis of patients with advanced esophageal cancer treated by ICI.

Objective To observe the clinical manifestations of 3 cases with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated disease and anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis antibody overlapping syndrome (MNOS), aiming to expand the understanding of the clinical spectrum of such syndromes. Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on the data of 3 patients with MNOS who were positive for both MOG antibodies and NMDAR antibodies. Clinical features, neuroimaging characteristics, and outcomes were collected, and cell-based assay (CBA) technique was used for diagnosis. Results One case presented both positive MOG antibodies and NMDAR antibodies, but the clinical manifestations were typical symptoms of anti-NMDAR encephalitis. In one case, the clinical and cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of demyelinating disease recurred after anti-NMDAR encephalitis, with atypical symptoms of MNOS such as numbness and weakness in limbs, blurred vision, and diplopia. The last case presented both positive MOG antibodies and NMDAR antibodies, but the clinical manifestations were typical symptoms of anti-NMDAR encephalitis. In MNOS, MOG antibody-associated disease and anti-NMDAR encephalitis may appear simultaneously or sequentially, with epilepsy being the most common symptom. Cranial MRI findings showed that the patients presented and mainly involved supratentorial lesions, which may also involve the brainstem, but no spinal cord lesions were found. All patients showed slightly abnormal cerebrospinal fluid. Patients showed a good response to first-line immunotherapy during the acute phase of the disease, with a favorable prognosis. But most patients were prone to relapse. Conclusion In MNOS patients, anti-NMDAR encephalitis may present with clinical and(or)MRI features of demyelinating disease simultaneously or sequentially. The clinical manifestations of patients are complex and diverse. Patients with atypical symptoms require to improving the understanding of MNOS and timely treatment.

Objective To explore the influencing factors of dwarfism in children and construct a nomogram model. Methods From June 2020 to December 2022, 1, 500 children were selected as the research objects, and 1, 422 cases were effectively investigated. According to incidence of dwarfism, the children were divided into normal group (n=1, 351) and dwarfism group (n=71). Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to explore the influencing factors of dwarfism in children; the R software was used to construct a nomogram model for prediction of the occurrence of dwarfism in children, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve were used to evaluate the discrimination and consistency of the nomogram model. Results Among the 1 422 children, 71 cases had dwarfism, with an incidence rate of 4.99%. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that birth weight, family history of dwarfism, milk intake and physical exercise were the influencing factors for the occurrence of dwarfism in children (P < 0.05). The area under the curve of the ROC curve predicted by the nomogram model for the occurrence of dwarfism in children was 0.897 (95%CI, 0.856 to 0.938), with good discrimination; the calibration curve slope of the nomogram model for predicting the occurrence of dwarfism in children approached 1, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test showed that the was 5.020 and P was 0.740, indicating good consistency. Conclusion The nomogram model for predicting the occurrence of dwarfism in children based on four influencing factors of birth weight, family history of dwarfism, milk intake and physical exercise has good discrimination and consistency, which can provide reference for the development of personalized intervention measures in clinical practice.

Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI) is a common and serious complication following cardiac surgical procedures. The conventional diagnostic methods relying on serum creatinine and urine output changes often exhibit delayed responsiveness. Therefore, there is an urgent need for highly sensitive and specific biomarkers to detect and identify high-risk patients with CSA-AKI at an early stage, allowing for timely intervention and improved clinical outcomes. In this paper, the relevant biomarkers of CSA-AKI were reviewed in order to provide valuable information for the subsequent research on CSA-AKI.

Pan-immune inflammation value (PIV) is a comprehensive immune inflammatory biomarker based on complete blood cell counts, which has been proven to predict treatment response and survival outcomes for different types of tumors. However, the predictive value of the PIV varies in different strategies for tumor treatment. This paper aims to systematically review the latest progress of PIV in predicting survival outcomes and tumor prognosis for immunotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, endocrine therapy, surgical treatment and neoadjuvant therapy, and analyze its existing challenges and issues, as well as look forward to its future development direction and application prospects.

Objective To investigate the value of depth of invasion (DOI) and pattern of invasion (POI) in predicting recurrence and evaluating prognosis of early oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods Data of 109 patients with primary OSCC were retrospectively collected. The chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables of clinical data. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the correlation between clinical data and tumor recurrence. Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the correlation between clinical data and overall survival of patients. Results Univariate analysis showed that POI, DOI and pathological grade were correlated with recurrence and poor prognosis of early OSCC. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis indicated that DOI was an influencing factor for OSCC recurrence (OR=4.515, 95%CI, 1.283 to 15.894, P<0.05) and prognosis (HR=2.993, 95%CI, 1.225 to 7.317, P<0.05). There was a high correlation between POI and DOI of OSCC. Conclusion DOI ≥5 mm is considered as a relevant factor for recurrence and poor prognosis of early OSCC.

Objective To investigate the correlation between pre-treatment pan-immune inflammation value (PIV) and clinicopathological features in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients with postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy and evaluate its value in prognosis assessment combined with T stage. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on data of 85 ESCC patients with postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy in the Department of Radiation Oncology of the Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University from January 2019 to January 2023. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drew to obtain the optimal cut-off value of PIV and other immune-inflammatory biomarkers. The area under the curve (AUC) and clinical applicability of PIV and other immune-inflammatory biomarkers were compared based on the ROC curve and decision curve analysis (DCA). According to the optimal cut-off value, patients were divided into high PIV group and low PIV group, and the correlation between PIV level and clinicopathological features of ESCC was evaluated. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, the Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis, and a risk stratification model combining PIV and T stage was established by recursive partitioning analysis (RPA). Results The optimal cut-off value of pre-treatment PIV was determined as 187.22 based on the ROC curve. The AUC of PIV was 0.679, which was greater than 0.640, 0.583, 0.656 and 0.644 of the other four immune-inflammatory biomarkers such as the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). The 85 patients were divided into low PIV group (< 187.22, n=48) and high PIV group (≥187.22, n=37). The level of PIV was significantly correlated with tumor diameter (P < 0.05). The 3-year overall survival (OS) (75.6% versus 30.6%, P < 0.001) and 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) (56.1% versus 21.0%, P < 0.001) were significantly higher in the low PIV group than the high PIV group. Tumor diameter, T stage and PIV were independent factors affecting OS in ESCC patients (P < 0.05), and T stage and PIV were independent factors affecting DFS in ESCC patients (P < 0.05). A new staging system with three risk groups was established by the RPA stratification model based on T stage and PIV, which further improved the predictive value of prognosis compared with T stage or PIV alone. Conclusion Pre-treatment PIV is helpful in predicting the prognosis of ESCC patients with postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy, and the combination of PIV and T stage can improve the predictive value.