AIM:To investigate the expression levels of serum sirtuin 6(Sirt6)and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 2(NOX2)in patients with primary glaucoma and their correlation with the severity of the disease. METHODS:This study is a cross-sectional study. Patients diagnosed with primary glaucoma at the hospital from August 2022 to June 2025 were enrolled and divided into mild-to-moderate and severe groups based on the mean deviation of visual field defects, along with healthy individuals as a control group. Clinical data were collected, and serum levels of Sirt6 and NOX2 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Correlations between serum Sirt6 and NOX2 levels and clinical parameters were analyzed. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to identify factors influencing disease severity, and the diagnostic efficacy of serum Sirt6 and NOX2 levels was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves. RESULTS:A total of 120 patients with primary glaucoma(58 males, 62 females, mean age 60.08±8.19 y)and 100 controls(46 males, 56 females, mean age 60.23±8.67 y)were enrolled in this study. There were no statistically significant differences in sex or age between the two groups(both P>0.05). The intraocular pressure and serum NOX2 expression level in the primary glaucoma group were significantly higher than those in the control group, while the Sirt6 level was significantly lower than in the control group(all P<0.001). The AUC values of serum Sirt6 and NOX2 in the diagnosis of primary glaucoma were 0.733 and 0.770, respectively, with optimal cutoff values of 2.35 and 4.25 ng/mL, respectively. The AUC of the combined diagnosis of the two was 0.901, and its efficacy was obviously better than that of a single indicator(Zcombination-Sirt6=5.317, Zcombination-NOX2=4.720, P<0.001).The severe group had lower serum Sirt6 expression levels(P<0.05), and higher NOX2 expression levels(P<0.05)than the mild-to-moderate group. Serum Sirt6 expression levels were prominently negatively correlated with mean intraocular pressure(r=-0.354, P<0.05); NOX2 expression levels were prominently positively correlated with mean intraocular pressure(r=0.240, P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that a decrease in serum Sirt6 expression levels(OR=0.229, 95%CI: 0.090-0.581), an increase in serum NOX2 expression levels(OR=2.649, 95%CI: 1.658-4.232), an increase in mean intraocular pressure(OR=1.278, 95%CI: 1.118-1.462)which were risk factors for the progression to severe glaucoma. The AUC values of serums Sirt6 and NOX2 expression levels in diagnosing severe primary glaucoma were 0.794 and 0.800, respectively, the AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of the combined diagnosis of the two were 0.916, 80.00%, and 89.33%, respectively, and the combined diagnostic efficacy was better than that of a single indicator(Zcombination-Sirt6=2.627, P=0.009, Zcombination-NOX2=2.762, P=0.006). CONCLUSION:The decreased serum Sirt6 and increased NOX2 expression levels in patients with primary glaucoma are significantly correlated with disease severity, and the combined detection demonstrates good diagnostic value for primary glaucoma and its severity.

AIM: To investigate the associations of aqueous humor miR-21 and miR-29b levels with the severity of optic nerve damage and GMPE in patients with primary open angle glaucoma(POAG).METHODS:POAG patients who presented to the hospital from May 2023 to May 2025 were prospectively enrolled as the disease group, and patients with cataract treated during the same period were included as the control group. Baseline characteristics and aqueous humor levels of miR-21 and miR-29b were compared between the two groups. POAG patients were categorized into mild and moderate-to-severe groups according to the mean deviation(MD)of visual field. Clinical characteristics and the expression levels of miR-21 and miR-29b in aqueous humor were compared between the two groups. Correlations and nonlinear associations between miR-21/miR-29b levels and RNFL thickness, visual field MD, and BMO-MRW were evaluated. Furthermore, factors influencing the progression of optic nerve damage were analyzed. Based on prognostic outcomes, patients were divided into good prognosis and poor prognosis groups, and the aqueous humor levels of miR-21 and miR-29b were compared. ROC curve analysis was performed to assess the predictive value of combined GMPE with miR-21 and miR-29b for prognosis in POAG patients.Internal validation and decision curve analysis(DCA)were also conducted.RESULTS:This study included 151 patients in the disease group(age 56.07±7.59 y, 84 males and 67 females)and 138 patients in the control group(age 56.84±8.25 y, 68 males and 70 females). There were 45 cases in the mild group(age 54.63±7.34 y, 27 males and 18 females)and 106 cases in the moderate-severe group(age 56.68±8.39 y, 57 males and 49 females). There were 118 cases in the good prognosis group(age 55.83±8.07 y, 67 males and 51 females)and 33 cases in the poor prognosis group(age 56.94±8.23 y, 17 males and 16 females). Compared with the control group, the disease group exhibited significantly higher miR-21 levels and lower miR-29b levels(all P<0.001). Compared with the mild group, intraocular pressure and miR-21 levels were significantly higher in the moderate-to-severe group, while RNFL thickness, visual field MD, BMO-MRW, and miR-29b levels were significantly lower(all P<0.01). The miR-21/miR-29b ratio was negatively correlated with RNFL thickness, visual field MD, and BMO-MRW(all P<0.05). Elevated intraocular pressure and miR-21 levels, reduced RNFL thickness, lower visual field MD, and decreased BMO-MRW and miR-29b levels were identified as risk factors for aggravated optic nerve damage in POAG patients(all P<0.05). Compared with the good prognosis group, the poor prognosis group showed significantly higher miR-21 levels and lower miR-29b, RNFL, and BMO-MRW levels(all P<0.001). The combined prediction model incorporating aqueous humor miR-21, miR-29b, RNFL, and BMO-MRW yielded significantly higher AUC and specificity for predicting POAG prognosis than individual parameters alone(both P<0.05). The ROC prediction model demonstrated good consistency, and the combined prediction model exhibited high clinical utility.CONCLUSION: Aqueous humor levels of miR-21 are significantly elevated while miR-29b levels are significantly decreased in POAG patients, and these alterations are closely correlated with the severity of optic nerve damage and GMPE parameters.

Objective To evaluate the application of serum soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2(sST2),glo-merular filtration rate(GFR),and serum iron(SI)combined test for predicting prognosis of acute decompensated heart failure(ADHF)patients.Methods A total of 575 ADHF patients were included in this study.Serum sST2,GFR,SI levels and other biomarkers were measured and followed up.Patients were divided into poor prognosis and good prognosis groups based on the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events(MACEs).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were used to evaluate the prognostic value of these indicators,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were employed to compare the prediction outcome of single and combined indicators.Results In the poor prognosis group,heart rate,systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pres-sure and fasting blood glucose level were all significantly higher than in those in the control group(P＜0.05).Ad-ditionally,the poor prognosis group had higher level of sST2 and total iron-binding capacity,while GFR,SI and transferring saturation were lower as compared to control group(P＜0.05).Cox multivariate survival analysis showed that sST2,GFR,and SI were independent predictors of poor prognosis in ADHF patients(P＜0.05).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that higher level of sST2 was associated with poor survival prognosis.ROC curve analysis showed that when the biomarkers like sST2,GFR and SI were used together,the area under the curve(AUC)in-creased to 0.834,with a sensitivity of 80.2%and a specificity of 75.6%.Conclusions Combination test of serum sST2,GFR and SI significantly supports the predictive function for ADHF patients'prognosis.The highest AUC val-ue from the combined biomarker prediction may contribute to a more accurate assessment of patient risk.This com-bined test of indicators provides a more reliable tool for clinicians in terms of early identification of high-risk pa-tients,guiding treatment decisions and improving the prognosis management of patients.

Objective To analyze the temporal trends of gout disezse burden in China from 1990 to 2021,and construct an age-period-cohort(APC)model to explore the independent effects of age,period,and birth cohort on epidemiological indicators,and predict the future burden of gout disease in China from 2022 to 2035.Methods Data on gout disease burden in China during 1990-2021 were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease(GBD)2021 database.Joinpoint regression analysis was used to assess temporal trends.The APC model was applied to evaluate the age,period and cohort effects on prevalence risk and disability-adjusted life years(DALYs).A Bayesian age-period-cohort(BAPC)model was employed to project the age-standardized prevalence rate(ASPR)and age-standardized DALY rate(ASDR)of gout in China from 2022 to 2035.Results From 1990 to 2021,the incidence,prevalence and DALYs of gout in China all increased substantially,with overall rising trends in the age-standardized incidence rate(ASIR),ASPR and ASDR.Compared with 1990,the incidence,prevalence and DALYs in 2021 increased by 160.45%,181.12%,and 175.93%,respectively,while their age-standardized rates increased by 23.74%,26.48%and 25.89%.Joinpoint regression analysis revealed that average annual percentage changes(AAPCs)of 0.73%for ASIR,0.82%for ASPR and 0.80%for ASDR during 1990-2021.In 2021,the number of cases and DALYs reached their peaks in males aged 55-59 years and females aged 65-69 years.Both prevalence and DALY rates increased steadily with age,with marked rises starting at age 30 in men and age 40 in women.Overall,males showed higher prevalence,DALYs and corresponding rates than those of females across all age groups.APC model results indicated that the age effect,period effect and cohort effects on prevalence and DALY rates presented an overall upward tread.Decomposition analysis showed that population aging contributed the most to the increase in incidence and DALYs from 1990 to 2021.BAPC projections suggested that by 2035,the ASPR and ASDR of gout in China reached 890.50 per 100,000 and 27.26 per 100,000,respectively.Conclusion The ASPR and ASDR of gout in China are projected to continue increasing from 2022 to 2035.Targeted public health strategies for high-risk populations are urgently needed to reduce the growing burden of gout.

BACKGROUND: The available evidence regarding the benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on patients receiving dialysis with coronary artery disease (CAD) is limited and inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the association between PCI and clinical outcomes as compared with medical therapy alone in patients undergoing dialysis with CAD in China. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective study was conducted in 30 tertiary medical centers across 12 provinces in China from January 2015 to June 2021 to include patients on dialysis with CAD. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke. Secondary outcomes included all-cause death, the individual components of MACE, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria types 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between PCI and outcomes. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and propensity score matching (PSM) were performed to account for potential between-group differences. RESULTS: Of the 1146 patients on dialysis with significant CAD, 821 (71.6%) underwent PCI. After a median follow-up of 23.0 months, PCI was associated with a 43.0% significantly lower risk for MACE (33.9% [ n  = 278] vs . 43.7% [ n  = 142]; adjusted hazards ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.45-0.71), along with a slightly increased risk for bleeding outcomes that did not reach statistical significance (11.1% vs . 8.3%; adjusted hazards ratio 1.31, 95% confidence interval, 0.82-2.11). Furthermore, PCI was associated with a significant reduction in all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities. Subgroup analysis did not modify the association of PCI with patient outcomes. These primary findings were consistent across IPTW, PSM, and competing risk analyses. CONCLUSION This study indicated that PCI in patients on dialysis with CAD was significantly associated with lower MACE and mortality when comparing with those with medical therapy alone, albeit with a slightly increased risk for bleeding events that did not reach statistical significance.
Humans ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Coronary Artery Disease/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Renal Dialysis/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; China ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To characterize the vaginal flora of pregnant women during the second trimester using full-length 16S rRNA sequencing.Methods:A total of 142 pregnant women were systematically sampled from a pregnancy cohort. Vaginal swabs were collected for full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing，and bioinformatics analysis was performed to characterize the vaginal microbiota and identify associated influencing factors.Results:Among the 142 pregnant women，the most frequently detected species were Lactobacillus iners（83.10%，118/142）and Lactobacillus crispatus（49.30%，70/142）. The majority of samples（90.85%，129/142）were classified as Lactobacillus-dominant vagitypes，with the Lactobacillus iners vagitype accounting for 48.59%（69/142）and the Lactobacillus crispatus vagitype accounting for 38.73%（55/142）. The vaginal microbiota was clustered into five community state types（CSTs）：Ⅰa，Ⅰb，Ⅲa，Ⅲb，and Ⅳ. The most prevalent CSTs were Lactobacillus iners-dominated CST-Ⅲ（51.41%，73/142）and Lactobacillus crispatus-dominated CST-Ⅰ（24.65%，35/142）. No samples were classified as CST-Ⅱ or CST-Ⅴ. A significant negative correlation was observed between Lactobacill and vaginosis-associated bacteria. Age，alcohol consumption，smoking，and vaginal treatments showed significant associations or trends toward significance with various Alpha diversity indices. Vaginal douching was associated with CST clustering，while obstetric history（primiparity，previous miscarriage history）was associated with vagitype classification. However，no significant associations were identified between maternal baseline characteristics and Beta diversity indices. Conclusions:Full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing reveals that the vaginal microbiota of pregnant women is dominated by Lactobacillus iners and Lactobacillus crispatus. Maternal age，lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption，and obstetric history are significantly associated with variations in vaginal microbiota composition.

Objective To analyze the temporal trends of gout disezse burden in China from 1990 to 2021,and construct an age-period-cohort(APC)model to explore the independent effects of age,period,and birth cohort on epidemiological indicators,and predict the future burden of gout disease in China from 2022 to 2035.Methods Data on gout disease burden in China during 1990-2021 were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease(GBD)2021 database.Joinpoint regression analysis was used to assess temporal trends.The APC model was applied to evaluate the age,period and cohort effects on prevalence risk and disability-adjusted life years(DALYs).A Bayesian age-period-cohort(BAPC)model was employed to project the age-standardized prevalence rate(ASPR)and age-standardized DALY rate(ASDR)of gout in China from 2022 to 2035.Results From 1990 to 2021,the incidence,prevalence and DALYs of gout in China all increased substantially,with overall rising trends in the age-standardized incidence rate(ASIR),ASPR and ASDR.Compared with 1990,the incidence,prevalence and DALYs in 2021 increased by 160.45%,181.12%,and 175.93%,respectively,while their age-standardized rates increased by 23.74%,26.48%and 25.89%.Joinpoint regression analysis revealed that average annual percentage changes(AAPCs)of 0.73%for ASIR,0.82%for ASPR and 0.80%for ASDR during 1990-2021.In 2021,the number of cases and DALYs reached their peaks in males aged 55-59 years and females aged 65-69 years.Both prevalence and DALY rates increased steadily with age,with marked rises starting at age 30 in men and age 40 in women.Overall,males showed higher prevalence,DALYs and corresponding rates than those of females across all age groups.APC model results indicated that the age effect,period effect and cohort effects on prevalence and DALY rates presented an overall upward tread.Decomposition analysis showed that population aging contributed the most to the increase in incidence and DALYs from 1990 to 2021.BAPC projections suggested that by 2035,the ASPR and ASDR of gout in China reached 890.50 per 100,000 and 27.26 per 100,000,respectively.Conclusion The ASPR and ASDR of gout in China are projected to continue increasing from 2022 to 2035.Targeted public health strategies for high-risk populations are urgently needed to reduce the growing burden of gout.

Objective:To characterize the vaginal flora of pregnant women during the second trimester using full-length 16S rRNA sequencing.Methods:A total of 142 pregnant women were systematically sampled from a pregnancy cohort. Vaginal swabs were collected for full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing，and bioinformatics analysis was performed to characterize the vaginal microbiota and identify associated influencing factors.Results:Among the 142 pregnant women，the most frequently detected species were Lactobacillus iners（83.10%，118/142）and Lactobacillus crispatus（49.30%，70/142）. The majority of samples（90.85%，129/142）were classified as Lactobacillus-dominant vagitypes，with the Lactobacillus iners vagitype accounting for 48.59%（69/142）and the Lactobacillus crispatus vagitype accounting for 38.73%（55/142）. The vaginal microbiota was clustered into five community state types（CSTs）：Ⅰa，Ⅰb，Ⅲa，Ⅲb，and Ⅳ. The most prevalent CSTs were Lactobacillus iners-dominated CST-Ⅲ（51.41%，73/142）and Lactobacillus crispatus-dominated CST-Ⅰ（24.65%，35/142）. No samples were classified as CST-Ⅱ or CST-Ⅴ. A significant negative correlation was observed between Lactobacill and vaginosis-associated bacteria. Age，alcohol consumption，smoking，and vaginal treatments showed significant associations or trends toward significance with various Alpha diversity indices. Vaginal douching was associated with CST clustering，while obstetric history（primiparity，previous miscarriage history）was associated with vagitype classification. However，no significant associations were identified between maternal baseline characteristics and Beta diversity indices. Conclusions:Full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing reveals that the vaginal microbiota of pregnant women is dominated by Lactobacillus iners and Lactobacillus crispatus. Maternal age，lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption，and obstetric history are significantly associated with variations in vaginal microbiota composition.

At present, pancreatic cancer is a solid tumor with the worst prognosis. Compared with surgery and chemotherapy, radiotherapy plays an auxiliary role in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. In recent years, significant advances have been achieved in radiotherapy technology, which have been gradually applied in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer. In this article, the progress in radiation therapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer was reviewed, especially the clinical application of magnetic resonance imaging-guided radiation therapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, aiming to deepen the understand of the progress in radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer, and providing reference for improving the survival rate of pancreatic cancer patients.

This study used the Appraisal of Guidelines Research & Evaluation-Health Systems （AGREE-HS） to demonstratively compare 34 global coronavirus disease-2019 （COVID-19） health systems guidance documents （HSGs） and 6 World Health Organization （WHO） standard HSGs. The comparison involved topic， participants， methods， recommendations， and implementability， with the aim of exploring the characteristics of emergency HSGs. The results showed that the emergency HSGs had an overall average score of 49%， with topic having the highest score， recommendations having the second highest score， and participants having the lowest score. The standard HSGs had an overall average score of 79%， with high scores in all items. The emergency HSGs had lower scores in participants， methods， recommendations， and implementability than the standard HSGs （P<0.001）， while the COVID-19 emergency HSGs developed by the WHO had higher score in topic than the standard HSGs （P<0.05）. Compared with those released by countries， the COVID-19 emergency HSG developed by the WHO showed superiority in all items and overall scores （P=0.000 2）. This indicates that emergency HSGs， represented by the COVID-19 emergency HSG， place equal emphasis on topic and recommendations as standard HSGs but have low requirements in terms of expert participation， evidence support， and comprehensive consideration in the time- and resource-limited context. They have the characteristics of prominent topics， clear purposes， orientation to demand， keeping up with the latest evidence， flexible adjustment， and timeliness， emphasizing immediate implementation effects， weakening long-term effects， and focusing on comprehensive benefits. Additionally， developers， types， and report completeness are important influencing factors.