Objective To explore the causal relationship between immune cells and heart failure (HF), and the mediating role of serum metabolites, in order to identify potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Methods We employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis method based on genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, analyzing the direct and indirect effects of 731 types of immune cells and 1 400 metabolites on HF. We selected valid instrumental variables and conducted statistical analyses using R software. The primary analysis was performed using the inverse variance weighted method, supplemented by MR-Egger analysis and weighted median method. The stability of the results was assessed through tests such as Cochran’s Q test. Results Our research found a negative causal relationship between PD-L1 on CD14−CD16+ and HF. Sensitivity analysis supported this result. The reverse MR analysis did not find an effect of HF on PD-L1 on CD14−CD16+, indicating that PD-L1 on CD14−CD16+ might play a unidirectional role in reducing the risk of HF. Further mediation MR analysis showed that PD-L1 on CD14−CD16+ might influence the risk of HF onset by regulating the levels of sphingomyelin (d17:1/14:0, d16:1/15:0), with a mediation effect ratio of 6.7%. Conclusion PD-L1 on CD14−CD16+ may reduce the risk of HF by elevating the levels of sphingomyelin (d17:1/14:0, d16:1/15:0), which provides a new perspective for understanding the pathogenesis of HF.

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of soluble C5b-9 (sC5b-9) for delayed graft function (DGF) following kidney transplantation. Methods Clinical data of 49 kidney transplant recipients who underwent sC5b-9 detection at the Second People’s Hospital of Shanxi Province between January 2024 and December 2025 were retrospectively analyzed. Recipients were divided into the DGF group (n=25) and the non-DGF group (n=24) according to the occurrence of DGF. Baseline characteristics and serum sC5b-9 levels were compared between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of sC5b-9 for DGF. A restricted cubic spline model was adopted to investigate the association between sC5b-9 and DGF. Results Among the 49 recipients, DGF occurred in 25 patients. Compared with the non-DGF group, the DGF group presented a higher proportion of male patients, a higher incidence of adverse transplant outcomes, and elevated final serum creatinine levels (all P<0.05). Within 30 days after transplantation, sC5b-9 concentrations were significantly higher in the DGF group than those in the non-DGF group (P<0.001). ROC analysis revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) of sC5b-9 for diagnosing DGF was 0.81, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.68-0.92, and the optimal cutoff value was 265.7 ng/mL. Recipients with elevated sC5b-9 (≥265.7 ng/mL) had a significantly higher incidence of DGF than those with low sC5b-9 levels (<265.7 ng/mL) (P<0.001). Recipients with adverse outcomes exhibited significantly higher sC5b-9 levels than those without adverse outcomes (P<0.001), and the AUC of sC5b-9 for identifying adverse outcomes was 0.82 (95%CI 0.63-0.95). A significant nonlinear correlation was observed between sC5b-9 and final serum creatinine (P<0.001). Conclusions Elevated sC5b-9 is correlated with the development of DGF after kidney transplantation and exhibits favorable diagnostic performance. It may serve as a potential biomarker for predicting early allograft dysfunction and adverse outcomes in kidney transplant recipients.

Objective To investigate the effects of STIP1 homology and U-box containing protein 1(STUB1)on the ubiquitination of glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)and ferroptosis in colon cancer cells HCT116,as well as the impact on CD8+T cell-mediated killing of HCT116 cells.Methods HCT116 cells were divided into control group,empty plasmid transfection(pcDNA3.1-vector)group,STUB1 overexpression plasmid transfection(pcDNA3.1-STUB1)group,and co-transfection(pcDNA3.1-STUB1+pcDNA3.1-GPX4)group.Cell proliferation ability was assessed by CCK-8 assay.Clonogenic ability was determined by clone formation assay.Malondialdehyde(MDA)levels in cells were measured using an MDA kit.Intracellular ferrous ion(Fe2+)levels were detected with an Fe2+probe.Changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were detected using JC-1 dye.Protein expression levels of STUB1,solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11),and GPX4 were determined by western blot.The binding between STUB1 and GPX4 was assessed by co-immunoprecipitation.The effect of STUB1 on GPX4 protein ubiquitination was detected using a ubiquitin antibody.HCT116 cells transfected with different plasmids were co-cultured with human peripheral blood CD8+T cells,and the killing ability of CD8+T cells against HCT116 cells was measured using a lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)kit.Perforin,granzyme,and interferon-γ levels in the co-culture supernatant were determined by ELISA.Results Compared with the control group,the pcDNA3.1-STUB1 group showed decreased cell proliferation ability,mitochondrial membrane potential,and protein expression levels of SLC7A11 and GPX4,along with increased STUB1 protein expression,MDA,Fe2+levels,and GPX4 ubiquitination in HCT116 cells.Compared with the pcDNA3.1-STUB1 group,the pcDNA3.1-STUB1+pcDNA3.1-GPX4 group exhibited increased cell proliferation ability,mitochondrial membrane potential,and expression levels of SLC7A11 and GPX4,along with decreased MDA and Fe2+levels in HCT116 cells.After co-culture of HCT116 cells with CD8+T cells,the pcDNA3.1-STUB1 group showed significantly increased killing rate of CD8+T cells against HCT116 cells,as well as elevated levels of perforin,granzyme,and interferon-γ in the co-culture supernatant compared with the control group.Compared with the pcDNA3.1-STUB1 group,the pcDNA3.1-STUB1+pcDNA3.1-GPX4 group exhibited decreased killing rate of CD8+T cells against HCT116 cells and reduced levels of perforin,granzyme,and interferon-γ in the co-culture supernatant.Conclusion Overexpression of STUB1 promotes GPX4 ubiquitination in colon cancer cells HCT116,induces ferroptosis,and enhances the killing effect of CD8+T cells on HCT116 cells.

On May 10,2025,the European Association for the Study of the Liver(EASL)released the latest version of Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection.Based on the latest research advances,the guidelines provide comprehensive recommendations for the diagnosis,treatment,and prevention of HBV infection,covering ten key areas of diagnostic criteria,treatment goals,indications for treatment,therapeutic strategies,hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance,management of special populations,prevention of HBV reactivation,post-transplant care,prevention strategies,and future research priorities.This article summarizes and makes an excerpt of the key recommendations from the updated guidelines.

Background and Aims:Radical resection is the only potentially curative treatment for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC),yet the high recurrence rate results in poor prognosis.In recent years,"textbook outcome"(TO)has been proposed as a comprehensive quality metric,but its association with prognosis remains unclear.This study aimed to analyze the risk factors influencing the achievement of TO after radical resection of ICC and to explore the relationship between TO and survival.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 180 ICC patients who underwent radical resection at the 904th Hospital of the Joint Logistic Support Force of the PLA between February 2018 and February 2023.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors associated with TO,and survival analysis was carried out using the Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test.Results:Of the 180 patients,66 achieved TO.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis indicated that preoperative total bilirubin＞22 μmol/L,preoperative CA19-9＞35 U/mL,maximum tumor diameter＞5 cm,poor tumor differentiation,microvascular invasion(MVI),and lymph node metastasis were independent risk factors for failing to achieve TO(all P＜0.05).Survival analysis demonstrated that patients who achieved TO had a significantly longer median survival compared with those who did not(36 months vs.16 months,P＜0.001).Conclusion:Preoperative total bilirubin＞22 μmol/L,preoperative CA19-9＞35 U/mL,maximum tumor diameter＞5 cm,poor tumor differentiation,MVI,and lymph node metastasis are independent risk factors for not achieving TO after radical resection of ICC.Patients who achieved TO exhibited markedly longer survival,suggesting that TO not only reflects perioperative treatment quality but also serves as an important prognostic indicator.Greater attention to these risk factors and optimization of perioperative management may improve the likelihood of achieving TO and enhance long-term outcomes.

Objective:To explore the role and mechanism of Ras homolog gene family member E (RhoE) gene in myocardial fibrosis in diabetic cardiomyopathy.Methods:Wild-type SD rats were intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin solution (STZ, 70 mg/kg) and an equal volume of sodium citrate solution to establish the type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) group ( n=15) and the T1DM control group ( n=15), respectively. db/db spontaneous type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mice and wild-type C57BL/6J mice were conventionally housed for 8 weeks to establish the T2DM group ( n=5) and the T2DM control group ( n=5), respectively. Heterozygote SD rats with systemic knockout of the RhoE gene were intraperitoneally injected with STZ solution (70 mg/kg) and an equal volume of sodium citrate solution to establish the RhoE knockout T1DM group ( n=5) and the RhoE knockout control group ( n=5), respectively. Wild-type SD rats were injected with RhoE-overexpressing adeno-associated virus 9 through tail vein and intraperitoneally injected with STZ solution (70 mg/kg) to establish the RhoE overexpression T1DM group ( n=5), while wild-type SD rats injected with negative control virus through tail vein and intraperitoneally injected with an equal volume of sodium citrate solution served as the RhoE overexpression control group ( n=5). After successful modeling, all animals in each group were conventionally housed for an additional 6 or 8 weeks, which marked the experimental endpoint. At the experimental endpoint, echocardiography was performed to assess cardiac function of animals in each group, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and the ratio of early to late diastolic transmitral flow velocity (E/A ratio) were analysed. Masson staining was used to detect collagen fiber deposition in myocardial tissue of animals in each group. Western blot analysis was conducted to detect the expression levels of RhoE gene, type Ⅰ collagen, type Ⅲ collagen, Smad2/3, and phosphorylated Smad2/3 protein in myocardial tissue of rats. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in serum of rats. Results:Compared with their respective control groups, the expression of RhoE in the heart tissues of mice in the T2DM group and rats in the T1DM group was significantly downregulated, and the deposition of collagen fibers was more significant ( P<0.05), and LVEF and E/A ratio were lower (all P<0.05). Compared with the T1DM group, the phosphorylation level of Smad2/3、the levels of type Ⅰ collagen and type Ⅲ collagen in myocardial tissue and the level of TGF-β1 in serum were higher in the RhoE knockout T1DM group (all P<0.05). Additionally, rats in the RhoE overexpression T1DM group had higher LVEF and E/A ratios (both P<0.05) and less collagen fiber deposition ( P<0.05) compared with the T1DM group. Conclusions:Myocardial fibrosis induced by diabetes mellitus activates TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway by inhibiting RhoE gene expression. Myocardial targeting overexpression of the RhoE mediated by adeno-associated virus 9 can alleviate myocardial fibrosis and improve cardiac function in rats with diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Objectives:This study aims to explore the causal relationships between immune cells and serum metabolites in the development of coronary heart disease(CHD)using Mendelian randomization(MR)methods.Methods:We conducted a two-sample MR analysis utilizing data from the FinnGen Project's genome-wide association study(GWAS)on CHD,alongside data on metabolites and immune cells from the GWAS catalog.For the identified associated metabolites,we further employed mediation MR methods to evaluate their mediating roles in the influence of immune cells on CHD.Results:The MR analysis indicated that three immune cells(IgD-CD24-%B cell,CD11b on CD14+monocyte,HLA DR on DC)had stable causal relationship with CHD(under the premise of inverse variance weighted[IVW]method P<0.05,both MR-Egger and weighted median methods also showed P<0.05).Furthermore,these immune cells were associated with CHD through four metabolites(N-acetylneuraminic acid levels,the ratio of desmethyltaurine to taurine,X-24801 and X-18779).Conclusions:This study reveals the causal relationships between immune cells and serum metabolites in the pathogenesis of CHD,providing new biomarkers for early prediction and risk assessment of CHD.

Objective To investigate the effects of STIP1 homology and U-box containing protein 1(STUB1)on the ubiquitination of glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)and ferroptosis in colon cancer cells HCT116,as well as the impact on CD8+T cell-mediated killing of HCT116 cells.Methods HCT116 cells were divided into control group,empty plasmid transfection(pcDNA3.1-vector)group,STUB1 overexpression plasmid transfection(pcDNA3.1-STUB1)group,and co-transfection(pcDNA3.1-STUB1+pcDNA3.1-GPX4)group.Cell proliferation ability was assessed by CCK-8 assay.Clonogenic ability was determined by clone formation assay.Malondialdehyde(MDA)levels in cells were measured using an MDA kit.Intracellular ferrous ion(Fe2+)levels were detected with an Fe2+probe.Changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were detected using JC-1 dye.Protein expression levels of STUB1,solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11),and GPX4 were determined by western blot.The binding between STUB1 and GPX4 was assessed by co-immunoprecipitation.The effect of STUB1 on GPX4 protein ubiquitination was detected using a ubiquitin antibody.HCT116 cells transfected with different plasmids were co-cultured with human peripheral blood CD8+T cells,and the killing ability of CD8+T cells against HCT116 cells was measured using a lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)kit.Perforin,granzyme,and interferon-γ levels in the co-culture supernatant were determined by ELISA.Results Compared with the control group,the pcDNA3.1-STUB1 group showed decreased cell proliferation ability,mitochondrial membrane potential,and protein expression levels of SLC7A11 and GPX4,along with increased STUB1 protein expression,MDA,Fe2+levels,and GPX4 ubiquitination in HCT116 cells.Compared with the pcDNA3.1-STUB1 group,the pcDNA3.1-STUB1+pcDNA3.1-GPX4 group exhibited increased cell proliferation ability,mitochondrial membrane potential,and expression levels of SLC7A11 and GPX4,along with decreased MDA and Fe2+levels in HCT116 cells.After co-culture of HCT116 cells with CD8+T cells,the pcDNA3.1-STUB1 group showed significantly increased killing rate of CD8+T cells against HCT116 cells,as well as elevated levels of perforin,granzyme,and interferon-γ in the co-culture supernatant compared with the control group.Compared with the pcDNA3.1-STUB1 group,the pcDNA3.1-STUB1+pcDNA3.1-GPX4 group exhibited decreased killing rate of CD8+T cells against HCT116 cells and reduced levels of perforin,granzyme,and interferon-γ in the co-culture supernatant.Conclusion Overexpression of STUB1 promotes GPX4 ubiquitination in colon cancer cells HCT116,induces ferroptosis,and enhances the killing effect of CD8+T cells on HCT116 cells.

On May 10,2025,the European Association for the Study of the Liver(EASL)released the latest version of Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection.Based on the latest research advances,the guidelines provide comprehensive recommendations for the diagnosis,treatment,and prevention of HBV infection,covering ten key areas of diagnostic criteria,treatment goals,indications for treatment,therapeutic strategies,hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance,management of special populations,prevention of HBV reactivation,post-transplant care,prevention strategies,and future research priorities.This article summarizes and makes an excerpt of the key recommendations from the updated guidelines.

Chronic heart failure(CHF)is a common end-stage manifestation of cardiovascular disease,and the"spleen-small intestine-heart"axis is its important mechanism.Current studies have shown that the"spleen"in TCM and mitochondria function are similar,and the physiological dysfunction of the"small intestine"is also closely related to intestinal bacterial dysbiosis,and the pathology of the spleen and the small intestine will be transmitted to the heart to accelerate the occurrence and development of CHF.Based on the relevant theory of spleen-small intestine-heart,this article described the correlation between abnormal mitochondrial energy metabolism and imbalance of intestinal flora and CHF from the aspects of the spleen,small intestine and heart,and believed that the essence of CHF is a pathological condition formed by mitochondrial energy metabolism crisis and intestinal microecological disorders,which could provide theoretical references for the TCM prevention and treatment of CHF.