Objective:To investigate the causal relationship between trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and its precursors (betaine, carnitine, and choline) and pancreatic diseases based on the Mendelian randomization (MR) method.Methods:Genome-wide association study data of TMAO, betaine, carnitine, choline, acute pancreatitis (AP), chronic pancreatitis (CP), pancreatic cancer (PC), and circulating immune cell characteristics (white blood cell, lymphocyte, monocyte, neutrophil, eosinophil and basophil) were collected. According to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE)-MR reporting guidelines, the available genetic variants [single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)] were strictly screened. The causal relationship between exposure (TMAO and its precursors) and outcomes (pancreatic diseases and circulating immune cell characteristics) was evaluated using inverse variance weighting (IVW), MR-Egger regression and weighted median. The reliability of the results was evaluated by sensitivity analysis based on MR-Egger regression, MR-PRESSO, Cochrane's Q test and leave-one-out method. Results:A total of 36 SNP associated with TMAO and its precursors were included. Five of these were associated with TMAO, 13 with betaine, 12 with carnitine, and 6 with choline. ① MR analysis showed that TMAO may increase the risk of AP [odds ratio ( OR) = 1.100, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 1.008-1.200, P = 0.032], and choline may reduce the risk of alcoholic acute pancreatitis (AAP; OR = 0.743, 95% CI was 0.585-0.944, P = 0.015). The analysis results of MR-Egger regression and weighted median were consistent with the IVW results. There is no evidence to support a causal relationship between TMAO and its precursors and the risk of CP and PC. Sensitivity analysis indicated that SNP analyzed by MR showed no heterogeneity and low pleiotropy. The leave-one-out method analysis determined that after excluding any SNP, the effect intervals of the remaining SNP on the results were similar to the overall effect intervals, which suggested the robustness of MR results. ② There was a positive causal relationship between plasma TMAO level and circulating monocyte count ( OR = 1.017, 95% CI was 1.000*-1.034, P = 0.048, * represented that the data was obtained by correcting to 3 decimal places from 1.000 1). The causal effect obtained by MR-Egger regression and weighted median analysis was consistent with the results of IVW. Sensitivity analysis illustrated SNP analyzed by MR showed no heterogeneity and pleiotropy. The leave-one-out method analysis determined that after excluding any SNP, the effect intervals of the remaining SNP on the results were similar to the overall effect intervals, which suggested the robustness of MR results. Conclusion:TMAO and choline may change the risk of AP, and TMAO may contribute to the increase of circulating monocyte count in AP.

BACKGROUND: Although intensively studied in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the prognostic value of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) has little been elucidated in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). This study aimed to reveal the prognostic value of DBP in AECOPD patients. METHODS: Inpatients with AECOPD were prospectively enrolled from 10 medical centers in China between September 2017 and July 2021. DBP was measured on admission. The primary outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality; invasive mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit (ICU) admission were secondary outcomes. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariable Cox regressions were used to identify independent prognostic factors and calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for adverse outcomes. RESULTS: Among 13,633 included patients with AECOPD, 197 (1.45%) died during their hospital stay. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that low DBP on admission (<70 mmHg) was associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality (HR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.53-3.05, Z = 4.37, P <0.01), invasive mechanical ventilation (HR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.32-2.05, Z = 19.67, P <0.01), and ICU admission (HR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.24-1.69, Z = 22.08, P <0.01) in the overall cohort. Similar findings were observed in subgroups with or without CVDs, except for invasive mechanical ventilation in the subgroup with CVDs. When DBP was further categorized in 5-mmHg increments from <50 mmHg to ≥100 mmHg, and 75 to <80 mmHg was taken as reference, HRs for in-hospital mortality increased almost linearly with decreased DBP in the overall cohort and subgroups of patients with CVDs; higher DBP was not associated with the risk of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: Low on-admission DBP, particularly <70 mmHg, was associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes among inpatients with AECOPD, with or without CVDs, which may serve as a convenient predictor of poor prognosis in these patients. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trail Registry, No. ChiCTR2100044625.
Humans ; Blood Pressure ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/therapy* ; Cohort Studies ; Respiration, Artificial ; Inpatients ; Hospital Mortality

This study was designed to investigate the effect of emodin(EMO)on endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS)in alveolar macrophages(AMs)of rats with severe acute pancreatitis(SAP)and the underlying mechanism.Forty rats were recruited and randomized into four groups:sham-operation(SO)group,SAP group,4-phenylbutyric acid(4-PBA)group and EMO group.The SAP model was established by retrograde injection of 5%sodium taurocholate into the biliopancreatic duct.HE staining was performed to observe the pathological changes in the pancreas and lung;the wet/dry weight ratio of lung tissue was calculated.Arterial partial pressure of the oxygen(PaO2)and carbon dioxide(PaCO2)were measured;the serum amylase activity and the levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-6 were evaluated.TUNEL staining was used to determine the cell apoptosis rate of lung tissue;Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of GRP78,ATF6,CHOP,and Caspase-12.Moreover,rat AMs(NR8383)were signed into control(CON)group,lipopolysaccharide(LPS)group,4-phenylbutyric acid(4-PBA)group and EMO group in vitro.Glutathione(GSH)and malondialdehyde(MDA)levels in the cell medium were measured,as were the protein expression levels of GRP78,ATF6,CHOP,and Caspase-12 in AMs.For experiments in vivo,compared with the SO group,the pathological score of pancreatic and lung in SAP rats was increased(P<0.05),the levels of serum amylase activity,IL-6 and TNF-α were increased(P<0.05),the wet/dry weight ratio and apoptosis rate of lung tissue were increased(P<0.05),PaO2 was decreased,PaCO2 was increased(P<0.05),and the protein expression of GRP78,ATF6,CHOP and Caspase-12 were increased in lung tissue(P<0.05).Compared with the SAP group,these indexes mentioned above in the 4-PBA and EMO groups were reversed(P<0.05).For experiments in vitro,compared with the CON group,GSH levels were decreased,and MDA levels were increased in the cell medium of LPS group(P<0.05),and the expression of GRP78,ATF6,CHOP and Caspase-12 proteins were upregulated(P<0.05).Compared with the LPS group,these indexes mentioned above in in cell medium of the 4-PBA and EMO groups were reversed(P<0.05).In conclusion,the protective effect of EMO on pancreatic and lung injury in SAP rats may be closely related to the inhibition of ATF6/CHOP pathway-induced inflammation and oxidative stress in AMs.

As a common psychiatric disorder, the etiology and pathogenesis of depression are complex and not yet fully elucidated.The diagnosis of depression mainly depends on the patients’ medical history, clinical symptoms and related examinations.Identification of biomarkers will provide important clues for the specific diagnosis and targeted treatment of depression.In addition to the widely recognized neurotransmitter dysregulation, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity, neuroplasticity, and neuro-inflammation theory, oxidative stress is also involved in the pathogenesis of depression in multiple ways.Many studies showed that the heat shock protein 70(HSP70)levels will increase in early stage to cope with the stress in patients with depression.However, lower HSP70 levels are often correlated with more severe depressive symptoms.HSP70 may be involved in depression through multiple pathways of oxidative stress, glucocorticoid receptors, neuroinflammation and neuroplasticity.Furthermore, increasing HSP70 expression results in significant improvement in depression-like behavior in animals.Thus, HSP70 possesses potential value as an early warning marker for depression as well as a therapeutic target.

CCAAT enhancer binding protein β (C/EBPβ), as a nuclear transcription factor necessary for the development of liver, airway epithelium, and adipose tissue, plays a vital role in physiological processes related to cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. However, the up-regulation of C/EBPβ activates signal pathways related to inflammatory response, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, cell proliferation and invasion, immune response, and angiogenesis by regulating a series of downstream genes transcription promotes the development of lung diseases. Therefore, targeting C/EBPβ may be a potential treatment strategy for lung diseases. This paper summarizes the regulatory effects of C/EBPβ and related signaling pathways in lung infection, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung injury, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer to provide a theoretical basis for the precision medicine of lung diseases.

Acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) is a common respiratory disease in clinic, and with a pathological manifestation of pulmonary edema, decreased pulmonary compliance as well as pulmonary epithelial/endothelial cells injury. At present, it was suggested that systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) caused by various causes which play an important role in the occurrence and development of ALI/ARDS. Widely activated neutrophils can migrate to lung tissue and release plenty of proteases in the procedure of SIRS, including neutrophil serine proteases (NSPs), lysozyme, myeloperoxidase and collagenase, which can induce severe lung injury. Meanwhile, NSPs, such as neutrophil elastase (NE), cathepsin G (CG), proteinase 3 (PR3) and neutrophil serine proteinase 4 (NSP4), are important in the pathogenesis of ALI/ARDS. Therefore, Serpins may protect lung tissue by inhibiting NSPs. However, the specific mechanism of Serpins is not totally clear. In this article, we will discuss the mechanism of action of NSPs in the inflammatory response of ALI/ARDS, the structural overview of Serpins, the primary role of Serpins in ALI/ARDS,such as the inhibition of NSPs activity, other roles of Serpins in ALI/ARDS, such as the inhibition of inflammatory factor release, regulation of apoptosis and protection of vascular endothelial cells and pulmonary surfactant-associated glycoprotein D (SP-D), and the clinical application of exogenous Serpins in ALI/ARDS to explore the role of Serpins in the pathogenesis of ALI/ARDS. The aim is to provide new ideas and strategies for the clinical treatment of ALI/ARDS.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between serum procollagen Ⅲ amino terminal peptide (PIIINP), collagen I carboxyl terminal cross-linking peptide (CTXI), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) T 1 mapping value in patients with lone atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods:Fifty-five patients with lone AF in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from July 2017 to June 2018 were prospectively enrolled. Another 20 healthy volunteers were examined at the same time to provide normal reference range. All patients completed PIIINP, CTXI, hs-CRP and CMR examination within one week. CMR examination including cine, pre-contrast T 1 mapping, and late gadolinium enhancement sequences. We used t test, Mann-Whitney U test or chi square test to compare the difference of the above indexes between AF patients and the control group. Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine the associations between left ventricular native T 1 value and blood biomarker in AF patients. Results:All the patients were paroxysmal AF with an average age of (48±10) years, of which 46 (83.6%) were male. The PIIINP, CTXI, hs-CRP, left ventricular native T 1 value of AF patients were 5.83 (3.52, 12.40) ng/ml, 4.63 (3.31, 6.82) μg/ml, 3.41 (1.72, 6.61) mg/L and (1 261±23) ms, respectively, which all significant higher than those in healthy subjects (all P<0.05). The native T 1 value of left ventricular myocardium was positively correlated with PIIINP ( r=0.492, P<0.05) and hs-CRP ( r=0.516, P<0.05), but not with CTXI ( r=0.021, P>0.05). Conclusions:The PIIINP, CTXI and hs-CRP increased in patients with lone AF, PIIINP and hs-CRP were correlated with elevated native T 1 value of left ventricular myocardium.

Acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) is a life-threatening lung disease characterized by refractory hypoxemia. Metabolomics is an emerging discipline for qualitative and quantitative analysis of small molecular weight metabolites in organisms or cells. Mass attention has been paid to its role in disease diagnosis and treatment. Recently, many metabolites based on metabolomics have been proposed as potential biomarkers for early development and prognosis of ALI/ARDS, and provide insights into new targeted interventions. Based on metabolomics, this article discusses the role of endogenous metabolites in the pathogenesis and biomarkers of ALI/ARDS, and summarizes its application in medical therapy.

Objective To investigate the effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) colonization in early life on intestinal barrier and intestinal development in offspring mice and its possible mechanism.Methods Six C57BL/6 pregnant mice with the same conception time of 6 weeks were selected and randomly divided into experiment group given 108 cfu/ml LGG live bacteria and control group given LGG inactivated bacteria by gavage from the 18th day of pregnancy until natural birth.The progeny mice in the two groups were continued to be gavaged with 107 cfu/ml of LGG live bacteria or LGG inactivated bacteria on days 1-5 of birth.The body weight changes of 3 week'progeny mice were recorded.The colonization of LGG bacteria in offspring mice was detected at 2nd and 3rd weeks.The mRNA of intestinal proinflammatory cytokines and tight junction molecules were evaluated by real-time PCR method.HE,immunohistochemistry,immunofluorescence staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to evaluate the intestinal barrier of 3-week old off spring mice.Results Compared with the control group,the progeny mice of the experiment group showed no significant difference in body weight at the first week,and the body weight increased at the second week and the third week [2ndweek:(3.790±0.240) g vs.(4.326±0.140) g,t=3.707,P=0.006;3rd week:(7.295±0.326) g vs.(8.040±0.370) g,t=3.130,P=0.011].LGG colonization can be detected only in the feces of progeny mice in the experiment group.Intestinal colonization can promote the growth of small intestine villi and colon crypt depth [jejunum:(320.000±22.514) μm vs.(265.100±15.611) μm,t=8.258,P＜0.001;ileum:(150.500±13.099) μm vs.(111.000±11.308) μm,t=9.958,P＜0.001;colon:(295.000±15.209) μm vs.(233.100±6.678) μm,t=9.129,P＜0.001].Compared with the control group,the number of goblet cells in the colonic crypt of the experiment group increased (11.62 ± 0.780 vs.35.24 ±1.370,t=15.000,P＜0.001),and the relative mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory factors as IFN-γ (1.280±0.232 vs.0.512±0.206,t=4.970,P=0.001),IL-6 (1.364±0.271 vs.0.941±0.215,t=2.452,P=0.040),IL-10 (1.341±0.320vs.0.744±0.294,t=2.762,P=0.025)andTNF-α (3.702±0.150 vs.2.581±0.500,t=2.553,P=0.034) in the experiment group decreased;the expression levels of the intimate tight junction molecules (Claudin3) (1.283±0.152 vs.1.881±0.172,t=4.932,P=0.001) and the atresia protein molecule (Occludin) (1.164±0.342 vs.0.812±0.224,t=3.67,P=0.016) significantly increased.Conclusion Early life LGG colonization protects the intestinal barrier by inhibiting lowgrade intestinal inflammation.This study will lay the experimental foundation for the supplementation of probiotics in early life so as to prevent intestinal diseases.

Objective To explore the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of primary central nervous system lymphoma. Methods Clinical data of 60 patients diagnosed with primary central nervous system lymphoma from September 2010 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 50 cases were diagnosed by histopathological examination after stereotactic biopsy or tumor resection and 10 patients were diagnosed by gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI) . Fifty-two patients underwent chemotherapy, and 45 of them received methotrexate-based chemotherapy, 25 received rituximab-based regimen. Twenty-seven patients were given with planned whole brain radiotherapy, while 33 patients were not. Salvage radiotherapy was delivered in 9 patients after treatment failure. Results The median follow-up time was 28 months ( 5-70 months) . The median overall survival time and median progression-free survival time of the whole patients was 22 months ( 5-65 months) and 13 months ( 5-55 months) , respectively. The 4-year overall survival rate and progression-free survival rate were 61% and 33%, respectively. The 4-year overall survival rates between patients with and without planned whole brain radiotherapy were 68% and 54% ( P=0.083) . The 4-year progression-free survival rates between patients with and without planned whole brain radiotherapy were 47% and 20% ( P=0.014) , respectively. Patients with and without salvage whole brain radiotherapy had a 4-year overall survival of 49% and 68%, respectively ( P=0.398) . Among patients who received whole brain radiotherapy, patients with a lower dose of ≤36 Gy had a similar overall survival compared with those with a higher dose of>36 Gy ( 80% vs. 45%, P=0.136) . Conclusions Radiotherapy is part of the comprehensive treatment of primary central nervous system lymphoma. Planned radiotherapy may bring clinical benefits to patients during the comprehensive therapy. However, the irradiation dose to the whole brain should not be too high because of neurotoxicity.