Association between coffee and caffeine intake and risk of COPD: Findings based on NHANES 2007-2012.

BACKGROUND: The association between coffee and caffeine intake and the risk of COPD and lung function has not been thoroughly discussed in Americans, with subgroup and threshold effects remaining unclear. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the association between coffee and caffeine consumption and the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as lung function utilizing data from the NHANES 2007-2012. METHODS: We assessed the associations of coffee and caffeine consumption with the risk of COPD and lung function parameters, including FEV1 and FVC, adjusting for common demographic and disease characteristics in a cross-sectional analysis of NHANES data. RESULTS: A total of 9763 participants were included in the study, and 592 were diagnosed with COPD. Multivariate regression models revealed positive associations between coffee and caffeine consumption and the risk of COPD and lung function. Subgroup analyses stratified by sex, DM, hypertension status, and smoking habits identified potential effect modifiers as well as inflection points from threshold effect examinations. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this cross-sectional study indicated significant positive correlations between coffee and caffeine consumption and the risk of COPD. Additionally, positive correlations between exposure variables and FEV1 and FVC were detected. Among the stratification factors, smoking status exhibited the most potential for modifying effects. Future practices and research are needed to validate the results and explore the underlying mechanisms.

Investigating a novel surrogate indicator of adipose accumulation in relation to erectile dysfunction.

INTRODUCTION: Although previous studies have linked obesity and erectile dysfunction, the novel surrogate indicators of adipose accumulation are more essential and dependable factors to consider. Therefore, the primary objective of the current investigation was to examine and clarify the association between metabolic score for visceral fat (METS-VF) and erectile dysfunction. METHODS: Firstly, multivariate logistic regression analysis, smoothed curve fitting, and threshold effect analysis were employed to investigate the association between METS-VF and erectile dysfunction. Mediation analysis was also performed to evaluate the mediating role of homocysteine and inflammation. After that, subgroup analysis was carried out to examine the stability of the correlation of METS-VF with erectile dysfunction in various population settings. Furthermore, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm were utilized to assess the capability of identifying METS-VF in comparison to the other four obesity-related indicators in identifying erectile dysfunction. RESULTS: After adjusting for all confounding factors, METS-VF was strongly and favourablely correlated with erectile dysfunction. With each additional unit rise in METS-VF, the prevalence of erectile dysfunction increased by 141%. A J-shaped relationship between METS-VF and erectile dysfunction was discovered through smoothed curve fitting. Marital status, physical activity, and smoking status can potentially modify this association. This finding of the ROC curve suggests that METS-VF had a powerful identifying capacity for erectile dysfunction (AUC = 0.7351). Homocysteine and inflammation mediated 4.24% and 2.81%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The findings of the current investigation suggest that METS-VF can be considered a dependable identifying indicator of erectile dysfunction.

Potassium affects the association between dietary intake of vitamin C and NAFLD among adults in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Although the association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and vitamin C has been well studied, the effects of dietary potassium intake on this relationship are still unclear. Thus, this study aimed to determine the effects of dietary potassium intake on the association between vitamin C and NAFLD. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional learn about with 9443 contributors the usage of 2007-2018 NHANES data. Multiple logistic regression evaluation has been utilized to check out the affiliation of dietary vitamin C intake with NAFLD and advanced hepatic fibrosis (AHF). Subsequently, we plotted a smoothed match curve to visualize the association. Especially, the analysis of AHF was conducted among the NAFLD population. In addition, stratified evaluation used to be developed primarily based on demographic variables to verify the steadiness of the results. Effect amendment by way of dietary potassium intake used to be assessed via interplay checks between vitamin C and NAFLD in the multivariable linear regression. RESULTS: In this cross-sectional study, we found that vitamin C was negatively related to NAFLD and AHF. The relationship between vitamin C and NAFLD was different in the low, middle and high potassium intake groups. Furthermore, potassium intake significantly modified the negative relationship between vitamin C and NAFLD in most of the models. CONCLUSION: Our research showed that potassium and vitamin C have an interactive effect in reducing NAFLD, which may have great importance for clinical medication.

Impact of age, sex, and thyroid autoimmunity on the association between selenium intake and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: The association between dietary selenium(Se) intake and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains controversial. The present study aimed to investigate this association using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database for the years 2007-2012. METHODS: Three thousand seventy three individuals aged 20 years and above were eligible for inclusion in this cross-sectional study. The average age of the participants was 50.74 years and the proportions of males and females were nearly equal (49.12% vs. 50.88%). The odds ratios (OR) of the association between dietary Se intake (log2-transformed) and T2DM were examined through the multivariate logistic regression model. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on age, sex, and thyroid autoimmunity to assess the potential impact of these variables on the relationship. Fitted smoothing curves and threshold effect analysis were conducted to describe the nonlinear relationship. RESULTS: In the fully adjusted model, a significant positive association between Se intake and T2DM was observed (OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.16, 1.90, p = 0.0017). After stratifying the data by age, sex, and thyroid autoimmunity, a significant positive association between Se intake and T2DM was observed in individuals under 65 years of age, males, and those with negative thyroid autoimmunity. A two-segment linear regression model was analyzed for sex stratification, revealing a threshold effect in males with an inflection point of 90.51 µg, and an inverted U-shaped relationship in females with an inflection point of 109.90 µg, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present study found a positive relationship between Se intake and the prevalence of T2DM. This association is particularly significant in younger individuals, males, and those with negative thyroid autoimmunity. Our results should be validated in future large prospective studies in different populations.

Global, regional, and national time trends in incidence for tuberculosis, 1990-2019: An age-period-cohort analysis for the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) represents a significant global health concern, being the leading cause of mortality from a single infectious agent worldwide. The investigation of TB incidence and epidemiological trends is critical for evaluating the effectiveness of control strategies and identifying ongoing challenges. OBJECTIVES: This study presents the trend in TB incidence across 204 countries and regions over a 30-year period. METHODS: The study utilises data sourced from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database. The age cohort model and gender subgroup analysis were employed to estimate the net drift (overall annual percentage change), local drift (age annual percentage change), longitudinal age curve (expected age ratio), and cycle and cohort effect (relative risk of cycle and birth cohort) of TB incidence from 1990 to 2019. This approach facilitates the examination and differentiation of age, period, and cohort effects in TB incidence trends, potentially identifying disparities in TB prevention across different countries. RESULTS: Over the past three decades, a general downward trend in TB incidence has been observed in most countries. However, in 15 of the 204 countries, the overall incidence rate is still on the rise (net drift ≥0.0 %) or stagnant decline (≥-0.5 %). From 1990 to 2019, the net drift of tuberculosis mortality ranged from -2.2 % [95 % confidence interval (CI): -2.33, -2.05] in high Socio-demographic Index (SDI) countries to -1.7 % [95 % CI: -1.81, -1.62] in low SDI countries. In some below-average SDI countries,men in the birth cohort are at a disadvantage and at risk of deterioration, necessitating comprehensive TB prevention and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: While the global incidence of TB has declined, adverse period and cohort effects have been identified in numerous countries, raising questions about the adequacy of TB healthcare provision across all age groups. Furthermore, this study reveals gender disparities in TB incidence.

Dietary calcium, phosphorus, and potassium intake associated with erectile dysfunction in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001 to 2004.

BACKGROUND: Erectile dysfunction is now a common disorder of sexual function, and its relationship to dietary calcium, phosphorus, and potassium has not been well studied. We set out to determine if dietary intakes of calcium, phosphorus, and potassium are related to erectile dysfunction in U.S. men. METHODS: For this cross-sectional investigation, we used data from NHANES 2001-2004. To investigate the connection of dietary calcium, phosphorus, and potassium intake with erectile dysfunction, we employed multivariate logistic regression, smoothed curve fitting, and subgroup analysis. RESULTS: This cross-sectional study comprised 3,556 eligible male subjects in total, with a weighted mean age of 49.93±18.13 years. After controlling for race and age, the greatest tertile of calcium consumption was found to have a 34% lower risk of erectile dysfunction than the lowest tertile (OR = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.52-0.84; p = 0.0006). The risk of erectile dysfunction was found to be reduced by 33% (OR = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.52-0.87; p = 0.0024) for the highest tertile of phosphorus intake compared to the lowest tertile of phosphorus intake and by 35% (OR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.50-0.83; p = 0.0006) for the highest tertile of potassium intake compared to the lowest tertile of potassium intake in the fully adjusted model. CONCLUSION: Erectile dysfunction and dietary consumption of calcium, phosphorus, and potassium are inversely associated with the U.S. population. To confirm the accuracy of our findings, additional prospective studies are necessary. Furthermore, it is imperative to do further fundamental research at the molecular level to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms.

The Association Between Dietary Magnesium Intake with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Lung Function in US Population: a Cross-sectional Study.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is now considered among the top three contributors to mortality globally. There is limited understanding surrounding the contribution of magnesium to the progression of COPD. This survey aims to evaluate the connection between dietary magnesium intake and both lung function and COPD prevalence among the US population. The research comprised 4865 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program conducted from 2007 to 2012. To evaluate the association between dietary magnesium intake and lung function as well as COPD, the study conducted multiple regression analyses, stratified analyses, and smoothed curves. In this study, we explored the relationship between higher magnesium intake and higher FEV1 [ß = 0.21 (95% CI 0.12, 0.30)] and FVC [ß = 0.25 (95% CI 0.14, 0.36)] after accounting for all potential confounding factors. We demonstrated a relationship between increased magnesium intake and reduced odds of developing COPD [OR = 0.9993 (95% CI 0.9987, 1.0000)]. The results of stratified analyses further indicated that the relationship between magnesium intake and the risk of COPD is more pronounced in the 40-60 age group and males. The study demonstrated positive associations between the intake of dietary magnesium and both FEV1 and FVC. Additionally, an adverse relationship between magnesium intake and the prevalence of COPD was also observed, suggesting that supplementation with magnesium may be a practical approach to preventing and managing COPD.

Association between serum carotenoids and bacterial vaginosis infection among American women.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a widely occurring vaginal inflammation in women of childbearing age caused by dysbiosis of the vaginal flora. Few studies have investigated the effect of serum carotenoids on the development and pathogenesis of BV. This study thus aimed to explore the correlation between serum carotenoids and BV in American women. METHOD: The analysis included 1252 participants with BV from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2001 and 2004. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to explore the correlation between BV and serum carotenoids, while smooth curve fitting was utilized to examine potential nonlinear correlations. Furthermore, stratified subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were conducted. ORs reflected the correlation between BV and serum carotenoids. RESULT: Results of multiple logistic regression indicated that total serum carotenoids and BV had an inverse correlation. In the fully adjusted model II, the quartile with the highest levels of α-carotene and ß-cryptoxanthin had a substantially lower incidence of BV. Smooth curve fitting revealed a significant negative linear correlation between serum carotenoids and the incidence of BV. The negative correlation between serum carotenoids and BV was relatively stable in stratified analyses. Moreover, in sensitivity analyses, the association between serum carotenoids and BV persisted, and ß-carotene became significantly negatively correlated with BV. CONCLUSION: This study found an inverse correlation between serum carotenoids and the prevalence of BV.

A meta-analysis of the accuracy of Xpert MTB/RIF in diagnosing intestinal tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE: A detection method with high efficiency and accuracy is urgently needed in clinical work. The purpose of our study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay for intestinal tuberculosis (ITB). METHODS: We searched PubMed and 4 other databases from their establishment to July 19, 2022, for published essays of diagnostic performance in which Xpert MTB/RIF was used to test patients with clinically suspected ITB. An assessment of the quality of the selected literature was conducted using QUADAS-2. We built forest plots by MetaDiSc software. RESULTS: The pooled Xpert MTB/RIF sensitivity was 48%, and the specificity was 99%. Moreover, the positive likelihood ratio for ITB diagnosis was 21.61. The negative likelihood ratio was 0.54. There were substantial variations between the study estimates of sensitivity (I2 = 87.6%) and specificity (I2 = 82.4%). CONCLUSION: Intestinal TB is detected with limited diagnostic sensitivity by Xpert MTB/RIF but with high specificity. An Xpert-positive result may facilitate the rapid identification of ITB cases. Nevertheless, a negative result has less certainty in excluding the disease.

The association between homocysteine and bacterial vaginosis: results from NHANES 2001-2004.

Although no study has directly shown the relationship between bacterial vaginosis (BV) and homocysteine (HCY), we still found some association between these two through extensive literature and data analysis. BV score was calculated by Nugent's method, less than equal to 6 is negative and greater than equal to 7 is positive. This article describes interrelationships we mined from data extracted by NHANES regarding BV and HCY under multiple covariates. We used two cycles of NHANES 2001-2002 and 2003-2004 in our study. We included 2398 participants in our study who recently completed the interview and the MEC tests. By investigating the relationship between BV and HCY under multivariate conditions, multiple linear regression analysis was performed. These factors may have influenced the results, such as ethnicity, age, education level, body mass index (BMI), etc. Serum vitamin B12, ferritin, percentage of segmented centrioles, and number of segmented centrioles were selected as potential covariates in our study. We observed that both the coarse model and the two adjusted models showed a high correlation between HCY and BV, and the correlation was positive. In the coarse model, OR = 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10, 1.44, P = 0.0018); HCY was positively correlated with BV (OR = 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05, 1.34, P = 0.0121). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to investigate the connection between BV and HCY under multivariate settings. The results of this study indicate that HCY is positively associated with the prevalence of BV and may play an important role in the prevention and management of BV.

Identifying the Interaction Between Tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2 Infections via Bioinformatics Analysis and Machine Learning.

The number of patients with COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is still increasing. In the case of COVID-19 and tuberculosis (TB), the presence of one disease affects the infectious status of the other. Meanwhile, coinfection may result in complications that make treatment more difficult. However, the molecular mechanisms underpinning the interaction between TB and COVID-19 are unclear. Accordingly, transcriptome analysis was used to detect the shared pathways and molecular biomarkers in TB and COVID-19, allowing us to determine the complex relationship between COVID-19 and TB. Two RNA-seq datasets (GSE114192 and GSE163151) from the Gene Expression Omnibus were used to find concerted differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between TB and COVID-19 to identify the common pathogenic mechanisms. A total of 124 common DEGs were detected and used to find shared pathways and drug targets. Several enterprising bioinformatics tools were applied to perform pathway analysis, enrichment analysis and networks analysis. Protein-protein interaction analysis and machine learning was used to identify hub genes (GAS6, OAS3 and PDCD1LG2) and datasets GSE171110, GSE54992 and GSE79362 were used for verification. The mechanism of protein-drug interactions may have reference value in the treatment of coinfection of COVID-19 and TB.

Brown adipocyte mineralocorticoid receptor deficiency impairs metabolic regulation in diet-induced obese mice.

Activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) contributes to energy dissipation and metabolic health. Although mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonists have been demonstrated to improve metabolism under obesity, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. We aimed to evaluate the role of BAT MR in metabolic regulation. After 8 weeks of high-fat diet (HFD) feeding, BAT MR KO (BMRKO) mice manifested significantly increased bodyweight, fat mass, serum fasting glucose, and impaired glucose homeostasis compared with littermate control (LC) mice, although insulin resistance and fasting serum insulin were not significantly changed. Metabolic cage experiments showed no change in O2 consumption, CO2 production, or energy expenditure in obese BMRKO mice. RNA sequencing analysis revealed downregulation of genes related to fatty acid metabolism in BAT of BMRKO-HFD mice compared with LC-HFD mice. Moreover, H&E and immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that BMRKO exacerbated HFD-induced macrophage infiltration and proinflammatory genes in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT). BMRKO-HFD mice also manifested significantly increased liver weights and hepatic lipid accumulation, an increasing trend of genes related to lipogenesis and lipid uptake, and significantly decreased genes related to lipolytic and fatty acid oxidation in the liver. Finally, the level of insulin-induced AKT phosphorylation was substantially blunted in eWAT but not liver or skeletal muscle of BMRKO-HFD mice compared with LC-HFD mice. These data suggest that BAT MR is required to maintain metabolic homeostasis, likely through its regulation of fatty acid metabolism in BAT and impacts on eWAT and liver.

Coffee consumption and periodontitis: a Mendelian Randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, coffee consumption has been growing in the United States over the past 20 years. Periodontitis is defined by the pathologic loss of the periodontal ligament and destruction of the connective tissue attachment and alveolar bone loss and is related to different systemic diseases and conditions. However, the causality has remained unclarified, thus we regarded discovering the causal relationship between coffee consumption and the liability to periodontitis as the objective of the study. METHODS: Coffee consumption was subdivided into binary coffee consumption and continuous coffee consumption to refine the study design. Genetic instruments were stretched from the MRC-IEU's (MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit) output from the GWAS pipeline using phesant-derived variables based on the UK Biobank, the Gene-Lifestyle Interactions in Dental Endpoints (GLIDE) project, and the joint meta-analysis of a recent GWAS. The IVW (Inverse Variance Weighted) was regarded as the primary method to estimate the causality, a scatter plot revealed the intuitive result, and tests for stability were also carried out. RESULTS: An effect of continuous coffee consumption on the risk of periodontitis was found, with per SD of coffee consumed increases, the risk of periodontitis rises by 1.04% (Odds Ratio of IVW is 1.0104), while the effect of binary coffee consumption on periodontitis did not meet the requirement of indicating a strong causal association, neither were the reverse causality analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated the causality of continuous coffee consumption to the risk of periodontitis with a relatively small scale of effect estimate and no strong evidence for an effect of binary coffee-consuming behavior on periodontitis. There was also no intensive evidence suggesting reverse causality.

Serum folate associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and advanced hepatic fibrosis.

The role played by serum folate in the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of serum folate with NAFLD and advanced liver fibrosis (AHF). We conducted a cross-sectional study with 5417 participants using 2011-2018 NHANES data. Multiple logistic regression analysis and propensity score matching analysis were used to investigate the association of serum folate with NAFLD and AHF. In the completely adjusted model, participants in the high serum folate group had a 27% (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.62, 0.87, p = 0.0003) and 53% (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.35, 0.63, p < 0.0001) lower odds of suffering from NAFLD and AHF, respectively, compared to the low serum folate group. The similar results in propensity score matching further validated the above association. Stratified analysis showed that the negative correlation of serum folate with NAFLD and AHF demonstrated a broad consistency across populations. The results of this study indicate that higher serum folate level was associated with lower odds of NAFLD and AHF among US adults. Further prospective studies are necessary due to the limitations of cross-sectional studies.

Diagnostic value of BinaxNOW antigen card for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2.

Rapid laboratory detection is remarkably crucial to diagnosing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, due to whose outbreak causes to the world pandemic. The BinaxNOW antigen card (BinaxNOW) is a simple, effective, and cheap tool to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The meta-analysis in this study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of BinaxNOW for SARS-CoV-2. The researchers independently retrieved the related databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library) before May 1st, 2021, and extracted the relevant data based on the early inclusion/exclusion criterion. Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Study-2 was used to evaluate the quality of the enrolled studies. Stata 16.0, Meta-DiSc 1.4, and Review Manager 5.3 were used to generate analytical data for the statistical analysis. 59 sets of data were identified from the seven studies included in this meta-analysis. The combined sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and their 95% confidence intervals were 0.77 (0.76 to 0.79), 0.99 (0.99 to 0.99), 65.72 (48.23 to 89.56), 0.23 (0.19 to 0.28), and 461.10 (281.55 to 755.13), respectively. The area under curve was 0.9910 in the summary receiver operating characteristic curve. BinaxNOW is beneficial for symptomatic patients' onset within 7 days. CT value and testing site may be the heterogeneity source of BinaxNOW accuracy. Moreover, this technology has an efficient performance for diagnosing COVID-19, especially in patients with heavy viral load. BinaxNOW may become a practical tool for large-scale or at-home use for COVID-19 in the post-pandemic era.Highlights● Pooled sensitivity with 0.77 and specificity with 0.99 in the BinaxNOW assay.● CT value and testing site may be the heterogeneity source of BinaxNOW accuracy.● BinaxNOW is beneficial for symptomatic patients' onset within 7 days.● BinaxNOW may become a practical tool for large-scale or at-home use for COVID-19.

Negative associations between folate and bacterial vaginosis in the NHANES 2001 to 2004.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is one of the most common infections among women of reproductive age and accounts for 15-50% of infections globally. The role played by folate in the pathogenesis and progression of BV is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between serum folate, red blood cell (RBC) folate, and BV in American women. METHODS: 1,954 participants from the 2001-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program were included in this study. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the association between serum folate, RBC folate, and BV, and covariates including race, age, education level, and body mass index were used to construct adjusted models. Stratified analysis was used to explore the stability of the above associations in different populations. RESULTS: In the present cross-sectional study, we found that serum folate and RBC folate were inversely associated with the risk of BV. In the fully adjusted model, the risk of BV was reduced by 35% (OR=0.65, 95% CI: 0.51~0.83, p=0.0007) in the highest serum folate group and 32% (OR=0.68, 95% CI: 0.53~0.87, p=0.0023) in the highest RBC folate group compared to the lowest group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicated that serum folate and RBC folate were inversely associated with the risk of BV folate supplementation may play an important role in the prevention and management of BV.

Machine learning algorithm to construct cuproptosis- and immune-related prognosis prediction model for colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: Over the past few years, research into the pathogenesis of colon cancer has progressed rapidly, and cuproptosis is an emerging mode of cellular apoptosis. Exploring the relationship between colon cancer and cuproptosis benefits in identifying novel biomarkers and even improving the outcome of the disease. AIM: To look at the prognostic relationship between colon cancer and the genes associated with cuproptosis and the immune system in patients. The main purpose was to assess whether reasonable induction of these biomarkers reduces mortality among patients with colon cancers. METHOD: Data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus and the Genotype-Tissue Expression were used in differential analysis to explore differential expression genes associated with cuproptosis and immune activation. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and Cox regression algorithm was applied to build a cuproptosis- and immune-related combination model, and the model was utilized for principal component analysis and survival analysis to observe the survival and prognosis of the patients. A series of statistically meaningful transcriptional analysis results demonstrated an intrinsic relationship between cuproptosis and the micro-environment of colon cancer. RESULTS: Once prognostic characteristics were obtained, the CDKN2A and DLAT genes related to cuproptosis were strongly linked to colon cancer: The first was a risk factor, whereas the second was a protective factor. The finding of the validation analysis showed that the comprehensive model associated with cuproptosis and immunity was statistically significant. Within the component expressions, the expressions of HSPA1A, CDKN2A, and UCN3 differed markedly. Transcription analysis primarily reflects the differential activation of related immune cells and pathways. Furthermore, genes linked to immune checkpoint inhibitors were expressed differently between the subgroups, which may reveal the mechanism of worse prognosis and the different sensitivities of chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: The prognosis of the high-risk group evaluated in the combined model was poorer, and cuproptosis was highly correlated with the prognosis of colon cancer. It is possible that we may be able to improve patients' prognosis by regulating the gene expression to intervene the risk score.

Identifying effective diagnostic biomarkers for childhood cerebral malaria in Africa integrating coexpression analysis with machine learning algorithm.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral malaria (CM) is a manifestation of malaria caused by plasmodium infection. It has a high mortality rate and severe neurological sequelae, existing a significant research gap and requiring further study at the molecular level. METHODS: We downloaded the GSE117613 dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to determine the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the CM group and the control group. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was applied to select the module and hub genes most relevant to CM. The common genes of the key module and DEGs were selected to perform further analysis. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression and support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) were applied to screen and verify the diagnostic markers of CM. Eventually, the hub genes were validated in the external dataset. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was applied to investigate the possible roles of the hub genes. RESULTS: The GO and KEGG results showed that DEGs were enriched in some neutrophil-mediated pathways and associated with some lumen structures. Combining LASSO and the SVM-RFE algorithms, LEF1 and IRAK3 were identified as potential hub genes in CM. Through the GSEA enrichment results, we found that LEF1 and IRAK3 participated in maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which contributed to improving the prognosis of CM. CONCLUSIONS: This study may help illustrate the pathophysiology of CM at the molecular level. LEF1 and IRAK3 can be used as diagnostic biomarkers, providing new insight into the diagnosis and prognosis prediction in pediatric CM.

Association between red blood cell folate and Trichomonas vaginalis infection among women.

BACKGROUND: Increased folic acid has been found to be latently protective against gynecological infection, including several kinds of vaginosis. In this study, we laid emphasis on whether RBC (Red Blood Cell) folate was associated with the infectious ratio of Trichomonas vaginalis, a kind of anaerobic parasitic protozoan. METHODS: We set RBC folate as the exposure variable and Trichomonas vaginalis as the outcome variable. Other subsidiary variables were regarded as covariates that may work as potential effect modifiers. The cross-sectional study was conducted with two merged waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2001 to 2004, and a sample of 1274 eligible women (1212 negative and 62 positive in Trichomonas vaginalis infection) was integrated for the exploration of the association between RBC folate and Trichomonas vaginalis infection. Multivariate regression analyses, subgroup analyses, and subsequent smooth curve fittings were conducted to estimate the relationship between RBC folate and Trichomonas vaginalis in women. RESULTS: In the multivariable logistic regression analyses, a negative association was observed between stratified RBC folate status and Trichomonas vaginalis infection with all confounders adjusted. Referencing the lowest RBC folate concentration quartile, the higher concentration quartiles reported a relatively lower infection ratio, while there was a weak correlation between total RBC folate concentration and T. vaginalis (Trichomonas vaginalis) infection. In subgroup analyses stratified by BMI and age, this association was only found significant in high age and BMI groups. CONCLUSIONS: The cross-sectional study indicated a negative association between RBC folic acid and Trichomonas vaginalis infection, and latent effects of BMI and age on the association were also found.

Evaluation of RT-LAMP Assay for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of the reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay for rapid detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in community or primary-care settings. METHOD: We systematically searched the Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases. We conducted quality evaluation using ReviewManager software (version 5.0). We then used MetaDisc software (version 1.4) and Stata software (version 12.0) to build forest plots, along with a Deeks funnel plot and a bivariate boxplot for analysis. RESULT: Overall, the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio were 0.79, 0.97, and 328.18, respectively. The sensitivity for the subgroup with RNA extraction appeared to be higher, at 0.88 (0.86-0.90), compared to the subgroup without RNA extraction, at 0.50 (0.45-0.55), with no significant difference in specificity. CONCLUSION: RT-LAMP assay exhibited high specificity regarding current SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, its overall sensitivity was relatively moderate. Extracting RNA was found to be beneficial in improving sensitivity.