Circulating microbiota and metabolites: Insights into cardiovascular diseases.

BACKGROUND: In almost every country, cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of death, which are responsible for 17.7 million deaths worldwide, or 54% of all deaths. However, the latest evidence has shown that non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular events are significantly influenced by the blood microbiota and circulating metabolites. METHODS: We searched online databases for the most recent related papers through the comprehensive international databases of the Institute of PubMed/ MEDLINE, ISI/WOS, and Scopus up to August 2022, using MESH terms and the related keywords in the English language. Considering the titles and abstracts, unrelated studies were excluded. The full texts of the remained studies were evaluated by authors, independently. Then, the studies' findings were assessed and reported. RESULTS: The study demonstrated that the bacterial profiles of patients with cardiovascular diseases and healthy individuals are significantly different. The diseased patients showed a significantly high abundance of phylum Proteobacteria, an important Proteobacterial component known as lipopolysaccharides that has been linked to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease, while phylum Firmicutes were found in healthy individuals. It suggests that Proteobacteria has a direct role in the onset of cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSION: We focused on the blood bacterial composition and circulating microbial metabolites in their relationship with the etiology and onset of cardiovascular disease. However, the various genera and species in the results reported were not always identical. Therefore, the microbial community structure of blood was more complicated and thus required a more in-depth exploration.

Analysis of the blood bacterial composition of patients with acute coronary syndrome and chronic coronary syndrome.

Emerging evidence revealed that the blood microbiota plays a role in several non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease. However, the role of circulating microbes in atherosclerosis remains understudied. To test this hypothesis, we performed this study to investigate the microbial profile in the blood of Chines atherosclerosis volunteers. A total of seventy Acute Coronary Syndrome patients, seventy Chronic Coronary Syndrome patients, and seventy healthy individuals were examined using high-throughput Illumina Novaseq targeting the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene. The relationship between atherosclerosis and blood microbiome, clinical variables, and their functional pathways were also investigated. Our study observed significantly higher alpha diversity indices (Chao1, p = 0.001, and Shannon, p = 0.004) in the acute coronary syndrome group compared with chronic coronary syndrome and healthy group, although a significantly lower alpha diversity was observed in the chronic coronary syndrome compared to acute coronary syndrome and healthy group. Beta diversity based on principal coordinate analysis demonstrated a major separation among the three groups. In addition, using linear discriminant analysis, a significant distinct taxon such as Actinobacteria _ phylum, and Staphylococcus_ genus in the healthy group; Firmicutes_ phylum, and Lactobacillus_ genus in the chronic coronary syndrome group, and Proteobacteria and Acidobacteriota _ phyla in acute coronary syndrome group were observed among three groups. Clusters of Orthologous Genes grouped and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways suggested a significant variation among all groups (p < 0.05). The blood microbiota analysis provides potential biomarkers for the detection of coronary syndromes in this population.

Comparison of Microbial Populations in the Blood of Patients With Myocardial Infarction and Healthy Individuals.

Increased bacterial translocation in the gut and bloodstream infections are both major comorbidities of heart failure and myocardial infarction (MI). However, the alterations in the microbiome of the blood of patients with MI remain unclear. To test this hypothesis, we conducted this case-control study to explore the microbiota compositions in the blood of Chinese patients with MI. Using high-throughput Illumina HiSeq sequencing targeting the V3-V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene, the microbiota communities in the blood of 29 patients with MI and 29 healthy controls were examined. In addition, the relationship between the blood microbiome and clinical features of MI was investigated. This study revealed a significant reduction in alpha diversity (Shannon index) in the MI group compared with the healthy controls. Also, a significant difference was detected in the structure and richness between the patients with MI and healthy controls. The members of the phylum Actinobacteria, class Actinobacteria, order Bifdobacteriales, family Bifidobacteriaceae, and genus Bifidobacterium were significantly abundant in the MI group, while the members of the phylum Bacteroidetes, class Bacteroidia, and order Bacteroidales were significantly enriched in the healthy controls (p < 0.05). Moreover, the functional analysis revealed a significant variation between both groups. For instance, the enrichment of genes involved in the metabolism pathways of three amino acids decreased, that is, nucleotide transport and metabolism, coenzyme transport and metabolism, and lipid transport and metabolism, among others. Our study will contribute to a better knowledge of the microbiota of blood, which will further lead to improved MI diagnosis and therapy. Further study is needed to determine the role of the blood microbiota in human health and disease.

Exploring blood microbial communities and their influence on human cardiovascular disease.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the single biggest contributor to global mortality. CVD encompasses multiple disorders, including atherosclerosis, hypertension, platelet hyperactivity, stroke, hyperlipidemia, and heart failure. In addition to traditional risk factors, the circulating microbiome or the blood microbiome has been analyzed recently in chronic inflammatory diseases, including CVD in humans. METHODS: For this review, all relevant original research studies were assessed by searching in electronic databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science, by using relevant keywords. RESULTS: This review demonstrated that elevated markers of systemic bacterial exposure are associated with noncommunicable diseases, including CVD. Studies have shown that the bacterial DNA sequence found in healthy blood belongs mainly to the Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria phyla. In cardiac events, such as stroke, coronary heart disease, and myocardial infarction, the increased proportion of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria phyla was found. Lipopolysaccharides are a major component of Proteobacteria, which play a key role in the onset of CVD. Moreover, recently, a study reported the lower cholesterol-degrading bacteria, including Caulobacterales order and Caulobacteraceae family were both considerably reduced in myocardial infarction. CONCLUSION: Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were shown to be independent markers of the risk of CVD. This finding is evidence for the new concept of the role played by blood microbiota dysbiosis in CVD. However, the association between blood microbiota and CVD is still inconsistent. Thus, more deep investigations are required in future to fully understand the role of the bacteria community in causing and preventing CVD.

Complete genome sequence of the Clostridium difficile LCL126.

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a kind of obligate anaerobic gram-positive Bacillus related with intestinal diseases and antibiotic treatment. In present study, the C. difficile genome was studied employing met genomic technology. Genome sequencing identified C. difficile LCL126 has total size of 4,301,949 bp with a 27.97% of GC content. Specifically, 4119 predicted coding genes, 188 repeat sequences, 13 prophages and 8 gene islands were detected. Additionally, gene function analysis aspect of the function annotation, effector, and virulence were concluded that total of 3367 cluster of orthologous groups of proteins genes and classified into 24 categories, while the most outstanding class was metabolic process (1533) and catalytic activity (1498). The carbohydrate-active enzymes have been detected 127 genes, pathogenicity analysis revealed that 133 reduced and 22 increased virulence (hypervirulence) genes, while 54 unaffected and 10 loss of pathogenicity genes were found. Furthermore, perform the visualization and methylation expression were revealed that the dominant types comprised m4C, m5C, and m6C with the number of 6989, 36,666, and 3534, respectively. Overall, whole genome sequence information of C. difficile LCL126 was obtained and functional prediction was revealed its possible toxicological potential genes existence.

Validation of the Chinese version of ureteral stent symptom questionnaire / 中华全科医师杂志

Objectives:To validate the Chinese version of the Ureteral Stent Symptoms Questionnaire(Chinese-USSQ) in patients with an indwelling ureteral stent.Methods:The original USSQ was translated into Chinese and linguistically validated following the cross-cultural adaptation of health-related quality of life measures.A total of 83 patients (cases) with indwelling ureteral stent and 90 healthy subjects (controls) were asked to complete the Chinese-USSQ as well as European Quality of Life Visual Analogue scale(EQ-VAS)(for both genders), the International Prostate Symptom Scale (IPSS) (for male), and Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 (for female). Patients were evaluated at weeks 1 and 4 after stent placement and at week 4 after removal. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were analyzed.Results:The Chinese version of USSQ include 43 items, which addressed various domains of health(6 sections) covering urinary symptoms, pain, general health, work performance and sexual matters with additional problems. A total of 78 patients(45 males and 33 females) and 90 controls (41 males and 49 females)were included for analysis. Internal consistencies (Cronbach′s α coefficients: 0.60-0.78) and test-retest reliability (Spearman correlation coefficient: 0.69-0.91) were satisfactory for urinary symptom, body pain, general health, and work performance domains. Most USSQ domains showed moderate correlations with each other. The convergent validity determined by correlation between other instruments and corresponding USSQ domain was satisfactory. At week 4 it was moderate for the urinary symptoms index compared to the IPSS in men(Spearman correlation coefficient>0.60), for the urinalry symptoms index compared to the UDI-6 score in women(Spearman correlation coefficient 0.52).Sensitivity to change and discriminant validity were also good in most domains ( P<0.01). Only a small proportion of the study population had an active sexual life with the stent in situ, which limited its analysis. Only 1(1.3%) and 6(7.7%) patients had an active sex life at week 1 and 4 after stent placement; meanwhile, 34(43.6%) patents were sexually active at week 4 after stent removal. Conclusion:The Chinese version of the USSQ is a reliable and valid instrument that can be used for Chinese patients with a indwelling ureteral stent in the clinical and research settings.

Effects of percutaneous nephrolithotomy in the treatment of medullary sponge kidney with calculi / 中华外科杂志

Objective@#To evaluate the effects of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) in the treatment of medullary sponge kidney with calculi.@*Methods@#A total of 77 patients (91 renal units) of medullary sponge kidney with calculi (MSK group) and 77 patients (77 renal units) with common kidney stone (control group) received PNL at Department of Urology in Peking University People′s Hospital from September 2006 to February 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. The MSK group included 33 males and 44 females with a mean age of (42.1±13.2) years, the mean stone burden was (3.9±1.8) cm. The control group included 36 males and 41 females with a mean age of (45.3±13.0) years, the mean stone burden was (3.6±1.5) cm. The numbers of tracts, the time of operation, the drop of hemoglobin, the change of creatine, the time of hospitalization, the stone free rate and major complications were compared between the two groups. The measurement data and numeration data were compared with t test and χ2 test.@*Results@#There were no significant differences in sex, age, preoperative urinary tract infection, stone type, and stone burden between the two groups (all P>0.05). The proportion of bilateral renal calculus in MSK group was higher (18.2% vs. 0, χ2=15.400, P=0.000). There were 159 percutaneous channels were established in MSK group while 90 percutaneous channels were established in control group. Compared with the control group, the operation time ((88.1±37.5) minutes vs. (68.5±30.1) minutes, t=3.543, P=0.000) and hospitalization time ((15.1±8.3) days vs. (10.1±3.6) days, t=4.816, P=0.000) were longer, the creatinine level increased ((101.2±62.6) μmol/L vs. (71.3±23.6) μmol/L, t=3.777, P=0.000), the rate of stone free decreased (27.5% vs. 83.1%, χ2=51.840, P=0.000) and the rate of complications increased (29.9% vs. 11.7%, χ2=8.114, P=0.004) in MSK group. There was no statistically difference in hemoglobin drop ((12.5±13.2) g/L vs. (13.0±10.9) g/L, t=-0.260, P=0.795).@*Conclusions@#Using PNL for patients of MSK with calculi has a lower stone free rate and a higher complications. It is an effective method for patients of MSK with large and complex calculi.

Risk factor analysis of systemic inflammatory response syndrome in type 2 diabetics after percutaneous nephrolithotomy / 北京大学学报(医学版)

Objective:To evaluate the risk factors of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in the patients with type 2 diabetes diagnosed with kidney stone after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL).Methods:In this study,461 patients with type 2 diabetes who received PCNL in Peking Uni-versity People’s Hospital from June 2006 to December 2015 were reviewed.There were 281 males and 180 females with an average age of 57 years were included,of whom,137 were diagnosed with SIRS after PCNL.The demographic data,clinical features,and test results were compared between the patients with SIRS and without SIRS,trying to identify the correlation between their clinical characters and the occur-rence of SIRS.Results:The SIRS was significantly correlated with the patients’preoperative white blood cell counting (×109 /L)[7.76 (4.00 -17.96)vs.6.31 (2.00 -17.40),P <0.001 ],preopera-tional blood glucose level (mmol /L)[7.30 (3.08 -19.90)vs.6.40 (3.42 -16.78),P <0.001], operative time (min)[75 (20 -270)vs.60 (20 -200),P <0.001 ],length of stay (d)[12 (2 -46)vs.11 (3 -29),P =0.019],staghorn stones [38.8% (33 /85)vs.27.7% (104 /376),P =0.042],and preoperational urinary tract infection [36.8% (50 /136)vs.26.6% (81 /304),P =0.032].There was no significant correlation between the SIRS and the patients’age,body mass index, preoperative hemoglobin level,preoperative serum creatinine,and transfusion.In multivariate analysis, abnormal preoperative white blood cell counting (OR =3.194,95% CI:1.531 -6.666,P =0.002), operative time longer than 60 min (OR =1.635,95% CI:1.088 -2.456,P =0.018),and preopera-tional blood glucose level higher than normal 7.1 mmol /L were significantly correlated with the presence of SIRS.Conclusion:The high level of preoperational blood glucose,abnormal preoperative white blood cell counting,and long operative time were significantly correlated with the presence of SIRS in patients with type 2 diabetes after PCNL.

A new impulse noise filter based on pulse coupled neural network / 生物医学工程学杂志

This paper presents a new impulse noise filter based on pulse coupled neural networks according to the apparent difference of gray value between noised pixels and the pixels around them. Comparing with the state-of-the-art denoised PCNN filter, the step by step modifying algorithm based on PCNN also, the new PCNN filter suggested in this paper costs less computation and less execution time. At the same time this new PCNN filter has been compared with other nonlinear filters, such as median filter, the stack filter based on omnidirectional structural elements constrains, the Omnidirectional morphology Open-Closing maximum filter (OOCmax) and the Omnidirectional morphology Close-Opening minimum (OCOmin) filter. The results of simulation shows that this algorithm is superior to standard median filter, the state-of-the-art PCNN filter, the maximal, minimal morphological filter with omnidirectional structuring elements, and the optimal stack filter based on omnidirectional structural elements constrains in the aspect of the impulse noise removal. What is more important is that this algorithm can keep the details of images more effectively.

Investigation on resources of medicinal plants Pedicularis L. in Gansu Province / 中草药

Object To investigate the resource of Pedicularis L distributed in Gansu Province to provide data for their exploitation Methods Field investigation, sample collecting and literature review are carried out Results There are 24 medicinal plants (including subspecies, varieties and forms) of Pedicularis L in this province In addition, their distribution, habitat and medicinal value were suggested, and a taxonomic key was compiled Conclusion Resource of this genus in Gansu Province was rather abundant and may be rationally exploited