Establishment, Prediction, and Validation of a Nomogram for Cognitive Impairment in Elderly Patients With Diabetes.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to establish a predictive model of cognitive impairment in elderly people with diabetes. Methods: We analyzed a total of 878 elderly patients with diabetes who were part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011 to 2014. The data were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts at a ratio of 6:4. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression analysis to identify independent risk factors and construct a prediction nomogram for cognitive impairment. The performance of the nomogram was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was performed to evaluate the clinical utility of the nomogram. Results: LASSO logistic regression was used to screen eight variables, age, race, education, poverty income ratio (PIR), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum uric acid (SUA), and heart failure (HF). A nomogram model was built based on these predictors. The ROC analysis of our training set yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.786, while the validation set showed an AUC of 0.777. The calibration curve demonstrated a good fit between the two groups. Furthermore, the DCA indicated that the model has a favorable net benefit when the risk threshold exceeds 0.2. Conclusion: The newly developed nomogram has proved to be an important tool for accurately predicting cognitive impairment in elderly patients with diabetes, providing important information for targeted prevention and intervention measures.

Causal relationships between COVID-19 and venous thromboembolism: A mendelian randomization analysis.

Objective: Observational studies show the correlation between COVID-19 and venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk. However, the causal effects remain uncertain. We aimed to explore the potential causal association between COVID-19 and VTE using Mendelian randomization (MR) design. Methods: Two-sample MR was used to evaluate the potential causality between COVID-19 and VTE by selecting single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as instrumental variables (IVs) from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The weighted median, MR-Egger, simple mode, and weighted mode were employed as supplementary methods for MR estimations, with the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method serving as the principal analysis. In addition, we took sensitivity analyses, including Cochran's test, MR-Pleiotropy Residual Sum and Outlier (MR-PRESSO), and leave-one-out analysis to ensure that we obtained stable and reliable results. Results: Our study selected 26 COVID-19 severity, 31 COVID-19 hospitalization, and 13 COVID-19 susceptibility SNPs as instrumental variables. The IVW analysis results revealed that there was no causal relationship between COVID-19 severity, hospitalization, or susceptibility and VTE, with odds ratios of 0.974 (95%CI: 0.936-1.013, p = 0.19), 0.976 (95%CI: 0.918-1.039, p = 0.447), and 0.908 (95%CI: 0.775-1.065, p = 0.235), respectively. The IVW approach yielded consistent results with MR-Egger, Weighted Median simple mode, and weighted mode. MR-PRESSO and sensitivity analysis further confirmed the stability and consistency of the MR results. Conclusions: This study did not find evidence to support a causal relationship between COVID-19 and VTE at the genetic level. Further investigation is warranted to determine if the significant association reported in previous observational studies between the two is due to confounding factors.

Comparative on the effectiveness and safety of different carotid endarterectomy techniques: a single-center Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is a surgical procedure that can reduce the risk of stroke in patients with carotid artery stenosis. However, controversy still exists regarding the optimal surgical technique for CEA. OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and effectiveness of different techniques. METHODS: Data on baseline characteristics as well as perioperative and postoperative complications from patients who underwent CEA at the Department of Vascular Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, were retrospectively collected and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 262 CEA patients included in study, with a total of 265 CEA operations. The mean age of 69.95 ± 7.29 (range, 44-89) years. 65 (24.5%) patients underwent cCEA, 94 (35.5%) underwent pCEA, and 106 (40.0%) underwent eCEA. The use of shunt (1.9%) and the mean operation time were lower in eCEA group (P < 0.05). eCEA was also associated with a lower incidence of postoperative hypotension, whereas pCEA was associated with a lower incidence of postoperative hypertension (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in clinical baseline characteristics, occurrence of perioperative complications, and survival whether restenosis-free, asymptomatic or overall. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that all three surgical methods are equally safe for the treatment of carotid artery stenosis and are effective in preventing stroke.

[Is monitoring of anti-factor Xa levels required for low molecular weight heparin prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in critically ill patients?]

The incidence and mortality of venous thromboembolism (VTE) are high in critically ill patients, and there is still a risk of VTE and bleeding after the use of fixed-dose low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) for prophylaxis. The level of anti-factor Xa is not up to standard after LMWH prophylaxis in patients with surgery or trauma. The condition of critically ill patients is complicated, and the proportion of patients with low antithrombin III is high, which can affect the prophylactic efficacy of LMWH and contribute to VTE occurrence. There is currently no consensus on whether adjusting LMWH dose according to anti-factor Xa levels can reduce VTE occurrence in critically ill patients. High-quality multicenter randomized controlled studies are needed in the future to establish new approaches for precise prevention of VTE in critically ill patients.

The Effects of Carotid Revascularization on 1-Year Cognitive Performance in Patients With Carotid Artery Stenosis.

PURPOSE: The impact of carotid revascularization on cognitive function for patients with severe carotid artery stenosis remains uncertain. This study is aimed to investigate the 1-year neurocognitive outcomes of patients who accept carotid revascularization and identify the risk factors associated with postoperative cognitive decline. METHODS: From April 2019 to April 2021, patients with ≥70% carotid artery stenosis who were treated with carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or carotid artery stenting (CAS) were recruited for this study. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) instrument was used to evaluate cognitive function preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Logistic regression analysis was built to identify potential risk factors for postoperative long-term cognitive decline. RESULTS: A total of 89 patients who met the criteria were enrolled and completed 1-year follow-up. At 3, 6, and 12 months after carotid revascularization, the total MoCA score, attention, language fluency, and delayed recall score were significantly improved compared with the baseline scores (p<0.05). At 12 months, there was also a significant improvement in cube copying compared with baseline (p=0.034). Logistic regression analysis showed that the advancing age, left side, and symptomatic carotid artery stenosis were independent risk factors for cognitive deterioration at 12 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, carotid revascularization has a beneficial effect on cognition function in patients with severe carotid artery stenosis, while advancing age, left side, and symptomatic carotid artery stenosis were significantly related to a decreased cognitive score after carotid revascularization. CLINICAL IMPACT: This study focused on the changes in cognitive function within 1 year after carotid revascularization in patients with severe carotid stenosis. Of course, carotid revascularization can improve the cognition function in these patients. On the other hand, we found the advancing age, left side and symptomatic carotid artery stenosis were significantly associated with decreased cognitive scores at 1 year after carotid revascularization, which suggests that clinicians may need to be aware of patients with these characteristics.

Association between hyperuricemia and diabetic nephropathy: insights from the national health and nutrition examination survey 2007-2016 and mendelian randomization analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the role of uric acid (UA) in diabetic nephropathy (DN) from epidemiological and genetic perspectives. METHODS: We used data from the 2007-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to evaluate the relationship between UA and DN risk using weighted multivariate-adjusted logistic regression. Subsequently, a two-sample Mendelian randomization study was conducted using genome-wide association study summary statistics. The main inverse variance weighting (IVW) method and supplementary MR method were used to verify the causal relationship between UA and DN, and sensitivity analysis was conducted to confirm the credibility of the results. RESULTS: Our observational study enrolled 4363 participants with diabetes mellitus from NHANES, among them, 2682 (61.4%) participants were identified as DN. The multivariate logistic regression model showed that compared with those without hyperuricemia, the DN risk of the hyperuricemia population was significantly increased (P < 0.05). The MR results suggest a direct causal effect of hyperuricemia on DN (IVW odds ratio (OR): 1.37 (95% confidence interval 1.07-1.76); P = 0.01), which is consistent with findings from other MR methods. CONCLUSION: The evidence from observational studies indicates a positive correlation between HUA and the onset of DN. And the causal effects of HUA on DN were supported by the MR analysis.

Navigating the future of diabetes: innovative nomogram models for predicting all-cause mortality risk in diabetic nephropathy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to establish and validate a nomogram model for the all-cause mortality rate in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN). METHODS: We analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning from 2007 to 2016. A random split of 7:3 was performed between the training and validation sets. Utilizing follow-up data until December 31, 2019, we examined the all-cause mortality rate. Cox regression models and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression models were employed in the training cohort to develop a nomogram for predicting all-cause mortality in the studied population. Finally, various validation methods were employed to assess the predictive performance of the nomogram, and Decision Curve Analysis (DCA) was conducted to evaluate the clinical utility of the nomogram. RESULTS: After the results of LASSO regression models and Cox multivariate analyses, a total of 8 variables were selected, gender, age, poverty income ratio, heart failure, body mass index, albumin, blood urea nitrogen and serum uric acid. A nomogram model was built based on these predictors. The C-index values in training cohort of 3-year, 5-year, 10-year mortality rates were 0.820, 0.807, and 0.798. In the validation cohort, the C-index values of 3-year, 5-year, 10-year mortality rates were 0.773, 0.788, and 0.817, respectively. The calibration curve demonstrates satisfactory consistency between the two cohorts. CONCLUSION: The newly developed nomogram proves to be effective in predicting the all-cause mortality risk in patients with diabetic nephropathy, and it has undergone robust internal validation.

Comparison Between Conventional and Patch Carotid Endarterectomy: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare perioperative and long-term safety and effectiveness between conventional carotid endarterectomy (cCEA) and patch carotid endarterectomy (pCEA) under current medical conditions. METHODS: Data on baseline characteristics as well as perioperative and long-term postoperative complications from patients who underwent cCEA or pCEA at the Department of Vascular Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, from 2013 to 2022, were retrospectively collected and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 248 CEA patients were included in our study. The majority of patients (87.3%) were male, and mean age was 63.6 ± 7.6 (range, 40-81) years; 104 patients (41.9%) underwent cCEA, while 144 (58.1%) underwent pCEA. Between the cCEA and pCEA groups, there were no significant differences in clinical baseline characteristics, occurrence of perioperative or long-term (median, 42.5 [range, 7 to 120] months) complications, and survival whether restenosis-free, asymptomatic or overall. CONCLUSIONS: In a single-center experience, conventional and patch CEA approaches appear similarly safe and effective.

Unveiling the Hidden Burden: Estimating All-Cause Mortality Risk in Older Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: The mortality rate among older persons with diabetes has been steadily increasing, resulting in significant health and economic burdens on both society and individuals. The objective of this study is to develop and validate a predictive nomogram for estimating the 5-year all-cause mortality risk in older persons with T2D (T2D). Methods: We obtained data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES). A random 7 : 3 split was made between the training and validation sets. By linking the national mortality index up until December 31, 2019, we ensured a minimum of 5 years of follow-up to assess all-cause mortality. A nomogram was developed in the training cohort using a logistic regression model as well as a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model for predicting the 5-year risk of all-cause mortality. Finally, the prediction performance of the nomogram is evaluated using several validation methods. Results: We constructed a comprehensive prediction model based on the results of multivariate analysis and LASSO binomial regression. These models were then validated using data from the validation cohort. The final model includes four independent predictors: age, gender, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and white blood cell count. The C-index values for the training and validation cohorts were 0.748 and 0.762, respectively. The calibration curve demonstrates satisfactory consistency between the two cohorts. Conclusions: The newly developed nomogram proves to be a valuable tool in accurately predicting the 5-year all-cause mortality risk among older persons with diabetes, providing crucial information for tailored interventions.

Identification of potential hub genes and regulatory networks of smoking-related endothelial dysfunction in atherosclerosis using bioinformatics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Endothelial dysfunction, the earliest stage of atherosclerosis, can be caused by smoking, but its molecular mechanism requires further investigation. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to use bioinformatics analysis to identify potential mechanisms involved in smoking-related atherosclerotic endothelial dysfunction. METHODS: The transcriptome data used for this bioinformatics analysis were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The GSE137578 and GSE141136 datasets were used to identify common differentially expressed genes (co-DEGs) in endothelial cells treated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and tobacco. The co-DEGs were annotated using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomics (KEGG) databases. Additionally, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to visualize their interactions and screen for hub genes. GSE120521 dataset was used to verify the expression of hub genes in unstable plaques. The miRNA expression profile GSE137580 and online databases (starBase 2.0, TargetScan 8.0 and DGIdb v4.2.0) were used to predict the related non-coding RNAs and drugs. RESULTS: A total of 232 co-DEGs were identified, including 113 up-regulated genes and 119 down-regulated genes. These DEGs were primarily enriched in detrimental autophagy, cell death, transcription factors, and cytokines, and were implicated in ferroptosis, abnormal lipid metabolism, inflammation, and oxidative stress pathways. Ten hub genes were screened from the constructed PPI network, including up-regulated genes such as FOS, HMOX1, SQSTM1, PTGS2, ATF3, DDIT3, and down-regulated genes MCM4, KIF15, UHRF1, and CCL2. Importantly, HMOX1 was further up-regulated in unstable plaques (p= 0.034). Finally, a regulatory network involving lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-hub genes and drug-hub genes was established. CONCLUSION: Atherosclerotic endothelial dysfunction is associated with smoking-induced injury. Through bioinformatics analysis, we identified potential mechanisms and provided potential therapeutic targets.

Anti-factor Xa level monitoring of low-molecular-weight heparin for prevention of venous thromboembolism in critically ill patients (AXaLPE): protocol of a randomised, open-label controlled clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Whether and when to monitor the amount of anti-factor Xa (aFXa) activity in critically ill patients with complex diseases to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) remain unclear. This study is a randomised controlled trial to investigate the effect of aFXa level monitoring on reducing VTE and to establish a new method for accurately preventing VTE in critically ill patients with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A randomised controlled trial is planned in two centres with a planned sample size of 858 participants. Participants will be randomly assigned to three groups receiving LMWH prophylaxis at a 1:1:1 ratio: in group A, peak aFXa levels will serve as the guide for the LMWH dose; in group B, the trough aFXa levels will serve as the guide for the LMWH dose; and in group C, participants serving as the control group will receive a fixed dose of LMWH. The peak and trough aFXa levels will be monitored after LMWH (enoxaparin, 40 mg, once daily) reaches a steady state for at least 3 days. The monitoring range for group A's aFXa peak value will be 0.3-0.5 IU/mL, between 0.1 and 0.2 IU/mL is the target range for group B's aFXa trough value. In order to reach the peak or trough aFXa levels, groups A and B will be modified in accordance with the monitoring peak and trough aFXa level. The incidence of VTE will serve as the study's primary outcome indicator. An analysis using the intention-to-treat and per-protocol criterion will serve as the main outcome measurement. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The Xuanwu Hospital Ethics Committee of Capital Medical University and Peking University First Hospital Ethics Committee have approved this investigation. It will be released in all available worldwide, open-access, peer-reviewed publications. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05382481.

Association of prognostic nutritional index with the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes: NHANES 1999-2018.

INTRODUCTION: There is little bulk clinical evidence on nutritional status and mortality in patients with diabetes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in adults with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This study included 5916 adult patients with diabetes from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2018. Cox proportional risk models were used to estimate risk ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 8.17 years, there were 1248 deaths from all causes and 370 deaths from CVD. After multivariate adjustment, the risk of all-cause mortality was reduced by 24%, 38%, and 28% in Q2 (49.0-52.99), Q3 (53.0-57.99), and Q4 (≥58.0), respectively, compared with Q1 (PNI<49.0). The risk of cardiovascular mortality was reduced by 30%, 27%, and 26%, respectively. Consistent results were observed in the subgroup analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Lower serum PNI levels were significantly associated with higher all-cause and CVD mortality. These findings suggest that maintaining an appropriate range of serum PNI status may reduce the risk of death in patients with diabetes.

The efficacy and safety of different endovascular modalities for infrapopliteal arteries lesions: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Endovascular treatment has become the first-line therapy for infrapopliteal artery occlusive disease (IPOD), while the optimal endovascular method remains to be determined. We performed a network meta-analysis (NWM) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to simultaneously compare the outcomes of different endovascular modalities for IPOD. Methods and results: The Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were used as data sources. The NWM approach used random-effects models based on the frequentist framework. In total, 22 eligible RCTs (44 study arms; 1,348 patients) involving nine endovascular modalities or combinations [balloon angioplasty (BA), drug-coated balloon (DCB), drug-eluting stent (DES), atherectomy device + BA (AD + BA), AD + DCB, balloon-expandable bare metal stent (BMS), self-expanding stent (SES), absorbable metal stents (AMS), and inorganics-coated stent (ICS)] were included. BA had a lower 12-month primary patency rate than DCB (RR 0.50, CI 0.27, 0.93) and AD + DCB (RR 0.34, CI 0.12, 0.93). AD + DCB decreased 6-month TLR compared with AMS (RR 0.15, CI 0.03, 0.90), and DES decreased it compared with BMS (RR 0.25, CI 0.09, 0.71). DCB had a lower 6-month TLR rate than AMS (RR 0.26, CI 0.08, 0.86) and BA (RR 0.51, CI 0.30, 0.89). BA had a higher 12-month TLR rate than DCB (RR 1.76, CI 1.07, 2.90). According to the value of the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA), AD + DCB was considered the best treatment in terms of primary patency at 6 months (SUCRA = 87.5) and 12 months (SURCA = 91). AD + BA was considered the best treatment in terms of 6-month TLR (SUCRA = 83.1), 12-month TLR (SURCA = 75.8), and 12-month all-cause mortality (SUCRA = 92.5). In terms of 12-month major amputation, DES was considered the best treatment (SUCRA = 78.6), while AD + DCB was considered the worst treatment (SUCRA = 28.8). Moreover, AD + BA always ranks higher than AD + DCB in the comparison including these two combinations. Subgroup analyses of modalities without stenting did not significantly change the primary outcomes. Conclusion: ADs showed noteworthy advantages in multiple terms for IPOD except for 12-month major amputation. AD + BA may be a better method for IPOD than AD + DCB. The efficacy and safety of ADs are worthy of further investigation. Systematic review registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/], identifier [CRD42022331626].

Case Report: Respiratory paralysis associated with polymyxin B therapy.

Polymyxin B (PMB) and colistin are bactericidal polypeptide antibiotics discovered in 1947 and 1949 for the treatment of gram-negative bacterial infections. Polymyxin was used clinically in the 1950s, but it was gradually replaced by other antibiotics in the 1980s because of its high nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity. In recent years, the increase of multidrug-resistant negative bacteria has led to the resurgence of polymyxin use. However, its side effects are not clear. Respiratory paralysis caused by PMB-related neuromuscular blockade is a rare but potentially fatal effect. We report a case of respiratory paralysis probably caused by polymyxin B infusion.

Prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis by Panax Notoginseng Saponins Combined with Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin in Surgical Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prevention among real-world surgical inpatients who received panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) combined with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH). METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted among surgical patients between January 2016 and November 2018 in Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. Participants received LMWH alone or PNS combined with LMWH for preventing DVT. The primary outcome was incidence of lower extremity DVT, which was screened once a week. Participants in the LMWH group were given LMWH (enoxaparin) via hypodermic injection, 4000-8000 AxalU once daily. Participants in the exposure group received PNS (Xuesaitong oral tablets, 100 mg, 3 times daily) combined with LMWH given the same as LMWH group. RESULTS: Of the 325 patients screened for the study, 281 participants were included in the final analysis. The cohort was divided into PNS + LMWH group and LMWH group with 134 and 147 participants, respectively. There was a significant difference of DVT incidence between two groups (P=0.01), with 21 (15.7%) incident DVT in the PNS + LMWH group, and 41 (27.9%) incident DVT in the LMWH group. Compared with participants without DVT, the participants diagnosed with DVT were older and had higher D-dimer level. The multivariate logistic regression model showed a significant lower risk of incident DVT among participants in the PNS + LMWH group compared with the LMWH group (odds ratio 0.46, 95% confidence interval, 0.25-0.86). There were no significant differences in thromboelaslography values (including R, K, Angle, and MA) and differences in severe bleeding between two groups. No symptomatic pulmonary embolism occurred during the study. CONCLUSION: Combined application of PNS and LMWH can effectively reduce the incidence of DVT among surgical inpatients compared with LMWH monotherapy, without increased risk of bleeding.

Risk factors for in-stent restenosis after vertebral artery stenting of V1 segment: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: In-stent restenosis (ISR) remains a challenge in the treatment of vertebral artery V1 segment stenosis. The aim of this meta-analysis is to identify the risk factors of ISR. METHODS: Studies eligible for inclusion criteria were found in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Data related to risk factors of ISR were extracted from the included studies, and pooled analysis was performed when data of the same factor were available in ≥2 studies. Dichotomous outcomes were analyzed with odds ratios (OR) and continuous outcomes were analyzed with a weighted mean difference (WMD). The Stata 14.0 program was used for the meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 11 studies involving 1356 patients were included in our analysis. Pooled analyses showed that younger age (p = 0.01; WMD= -1.958; 95% confidence interval [CI], -3.453 to -0.463) and V1 tortuosity (p = 0.004; OR = 4.145; 95% CI, 1.56-11.012) significantly associated with higher risk of ISR in V1 segment stenting. While bare-metal stents, stent diameter and length, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and smoking were not found to increase ISR rates. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis showed that young age and V1 tortuosity increase the ISR rates after vertebral V1 segment stenting.

Identification of hub genes and regulatory networks in histologically unstable carotid atherosclerotic plaque by bioinformatics analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study identified underlying genetic molecules associated with histologically unstable carotid atherosclerotic plaques through bioinformatics analysis that may be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. METHODS: Three transcriptome datasets (GSE41571, GSE120521 and E-MTAB-2055) and one non-coding RNA dataset (GSE111794) that met histological grouping criteria of unstable plaque were downloaded. The common differentially expressed genes (co-DEGs) of unstable plaques identified from three mRNA datasets were annotated by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomics (KEGG). A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to present the interaction between co-DEGs and screen out hub genes. MiRNet database and GSE111794 dataset were used to identify the miRNAs targeting hub genes. Associated transcription factors (TFs) and drugs were also predicted. These predicted results were used to construct miRNA/TFs-hub gene and drug-hub gene regulatory networks. RESULTS: A total of 105 co-DEGs were identified, including 42 up-regulated genes and 63 down-regulated genes, which were mainly enriched in collagen-containing extracellular matrix, focal adhesion, actin filament bundle, chemokine signaling pathway and regulates of actin cytoskeleton. Ten hub genes (up-regulated: HCK, C1QC, CD14, FCER1G, LCP1 and RAC2; down-regulated: TPM1, MYH10, PLS3 and FMOD) were screened. HCK and RAC2 were involved in chemokine signaling pathway, MYH10 and RAC2 were involved in regulation of actin cytoskeleton. We also predicted 12 miRNAs, top5 TFs and 25 drugs targeting hub genes. In the miRNA/TF-hub gene regulatory network, PLS3 was the most connected hub genes and was targeted by six miRNAs and all five screened TFs. In the drug-hub gene regulatory network, HCK was targeted by 20 drugs including 10 inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: We screened 10 hub genes and predicted miRNAs and TFs targeting them. These molecules may play a crucial role in the progression of histologically unstable carotid plaques and serve as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Carotid Revascularization Improves Cognitive Function in Patients with Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: To investigate cognitive changes after carotid revascularization in elderly patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis. We also compared cognitive outcomes of carotid endarterectomy CEA with stenting in asymptomatic patients. METHODS: From April 2019 to December 2019, patients with ≥70% asymptomatic carotid stenosis who were treated with CEA or CAS, were recruited for this study. The Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) instrument was used to evaluate cognitive function preoperatively and postoperatively at 3, 6, and 12 months. The incidence of ipsilateral ischemic cerebrovascular events and restenosis were analyzed within 12 months. RESULTS: In 50 patients treated with CEA or carotid artery stenting CAS, baseline cognitive function was not different between CEA and CAS groups (P > 0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of ipsilateral ischemic cerebrovascular events and restenosis within the first 12 months between the two groups. There was a significant improvement in the total MoCA score, scores of attention, and delayed recall at 3, 6 and 12 months after revascularization compared with scores at baseline (all P < 0.001). At 12 months, scores of cube copying and clock drawing were significantly improved (P = 0.014, P = 0.020). The clock drawing score was improved at 12 months after CAS compared with CEA (P = 0.040). CONCLUSIONS: Carotid revascularization has a beneficial effect on cognition in asymptomatic patients within 12 months of the procedure. Compared with CEA, CAS show improved test scores of executive functioning by 1 year.

[Incidence of Lower Limb Deep Venous Thrombosis and Coagulation Status 
in Severe Patients after Thoracic Surgery].

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of lower limb deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and the corresponding coagulation status in severe patients after thoracic surgery. METHODS: Severe patients after thoracic surgery who received mechanical prophylaxis of lower limb DVT between July 2016 and June 2018 were analysed retrospectively. Their general information, disease species, surgical treatment, and coagulation index were reviewed. RESULTS: Fifty patients were finally included. There were 34 male and 16 female, aging from 22 to 80 years. The incidence of DVT was 22.0%, all of them were isolated calf DVT. The incidence was 29.4% in male patients, while 6.3% in female; 23.5% in malignant diseases and 18.6% in benign. All coagulation index presented no statistical difference between patients with and without DVT, except activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT). CONCLUSIONS: Even on the basis of adequate mechanical prophylaxis, lower limb DVT is common in severe patients after thoracic surgery. Meanwhile, male patients and malignant diseases are more suscepted.

Insult of gastroesophageal reflux on airway: clinical significance of pharyngeal nozzle.

At the very time of global paying the highest attention to the worst insults of smoking as well as haze on the airway, everybody knows both are exogenous and noticeable. However, people mostly, including many medical personnel, do not know how badly the gastroesophageal reflux (GER) insults on our own airway. Symptoms of GER are commonly seen as heartburn and regurgitation, which can be mostly tolerated. However, when the up going gastric content reversely passes the esophagus and then the distal pharynx, where it appears a beak like stricture, serving as a nozzle, so as to produce numerous micro-particles and reach the oro-nasal cavity and also the airway causing allergic rhinitis and asthmatic attacks, even pulmonary parenchyma lesions. It will reduce life quality or even jeopardize life. The point that the endogenous insult appears in the respiratory system, but originates from the digestive tract is not well known and often undiagnosed and not correctly treated. The GER induced airway challenge is a treatable and preventive entity, as soon as a diagnosis is made, a good relief could be expected by means of life style adjustment, medicine, or fixation of the patulous cardia through radiofrequency or fundoplication. The author Dr. Zhonggao Wang had suffered it for long and symptoms disappeared for 8 years after anti-reflux surgery. Here is a presentation of Dr. Zhonggao Wang and his team's work and would call attention to the public so as to recognize this relatively unknown entity - a treatable condition occurring from human itself, but not from outside surroundings as smoking or haze does.