Identification of diagnostic biomarks and immune cell infiltration in ulcerative colitis.

We aimed to explore diagnostic biomarks and immune cell infiltration characteristics in ulcerative colitis (UC). We used the dataset GSE38713 as the training set and dataset GSE94648 as the test set. A total of 402 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained from GSE38713. Annotating, visualizing, and integrating discovery of these differential genes was performed using Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Gene and Genome Encyclopedia Pathway (KEGG), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Protein-protein interaction networks were constructed from the STRING database, and protein functional modules were identified using the CytoHubba plugin of Cytoscape. Random forest and LASSO regression were used to screen for UC-related diagnostic markers, and ROC curves were generated to validate their diagnostic value. The composition of 22 immune cells was analyzed, and the immune cell infiltration in UC was analyzed using CIBERSORT. Results: Seven diagnostic markers associated with UC were identified: TLCD3A, KLF9, EFNA1, NAAA,WDR4, CKAP4, and CHRNA1. Immune cell infiltration assessment revealed that macrophages M1, activated dendritic cells, and neutrophil cells infiltrated relatively more compared to normal control samples. Our results suggest a new functional feature of UC and suggest potential biomarkers for UC through comprehensive analysis of integrated gene expression data.

Efficacy of oral fecal microbiota transplantation in recurrent bowel disease: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent bowel disease (RBD) refers to the chronic, recurrent intestinal diseases, including recurrent Clostridium Difficile Infection (rCDI), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), etc., these diseases have similar clinical characteristics, that is, abdominal pain, diarrhea, repeated attacks, prolonged recovery, etc. Clinically, there are relevant reports on the use of oral capsule fecal microbiota transplantation (oFMT) to treat RBD. However, both the advantages and disadvantages of clinical efficacy have been reported; there are some contradictions, the study sample size is too small, and the purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral capsule fecal microbiota transplantation in the treatment of RBD. METHODS: This systematic review will include articles identified through electronic searches of the PubMed, EMbase, and Cochrane Library. From inception to July 1, 2022. Two reviewers will independently search the database to conduct data extraction and assessment of study quality. Based on heterogeneity tests, data will be integrated using fixed or random effect models. RevMan V.5.4 will be used for data analysis. The results are expressed as the risk ratio of dichotomous data and the mean difference of continuous data. RESULTS: We analyzed the clinical remission or cure rate, IBS-SSS, quality of life, anxiety, depression, total adverse effects, and total severe adverse effects (TSAE) in patients with RBD. CONCLUSION: This systematic review evaluated the efficacy and safety of oFMT in the treatment of RBD to provide more comprehensive evidence.

A Pharmacoinformatics Analysis of Artemisinin Targets and de novo Design of Hits for Treating Ulcerative Colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC), as an intractably treated disease, seriously affects the quality of life of patients and has an increase in terms of incidence and prevalence annually. However, due to the lack of a direct etiology and drug-induced side effects, the medical treatment of UC falls into a bottleneck. There are many natural phytochemicals with the potential to regulate immune function in nature. Herein, a potential mechanism of artemisinin in the treatment of UC and potential druggability compounds with an artemisinin peroxide bond were discussed and predicted based on computer-aided drug design (CADD) technology by using the methods of network pharmacology, molecular docking, de novo drug structure design and molecular dynamics through the integration of artemisinin related targets from TCMSP, ChEMBL and HERB databases. The networks were constructed based on 50 artemisinin-disease intersection targets related to inflammation, cytokines, proliferation and apoptosis, showing the importance of GALNT2, BMP7 and TGFBR2 in the treatment of disease, which may be due to the occupation of the ricin B-type lectin domain of GALNT2 by artemisinin compounds or de novo designed candidates. This result could guide the direction of experiments and actual case studies in the future. This study provides a new route for the application of artemisinin and the development of drugs.

Association of HMGB1 Gene Polymorphisms with Risk of Colorectal Cancer in a Chinese Population.

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. More advanced work is required in the detection of biomarkers for CRC susceptibility and prognosis. High-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) is an angiogenesis-related gene reported to be associated with the development of CRC. The direct evidence of HMGB1 gene polymorphisms as biomarkers for CRC has not been reported previously. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 240 CRC patients and 480 healthy controls were periodically enrolled. DNA was extracted from blood specimens. The distributions of SNPs of HMGB1 were determined by using the polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. RESULTS In this case-control study, we observed a significant association between overall CRC risk and SNP rs2249825 (CG vs. CC and GG vs. CC). Participants carrying both rs2249825 CG (OR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.89 to 3.78) and rs2249825 GG genotypes (OR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.13 to 4.73) had a significantly increased risk of developing CRC compared to those carrying GG genotype. rs2249825 was associated with the risk of CRC in the dominant model but not in the recessive model. However, we found no significant differences in the rs1412125 or rs1045411 polymorphisms in the HMGB1. Advanced analyses showed that the number of rs2249825 G alleles showed a significant relationship with risk of CRC. CONCLUSIONS Our results show an association between HMGB1 rs2249825 SNP and CRC incidence in the Chinese Han population. However, population-based studies with more subjects and prognostic effects are needed to verify the association of HMGB1 SNPs with CRC susceptibility, severity, and long-term prognosis.

[Application of three-dimensional endoanal and endorectal ultrasound in the diagnosis of anorectal fistula].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of three-dimensional anal and endorectal ultrasound in identifying the internal opening and tracing the tract of the anorectal fistula. METHODS: From November 2008 to January 2010, 127 patients suffering anorectal fistula were managed with three-dimensional endoanal and endorectal ultrasound. The internal opening, the tract of the fistula and fistula trace were identified by the ultrasonography with three-dimensional imaging. All results were confirmed and compared with findings from the operation. RESULTS: The internal opening of the fistula was specified in 116 patients, the accuracy rate was 91.3% (116/127). The internal opening of the fistula was located above the dentate line in 112 patients, and located in rectal ampulla in 4 patients. The main fistula tract was identified in all the patients, the accuracy rate was 100%. In this group, the fistula tunneled as follows: trans-sphincteric in 47 patients, intersphincteric in 75 cases, supra sphincteric in 2 cases, extra sphincteric in 3 patients. Secondary extension was found in 37 patients, the accuracy rate was 100% (37/37). CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional anal and endorectal ultrasound is an effective way for localizing the internal opening and the tract of anorectal fistula. It can provide valuable information for curative operation.