Comprehensive plasma cytokine and chemokine profiling in prurigo nodularis reveals endotypes in Type 2 inflammation.

Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that is associated with variability in peripheral blood eosinophil levels and response to T-helper 2 targeted therapies (Th2). Our objective was to determine whether circulating immune profiles with respect to type 2 inflammation differ by race and peripheral blood eosinophil count. Plasma from 56 PN patients and 13 matched healthy controls was assayed for 54 inflammatory biomarkers. We compared biomarker levels between PN and HCs, among PN patients based on absolute eosinophil count, and across racial groups in PN. Eleven biomarkers were elevated in PN versus HCs including interleukin (IL)-12/IL-23p40, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC/CCL22). Additionally, PN patients with AEC > 0.3 K cells/µL had higher Th2 markers (eotaxin, eotaxin-3, TSLP, MCP-4/CCL13), and African American PN patients had lower eosinophils, eotaxin, and eotaxin-3 versus Caucasian and Asian PN patients (p < 0.05 for all). Dupilumab responders had higher AEC (p < 0.01), were more likely to be Caucasian (p = 0.02) or Asian (p = 0.05) compared to African Americans, and more often had a history of atopy (p = 0.08). This study suggests that blood AEC > 0.3 K and Asian and Caucasian races are associated with Th2 skewed circulating immune profiles and response to Th2 targeted therapies.

A Spatiotemporal Controllable Biomimetic Skin for Accelerating Wound Repair.

Skin injury repair is a dynamic process involving a series of interactions over time and space. Linking human physiological processes with materials' changes poses a significant challenge. To match the wound healing process, a spatiotemporal controllable biomimetic skin is developed, which comprises a three-dimensional (3D) printed membrane as the epidermis, a cell-containing hydrogel as the dermis, and a cytokine-laden hydrogel as the hypodermis. In the initial stage of the biomimetic skin repair wound, the membrane frame aids wound closure through pre-tension, while cells proliferate within the hydrogel. Next, as the frame disintegrates over time, cells released from the hydrogel migrate along the residual membrane. Throughout the process, continuous cytokines release from the hypodermis hydrogel ensures comprehensive nourishment. The findings reveal that in the rat full-thickness skin defect model, the biomimetic skin demonstrated a wound closure rate eight times higher than the blank group, and double the collagen content, particularly in the early repair process. Consequently, it is reasonable to infer that this biomimetic skin holds promising potential to accelerate wound closure and repair. This biomimetic skin with mechanobiological effects and spatiotemporal regulation emerges as a promising option for tissue regeneration engineering.

Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of tumor suppressive effects of GZ17-6.02 against mycosis fungoides.

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Despite having a wide variety of therapeutic agents available for the treatment of MF, patients often suffer from a significant decrease in quality of life and rarely achieve long-term remission or complete cure, highlighting a need to develop novel therapeutic agents for this disease. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of a novel anti-tumor agent, GZ17-6.02, which is composed of curcumin, harmine, and isovanillin, against MF in vitro and in murine models. Treatment of HH and MyLa cells with GZ17-6.02 inhibited the growth of both cell lines with IC50 ± standard errors for growth inhibition of 14.37 ± 1.19 µg/mL and 14.56 ± 1.35 µg/mL, respectively, and increased the percentage of cells in late apoptosis (p = .0304 for HH; p = .0301 for MyLa). Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed that GZ17-6.02 suppressed several pathways, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-ɑ signaling via nuclear factor (NF)-kB, mammalian target of rapamycin complex (mTORC)1, and Pi3K/Akt/mTOR signaling. In a subcutaneous tumor model, GZ17-6.02 decreased tumor volume (p = .002) and weight (p = .009) compared to control conditions. Proteomic analysis of tumor samples showed that GZ17-6.02 suppressed the expression of several proteins that may promote CTCL growth, including mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)1, MAPK3, Growth factor receptor bound protein (GRB)2, and Mediator of RAP80 interactions and targeting subunit of 40 kDa (MERIT)40.

Exploring the regulatory role of Linc00893 in asthenozoospermia: Insights into sperm motility and SSC viability.

The role of long intergenic noncoding RNA 00893 (Linc00893) in asthenozoospermia (AS) and its impact on sperm motility remains unclear The present study explored the effect of Linc00893 on AS, specifically its effect on sperm motility and its relationship with spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) vitality and myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) protein expression. Linc00893 expression was analyzed in semen samples using reverse transcription­quantitative PCR, revealing a significant downregulation in samples from individuals with AS compared with those from healthy subjects. This downregulation was found to be negatively correlated with parameters of sperm motility. To further understand the role of Linc00893, small interfering RNA was used to knockdown its expression in SSCs. This knockdown led to a marked decrease in cell vitality and an increase in apoptosis. Notably, Linc00893 knockdown was shown to inhibit MYH9 expression by competitively binding with microRNA­107, a finding verified by dual­luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Furthermore, using the GSE160749 dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, it was revealed that MYH9 protein expression was downregulated in AS samples. Subsequently, lentiviral vectors were constructed to induce overexpression of MYH9, which in turn reduced SSC apoptosis and counteracted the apoptosis triggered by Linc00893 knockdown. In conclusion, the present study identified the role of Linc00893 in AS, particularly its regulatory impact on sperm motility, SSC vitality and MYH9 expression. These findings may provide information on the potential regulatory mechanisms in AS development, and identify Linc00893 and MYH9 as possible targets for diagnosing and treating AS­related disorders.

Total Sn-2 Palmitic Triacylglycerols and the Ratio of OPL to OPO in Human Milk Fat Substitute Modulated Bile Acid Metabolism and Intestinal Microbiota Composition in Rats.

In this study, the impact of sn-2 palmitic triacyclglycerols (TAGs) in combination with their ratio of two major TAGs (1-oleoyl-2-palmitoyl-3-linoleoylglycerol (OPL) to 1,3-dioleoyl-2-palmitoylglycerol (OPO)) in human milk fat substitute (HMFS) on bile acid (BA) metabolism and intestinal microbiota composition was investigated in newly-weaned Sprague-Dawley rats after four weeks of high-fat feeding. Compared to those of control group rats, HMFS-fed rats had significantly increased contents of six hepatic primary BAs (CDCA, αMCA, ßMCA, TCDCA, TαMCA and TßMCA), four ileal primary BAs (UDCA, TCA, TCDCA and TUDCA) and three secondary BAs (DCA, LCA and ωMCA), especially for the HMFS with the highest sn-2 palmitic acid TAGs of 57.9% and OPL to OPO ratio of 1.4. Meanwhile, the inhibition of ileal FXR-FGF15 and activation of TGR5-GLP-1 signaling pathways in HMFS-fed rats were accompanied by the increased levels of enzymes involved in BA synthesis (CYP7A1, CYP27A1 and CYP7B1) in the liver and two key thermogenic proteins (PGC1α and UCP1) in perirenal adipose tissue, respectively. Moreover, increasing sn-2 palmitic TAGs and OPL to OPO ratio in HMFS also altered the microbiota composition both on the phylum and genus level in rats, predominantly microbes associated with bile-salt hydrolase activity, short-chain fatty acid production and reduced obesity risk, which suggested a beneficial effect on host microbial ecosystem. These observations provided important nutritional evidence for developing new HMFS products for infants.

Gelatin-Based Metamaterial Hydrogel Films with High Conformality for Ultra-Soft Tissue Monitoring.

Implantable hydrogel-based bioelectronics (IHB) can precisely monitor human health and diagnose diseases. However, achieving biodegradability, biocompatibility, and high conformality with soft tissues poses significant challenges for IHB. Gelatin is the most suitable candidate for IHB since it is a collagen hydrolysate and a substantial part of the extracellular matrix found naturally in most tissues. This study used 3D printing ultrafine fiber networks with metamaterial design to embed into ultra-low elastic modulus hydrogel to create a novel gelatin-based conductive film (GCF) with mechanical programmability. The regulation of GCF nearly covers soft tissue mechanics, an elastic modulus from 20 to 420 kPa, and a Poisson's ratio from - 0.25 to 0.52. The negative Poisson's ratio promotes conformality with soft tissues to improve the efficiency of biological interfaces. The GCF can monitor heartbeat signals and respiratory rate by determining cardiac deformation due to its high conformability. Notably, the gelatin characteristics of the biodegradable GCF enable the sensor to monitor and support tissue restoration. The GCF metamaterial design offers a unique idea for bioelectronics to develop implantable sensors that integrate monitoring and tissue repair and a customized method for endowing implanted sensors to be highly conformal with soft tissues.

The long non-coding RNA BBOX1 antisense RNA 1 is upregulated in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and suppresses the role of microRNA-19b in the proliferation of ovarian granulose cells : Short title: BBOX1 antisense RNA 1 in cell proliferation.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNA-19b (miR-19b) has been reported to be downregulated in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), while its upstream regulators are unclear. We speculated that miR-19b could potentially form a binding relationship with BBOX1 antisense RNA 1 (BBOX1-AS1), a long non-coding RNA recognized for its critical role in ovarian cancer. Subsequently, we investigated into their interaction in PCOS. METHODS: The expression of miR-19b and BBOX1-AS1 in follicular fluid from both control women (n = 80) and women with PCOS (n = 80) was detected by RT-qPCR. Correlations were analyzed with Pearson' correlation coefficient. The binding of miR-19b to the wild-type (-wt) ad mutant (-mut) BBOX1-AS1 was determined by RNA-RNA pulldown assay. Their interactions were detected by overexpression assay. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) assay was applied for proliferation analysis. RESULTS: BBOX1-AS1 was highly upregulated, while miR-19b was downregulated in PCOS. There was no close correlation across PCOS and the control samples. Consistently, they did not regulate the expression of each other in granulosa cells. However, BBOX1-AS1-wt, but not BBOX1-AS1-mut, could directly interact with miR-19b. BBOX1-AS1 suppressed the role of miR-19b in inhibiting granulosa cell proliferation. CONCLUSION: BBOX1-AS1 is highly upregulated in PCOS, and it may serve as an endogenous competing RNA for miR-19b to suppress its role in inhibiting granulosa cell proliferation. Our study suggested the role of BBOX1-AS1 as a potential target to treat PCOS.

Topical GZ21T Inhibits the Growth of Actinic Keratoses in a UVB-Induced Model of Skin Carcinogenesis.

Actinic keratoses (AKs) are premalignant intraepidermal neoplasms that occur as a result of cumulative sun damage. AKs commonly relapse, and up to 16% undergo malignant transformation into cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. There is a need for novel therapies that reduce the quantity and surface area of AKs as well as prevent malignant transformation to cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas. We recently showed that GZ17-6.02, an anticancer agent composed of curcumin, haramine, and isovanillin, inhibited the growth of H297.T cells. This study evaluated the efficacy of a topical formulation of GZ17-6.02, known as GZ21T, in a murine model of AK generated by exposing SKH1 mice to UVR. Treatment of mice with topical GZ21T inhibited the growth of AKs by decreasing both lesion count (P = 0.012) and surface area occupied by tumor (P = 0.002). GZ21T also suppressed the progression of AKs to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma by decreasing the count (P = 0.047) and surface area (P = 0.049) of lesions more likely to represent cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. RNA sequencing and proteomic analyses revealed that GZ21T suppressed several pathways, including MAPK (P = 0.025), phosphoinositide 3-kinase-protein kinase B (P = 0.04), HIF-1α (P = 0.016), Wnt (P = 0.025), insulin (P = 0.018), and ERBB (P = 0.016) signaling. GZ21T also upregulated the autophagy-promoting protein AMPK while suppressing proteins such as PD-L1, glutaminase, pAkt1 S473, and eEF2K.

Portomesenteric Vein Thrombosis in Patients Undergoing Sleeve Gastrectomy: an Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 101,914 Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Portomesenteric vein thrombosis (PMVT) is a rare but potentially fatal complication of sleeve gastrectomy (SG). The rising prevalence of SG has led to a surge in the occurrence of PMVT, while the associated risk factors have not been fully elucidated. This study aims to determine the incidence and risk factors of PMVT in patients undergoing SG. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed and EMBASE databases. Proportion and regression meta-analyses were conducted. RESULTS: In a total of 76 studies including 101,914 patients undergoing SG, we identified 357 patients with PMVT. Mean follow-up was 14.4 (SD: 16.3) months. The incidence of PMVT was found to be 0.50% (95%CI: 0.40-0.61%). The majority of the population presented with abdominal pain (91.8%) at an average of 22.4 days postoperatively and PMVT was mainly diagnosed with computed tomography (CT) (96.0%). Hematologic abnormalities predisposing to thrombophilia were identified in 34.9% of the population. Advanced age (p=0.02) and low center volume (p <0.0001) were significantly associated with PMVT, while gender, BMI, hematologic abnormality, prior history of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, type of prophylactic anticoagulation, and duration of prophylactic anticoagulation were not associated with the incidence of PMVT in meta-regression analyses. Treatment included therapeutic anticoagulation in 93.4% and the mortality rate was 4/357 (1.1%). CONCLUSION: PMVT is a rare complication of sleeve gastrectomy with an incidence rate <1% that is associated with low center volume and advanced age but is not affected by the duration or type of thromboprophylaxis administered postoperatively.

Effects of UBE3A on the insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome through the ubiquitination of AMPK.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a reproductive hormonal abnormality and a metabolic disorder, which is frequently associated with insulin resistance (IR). We aim to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of Ubiquitin-protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) on IR in the PCOS rats via Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation. METHODS: The PCOS and IR rats model was established by dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and high fat diet (HFD) treatment, and the fat rate, glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance were measured. The IR rats numbers were calculated. Besides, the mRNA levels of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) and UBE3A were detected by RT-qPCR. Furthermore, the relationship between was demonstrated by co-IP assay. The phosphorylation and ubiquitination of AMPK were analyzed by western blot. RESULTS: UBE3A was up-regulated in the PCOS rats. UBE3A knockdown significantly decreased the fat rate, glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance in the PCOS and IR rats. Additionally, the GLUT4 levels were significantly increased in PCOS + IR rats. Besides, after UBE3A knockdown, the IR rats were decreased, the p-IRS1 and p-AKT levels were significantly up-regulated. Furthermore, UBE3A knockdown enhanced phosphorylation of AMPK through decreasing the ubiquitination of AMPK. AMPK knockdown reversed the role of UBE3A knockdown in the PCOS + IR rats. CONCLUSIONS: UBE3A knockdown inhibited the IR in PCOS rats through targeting AMPK. Our study indicated that UBE3A might become a potential biological target for the clinical treatment of PCOS.

An injectable photopolymerizable chitosan hydrogel doped anti-inflammatory peptide for long-lasting periodontal pocket delivery and periodontitis therapy.

Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease caused by plaque that leads to alveolar bone resorption and tooth loss. Inflammation control and achieving better tissue repair are the key to periodontitis treatment. In this study, human ß-Defensin 1 short motif Pep-B with inflammation inhibition and differentiation regulation properties, is firstly used in the treatment of periodontitis, and an injectable photopolymerizable Pep-B/chitosan methacryloyl composite hydrogel (CMSA/Pep-B) is constructed. We confirm that Pep-B improves inflammation, and restores osteogenic behavior and function of injured stem cells. CMSA/Pep-B has good injectability, fluidity and photopolymerizability, and can sustainably release Pep-B to maintain drug concentration in periodontal pockets. Furthermore, animal experiments showed that CMSA/Pep-B significantly ameliorated the inflammation of the periodontium and reduced the alveolar bone loss by decreasing inflammatory infiltration, osteoclast formation and collagen destruction. In conclusion, CMSA/Pep-B is envisaged to be a novel bioactive material or therapeutic drug for treating periodontitis.

Four modifiable factors that mediate the effect of educational time on major depressive disorder risk: A network Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mental illness, which is a notable public health problem that aggravates the global economic burden. This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between education and MDD risk and the contributions of effects mediated by four modifiable factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Instrumental variables were screened from several large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) data (years of schooling with 766,345 participants, MDD with 59,851 cases and 113,154 controls, neuroticism with 329,821 individuals, smoking behavior with 195,068 cases and 164,638 controls, body mass index [BMI] with 336,107 individuals, and household income with 397,751 individuals). The data were used to evaluate the association of the four modifiable factors (neuroticism, smoking behavior, BMI, and household income) that mediate the effect of education on MDD risk via Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. RESULTS: Each standard deviation increase in years of schooling could reduce the risk for MDD by 30.70%. Higher neuroticism and BMI were associated with a higher risk of MDD. Non-smoking status and increased household income were protective factors for MDD. Notably, the mediator neuroticism, BMI, smoking behavior, and household income explained 52.92%, 15.54%, 31.86%, and 81.30% of the effect of years of schooling on MDD risk, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Longer years of schooling have a protective effect on MDD risk. Reasonable interventions to reduce neuroticism, BMI, smoking, and increasing household income are beneficial for MDD prevention. Our work provides new ideas for the development of prevention strategies for MDD.

Modifiable risk factors that mediate the effect of educational attainment on the risk of stroke: a network Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Stroke is a common cerebrovascular disease with great danger to public health. Educational inequality is a universal issue that influences populations' stroke risk. This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between education and stroke risk and the contributions of effects mediated by four modifiable factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Public large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data associated with educational attainment, hypertensive diseases, body mass index (BMI), smoking behavior, time spent on watching the television (TV), and stroke were obtained from European ancestry. The data were used to investigate the causal relationship among educational attainment, hypertensive disease, BMI, smoking, watching TV, and stroke risk. Inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as a primary algorithm for estimating causal direction and effect size in univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses. RESULTS: Higher educational attainment was a causal protective factor, while hypertensive diseases, higher BMI, smoking, and longer time spent on watching the TV were all causal risk factors for the risk of stroke. Hypertensive disease, BMI, smoking, and watching TV were all mediators for linking the causal relationship between educational attainment and stroke risk. Hypertensive disease, BMI, smoking, and watching TV explained 47.35%, 24.74%, 15.72%, and 2.29% of the variance in educational attainment's effect on stroke risk, respectively. The explained proportion reached 69.32% after integrating the four factors. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the causal effect of educational attainment on the risk of stroke, with a substantial proportion mediated by modifiable risk factors. Interventions on these modifiable factors would lead to substantial reductions in stroke cases attributable to educational inequality.

Evaluating the causality between skin tanning, radiated disorders, and basal cell carcinoma: a multivariable Mendelian randomization analysis.

The causality of ease of skin tanning and radiation-related disorders of the skin and subcutaneous tissue with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) remains unclear. Our objective was to investigate whether ease of skin tanning and radiation-related disorders of the skin and subcutaneous tissue have a relation with the occurrence and development of BCCs. In this work, independent genetic variants strongly associated (P < 5e-08) with ease of skin tanning and radiation-related disorders of the skin and subcutaneous tissue were selected as instrumental variables from corresponding genome-wide association studies (GWASs). Summary-level data for BCC was obtained from the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI). Two-sample univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) were performed. Sensitivity analyses were preformed via MR-Egger regression, heterogeneity test, pleiotropy test, and leave-one-out sensitivity test. We observed positive causal effect both for ease of skin tanning [odds ratio (OR) = 2.102, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.915-2.306, P = 2.71e-55] and radiation-related disorders of the skin and subcutaneous (OR = 1.603, 95% CI = 1.483-1.734, P = 3.41e-32) on occurrence of BCCs based on univariable MR analyses. In the multivariable mendelian randomization (MVMR) analysis of BCC risk, we also observed a direct causal effect of ease of skin tanning (ORMVMR = 1.623, 95% CI = 1.445-1.824, PMVMR =3.41e-16) and radiation-related disorders of the skin and subcutaneous (ORMVMR = 1.208, 95% CI = 1.107-1.319, PMVMR = 2.46e-05) on BCCs. The findings suggest that the high risk of BCCs can be attributed to ease of skin tanning and radiation-related disorders of the skin and subcutaneous tissue.

Differential Response of Mycosis Fungoides Cells to Vorinostat.

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and is characterized by epidermotrophism of malignant CD4+ T-lymphocytes. When MF advances to a recurrent stage, patients require treatment with systemic therapies such as vorinostat, a histone deacetylase inhibitor. While vorinostat has been shown to exhibit anti-tumor activity in MF, its exact molecular mechanism has yet to be fully discerned. In the present study, we examined the transcriptomic and proteomic profiles of vorinostat treatment in two MF cell lines, Myla 2059 and HH. We find that vorinostat downregulates CTLA-4, CXCR4, and CCR7 in both cell lines, but its effect on several key pathways differs between the two MF cell lines. For example, vorinostat upregulates CCL5, CCR5, and CXCL10 expression in Myla cells but downregulates CCL5 and CXCL10 expression in HH cells. Furthermore, vorinostat upregulates IFN-γ and IL-23 signaling and downregulates IL-6, IL-7, and IL-15 signaling in Myla cells but does not affect these pathways in HH cells. Although Myla and HH represent established MF cell lines, their distinct tumor origin from separate patients demonstrates that inherent phenotypic variations within the disease persist, underscoring the importance of using a variety of MF cells in the preclinical development of MF therapeutics.

Follicular Fluid-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles Alleviate DHEA-Induced Granulosa Cell Apoptosis by Delivering LINC00092.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a perplexing condition in females of reproductive age. Dysplasia of ovarian granulosa cell (GC) is implicated in PCOS. Follicular fluid (FF)-extracellular vesicles (Evs) are important in cell-cell communication during follicular development. The current study elaborated on the function and mechanism of FF-Evs in the viability and apoptosis of GC cells in PCOS development. Human GC cells KGN were treated with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to mimic a PCOS-like condition in vitro, which were further co-cultured with the FF-derived Evs (FF-Evs). The FF-Evs treatment significantly reduced DHEA-induced apoptosis of KGN cells while promoting cell viability and migration. The lncRNA microarray analysis showed that FF-Evs mainly deliver LINC00092 into the KGN cells. Knockdown of LINC00092 negated the protective effect of FF-Evs against DHEA-induced damage on KGN cells. Moreover, by performing bioinformatics analyses and biotin-labeled RNA pull-down assay, we found that LINC00092 could bind to the RNA binding protein LIN28B and inhibit its binding to pre-microRNA-18-5p, which allowed biogenesis of pre-miR-18-5p and increased the expression of miR-18b-5p, a miRNA with known alleviating role in PCOS by suppressing the PTEN mRNA. Collectively, the present work demonstrates that FF-Evs can alleviate DHEA-induced GC damage by delivering LINC00092.

Pressure injury prevalence and characteristics in patients with COVID-19 admitted to acute inpatient rehabilitation unit.

Objective: To investigate the incidence and severity of pressure injuries among COVID-19 patients who required acute hospitalization and subsequent acute inpatient rehabilitation (AIR). Design: Data was collected retrospectively from medical charts of COVID-19 patients who were admitted to AIR during April 2020-April 2021. Setting: Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation at a single hospital in the greater New York metropolitan area. Participants: Subjects included COVID-19 patients (N = 120) who required acute hospitalization and subsequent acute inpatient rehabilitation, of whom 39 (32.5%) had pressure injuries. Interventions: Not applicable. Main outcome measures: The incidence, location, and severity of pressure injuries in COVID-19 patients, as well as demographic and clinical characteristics of the acute hospitalization. Results: Among patients who developed pressure injuries, more patients received mechanical ventilation (59% vs. 33%, P < 0.05) and tracheostomy (67% vs. 17%, P < 0.00001). The lengths of stay were longer in both the intensive care unit (ICU) (34 vs. 15 days, P < 0.005), and in acute inpatient rehabilitation (22 vs. 17 days P < 0.05). Conclusion: Pressure injuries were more common in COVID-19 patients who had longer lengths of stay, received mechanical ventilation or tracheostomy, during acute hospitalization. This supports the use of protocols to prioritize pressure offloading in this patient population.

LINC00092 derived from follicular fluid alleviated the symptoms of PCOS through inactivation of phosphatase and tensin homolog by recruiting KDM5A.

Mounting literatures suggest that follicular fluid-derived exosomes (FF-Evs) influence the progression of progression of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The present study was designed to dissect the underlying mechanisms by which FF-Evs affect the PCOS. A rat model of PCOS was established using Letrozole induction. After treatment with FF-Evs, rats were examined for alterations in hormones, blood glucose, and lipid levels in serum, oestrus cycle, pathology in the ovaries, and apoptosis of ovarian cells. The functional rescue assays were performed to analyze the impact of long non-coding RNA 00092 (LINC00092) on PCOS rats. The cis-regulatory elements involved in the regulation of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression were analyzed using bioinformatic analysis, followed by verification of the mechanism. FF-Evs treatment ameliorated Letrozole-induced enhancement of weight, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and LH/FSH ratio, reduction of luteal cells, granulosa cells, and healthy follicles, prolonged oestrus, oestrous cycle arrest, ovarian tissue fibrosis, and ovarian cell apoptosis in rats, which were counteracted by treatment with shRNA targeting LINC00092. Regarding the mechanism, FF-Evs augmented LINC00092 expression in rats. LINC00092 bound to lysine demethylase 5 A (KDM5A), and KDM5A facilitated the demethylation of H3K4me3 to restrain the transcriptional activity of PTEN. Taken together, FF-Evs delivered LINC00092 repressed the transcriptional activity of PTEN by binding to KDM5A to enhance demethylation of H3K4me3, thereby reducing apoptosis in ovarian cells and alleviating PCOS symptoms.