[The Expression of METTL14 in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Its Clinical Significance].

OBJECTIVE: To detect the expression of RNA methyltransferase 14(METTL14) in bone marrow of patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and to investigate the clinical and prognostic significance of METTL14 expression in newly diagnosed AML. METHODS: Bone marrow samples were collected from 100 patients with newly diagnosed AML as observation group and 60 patients with iron deficiency anemia AML as control group. And collected the clinical data of the AML patients. Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression level of METTL14 in AML and IDA patients. The relationship between the expression level of METTL14 and clinicopathological features, prognosis was analyzed. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to analyze the effect of METTL14 on overall survival (OS) in AML patients. Cox risk regression model was used to analyze the prognostic factors affecting in patients with AML. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the expression of METTL14 was significantly increased in AML patients (P < 0.05). Compared with the METTL14 low-expression group, patients in the METTL14 high-expression group had advanced age, high bone marrow cell number, poor efficacyand poor prognosis(P < 0.05). The overall survival time of patients with the METTL14 high-expression group was significantly shorter than that of the low-expression group (P < 0.05). The high expression of METTL14 was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in AML. CONCLUSION: METTL14 is significantly overexpressed in AML patients, and its correlated with poor clinicopathological features and poor prognosis. It can be used as a prognostic marker and potential therapeutie target for AML patients.

Meta-analysis and systematic review of the relationship between sex and the risk or incidence of poststroke aphasia and its types.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse and discuss the association of gender differences with the risk and incidence of poststroke aphasia (PSA) and its types, and to provide evidence-based guidance for the prevention and treatment of poststroke aphasia in clinical practice. DATA SOURCES: Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched from January 1, 2002, to December 1, 2023. STUDY SELECTION: Including the total number of strokes, aphasia, the number of different sexes or the number of PSA corresponding to different sex. DATA EXTRACTION: Studies with missing data, aphasia caused by nonstroke and noncompliance with the requirements of literature types were excluded. DATA SYNTHESIS: 36 papers were included, from 19 countries. The analysis of 168,259 patients with stroke and 31,058 patients with PSA showed that the risk of PSA was 1.23 times higher in female than in male (OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.19-1.29, P < 0.001), with a prevalence of PSA of 31% in men and 36% in women, and an overall prevalence of 34% (P < 0.001). Analysis of the risk of the different types of aphasia in 1,048 patients with PSA showed a high risk in females for global, broca and Wenicke aphasia, and a high risk in males for anomic, conductive and transcortical aphasia, which was not statistically significant by meta-analysis. The incidence of global aphasia (males vs. females, 29% vs. 32%) and broca aphasia (17% vs 19%) were higher in females, and anomic aphasia (19% vs 14%) was higher in males, which was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There are gender differences in the incidence and types of PSA. The risk of PSA in female is higher than that in male.

Lifestyle intervention in children with obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial in Ningbo city (the SCIENT study).

BACKGROUND: The increasing prevalence of childhood obesity has become an urgent public health problem, evidence showed that intervention for childhood obesity bring enormous health benefits. However, an effective individualized intervention strategy remains to be developed, and the accompanying remission of related complications, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), needs to be assessed. This study aimed to develop an m-Health-assisted lifestyle intervention program targeting overweight/obese children and assess its effectiveness on indicators of adiposity and NAFLD. METHODS: This is a cluster-randomized controlled trial that conducted in children with overweight/obesity in Ningbo city, Zhejiang Province, China. Students in Grade 3 (8-10 years old) were recruited from six primary schools, with three be randomized to intervention group and three to usual practice group. The intervention program will last for one academic year and consists of health education, dietary guidance, and physical activity reinforcement. This program is characterized by encouraging four stakeholders, including School, Clinic, famIly, and studENT (SCIENT), to participate in controlling childhood obesity, assisted by m-Health technology. Assessments will be conducted at baseline and 3 months, 9 months, 24 months, and 36 months after baseline. The primary outcome will be the differences between the two groups in students' body mass index and fatty liver index at the end of the intervention (9 months after baseline). During the implementation process, quality control methods will be adopted. DISCUSSION: The program will test the effectiveness of the m-Health-assisted lifestyle intervention on children with obesity and NAFLD. The results of this study will provide evidence for establishing effective lifestyle intervention strategy aimed at childhood obesity and NAFLD and may help develop guidelines for the treatment of obesity and NAFLD in Chinese children. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT05482191. Registered on July 2022.

[Expression of MCP-1 and CCR2 in Newly Diagnosed Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma and Clinical Significance].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the expression of MCP-1 and CCR2 in newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and to evaluate their correlation with clinicopathological features and prognosis. METHODS: A total of 141 patients with DLBCL diagnosed and treated in the Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College from January 2017 to May 2022 were retrospectively collected. The clinical characteristics, pathological data and prognostic factors of the patients were collected. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of MCP-1 and CCR2 in the tissues of newly treated DLBCL patients, and to analyze the relationship between MCP-1 and clinical characteristics, prognosis and survival of patients. RESULTS: The expression of MCP-1 and CCR2 were correlated with Ann Arbor stage, IPI score, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Ki-67 index and therapeutic effect. There were no significant correlation between the expression of MCP-1 or CCR2 and other clinical histopathological parameters such as gender, age, ß2-microglobulin, BCL-2, BCL-6, Hans classification, initial location, B symptoms, bone marrow involvement. There was a statistical difference in OS and PFS between the MCP-1 or CCR2 positive group and the negative group, which was associated to poor prognosis.Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that ß2-microglobulin, Ki-67 index, IPI score, MCP-1, CCR2 expression levels and disease remission affected the PFS and OS of DLBCL patients (P < 0.05). Gender, age, LDH, BCL-2, BCL-6, Hans classification, primary tumor site, B symptoms, bone marrow involvement, Ann Arbor stage had no effect on PFS and OS (P >0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that ß2-microglobulin, Ki-67 index, IPI score, MCP-1, CCR2 expression levels and disease remission were independent influencing factors of patients (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The expression rate of MCP-1 or CCR2 in newly treated DLBCL is high, and it is correlated with the clinical features of poor prognosis such as stage and LDH of DLBCL patients, which is a poor prognostic factor affecting PFS and OS.

Pro-ferroptotic signaling promotes arterial aging via vascular smooth muscle cell senescence.

Senescence of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) contributes to aging-related cardiovascular diseases by promoting arterial remodelling and stiffness. Ferroptosis is a novel type of regulated cell death associated with lipid oxidation. Here, we show that pro-ferroptosis signaling drives VSMCs senescence to accelerate vascular NAD+ loss, remodelling and aging. Pro-ferroptotic signaling is triggered in senescent VSMCs and arteries of aged mice. Furthermore, the activation of pro-ferroptotic signaling in VSMCs not only induces NAD+ loss and senescence but also promotes the release of a pro-senescent secretome. Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of pro-ferroptosis signaling, ameliorates VSMCs senescence, reduces vascular stiffness and retards the progression of abdominal aortic aneurysm in mice. Mechanistically, we revealed that inhibition of pro-ferroptotic signaling facilitates the nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling of proliferator-activated receptor-γ and, thereby impeding nuclear receptor coactivator 4-ferrtin complex-centric ferritinophagy. Finally, the activated pro-ferroptotic signaling correlates with arterial stiffness in a human proof-of-concept study. These findings have significant implications for future therapeutic strategies aiming to eliminate vascular ferroptosis in senescence- or aging-associated cardiovascular diseases.

Regulatory variants of APOBEC3 genes potentially associate with COVID-19 severity in populations with African ancestry.

Since November 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused the worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the impact of which is huge to the lives of world populations. Many studies suggested that such situation will continue due to the endless mutations in SARS-CoV-2 genome that result in complexity of the efforts for the control of SARS-CoV-2, since the special enrichment of nucleotide substitution C>U in SARS-CoV-2 sequences were discovered mainly due to the editing by human host factors APOBEC3 genes. The observation of SARS-CoV-2 variants Beta (B.1.351) and Omicron (B.1.1.529) firstly spreading in South Africa promoted us to hypothesize that genetic variants of APOBEC3 special in African populations may be attributed to the higher mutation rate of SARS-CoV-2 variants in Africa. Current study was conducted to search for functional variants of APOBEC3 genes associate with COVID-19 hospitalization in African population. By integrating data from the 1000 Genomes Project, Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), and Host Genetics Initiative (HGI) of COVID-19, we identified potential functional SNPs close to APOBEC3 genes that are associated with COVID-19 hospitalization in African but not with other populations. Our study provides new insights on the potential contribution of APOBEC3 genes on the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 mutations in African population, but further replication is needed to confirm our results.

Dexmedetomidine modulates neuronal activity of horizontal limbs of diagonal band via α2 adrenergic receptor in mice.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is widely used in clinical sedation which has little effect on cardiopulmonary inhibition, however the mechanism remains to be elucidated. The basal forebrain (BF) is a key nucleus that controls sleep-wake cycle. The horizontal limbs of diagonal bundle (HDB) is one subregions of the BF. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the possible mechanism of DEX is through the α2 adrenergic receptor of BF (HDB). METHODS: In this study, we investigated the effects of DEX on the BF (HDB) by using whole cell patch clamp recordings. The threshold stimulus intensity, the inter-spike-intervals (ISIs) and the frequency of action potential firing in the BF (HDB) neurons were recorded by application of DEX (2 µM) and co-application of a α2 adrenergic receptor antagonist phentolamine (PHEN) (10 µM). RESULTS: DEX (2 µM) increased the threshold stimulus intensity, inhibited the frequency of action potential firing and enlarged the inter-spike-interval (ISI) in the BF (HDB) neurons. These effects were reversed by co-application of PHEN (10 µM). CONCLUSION: Taken together, our findings revealed DEX decreased the discharge activity of BF (HDB) neuron via α2 adrenergic receptors.

Long-term follow-up of endoscopic papillectomy and the value of preventive pancreatic stent placement (with videos).

Background: Early-stage ampullary adenomas have only been reported in a small case series on endoscopic management. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of early ampullary adenoma with endoscopic management and identify the risk factors for acute pancreatitis after endoscopic papillectomy (EP). Methods: In this study, 115 patients who underwent EP at Changhai Hospital (Shanghai, China) between January 2012 and December 2018 were retrospectively analysed. Endoscopy was performed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after EP. Data were statistically analysed using the t-test or the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: A total of 107 patients were included in this study and the follow-up period was 75 ± 43 months. The average age of the 107 patients was 54.6 years and the average tumor size was 17 mm. The average age of the patients (53.7 ± 10.7 years vs 55.2 ± 10.5 years, P = 0.482), minimum tumor size (13 vs 19 mm, P = 0.063), and complete resection rate (84.78% vs 85.25%, P = 0.947) did not differ significantly between the stent placement and non-stent placement groups. Post-EP acute pancreatitis rates in the non-stent placement and stent placement groups were 11.48% and 4.35%, respectively. The risk of post-EP acute pancreatitis was significantly associated with the preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level in univariate analysis, but not in multivariate analysis. The risk of post-EP acute pancreatitis was not significantly associated with the placement of the pancreatic stent in either univariate or multivariate analysis. Moreover, delayed proximal pancreatic duct stenosis was not noted in either group during long-term follow-up. Conclusions: EP is a satisfactory option for treating adenomas of the ampulla of the duodenum.

Correlation between dysphagia and serum albumin levels and prognosis: a retrospective study / Correlación entre la disfagia y los niveles de albúmina sérica y el pronóstico: un estudio retrospectivo

Introduction: dysphagia is a common complication of stroke, and serum albumin is widely recognized as a strong prognostic marker of healthand/or disease status. However, the correlation between dysphagia and serum albumin levels has not been established.Objectives: to observe the correlation between dysphagia and serum albumin levels and prognosis in patients with stroke.Methods: we performed a retrospective study of patients hospitalized between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2022. A total of 1,370 patients wereenrolled. The patients were divided into two groups: dysphagia and non-dysphagia. Binary logistic regression and multiple linear regressionmodels were used to analyze the correlation between dysphagia, albumin, modified Rankin Scale (mRS), activities of daily living (ADL), andlength of hospital stay (LOS).Results: after adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of pneumonia in the dysphagia group was 2.417 times higher than that in the non-dysphagia group (OR = 2.417, 95 % CI: 1.902-3.072, p = 0.000). The risk of mRS ≥ 3 and modified Barthel index (MBI) < 60 in patients with dysphagia was 3.272-fold (OR = 3.272, 95 % CI: 2.508-4.269, p < 0.001) and 1.670-fold (OR = 1.670, 95 % CI: 1.230-2.268, p < 0.001), respectively; and the risk of hypoproteinemia was 2.533 times higher (OR = 2.533, 95 % CI: 1.879-3.414, p = 0.000). Stepwise linear regression showed that dysphagia was significantly correlated with lower albumin levels and higher mRS, lower ADL, and longer LOS in patients with stroke (β = -0.220, β = 0.265, β = -0.210, and β = 0.147, respectively; p < 0.001). Conclusions: dysphagia in patients with stroke is associated with decreased albumin levels and has an impact on its prognosis. (AU)

Introducción: la disfagia es una complicación común del accidente cerebrovascular, y la albúmina sérica es ampliamente reconocida como un fuerte marcador pronóstico del estado de salud y/o enfermedad. Sin embargo, no se ha establecido la correlación entre la disfagia y los niveles de albúmina sérica. Objetivos: observar la correlación entre la disfagia y los niveles de albúmina sérica y el pronóstico en pacientes con accidente cerebrovascular. Métodos: realizamos un estudio retrospectivo de pacientes hospitalizados entre el 1 de junio de 2018 y el 1 de junio de 2022. Se inscribieron untotal de 1.370 pacientes, los cuales fueron divididos en dos grupos: con disfagia y sin disfagia. Se utilizaron modelos de regresión logística binaria y de regresión lineal múltiple para analizar la correlación entre la disfagia, la albúmina, la escala de Rankin modificada (ERm), las actividades de la vida diaria (AVD) y el tiempo de estancia hospitalaria (TEH). Resultados: después de ajustar por factores de confusión, el riesgo de neumonía en el grupo de disfagia fue 2,417 veces mayor que en el gruposin disfagia (OR = 2,417, IC 95 %: 1,902-3,072, p = 0,000). El riesgo de ERm ≥ 3 y el índice de Barthel modificado (MBI) < 60 en pacientes condisfagia se multiplicó por 3,272 veces (OR = 3,272, IC 95 %: 2,508-4,269, p < 0,001) y 1,670 veces (OR = 1,670, IC 95 %: 1,230-2,268, p <0,001), respectivamente; el riesgo de hipoproteinemia fue 2,533 veces mayor (OR = 2,533, IC 95 %: 1,879-3,414, p = 0,000). La regresión linealpor pasos mostró que la disfagia se correlacionó significativamente con niveles más bajos de albúmina y ERm más altos, AVD más bajos y TEHmás prolongados en pacientes con accidente cerebrovascular (β = -0,220, β = 0,265, β = -0,210 y β = 0,147, respectivamente; p < 0,001).Conclusiones: la disfagia en pacientes con accidente cerebrovascular se asocia a una disminución de los niveles de albúmina y repercute ensu pronóstico. (AU)

Correlation between dysphagia and serum albumin levels and prognosis: a retrospective study.

Introduction: Introduction: dysphagia is a common complication of stroke, and serum albumin is widely recognized as a strong prognostic marker of health and/or disease status. However, the correlation between dysphagia and serum albumin levels has not been established. Objectives: to observe the correlation between dysphagia and serum albumin levels and prognosis in patients with stroke. Methods: we performed a retrospective study of patients hospitalized between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2022. A total of 1,370 patients were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups: dysphagia and non-dysphagia. Binary logistic regression and multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the correlation between dysphagia, albumin, modified Rankin Scale (mRS), activities of daily living (ADL), and length of hospital stay (LOS). Results: after adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of pneumonia in the dysphagia group was 2.417 times higher than that in the non-dysphagia group (OR = 2.417, 95 % CI: 1.902-3.072, p = 0.000). The risk of mRS ≥ 3 and modified Barthel index (MBI) < 60 in patients with dysphagia was 3.272-fold (OR = 3.272, 95 % CI: 2.508-4.269, p < 0.001) and 1.670-fold (OR = 1.670, 95 % CI: 1.230-2.268, p < 0.001), respectively; and the risk of hypoproteinemia was 2.533 times higher (OR = 2.533, 95 % CI: 1.879-3.414, p = 0.000). Stepwise linear regression showed that dysphagia was significantly correlated with lower albumin levels and higher mRS, lower ADL, and longer LOS in patients with stroke (ß = -0.220, ß = 0.265, ß = -0.210, and ß = 0.147, respectively; p < 0.001). Conclusions: dysphagia in patients with stroke is associated with decreased albumin levels and has an impact on its prognosis.

Introducción: Introducción: la disfagia es una complicación común del accidente cerebrovascular, y la albúmina sérica es ampliamente reconocida como un fuerte marcador pronóstico del estado de salud y/o enfermedad. Sin embargo, no se ha establecido la correlación entre la disfagia y los niveles de albúmina sérica. Objetivos: observar la correlación entre la disfagia y los niveles de albúmina sérica y el pronóstico en pacientes con accidente cerebrovascular. Métodos: realizamos un estudio retrospectivo de pacientes hospitalizados entre el 1 de junio de 2018 y el 1 de junio de 2022. Se inscribieron un total de 1.370 pacientes, los cuales fueron divididos en dos grupos: con disfagia y sin disfagia. Se utilizaron modelos de regresión logística binaria y de regresión lineal múltiple para analizar la correlación entre la disfagia, la albúmina, la escala de Rankin modificada (ERm), las actividades de la vida diaria (AVD) y el tiempo de estancia hospitalaria (TEH). Resultados: después de ajustar por factores de confusión, el riesgo de neumonía en el grupo de disfagia fue 2,417 veces mayor que en el grupo sin disfagia (OR = 2,417, IC 95 %: 1,902-3,072, p = 0,000). El riesgo de ERm ≥ 3 y el índice de Barthel modificado (MBI) < 60 en pacientes con disfagia se multiplicó por 3,272 veces (OR = 3,272, IC 95 %: 2,508-4,269, p < 0,001) y 1,670 veces (OR = 1,670, IC 95 %: 1,230-2,268, p < 0,001), respectivamente; el riesgo de hipoproteinemia fue 2,533 veces mayor (OR = 2,533, IC 95 %: 1,879-3,414, p = 0,000). La regresión lineal por pasos mostró que la disfagia se correlacionó significativamente con niveles más bajos de albúmina y ERm más altos, AVD más bajos y TEH más prolongados en pacientes con accidente cerebrovascular (ß = -0,220, ß = 0,265, ß = -0,210 y ß = 0,147, respectivamente; p < 0,001). Conclusiones: la disfagia en pacientes con accidente cerebrovascular se asocia a una disminución de los niveles de albúmina y repercute en su pronóstico.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and the risk of idiopathic central precocious puberty in girls.

INTRODUCTION: Prior studies have found inconsistent results regarding the relationship between vitamin D status and Idiopathic Central Precocious Puberty (ICPP). OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 [OH]D) levels in ICPP development. METHOD: The authors retrospectively collected data from 221 girls with ICPP and 144 healthy girls between January 2017 and December 2019. The participants' serum 25(OH)D levels were measured using an automatic chemiluminescence method, and the association between serum 25(OH)D levels and the risk of ICPP was assessed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Odds Ratios (OR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI) were calculated as effect estimates. RESULTS: Serum 25(OH)D levels in the ICPP group were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that girls with insufficient vitamin D levels (OR = 0.201; 95% CI 0.094-0.428; p < 0.001) and sufficient vitamin D levels (OR = 0.141; 95% CI 0.053-0.375; p < 0.001) both had a lower risk of ICPP than girls with vitamin D deficiency. Moreover, the authors found that the height (p = 0.014), weight (p = 0.014), breast stage (p = 0.010), mother's height (p < 0.001), and luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio (p = 0.010) in girls with ICPP could be associated with levels of vitamin D. CONCLUSION: This study found that a low serum 25(OH)D level is an independent risk factor for ICPP, and several characteristics of girls with ICPP could be affected by their vitamin D status.

Associations between genetic variants of HSD17B13 and fasting plasma glucose in Chinese children.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Genetic variants in 17-ß hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 13 (HSD17B13) were demonstrated to protect against NAFLD, which is highly related with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. However, the effects of NAFLD associated HSD17B13 variants on circulating glucose and lipids have not been adequately investigated in children. This study aimed to investigate associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of HSD17B13 and NAFLD or its related phenotypes, such as blood glucose and serum lipids in Chinese children. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 1027 Chinese Han children aged 7-18 years old, which included 162 NAFLD children and 865 controls without NAFLD. Three SNPs (rs13112695, rs7692397, rs6834314) in HSD17B13 were genotyped. The multivariable logistic and linear regression models were applied to detect the associations between three SNPs and NAFLD or its related phenotypes [alanine transaminase (ALT), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and serum lipids]. The effect allele A of rs7692397 was negatively associated with FPG [ß (SE) = -0.088 (0.027) mmol/L, P = 0.001], whereas the effect allele G of rs6834314 was positively associated with FPG (ß (SE) = 0.060 (0.019) mmol/L, P = 0.002). After Bonferroni correction, the significant associations still remained (both P < 0.0024). No significant associations were found for NAFLD or serum lipids. CONCLUSION: The study firstly revealed the association between two HSD17B13 variants and FPG in Chinese children, providing evidence for HSD17B13 variants and abnormal glucose metabolism.

Effect of breathing exercises on oxidative stress biomarkers in humans: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Breathing exercises improve oxidative stress in healthy young adults and patients with diabetes, hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Furthermore, the mechanism of respiratory intervention is controversial. Therefore, in this meta-analysis, we aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of breathing exercises on oxidative stress biomarkers in humans and provide evidence for the clinical application of breathing exercises. Methods: The Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, and WANFANG databases were searched for studies about the effects of breathing exercises on human oxidative stress levels, with no restraints regarding time, race, or language. The experimental group included various breathing exercises, and the outcome index included malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione, nitric oxide, vitamin C, or total antioxidant capacity levels from a randomized controlled trial. Data were extracted by more than two authors and reviewed by one author. Results: Ten studies were included from five countries. Data from patients with no disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, or diabetes were included. Participants who performed breathing exercises had greater changes in the included biomarkers than those who did not, suggesting that these biomarkers can be used to evaluate oxidative stress after respiratory interventions. Conclusion: Breathing exercises increased SOD and GSH activities and decreased MDA content. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022337119, identifier CRD42022337119.

Presbyphagia: Dysphagia in the elderly.

Dysphagia has been classified as a "geriatric syndrome" and can lead to serious complications that result in a tremendous burden on population health and healthcare resources worldwide. A characteristic age-related change in swallowing is defined as "presbyphagia." Medical imaging has shown some changes that seriously affect the safety and efficacy of swallowing. However, there is a general lack of awareness of the effects of aging on swallowing function and a belief that these changes are part of normal aging. Our review provides an overview of presbyphagia, which has been a neglected health problem for a long time. Attention and awareness of dysphagia in the elderly population should be strengthened, and targeted intervention measures should be actively implemented.

Alterations in vaginal microbiota in uterine fibroids patients with ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation.

Introduction: Vaginal microbiota dysbiosis is closely related to diseases of the vagina and uterus. Uterine fibroids (UF) are the most common benign neoplasms of the uterus, and increased diversity in vaginal microbial of UF patients. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is effective invasive treatment for fibroids in women who are not good surgical candidates. Whether HIFU of uterine fibroids will cause the change in vaginal microbiota has not been reported. We aimed to investigate the vaginal microbiota of UF patients with/without HIFU treatment using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Methods: Vaginal secretions were collected from 77 UF patients (pre-operative and post-operative) and were used for comparative composition, diversity, and richness analyses of microbial communities. Results: The microbial α-diversity was significantly lower in the vaginal of UF patients with HIFU treatment. The relative abundance of some pathogenic bacteria of UF patients with HIFU treatment were significantly decreased in the bacterial phylum and genus level. Proteobacteria were found to be significantly upregulated as a biomarker in the HIFU treatment group in our study. Conclusion: These findings might confirm the effectiveness of HIFU treatment from the point of view of microbiota.

[The Distribution and Significance of Activated T Cells and Lymphocyte Subsets in Myelodysplastic Syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution of bone marrow lymphocyte subsets in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome(MDS),the proportion of activated T cells with immunophenotype CD3+HLA-DR+ in the lymphocytes and its clinical significance, and to understand the effects of different types of MDS, different immunophenotypes, and different expression levels of WT1 on the proportion of lymphocyte subsets and activated T cells. METHODS: The immunophenotypes of 96 MDS patients, the subsets of bone marrow lymphocytes and activated T cells were detected by flow cytometry. The relative expression of WT1 was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR, and the first induced remission rate (CR1) was calculated, the differences of lymphocyte subsets and activated T cells in MDS patients with different immunophenotype, different WT1 expression, and different course of disease were analyzed. RESULTS: The percentage of CD4+T lymphocyte in MDS-EB-2, IPSS high-risk, CD34+ cells >10%, and patients with CD34+CD7+ cell population and WT1 gene overexpression at intial diagnosis decreased significantly (P<0.05), and the percentage of NK cells and activated T cells increased significantly (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the ratio of B lymphocytes. Compared with the normal control group, the percentage of NK cells and activated T cells in IPSS-intermediate-2 group was significantly higher(P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the percentage of CD3+T, CD4+T lymphocytes. The percentage of CD4+T cells in patients with complete remission after the first chemotherapy was significantly higher than in patients with incomplete remission(P<0.05), and the percentage of NK cells and activated T cells was significantly lower than that in patients with incomplete remission (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: In MDS patients, the proportion of CD3+T and CD4+T lymphocytes decreased, and the proportion of activated T cells increased, indicating that the differentiation type of MDS is more primitive and the prognosis is worse.

[Research Progress on the Role of Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Multiple Myeloma --Review].

Bone marrow microenvironment is a highly complex environment surrounding tumor, which plays an important role in the survival, proliferation, drug resistance and migration of multiple myeloma (MM) cells. As an important cellular component in tumor microenvironment, tumor-associated macrophages(TAM) has attracted attention due to its key role in tumor progression and drug resistance. Targeting TAM has shown potential therapeutic value in cancer treatment. In order to clarify the role of macrophages in MM progression, it is necessary to understand the differentiation of TAM and its characteristics of promoting MM. This paper reviews the research progress on how TAM is programmed in MM and the mechanism of TAM promoting tumor development and drug resistance.

[Pollution Characteristics and Source Apportionment of Heavy Metals in Farmland Soils Around the Gangue Heap of Coal Mine Based on APCS-MLR and PMF Receptor Model].

To analyze the pollution characteristics and source apportionment of heavy metal pollution in soil of farmland surrounding the Gangue Heap of Coal Mine in Nanchuan, Chongqing, the Nemerow pollution index and Muller index were used. Meanwhile, to investigate the sources and contribution rate of heavy metals in the soil, absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression receptor modeling (APCS-MLR) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) were employed. The results showed higher amounts of Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn in the downstream area than those in the upstream area, and only Cu, Ni, and Zn showed significantly higher amounts in the downstream area than those in upstream area (P<0.05). The comprehensive Nemerow pollution index was as follows:downstream area (1.22)>upstream area (0.95), and the degree of heavy metal pollution was:Cd>Cu>Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Ni, and Zn. The Muller pollution index showed:Cd>As>Cu=Hg>Ni>Zn=Cr>Pb. The pollution source analysis showed that Cu, Ni, and Zn were mainly affected by mining activities such as long-term accumulation of the gangue heap of coal mine, with the contribution rates of APCS-MLR being 49.8%, 94.5%, and 73.2%, respectively. Additionally, PMF contribution rates were 62.8%, 62.2%, and 63.1%, respectively. Cd, Hg, and As were mainly affected by agricultural activities and transportation activities, with APCS-MLR contribution rates of 49.8%, 94.5%, and 73.2% and PMF contribution rates of 62.8%, 62.2%, and 63.1%, respectively. Further, Pb and Cr were mainly affected by natural factors, with APCS-MLR contribution rates of 66.4% and 94.7% and PMF contribution rates of 42.7% and 47.7%, respectively. The results of source analysis were basically consistent between the APCS-MLR and PMF receptor models.

Multimorbidity of Allergic Conditions in Urban Citizens of Southern China: A Real-World Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Extensive knowledge of allergic multimorbidities is required to improve the management of allergic diseases with the industrialization of China. However, the demography and allergen distribution patterns of allergic multimorbidities in China remain unclear, despite the increasing prevalence of allergies. METHODS: This was a real-world, cross-sectional study of 1273 outpatients diagnosed with one or more allergic diseases in Guangzhou, the most populated city of southern China, with leading industrial and commercial centers, between April 2021 and March 2022. Seven allergic diseases (allergic rhinitis (AR), asthma (AS)/cough variant asthma (CVA), atopic dermatitis (AD)/eczema, food allergy (FA), allergic conjunctivitis (AC), drug allergy (DA), and anaphylaxis) were assessed. Positive rates of sensitization to different allergens were measured using an allergen detection system of the UniCAP (Pharmacia Diagnostics, Sweden) instrument platform to compare the groups of allergic multimorbidities against a single entity. RESULTS: There were 659 (51.8%) males and 614 (48.2%) females aged from 4 months to 74 years included in the analysis. The study participants who were diagnosed with allergic diseases had an average of 1.6 diagnoses. Overall, 46.5% (592 of 1273) of the patients had more than one allergic condition, and allergic rhinitis was the most common type of multimorbidity. Women were more likely to suffer from an allergic disease alone, whereas allergic multimorbidities were more likely to be diagnosed in men (p = 0.005). In addition, allergic multimorbidities were common in all age groups, with an incidence ranging from 37.1% to 57.4%, in which children and adolescents were more frequently diagnosed with allergic multimorbidities than adults (18-60 years old) (all p < 0.05). Allergic multimorbidity was observed throughout the year. A difference in the positive rate of allergens sensitization and total immunoglobulin E (tIgE) levels between different allergic multimorbidities was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Allergic multimorbidities were very commonly found in nearly half of all patients with allergies. The proportion of allergic multimorbidities varied with the type of disease, sex, age, and allergen distribution pattern. These findings may help clinicians to develop "One health" strategies for the clinical management of allergic diseases.

Diagnostic Accuracy of the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) in Screening Dysphagia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) is used worldwide to screen people quickly and easily at high risk for swallowing disorders. However, the best EAT-10 cutoff value is still controversial. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we estimated and compared the diagnostic accuracy of EAT-10 cutoff values of 2 and 3 for screening dysphagia. We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI, WANFANG, and VIP databases from May 2008 to March 2022. The meta-analysis included 7 studies involving 1064 subjects from 7 different countries. Two studies were classified as high quality and five studies as medium quality. With an EAT-10 cutoff value of 2, using flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing or video fluoroscopic swallowing study as the gold standard, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and diagnostic odds ratio were 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.82-0.93), 0.59 (95% CI 0.39-0.77), 2.17 (95% CI 1.38-3.42), 0.19 (95% CI 0.13-0.29), and 11.49 (95% CI 5.86-22.53), respectively. When a cutoff of 3 was used, these values were 0.85 (95% CI 0.68-0.94), 0.82 (95% CI 0.65-0.92), 4.84 (95% CI 1.72-13.50), 0.18 (95% CI 0.07-0.46), and 26.24 (95% CI 5.06-135.95), respectively. Using EAT-10 cutoff values of 2 and 3, the areas under the curve were 0.873 (95% CI 0.82-0.93) and 0.903 (95% CI 0.88-0.93), respectively, showing good diagnostic performance. EAT-10 can be used as a preliminary screening tool for dysphagia. However, a cutoff of 3 is recommended for EAT-10 due to better diagnostic accuracy.