A bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study to evaluate the relationship between psoriasis and interstitial lung diseases.

BACKGROUND: Prior observational studies have suggested a potential direct link between psoriasis (PSO) and interstitial lung disease (ILD). Consequently, we applied Mendelian randomization (MR) to further evaluate the bidirectional causal relationships between PSO and its different phenotypes [psoriatic arthritis (PSA)/psoriasis vulgaris (PSV)] and ILD. METHODS: Data regarding PSO/PSA/PSV and ILD were sourced from publicly accessible genome-wide association studies (GWAS) databases, focusing on European populations. We used five algorithms- MR Egger, weighted median, inverse-variance weighted (IVW), simple mode, and weighted mode- to evaluate the causal relationships between PSO/PSA/PSV and ILD, with a primary emphasis on the IVW method. RESULTS: The analysis indicated a potential association between PSA and an elevated risk of ILD [IVW odds ratio (OR): 1.035 (95% CI 1.008, 1.064; P = 0.012)], with no evidence of a direct relationship between total PSO and PSV with ILD. Conversely, no substantial evidence emerged from the reverse MR analysis to suggest that ILD significantly affects total PSO or the specific PSA/PSV phenotypes. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide genetic evidence supporting the notion that PSA may be a contributory risk factor for ILD. Further investigations are warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms of this potential causal relationship between PSA and ILD.

Identification of ceRNA networks in type H and L vascular endothelial cells through integrated bioinformatics methods. / 通过整合的生物信息学方法鉴定H和Låž‹è¡€ç®¡å† çš®ç»†èƒžä¸­çš„ceRNA网络（英文）.

OBJECTIVES: Type H blood vessels are a subtype of bone-specific microvessels (CD31hiEmcnhi) that play an important regulatory role in the coupling of angiogenesis and osteogenesis. Despite reports on the distinct roles of type H and L vessels under physiological and pathological bone conditions, their genetic differences remain to be elucidated. This study aims to construct a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network of key gene for differencial expression (DE) in type H and L vascular endothelial cells (ECs) through integrated bioinformatic methods. METHODS: We downloaded relevant raw data from the ArrayExpress and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and used the Limma R-Bioconductor package to screen for DE lncRNAs, DE miRNAs, and DE mRNAs between type H and L vascular ECs. A total ceRNA network was constructed based on their interactions, followed by refinement using protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks to select upregulated and downregulated key genes. Enrichment analysis was performed on these key genes. Random validation was conducted using flow cytometry and real-time RT-PCR. RESULTS: A total of 1 761 DE mRNAs, 187 DE lncRNAs, and 159 DE miRNAs were identified, and a comprehensive ceRNA network was constructed based on their interactions. Six upregulated (Itga5, Kdr, Tjp1, Pecam1, Cdh5, and Ptk2) and 2 downregulated (Csf1r and Il10) key genes were selected via PPI network to construct a subnetwork of ceRNAs related to these key genes. Upregulated key genes were mainly enriched in negative regulation of angiogenesis and vascular apoptosis. Results from flow cytometry and real-time RT-PCR were consistent with bioinformatics analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This study proposes a ceRNA network associated with upregulated and downregulated type H and L vascular ECs based on selected key genes, providing new insights into the regulatory mechanisms of type H and L vascular ECs in bone metabolism.

Causal relationship between gut microbiota and cancers: a two-sample Mendelian randomisation study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence from observational studies and clinical trials suggests that the gut microbiota is associated with cancer. However, the causal association between gut microbiota and cancer remains to be determined. METHODS: We first identified two sets of gut microbiota based on phylum, class, order, family, and genus level information, and cancer data were obtained from the IEU Open GWAS project. We then performed two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) to determine whether the gut microbiota is causally associated with eight cancer types. Furthermore, we performed a bi-directional MR analysis to examine the direction of the causal relations. RESULTS: We identified 11 causal relationships between genetic liability in the gut microbiome and cancer, including those involving the genus Bifidobacterium. We found 17 strong associations between genetic liability in the gut microbiome and cancer. Moreover, we found 24 associations between genetic liability in the gut microbiome and cancer using multiple datasets. CONCLUSIONS: Our MR analysis revealed that the gut microbiota was causally associated with cancers and may be useful in providing new insights for further mechanistic and clinical studies of microbiota-mediated cancer.

Causal association of the brain structure with the susceptibility, hospitalization, and severity of COVID-19: A large-scale genetic correlation study.

Brain structure is related to its ability to resist external pathogens. Furthermore, there are several abnormal anatomical brain events and central system symptoms associated with COVID-19. This study, which was conducted based on genetic variables, aimed to identify the causal association between brain structure and COVID-19 phenotypes. We performed a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis using genetic variables obtained from large genome-wide association studies as instruments to identify the potential causal effects of various brain imaging-derived phenotypes (BIDPs) traits on susceptibility, hospitalisation, and severity of COVID-19. We explored the genetic correlations of 1325 BIDPs with the susceptibility, hospitalisation, and severity of COVID-19 using Linkage Disequilibrium Score Regression. We observed a causal relationship between increased cortical thickness of the left inferior temporal area and an increased risk of increased COVID-19 infection (p = 4.29 × 10-4) and hospitalisation (p = 3.67 × 10-3). Moreover, the larger total surface area of the whole brain was negatively correlated with the risk of hospitalisation for COVID-19. Furthermore, there was a significant causal association between increased cerebrospinal fluid volume and decreased severity of COVID-19 (p = 3.74 × 10-3). In a conclusion, we provide new insights into the causal association between BIDPs and COVID-19 phenotypes, which may help elucidate the aetiology of COVID-19.

Post-traumatic distal ulnar bifurcation in children: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Galeazzi fracture dislocation is a compound injury that encompasses fractures of the distal third of the radius and dislocation of the distal radial ulnar joint (DRUJ). Clinically, this condition is rare and often leads to distal ulnar bifurcation. In previous similar reports, patients were effectively managed through surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: In this case report, we describe an 11-year-old male child who presented with an ulnar bifida following trauma to the hand, and was treated with manipulation and conservative treatment without surgery. A follow-up performed over the years demonstrated that the patient recovered well, and had normal wrist movements without significant pain, and the patient expressed great satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Ulnar diaphyseal fracture may occur in children or adolescents due to injuries, and may be accompanied with manipulation and repositioning. Conservative treatment can be applied to avoid the trauma associated with surgery especially in the absence of severe joint mobility impairment with good outcomes.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 mediates elevated IL-6 signaling to promote chronic inflammation and multitissue damage in sickle cell disease.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a biolipid involved in chronic inflammation in several inflammatory disorders. Recent studies revealed that elevated S1P contributes to sickling in sickle cell disease (SCD), a devastating hemolytic, genetic disorder associated with severe chronic inflammation and tissue damage. We evaluated the effect of elevated S1P in chronic inflammation and tissue damage in SCD and underlying mechanisms. First, we demonstrated that interfering with S1P receptor signaling by FTY720, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drug, significantly reduced systemic, local inflammation and tissue damage without antisickling effects. These findings led us to discover that S1P receptor activation leads to substantial elevated local and systemic IL-6 levels in SCD mice. Genetic deletion of IL-6 in SCD mice significantly reduced local and systemic inflammation, tissue damage, and kidney dysfunction. At the cellular level, we determined that elevated IL-6 is a key cytokine functioning downstream of elevated S1P, which contributes to increased S1P receptor 1 ( S1pr1) gene expression in the macrophages of several tissues in SCD mice. Mechanistically, we revealed that S1P-S1PR1 signaling reciprocally up-regulated IL-6 gene expression in primary mouse macrophages in a JAK2-dependent manner. Altogether, we revealed that elevated S1P, coupled with macrophage S1PR1 reciprocally inducing IL-6 expression, is a key signaling network functioning as a malicious, positive, feed-forward loop to sustain inflammation and promote tissue damage in SCD. Our findings immediately highlight novel therapeutic possibilities.-Zhao, S., Adebiyi, M. G., Zhang, Y., Couturier, J. P., Fan, X., Zhang, H., Kellems, R. E., Lewis, D. E., Xia, Y. Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 mediates elevated IL-6 signaling to promote chronic inflammation and multitissue damage in sickle cell disease.

MiR-19b-3p regulates osteogenic differentiation of PDGFRα+ muscle cells by specifically targeting PTEN.

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a common disturbing complication of intra-articular fractures. Its prevention and treatment are still difficult as its pathogenesis is unclear. It was reported that PDGFRα+ muscle cells in skeletal muscle may participate in the formation of HO; however, the specific mechanism is still unknown. This study investigated the function of miR-19b-3p in osteogenic differentiation of PDGFRα+ muscle cells. MiR-19b-3p was upregulated during PDGFRα+ muscle cell osteogenic differentiation. The exogenous expression of miR-19b-3p led to an increase in osteogenic marker gene transcription and translation during the osteogenic differentiation of PDGFRα+ muscle cells. Furthermore, both alkaline phosphatase and alizarin red staining increased in miR-19b-3p mimic transfected cells. Over-expression of miR-19b-3p led to the down-regulation of gene of phosphate and tension homology deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN). Additionally, the dual luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that PTEN was a direct target of miR-19b-3p. The increase of osteocalcin, osteopontin, and Runt-related transcription factor 2 protein levels induced by ectopic miR-19b-3p expression could be partially reversed by PTEN over-expression. In conclusion, our results suggested that miR-19b-3p may be a promising target in inhibiting PDGFRα+ muscle cell osteogenic differentiation and treatment of HO.

The association between CD31hiEmcnhi endothelial cells and bone mineral density in Chinese women.

Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease in humans. During bone remodeling, specialized blood vessels influenced by the endothelial cells (CD31hiEmcnhi, also called type H cells) are formatted to supply nutrients. Reductions in vascular supply are associated with bone loss resulting in osteoporosis. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to explore the association between the CD31hiEmcnhi endothelial cells and bone mineral density (BMD). In this prospective study, 134 Chinese women were enrolled and examined. BMD was measured by DEXA method while the percentage of CD31hiEmcnhi endothelial cells in the intertrochanteric part was measured by flow cytometry. The percentage of CD31hiEmcnhi endothelial cells in postmenopausal subjects was significantly lower compared with premenopausal women (8.7 ± 4.0% vs 13.2 ± 5.6%, P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the CD31hiEmcnhi endothelial cell levels in osteopenia and osteoporosis were significantly lower compared with subjects with normal BMD (9.84 ± 4.2% in osteopenia and 7.11 ± 3.2% in osteoporosis vs 12.7 ± 5.6% in subjects with normal T score, P < 0.01). Multiple regression analyses showed that the CD31hiEmcnhi endothelial cells level was positively associated with femur neck and total hip BMD, but not with lumbar BMD. Our study suggests a significantly positive association between CD31hiEmcnhi endothelial cells and local BMD in Chinese women. The proportion of CD31hiEmcnhi endothelial cells is a marker of bone quality and represents a potential target for treatment of bone loss.

CXCR4-mediated osteosarcoma growth and pulmonary metastasis is suppressed by MicroRNA-613.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy. Recently, studies showed chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) played a critical role in osteosarcoma. However, the regulation of CXCR4 is not fully understood. microRNAs are short, non-coding RNAs that play an important roles in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in a variety of diseases including osteosarcoma. miR-613 is a newly discovered miRNA and has been reported to function as a tumor suppressor in many cancers. In this study, we confirmed that both Stromal Cell-Derived Factor (SDF-1) and CXCR4 could be prognostic markers for osteosarcoma. Meanwhile this study found that SDF-1/CXCR4 pathway regulated osteosarcoma cells proliferation, migration and reduced apoptosis. Besides, we demonstrated that miR-613 was significantly downregulated in osteosarcoma patients. Elevated expression of miR-613 directly suppressed CXCR4 expression and then decreased the proliferation, migration and induced apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells. Moreover, our study found that CXCR4 promoted the development of lung metastases and inhibition of CXCR4 by miR-613 reduced lung metastases. These data indicated that CXCR4 mediated osteosarcoma cell growth and lung metastases and this effect can be suppressed by miR-613 through directly downregulating CXCR4.

Association between endothelial nitric oxide synthase 894G>T polymorphism and prostate cancer risk: a meta-analysis of literature studies.

To date, several studies have been conducted to assess the association between endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene 894G > T polymorphism and prostate cancer (PCa) risk, but the results are conflicting. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship between 894G > T polymorphism and PCa risk, the present meta-analysis was performed. A total of eight case-control studies were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95 % confidence interval (CI) was calculated to evaluate the associations. Our results suggested that 894G > T polymorphism is associated with PCa risk under codominant (GT vs. GG) (OR = 1.11, 95 % CI = 1.01-1.22, P = 0.04) and overdominant (GT vs. GG + TT) (OR = 1.12, 95 % CI = 1.02-1.23, P = 0.02) models in the overall population, while there are no associations observed under dominant (GT + TT vs. GG), recessive (TT vs. GG + GT), and allelic (T vs. G) models. Moreover, when the eligible studies were stratified according to sources of control, significant association between 894G > T polymorphism and susceptibility of PCa was also identified under codominant (OR = 1.12, 95 % CI = 1.01-1.24, P = 0.03) and overdominant (OR = 1.13, 95 % CI = 1.02-1.25, P = 0.02) models when using healthy individuals as control. However, there are no significant associations found under any genetic models when using BPH patients as control group. In conclusion, the present meta-analysis suggested that the eNOS gene 894G > T polymorphism might be a risk factor in the onset of PCa.

The association of rs1149048 polymorphism in matrilin-1(MATN1) gene with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis susceptibility: a meta-analysis.

Several previous studies have evaluated the association between rs1149048 polymorphism in the matrilin-1 gene (MATN1) and the risk of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). However the results of those studies were inconsistent. We conducted this meta-analysis to assess whether rs1149048 polymorphism was involved in the risk of AIS and evaluated the associations in different ethnicities. Electronic databases, such as: PubMed, EMBASE, WANFANG databases in any languages up to Dec 2012 were searched to assess the association between rs1149048 polymorphism and AIS. Meta-analysis was performed by STATA 12.0 software to estimate the pooled odds ratio (OR) and the 95 % confidence interval (CI). Finally four papers including five studies which involved 1436 AIS patients and 1,879 controls were identified for this meta-analysis. The results showed that G allele of the rs1149048 was significantly associated with increased AIS risk [OR = 1.13, 95 % CI (1.02-1.25), P = 0.023]. As for genotype (GG vs. GA + AA), homozygous GG genotype was also found to be a risk factor of developing AIS. The subgroup meta-analysis results showed G allele and GG genotype were significantly associated with AIS in Asian group but not in Caucasian group. Neither Egger's test nor Begg's test found evidence of publication bias in current study (P > 0.05). In summary, this meta-analysis found an overall significant association of rs1149048 polymorphism with risk of AIS, especially in Asian population. The relationship between rs1149048 polymorphism and AIS in other ethnic population is needed to be investigated.

Meta-analysis of myeloperoxidase gene polymorphism and coronary artery disease susceptibility.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between myeloperoxidase (MPO) gene polymorphism and coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: Several databases were used to retrieve relevant literature up to March 2013 by keywords. A Meta-analysis was performed by Stata12.0 software to estimate the pooled odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity among studies was tested and sensitivity analysis was applied. Publication bias was examined using Begg's funnel plot and Egger's linear regression test. RESULTS: A total of 17 studies were included in this Meta-analysis. For MPO -463 G/A polymorphism, the pooled OR of A allele vs G allele was 0.58 [95% CI (0.47-0.72)] and the pooled OR of genotypes AA+AG vs GG was 0.58 [95% CI (0.46-0.72)]. In subgroup analysis of study population, AA and AG genotypes were significantly associated with CAD in Asians but not in Europeans. The MPO -463 G/A polymorphism in the stable angina pectoris subgroup was evaluated in 3 studies and the pooled OR of A allele vs G allele and genotypes AA+AG vs GG for proven CAD was 0.45 [95% CI (0.15-1.37)] and 0.57 [95% CI (0.19- 1.65)]. For MPO -129 A/G gene polymorphism, the pooled OR of genotype GG vs AA+AG was 0.91 [95% CI (0.74-1.10)]. CONCLUSION: A allele of MPO -463 G/A gene is associated with decreased risk of CAD except in the Europeans. There is no association between MPO -129 A/G gene polymorphisms and CAD risk.

Calycosin ameliorates osteoarthritis by regulating the imbalance between chondrocyte synthesis and catabolism.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a severe chronic inflammatory disease. As the main active component of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, a classic traditional ethnic herb, calycosin exhibits anti-inflammatory action and its mechanism of exact targets for OA have yet to be determined. In this study, we established an anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) mouse model. Mice were randomized to sham, OA, and calycosin groups. Cartilage synthesis markers type II collagen (Col-2) and SRY-Box Transcription Factor 9 (Sox-9) increased significantly after calycosin gavage. While cartilage matrix degradation index cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), phosphor-epidermal growth factor receptor (p-EGFR), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) expression were decreased. With the help of network pharmacology and molecular docking, these results were confirmed in chondrocyte ADTC5 cells. Our results indicated that the calycosin treatment significantly improved cartilage damage, this was probably attributed to reversing the imbalance between chondrocyte synthesis and catabolism.

Three Birds, One Stone: An Osteo-Microenvironment Stage-Regulative Scaffold for Bone Defect Repair through Modulating Early Osteo-Immunomodulation, Middle Neovascularization, and Later Osteogenesis.

In order to repair critical-sized bone defects, various polylactic acid-glycolic acid (PLGA)-based hybrid scaffolds are successfully developed as bone substitutes. However, the byproducts of these PLGA-based scaffolds are known to acidify the implanted site, inducing tiresome acidic inflammation. Moreover, these degradation productions cannot offer an osteo-friendly microenvironment at the implanted site, matching natural bone healing. Herein, inspired by bone microenvironment atlas of natural bone-healing process, an osteo-microenvironment stage-regulative scaffold (P80/D10/M10) is fabricated by incorporating self-developed decellularized bone matrix microparticles (DBM-MPs) and multifunctional magnesium hydroxide nanoparticles (MH-NPs) into PLGA with an optimized proportion using low-temperature rapid prototyping (LT-RP) 3D-printing technology. The cell experiments show that this P80/D10/M10 exhibits excellent properties in mechanics, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, meanwhile superior stimulations in osteo-immunomodulation, angiogenesis, and osteogenesis. Additionally, the animal experiments determined that this P80/D10/M10 can offer an osteo-friendly microenvironment in a stage-matched pattern for enhanced bone regeneration, namely, optimization of early inflammation, middle neovascularization, and later bone formation. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis suggested that the in vivo performance of P80/D10/M10 on bone defect repair is mostly attributed to regulating artery development, bone development, and bone remodeling. Overall, this study reveals that the osteo-microenvironment stage-regulative scaffold provides a promising treatment for bone defect repair.

Diagnostic accuracy of circulating tumor cells detection in gastric cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) detection has previously been used for diagnosing gastric cancer. However, the previous studies failed to make an agreement whether the detection of CTCs contributes to the diagnosis of gastric cancer. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the overall accuracy of CTCs detection for diagnosing gastric cancer. PubMed, Embase and the Wanfang database were searched in all languages published up to Oct 2012. The pooled sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive and negative likelihood ratios (PLR and NLR, respectively), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) curve were calculated to evaluate the overall test performance. RESULTS: Twenty studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The diagnostic value of CTCs detection for the gastric cancer was calculated to evaluate the overall test performance. The summary estimates of The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, diagnostic odds ratio were 0.42 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.21-0.67), 0.99 (95% CI, 0.96-1.00), 58.2 (95% CI, 9.8-345.9), 0.58 (95% CI, 0.38-0.89), and 100 (95% CI, 15-663), respectively. The summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.97 (95% CI, 0.95-0.98). Deek's funnel plot asymmetry test found no evidence of study publication bias in the current study (P = 0.49). CONCLUSION: This systematic review suggests that CTCs detection alone cannot be recommended as a screening test for gastric cancer. However, it might be used as a noninvasive method for the confirmation of the gastric cancer diagnosis.

CCT6A promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell proliferation, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by activating TGF-ß/Smad/c-Myc pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Chaperonin-containing TCP1 subunit 6A (CCT6A) facilitates several malignant cancer behaviors, but its regulation of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not been reported. This study aimed to investigate the effect of CCT6A on cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its interaction with the TGF-ß/Smad/c-Myc pathway in ESCC. METHODS: CCT6A expression was detected in ESCC and normal esophageal epithelial cell lines by RT‒qPCR and western blotting. Furthermore, CCT6A siRNA, negative control (NC) siRNA, CCT6A encoding plasmid and NC encoding plasmid were transfected into OE21 and TE-1 cells. Subsequently, CCT6A siRNA- and NC siRNA-transfected cells were treated with TGF-ß for rescue experiments. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and E-cadherin/N-cadherin and p-Smad2/p-Smad3/c-Myc expression were detected. RESULTS: CCT6A expression was increased in KYSE-180, TE-1, TE-4 and OE21 cells compared with HET-1A cells. In both OE21 and TE-1 cells, CCT6A knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, invasion and N-cadherin expression while promoting cell apoptosis and E-cadherin expression; meanwhile, CCT6A overexpression had the opposite effects. Furthermore, in both OE21 and TE-1 cells, CCT6A knockdown decreased p-Smad2/Smad2, p-Smad3/Smad3 and c-Myc/GAPDH expression; CCT6A overexpression had the opposite effects. Next, TGF-ß facilitated cell proliferation, invasion, and N-cadherin, p-Smad2/Smad2, p-Smad3/Smad2 and c-Myc/GAPDH expression while repressing cell apoptosis and E-cadherin expression in OE21 and TE-1 cells; importantly, TGF-ß could compensate for the regulation of CCT6A knockdown on these activities. CONCLUSION: CCT6A facilitates ESCC malignant activities by activating the TGF-ß/Smad/c-Myc pathway, which sheds light on the identification of a possible therapeutic target in the management of ESCC.

The potential use and experimental validation of genomic instability-related lncRNA in pancreatic carcinoma.

This study explored the potential role of long noncoding RNA (lncRNAs) associated with genomic instability in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD). Transcriptome and single-nucleotide variation data of PAAD samples were downloaded from the cancer genome atlas database to explore genomic instability-associated lncRNAs. We constructed a genomic instability-associated lncRNA prognostic signature. Then gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analyses were used to explore the physiological role of lncRNAs involved in genomic instability. Tumor microenvironments, immunotherapy response, immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoint, and drug sensitivity were compared between high-risk and low-risk groups. In vitro experiments were performed for external validation. Six lncRNAs associated with genomic instability were identified, capable of predicting the prognosis of PAAD. Patients were assigned to low-risk or high-risk groups using these biomarkers, with better or worse prognosis, respectively. The tumor immune score, immune cell infiltration, and efficacy of immunotherapy were worse in the high-risk group. A drug sensitivity analysis revealed the high- and low-risk groups had different half-maximal inhibitory concentrations. The expression of cancer susceptibility candidate 8 was significantly higher in tumor tissues than in normal tissues, while the expression of LYPLAL1-AS1 exhibited an opposite pattern. They may be potential diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers for patients with pancreatic cancer. Genomic instability-associated lncRNAs were explored in this study and predicted the prognosis of PAAD and stratified patients risk in PAAD. These lncRNAs also predicted the efficacy of immunotherapy and potential therapeutic targets in PAAD.

Causal relationships between CD25 on immune cells and hip osteoarthritis.

Objectives: Previous research has indicated a potential association between immune factors and osteoarthritis (OA), but the causal relationship between CD25 expression on immune cells and hip OA remains enigmatic. To shed light on this relationship, this study utilized the two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) method. Methods: Leveraging genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data from the UK Biobank and arcOGEN, the investigation encompasses a substantial European cohort comprising 15,704 hip OA cases and 378,169 controls. Genetic insights into CD25 stem from a subgroup of 3,757 individuals with European ancestry, encompassing 77 CD25-related traits. Several MR methods were applied, and robustness was assessed through heterogeneity and sensitivity analysis. Results: Among the 77 traits examined, 66 shared the same single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with hip OA. Of these, 7 CD25-related traits were found to be causally associated with hip OA (adjusted P><0.05), with F-statistics ranging from 33 to 122. These traits are specifically related to CD4+CD25+ T cells, exhibiting odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) less than 1. Notably, no causal link was discerned with the CD8+CD25+ T cell subset. Within absolute count (AC) and relative count (RC) trait types, a significant causal relationship was observed solely between CD4+CD25+ T cells and hip OA, without subtype localization. A more intricate examination of CD25 expression levels within the CD4+CD25+ T cell subset revealed a correlation with the CD39+ regulatory T (Treg) subset and hip OA, particularly within the CD39+ activated Treg subset. Furthermore, a notable causal relationship emerged between CD25 expression levels in the CD45RA- not Treg subset and hip OA. However, no significant causal link was established with any subsets of B cells. Conclusion: The genetic prediction suggests that CD25, particularly within the realm of CD4+CD25+ T cells, may exert a protective influence against the development of hip OA. These findings provide a novel therapeutic approach for the prevention and treatment of hip OA.

Causal associations of brain structure with bone mineral density: a large-scale genetic correlation study.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the causal associations of brain structure with bone mineral density (BMD). Based on the genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics of 1 325 brain imaging-derived phenotypes (BIDPs) of brain structure from the UK Biobank and GWAS summary datasets of 5 BMD locations, including the total body, femoral neck, lumbar spine, forearm, and heel from the GEFOS Consortium, linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) was conducted to determine the genetic correlations, and Mendelian randomization (MR) was then performed to explore the causal relationship between the BIDPs and BMD. Several sensitivity analyses were performed to verify the strength and stability of the present MR outcomes. To increase confidence in our findings, we also performed confirmatory MR between BIDPs and osteoporosis. LDSC revealed that 1.93% of BIDPs, with a false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.01, were genetically correlated with BMD. Additionally, we observed that 1.31% of BIDPs exhibited a significant causal relationship with BMD (FDR < 0.01) through MR. Both the LDSC and MR results demonstrated that the BIDPs "Volume of normalized brain," "Volume of gray matter in Left Inferior Frontal Gyrus, pars opercularis," "Volume of Estimated Total Intra Cranial" and "Volume-ratio of brain segmentation/estimated total intracranial" had strong associations with BMD. Interestingly, our results showed that more left BIDPs were causally associated with BMD, especially within and around the left frontal region. In conclusion, a part of the brain structure causally influences BMD, which may provide important perspectives for the prevention of osteoporosis and offer valuable insights for further research on the brain-bone axis.

Metformin accelerates bone fracture healing by promoting type H vessel formation through inhibition of YAP1/TAZ expression.

Due to increasing morbidity worldwide, fractures are becoming an emerging public health concern. This study aimed to investigate the effect of metformin on the healing of osteoporotic as well as normal fractures. Type H vessels have recently been identified as a bone-specific vascular subtype that supports osteogenesis. Here, we show that metformin accelerated fracture healing in both osteoporotic and normal mice. Moreover, metformin promoted angiogenesis in vitro under hypoxia as well as type H vessel formation throughout fracture healing. Mechanistically, metformin increased the expression of HIF-1α, an important positive regulator of type H vessel formation, by inhibiting the expression of YAP1/TAZ in calluses and hypoxia-cultured human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs). The results of HIF-1α or YAP1/TAZ interference in hypoxia-cultured HMECs using siRNA further suggested that the enhancement of HIF-1α and its target genes by metformin is primarily through YAP1/TAZ inhibition. Finally, overexpression of YAP1/TAZ partially counteracted the effect of metformin in promoting type H vessel-induced angiogenesis-osteogenesis coupling during fracture repair. In summary, our findings suggest that metformin has the potential to be a therapeutic agent for fractures by promoting type H vessel formation through YAP1/TAZ inhibition.