Working behaviors and the risk of sensorineural hearing loss: A large cohort study.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association between working behaviors and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted (N=90 286) to assess the association between working behaviors (including shift work, night shift work and physically demanding work) and the occurrence (yes/no), laterality (unilateral/bilateral), and severity (mild/severe) of SNHL. A prospective analysis was conducted to explore the association between new-onset SNHL and working behaviors (N=8341).

Conventional and genetic association between migraine and stroke with druggable genome-wide Mendelian randomization.

The genetic relationship between migraine and stroke remains underexplored, particularly in the context of druggable targets. Previous studies have been limited by small sample sizes and a lack of focus on genetic-targeted therapies for these conditions. We analyzed the association and causality between migraine and stroke using multivariable logistic regression in the UK Biobank cohort and Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses based on genome-wide association study (GWAS) data.

Molecular and transcriptional basis of bidirectional CD4 T cell exhaustion in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Tumor-infiltrating CD4 T cells orchestrate the adaptive immune response through remarkable plasticity, and the expression patterns of exhaustion-related inhibitory receptors in these cells differ significantly from those of CD8 T cells. Thus, a better understanding of the molecular basis of CD4 T cell exhaustion and their responses to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is required. Here, we integrated multiomics approaches to define the phenotypic and molecular profiles of exhausted CD4 T cells in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC).

The emerging roles and therapeutic implications of immunosenescence-mediated inflammaging in age-related hearing loss.

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) represents one of the most prevalent chronic sensory deficits experienced by the elderly, significantly diminishing their quality of life and correlating with various medical and psychological morbidities. This condition arises from the cumulative effects of aging on the auditory system, implicating intricate interactions between genetic predispositions and environmental factors. Aging entails a progressive decline in immune system functionality, termed immunosenescence, leading to a chronic low-grade inflammation known as inflammaging.

The diversity of inhibitory receptor co-expression patterns of exhausted CD8 T cells in oropharyngeal carcinoma.

Exhausted CD8 T cells (Texs) are characterized by the expression of various inhibitory receptors (IRs), whereas the functional attributes of these co-expressed IRs remain limited. Here, we systematically characterized the diversity of IR co-expression patterns in Texs from both human oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) tissues and syngeneic OPSCC model. Nearly 60% of the Texs population co-expressed two or more IRs, and the number of co-expressed IRs was positively associated with superior exhaustion and cytotoxicity phenotypes.

Prognostic effects of different treatment modalities for hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: Experience of two tertiary hospitals in Southwestern China.

Background: The prognostic effects of different treatment modalities on patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) remain unclear.

Methods: HPSCC patients diagnosed and treated at either West China Hospital or Sichuan Cancer Hospital between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2019, were enrolled in this retrospective, real-world study. Survival rates were presented using Kaplan-Meier curves and compared using log-rank tests.

Low Bone Mineral Density and the Risk of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo.

Objective: This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the relationship between low bone mineral density (BMD) and the risk of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) based on the large prospective population-based UK Biobank (UKB) cohort.

Study Design: Prospective population-based cohort study.

Setting: The UKB.

A Population-Based Outcome-Wide Association Study of the Comorbidities and Sequelae Following COVID-19 Infection.

Background: Immense attention has been given to the outcome of COVID-19 infection. However, comprehensive studies based on large populational cohort with long-term follow-up are still lacking. This study aimed to investigate the risk of various short-term comorbidities (within one month) and long-term sequelae (above one month) after COVID-19 infection.

mRNA-LNP vaccination-based immunotherapy augments CD8 T cell responses against HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer.

Although mRNA vaccines are known as potent activators of antigen-specific immune responses against infectious diseases, limited understanding of how they drive the functional commitment of CD8 T cells in tumor microenvironment (TME) and secondary lymphoid organs hinders their broader application in cancer immunotherapy. Here, we systematically evaluated the immunological effects of a lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated mRNA vaccine that encodes human papillomavirus E7 protein (HPV mRNA-LNP), a tumor-specific antigen of HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). HPV mRNA-LNP vaccination activated overall and HPV-specific CD8 T cells, as well as differentially drove the functional commitment of CD8 T cells through distinct IFN-response and exhaustion trajectories in the spleen and TME, respectively.

Associations Between Body Composition and Sensorineural Hearing Loss Among Adults Based on the UK Biobank.

Objective: To explore the association between body composition and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).

Study Design: Cross-sectional study, prospective study and Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses.

Setting: UK Biobank.

Proliferative exhausted CD8 T cells exacerbate long-lasting anti-tumor effects in human papillomavirus-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The survival prognosis of human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive and HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is largely different, and little is known about the anti-tumor mechanism of tumor-infiltrated exhausted CD8 T cells (Tex) in HNSCC. We performed cell-level multi-omics sequencing on human HNSCC samples to decipher the multi-dimensional characteristics of Tex cells. A proliferative exhausted CD8 T cell cluster (P-Tex) which was beneficial to survival outcomes of patients with HPV-positive HNSCC was identified.

Prognostic effects of previous cancer history on patients with major salivary gland cancer.

Objectives: To explore the prognostic effects of previous cancer history on patients with major salivary gland cancer (SGC).

Subjects And Methods: SGC patients with (sec-SGC) and without (one-SGC) a previous cancer from the SEER database were identified. Cox proportional hazards regression (CoxPH) models were used to compare the prognosis between sec-SGC and one-SGC patients.

Dynamic changes of hematological indices in oropharyngeal cancer patients treated with radiotherapy.

Background: Hematological indices assist in predicting clinical outcomes.

Objectives: To explore changes of hematological indices on oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients received radiotherapy and their association with survival.

Material And Methods: The white blood cell count (WBC), absolute neutrophil count (ANC), absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), hemoglobin (Hb), platelet (Plt), albumin (Alb), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) at baseline, 1-, 3-, 6- and 12-months follow-up were retrospectively collected.

The role of HPV status in patients with overlapping grey zone cancer in oral cavity and oropharynx.

Purpose: We aimed to explore the clinicodemographic characteristics and prognosis of grey zone squamous cell cancer (GZSCC) located in the overlapping or ambiguous area of oral cavity and oropharynx and to identify valuable factors that would improve its differential diagnosis and prognosis.

Methods: Information of GZSCC patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were compared to patients with oral cavity (OCSCC) and oropharyngeal (OPSCC) squamous cell carcinomas with corresponding HPV status, respectively. Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test and multivariate Cox regression analysis were applied to assess associations between clinical characteristics and overall survival (OS).

Clinical outcomes of temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma: A single-institution experience.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the survival outcomes and potential prognostic factors of patients with temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma (TBSCC) treated at our institution.

Methods: We retrospectively included patients who were diagnosed with TBSCC between 2008 and 2019. The Kaplan-Meier (KM) method was used to describe overall survival (OS), and the association between baseline characteristics and prognoses was examined using Cox proportional hazards models.

Gender-specific association between obstructive sleep apnea and cognitive impairment among adults.

Objectives: This study aims to explore the gender-specific association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cognitive impairment.

Methods: Participants from UK biobank who have completed at least one of the five baseline cognitive tests (visuospatial memory, prospective memory, fluid intelligence, short numeric memory and reaction time) were included, which were initially divided into two groups based on gender and were further categorized into three subgroups: (1) OSA, (2) self-reported snoring but without OSA, and (3) healthy controls (without OSA or snoring). Multivariable regression analysis was performed to examine the associations among snoring, OSA and performance of each of the five cognitive domains.

Is postauricular injection a systemic or a topical route for inner ear drug delivery?

The challenges associated with the blood-labyrinth barrier and unwanted systemic adverse effects severely impede the development of systemic drug administration for inner ear therapy. Previous studies have demonstrated that postauricular injection might be an alternative route for the systemic administration for inner ear therapy because it is minimally invasive and can achieve a high drug concentration in the inner ear. However, the in vivo effects remain unclear.

The Prognostic Prediction Value of Positive Lymph Nodes Numbers for the Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: The current American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) system only considered the importance of the size and laterality of lymph nodes while not the positive lymph node number (PLNN) for hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC).

Methods: A total of 973 patients with HPSCC from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (2004-2015) were identified. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate the prognostic effects.

Single-Cell Transcriptome Profiling Identifies Phagocytosis-Related Dual-Feature Cells in A Model of Acute Otitis Media in Rats.

Background: The molecular mechanisms of acute otitis media (AOM) development, and the intercellular crosstalk within the multicellular ecosystem of AOM, are not clear.

Methods: We established a model of AOM in rats (with normal rats as controls) and undertook single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) for the middle-ear mucosa (MEM). Cell clustering and trajectory analyses were undertaken using Seurat and Monocle 2 packages in R software.

Evaluating the prognostic contributions of TNM classifications and building novel staging schemes for middle ear squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: A universally acknowledged cancer staging system considering all aspects of the T-, N-, and M-classifications for middle ear squamous cell carcinoma (MESCC) remains absent, limiting the clinical management of MESCC patients.

Materials And Methods: A total of 214 MESCC patients were extracted from the SEER (the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database between 1973 and 2016. The relationships between patient's characteristics and prognoses were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression models.