Serum carbohydrate antigen 153 as a predictor of interstitial lung disease associated with rheumatoid arthritis is positively correlated with serum Krebs von den Lungen-6.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of carbohydrate antigen (CA) 153 and its correlation with Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) in the prediction and determination of the severity of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Methods: Data was collected retrospectively on a cohort of 357 RA patients who were admitted to our hospital from January 2018 to December 2020. The classification of patients into subgroups was based on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the chest, resulting in 135 patients with RA but no ILD, 107 patients with RA and indeterminate ILD, 91 patients with RA and mild ILD, and 24 patients with RA and advanced ILD.

Association of combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema in rheumatoid arthritis with high titer of rheumatoid factor and autoimmunity to the lung.

Background: Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) commonly coexists with connective tissue diseases (CTD), such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the risk factors contributing to the development of CTD-CPFE remain largely unidentified. This study aimed to characterize CPFE using a large cohort of consecutive RA patients and to elucidate potential risk factors associated with RA- CPFE development.

The autoimmune disease risk variant NCF1-His90 is associated with a reduced risk of tuberculosis in women.

Introduction: The neutrophil cytosolic factor 1 () rs201802880 polymorphism is a missense mutation resulting in an amino acid substitution from arginine to histidine at position 90, which impairs the function of NADPH oxidase. This casual variant confers an increased risk for multiple autoimmune disorders, including primary Sjögren's syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus. Given the high prevalence of this autoimmune disease risk variant in East Asia, we hypothesized that it may confer an evolutionary advantage by providing protection against infectious diseases.

Positive association between chronic hepatitis B virus infection and anemia in pregnancy in Southern China.

This observational investigation aimed to explore potential risk factors for anemia in pregnancy. Firstly, a cross-sectional study was conducted, encompassing a review of clinical data of 43,201 pregnant women admitted to the Hainan Women and Children's Medical Center between January 2017 and December 2020. Comparison between women with and without anemia in pregnancy revealed significant differences between the two groups concerning age, gestational diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, chronic hepatitis B virus infection, syphilis infection, and human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Bidirectional Associations Between Alcohol Drinking and Depressive Symptoms Among US Adults Aged 50 to 75: The US Health and Retirement Study.

: Low or moderate alcohol drinking may reduce the risk of depression, but depression may induce alcohol drinking. However, the bidirectional associations between alcohol drinking and depression were inconsistent, and many prior analyses were not properly conducted. This study explored the within-individual bidirectional associations between alcohol drinking and depressive symptoms under a causal analytic framework.

Design of Two Compact Wideband Monopoles Through Loading with Linear Approximated Lumped Components.

In this paper, two ultra-wideband monopoles in a colinear structure are presented for application in remote terrestrial communication systems. The antennas consist of a loaded monopole with a hat and an elevated loaded monopole located in the upper position. All lumped loads are modeled as linear frequency-dependent components to approximate the practical component property for achieving ultra-wideband characteristics, since the constant value property of a component is only present in a relatively narrow band.

C3 deficiency promotes pulmonary inflammation in AT1R-induced mouse model for systemic sclerosis.

Introduction: Autoantibody-mediated complement activation plays an essential role in a variety of autoimmune disorders. However, the role of complement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) remains largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to determine the role of complement C3 in the development of a recently described SSc mouse model based on autoimmunity to angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1R).

The Role of Wnt5a in Inflammatory Diseases.

Wnt5a plays an important role in cell development and maturation and is closely associated with various diseases, such as malignant tumours, metabolic disorders, fibrosis, growth and development. Recent studies have shown that Wnt5a expression and signal transduction are strongly involved in the inflammatory response. This study comprehensively reviewed the latest research progress on the association between Wnt5a and several inflammatory diseases, such as sepsis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis and psoriasis vulgare.

Discontinuation of Antidepressants and the Risk of Medication Resumption among Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Depression in the US.

Antidepressants are among the most prescribed drugs in the US, but the current treatment patterns and modalities among older adults are unclear. This study assessed the patterns of discontinuation of antidepressants and the risk of medication resumption among community-dwelling older adults with depression. Using Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) data from 2015-2019, we identified 1084 beneficiaries with depression who newly initiated serotonergic antidepressants.

Association of HLA-DRB1 alleles with status of antibodies to hepatitis B surface and e antigen.

Antigen presentation by HLA class II molecules to CD4 T cells is an essential step for generating antibodies to hepatitis B antigens. In this study, we investigated the association between the HLA-DRB1 gene and the status of antibodies to hepatitis B surface and e antigens. Our results revealed a significant association between the status of anti-HBsAg and HLA-DRB1*04:03 (OR = 4.

Serum levels of CXCL5 are decreased and correlate with circulating platelet counts in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: To identify disease-specific serum chemokine profiles and potential anti-inflammatory chemokines in three rheumatic diseases.

Methods: The discovery cohort included 18 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 20 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), 24 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 28 healthy subjects. Findings from the discovery cohort were validated in two replication cohorts, consisting of 23 patients with SLE matched with 23 healthy subjects and 62 patients with SLE, 16 patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), and 32 healthy controls, respectively.

Autoimmune Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Astrocytopathy Is Associated with HLA-A*3303 and HLA-DPB1*0501.

We determined the genetic association between specific human leucocyte antigen (HLA) loci and autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) astrocytopathy. Our results showed that autoimmune GFAP astrocytopathy was associated with HLA-A*3303 (odds ratio [OR] = 2.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.

Burden of Chronic and Heavy Opioid Use Among Elderly Community Dwellers in the U.S.

Introduction: Opioid overprescribing may fuel the opioid epidemic and increase the risk of complications of opioid misuse. This study examined trends and determinants of chronic and heavy opioid use among elderly community dwellers in the U.S.

Bidirectional associations between alcohol drinking and depressive symptom scores among US older adults.

Background: This study examines the bidirectional associations between alcohol drinking and depression in which low to moderate alcohol drinking may reduce the risk of depression, while the occurrence of depression may increase the amount of alcohol drinking as a coping strategy.

Method: Data for the community-dwelling older adults from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) 2016 to 2019 were analyzed using random intercept cross-lagged panel models to explore the within-individual causal associations for males and females separately. Socioeconomic status (SES), smoking and comorbidities were adjusted in the models.

Baseline characteristics and the factors influencing successful smoking cessation: A comparison between a WeChat smoking cessation mini-program and an offline smoking cessation clinic.

Introduction: Smoking cessation (SC) clinics are a professional SC services in China. However, studies comparing the characteristics and SC rates of smoking populations in SC clinics with those using mobile SC programs are limited. We compared smokers' characteristics, 3-month SC rates, and the factors influencing 3-month SC success, between a large hospital SC clinic and a WeChat SC mini-program.

Validating the Communicating Care Needs Tool for HIV (CCNT-HIV).

Health literacy has been identified as an influential factor affecting the HIV care continuum and HIV epidemic, but recent systematic reviews found mixed relationships between health literacy and HIV medication adherence. This may be partially due to discrepancies between health literacy conceptualizations, health literacy measures, and the lifeworld, day-to-day challenges that persons with HIV (PWH) face as they seek and receive care. To address these challenges, a new health literacy tool, Communicating Care Needs Tool for HIV (CCNT-HIV), was developed.

[Research on the Classification Management of Digital Therapeutics Software].

According to the current domestic laws and regulations of the medical devices classification management, combined with the characteristics of digital therapeutics products and the existing status of classification management of medical software products in China, and drawing on international classification management experience, this study discusses and analyzes the attribute definition and classification of digital therapeutics software products, with a view to provide reference for the classification management of digital therapeutics software products.

Luteolin peracetate and gossypolone inhibit immune complex-mediated neutrophil activation and dermal-epidermal separation in an model of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita.

Introduction: Natural products have been shown to an important source of therapeutics for human disease. In this study, we aimed to identify natural compounds as potential therapeutics for epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA), an autoimmune disease caused by autoantibodies to type VII collagen (COL7).

Methods: Utilizing an experimental system, we screened a natural product library composed of 800 pure compounds for their inhibitory effect on COL7-anti-COL7 IgG immune complex (IC)-mediated neutrophil activation and on neutrophil-mediated tissue damage.

Effect of early oral carbohydrate intake after elective Cesarean delivery on maternal body temperature and satisfaction: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Although the Enhanced Recovery After Cesarean Delivery (ERAC) consensus statement provides recommendations for early postoperative drinking and eating, evidence from high-quality clinical research directly addressing parturients is sparse. Our objective was to assess if early oral carbohydrate intake after elective Cesarean delivery improves maternal recovery.

Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, we enrolled parturients undergoing elective Cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia with tympanic membrane temperatures ≤ 36.

Functional autoantibodies: Definition, mechanisms, origin and contributions to autoimmune and non-autoimmune disorders.

A growing body of evidence underscores the relevance of functional autoantibodies in the development of various pathogenic conditions but also in the regulation of homeostasis. However, the definition of functional autoantibodies varies among studies and a comprehensive overview on this emerging topic is missing. Here, we do not only explain functional autoantibodies but also summarize the mechanisms underlying the effect of such autoantibodies including receptor activation or blockade, induction of receptor internalization, neutralization of ligands or other soluble extracellular antigens, and disruption of protein-protein interactions.

Evaluation of the smoking cessation effects of QuitAction, a smartphone WeChat platform.

Introduction: Many smokers in China desire to quit, though the success rate among adults is low. This study evaluated the effects of QuitAction, a WeChat smoking cessation platform, summarized the intervention experience of the smoking cessation platform, identified aspects of the platform that necessitated improvement, and provided references for further optimization of the smoking cessation platform.

Methods: This single-arm study was conducted in Hunan, China, from September 2020 to October 2021.

Comparison of the baseline characteristics and influencing factors of successful smoking cessation before and during the coronavirus disease pandemic.

Introduction: Travel and living environment restrictions, which may have positive or negative effects on smoking-related behaviors, were implemented to limit the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to compare the baseline clinical characteristics and smoking cessation (SC) rate at 3 months of patients in an SC clinic in Hunan Province, China before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify influencing factors of successful SC.

Methods: Healthy patients at the SC clinic aged ≥18 years before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the COVID-19 pandemic were divided into groups A and B, respectively.