Enhancing the water dispersibility and intestinal targeting of pterostilbene using tannic acid-whey protein conjugates.

In this study, three types of whey protein isolate (WPI)-tannic acid (TA) covalent conjugates (WPI-TA) were synthesized via alkaline treatment, free radical-induced method, and laccase induction. These conjugates were subsequently utilized in the antisolvent precipitation method to encapsulate pterostilbene (Pte). The structural and functional properties of these conjugates as carriers for intestinal-targeted Pte delivery were thoroughly evaluated.

COVID-19 in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients treated with belimumab: a retrospective clinical study.

Background: Routine use of immunosuppressive agents in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) potentially increases the risk of adverse outcomes. belimumab, a monoclonal antibody for the treatment of SLE, remains untested for its specific impact on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms in these patients. Here, this research investigated the effect of belimumab on COVID-19 symptoms in SLE patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Interplay between COVID-19 and Secukinumab treatment in Spondylarthritis patients during the omicron surge: a retrospective cohort study.

The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to assess the relationship between Corona Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Secukinumab treatment in patients with Spondylarthritis (SpA) in China during the omicron surge. Researchers retrieved 1018 medical records of Secukinumab-treated patients between January 2020 and January 2023 from the West China Hospital of Sichuan University. Out of these, 190 SpA patients from the rheumatology clinic were selected for the study.

Gut microbiota dysbiosis characterized by abnormal elevation of in patients with immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy.

Aim: The gut microbiota plays an important role in human health. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether and how gut microbiota communities are altered in patients with immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) and provide new ideas to further explore the pathogenesis of IMNM or screen for its clinical therapeutic targets in the future.

Methods: The gut microbiota collected from 19 IMNM patients and 23 healthy controls (HCs) were examined by using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Bioactive delivery systems based on starch and its derivatives: Assembly and application at different structural levels.

Starch and modified starch, spanning various structural levels, are comprehensively reviewed, with a special emphasis on the advancement of starch and its derivative-based delivery systems for bioactive substances. The pivotal aspect highlighted is the controlled release of active ingredients by starch-based delivery systems with distinct hierarchical structures. At the molecular level, diverse categories of starch degradation products, such as dextrin and highly branched starch, serve as versatile amphiphilic carriers for encapsulating active ingredients.

A nomogram based on clinical factors and CT radiomics for predicting anti-MDA5+ DM complicated by RP-ILD.

Objectives: Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody-positive (anti-MDA5+) DM complicated by rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) has a high incidence and poor prognosis. The objective of this study was to establish a model for the prediction and early diagnosis of anti-MDA5+ DM-associated RP-ILD based on clinical manifestations and imaging features.

Methods: A total of 103 patients with anti-MDA5+ DM were included.

Proteomics: Potential techniques for discovering the pathogenesis of connective tissue diseases-interstitial lung disease.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one of the most serious lung complications of connective tissue disease (CTD). The application of proteomics in the past decade has revealed that various proteins are involved in the pathogenesis of each subtype of CTD-ILD through different pathways, providing novel ideas to study pathological mechanisms and clinical biomarkers. On this basis, a multidimensional diagnosis or prediction model is established.

Starch-guest complexes interactions: Molecular mechanisms, effects on starch and functionality.

Starch is a natural, abundant, renewable and biodegradable plant-based polymer that exhibits a variety of functional properties, including the ability to thicken or gel solutions, form films and coatings, and act as encapsulation and delivery vehicles. In this review, we first describe the structure of starch molecules and discuss the mechanisms of their interactions with guest molecules. Then, the effects of starch-guest complexes on gelatinization, retrogradation, rheology and digestion of starch are discussed.

Effects of Microecological Regulators on Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized, Controlled Trials.

In this study, the available data from published randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) of the use of intestinal microecological regulators as adjuvant therapies to relieve the disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are systematically compared. An English literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials and supplemented by hand searching reference lists. Three independent reviewers screened and assessed the quality of the studies.

Risk of Early Infection in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies: Cluster Analysis Based on Clinical Features and Biomarkers.

Patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs), referred to as myositis, are prone to infectious complications, which hinder the treatment of the disease and worsen the outcome of patients. The purpose of this study was to explore the different types of infectious complications in patients with myositis and to determine the predisposing factors for clinical reference. A retrospective study was conducted on 66 patients with IIM who were divided into different subpopulations by an unsupervised analysis of their clinical manifestations, laboratory features, and autoantibody characteristics.

Progress in the treatment of urethral adenocarcinoma.

Background: Urothelial adenocarcinoma (UA) is a rare subtype of primary urothelial carcinoma, which is more common in women and has a poor prognosis. Because of their low incidence, most of the existing literature is based on case reports and there is a lack of comprehensive literature on this type of tumor.

Purpose: This article provides a comprehensive and systematic review of the epidemiology, pathological types, treatment, and prognosis of UA.

Gut microbiome and metabolites: The potential key roles in pulmonary fibrosis.

There are a wide variety of microbiomes in the human body, most of which exist in the gastrointestinal tract. Microbiomes and metabolites interact with the host to influence health. Rapid progress has been made in the study of its relationship with abenteric organs, especially lung diseases, and the concept the of "gut-lung axis" has emerged.

Decreased Th1 Cells and Increased Th2 Cells in Peripheral Blood Are Associated with Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a highly fatal manifestation of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). Th cells play important roles in the initiation of ILD. Here, we investigated the clinical significance of peripheral blood Th cells in IIMs-ILD patients.

Effectiveness of Urate-Lowering Therapy for Renal Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

Hyperuricemia is closely related to chronic kidney disease (CKD). The effects of urate-lowering therapy (ULT) on renal outcomes are uncertain, and whether it is warranted in CKD patients is currently unclear. The aim of our meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) was to assess the effectiveness and safety of ULT for improving kidney function in patients with CKD.

Tailoring the properties of double-crosslinked emulsion gels using structural design principles: Physical characteristics, stability, and delivery of lycopene.

Lycopene is claimed to have numerous physiological benefits, but its poor water solubility, chemical instability, and low bioavailability limit its application in functional foods and health care products. In this study, lycopene-loaded emulsions containing oil droplets with different interfacial structures were prepared and then cross-linked using transglutaminase (TG) and/or calcium ions (Ca) to form emulsion gels. The oil droplets were first coated by interfacial layers comprised of whey protein isolate (WPI) and sodium alginate (SA).

Effectiveness of Drug Treatments for Lowering Uric Acid on Renal Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease and Hyperuricemia: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Hyperuricemia is very common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD); the role of hyperuricemia in the occurrence and progression of kidney disease remains an interesting and unresolved issue for nephrologists, and whether urate-lowering therapy (ULT) is warranted in CKD patients is still in controversy. To summarize and compare the clinical outcomes and adverse events (AEs) of three common ULT drugs, we performed a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). PubMed, MEDLINE, Clinical Trials.