Investigating the causal links between inflammatory cytokines and scoliosis through bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis.

Background: Scoliosis, characterized by a lateral curvature of the spine, affects millions globally. The role of inflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of scoliosis is increasingly acknowledged, yet their causal relationships remain poorly defined.

Aims: This study aims to explore the genetic-level causal relationships between inflammatory cytokines and scoliosis utilizing bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Generation and banking of patient-derived glioblastoma organoid and its application in cancer neuroscience.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and deadly tumor in the central nervous system. Although much has been done to optimize treatment options for GBM, the clinical prognosis is still very poor. The recent development of organoid models are emerging as cutting-edge tools in GBM research.

Improvements in Hemodynamics and Right Heart Remodeling Following Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty Treatment in Patients With Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: A Retrospective Study.

Background And Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the hemodynamic alterations and right heart remodeling dynamics in patients with inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) undergoing treatment with balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study involved a cohort of 31 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of CTEPH. Comprehensive clinical evaluations were systematically performed before BPA, and at 3 and 6 months following the procedure.

Expression and diagnostic value of abnormal prothrombin and osteopontin in hepatocellular carcinoma with cirrhosis.

Objective: To investigate the expression levels of prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence-II (PIVKA-II) and osteopontin (OPN) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis, and to evaluate their potential as markers for cirrhosis severity.

Methods: This retrospective study included 84 patients with HCC and cirrhosis treated at the Liver Disease Center of the 904th Hospital from January 2021 to December 2023, forming the cirrhosis group. Fifty healthy individuals undergoing routine physical examinations during the same period comprised the control group.

Effectiveness study of surface electromyography combined with spine 3D data system to evaluate scoliosis.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of surface electromyography combined with a spine 3D data system.

Methods: 10 idiopathic scoliosis patients (age: 12.90±3.

The morphological discrepancy of neuromuscular junctions between bilateral paraspinal muscles in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A quantitative immunofluorescence assay.

Introduction: Prior studies suggested that neuromuscular factors might be involved in the pathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the important pivot where the nervous system interacts with muscle fibers, but it has not been well characterized in the paraspinal muscles of AIS. This study aims to perform the quantitative morphological analysis of NMJs from paraspinal muscles of AIS.

Liquid-liquid phase separation in diseases.

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), an emerging biophysical phenomenon, can sequester molecules to implement physiological and pathological functions. LLPS implements the assembly of numerous membraneless chambers, including stress granules and P-bodies, containing RNA and protein. RNA-RNA and RNA-protein interactions play a critical role in LLPS.

Epidermal growth factor receptor‑targeted antibody nimotuzumab combined with chemoradiotherapy improves survival in patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a propensity score matching real-world study.

Patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC) have poor survival outcomes. The real-world efficacy of nimotuzumab plus intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)-based chemoradiotherapy in patients with LA-HNSCC remains unclear. A total of 25,442 HNSCC patients were screened, and 612 patients were matched by propensity score matching (PSM) (1:1).

Comprehensive review of multidimensional biomarkers in the ShangHai At Risk for Psychosis (SHARP) program for early psychosis identification.

Psychosis is recognized as one of the largest contributors to nonfatal health loss, and early identification can largely improve routine clinical activity by predicting the psychotic course and guiding treatment. Clinicians have used the clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR) paradigm to better understand the risk factors that contribute to the onset of psychotic disorders. Clinical factors have been widely applied to calculate the individualized risks for conversion to psychosis 1-2 years later.

Variants in FOXC1 and FOXC2 identified in patients with conotruncal heart defects.

Conotruncal heart defects (CTD), subtypes of congenital heart disease, result from abnormal cardiac outflow tract development (OFT). FOXC1 and FOXC2 are closely related members of the forkhead transcription factor family and play essential roles in the development of OFT. We confirmed their expression pattern in mouse and human embryos, identifying four variants in FOXC1 and three in FOXC2 by screening these two genes in 605 patients with sporadic CTD.

Evaluating the efficacy and safety of oral triple sequential combination therapy for treating patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: A multicenter retrospective study.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of an oral sequential triple combination therapy with selexipag after dual combination therapy with endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA) and phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor (PDE5I)/riociguat in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients. A total of 192 PAH patients from 10 centers had received oral sequential selexipag therapy after being on dual-combination therapy with ERA and PDE5i/riociguat for a minimum of 3 months. Clinical data were collected at baseline and after 6 months of treatment.

Clinical implications of PD-L1 expression and pathway-related molecular subtypes in advanced Asian colorectal cancer patients.

The expression level of PD-L1 does not accurately predict the prognosis of advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, but it still reflects the tumor microenvironment to some extent. By stratifying PD-L1 status, gene subtypes in PD-L1 positivity-related pathological pathways were analyzed for their relationship to MSI or TMB to provide more individualized treatment options for CRCs. A total of 752 advanced CRCs were included, and their genomic variance was measured by a targeted next generation sequencing panel in this study.

Self-Reported Outdoor Light Exposure Time and Incident Heart Failure.

Background: A healthy lifestyle is an important factor for preventing heart failure. However, the association between outdoor light exposure time and heart failure is still unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between outdoor light exposure time and the incidence of heart failure.

Predicting the formation of mixed pattern hemorrhages in ruptured middle cerebral artery aneurysms based on a decision tree model: A multicenter study.

Objective: Mixed-pattern hemorrhages (MPH) commonly occur in ruptured middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms and are associated with poor clinical outcomes. This study aimed to predict the formation of MPH in a multicenter database of MCA aneurysms using a decision tree model.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with ruptured MCA aneurysms between January 2009 and June 2020.

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals the heterogeneity and intercellular communication of hepatic stellate cells and macrophages during liver fibrosis.

Uncontrolled and excessive progression of liver fibrosis is thought to be the prevalent pathophysiological cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer, and there are currently no effective antifibrotic therapeutic options available. Intercellular communication and cellular heterogeneity in the liver are involved in the progression of liver fibrosis, but the exact nature of the cellular phenotypic changes and patterns of interregulatory remain unclear. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on nonparenchymal cells (NPCs) isolated from normal and fibrotic mouse livers.

Associations of Gastrointestinal Tract Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Factor 6 Expression with Clinical Features and Prognosis of Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis.

Background: Few studies have been conducted to explore the expression of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 in eosinophilic gastroenteritis patients. Therefore, the expression profile of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 in the gastrointestinal tract of eosinophilic gastroenteritis patients and its associations with clinical features were explored in this study.

Methods: Thirty-four eosinophilic gastroenteritis patients who presented in Ruijin Hospital from December 2012 to May 2019 and had accepted gastrointestinal endoscopic examinations were recruited.

Comprehensive analysis of immune-related genes for classification and immune microenvironment of asthma.

Objectives: To determine the effects of immune-related genes (IRGs) and immune landscape of induced sputum, and develop novel, non-invasive diagnostic molecular therapeutic targets for asthma.

Methods: GSE76262 datasets were used to identify differentially expressed IRGs in asthma. Key IRGs were detected using a protein-protein interaction network.

Predicting risk on cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease based on a physical activity cohort: Results from APAC study.

Commonly used prediction models have been primarily constructed without taking physical activity into account. Using the Kailuan physical activity cohorts from Asymptomatic Polyvascular Abnormalities in Community (APAC) study, we developed a 9-year cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction equation. Participants in this study were included from APAC cohort, which included 5440 participants from the Kailuan cohort in China.

Therapeutic Hypothermia Inhibits Hypoxia-Induced Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis Via the MiR-483-3p/Cdk9 Axis.

Background Therapeutic hypothermia has a beneficial effect on cardiac function after acute myocardial infarction, but the exact mechanism is still unclear. Recent research has suggested that microRNAs participate in acute myocardial infarction to regulate cardiomyocyte survival. This study aimed to explore the ability of hypothermia-regulated microRNA-483-3p (miR-483-3p) to inhibit hypoxia-induced myocardial infarction.