Study on the efficacy of early treatment with pirfenidone on the lung function of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

BACKGROUND Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF)is classified under fibrotic interstitial pneumonia,characterized by a chronic and progressive course.The predominant clinical features of IPF include dyspnea and pulmonary dysfunction.AIM To assess the effects of pirfenidone in the early treatment of IPF on lung function in patients.METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed on 113 patients with IPF who were treated in our hospital from November 2017 to January 2023.These patients were divided into two groups:control group(n=53)and observation group(n=60).In the control group,patients received routine therapy in combination with methylprednisolone tablets,while those in the observation group received routine therapy together with pirfenidone.After applying these distinct treatment approaches to the two groups,we assessed several parameters,including the overall effectiveness of clinical therapy,the occurrence of adverse reactions(e.g.,nausea,vomiting,and anorexia),symptom severity scores,pulmonary function index levels,inflammatory marker levels,and the 6-min walk distance before and after treatment in both groups.RESULTS The observation group exhibited significantly higher rates than the control group after therapy,with a clear distinction(P<0.05).After treatment,the observation group experienced significantly fewer adverse reactions than the control group,with a noticeable difference(P<0.05).When analyzing the symptom severity scores between the two groups of patients after treatment,the observation group had significantly lower scores than the control group,with a distinct difference(P<0.05).When comparing the pulmonary function index levels between the two groups of patients after therapy,the observation group displayed significantly higher levels than the control group,with a noticeable difference(P<0.05).Evaluating the inflammatory marker data(C-reactive protein,interleukin-2[IL-2],and IL-8)between the two groups of patients after therapy,the observation group exhibited significantly lower levels than the control group,with significant disparities(P<0.05).Comparison of the 6-min walking distance data between the two groups of patients after treatment showed that the observation group achieved significantly greater distances than the control group,with a marked difference(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Prompt initiation of pirfenidone treatment in individuals diagnosed with IPF can enhance pulmonary function,elevate inflammatory factor levels,and increase the distance covered in the 6-min walk test.This intervention is conducive to effectively decreasing the occurrence of adverse reactions in patients.

Essential oil extracted from Quzhou Aurantii Fructus prevents acute liver failure through inhibiting lipopolysaccharide-mediated inflammatory response

Quzhou Aurantii Fructus(QAF)has a long history as a folk medicine and food for the treatment of liver diseases.While our earlier study provided evidence of hepatoprotective properties contained within the flavonoids and limonins constituents in QAF,the potential preventative effects afforded by essential oil components present within QAF remains enigmatic.In this study,we prepared Quzhou Aurantii Fructus essential oil(QAFEO)and confirmed its anti-inflammatory effects on liver inflammation through experimentation on lipopolysaccharide and D-galactosamine(LPS/D-GalN)induced acute liver failure(ALF)mouse models.Using RNA-sequence(RNA-seq)analysis,we found that QAFEO prevented ALF by systematically blunting the pathways involved in response to LPS and toll-like receptor signaling pathways.QAFEO effectively suppressed the phosphorylation of tank-binding kinase 1(TBK1),TGF-beta activated kinase 1(TAK1),interferon regulatory factor 3(IRF3),and the activation of mitogen activated kinase-like protein(MAPK)and nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB)pathways in vivo and in vitro.Importantly,QAFEO substantially reduced myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88(MyD88)-toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)interaction levels.Moreover,8 compounds from QAFEO could directly bind to REAL,TAK1,MyD88,TBK1,and IRF3.Taken together,the results of our study support the notion that QAFEO exerts a hepatoprotective effect through inhibiting LPS-mediated inflammatory response.

A rare missense PAX6 mutation causes atypical aniridia in a three-generation Chinese family

●AIM:To investigate the molecular diagnosis of a threegeneration Chinese family affected with aniridia,and further to identify clinically a PAX6 missense mutation in members with atypical aniridia.●METHODS:Eleven family members with and without atypical aniridia were recruited.All family members underwent comprehensive ophthalmic examinations.A combination of whole exome sequencing(WES)and direct Sanger sequencing were performed to uncover the causative mutation.●RESULTS:Among the 11 family members,8 were clinically diagnosed with congenital aniridia(atypical aniridia phenotype).A rare heterozygous mutation c.622C>T(p.Arg208Trp)in exon 8 of PAX6 was identified in all affected family members but not in the unaffected members or in healthy control subjects.●CONCLUSION:A rare missense mutation in the PAX6 gene is found in members of a three-generation Chinese family with congenital atypical aniridia.This result contributes to an increase in the phenotypic spectrum caused by PAX6 missense heterozygous variants and provides useful information for the clinical diagnosis of atypical aniridia,which may also contribute to genetic counselling and family planning.

Successful transcatheter arterial embolization treatment for chest wall haematoma following permanent pacemaker implantation: A case report

BACKGROUND Haematoma is one of the main complications associated with pacemaker implantation.Pseudoaneurysm is a rare condition that is not easy to identify and is often overlooked.CASE SUMMARY A female patient diagnosed with high-grade atrioventricular block underwent permanent pacemaker implantation.During the operation,puncturing a small branch of the right subclavian artery developed into a pseudoaneurysm and resulted in further haematoma formation.Conventional treatment of compression haemostasis and haemostatic drugs was not effective.A series of timely transcatheter arterial embolizations avoided serious complications.CONCLUSION More possible conditions should be taken into consideration as haematoma is discovered,and timely treatment might prevent severe adverse events.

Bioengineered materials with selective antimicrobial toxicity in biomedicine

Fungi and bacteria afflict humans with innumerous pathogen-related infections and ailments.Most of the commonly employed microbicidal agents target commensal and pathogenic microorganisms without discrimination.To distinguish and fight the pathogenic species out of the microflora,novel antimicrobials have been developed that selectively target specific bacteria and fungi.The cell wall features and antimicrobial mechanisms that these microorganisms involved in are highlighted in the present review.This is followed by reviewing the design of antimicrobials that selectively combat a specific community of microbes including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains as well as fungi.Finally,recent advances in the antimicrobial immunomodulation strategy that enables treating microorganism infections with high specificity are reviewed.These basic tenets will enable the avid reader to design novel approaches and compounds for antibacterial and antifungal applications.

Novelα-galactosidase A gene mutation in a Chinese Fabry disease family:A case report

BACKGROUND Fabry disease(FD)is a rare X-linked lysosomal storage disease caused by a deficiency of the enzymeα-galactosidase A.CASE SUMMARY Herein,we analyzed a four-generation Chinese family.The proband is a 57-yearold woman who was diagnosed with left ventricular hypertrophy and atrial fibrillation 7 years ago.Echocardiography showed an end-diastolic diameter of the interventricular septum of 19.9 mm,left ventricular end-diastolic diameter of 63.1 mm,and moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation.Cardiac magnetic resonance indicated an enlarged left heart and right atrium,decreased left ventricular systolic and diastolic function,a left ventricular ejection fraction of 20%,and thickening of the left ventricular septum.In March 2019,gene and enzyme activity tests confirmed the diagnosis of FD.Her son was diagnosed with FD after gene and enzyme activity assay,and was prescribed agalsidase-βfor enzyme replacement therapy in July 2020.Two sisters of the proband were also diagnosed with FD by genetic testing.Both of them had a history of atrial fibrillation.CONCLUSION A novel mutation was identified in a Chinese family with FD,in which the male patient had a low level of enzyme activity,early-onset,and severe organ involvement.Comprehensive analysis of clinical phenotype genetic testing and enzyme activity testing helped in the diagnosis and treatment of this FD family.

A ribosomal gene panel predicting a novel synthetic lethality in non-BRCAness tumors

Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase(PARP)inhibitors are one of the most exciting classes of targeted therapy agents for cancers with homologous recombination(HR)deficiency.However,many patients without apparent HR defects also respond well to PARP inhibitors/cisplatin.The biomarker responsible for this mechanism remains unclear.Here,we identified a set of ribosomal genes that predict response to PARP inhibitors/cisplatin in HR-proficient patients.PARP inhibitor/cisplatin selectively eliminates cells with high expression of the eight genes in the identified panel via DNA damage(ATM)signaling-induced pro-apoptotic ribosomal stress,which along with ATM signaling-induced pro-survival HR repair constitutes a new model to balance the cell fate in response to DNA damage.Therefore,the combined examination of the gene panel along with HR status would allow for more precise predictions of clinical response to PARP inhibitor/cisplatin.The gene panel as an independent biomarker was validated by multiple published clinical datasets,as well as by an ovarian cancer organoids library we established.More importantly,its predictive value was further verified in a cohort of PARP inhibitor-treated ovarian cancer patients with both RNA-seq and WGS data.Furthermore,we identified several marketed drugs capable of upregulating the expression of the genes in the panel without causing HR deficiency in PARP inhibitor/cisplatin-resistant cell lines.These drugs enhance PARP inhibitor/cisplatin sensitivity in both intrinsically resistant organoids and cell lines with acquired resistance.Together,our study identifies a marker gene panel for HR-proficient patients and reveals a broader application of PARP inhibitor/cisplatin in cancer therapy.