Life Conflux
type: channel
description: Life Conflux (ISSN: 3078-4816) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal focused on fundamental research and innovative applications in the field of medical informatics. The journal aims to publish high-quality research on digital health technologies, healthcare data analytics, clinical decision support systems, health information systems, and their applications in improving patient care and healthcare delivery. Spanning interdisciplinary areas such as artificial intelligence in medicine, telemedicine, electronic health records, biomedical data science, and healthcare technology implementation, Life Conflux explores how information technology transforms medical practice and healthcare systems. Through rigorous peer review and an open-access model, Life Conflux provides a vital platform for researchers, academics, healthcare professionals, and industry experts worldwide to share the latest discoveries in digital healthcare innovation and exchange scientific ideas on the integration of informatics solutions in clinical and public health settings.
publisher: Life Conflux Press
language: en
publication name: Life Conflux
issn: 3078-4816
items: Mendelian Randomization Reveals Height as a Risk Factor and Potential Therapeutic Target for Testicular Cancer
items: Do open access articles have a citation advantage? — a research based on European Urology Family
items: Multidimensional Roles of EZH2 and Its Therapeutic Potential in Cancer Therapy
items: Exploring New Therapeutic Targets for Myasthenia Gravis: A Plasma and Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteomics Mendelian Randomization Study
items: Exploring the Causal Relationship Between Plasma Proteins and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Mendelian Randomization Study
items: Tinnitus and Risk of Mortality in Normal-Hearing U.S. Adults: A Weighted Study Adjusted for Covariate Balance
items: The early stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic's Psychological Footprint: A Study on the Surge of Mental Health Concerns in Chinaas Reflected by Baidu Index
items: The role of IL-17 family in the process of pulmonary fibrosis
items: Construction of prognostic model and tumor microenvironment landscape based on cuproptosis-related subtypes in melanoma
items: Forearm necrotizing fasciitis caused by freshwater fish in an immunocompromised patient with rheumatoid arthritis for 20 years: a case report and review of the literature
items: Causal Relationships between 1400 Serum Metabolite Traits,179 Plasma Lipids, and Hemorrhoids: A Mendelian Randomization Study and Meta-analysis
items: Causal Relationship between Chronic Gastritis and Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A Bidirectional and Two-step Mendelian Randomization Study
items: Dynamic Evolution of Hyperplastic Polyps in the Setting of Autoimmune Gastritis: An In-Depth Interpretation of Gastrin-Driven Patho-mechanisms in a Case
items: Mapping heterogeneous molecular subtypes of circadian misalignment underlying lung adenocarcinoma risk
items: ceerva81
items: Sphingomyelin mediates the association between natural killer cell receptor 2B4 (CD244) and head and neck cancer
items: Transthoracic pulmonary artery radiofrequency denervation (TPARFD) concomitantly with cardiac operations in adult atrial septal defect with pulmonary arterial hypertension: case report
items: Impact of heavy metals on allostatic load in adults: a NHANES study
items: Effects and Mechanisms of Parental Electromagnetic Radiation Exposure on Offspring Health: A Narrative Review
items: Clinical Analysis of Children with Mixed Macrolide-Resistant Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Infection
items: Genetic Risk Mapping and Insights into Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Development
items: Unraveling the Role of Anoikis in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Progression and Immune Cell Infiltration
items: Exploring Long Noncoding RNAs and Ferroptosis in Cancer Progression
items: Research Progress of Epigenetic Regulation in Stroke Treatment
items: Deciphering the multifaceted significance of MPZL2 in pancreatic cancer via in-depth bioinformatics analyses
items: Development and Validation of Nomogram for Predicting the Risk of Community-acquired Pneumonia after Kidney Transplantation of Deceased Donors
items: Global research status and hotspots of squamous cell carcinoma endothelial cells in the last 20 years: A bibliometric analysis
items: A Mendelian randomization study investigating the causal relationship between 35 blood and urine metabolite biomarkers and postmenopausal osteoporosis
items: Inflammatory Responses of High Mobility Group Protein B1 in Disease: Current Trends, novel Insights, and challenges
items: Research on the Impact of PiCCO-guided Precise Fluid Resuscitation on Hemodynamics and Organ Perfusion in Patients with Extremely Severe Burns

Mendelian Randomization Reveals Height as a Risk Factor and Potential Therapeutic Target for Testicular Cancer
type: item
description: Objective To investigate the potential causal relationship between height and the risk of developing testicular cancer using Mendelian Randomization analysis. Methods We utilized phenotype data on height and testicular cancer from two European ancestry cohorts, integrating data from the IEU, FinnGen, and UK Biobank databases. Linkage Disequilibrium Score regression and SNP-associated gene enrichment analyses were initially conducted to assess the association between SNPs and the phenotypes. A two-sample MR approach was then applied to evaluate the causal relationship between height and testicular cancer risk. An additional cohort was analyzed for validation, followed by a meta-analysis to combine results. Reverse MR and colocalization analyses were performed to investigate potential reverse causality. Gene enrichment analysis was conducted to elucidate the biological mechanisms linking height to testicular cancer, and potential eQTL targets for testicular cancer were explored using summary-data-based MR and colocalization analysis. Results The Inverse Variance Weighted method revealed a significant association between genetically predicted height and testicular cancer risk, with an odds ratio of 1.372 (95% CI: 1.024-1.837, p-value < 0.05). Gene enrichment analysis suggested that the extracellular matrix-related pathway might underlie the increased risk of testicular cancer associated with height. PMF1 and SLC9B2 were identified as potential targets for testicular cancer from summary-data-based MR, colocalization, and gene expression analysis. Conclusions This Mendelian randomization study provides evidence supporting a causal relationship between height and the risk of developing testicular cancer, with PMF1 and SLC9B2 identified as potential targets for further investigation.
subject: Clinical Decision Support and AI in Medicine
  topic: section
subject: Height
  topic: keywords
subject: Testicular cancer
  topic: keywords
subject: Mendelian randomization
  topic: keywords
subject: Bayesian colocalization
  topic: keywords
subject: Susceptibility gene
  topic: keywords
creator: Yuanbo Xu
creator: Jieyu Xiong
creator: Yikun Wu
creator: Yuanlin Wang
creator: Hua Shi
creator: Shuxiong Xu
creator: Yuangao Xu
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-20
publication date: 2025-10-20
starting page: e273
ending page: e273
doi: 10.71321/sqcqnh24

Do open access articles have a citation advantage? — a research based on European Urology Family
type: item
description: Background: Open access (OA), referring to the practice of providing unrestricted access to scholarly research outputs, has become a main publishing choice for authors. Previous studies have reported OA articles had a citation advantage compared to non-OA articles. Thus, this research aimed to further explore the impact of OA on article citations. Methods: We searched the Web of Science for research articles and reviews published in European Urology and its sub-journals in 2021. After data extraction, IBM SPSS Statistics 26 was used for statistical analysis, and binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the influence of different variables, particularly OA, on article citation counts. Results: The study included 135 articles from European Urology, 183 articles from European Urology Focus, and 101 articles from European Urology Oncology. The analysis revealed a significant positive effect of OA on article citations in European Urology (OR = 0.391, 95%CI = 0.189-0.810, p = 0.011). However, OA did not have a statistically significant impact on article citations in European Urology Focus (p = 0.847) or European Urology Oncology (p = 0.83). Conclusion: Our analysis suggests OA significantly boosts citations in high-impact journals, but shows minimal effect in lower-impact venues.
subject: Medical Knowledge Intelligence
  topic: section
subject: open access
  topic: keywords
subject: European Urology
  topic: keywords
subject: regression analysis
  topic: keywords
creator: Jincong Li
creator: Shuangying Zhang
creator: Ruimeng Yue
creator: Chengxiang Tian
creator: Yuyao Jian
creator: Rui Chen
creator: Yang Liu
creator: Yun Peng
creator: Yuxuan Song
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-20
publication date: 2025-10-20
starting page: e262
ending page: e262
doi: 10.71321/xpg76d58

Multidimensional Roles of EZH2 and Its Therapeutic Potential in Cancer Therapy
type: item
description: Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a core member of the Polycomb Group (PcG) family, is a pivotal epigenetic regulator. As the catalytic subunit of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), EZH2 mediates trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3), leading to chromatin condensation and altered expression of downstream genes. This mechanism enables EZH2 to exert multidimensional roles in development, tumors, immunity, and the nervous system. Given its critical role in epigenetic regulation and multidimensional oncogenesis, EZH2 has emerged as a hot target for cancer therapy. This review summarizes EZH2's regulatory functions and specific pro-tumorigenic mechanisms, detailing its roles in epigenetic regulation, tumor proliferation and metastasis, tumor microenvironment, stemness maintenance, drug resistance, metabolic reprogramming, and dysregulated signaling pathways, aiming to inspire new perspectives in cancer treatment research.
subject: Precision Medicine Informatics
  topic: section
subject: EZH2
  topic: keywords
subject: epigenetic modification
  topic: keywords
subject: methylation
  topic: keywords
subject: H3K27me3
  topic: keywords
subject: cancer
  topic: keywords
creator: Hui Yin
creator: Jinna Tan
creator: Jiaqian He
creator: Mingfen Li
creator: Hongsheng Lin
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-20
publication date: 2025-10-20
starting page: e252
ending page: e252
doi: 10.71321/q01vae55

Exploring New Therapeutic Targets for Myasthenia Gravis: A Plasma and Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteomics Mendelian Randomization Study
type: item
description: Background: Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disorder that severely impacts patients' quality of life. Identifying plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins with a genetic causal relationship to MG may provide novel therapeutic targets. Methods: This study employed the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach, in combination with Bayesian colocalization analysis, to assess the causal relationship between 4,185 plasma proteins and 832 CSF proteins and the risk of MG. Sensitivity analyses were also performed to validate the robustness of the MR results. Additionally, protein–protein interaction networks and candidate drug predictions were utilized to elucidate the complex interactions between proteins and identify potential drug targets. Results: Three plasma proteins and five CSF proteins were significantly associated with MG risk. ALDH2, HSPA1A, PRSS8, MFRP, CTSH, SHBG, and TXNDC12 were found to increase MG risk, while IL36A was negatively correlated. Further colocalization analysis revealed strong evidence for the associations between PRSS8 and HSPA1A with MG (pph4 > 0.8), and substantial evidence for TXNDC12 and ALDH2 (0.8 > pph4 > 0.6). Conclusion: This study employed proteomics-based MR to identify several plasma and CSF proteins significantly associated with the risk of MG. Notably, PRSS8, HSPA1A, TXNDC12, and ALDH2 emerge as potential therapeutic targets for MG. While these findings offer valuable insights into the pathological mechanisms of MG and the development of novel therapeutic strategies, further research is required to evaluate the feasibility and clinical efficacy of these candidate proteins.
subject: Biomedical Data Science and Analytics
  topic: section
subject: Myasthenia Gravis
  topic: keywords
subject: Mendelian Randomization
  topic: keywords
subject: Proteomics
  topic: keywords
subject: Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins
  topic: keywords
subject: Colocalization
  topic: keywords
subject: Therapeutic Target
  topic: keywords
creator: Yibo He
creator: Hongmei Miao
creator: Yinying Chai
creator: Qianran Hong
creator: Yuxuan Song
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-20
publication date: 2025-10-20
starting page: e249
ending page: e249
doi: 10.71321/ybarkw62

Exploring the Causal Relationship Between Plasma Proteins and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Mendelian Randomization Study
type: item
description: Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease that severely impacts patient quality of life. Current treatments primarily manage symptoms rather than cure the disease, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of its pathogenesis and the discovery of novel therapeutic targets. Circulating proteins are thought to play a critical role in SLE risk, but their causal relationships remain underexplored. Methods: This study used pQTL and genome-wide association study (GWAS) data to perform a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the genetic causal relationships between circulating proteins and SLE. We identified proteins potentially associated with SLE risk and further analyzed their roles in immune regulation and inflammation using Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) networks. Colocalization analysis was conducted to validate the associations of key proteins with SLE. Results: Our analysis identified 82 plasma proteins potentially causally linked to SLE risk (p < 0.05). Colocalization analysis confirmed the association of proteins such as TNFAIP3, PDHX, and CTSF with SLE, underscoring their critical role in disease pathogenesis. Additionally, PPI network analysis revealed that these proteins are involved in immune modulation and inflammatory pathways, further supporting their relevance as therapeutic targets. Conclusion: This study identifies 82 plasma proteins that may play a causal role in SLE, with TNFAIP3, PDHX, and CTSF emerging as promising therapeutic targets. These findings provide a foundation for future research aimed at developing precision therapies for SLE.
subject: Biomedical Data Science and Analytics
  topic: section
subject: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
  topic: keywords
subject: Mendelian Randomization
  topic: keywords
subject: Circulating Proteins
  topic: keywords
subject: Colocalization Analysis
  topic: keywords
subject: Protein-Protein Interaction Network
  topic: keywords
creator: Xinzhen Zhao
creator: Yinying Chai
creator: Qianran Hong
creator: Yuxuan Song
creator: Yibo He
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-20
publication date: 2025-10-20
starting page: e246
ending page: e246
doi: 10.71321/ma96k735

Tinnitus and Risk of Mortality in Normal-Hearing U.S. Adults: A Weighted Study Adjusted for Covariate Balance
type: item
description: Background: Tinnitus and hearing loss are both prevalent chronic conditions that can significantly impair quality of life. While prior studies have explored the association between tinnitus and mortality, many have failed to isolate the effect of tinnitus from that of coexisting hearing loss—a frequent comorbidity—which may have introduced confounding and biased the results. To investigate the association between tinnitus and both all-cause and cause-specific mortality among U.S. adults aged 20-69 years with normal hearing. Methods: We conducted a population-based cross-sectional analysis using data from five cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Adults aged 20-69 years with audiometrically confirmed normal hearing were included. Tinnitus status was self-reported. Key covariates included demographic characteristics, comorbid conditions etc. We implemented propensity score matching and multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Results: Tinnitus was found to be significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.84; 95% CI: 1.38-2.44). A particularly elevated risk was observed for cancer-specific mortality (HR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.26-3.58). Importantly, these findings persisted after adjusting for multiple covariates in the matched cohort, highlighting the robustness of the results derived from a balanced comparison. Conclusions: Among U.S. adults with normal hearing, tinnitus was independently associated with increased risks of all-cause and cancer-specific mortality. These findings underscore the importance of recognizing tinnitus as not merely a benign symptom, but a potential marker of broader health risks, even in individuals without hearing impairment.
subject: Digital Health and Public Health Informatics
  topic: section
subject: tinnitus
  topic: keywords
subject: mortality
  topic: keywords
subject: balance
  topic: keywords
subject: normal hearing
  topic: keywords
subject: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
  topic: keywords
creator: Yuchen Zhang
creator: Yanqiang Zhang
creator: Ziyue Fu
creator: Chuanlu Shen
creator: Kaile Wu
creator: Yehai Liu
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-20
publication date: 2025-10-20
starting page: e225
ending page: e225
doi: 10.71321/2eyyzr69

The early stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic's Psychological Footprint: A Study on the Surge of Mental Health Concerns in Chinaas Reflected by Baidu Index
type: item
description: Background: The outbreak of COVID-19 has posed an enormous threat to the health of people worldwide, both physically and mentally. We aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on Chinese people’s mental health via the Baidu Index, especially during the early period of the outbreak. Methods: We collected people’s search data regarding mental illness and COVID-19 from the Baidu index. Spearman’s correlation analysis was applied to explore the correlations among mental illness search index values, COVID-19 search index values, and the number of confirmed cases in China. We implemented a dynamic series analysis to show the changing trend of Baidu index search values. Gender, age, and regional distribution of search values were also observed. Internet searches for mental illness increased significantly after the quarantine measures were implemented. Results: The number of COVID-19 cases were positively correlated to the overall search index values for mental illnesses (rs=0.766, p=1.041×10-12), and negatively correlated to search index values for COVID-19 (rs=-0.236, p=0.023). The searches for COVID-19 was positively correlated to the daily growth of cases (rs=0.861, p=2.310×10-18). No lag pattern exists between Internet searches for mental illness and the number of confirmed cases. Male and people over 50 years old searched less than other groups. Besides, the highest search behaviors appeared in southeastern China. Public search behaviors indicate that since the outbreak of COVID-19, the psychological problems of the Chinese people have been extremely prominent. Conclusion: Baidu Index offers a valuable tool for guiding effective intervention and prevention efforts aimed at mitigating psychological stress. Its ability to reflect public search behaviors allows for the timely provision of mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic and could serve as a model for responding to the mental health challenges posed by future large-scale infectious disease outbreaks.
subject: Digital Health and Public Health Informatics
  topic: section
subject: COVID-19
  topic: keywords
subject: Mental illness
  topic: keywords
subject: Psychological stress
  topic: keywords
subject: Baidu index
  topic: keywords
creator: Nana Meng
creator: Yuan Chen
creator: Danna Zhao
creator: Dingtao Hu
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-20
publication date: 2025-10-20
starting page: e219
ending page: e219
doi: 10.71321/62xm7s05

The role of IL-17 family in the process of pulmonary fibrosis
type: item
description: Pulmonary fibrosis is a serious lung disease characterized by the destruction of alveolar structures and excessive proliferation of fibrous tissue. The interleukin-17 (IL-17) family consists of six members (IL-17A-17F), which play a crucial role in the occurrence and development of pulmonary fibrosis. The IL-17 family drives pulmonary fibrosis through multiple mechanisms such as pro-inflammatory cytokines, immune cell recruitment, and fibroblast activation. IL-17A is the core molecule, while other members participate in the disease process through synergistic or independent pathways. Targeting the IL-17 signaling axis provides a new strategy for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. This article summarizes the effects of IL-17 on pulmonary inflammation response and fibrosis process through literature review, as well as its possible involvement in signal transduction molecular mechanisms, and explores its potential as a therapeutic target, providing theoretical basis for future research aimed at regulating IL-17 expression and function to treat related diseases.
subject: Precision Medicine Informatics
  topic: section
subject: interleukin-17 (IL-17) family
  topic: keywords
subject: IL-17 receptor
  topic: keywords
subject: pulmonary fibrosis
  topic: keywords
creator: Ge Zhou
creator: Amin Li
creator: Ruikai Wang
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-20
publication date: 2025-10-20
starting page: e217
ending page: e217
doi: 10.71321/tg620c27

Construction of prognostic model and tumor microenvironment landscape based on cuproptosis-related subtypes in melanoma
type: item
description: Background: Melanoma, known for its aggressive nature and poor prognosis, may be impacted by cuproptosis, a recently discovered form of programmed cell death. Despite its unclear mechanisms, preliminary studies suggested a link between cuproptosis and cancer progression and metastasis. We aimed to investigate the association between cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) and melanoma to enhance prognostic and therapeutic strategies. Method: In this study, we downloaded transcriptome RNA-seqs and clinical information of all melanoma patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, selected a dataset from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, and merged the two datasets. After univariate regression analysis, all the samples were categorized into three groups based on expression levels of CRGs. Differential expression analysis was carried out for three CRG clusters to obtain the significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs). After univariate Cox regression analysis, multivariate Cox regression analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm were performed on DEGs, the prognosis related genes were screened to establish a prognosis prediction model. The model's accuracy was validated through Kaplan-Meier analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, nomogram, and independent prognostic analysis. Additionally, we compared the immune scores of the tumor microenvironment, tumor mutation burden, tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion, and drug sensitivity between high-risk and low-risk groups. Results: Through algorithm analysis, eight genes significantly related to prognosis were identified, among which SLFN13, CAMK4, TLR8, EIF4E3, and CLEC2B were low-risk genes, OCA2, NAIP, and SAMD9 were high-risk genes. Using these genes, we established a prognostic model that effectively distinguishes between different survival outcomes, with the low-risk group showing a markedly higher long-term survival rate. Conclusion: In conclusi…
subject: Biomedical Data Science and Analytics
  topic: section
subject: melanoma
  topic: keywords
subject: cuproptosis
  topic: keywords
subject: tumor microenvironment
  topic: keywords
subject: differentially expressed genes
  topic: keywords
subject: risk score
  topic: keywords
subject: bioinformatics analysis
  topic: keywords
creator: Zishen Xia
creator: Nan Gao
creator: Jianwen Wang
creator: Lizhao Yan
creator: Cong Ma
creator: Kangwei Wang
creator: Yuxiong Weng
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-20
publication date: 2025-10-20
starting page: e214
ending page: e214
doi: 10.71321/vxy0xd87

Forearm necrotizing fasciitis caused by freshwater fish in an immunocompromised patient with rheumatoid arthritis for 20 years: a case report and review of the literature
type: item
description: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a life-threatening soft tissue infection typically associated with marine pathogens such as Vibrio vulnificus in cases involving fish-related injuries. This case report describes a rare instance of NF caused by Aeromonas sobria following a freshwater fish (Chinese carp) injury in a 58-year-old immunocompromised woman with a 20-year history of rheumatoid arthritis on long-term immunosuppressive therapy. The patient presented with rapid-onset swelling, pain, and septic shock, requiring intensive care, vasopressor support, and four surgical debridements with negative pressure wound therapy. Wound cultures confirmed Aeromonas sobria, contrasting with the more common marine-acquired Vibrio infections. Despite delayed diagnosis, aggressive multimodal management—including broad-spectrum antibiotics (piperacillin-tazobactam followed by meropenem) and repeated surgical interventions—resulted in survival after 41 days of hospitalization. This case highlights the importance of considering freshwater pathogens in NF, particularly in immunocompromised patients, and underscores the critical role of early surgical debridement and empiric antimicrobial coverage for atypical organisms. Clinicians should maintain a high suspicion for NF in fish-related injuries, even without marine exposure, to prevent fatal outcomes.
subject: Digital Health and Public Health Informatics
  topic: section
subject: Necrotizing fasciitis
  topic: keywords
subject: Aeromonas sobria
  topic: keywords
subject: Immunocompromised host
  topic: keywords
subject: Septic shock
  topic: keywords
creator: Zhengnan Zhao
creator: Peng Wang
creator: Lei Ma
creator: Yang Wang
creator: Jiaping Guo
creator: Chenglong Yao
creator: Zefan Sun
creator: Xiu Wang
creator: Jiabao Yang
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-20
publication date: 2025-10-20
starting page: e204
ending page: e204
doi: 10.71321/t6symt70

Causal Relationships between 1400 Serum Metabolite Traits,179 Plasma Lipids, and Hemorrhoids: A Mendelian Randomization Study and Meta-analysis
type: item
description: Background: Hemorrhoids is a common anorectal disorder that significantly impacts patients' quality of life over the long term and imposes a substantial economic burden. However, the potential link between HD and serum metabolites and lipids has been scarcely studied, and its pathogenesis remains unclear. Methods: The causal relationships between serum metabolite traits, plasma lipids, and HD were evaluated using Mendelian Randomization. Inverse Variance Weighted was the most important analysis approach. Sensitivity analysis was used to assess the robustness of the results. Enrichment analysis was applied to the metabolites obtained from the results of MR analysis and meta-analysis. Results: The risk factors included Citramalate levels (OR = 1.487, 95%CI = 1.172-1.888, P = 0.001), P-cresol sulfate levels (OR = 1.476, 95%CI = 1.111-1.961, P = 0.007), and Triacylglycerol (53:3) levels (OR = 1.262, 95%CI = 1.049-1.518, P = 0.014). The protective factors included Imidazole lactate levels (OR = 0.865, 95%CI = 0.756-0.989, P = 0.034), 1-(1-enyl-stearoyl)-GPE (p-18:0) levels (OR = 0.722, 95%CI = 0.552-0.944, P = 0.017), and Phosphatidylethanolamine (18:1_18:1) levels (OR = 0.803, 95%CI = 0.666-0.969, P = 0.022). Enrichment analysis showed that risk factors were enriched in Alanine Metabolism (Holm P = 0.0039), Cysteine Metabolism (Holm P = 0.0146), Urea Cycle (Holm P = 0.0181), and Ammonia Recycling (Holm P = 0.0245). Protective factors were enriched in the Urea Cycle (Holm P = 0.00754), Ammonia Recycling (Holm P = 0.0102), Aspartate Metabolism (Holm P = 0.0147), Glutamate Metabolism (Holm P = 0.038), Arginine and Proline Metabolism (Holm P = 0.0479), and Malate-Aspartate Shuttle (Holm P = 0.0495). Conclusion: Previous studies often focused on the causal relationships between a few potential risk factors and HD in a single population. Our study is the first to address this gap by integrating a broad range of 1400 metabolites and 179 lipids with HD across diverse population…
subject: Biomedical Data Science and Analytics
  topic: section
subject: Serum Metabolites
  topic: keywords
subject: Plasma Lipids
  topic: keywords
subject: Hemorrhoids
  topic: keywords
subject: Mendelian Randomization
  topic: keywords
subject: Meta-analysis
  topic: keywords
creator: Lu Hu
creator: Danyang Wang
creator: Chang You
creator: Ziyan Zhao
creator: Wanlin Zheng
creator: Luyao Wang
creator: Yutong Li
creator: Liangzhe Dai
creator: Hongkai Yu
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-20
publication date: 2025-10-20
starting page: e202
ending page: e202
doi: 10.71321/8s70we60

Causal Relationship between Chronic Gastritis and Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A Bidirectional and Two-step Mendelian Randomization Study
type: item
description: Background: Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) and chronic gastritis are prevalent in middle-aged and elderly people. Although clinical observations suggest an association between the two diseases, the causal relationship between them has not been clarified. This study aims to explore the causal relationship between SAS and chronic gastritis and to elucidate the possible mediating mechanisms. Methods: The causal relationship between SAS and chronic gastritis was assessed using five methods, primarily utilizing the Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW) approach, with other methods categorized as sensitivity analyses. A two-step Mendelian randomization study was conducted using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) dataset to evaluate the mediating role of signatures in immune cell and inflammatory proteins. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to determine the robustness of the results. To systematically address horizontal pleiotropy, we employed the CAUSE framework, which distinguishes causal effects from confounding by comparing genetic architectures under competing causal and shared confounding models, while accounting for both linkage disequilibrium-related and independent pleiotropic pathways. The STROBE-MR guidelines were followed for MR results reporting. Results: Through two-sample MR analysis, we identified significant bidirectional causal relationships between sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) and chronic gastritis (forward: OR = 1.131, 95% CI: 1.031-1.240, p = 0.009; reverse: OR = 1.065, 95% CI: 1.007-1.128, p = 0.028). Simulation studies confirmed CAUSE's superior specificity in controlling false positives through its dual-model framework that explicitly accounts for pleiotropic pathways. Two-step MR analysis revealed that the changes in the level of PD-L1 expressed by CD14+CD16+ monocytes played a significant mediating role in the effect of chronic gastritis on SAS. Conclusion: The bidirectional causal relationship between SAS and chronic gastritis was confirmed through two-…
subject: Biomedical Data Science and Analytics
  topic: section
subject: sleep apnea syndrome
  topic: keywords
subject: chronic gastritis
  topic: keywords
subject: a two-step Mendelian Randomization Study
  topic: keywords
subject: a two-sample Mendelian randomization
  topic: keywords
creator: Ziyan Zhao
creator: Yanyu Zhu
creator: Chang You
creator: Yan Wang
creator: Tianchi Zhuang
creator: Yingqi Yang
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-20
publication date: 2025-10-20
starting page: e180
ending page: e180
doi: 10.71321/zrtsfk74

Dynamic Evolution of Hyperplastic Polyps in the Setting of Autoimmune Gastritis: An In-Depth Interpretation of Gastrin-Driven Patho-mechanisms in a Case
type: item
description: Through longitudinal clinical follow-up of a 75-year-old male with autoimmune gastritis (AIG) complicated by gastric hyperplastic polyps (GHPs), this study systematically investigated the critical regulatory role of gastrin signaling networks in gastric mucosal remodeling. The case demonstrated that within the established pathological cascade of AIG (from parietal cell destruction to gastric acid deficiency and hypergastrinemia), GHPs exhibited short-term volumetric growth. This observation challenges traditional views about the indolent nature of hyperplastic polyps. Our findings highlight the dual role of proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy in AIG management while alleviating mucosal inflammation, it paradoxically induces G-cell hypersensitivity that elevates gastrin levels beyond biological thresholds (332 increasing to 770 U/L), creating a critical driver for GHP progression. This case redefines clinical management paradigms for AIG complications and offers translational insights for gastrointestinal tumor surveillance.
subject: Medical Informatics Cases, Reviews and Applications
  topic: section
subject: autoimmune gastritis
  topic: keywords
subject: gastric hyperplastic polyp
  topic: keywords
subject: proton-pump inhibitor
  topic: keywords
creator: Yimin Song
creator: Jianing Yan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-20
publication date: 2025-10-20
starting page: e168
ending page: e168
doi: 10.71321/19f3bp17

Mapping heterogeneous molecular subtypes of circadian misalignment underlying lung adenocarcinoma risk
type: item
description: Background: The circadian rhythm coordinates multiple physiological and behavioral processes. Substantial evidence illustrates that circadian rhythm disruption (CRD) dramatically influences tumor initiation, progression, and the tumor immune microenvironment remodeling. However, there is a dearth of exploration for CRD heterogeneity’s underlying clinical significance in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods: 2090 LUAD patients and 79 immunotherapy patients were enrolled from nine public independent datasets. The nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) was applied to develop molecular classification after collecting CRD-related genes. Subsequently, the reliability and robustness of classification were evaluated through the nearest template prediction (NTP) method. Furthermore, clinical outcomes, functional characteristics, genomic alterations, and immune landscape were explored. The efficacy of clinical common treatment was detected for the specific classification. Results: Three heterogeneous LUAD subtypes were identified based on the expression profile of CRD-related genes. Different expression characteristics and clinical outcomes of distinct subtypes were revealed. Relative similar clinical outcomes and proportion of each subtype were verified in multiple independent cohorts, which indicated the reliability of classification. Distinguish features of three subtypes were further explored: (i) C1, the poorest prognosis, significant cell proliferation, and highest genomic instability. (ii) C2, the best outcome, elevated lipid metabolic function, favorable regulation of circadian rhythm, and (iii) C3, copious immune infiltration, immunosuppressive microenvironment, and conspicuous intratumor heterogeneity. The evaluation of treatment strategies suggested that C1 patients might benefit from chemotherapeutics agents, including docetaxel and paclitaxel, patients in C2 were suitable for glucocorticoids, whereas C3 patients were recommended to accept immunotherapy. Conclusion…
subject: Precision Medicine Informatics
  topic: section
subject: Circadian Rhythm Disruption
  topic: keywords
subject: Lung Adenocarcinoma
  topic: keywords
subject: Molecular Subtype
  topic: keywords
subject: Immunotherapy
  topic: keywords
subject: Tumor Immune Microenvironment
  topic: keywords
creator: Ruhao Wu
creator: Kaisaierjiang Kadier
creator: Shuai Xu
creator: Peiyu Yuan
creator: Yu Yang
creator: Pengyuan Xu
creator: Xufeng Huang
creator: Shujing Zhou
creator: Song-Bin Guo
creator: Haonan Zhang
creator: Shiqian Zhang
creator: Chaoyang Yu
creator: Teng Li
creator: Ge Zhang
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-20
publication date: 2025-10-20
starting page: e137
ending page: e137
doi: 10.71321/fy14v342

ceerva81
type: item
title: Correlation Analysis between Spontaneous Nystagmus Characteristics and Semicircular Canal Dysfunction in Patients with Vestibular Neuritis: A Quantitative Study Using Electronystagmography and Video Head Impulse Test
description: Objective: To compare the characteristics of spontaneous nystagmus (SN) in patients with vestibular neuritis (VN) at different disease stages and to investigate its correlation with semicircular canal dysfunction. Methods: A total of 115 VN patients were enrolled, who were divided into acute phase (1 – 7 days), subacute phase (8 – 30 days) and chronic phase (>30 days) according to the course of disease. Quantitative assessment of SN was performed using electronystagmography (ENG), with particular focus on the slow phase velocity (SPV) in the horizontal plane. Simultaneously, vestibular-ocular reflex function was systematically evaluated through video head impulse test (vHIT), with quantitative measurements of angular vestibulo-ocular reflex (aVOR) gain and asymmetry of the affected semicircular canals. Results: Among 115 patients, 67 (58.3%) were in acute phase, 29 (25.2%) in subacute phase and 19 (16.5%) in chronic phase. The mean age of patients in the acute phase was significantly lower than that in the chronic phase (p = 0.028), while there was no significant difference between the subacute phase and the other two groups. 98 patients (85.2%) had SN, 62 patients (92.5%) in acute phase, 26 patients (89.7%) in subacute phase and 10 patients (52.6%) in chronic phase. SPV in acute phase was significantly higher than that in subacute phase (p = 0.003) and chronic phase (p < 0.001), but there was no significant difference between chronic phase and subacute phase. In 112 patients with VN, the horizontal semicircular canals were affected, and the mean aVOR gain and asymmetry of the damaged side were 0.47 ± 0.14 and 0.35 ± 0.14, respectively. The aVOR gain of injured side in chronic phase was significantly higher than that in acute phase (p < 0.001) and subacute phase (p = 0.007), but there was no significant difference between acute phase and subacute phase (p = 0.950). The asymmetry in chronic phase was significantly lower than that in acute phase (p = 0.001) and subacu…
subject: Digital Health and Public Health Informatics
  topic: section
subject: vestibular neuritis
  topic: keywords
subject: spontaneous nystagmus
  topic: keywords
subject: video head impulse test
  topic: keywords
creator: Jun Cao
creator: Jingye Wang
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-03-30
publication date: 2025-03-30
starting page: e149
ending page: e149
doi: 10.71321/ceerva81

Sphingomyelin mediates the association between natural killer cell receptor 2B4 (CD244) and head and neck cancer
type: item
description: Objective: To investigate the causal link between natural killer (NK) cell receptor CD244 and head and neck cancer (HNC), and to evaluate sphingomyelin (SM) as a potential mediator of this relationship. Methods: A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted using genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics from European cohorts (NCD244=14,735; NHNC=2,131; NSM=8,260). Instrumental variables (32 SNPs for CD244, 79 SNPs for HNC) were selected at genome-wide significance (P<5×10⁻⁸/5×10⁻⁶) after rigorous linkage disequilibrium clumping. Causal estimates were generated using inverse variance weighting (IVW), MR-Egger, and weighted median methods. Mediation analysis quantified SM's contribution to CD244-HNC associations. Results: Genetically predicted CD244 levels showed a protective effect against HNC (IVW OR=0.82 per SD, 95% CI:0.71-0.94, P<0.01), while elevated CD244 was associated with reduced SM levels (IVW OR=0.92, 95% CI:0.86-0.98, P<0.05). Conversely, SM demonstrated risk-enhancing effects on HNC (IVW OR=1.20, 95% CI:1.01-1.41, P=0.03). Mediation analysis revealed that SM accounted for 7.3% of the total CD244-associated HNC risk. Conclusion: This study establishes a causal protective role of CD244 in HNC pathogenesis, partially mediated through SM. The findings highlight CD244 and SM metabolism as potential targets for HNC immunomodulatory therapies. Future research should validate these mechanisms in diverse populations and explore additional mediators.
subject: Biomedical Data Science and Analytics
  topic: section
subject: NK cell
  topic: keywords
subject: CD244
  topic: keywords
subject: Head and Neck Cancer
  topic: keywords
subject: Sphingomyelin
  topic: keywords
subject: Mendelian Randomization
  topic: keywords
creator: Boxuan Han
creator: Shaokun Liu
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-03-30
publication date: 2025-03-30
starting page: e145
ending page: e145
doi: 10.71321/cdx1k098

Transthoracic pulmonary artery radiofrequency denervation (TPARFD) concomitantly with cardiac operations in adult atrial septal defect with pulmonary arterial hypertension: case report
type: item
description: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a life-threatening progressive disorder caused by increased resistance in the pulmonary vasculature. The condition may lead to right-sided heart failure and death. A 56-year-old woman was referred for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) with atrial septal defect, mitral regurgitation, and tricuspid regurgitation. Hemodynamic parameters were obtained by right heart catheterization. She underwent transthoracic pulmonary artery radiofrequency denervation (TPARFD), to relieve the pulmonary artery pressure, while concomitantly undergoing mitral valvuloplasty with 28 # Sorin ring, patch closure of atrial septal defect, and tricuspid annuloplasty with 28 # Edwards MC3 ring. Her hemodynamic parameters and functional capacity showed marked improvement after TPARFD.
subject: Medical Informatics Cases, Reviews and Applications
  topic: section
subject: Pulmonary artery radiofrequency denervation
  topic: keywords
subject: Pulmonary arterial hypertension
  topic: keywords
subject: Congenital heart disease
  topic: keywords
creator: Wenpeng Dong
creator: Shenglin Ge
creator: Min Lin
creator: Weida Zhang
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-20
publication date: 2025-10-20
starting page: e135
ending page: e135
doi: 10.71321/89fykb91

Impact of heavy metals on allostatic load in adults: a NHANES study
type: item
description: Background: Allostatic load, defined as the cumulative strain resulting from the chronic stress response, is associated with adverse health outcomes. Heavy metals, prevalent in various environmental pollutants, exert cumulative effects on the human body through exposure via water or food sources. However, the relationship between heavy metals and allostatic load remains poorly understood. The aim of this study is to examine the association between urinary metal concentrations and allostatic load. Methods: This study analyzed data from 4,231 adult participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2005 and 2010. We employed linear regression analysis, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), weighted quantile sum (WQS), and quantile g-computation (qgcomp) to investigate the associations between twelve urinary metals and allostatic load. Additionally, we developed K-nearest neighbors (KNN), random forest (RF), and XGBoost models to predict allostatic load scores (ALS). Results: Linear regression analysis indicated that the combined effects of the twelve urinary metals were negatively correlated with allostatic load. WQS, qgcomp, and BKMR analyses identified cesium (Cs), molybdenum (Mo), lead (Pb), platinum (Pt), and cobalt (Co) as the primary influencing factors (all p-values < 0.05). Furthermore, when predicting ALS based on heavy metal exposure, the random forest model outperformed the other machine learning algorithms, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.377428, compared to 2.501523 for KNN and 2.377733 for XGBoost. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that urinary metal concentrations are negatively associated with allostatic load, with Cs, Mo, Pt, Pb, and Co showing the most significant negative correlations. Further research is necessary to explore the causal relationships and underlying mechanisms. Additionally, our analysis demonstrated that the random forest model was the most effective for ALS prediction.
subject: Digital Health and Public Health Informatics
  topic: section
subject: Urinary metals
  topic: keywords
subject: Allostatic load score
  topic: keywords
subject: National health and nutrition examination survey
  topic: keywords
subject: Machine Learning
  topic: keywords
creator: Yiyin Rong
creator: Shenglin Luo
creator: Cong Wu
creator: Haozhe Huang
creator: Ming Chen
creator: Xingyu Liu
creator: Shaobo Wu
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-03-30
publication date: 2025-03-30
starting page: e133
ending page: e133
doi: 10.71321/3b9xjm29

Effects and Mechanisms of Parental Electromagnetic Radiation Exposure on Offspring Health: A Narrative Review
type: item
description: The advancement of technology has heightened concerns regarding the potential health effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) exposure on future generations. This review aims to synthesize current research on the health impacts of parental EMR exposure on offspring, focusing on underlying biological mechanisms and providing scientific evidence to support preventive health recommendations. Studies suggest parental EMR exposure may detrimentally impact offspring's neurological and reproductive systems. Numerous animal experiments and epidemiological studies indicate associations between EMR exposure and adverse outcomes, such as fetal dysplasia, cognitive impairment, and reproductive damage. This review further examines possible mechanisms, such as oxidative stress, apoptosis, and DNA damage. Investigating the health effects of EMR on offspring is crucial for developing preventive measures and intervention strategies to reduce congenital disabilities and enhance reproductive health. Given the methodological inconsistencies and variable results in existing studies, future research should focus on refining experimental designs to assess the long-term impacts of different EMR frequencies and intensities on developing individuals, thereby clarifying their public health implications. This review seeks to consolidate findings on the effects of parental EMR exposure on offspring health, elucidate underlying mechanisms, and provide evidence-based recommendations to support public health interventions for future generations.
subject: Medical Informatics Cases, Reviews and Applications
  topic: section
subject: Electromagnetic radiation
  topic: keywords
subject: Offspring
  topic: keywords
subject: Nerve
  topic: keywords
subject: Reproductive system
  topic: keywords
subject: Exposure
  topic: keywords
creator: Xiwen Yang
creator: Jiaming Guo
creator: Hongli Yan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-03-30
publication date: 2025-03-30
starting page: e132
ending page: e132
doi: 10.71321/24d64c27

Clinical Analysis of Children with Mixed Macrolide-Resistant Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Infection
type: item
description: Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the clinical characteristics of mixed macrolide-resistant mycoplasma pneumonia infections in children. Methods: The study included 167 hospitalized children with macrolide-resistant mycoplasma pneumonia. We analyzed the children's clinical data retrospectively, and compared the differences in the use of antibiotics, fever, hospitalization time, laboratory tests and complications between the mixed infection group and the separately infected group before admission. Results: Compared with the separately infected group, hospitalized children with mixed infection had a longer hospital stay, and there was a significant difference between the two (P<0.05); ALT, AST, LDH, CK, and PLT of children in the mixed infection group were significantly higher than those in the separately infected group (P<0.05); and the incidence of hepatic function impairment, cardiac enzyme profile abnormality, and pleural effusion in the children in the mixed infection group was higher than that in the separately infected group (P<0.01 ). Conclusion: Patients with macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia combined with mixed infections had prolonged hospital stays, increased systemic inflammatory response, and increased incidence of extrapulmonary complications compared with those with simple infections.
subject: Clinical Decision Support and AI in Medicine
  topic: section
subject: Mycoplasma pneumoniae
  topic: keywords
subject: mixed infection
  topic: keywords
subject: hospitalized children
  topic: keywords
creator: Zhengyuan Wang
creator: Yuanhong Xu
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-20
publication date: 2025-10-20
starting page: e131
ending page: e131
doi: 10.71321/3xpc7j52

Genetic Risk Mapping and Insights into Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Development
type: item
description: Background: Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a malignant tumor that has been increasing in incidence over the past few decades. Identifying the risk factors associated with EAC is crucial for prevention and early detection strategies. Methods: This study aimed to investigate the potential risk factors for EAC using a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. We attained genetic variants associated with 52 exposure factors s from available large-scale genome-wide association studies. Results: Genetic predisposition to childhood body mass index, forced expiratory volume in 1-second, glomerular filtration rate, telomere length, alcohol consumption, anxiety or depression, smoking, coffee consumption, time spent watching television, basal metabolic rate, body fat percentage, body mass index, hip circumference, obesity class 1, obesity class 2, trunk fat percentage, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, iron, Barrett's esophagus, and gastroesophageal reflux disease were associated with increased risk of EAC. In addition, we demonstrated that age at first birth, age at first sexual intercourse, age at menarche, years of schooling, type 1 diabetes, and fruit intake could suggestively decrease the odds of EAC. Conclusion: This study represents the inaugural MR investigation to present a comprehensive atlas of risk factors associated with EAC, which will aid in advancing the formulation of efficacious preventive and early detection approaches.
subject: Biomedical Data Science and Analytics
  topic: section
subject: Esophageal adenocarcinoma
  topic: keywords
subject: Mendelian randomization
  topic: keywords
subject: single-nucleotide polymorphisms
  topic: keywords
subject: risk factor
  topic: keywords
subject: early detection
  topic: keywords
creator: Wenjie Li
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-03-30
publication date: 2025-03-30
starting page: e130
ending page: e130
doi: 10.71321/mczdpt96

Unraveling the Role of Anoikis in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Progression and Immune Cell Infiltration
type: item
description: Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent chronic liver disease with complex molecular mechanisms. Anoikis, a distinct form of programmed cell death, has been implicated in disease progression, but its specific role in NAFLD remains unclear. This study aims to identify anoikis-related molecular clusters, explore their immune characteristics, and construct a predictive model for NAFLD prognosis. Methods: Gene expression profiles of NAFLD samples were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was applied to identify cluster-specific differentially expressed genes. Immune infiltration analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between anoikis-related clusters and immune cell composition. Machine learning was used to screen feature genes, and a predictive model was developed. The model’s performance was assessed using nomograms, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: Two distinct anoikis-related molecular clusters were identified, each exhibiting unique immune microenvironment characteristics. Cluster 1 showed higher levels of CD8 T cells, γ-delta T cells, and macrophages (M1 and M2), while Cluster 2 had increased monocytes, activated dendritic cells, and neutrophils, reflecting inflammatory heterogeneity. Four key genes (TMEM169, THBS1, ASIP, and BRCA1) were identified through machine learning and incorporated into a predictive model. The model’s accuracy in predicting NAFLD prognosis was confirmed through nomograms, calibration curves, and DCA. Conclusion: This study established an anoikis-related prognostic model for NAFLD and identified key genes involved in disease progression. The findings provide novel insights into the interplay between anoikis, immune responses, and NAFLD, offering potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for personalized treatment.
subject: Precision Medicine Informatics
  topic: section
subject: NAFLD
  topic: keywords
subject: Anoikis
  topic: keywords
subject: Apoptosis
  topic: keywords
subject: Machine learning
  topic: keywords
creator: Yuming Wang
creator: Xinqiang Li
creator: Jijun Shan
creator: Ruidong Ding
creator: Jinzhen Cai
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-03-30
publication date: 2025-03-30
starting page: e129
ending page: e129
doi: 10.71321/p63ws623

Exploring Long Noncoding RNAs and Ferroptosis in Cancer Progression
type: item
description: Ferroptosis is a new type of regulated cell death produced by iron-dependent accumulation of reactive oxygen species in lipids, which is different from apoptosis, pyroptosis and autophagy, and plays the role of a "double-edged sword" in tumor therapy. Ferroptosis-related lncRNA are involved in tumor cell death by regulating lipid metabolism and ferroptosis-associated genes, thus becoming one of the hotspots in the field of tumor-targeted therapy. In this paper, we review the role of ferroptosis and its related lncRNA in inhibiting the development of tumor cells and improving the therapeutic effect of drugs, which is expected to provide a new strategy for the treatment of tumors.
subject: Medical Informatics Cases, Reviews and Applications
  topic: section
subject: Ferroptosis; Long non-coding RNAs; Oncotherapy
  topic: keywords
creator: Qiulian Mo
creator: Yunshan Qiu
creator: Yuni Liang
creator: Qiaoying Wei
creator: Xuefei Fan
creator: Wenpeng Pang
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-03-30
publication date: 2025-03-30
starting page: e128
ending page: e128
doi: 10.71321/jjrzya36

Research Progress of Epigenetic Regulation in Stroke Treatment
type: item
description: Cerebrovascular diseases are a serious threat to human health, among which stroke is extremely harmful. In recent years, more and more studies have shown that epigenetic regulation is crucial in the development of cerebrovascular diseases. In this review, we focus on the research progress of epigenetic regulation in stroke treatment, detailing the regulatory mechanisms of DNA methylation, histone modification and non-coding RNAs, and analyzing their roles in the pathophysiology of stroke. It was found that ischemic stroke causes dynamic changes in DNA methylation, which affects gene expression and alters the process of injury and recovery; histone modification levels are also altered after stroke, which affects chromatin status and gene transcription; and noncoding RNAs, such as miRNAs, siRNAs, piRNAs, and lncRNAs, which play a key role in gene expression regulation, are associated with the risk of stroke, severity and symptom onset. In addition, therapeutic strategies targeting epigenetic regulation are also discussed. Although facing challenges such as complex mechanisms, susceptibility to environmental influences, and the early stage of drug development, epigenetic regulation is still very promising in the treatment of stroke, and it is expected to provide a new theoretical basis and research direction for the prevention and treatment of stroke in the future.
subject: Precision Medicine Informatics
  topic: section
subject: Epigenetic regulation;
  topic: keywords
subject: Stroke;
  topic: keywords
subject: DNA methylation;
  topic: keywords
subject: Histone modification;
  topic: keywords
subject: Non-coding RNA;
  topic: keywords
subject: Therapeutic targets
  topic: keywords
creator: Tiancai Yang
creator: Lei Feng
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-03-30
publication date: 2025-03-30
starting page: e124
ending page: e124
doi: 10.71321/y2sx8j49

Deciphering the multifaceted significance of MPZL2 in pancreatic cancer via in-depth bioinformatics analyses
type: item
description: Pancreatic cancer, a deadly malignancy with a median survival of less than 1 year, urgently requires biomarkers for prognosis prediction. MPZL2, associated with poor outcomes in other cancers, was analyzed in pancreatic cancer using TCGA and GTEX data. Our study found increased MPZL2 expression in PAAD, which can distinguish patients from healthy individuals with an AUC of 0.919. High MPZL2 levels correlate with worse survival outcomes and identify malignant tumor cells as the primary source. CMap analysis suggests clofibrate may reverse MPZL2 - driven molecular changes. In conclusion, MPZL2 is a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in PAAD
subject: Biomedical Data Science and Analytics
  topic: section
subject: MPZL2
  topic: keywords
subject: Pancreatic cancer
  topic: keywords
subject: TCGA
  topic: keywords
creator: Ziye Zhuang
creator: Lai Jiang
creator: Yubin Feng
creator: Yuan Kang
creator: Hao Chi
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-12-30
publication date: 2024-12-30
starting page: e117
ending page: e117
doi: 10.71321/75r4yp80

Development and Validation of Nomogram for Predicting the Risk of Community-acquired Pneumonia after Kidney Transplantation of Deceased Donors
type: item
description: Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the main complications associated with kidney transplantation recipient (KTR). In order to retrospectively analyze KT cases from deceased donors (DD), and construct a nomogram that could effectively assess the risk of CAP. Methods: We employed logistic regression and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) to identify predictors from 238 cases collected at Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, between January 1, 2018, and May 31, 2023. The dataset comprised 6 demographic and 18 clinical indicators, which were used for training and validation. A nomogram was constructed using these predictors, and its effectiveness was evaluated through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, calibration curves, and clinical decision analysis. Internal validation further confirmed the model's predictive accuracy. Results: The predictive factors screened in terms of demographic data included recipient/donor age and body mass index. The clinical data screened eight predictors to obtain ‘RiskScore’. The Area under Curve value for the nomogram constructed using the aforementioned predictors was recorded to be 0.779. The calibration curve showed that the model exhibited better predictive performance. In particular, DCA showed that in cases where the probability for the prediction of CAP was 0.13–0.61, the clinical intervention was recommended. The internally verified data established a better predictive ability of the model. Conclusion: The study constructed an effective and concise prediction model based on clinical data, providing an important reference baseline for the prevention of CAP in KTR.
subject: Clinical Decision Support and AI in Medicine
  topic: section
subject: deceased donor; kidney transplantation; community-acquired pneumonia; nomogram; risk predictor
  topic: keywords
creator: Dongsheng Li
creator: Mo Yang
creator: Ji Zhang
creator: Jinbiao Zhong
creator: Handong Ding
creator: Wei Chen
creator: Jiashan Pan
creator: Guiyi Liao
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-03-30
publication date: 2025-03-30
starting page: e115
ending page: e115
doi: 10.71321/kbfm1398

Global research status and hotspots of squamous cell carcinoma endothelial cells in the last 20 years: A bibliometric analysis
type: item
description: Objective: The aim is to analyze the current research status and hotspots of squamous cell carcinoma endothelial cells and to provide a reference for the following fundamental research and clinical treatment. Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database was searched for literature on squamous cell carcinoma endothelial cells from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2023. The results were analyzed for research trends, authors, countries, research institutions, and keywords using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and the bibliometrixc data package in R language. Results: 3217 articles were included in the analysis, and the number of articles published in the past five years is relatively stable. The number of publications from 89 countries and 3,163 institutions has been relatively stable in the past five years, of which 800 are from China, 195 are from the University of Texas System, which is higher than that of other countries and institutions, and there is a big difference in the number of publications between countries and institutions. Prof. Marioni Gino has published 16 relevant papers, and 713 citations have been given to Forkman J, so there is more frequent cooperation between scholars. There are more frequent collaborations among scholars. Eight hundred sixty-eight journals published relevant papers, with Oral Oncology having the highest number of articles and Cancer Research having the highest number of citations. The most cited reference is “Hallmarks of cancer: the next generation,” DOI:10.1016/j.cell.2011.02.013 (intensity 21.75). In the last five years, keywords with high intensity are migration, tumor microenvironment, open-label, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, t cells, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and recurrent. Conclusion: The development of squamous cell carcinoma endothelial cell research is uneven among different countries, institutions, and authors, and the journal Oral Oncology publishes the most relevant papers, with current research…
subject: Medical Informatics Cases, Reviews and Applications
  topic: section
subject: Squamous cell carcinoma; Endothelial cells; Research progress; Bibliometric analysis; hotspot
  topic: keywords
creator: Jiang Li
creator: Zhe Dong
creator: Wei Ren
creator: Sibo Bi
creator: Tianwen Gao
creator: Junyi Zhou
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-12-30
publication date: 2024-12-30
starting page: e114
ending page: e114
doi: 10.71321/m8qh8d83

A Mendelian randomization study investigating the causal relationship between 35 blood and urine metabolite biomarkers and postmenopausal osteoporosis
type: item
description: Objective: This study intends to investigate the causal association between 35 blood and urine biomarkers and postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) through two-way Mendelian randomization analysis. Methods: This study adopted a two-way Mendelian randomization analysis, with data sourced from the UK Biobank and the Finnish Biobank Study. Among them, the R12 dataset of the Finnish Biobank Study was used as the test set, and the R11 dataset as the validation set. The study regarded 35 biomarkers as exposure factors and PMOP (a condition characterized by decreased bone density after menopause) as the outcome variable. It was analyzed through methods such as the inverse variance weighting method, the weighted median method, and MR-Egger regression, and combined with the MR-PRESSO test to exclude the influence of pleiotropy. Results: In the positive direction analysis, alkaline phosphatase, glomerular filtration rate, sex hormone-binding globulin, and total protein showed statistical significance in both the test set and the validation set, and they were all risk factors for PMOP. Direct bilirubin and uric acid demonstrated statistical significance in both the test and validation sets, and they served as protective factors against PMOP. In the negative direction analysis, alkaline phosphatase showed statistical significance in both the test set and the validation set, being a positive result for PMOP; sex hormone-binding globulin and total bilirubin showed statistical significance in both the test set and the validation set, being negative results for PMOP. Conclusion: Employing bidirectional Mendelian randomization methodology, this investigation elucidated the causal relationships between multiple hematological and urinary biomarkers and PMOP. The results provide promising biomarker candidates for future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies targeting PMOP, while simultaneously establishing a robust framework for subsequent exploration of its underlying pathophysiological …
subject: Biomedical Data Science and Analytics
  topic: section
subject: Postmenopausal osteoporosis
  topic: keywords
subject: Blood and urine biomarkers
  topic: keywords
subject: Mendelian Randomization
  topic: keywords
subject: Causal association
  topic: keywords
subject: Metabolite
  topic: keywords
creator: Yimin Liu
creator: Runtong Liu
creator: Yuhan Zhao
creator: Yongheng Wang
creator: Xiaoli Hou
creator: Fuyuan Cao
creator: Xinhao Fan
creator: Lei Xing
creator: Binbin An
creator: Faming Tian
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-12-30
publication date: 2024-12-30
starting page: e111
ending page: e111
doi: 10.71321/ktnt2936

Inflammatory Responses of High Mobility Group Protein B1 in Disease: Current Trends, novel Insights, and challenges
type: item
description: HMGB1, a key member of the HMG protein family, stabilizes nucleosomes and mediates infection, injury, and late inflammatory responses. Its related research is crucial in critical care medicine, cancer, and neurological diseases, yet current reports inadequately present its status. This review makes a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the past hmgb1 research, and makes a graphical analysis of the trends and hotspots of HMGB1-related research. From 1976 to 2024, a total of 5992 articles were included, and the number of published papers and citations showed an increasing trend. China and the United States are leading contributors in this field, with the University of Pittsburgh being the most prominent research institution. Among the authors, Billiar, Timothy R. is the most prolific author, while Yang, H. ranks first in co-citation frequency. Inspection of the literature and keywords reveals that disease and its clinical diagnosis and treatment, cell death, mechanism, and molecular pattern are popular research topics. About disease frontiers, critical care medicine (sepsis, endotoxemia, severe viral hemorrhagic fever, multiple organ failure) is the earliest identified and very popular direction of HMGB1, and neurological diseases-related research are at the forefront of the field. In summary, this study employs bibliometrics to identify, visualize, and discuss trends and hotspots in HMGB1 research. Through comprehensive analysis of extensive literature, the aim is to clarify the current research status of HMGB1-related diseases, understand major trends, find potential collaborators, and discover promising and innovative research directions.
subject: Medical Informatics Cases, Reviews and Applications
  topic: section
subject: HMGB1
  topic: keywords
subject: disease
  topic: keywords
subject: inflammatory responses
  topic: keywords
creator: Yan Huang
creator: Lina Qin
creator: Guangtao Liang
creator: Peng Dong
creator: Xiaoya Xiong
creator: Yantong Wan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-12-30
publication date: 2024-12-30
starting page: e106
ending page: e106
doi: 10.71321/4an4s550

Research on the Impact of PiCCO-guided Precise Fluid Resuscitation on Hemodynamics and Organ Perfusion in Patients with Extremely Severe Burns
type: item
description: Objective: To explore the impact of Pulse Indicator Continuous Cardiac Output (PiCCO) on hemodynamics and organ perfusion during fluid resuscitation in patients with extremely severe burns. Methods: This study adopted a retrospective cohort study design. A total of 32 patients with extremely severe burns admitted to the Burn Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from June 2022 to July 2024 were included. According to the monitoring methods, they were divided into a conventional monitoring group ( n = 17 ) and a PiCCO group ( n = 15 ). The basic data, fluid replacement indicators (total fluid replacement volume, urine output, fluid replacement coefficient, urine output per hour per kilogram of body weight), hemodynamic parameters [mean arterial pressure (MAP), central venous pressure (CVP), heart rate (HR), cardiac index (CI), cardiac output (CO), systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), extravascular lung water index (EVLWI), global end-diastolic volume index (GEDVI), intrathoracic blood volume index (ITBVI)], laboratory indicators [lactate (Lac), base excess (BE), creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase - MB (CK - MB), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr)] and clinical outcomes (complication incidence, 30 - day mortality, antibiotic use time, hospital stay and cost) of the two groups were compared. T-test, repeated-measures analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney U test, Bonferroni correction, chi-square test, and Fisher's exact probability method were used for statistical analysis. Results: A comparison of the relevant indicators of patients with extremely severe burns between the PiCCO monitoring group and the conventional monitoring group showed no difference in the general conditions between the two groups ( P>0.05 ). The total fluid replacement volume in the PiCCO monitoring group was higher in the first, second, and third 24h periods after injury ( P<0.…
subject: Clinical Decision Support and AI in Medicine
  topic: section
subject: Extremely Severe Burns; Hemodynamics; PICCO; Fluid Resuscitation
  topic: keywords
creator: Lulu Jiang
creator: Zijian Zhang
creator: Yindong Wu
creator: Youxin Yu
creator: Yi Hu
creator: Delin Hu
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Life Conflux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-12-30
publication date: 2024-12-30
starting page: e101
ending page: e101
doi: 10.71321/7gk65202