GATA3 as an immunomodulator in obesity-related metabolic dysfunction associated with fatty liver disease, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes

Metabolic dysfunction-associated profiles and subsequent site-specific risk of obesity-related cancers among Chinese patients with diabetes: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To compare metabolic dysfunction-associated profiles between patients with diabetes who developed different obesity-related site-specific cancers and those who remained free of cancer during follow-up.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Public general outpatient clinics in Hong Kong.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients with diabetes without a history of malignancy (n=391 921).

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The outcomes of interest were diagnosis of site-specific cancers (colon and rectum, liver, pancreas, bladder, kidney and stomach) during follow-up. Cox proportional hazards regression was applied to assess the associations between metabolic dysfunction and other clinical factors with each site-specific cancer.

RESULTS

Each 0.1 increase in waist-to-hip ratio was associated with an 11%-35% elevated risk of colorectal, bladder and liver cancers. Each 1% increase in glycated haemoglobin was linked to a 4%-9% higher risk of liver and pancreatic cancers. While low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides were inversely associated with the risk of liver and pancreatic cancers, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was negatively associated with pancreatic, gastric and kidney cancers, but positively associated with liver cancer. Furthermore, liver cirrhosis was linked to a 56% increased risk of pancreatic cancer. No significant association between hypertension and cancer risk was found.

CONCLUSIONS

Metabolic dysfunction-associated profiles contribute to different obesity-related cancer outcomes differentially among patients with diabetes. This study may provide evidence to help identify cancer prevention targets during routine diabetes care.

Dynamic changes and clinical value of lipocalin 2 in liver diseases caused by microbial infections

Lipocalin 2 (LCN2) plays a pivotal role in iron metabolism, particularly in the context of microbial infection resistance (e.g., viruses, bacteria, parasites, etc.). LCN2 combats microbial infection by directly assisting the body in competing with microorganisms for iron, inducing immune cells to secrete various cytokines to enhance systemic immune responses, or recruiting neutrophils to infectious sites. The liver serves as the primary organ for LCN2 secretion during microbial infections. This review encapsulates recent advances in dynamic changes, clinical values, and the effects of LCN2 in infectious liver diseases caused by various microbial microorganisms.

Proinflammatory pattern in the lower airways of non-asthmatic obese adolescents

BACKGROUND

Obesity is known to be a pro-inflammatory condition affecting multiple organs. Obesity as a systemic pro-inflammatory state, might be associated with bronchial inflammation in non-smoking adolescents with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 without evidence of concomitant chronic diseases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We studied non-asthmatic obese patients (n = 20; median age 15.8 years; BMI 35.0 kg/m2) compared to age matched healthy control subjects (n = 20; median age 17.5 years; BMI 21.5 kg/m2). Induced sputum differential cell counts and sputum mRNA levels were assessed for all study subjects. Serum levels of CRP, IL-6, and IL-8 were measured. Further, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-13, IL-17, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IP-10 protein levels were analyzed in induced sputum was.

RESULTS

Serum CRP levels, sputum inflammatory cell load and sputum eosinophils differed significantly between obese and non-obese subjects, for sputum neutrophils, a correlation was shown with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. Differences were also observed for sputum mRNA expression of IL6, IL8, IL13, IL17, IL23, and IFN-γ, as well as the transcription factors T-bet, GATA3, and FoxP3.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased bronchial inflammation, triggered by systemic or local inflammatory effects of obesity itself, may account for the higher rates of airway disease in obese adolescents.

Study on Potential Differentially Expressed Genes in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis by Bioinformatics and Next-Generation Sequencing Data Analysis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressive lung disease with reduced quality of life and earlier mortality, but its pathogenesis and key genes are still unclear. In this investigation, bioinformatics was used to deeply analyze the pathogenesis of IPF and related key genes, so as to investigate the potential molecular pathogenesis of IPF and provide guidance for clinical treatment. Next-generation sequencing dataset GSE213001 was obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between IPF and normal control group. The DEGs between IPF and normal control group were screened with the DESeq2 package of R language. The Gene Ontology (GO) and REACTOME pathway enrichment analyses of the DEGs were performed. Using the g:Profiler, the function and pathway enrichment analyses of DEGs were performed. Then, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed via the Integrated Interactions Database (IID) database. Cytoscape with Network Analyzer was used to identify the hub genes. miRNet and NetworkAnalyst databaseswereused to construct the targeted microRNAs (miRNAs), transcription factors (TFs), and small drug molecules. Finally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to validate the hub genes. A total of 958 DEGs were screened out in this study, including 479 up regulated genes and 479 down regulated genes. Most of the DEGs were significantly enriched in response to stimulus, GPCR ligand binding, microtubule-based process, and defective GALNT3 causes HFTC. In combination with the results of the PPI network, miRNA-hub gene regulatory network and TF-hub gene regulatory network, hub genes including LRRK2, BMI1, EBP, MNDA, KBTBD7, KRT15, OTX1, TEKT4, SPAG8, and EFHC2 were selected. Cyclothiazide and rotigotinethe are predicted small drug molecules for IPF treatment. Our findings will contribute to identification of potential biomarkers and novel strategies for the treatment of IPF, and provide a novel strategy for clinical therapy.

Effectiveness and Safety of Fufang Danshen Dripping Pill (Cardiotonic Pill) on Blood Viscosity and Hemorheological Factors for Cardiovascular Event Prevention in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and Objectives: Diabetes can cause various vascular complications. The Compounded Danshen-Dripping-Pill (CDDP) is widely used in China. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness and safety of CDDP in the blood viscosity (BV) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods: We conducted a systematic search of seven databases from their inception to July 2022 for randomized controlled trials that used CDDP to treat T2DM. To evaluate BV, we measured low shear rate (LSR), high shear rate (HSR), and plasma viscosity (PV). Homocysteine and adiponectin levels were also assessed as factors that could affect BV. Results: We included 18 studies and 1532 patients with T2DM. Meta-analysis revealed that CDDP significantly reduced LSR (mean difference [MD] -2.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] -3.77 to -1.72), HSR (MD -0.86, 95% CI -1.08 to -0.63), and PV (MD -0.37, 95% CI -0.54 to -0.19) compared to controls. CDDP also reduced homocysteine (MD -8.32, 95% CI -9.05 to -7.58), and increased plasma adiponectin (MD 2.72, 95% CI 2.13 to 3.32). Adverse events were reported less frequently in the treatment groups than in controls. Conclusions: CDDP is effective in reducing BV on T2DM. However, due to the poor design and quality of the included studies, high-quality, well-designed studies are required in the future.

Traditional Chinese medicines and natural products targeting immune cells in the treatment of metabolic-related fatty liver disease

MAFLD stands for metabolic-related fatty liver disease, which is a prevalent liver disease affecting one-third of adults worldwide, and is strongly associated with obesity, hyperlipidemia, and type 2 diabetes. It encompasses a broad spectrum of conditions ranging from simple liver fat accumulation to advanced stages like chronic inflammation, tissue damage, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma. With limited approved drugs for MAFLD, identifying promising drug targets and developing effective treatment strategies is essential. The liver plays a critical role in regulating human immunity, and enriching innate and adaptive immune cells in the liver can significantly improve the pathological state of MAFLD. In the modern era of drug discovery, there is increasing evidence that traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions, natural products and herb components can effectively treat MAFLD. Our study aims to review the current evidence supporting the potential benefits of such treatments, specifically targeting immune cells that are responsible for the pathogenesis of MAFLD. By providing new insights into the development of traditional drugs for the treatment of MAFLD, our findings may pave the way for more effective and targeted therapeutic approaches.