Int J Med Sci
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Background: Although associations between low protein diet (LPD) and changes of gut microbiota have been reported; however, systematic discernment of the effects of LPD on diet-microbiome-host interaction in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is lacking. Methods: We searched PUBMED and EMBASE for articles published on changes of gut microbiota associated with implementation of LPD in CKD patients until July 2021. Independent researchers extracted data and assessed risks of bias. ⋯ Other clinical (sodium, potassium, phosphate, albumin, fasting sugar, uric acid, total cholesterol, triglycerides, C-reactive protein and hemoglobin) and anthropometric estimates (body mass index, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure) did not differ between the two groups. Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that the effects of LPD on the microbiota were observed predominantly at the families and species levels but minimal on microbial diversity or richness. In the absence of global compositional microbiota shifts, the species-level changes appear insufficient to alter metabolic or clinical outputs.
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Comparative Study
Risk factors for illness severity in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia: a prospective cohort study.
Background: Although COVID-19 pneumonia is spreading internationally, knowledge regarding the factors associated with the illness severity of patients remains limited. We aimed to identify the factors associated with the disease severity of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia induced by a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods: We prospectively enrolled a single-center case series of adult patients with COVID-19 admitted to the Infectious Disease Hospital of Jining, Jining City, Shandong Province, China, from January 24 to March 1, 2020. ⋯ As compared to a moderately ill cohort, our analysis showed that shortness of breath, fatigue, longer days from illness onset to diagnosis confirmed, neutrophil percentages > 70%, neutrophil counts > 6.3 × 109/L, lymphocyte percentages < 20%, lymphocyte counts < 1.0 × 109/L, platelet < 100 × 109/L, C-reactive protein (CRP) > 10 mg/L, neutrophil to platelet ratio (NPR) > 2.3, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) > 3.9, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) > 40 U/L, albumin < 40 g/L, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) > 245 U/L, and glucose > 6.1 mmol/L were predictors of disease severity in COVID-19 pneumonia. In the sex-, age-, and comorbid illness-matched case-control study, neutrophil percentages > 70%, neutrophil counts > 6.3 × 109/L, lymphocyte percentages < 20%, NPR > 2.3, NLR > 3.9, albumin < 40 g/L, and LDH > 245 U/L remained associated with the early detection and identification of severe patients. Conclusion: We demonstrated that neutrophil percentages > 70%, neutrophil counts > 6.3 × 109/L, lymphocyte percentages < 20%, NPR > 2.3, NLR > 3.9, albumin < 40 g/L, and LDH > 245 U/L might predict the severity of illness in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.
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Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) may be the key factor in the pathology of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As a major driver in triggering CRS in patients with COVID-19, interleukin-6 (IL-6) appears to be a promising target for therapeutics. The results of inhibiting both trans- and classical- signaling with marketed IL-6 inhibitors (tocilizumab, siltuximab and sarilumab) in severe COVID-19 patients are effective based on several small studies and case reports thus far. In this review, we described the evidence of the IL-6 response in patients with COVID-19, clarified the pathogenesis of the role of IL-6-mediated CRS in severe COVID-19, and highlighted the rationale for the use of anti-IL-6 agents and key information regarding the potential features of these IL-6 inhibitors in COVID-19 patients.
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Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IDD) is a multifactorial pathological process associated with low back pain (LBP). The pathogenesis is complicated, and the main pathological changes are IVD cell apoptosis and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. Apoptotic cell loss leads to ECM degradation, which plays an essential role in IDD pathogenesis. ⋯ Preliminary animal and cell experiments show that targeting apoptotic pathway genes or drug inhibition can effectively inhibit IVD cell apoptosis and slow IDD progression. Targeted apoptotic pathway inhibition may be an effective strategy to alleviate IDD at the gene level. This manuscript provides new insights and ideas for IDD therapy.
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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease which is mainly characterized by synovitis and results in a severe burden for both the individual and society. To date, the underlying mechanisms of RA are still poorly understood. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a typical long pentraxin protein which has been highly conserved during evolution. ⋯ We therefore accomplished an elaboration of the relationships between PTX3 and RA. Herein, we mainly focus on the associated cell types and cognate cytokines involved in RA, in combination with PTX3. This review infers the insight into the interaction of PTX3 in RA and aims to provide novel clues for potential therapeutic target of RA in clinic.