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Causal effects between gut microbiota and endometriosis: a two-sample Mendelian randomisation study.Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology :... Dec 2024Previous observational evidence has indicated the potential involvement of the gut microbiota (GM) in the development of endometriosis. However, the causal relationship...
BACKGROUND
Previous observational evidence has indicated the potential involvement of the gut microbiota (GM) in the development of endometriosis. However, the causal relationship of the association remains to be investigated.
METHOD
Genome-wide association study (GWAS) data of GM was obtained from the MiBioGen consortium, and GWAS for endometriosis data was from the FinnGen consortium. Initially, a two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis was performed to identify specific bacteria associated with endometriosis. Inverse variance-weighted (IVW) was used as the main MR analysis to infer causal relationships. The other four popular MR methods including MR-Egger regression, weighted mode, weighted median, and simple mode were used for secondary confirmation. Subsequently, these selected bacteria were employed as exposure to investigate their causal effects on six sub-types of endometriosis. Furthermore, reverse MR analysis was implemented to evaluate the reverse causal effects. Cochran's Q statistics was used to test the heterogeneity of instrumental variables (IVs); MR-Egger regression was used to test horizontal pleiotropy; MR-PRESSO and leave-one-out sensitivity analysis were applied to find significant outliers.
RESULT
A total of 1131 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were collected as IVs for 196 GM taxa with endometriosis as the outcome. We identified 12 causal relationships between endometriosis and GM taxa including 1 phylum, 3 families, 2 orders, and 6 genera (Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, Eubacterium ruminantium group, Faecalibacterium, Peptococcus, Clostridium sensu stricto 1, and Ruminococcaceae UCG005). Utilizing the Bonferroni method, we identified phylum Cyanobacteria as the strongest associated GM taxa. Subsequently, 6 significant causal effects were uncovered between the 12 selected specific GM and 6 sub-types of endometriosis. Meanwhile, no reverse causal relationship was found. Further, no horizontal pleiotropy and no significant outliers were detected in the sensitive analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
This MR analysis revealed significant causal effects between GM and endometriosis and phylum Cyanobacteria had the strongest association.
Topics: Endometriosis; Humans; Female; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Genome-Wide Association Study; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Causality
PubMed: 38885114
DOI: 10.1080/01443615.2024.2362415 -
JAMA Network Open Jun 2024Persistent symptoms and disability following SARS-CoV-2 infection, known as post-COVID-19 condition or "long COVID," are frequently reported and pose a substantial...
IMPORTANCE
Persistent symptoms and disability following SARS-CoV-2 infection, known as post-COVID-19 condition or "long COVID," are frequently reported and pose a substantial personal and societal burden.
OBJECTIVE
To determine time to recovery following SARS-CoV-2 infection and identify factors associated with recovery by 90 days.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
For this prospective cohort study, standardized ascertainment of SARS-CoV-2 infection was conducted starting in April 1, 2020, across 14 ongoing National Institutes of Health-funded cohorts that have enrolled and followed participants since 1971. This report includes data collected through February 28, 2023, on adults aged 18 years or older with self-reported SARS-CoV-2 infection.
EXPOSURE
Preinfection health conditions and lifestyle factors assessed before and during the pandemic via prepandemic examinations and pandemic-era questionnaires.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Probability of nonrecovery by 90 days and restricted mean recovery times were estimated using Kaplan-Meier curves, and Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to assess multivariable-adjusted associations with recovery by 90 days.
RESULTS
Of 4708 participants with self-reported SARS-CoV-2 infection (mean [SD] age, 61.3 [13.8] years; 2952 women [62.7%]), an estimated 22.5% (95% CI, 21.2%-23.7%) did not recover by 90 days post infection. Median (IQR) time to recovery was 20 (8-75) days. By 90 days post infection, there were significant differences in restricted mean recovery time according to sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle characteristics, particularly by acute infection severity (outpatient vs critical hospitalization, 32.9 days [95% CI, 31.9-33.9 days] vs 57.6 days [95% CI, 51.9-63.3 days]; log-rank P < .001). Recovery by 90 days post infection was associated with vaccination prior to infection (hazard ratio [HR], 1.30; 95% CI, 1.11-1.51) and infection during the sixth (Omicron variant) vs first wave (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.06-1.49). These associations were mediated by reduced severity of acute infection (33.4% and 17.6%, respectively). Recovery was unfavorably associated with female sex (HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.79-0.92) and prepandemic clinical cardiovascular disease (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.71-0.99). No significant multivariable-adjusted associations were observed for age, educational attainment, smoking history, obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or elevated depressive symptoms. Results were similar for reinfections.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
In this cohort study, more than 1 in 5 adults did not recover within 3 months of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Recovery within 3 months was less likely in women and those with preexisting cardiovascular disease and more likely in those with COVID-19 vaccination or infection during the Omicron variant wave.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Female; Male; Middle Aged; SARS-CoV-2; Prospective Studies; Aged; Adult; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome; Pandemics; United States
PubMed: 38884994
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.17440 -
Clinical and Experimental Medicine Jun 2024CD8 + T cells exert a critical role in eliminating cancers and chronic infections, and can provide long-term protective immunity. However, under the exposure of... (Review)
Review
CD8 + T cells exert a critical role in eliminating cancers and chronic infections, and can provide long-term protective immunity. However, under the exposure of persistent antigen, CD8 + T cells can differentiate into terminally exhausted CD8 + T cells and lose the ability of immune surveillance and disease clearance. New insights into the molecular mechanisms of T-cell exhaustion suggest that it is a potential way to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy by restoring the function of exhausted CD8 + T cells. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is an important executor of immune homeostasis and tolerance, inhibiting the expansion and function of many components of the immune system. Recent studies have shown that TGF-β is one of the drivers for the development of exhausted CD8 + T cells. In this review, we summarized the role and mechanisms of TGF-β in the formation of exhausted CD8 + T cells and discussed ways to target those to ultimately enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy.
Topics: Humans; Transforming Growth Factor beta; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Immunotherapy; Neoplasms; Animals
PubMed: 38884843
DOI: 10.1007/s10238-024-01394-0 -
JAAD Case Reports Jul 2024
PubMed: 38883174
DOI: 10.1016/j.jdcr.2024.04.019 -
ACS Omega Jun 2024In exploring the viability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) for Mars missions, our study first delved into their temperature endurance in conditions mimicking the...
In exploring the viability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) for Mars missions, our study first delved into their temperature endurance in conditions mimicking the Martian climate, revealing remarkable thermal stability within the temperature range of 173-303 K. We then pioneered the examination of PSC resilience to electrostatic discharge (ESD), a critical factor given the frequent Martian dust activities. In a custom-built Martian simulation chamber, we discovered that ESD exposure dramatically reduced the power conversion efficiency of these devices by more than half (55.4%) in just 90 s. This groundbreaking research not only advances our understanding of the potential of PSCs for Mars exploration but also opens new avenues for optimizing solar technology in extreme environments.
PubMed: 38882146
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c02887 -
International Journal of Cardiology Jun 2024The purpose of this study was to analyse the association between stannum exposure during pregnancy and congenital heart diseases in offspring.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to analyse the association between stannum exposure during pregnancy and congenital heart diseases in offspring.
METHODS
Based on a prospective birth cohort study conducted in Gansu Maternal and Child Health Hospital from 2010 to 2012, 14,359 pregnant women were followed up using a nested case-control study method. 97 pregnant women whose offspring were diagnosed with CHDs were used as the case group, and 194 pregnant women whose offspring did not suffer from congenital heart diseases were used as the control group in a ratio of 1:2 according to their age and place of birth. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to determine elemental stannum in blood samples from pregnant women hospitalized for delivery and in fetal cord blood samples. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between stannum and offspring CHDs.
RESULTS
There was a moderate positive correlation between the concentration of stannum in pregnant women's blood and that in umbilical cord blood. A higher concentrations of maternal blood stannum level was associated with a greater risk of CHDs (aOR 3.409, 95%CI 1.785-6.826), isolated CHDs (aOR 4.044, 95%CI 1.803-9.070), multiple CHDs (aOR 2.625, 95%CI 1.137-6.061), patent ductus arteriosus (aOR 2.882, 95%CI 1.443-5.756), atrial septal defects (aOR 3.067, 95%CI 1.406-6.690), ventricular septal defects (aOR 7.414, 95%CI 1.414-38.874). There was a correlation between the maternal and cord blood sample suggesting stannum crosses the placenta.
PubMed: 38880423
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2024.132270 -
Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders Jun 2024This study aimed to investigate the factors contributing to the variability of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) among individuals born and residing in France. Geographical...
BACKGROUND
This study aimed to investigate the factors contributing to the variability of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) among individuals born and residing in France. Geographical variation in MS prevalence was observed in France, but the role of genetic and environmental factors in explaining this heterogeneity has not been yet elucidated.
METHODS
We employed a heritability analysis on a cohort of 403 trios with an MS-affected proband in the French population. This sample was retrieved from REFGENSEP register of MS cases collected in 23 French hospital centers from 1992 to 2017. Our objective was to quantify the proportion of MS liability variability explained by genetic variability, sex, shared environment effects, region of birth and year of birth. We further considered gene x environment (GxE) interaction effects between genetic variability and region of birth. We have implemented a Bayesian liability threshold model to obtain posterior distributions for the parameters of interest adjusting for ascertainment bias.
RESULTS
Our analysis revealed that GxE interaction effects between genetic variability and region of birth represent the primary significant explanatory factor for MS liability variability in French individuals (29 % [95 %CI: 5 %; 53 %]), suggesting that additive genetic effects are modified by environmental factors associated to the region of birth. The individual contributions of genetic variability and region of birth explained, respectively, ≈15 % and ≈16 % of MS variability, highlighting a significantly higher MS liability in individuals born in the Northern regions compared to the Southern region. Overall, the joint contribution of genetic variability, region of birth, and their interaction was then estimated to explain 65 % [95 %CI: 35 %; 92 %] of MS liability variability. The remaining proportion of MS variability is attributed to environmental exposures associated with the year of birth, shared within the same household, and specific to individuals.
CONCLUSION
Overall, our analysis highlighted the interaction between genetic variability and environmental exposures linked to the region of birth as the main factor explaining MS variability within individuals born and residing in France. Among the environmental exposures prevalent in the Northern regions, and potentially interacting with genetic variability, lower vitamin D levels due to reduced sun exposure, higher obesity prevalence and higher pollution levels represent the main risk factors in influencing MS risk. These findings emphasize the importance of accounting for environmental factors linked to geographical location in the investigation of MS risk factors, as well as to further explore the influence of GxE interactions in modifying genetic risk.
PubMed: 38880029
DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2024.105730 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Jul 2024Both epidemiological and experimental studies increasingly show that exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM) is related to the occurrence and development of...
Both epidemiological and experimental studies increasingly show that exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM) is related to the occurrence and development of chronic diseases, such as metabolic diseases. However, whether PM has "exposure memory" and how these memories affect chronic disease development like hepatic metabolic homeostasis are unknown. Therefore, we aimed to explore the effects of exposure transition on liver cholesterol and bile acids (BAs) metabolism in mice. In this study, C57BL/6 mice were exposed to concentrated ambient PM or filtered air (FA) in a whole-body exposure facility for an initial period of 10 weeks, followed by another 8 weeks of exposure switch (PM to FA and FA to PM) comparing to non-switch groups (FA to FA and PM to PM), which were finally divided into four groups (FF of FA to FA, PP of PM to PM, PF of PM to FA, and FP of FA to PM). Our results showed no significant difference in food intake, body composition, glucose homeostasis, and lipid metabolism between FA and PM groups after the initial exposure before the exposure switch. At the end of the exposure switch, the mice switched from FA to PM exposure exhibited a high sensitivity to late-onset PM exposure, as indicated by significantly elevated hepatic cholesterol levels and disturbed BAs metabolism. However, the mice switched from PM to FA exposure retained a certain memorial effects of previous PM exposure in hepatic cholesterol levels, cholesterol metabolism, and BAs metabolism. Furthermore, 18-week PM exposure significantly increased hepatic free BAs levels, which were completely reversed by the FA exposure switch. Finally, the changes in small heterodimeric partner (SHP) and nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 2 (LRH1) in response to exposure switch mechanistically explained the above alterations. Therefore, mice switching from PM exposure to FA showed only a weak memory of prior PM exposure. In contrast, the early FA caused mice to be more susceptible to subsequent PM exposure.
Topics: Animals; Particulate Matter; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Liver; Cholesterol; Mice; Bile Acids and Salts; Air Pollutants; Male; Lipid Metabolism; Particle Size
PubMed: 38878334
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116589 -
International Journal For Equity in... Jun 2024The incidence of rabies exposure is high and increasing in China, leading to an urgent demand of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) clinics for the injured. However,...
BACKGROUND
The incidence of rabies exposure is high and increasing in China, leading to an urgent demand of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) clinics for the injured. However, the spatial accessibility and inequality of rabies-exposed patients to rabies PEP clinics is less known in China.
METHODS
Based on rabies exposure data, PEP clinic data, and resident travel origin-destination (OD) matrix data in Guangzhou City, China, we first described the incidence of rabies exposure in Guangzhou from 2020 to 2022. Then, the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method (2SFCA) was used to analyze the spatial accessibility of rabies-exposed patients to rabies PEP clinics in Guangzhou, and the Gini coefficient and Moran's I statistics were utilized to evaluate the inequality and clustering of accessibility scores.
RESULTS
From 2020 to 2022, a total of 524,160 cases of rabies exposure were reported in Guangzhou, and the incidence showed a significant increasing trend, with an average annual incidence of 932.0/100,000. Spatial accessibility analysis revealed that the overall spatial accessibility scores for three scenarios (threshold of driving duration [d] = 30 min, 45 min, and 60 min) were 0.30 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.87), 0.28 (95% CI: 0.11, 0.53) and 0.28 (95% CI: 0.14, 0.44), respectively. Conghua, Huangpu, Zengcheng and Nansha districts had the higher accessibility scores, while Haizhu, Liwan, and Yuexiu districts exhibited lower spatial accessibility scores. The Gini coefficient and Moran's I statistics showed that there were certain inequality and clustering in the accessibility to rabies PEP clinics in Guangzhou.
CONCLUSIONS
This study clarifies the heterogeneity of spatial accessibility to rabies PEP clinics, and provide valuable insights for resource allocation to achieve the WHO target of zero human dog-mediated rabies deaths by 2030.
Topics: Humans; Rabies; China; Post-Exposure Prophylaxis; Health Services Accessibility; Incidence; Spatial Analysis; Healthcare Disparities; Animals
PubMed: 38877457
DOI: 10.1186/s12939-024-02207-2 -
Communications Biology Jun 2024Benzodiazepines, commonly used for anxiolytics, hinder conditioned fear extinction, and the underlying circuit mechanisms are unclear. Utilizing remimazolam, an...
Benzodiazepines, commonly used for anxiolytics, hinder conditioned fear extinction, and the underlying circuit mechanisms are unclear. Utilizing remimazolam, an ultra-short-acting benzodiazepine, here we reveal its impact on the thalamic nucleus reuniens (RE) and interconnected hippocamposeptal circuits during fear extinction. Systemic or RE-specific administration of remimazolam impedes fear extinction by reducing RE activation through A type GABA receptors. Remimazolam enhances long-range GABAergic inhibition from lateral septum (LS) to RE, underlying the compromised fear extinction. RE projects to ventral hippocampus (vHPC), which in turn sends projections characterized by feed-forward inhibition to the GABAergic neurons of the LS. This is coupled with long-range GABAergic projections from the LS to RE, collectively constituting an overall positive feedback circuit construct that promotes fear extinction. RE-specific remimazolam negates the facilitation of fear extinction by disrupting this circuit. Thus, remimazolam in RE disrupts fear extinction caused by hippocamposeptal intermediation, offering mechanistic insights for the dilemma of combining anxiolytics with extinction-based exposure therapy.
Topics: Fear; Animals; Benzodiazepines; Hippocampus; Extinction, Psychological; Male; Midline Thalamic Nuclei; Rats; Anti-Anxiety Agents; Mice
PubMed: 38877285
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06417-w