Allergic rhinitis （AR） is a nasal hypersensitivity disease that is influenced by environmental factors, genetic factors, and various inflammatory factors. The role and mechanisms of ozone, as a component of air pollution, in the pathogenesis of AR are not yet fully understood. This article provides a review of the impact of ozone on the epidemiology and pathology of AR, as well as its possible mechanisms, to provide new insights into the prevention and treatment of AR.
摘要: 变应性鼻炎（AR）是由环境因素和遗传因素及多种炎性因子共同参与的鼻部变态反应性疾病。其中，臭氧作为大气污染参与AR发病的病理过程及作用机制尚不十分清楚。本文就臭氧对AR流行病学的影响、病理学影响及其可能的作用机制进行综述，为AR的防治提供新的思路。.

Observational studies have linked autoimmune diseases (ADs) with rhinosinusitis (RS) manifestations. To establish a causal relationship between ADs and RS, and to explore the potential mediating role of inflammatory mediators between ADs and RS, we utilized Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Using a two-sample MR methodology, we examined the causality between multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriasis (PsO), type 1 diabetes (T1D), Sjogren\'s syndrome (SS), celiac disease (CeD), Crohn\'s disease (CD), hypothyroidism (HT), Graves\' disease (GD), and Hashimoto\'s thyroiditis and their association with chronic and acute rhinosinusitis (CRS and ARS, respectively).To achieve this, we employed three distinct MR techniques: inverse variance weighting (IVW), MR-Egger, and the weighted median method. Our analysis also included a variety of sensitivity assessments, such as Cochran\'s Q test, leave-one-out analysis, MR-Egger intercept, and MR-PRESSO, to ensure the robustness of our findings. Additionally, the study explored the role of inflammation proteins as a mediator in these relationships through a comprehensive two-step MR analysis. Among the ADs, MS, RA, T1D, CeD, and HT were determined as risk factors for CRS. Only CeD exhibited a causal relationship with ARS. Subsequent analyses identified interleukin-10 (IL-10) as a potential mediator for the association of MS, RA and HT with CRS, respectively., while C-X-C motif chemokine 10 levels (CXCL10) and T-cell surface glycoprotein CD6 isoform levels (CD6) were found to influence HT\'s effect on CRS. Our findings demonstrate a causative link between specific autoimmune diseases and rhinosinusitis, highlighting IL-10, CXCL10, and CD6 as potential mediators in this association.

UNASSIGNED: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients commonly experience high rates of depression. This study aims to examine the oral microbiota characteristics of OSA and those with comorbid major depressive disorder (OSA+MDD) patients.
UNASSIGNED: Participants were enrolled from Aug 2022 to Apr 2023. Polysomnography, psychiatrist interviews, and scales were used to diagnose OSA and MDD. Oral samples were collected from participants by rubbing swabs on buccal mucosa, palate, and gums. Oral microbiota was analyzed via whole-genome metagenomics and bioinformatic analysis followed sequencing. Venous blood was drawn to detect plasma inflammatory factor levels.
UNASSIGNED: The study enrolled 33 OSA patients, 28 OSA+MDD patients, and 28 healthy controls. Significant differences were found in 8 phyla, 229 genera, and 700 species of oral microbiota among the three groups. Prevotellaceae abundance in the OSA and OSA+MDD groups was significantly lower than that in healthy controls. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis showed that Streptococcaceae and Actinobacteria were the characteristic oral microbiota of the OSA and OSA+MDD groups, respectively. KEGG analysis indicates 30 pathways were changed in the OSA and OSA+MDD groups compared with healthy controls, and 23 pathways were changed in the OSA group compared with the OSA+MDD group. Levels of IL-6 in the OSA+MDD group were significantly higher than in the healthy group, correlating positively with the abundance of Schaalia, Campylobacter, Fusobacterium, Alloprevotella, and Candidatus Nanosynbacter in the oral, as well as with Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores.
UNASSIGNED: Significant differences in oral microbiota populations and gene function were observed among the three groups. OSA patients were characterized by a decreased abundance of Prevotellaceae and an increased abundance of Streptococcaceae. OSA+MDD patients had an increased abundance of Actinobacteria. IL-6 might regulate the relationship between depression and the oral microbiota in OSA+MDD patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist Exendin-4 on the proportion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in male ApoE-/- mice, and investigate alterations in the concentrations of inflammatory factors in plasma and spleen tissues and assess their correlation with MDSCs.
METHODS: Thirty male ApoE-/- mice were randomly divided into five groups (n = 6 per group): control group (CON), model group (MOD), Exendin-4 intervention group (MOD/Ex-4), Exendin-9-39 intervention group (MOD/Ex-9-39), and Exendin-4 + Exendin-9-39 combined intervention group (MOD/Ex-4 + Ex-9-39). After 4 weeks of drug intervention, changes in aortic plaque were observed using Oil Red O staining and H&E staining. Flow cytometry was employed to detect the content of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in bone marrow and peripheral blood. ELISA was utilized to measure the concentrations of inflammatory factors in mouse peripheral blood plasma, while RT-qPCR was employed to quantify the expression levels of inflammatory factors in the spleen. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between MDSCs and inflammatory factors.
RESULTS: Mice in the MOD group had significantly higher body weight compared to the CON group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). Following Exendin-4 intervention, body weight was reduced compared to the MOD group (P<0.05). Additionally, Exendin-4 treatment led to a significant reduction in atherosclerotic plaque compared to the MOD group (P<0.001). After Exendin-4 intervention, the proportion of MDSCs in the bone marrow was higher than in the MOD group (P<0.001), and the proportion of MDSCs in peripheral blood was significantly higher than in the MOD group (P<0.05). Further investigation revealed that Exendin-4 could regulate lipid levels in mice, decreasing concentrations of TG (P<0.01), TC (P<0.0001), and LDL-C (P<0.0001), while increasing HDL-C concentrations (P<0.01). Moreover, after Exendin-4 treatment, the level of the cytokine IL-6 in peripheral plasma was significantly lower compared to the MOD group (P<0.0001), while levels of IL-10 and TGF-β were significantly higher compared to the MOD group (P<0.0001). In the spleen, levels of the cytokines IL-10 (P<0.0001) and TGF-β (P<0.001) were significantly increased compared to the MOD group. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the proportion of MDSCs in peripheral blood was positively correlated with IL-10 and TGF-β levels in both the spleen and peripheral blood. Additionally, the proportion of MDSCs in the bone marrow was positively correlated with IL-10 and TGF-β levels in the spleen and peripheral blood.
CONCLUSIONS: Exendin-4 alleviates the severity of atherosclerosis. This process may be achieved by promoting the secretion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in the bone marrow and peripheral blood of atherosclerotic ApoE-/- mice, regulating the ratio of inflammatory factors in the body, reducing mouse body weight, and lowering blood lipids.

BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata is an autoimmune hair loss disorder with an incompletely understood etiology. Although trace elements, serum metabolites, and inflammatory factors are implicated in the disease, the potential causal relationships between these factors and alopecia areata require further investigation.
METHODS: This study employed Mendelian randomization (MR), utilizing data from genome-wide association studies, to explore the causal relationships between 15 trace elements, 1400 serum metabolites, and 91 inflammatory factors and alopecia areata. The analysis was conducted using the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method complemented by various sensitivity analyses, including Cochran\'s Q test, MR-Egger regression intercept test, MR-PRESSO global test, and leave-one-out analysis, to assess the robustness of the results.
RESULTS: MR analysis indicated a negative correlation between copper levels and the risk of developing alopecia areata (odds ratio = 0.86, 95% confidence interval: 0.75-0.99, p = 0.041). Additionally, causal relationships were identified between 15 serum metabolites and 6 inflammatory factors and the risk of alopecia areata (IVW, all p values < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: This study provides genetic evidence of the relationships between trace elements, serum metabolites, and alopecia areata, underscoring the potential value of targeted therapeutic strategies and preventive measures. Future research should expand to diverse populations and further explore the specific roles of these biomarkers in the disease mechanism.

Objective: The Chinese medicine Jianpi-Huayu decoction (, JPHY) can alleviate cancer-related fatigue in patients with liver cancer. However, its mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we used BALB/c mice with liver cancer model to investigate whether JPHY alleviates cancer-related fatigue by regulating Th1/Th2 immune balance; and the possible association with the IL-27/STAT1 signaling pathway. Methods: We established a mouse model of liver cancer fatigue. Mice were gavaged with physiological saline, low, medium, or high concentrations of JPHY respectively; and intraperitoneal injection of fludarabine (STAT1 pathway inhibitor) with JPHY for 21 days. We recorded the general condition of the mice, and assessed fatigue using scoring criteria and Exhausted Swimming Test. We calculated the spleen and thymus indices, performed H&E staining and immunohistochemical analysis on liver tumor tissues to observe the tumor proliferation marker ki67. We quantified the secretion levels of IFN-γ and IL-2 produced by Th1 cells in serum and splenic lymphocytes, as well as the secretion of IL-4, IL-10 by Th2 cells, and IL-27 in the signaling pathway through ELISA analysis. We evaluated the expression levels of p-STAT1 and STAT1 in spleen tissues using Western blot analysis. Results: JPHY exhibits a therapeutic effect on hepatocellular carcinoma-induced splenomegaly in murine models by upregulating the pro-inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and IL-2 and downregulating the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-10. Moreover, JPHY suppresses ki67 expression, reduces tumor-related inflammation infiltration, and ameliorates cancer-associated fatigue. Additionally, the expression of phosphorylated protein p-STAT1 is down-regulated. Conclusion: JPHY may improve the Th1/Th2 immune balance through its anti-inflammatory effects and promotion of IL-27-induced STAT1 phosphorylation, thereby alleviating fatigue in mice with liver cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the prognostic significance of inflammatory cytokines and lymphocyte levels in predicting disease progression among patients with COVID-19 infection.
METHODS: Ninety-two hospitalized COVID-19 patients were retrospectively included as subjects for this study. General clinical information and various indicators, including lymphocyte count, interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), were collected. All patients received treatment according to the ninth edition of the guidelines for COVID-19. Incidences of endotracheal intubation and mortality within 28 days were observed.
RESULTS: 1.In the analysis of intubation impact, multivariate analysis identified age, immunoglobulins, lymphocytes, and IL-6 as independent risk factors. When analyzing the impact on patient mortality, multivariate analysis revealed age, prealbumin, and BNP as independent risk factors. 2. Lymphocyte count and inflammatory factors demonstrated predictive value for endotracheal intubation in COVID-19 patients. The critical lymphocyte count value was 0.91, with a sensitivity of 38.8%, specificity of 92.9%, and AUC of 0.687 (95% CI: 0.580-0.795). The critical IL-6 value was 38.21, with a sensitivity of 81%, specificity of 63.3%, and AUC of 0.771 (95% CI: 0.6670.872). The area under the ROC curve for IL-8, IL-10 and TNF is 0.665, 0.712 and 0.648, respectively. 3.Lymphocyte count and inflammatory factors also exhibited predictive value for death in COVID-19 patients. The critical lymphocyte count value was 0.56, with a sensitivity of 71.2%, specificity of 57.5%, and AUC of 0.641 (95% CI: 0.528-0.754). The critical IL-6 value was 53.05, with a sensitivity of 75%, specificity of 71.2%, and AUC of 0.770 (95% CI: 0.6690.870). The area under the ROC curve for IL-8, IL-10 and TNF is 0.687, 0.683 and 0.636, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Elevated inflammatory factors and decreased lymphocyte levels have prognostic value for predicting endotracheal intubation and mortality in COVID-19 patients, providing valuable insights for clinicians in anticipating disease progression.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the first major chronic liver disease in developed countries. 10-20% of NAFLD patients will progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and up to 25% of NASH patients may develop cirrhosis within 10 years. Therefore, it is critical to find key targets that may treat this disease. Here, we identified C5aR1 as a highly-expressed gene in NASH mouse model through analyzing Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and confirmed its higher expression in livers of NASH patients than that of NAFL patients. Meanwhile, we verified its positive correlation with patients\' serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels. In vivo and in vitro experiments revealed that knocking down C5aR1 in liver significantly reduced liver weight ratio and serum ALT and AST levels and attenuated inflammatory cell infiltration and cell apoptosis in the liver of NASH mice as well as enhanced the efferocytotic ability of liver macrophages, suggesting that C5aR1 may play a crucial role in the efferocytosis of liver macrophages. Furthermore, we also found that the expression levels of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, IL-1β and other inflammation-related factors in the liver were significantly reduced. Our work demonstrates a potential mechanism of how C5aR1 deficiency protects against diet-induced NASH by coordinating the regulation of inflammatory factors and affecting hepatic macrophage efferocytosis.

UNASSIGNED: Despite reports suggesting a link between obesity and keratoconus, the causal relationship is not fully understood.
UNASSIGNED: We used genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from public databases for a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis to investigate the causal link between body mass index (BMI) and keratoconus. The primary method was inverse variance weighted (IVW), complemented by different analytical techniques and sensitivity analyses to ensure result robustness. A meta-analysis was also performed to bolster the findings\' reliability.
UNASSIGNED: Our study identified a significant causal relationship between BMI and keratoconus. Out of 20 Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses conducted, 9 showed heterogeneity or pleiotropy. Among the 11 analyses that met all three MR assumptions, 4 demonstrated a significant causal difference between BMI and keratoconus, while the remaining 7 showed a positive trend but were not statistically significant. Meta-analysis confirmed a significant causal relationship between BMI and keratoconus.
UNASSIGNED: There is a significant causal relationship between BMI and keratoconus, suggesting that obesity may be a risk factor for keratoconus.

UNASSIGNED: To analyze the clinical efficacy of CO2 fractional laser combined with compound betamethasone in treating vitiligo and its impact on inflammatory factors.
UNASSIGNED: The clinical treatment effects, levels of inflammatory factors [interleukin-17 (IL-17), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-10 (IL-10)], prognosis regarding repigmentation and relapse, psychological health (satisfaction).
UNASSIGNED: ① Clinical treatment effects: the total effective rate in Group A was 92.73%, Group B was 74.55%, and Group C was 67.27%, with Group A showing significantly higher effectiveness than Groups B and C (p < 0.05). ② Inflammatory factors: prior to treatment, there was no significant difference in IL-17, IFN-γ, and IL-10 levels among the three groups (p > 0.05); after 3 and 6 months of treatment, the levels of IL-17 and IFN-γ decreased significantly while IL-10 levels increased significantly across all three groups, with Group A showing a more pronounced change compared to Groups B and C (p < 0.05). ③ Prognosis regarding repigmentation and relapse: after 3 and 6 months of treatment, Group A exhibited significantly higher repigmentation rates compared to Groups B and C (p < 0.05); in terms of relapse, Group A had a relapse rate of 5.45%, Group B had 21.82%, and Group C had 23.64%, with Group A showing significantly lower relapse rates compared to Groups B and C (p < 0.05). ④ Quality of life and psychological health: at the end of the 6 month follow-up, the quality of life and psychological health of patients in Group A were significantly higher than those in Groups B and C (p < 0.05). ⑤ Occurrence of adverse reactions: the incidence of adverse reactions was 12.73% in Group A, 10.91% in Group B, and 9.09% in Group C, with no significant difference observed among the three groups (p > 0.05).
UNASSIGNED: The application of CO2 fractional laser combined with compound betamethasone in vitiligo patients demonstrates significant efficacy. Compared to sole treatment with CO2 fractional laser or compound betamethasone injections, this combined approach further improves the levels of inflammatory factors in vitiligo patients, reduces the risk of relapse, enhances skin repigmentation, improves quality of life, psychological well-being, without increasing the risk of related adverse reactions. This combined approach merits clinical promotion and application.