Bronchiectasis has traditionally been characterized as a neutrophil-driven disease, yet emerging evidence suggested inflammatory heterogeneities. The prognostic significance of elevated serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) in patients without peripheral eosinophilia remains unclear. We conducted a multicenter prospective cohort study between 2017 and 2020 across 16 institutions in Taiwan. Individuals with bronchiectasis but without allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis were included. Patients were stratified by baseline absolute eosinophil count (cutoff 300 /uL) and serum IgE level (≤ 100, 100–500, > 500 IU/mL). The primary endpoint was severe exacerbations resulting in hospitalization at one year. Secondary endpoints included all-cause mortality, distribution of sputum pathogen, imaging pattern, and lung function. A total of 579 individuals were enrolled. Nontuberculous mycobacteria (10.7
Ease of access to big data and automated analysis tools can facilitate the rapid generation of poorly designed epidemiological studies, which collectively pose a risk to the quality of medical literature. Member organizations of the TriNetX network have the ability to mass-produce retrospective cohort studies at speed using the federated data network’s statistical power and streamlined analytics pipeline. This exploratory meta-research study collated 13 published TriNetX-based retrospective cohort studies that claim to have used a design that is, in fact, impossible on the platform (the setting of a pseudo-index event on the TriNetX platform). Of these, 8 studies described their analysis as being conducted on the platform alone, making their description of the index event impossible. When we queried seven different generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools for advice on how to set an index event on TriNetX, six tools suggested at least one strategy that cannot be implemented on the platform. Unlike previously documented errors in TriNetX-based studies, we argue that the reporting of impossible index event designs in the identified publications likely constitute either distortion of the reported methods or the uncritical adoption of false AI-generated methodological advice. In an age of accelerating and increasingly automated medical research, editors and peer-reviewers must be informed of limitations with emerging epidemiological datasets and analytic tools.
Dermal fibroblasts are pivotal in maintaining skin integrity through extracellular matrix (ECM) production, a process compromised during aging due to oxidative stress from excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS). Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen, DS), a medicinal plant rich in bioactive compound-rich dried roots, has demonstrated broad therapeutic potential. This study investigates the anti-aging properties of Danshen callus (DSC)-an undifferentiated cell mass derived from leaf tissue culture, as a sustainable and controlled source of bioactive compounds. Using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced premature aging and chronological aging models in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), we evaluated DSC effects on redox homeostasis and senescence. Pretreatment and posttreatment with DSC significantly enhanced HDF viability, restored ECM synthesis, suppressed MMP-1 secretion, and reduced senescence-associated markers in H2O2-induced premature aging HDFs. Mechanistically, DSC activated the Nrf2/ARE pathway, mitigating ROS accumulation and reinforcing antioxidant defenses. Crucially, comparative analysis revealed DSC superior efficacy over native Danshen (DS) in both aging paradigms. These findings highlight DSC potential as a novel, plant-based therapeutic agent for anti-aging cosmetic formulations, leveraging agricultural waste for sustainable skincare solutions.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:Uremic pruritus and sleep disturbance commonly coexist in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis. This analysis examined whether supplementation with Lactobacillus casei var. rhamnosus LCR35 was associated with changes in pruritus and sleep outcomes. METHODS:This 12-week randomized, open-label, controlled study included 78 patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis who were assigned to LCR35 supplementation (n = 38; three sachets daily) or usual care without probiotic supplementation (n = 40). No placebo was used. Outcomes were Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and 5-D Itch Scale results. We used analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) for between-group analyses, with the week-12 score as the dependent variable and the corresponding baseline score as a covariate. RESULTS:In the LCR35 group, descriptive improvements were observed in the 5-D Itch Scale and selected PSQI outcomes. However, none of the baseline-adjusted between-group differences was statistically significant: for 5-D Itch Scale, -1.48 (95% confidence interval (CI), -3.64 to 0.68; p = 0.176); for global PSQI, -0.80 (95% CI, -2.09 to 0.50; p = 0.225); for PSQI sleep disturbance, -0.07 (95% CI, -0.27 to 0.13; p = 0.482); and use of sleep medications, -0.28 (95% CI, -0.67 to 0.12; p = 0.163). In the LCR35 group, the exploratory association between changes in pruritus and the PSQI sleep-disturbances component was significant before, but not after, false-discovery-rate (FDR) correction (p = 0.007; FDR q = 0.055). CONCLUSIONS:Our preliminary findings raised the possibility that LCR35 might modestly influence pruritus and specific sleep disturbances. However, our results do not firmly establish a treatment effect, nor a patient phenotype most likely to benefit.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease with chronic inflammation, causing joint damage and function loss. Current treatments relieve symptoms but don't halt disease progression, highlighting the need for new therapies. Research shows mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can repair joints and reduce inflammation, but direct MSC injection may cause immune rejection, making MSC-derived exosomes a promising alternative. Artemisia argyi (AA) has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-ageing effects that enhance stem cell function and cellular stability, making it a potential therapy for OA. This study explores whether AA extract can enhance exosomes from Wharton's jelly stem cells (WJSCs) for OA treatment. Results revealed that AA promoted WJSCs proliferation and increased both the yield and size of exosomes. Furthermore, AA-enhanced exosomes significantly suppressed NF-κB pathway related proteins (p-IKKα/β and p-NF-κB) and the matrix degrading protein MMP13 while increasing the expression of the cartilage extracellular matrix protein COL2A1, resulting in a greater reduction of NF-κB signaling proteins and MMP13 expression, along with increased COL2A1 levels. Additionally, these exosomes effectively reversed H₂O₂-induced ROS accumulation, with antioxidant effects surpassing those of untreated exosomes. Further studies using NF-κB activators confirmed that the therapeutic effects of these exosomes were primarily mediated by inhibition of the NF-κB signalling pathway. In conclusion, AA-enhanced WJSCs exosomes improved the proliferation, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant capacities of C28/I2 chondrocytes under oxidative stress. These findings highlight their potential to reduce ROS levels, regulate pro-inflammatory proteins, and inhibit the NF-κB pathway, offering a promising strategy for protecting cartilage against damage caused by inflammatory joint diseases.
