Background: Several studies indicated that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may contribute to increased susceptibility to primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). However, the causal relationship between IBD and PBC remains unclear. Methods: The genetic variant data of patients with IBD and PBC were obtained from published genome-wide association studies (GWASs). The IBD data were further divided into a discovery dataset and a validation dataset depending on the data source. We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using the inverse variance weighting (IVW), MR-Egger, weighted median (WM), MR robust adjusted profile score (MR-RAPS), and maximum likelihood (ML) methods, with IVW being the main focus, to verify the causal relationship between IBD and PBC. Additionally, a series of sensitivity analyses were performed to ensure the reliability of the results. Results: In the discovery cohort, the IVW analysis results (OR = 1.114, P = 0.011) indicated a significant association between IBD and PBC. The MR-RAPS (OR = 1.130, P = 0.007) and ML (OR = 1.115, P = 0.011) analyses yielded results consistent with those of IVW in confirming IBD as a risk factor for PBC. In the validation cohort, consistent findings were observed regarding the causal relationship between IBD and PBC using IVW, MR-RAPS, and ML analyses; all three methods identified IBD as a risk factor for developing PBC. By the IVW analysis, Crohn's disease (CD) emerged as the most prominent subtype of IBD associated with an increased risk of developing PBC in both the discovery cohort (OR = 1.068, P = 0.049) and the validation cohort (OR = 1.082, P = 0.019). Conclusion: The results of the MR analysis suggest a causal relationship between IBD and PBC, highlighting the necessity for proactive PBC prevention in patients with IBD, particularly those with CD.

Abstract Background The innovative closed management of universities may have influenced the physical and mental health of students during the fourth stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. The study aimed to assess the gastrointestinal and mental health status of students in this stage and to explore the possible risk factors and mechanisms to provide a reference for future school responses to similar stressful events. Method A multicenter, cross-sectional survey was administered to 598 college students from 10 Chinese universities. The study used the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19 S), and the Diagnostic Tendency of Functional Bowel Disease Scale (DT-FBD) to evaluate anxiety, depression, fear of COVID-19 and likelihood of being diagnose diagnosed with functional bowel disease (FBD), respectively. Results A total of 516 college students completed the questionnaire. The proportions of students with more severe anxiety, more severe depression, greater fear of COVID-19, and a greater likelihood of being diagnosed with FBD were 49.8%, 57.0%, 49%, and 49%, respectively. These symptoms were significantly and positively correlated with the frequency of irregular sleep and eating (p < 0.05). Students in high-risk areas were more likely to experience anxiety and depression than students in areas with low/medium risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12–3.24, p = 0.017; OR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.11–4.11, p = 0.022). A high likelihood of being diagnosed with FBD was positively associated with the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms and fear of COVID-19 (all p < 0.001). Moreover, mediation analysis revealed the following pathway in college students: fear of COVID-19 → depression and anxiety → poor diet → likelihood of being diagnosed with FBD. Conclusion College students generally exhibited higher more severe anxiety and depression symptoms and psychological symptoms with a greater higher propensity likelihood of being to be diagnosed with FBD. Good lifestyle habits, especially adequate sleep and a regular diet, can alleviate these problems. In addition, appropriate psychological intervention is very important.

Background:Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been associated with digestive system diseases, and recent observational studies have suggested an association between MetS and cholelithiasis. However, the causal relationship between them remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the causal effect of MetS on cholelithiasis using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Methods:Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of MetS and its components were extracted from the public genetic variation summary database. The inverse variance weighting method (IVW), weighted median method, and MR-Egger regression were used to evaluate the causal relationship. A sensitivity analysis was performed to ensure the stability of the results. Results:IVW showed that MetS increased the risk of cholelithiasis (OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.13-1.46, P = 9.70E-05), and the weighted median method had the same result (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.22-1.83, P = 5.68E-05). In exploring the causal relationship between MetS components and cholelithiasis, waist circumference (WC) was significantly associated with cholelithiasis. IVW analysis (OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.34-1.65, P = 1.15E-13), MR-Egger regression (OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.15-2.28, P = 0.007), and weighted median (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.47-2.04, P = 1.62E-11) all found the same results. Conclusion:Our study indicated that MetS increases the incidence of cholelithiasis, especially in MetS patients with abdominal obesity. Control and treatment of MetS can effectively reduce the risk of gallstone formation.

Gastric cancer is a major health burden worldwide. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel family of noncoding RNAs that are involved in multiple types of cancers, including gastric cancer. As biological functions and the underlying molecular mechanisms of the newly identified circRNA circ0007360 have not been investigated, our present study focused on the role of circ0007360 in the progression of gastric cancer. After characterizing circ0007360 as a cytoplasmic circRNA, we revealed the inhibitory effects of circ0007260 on the survival, migration, invasion, and stemness of gastric cancer cells. Subsequently, miR-762 was identified as a direct target microRNA (miRNA) of circ0007360 and was proved to act as a vital downstream transcript to fulfill the tumor-promoting effects in the absence of circ0007360. Furthermore, we demonstrated that interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7), which was validated as a target gene of miR-762, serves as an indirect target of circ0007360 to attenuate the progression of gastric cancer. Moreover, in vivo experiments confirmed the potentiation of gastric cancer cell growth and stemness upon depletion of circ0007360. In summary, our results revealed that activation of the circ0007360/miR-762/IRF7 axis is a novel mechanism for the attenuation of gastric cancer progression. Our study unveils the diagnostic and therapeutic values of circ0007360 in patients with gastric cancer.