Lack of Association Between Helicobacter pylori Infection and the Risk of Thyroid Nodule Types: A Multicenter Case-Control Study in China.

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection is high worldwide, while numerous research has focused on unraveling the relationship between H. pylori infection and extragastric diseases. Although H. pylori infection has been associated with thyroid diseases, including thyroid nodule (TN), the relationship has mainly focused on potential physiological mechanisms and has not been validated by large population epidemiological investigations. Therefore, we thus designed a case-control study comprising participants who received regular health examination between 2017 and 2019. The cases and controls were diagnosed via ultrasound, while TN types were classified according to the guidelines of the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (ACR TI-RADS). Moreover, H. pylori infection was determined by C14 urea breath test, while its relationship with TN type risk and severity was analyzed using binary and ordinal logistic regression analyses. A total of 43,411 participants, including 13,036 TN patients and 30,375 controls, were finally recruited in the study. The crude odds ratio (OR) was 1.07 in Model 1 (95% CI = 1.03-1.14) without adjustment compared to the H. pylori non-infection group. However, it was negative in Model 2 (OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.97-1.06) after being adjusted for gender, age, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure and in Model 3 (OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.97-1.06) after being adjusted for total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein on the basis of Model 2. Control variables, including gender, age, BMI, and diastolic pressure, were significantly correlated with the risk of TN types. Additionally, ordinal logistic regression results revealed that H. pylori infection was positively correlated with malignant differentiation of TN (Model 1: OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.02-1.11), while Model 2 and Model 3 showed negative results (Model 2: OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.96-1.06; Model 3: OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.96-1.05). In conclusion, H. pylori infection was not significantly associated with both TN type risk and severity of its malignant differentiation. These findings provide relevant insights for correcting possible misconceptions regarding TN type pathogenesis and will help guide optimization of therapeutic strategies for thyroid diseases.

Hsp70 Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated With Disease Susceptibility and HRQOL Improvement in Chinese Han Population With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to investigate whether heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) gene polymorphisms are implicated in systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) susceptibility, the efficacy of glucocorticoids (GCs) treatment, and improvement of health-related quality of life. METHODS: A total of 499 SLE patients and 499 controls were included in a case-control study, and 468 SLE patients treated with GCs for 12 weeks were involved in a follow-up study. Patients who completed the 12-week follow-up were divided into GCs-sensitive and GCs-insensitive group by using the SLE disease activity index. The SF-36 was used to evaluate the health-related quality of life of SLE patients, and genotyping was performed by improved multiplex ligation detection reaction. RESULTS: rs2075800 was associated with SLE susceptibility (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj], 1.437; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.113-1.855; Padj = 0.005; PBH = 0.020 by dominant model; ORadj, 1.602; 95% CI, 1.072-2.395; Padj = 0.022; PBH = 0.029 by TT vs CC model; ORadj = 1.396; 95% CI = 1.067-1.826; Padj = 0.015; PBH = 0.029 by TC vs CC model). In the follow-up study, rs2075799 was associated with the improvement in mental health (p = 0.004, PBH = 0.044), but we failed to find any association between the efficacy of GCs and Hsp70 gene polymorphisms. CONCLUSIONS: Hsp70 gene polymorphisms may be associated with susceptibility to SLE and improvement of mental health in Chinese Han population.

Association of oestrogen receptor alpha gene polymorphisms with systemic lupus erythematosus risk: An updated meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex, chronic autoimmune disease, and oestrogen is considered to be a predisposing factor for SLE. Although some studies are conducted to explore the association between oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα) gene polymorphisms and SLE susceptibility, their results are inconsistent. METHODS: Meta-analysis was conducted to confirm whether ERα gene polymorphisms were associated with SLE susceptibility, and the strength of association was anticipated by pooled ORs with 95% CIs. Stata software package version 12.0 was used to calculate all the statistical analyses. RESULTS: Twelve studies included 2494 cases and 4176 controls were incorporated in our meta-analysis. A significant association was found for ERα PvuII polymorphism in the overall population (CC+CT vs TT: OR = 1.334, 95% CI = 1.195-1.490, P < 0.001; CC vs TT: OR = 1.401, 95% CI = 1.096-1.791, P = 0.007; CT vs TT: OR = 1.284, 95% CI = 1.141-1.444, P < 0.001; C vs T: OR = 1.221, 95% CI = 1.084-1.375, P = 0.001), while there was no significant association for ERα XbaI polymorphism. Besides, in stratification analyses by ethnicity, the PvuII polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of SLE in Asians (CC+CT vs TT: OR = 1.379, 95% CI = 1.203-1.581, P < 0.001; CT vs TT: OR = 1.308, 95% CI = 1.130-1.515, P < 0.001; C vs T: OR = 1.240, 95% CI = 1.052-1.462, P = 0.010), while for ESR1 XbaI polymorphism, a significantly increased risk of SLE susceptibility was found in Asians (GA vs AA: OR = 1.271, 95% CI = 1.101-1.467, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis indicated that the ERα PvuII polymorphism was significantly associated with SLE susceptibility in the overall and Asian populations, while the ERα XbaI GA genotype only played a key role in SLE susceptibility in Asian populations.

MicroRNAs in alcoholic liver disease: Recent advances and future applications.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is characterized by hepatocyte damage, inflammatory cell activation, and increased intestinal permeability leading to the clinical manifestations of alcoholic hepatitis. Selected members of the family of microRNAs (miRNAs) are affected by alcohol, resulting in an abnormal miRNA profile in the liver and circulation in ALD. Increasing evidence suggests that miRNAs that regulate inflammation, lipid metabolism and promote cancer are affected by excessive alcohol administration in mouse models of ALD. This communication highlights recent findings in miRNA expression and functions as they relate to the pathogenesis of ALD. The cell-specific distribution of miRNAs, as well as the significance of circulating extracellular miRNAs, is discussed as potential biomarkers. Finally, the prospects of miRNA-based therapies are evaluated in ALD.