Objective: Ischemic stroke caused by large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) is a major subtype of ischemic stroke and poses a heavy public health burden. Plasma atherogenic index (AIP) reflects the balance between pro- and anti-atherogenic lipid components and has emerged as a potential biomarker of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of AIP in predicting ischemic stroke caused by LAA.Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study involved 2,382 ischemic stroke patients. AIP values were measured, and subjects were further stratified according to AIP levels. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between AIP and the risk of LAA. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis was used to detect the potential non-linear relationship, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive ability of AIP. Subgroup analyses were carried out to identify specific populations with a higher risk of LAA.Results: Individuals with consistently high levels of AIP were at increased risk of developing LAA, and this risk increased progressively with increasing levels of AIP. RCS analyses showed a threshold of 0.10 for the AIP index, a significant increase in the probability of LAA above this threshold, and a non-linear relationship between AIP and LAA. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that, as a continuous variable, each unit increase in AIP was significantly associated with an elevated risk of LAA. When divided into quartiles, the risk of LAA was higher in Q4 compared with the lowest quartile (Q1), and ROC curve analyses confirmed that AIP had moderate sensitivity and specificity in predicting LAA. Subgroup analyses showed that among individuals with consistently high AIP levels, those aged ≥60 years with a history of diabetes and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) < 3.4 mmol/L were at higher risk of developing LAA.Conclusion: Herein, we found that elevated AIP levels are significantly associated with increased LAA risk and are an important biomarker to help identify patients at high risk for LAA.

Background and purpose: Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a common cause of stroke and senile vascular cognitive impairment, imposing a heavy burden on public health care systems worldwide. Hypertension and 24-hour blood pressure variability (BPV), known to be significant risk factors for cognitive dysfunction, have been found to be associated with cognitive function in CSVD patients in previous studies. However, as a derived part of BPV, there are few studies on the relationship between circadian rhythm of blood pressure and cognitive dysfunction in CSVD patients, and the relationship between them is still unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate whether the disturbance of circadian rhythm of blood pressure can affect the cognitive function of patients with CSVD. Methods: A total of 383 CSVD patients hospitalized in the Geriatrics Department of the Lianyungang Second People’s Hospital between May 2018 and June 2022 were enrolled in this study. The clinical information and parameters of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were compared between the cognitive dysfunction group (n = 224) and the normal group (n = 159). Finally, a binary logistic regression model was used to assess the relationship between circadian rhythm of blood pressure and cognitive dysfunction in patients with CSVD. Results: (1) Patients in the cognitive dysfunction group were older, had lower blood pressure on admission, and had a greater number of previous cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (P < 0.05). (2) More patients in the cognitive dysfunction group had circadian rhythm abnormalities in blood pressure, especially the non-dipper and reverse-dipper types (P < 0.001). (3) In the elderly, there was a statistical difference in the circadian rhythm of blood pressure between the cognitive dysfunction group and the normal group, but this phenomenon did not exist in the middle-aged. (4) Binary logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of cognitive dysfunction in CSVD patients with non-dipper type was 4.052 times higher than that of dipper type (95% CI, 1.782–9.211; P = 0.001), and reverse-dipper type was 8.002 times higher than those with dipper type (95% CI, 3.367–19.017; P<0.001). Conclusions: The disturbance of circadian rhythm of blood pressure may affect the cognitive function of patients with CSVD, and the risk of cognitive dysfunction in non-dipper and reverse-dipper types are higher.

Background and purpose: The prevalence of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is increasing due to the accelerating global aging process, resulting in a substantial burden on all countries, as cognitive dysfunction associated with CSVD is also on the rise. Clock genes have a significant impact on cognitive decline and dementia. Furthermore, the pattern of DNA methylation in clock genes is strongly associated with cognitive impairment. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the connection between DNA promoter methylation of PER1 and CRY1 and cognitive dysfunction in patients with CSVD.Methods: We recruited patients with CSVD admitted to the Geriatrics Department of the Lianyungang Second People’s Hospital between March 2021 and June 2022. Based on their Mini-Mental State Examination score, patients were categorized into two groups: 65 cases with cognitive dysfunction and 36 cases with normal cognitive function. Clinical data, 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring parameters, and CSVD total load scores were collected. Moreover, we employed methylation-specific PCR to analyze the peripheral blood promoter methylation levels of clock genes PER1 and CRY1 in all CSVD patients who were enrolled. Finally, we used binary logistic regression models to assess the association between the promoter methylation of clock genes (PER1 and CRY1) and cognitive dysfunction in patients with CSVD.Results: (1) A total of 101 individuals with CSVD were included in this study. There were no statistical differences between the two groups in baseline clinical data except MMSE and AD8 scores. (2) After B/H correction, the promoter methylation rate of PER1 was higher in the cognitive dysfunction group than that in the normal group, and the difference was statistically significant (adjusted p < 0.001). (3) There was no significant correlation between the promoter methylation rates of PER1 and CRY1 in peripheral blood and circadian rhythm of blood pressure (p > 0.05). (4) Binary logistic regression models showed that the influence of promoter methylation of PER1 and CRY1 on cognitive dysfunction were statistically significant in Model 1 (p < 0.001; p = 0.025), and it still existed after adjusting for confounding factors in Model 2. Patients with the promoter methylation of PER1 gene (OR = 16.565, 95%CI, 4.057–67.628; p < 0.001) and the promoter methylation of CRY1 gene (OR = 6.017, 95%CI, 1.290–28.069; p = 0.022) were at greater risk of cognitive dysfunction compared with those with unmethylated promoters of corresponding genes in Model 2.Conclusion: The promoter methylation rate of PER1 gene was higher in the cognitive dysfunction group among CSVD patients. And the hypermethylation of the promoters of clock genes PER1 and CRY1 may be involved in affecting cognitive dysfunction in patients with CSVD.

Background and aim: DRP1 and OPA1 play important roles in mitochondrial fusion and fission. However, the role of DRP1 and OPA1 amplification in mitochondrial cognitive impairment has not been reported. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between DRP1 and OPA1 and the risk of cognitive impairment. Methods: In this study, 45 elderly patients with diabetes admitted to the Lianyungang Second People’s Hospital from September 2020 to January 2021 were included. The patients were divided into normal group, mild cognitive impairment group and dementia group by using MMSE score, and the clinical characteristics of the three groups were compared. The amplification multiples of the two genes’ DNA were calculated by ΔΔCT and defined as 2^− K. Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the correlation between the DNA amplification multiples of patients’ DRP1 and OPA1 and AD8 and MoCA scores. The sensitivity and specificity of DNA amplification multiples of DRP1 and OPA1 to predict clinical outcomes of diabetic cognitive impairment were evaluated using Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves. Multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between DNA amplification factor of DRP1 and OPA1 and cognitive function. Results: DRP1(2^− K) and OPA1(2^− K) significantly increased and decreased in dementia and MCI groups compared with the normal group (P ≤ 0.001). The DNA amplification factor of DRP1 was positively correlated with AD8 score and negatively correlated with MoCA score (P < 0.001). The DNA amplification factor of OPA1 was positively correlated with the MoCA score (P = 0.0002). Analysis of ROCs showed that the DNA amplification factor of OPA1 had a higher predictive value for dementia (P < 0.0001), and that it had a higher predictive value when used in combination with DRP1. Multiple logistic regression results showed that increased DNA amplification in DRP1 was associated with increased risk of dementia (OR 1.149;95%CI,1.035–1.275), and increased DNA amplification in OPA1 was associated with decreased risk of MCI (OR 0.004;95%CI,0.000-0.251) and dementia (OR 0.000;95%CI,0.000-0.134). Conclusion: DNA amplification multiples of DRP1 and OPA1 are associated with the risk of dementia in elderly patients and may serve as potential biomarkers.

Background: Lung cancer, characterized by its high morbidity and lethality, necessitates thorough research to enhance our understanding of its pathogenesis and discover novel therapeutic approaches. Recent studies increasingly demonstrate that lung cancer cells can modulate the tumor microenvironment, promoting tumor growth, and metastasis through the release of exosomes. Exosomes are small vesicles secreted by cells and contain a variety of bioactive molecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, and metabolites. This paper presents a comprehensive review of exosome research in lung cancer and its progress through bibliometric analysis.Methods: Publications related to exosomes in lung cancer patients were systematically searched on the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. Bibliometric analysis was performed using VOSviwers, CiteSpace, and the R package “Bibliometrics”. Publications were quantitatively analyzed using Microsoft Office Excel 2019. The language of publication was restricted to “English” and the search strategy employed TS=(exosomes or exosomes or exosomes) and TS=(lung cancer). The search period commenced on January 1, 2004, and concluded on November 12, 2023, at noon. The selected literature types included Articles and Reviews.Results: The study encompassed 1699 papers from 521 journals across 71 countries and 2105 institutions. Analysis revealed a consistent upward trend in lung cancer exosome research over the years, with a notable surge in recent times. This surge indicates a growing interest and depth of inquiry into lung cancer exosomes. Major research institutions in China and the United States, including Nanjing Medical University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Chinese Academy Of Sciences, and Utmd Anderson Cancer Center, emerged as crucial research hubs. The annual publication count in this field witnessed a continuous rise, particularly in recent years. Key terms such as lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), microvesicles, intercellular communication, exosomal miRNAs, and oncology dominated the research landscape. Fields like cell biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, and oncology exhibited close relation with this research. Clotilde Théry emerged as the most cited author in the field, underlining her significant contributions. These results demonstrate the broad impact of exosome research in lung cancer, with key terms covering not only disease-specific aspects such as lung cancer and NSCLC but also basic biological concepts like microvesicles and intercellular communication. Explorations into exosomal microRNAs and oncology have opened new avenues for lung cancer exosome research. In summary, lung cancer exosome research is poised to continue receiving attention, potentially leading to breakthroughs in treatment and prevention.Conclusion: Publications on lung cancer exosomes show a rising trend year by year, with China and the United States ranking first and second in terms of the number of publications. However, there is insufficient academic learning cooperation and exchanges between the two sides, and Chinese universities account for a large proportion of research institutions in this field. Jing Li is the most productive author, Clotilde Théry is the most co-cited author, and Cancers is the journal with the highest number of publications. The current focus in the field of lung cancer exosomes is on biomarkers, liquid biopsies, immunotherapy, and tumor microenvironment.