Background: Interactions and joint effects of galectin-3 and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) on risks of all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality remain unclear in patients with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Methods: Unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of mortality risks were analyzed between higher and lower concentration groups of serum galectin-3 and VCAM-1. The modification effect between serum galectin-3 and VCAM-1 on mortality risk was investigated using an interaction product term. Results: During follow-up, galectin-3 and VCAM-1 were associated with incremental risks of all-cause mortality (aHR: 1.038 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.001–1.077) and 1.002 (95% CI: 1.001–1.003), respectively). Nonetheless, VCAM-1 but not galectin-3 predicted CV mortality (aHR: 1.043 (95% CI: 0.993–1.096) and 1.002 (95% CI: 1.001–1.003), respectively). In the interaction analysis, patients with combined higher galectin-3 (>29.5 ng/mL) and VCAM-1 (>1546.9 ng/mL) were at the greatest risk of all-cause and CV mortality (aHR: 4.6 (95% CI: 1.6–13.4), and 4.2 (95% CI: 1.3–14.4), respectively). The interactions between galectin-3 and VCAM-1 with respect to all-cause and CV mortality were statistically significant (p < 0.01 and < 0.05, respectively). Conclusion: Galectin-3 and VCAM-1 could serve as a promising dual biomarker for prognostic assessment, considering their joint effects on pathogenesis of leukocyte trafficking and atherothrombosis.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in the elderly. Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is the major pathologic feature of neovascular AMD. Oxidative damages and the ensuing chronic inflammation are representative of trigger events. Hydrogen gas (H₂) has been demonstrated as an antioxidant and plays a role in the regulation of oxidative stress and inflammation. This experiment aimed to investigate the influence of H₂ inhalation on a mouse model of CNV. Methods: Laser was used to induce CNV formation. C57BL/6J mice were divided into five groups: the control group; the laser-only group; and the 2 h, 5 h, and 2.5 h/2.5 h groups that received laser and H₂ inhalation (21% oxygen, 42% hydrogen, and 37% nitrogen mixture) for 2 h, 5 h, and 2.5 h twice every day, respectively. Results: The severity of CNV leakage on fluorescence angiography showed a significant decrease in the H₂ inhalation groups. The mRNA expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha and its immediate downstream target vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) showed significant elevation after laser, and this elevation was suppressed in the H₂ inhalation groups in an inhalation period length-related manner. The mRNA expression of cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor alpha and interlukin-6, also represented similar results. Conclusion: H₂ inhalation could alleviate CNV leakage in a laser-induced mouse CNV model, and the potential mechanism might be related to the suppression of the inflammatory process and VEGF-driven CNV formation.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has driven the global COVID-19 pandemic, imposing a tremendous burden on public health. As the virus continually evolves through rapid mutations, the pandemic has transitioned into a prolonged endemic phase. Despite the development of novel drugs and vaccines, clinical outcomes remain suboptimal for vulnerable populations, including the elderly and those with comorbidities or compromised immunity. Tea polyphenols, a class of structurally diverse and bioactive nutraceuticals, may modulate viral entry, replication, and host inflammatory pathways implicated in disease progression through pleiotropic effects on viral attachment, membrane fusion, intracellular replication, and proteolytic processing. Here, we provide an updated chemo-biological perspective on the antiviral and immunomodulatory mechanisms of tea polyphenols against SARS-CoV-2. Current evidence highlights their potential to serve as promising candidates for further mechanistic and translational investigation as adjunctive strategies and nutraceuticals for COVID-19 management. Importantly, no large-scale randomized controlled trials have yet demonstrated clinical benefit of tea polyphenols in COVID-19.

Chronic inter-dialytic volume overload and uremic inflammation activate TGF-β/Smad3 and p38 MAPK pathways, inducing connective tissue growth factors (CCN2/CTGF)-mediated fibrosis and NT-proBNP secretion from over-stretched cardiomyocytes. The combined rise in CTGF and NT-proBNP reflects myocardial fibrosis, stiffness and remodeling, predicting cardiovascular (CV) death in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. From molecular pathology to clinical translation, circulating CCN2/CTGF and NT-proBNP levels and bio-clinical data among MHD patients were measured in this prospective cohort. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified independent predictors of mortality, which were incorporated into a composite risk-score model. The predictive performance for all-cause, CV, and sudden cardiac death (SCD) was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) survival analysis. CCN2/CTGF, NT-proBNP, age, serum albumin, MHD vintage, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, smoking, and diabetes mellitus were significant predictors. The integrated model yielded areas under the curve of 0.91 for all-cause mortality, 0.88 for CV mortality, and 0.87 for SCD. Integrated complementary biomarkers and clinical parameters significantly improve mortality risk prediction in MHD patients. This synergistic model provides clinicians with a robust tool for early CV screening, individualized intervention, and precision management for high-risk populations.

Background and Objectives: Postoperative pain after endoscopic discectomy may reflect acute surgical nociception superimposed on pre-existing radicular symptoms. Molecular hydrogen (H₂) has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but clinical evidence for perioperative analgesia is limited. We evaluated the association between perioperative H₂ inhalation and postoperative pain and analgesic requirements. Materials and Methods: This open-label, non-randomized pilot study enrolled 37 patients in two consecutive periods (H₂, n = 25; control, n = 12). Because original outcome records for 12 H₂-period participants could no longer be retrieved at the time of manuscript preparation, the complete-case clinical analysis included 25 source-verifiable participants (H₂, n = 13; control, n = 12). H₂ was delivered via nasal cannula as a 66.7% H₂/33.3% O₂ source gas at 2 L/min (estimated inspired H₂ approximately 4%). Pain was evaluated with a numerical rating scale (NRS) preoperatively, at post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) arrival, at 1, 6, 12, and 24 h, and at 1 month. Longitudinal scores were analyzed using generalized estimating equations with Holm-adjusted comparisons. A parallel exploratory murine chronic constriction injury (CCI) experiment (n = 6/group) assessed mechanical allodynia over 14 days of daily H₂ inhalation. Results: The group-by-time interaction was significant (Wald χ²(6) = 56.68, p < 0.001). After Holm adjustment, pain scores were lower with H₂ at PACU arrival (difference, −3.21; adjusted p = 0.002), 1 h (−2.42; adjusted p = 0.004), and 1 month (−3.45; adjusted p < 0.001). Intraoperative fentanyl use and rescue analgesic use were also lower in the H₂ group; no adverse events were documented in the analyzed cohort. In the murine CCI experiment, H₂-treated mice showed higher ipsilateral paw withdrawal thresholds than air-exposed controls. Conclusions: Perioperative H₂ inhalation was associated with lower pain scores at selected time points and reduced analgesic requirements. These preliminary findings require confirmation in randomized trials. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05476575.