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Background: Many observational studies have examined the association of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) with dementia risk, but the evidence has been mixed, possibly due to methodological reasons. This systematic review (PROSPERO: CRD42023432122) aims to assess existing observational evidence and to suggest if repurposing DMARDs for dementia prevention merits further investigation., Methods: Four electronic databases up to October 26, 2023, were searched. Cohort or case-control studies that examined dementia risk associated with DMARDs in people with rheumatoid arthritis were included. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) criteria. Findings were summarized by individual drug classes and by risk of bias., Results: Of 12,180 unique records, 14 studies (4 case-control studies, 10 cohort studies) were included. According to the ROBINS-I criteria, there were 2 studies with low risk of bias, 1 study with moderate risk, and 11 studies with serious or critical risk. Among studies with low risk of bias, one study suggested that hydroxychloroquine versus methotrexate was associated with lower incident dementia, and the other study showed no associations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, tocilizumab, and tofacitinib, compared to abatacept, with incident dementia., Conclusion: Studies that adequately addressed important biases were limited. Studies with low risk of bias did not support repurposing TNF inhibitors, tocilizumab, abatacept or tofacitinib for dementia prevention, but hydroxychloroquine may be a potential candidate. Further studies that carefully mitigate important sources of biases are warranted, and long-term evidence will be preferred., Competing Interests: The funders did not participate in the conduct or reporting of the study. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Objective: To explore the efficacy and safety of endoscopic diaphragm incision in pediatric congenital duodenal diaphragm. Methods: Eight children with duodenal diaphragm treated by endoscopic diaphragm incision in the Department of Gastroenterology of Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center from October 2019 to May 2022 were enrolled in this study. Their clinical data including general conditions, clinical manifestations, laboratory and imaging examinations, endoscopic procedures and outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Among the 8 children, 4 were males and 4 females. The diagnosis was confirmed at the age of 6-20 months; the age of onset was 0-12 months and the course of disease was 6-18 months. The main clinical manifestations were recurrent non-biliary vomiting, abdominal distension and malnutrition. One case complicated with refractory hyponatremia was first diagnosed with atypical congenital adrenal hyperplasia in the endocrinology department. After treatment with hydrocortisone, the blood sodium returned to normal, but vomiting was recurrent. One patient underwent laparoscopic rhomboid duodenal anastomosis in another hospital but had recurred vomiting after the operation, who was diagnosed with double duodenal diaphragm under endoscope. No other malformations were found in all the 8 cases. The duodenal diaphragm was located in the descending part of the duodenum, and the duodenal papilla was located below the diaphragm in all the 8 cases. Three cases had the diaphragm dilated by balloon to explore the diaphragm opening range before diaphragm incision; the other 5 had diaphragm incision performed after probing the diaphragm opening with guide wire. All the 8 cases were successfully treated by endoscopic incision of duodenal diaphragm, with the operation time of 12-30 minutes. There were no complications such as intestinal perforation, active bleeding or duodenal papilla injury. At one month of follow-up, their weight increased by 0.4-1.5 kg, with an increase of 5%-20%. Within the postoperative follow-up period of 2-20 months, all the 8 children had duodenal obstruction relieved, without vomiting or abdominal distension, and all resumed normal feeding. Gastroscopy reviewed at 2-3 months after the operation in 3 cases found no deformation of the duodenal bulbar cavity, and the mucosa of the incision was smooth, with a duodenal diameter of 6-7 mm. Conclusion: Endoscopic diaphragm incision is safe, effective and less invasive in pediatric congenital duodenal diaphragm, with favorable clinical applicability.

Objective: To analyze the clinical features, treatment and prognosis of solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) in children. Methods: The clinical data of 7 children who were diagnosed with SRUS in Department of Gastroenterology in Guangzhou Women and Children' Medical Center from January 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical data including general demographics, clinical presentations, endoscopic and histologic features, treatment and outcome were extracted from hospital medical records. Results: The 7 patients were all males, and the age of onset was 6-12 years. The course before diagnosis was 2-36 months. The most common symptom was rectal bleeding (6 cases) and most common findings at initial colonoscopy were ulcer in 3 cases and protuberance in 4 cases, both located only in rectum. The intestinal histopathology of 5 cases showed characteristic fibromuscular obliteration of lamina propria. Five children were treated with mesalamine granules or suppositories, and 2 cases underwent local excision. The follow-up lasted for 5-24 months and found symptoms relieved in 5 cases, improved in 1 case, and no remission in 1 case. Colonoscopy after the treatment was performed in 5 children, among whom 2 cases achieved mucosal healing. Conclusions: SRUS in children is mainly presented with rectal bleeding, and has characteristic histological change of ulcer and protuberance in endoscopy. Pathology is crucial for diagnosis and differential diagnosis. Both the medical and surgical treatment are effective for SRUS.

Objective: Though increasing evidences showed that statins had potential benefits to diabetic kidney disease (DKD), its mechanism has not been completely elucidated yet. The aim of this study was to investigate the renoprotective effects of atorvastatin on DKD., Materials and Methods: Kidney injury was induced by streptozotocin (STZ) in rats. STZ-diabetic rats were treated with atorvastatin (10 mg/kg/d) for consecutive 8 weeks. Renal functional and morphological changes were evaluated by clinical biochemistry and histological examination. The expression of inflammatory factors in kidney was measured by real-time (RT)-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)., Results: Compared with DKD rat, atorvastatin effectively reduced the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), creatinine (CREA), ratio of urine albumin to creatinine (UACR) (p <0.05). The expression of inflammatory factors TNF-α, MCP-1 and IL-6 in kidney tissue were significantly down-regulated, as well (p <0.05). Atorvastatin improved kidney injury with the reduced morphologic lesions and renal fibrosis and the increasing transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and collagen I staining., Conclusions: Our results suggested that atorvastatin could ameliorate DKD through inhibiting pro-inflammatory pathways. Atorvastatin may possess a potential antidiabetic effect and serve as the therapeutic drug for DKD management.