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Intestinal dysbiosis is implicated in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). However, the evidence of gut microbiome changes in SLE is limited, and the association of changed gut microbiome with the activity of SLE, as well as its functional relevance with SLE still remains unknown. Here, we sequenced 16S rRNA amplicon on fecal samples from 40 SLE patients (19 active patients, 21 remissive patients), 20 disease controls (Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients), and 22 healthy controls (HCs), and investigated the association of functional categories with taxonomic composition by Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt). We demonstrated SLE patients, particularly the active patients, had significant dysbiosis in gut microbiota with reduced bacterial diversity and biased community constitutions. Amongst the disordered microbiota, the genera Streptococcus, Campylobacter, Veillonella, the species anginosus and dispar, were positively correlated with lupus activity, while the genus Bifidobacterium was negatively associated with the disease activity. PICRUSt analysis showed metabolic pathways were different between SLE and HCs, and also between active and remissive SLE patients. Moreover, we revealed that a random forest model could distinguish SLE from RA and HCs (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.792), and another random forest model could well predict the activity of SLE patients (AUC = 0.811). In summary, SLE patients, especially the active patients, show an apparent dysbiosis in gut microbiota and its related metabolic pathways. Amongst the disordered microflora, four genera and two species are associated with lupus activity. Furthermore, the random forest models are able to diagnose SLE and predict disease activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green tea extract (GTE) is popular in weight loss, and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is considered as the main active component. However, GTE is the primary cause of herbal and dietary supplement-induced liver injury in the United States. Whether there is a greater risk of liver injury when EGCG is consumed during dieting for weight loss has not been previously reported. This study found for the first time that EGCG could induce enhanced lipid metabolism pathways, suggesting that EGCG had the so-called "fat burning" effect, although EGCG did not cause liver injury at doses of 400 or 800 mg/kg in normal mice. Intriguingly, we found that EGCG caused dose-dependent hepatotoxicity on mice under dietary restriction, suggesting the potential combination effects of dietary restriction and EGCG. The combination effect between EGCG and dietary restriction led to overactivation of linoleic acid and arachidonic acid oxidation pathways, significantly increasing the accumulation of pro-inflammatory lipid metabolites and thus mediating liver injury. We also found that the disruption of Lands' cycle and sphingomyelin-ceramides cycle and the high expression of taurine-conjugated bile acids were important metabolomic characteristics in EGCG-induced liver injury under dietary restriction. This original discovery suggests that people should not go on a diet while consuming EGCG for weight loss; otherwise the risk of liver injury will be significantly increased. This discovery provides new evidence for understanding the "drug-host" interaction hypothesis of drug hepatotoxicity and provides experimental reference for clinical safe use of green tea-related dietary supplements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Hepatitis C virus infection can lead to an enormous health burden worldwide. Investigating the changes in HCV-related burden between different countries could provide inferences for disease management. Hence, we aim to explore the temporal tendency of the disease burden associated with HCV infection in China, India, the United States, and the world., Methods: Detailed data on the total burden of disease related to HCV infection were collected from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 database. Joinpoint regression models were used to simulate the optimal joinpoints of annual percent changes (APCs). Further analysis of the age composition of each index over time and the relationship between ASRs and the socio-demographic Index (SDI) were explored. Finally, three factors (population growth, population aging, and age-specific changes) were deconstructed for the changes in the number of incidences, deaths, and DALYs., Results: It was estimated that 6.2 million new HCV infections, 0.54 million HCV-related deaths, and 15.3 million DALYs worldwide in 2019, with an increase of 25.4, 59.1, and 43.6%, respectively, from 1990, are mainly due to population growth and aging. China experienced a sharp drop in age-standardized rates in 2019, the United States showed an upward trend, and India exhibited a fluctuating tendency in the burden of disease. The incidence was increasing in all locations recently., Conclusion: HCV remains a global health concern despite tremendous progress being made. The disease burden in China improved significantly, while the burden in the United States was deteriorating, with new infections increasing recently, suggesting more targeted interventions to be established to realize the 2030 elimination goals., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Yang, Qi, Wang, Li, Jin, Liu, Liu and Rao.)