Mitophagy and clear cell renal cell carcinoma: insights from single-cell and spatial transcriptomics analysis

BackgroundClear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer, characterized by high heterogeneity and complexity. Recent studies have identified mitochondrial defects and autophagy as key players in the development of ccRCC. This study aims to delve into the changes in mitophagic activity within ccRCC and its impact on the tumor microenvironment, revealing its role in tumor cell metabolism, development, and survival strategies.MethodsComprehensive analysis of ccRCC tumor tissues using single cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics to reveal the role of mitophagy in ccRCC. Mitophagy was determined to be altered among renal clear cells by gene set scoring. Key mitophagy cell populations and key prognostic genes were identified using NMF analysis and survival analysis approaches. The role of UBB in ccRCC was also demonstrated by in vitro experiments.ResultsCompared to normal kidney tissue, various cell types within ccRCC tumor tissues exhibited significantly increased levels of mitophagy, especially renal clear cells. Key genes associated with increased mitophagy levels, such as UBC, UBA52, TOMM7, UBB, MAP1LC3B, and CSNK2B, were identified, with their high expression closely linked to poor patient prognosis. Particularly, the ubiquitination process involving the UBB gene was found to be crucial for mitophagy and its quality control.ConclusionThis study highlights the central role of mitophagy and its regulatory factors in the development of ccRCC, revealing the significance of the UBB gene and its associated ubiquitination process in disease progression

Association between dietary habits and recurrent respiratory infection in children: A case–control study

Objective: To explore the association between dietary habits and recurrent respiratory infection (RRI) in children aged 0–14 years. Methods: This case–control study compared dietary data of children with (cases) and without RRI (controls) collected via structured questionnaire. Participants were recruited from Chinese medicine clinics, hospitals, and children's learning institutions in Beijing. A logistic regression analysis and odds ratio (OR) calculations were conducted using SPSS 17.0 software. Results: A total of 241 questionnaires were collected (case:control ratio: approximately 2:1). Frequent consumption of processed foods (OR = 2.988, 95% confidence intervals 1.375–6.491) and high-sugar foods (OR = 2.268, 95% confidence intervals 1.163–4.424), frequent picky eating (OR = 2.614, 95% confidence intervals 1.363–5.014), and a meat-heavy diet with fewer vegetables (OR = 1.830, 95% confidence intervals 1.358–2.467) correlated positively correlated with RRI. Additionally, 57.80% of the children with RRI were addicted to high-sugar foods, compared with 41.57% of the children without RRI (P = .015). Furthermore, 63.16% of the children with RRI were picky eaters, compared with 48.31% of the children without RRI (P = .024). Finally, 30.92% of the children with RRI frequently consumed processed foods, compared with only 17.98% of the children without RRI (P = .027). Conclusion: Although RRI correlates positively with several dietary habits, in the future, prospective cohort studies with larger samples are needed to generalize these findings