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Background. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) can progress to cirrhosis and hepatic carcinoma and is closely associated with changes in the neurological environment. The discovery of new biomarkers would aid in the treatment of NASH. Methods. Data GSE89632 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and R package “limma” was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for NASH vs. normal tissues. The STRING database was used to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and the Cytoscape software program (Version 3.80) was used to visualize the PPI network and identify key genes. The immune infiltration of NASH was determined using the R package “CIBERSORT”. Results. We screened 41 DEGs. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of the DEGs revealed the enrichment of pathways related to NAFLD steatosis and inflammation. A PPI network analysis was also performed on the DEGs, and seven genes (MYC, CXCL8, FOS, SOCS1, SOCS3, IL6, and PTGS2) were identified as hub genes. An immune infiltration assessment revealed that macrophages M2, memory resting CD4+ T cells, and γΔ T cells play important roles in the immune microenvironment of NASH, which may be mediated by the seven identified hub genes.

Background. Functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) patients are influenced by anxiety, depression, and low sleep quality, which reduce the quality of their life. However, epidemiological data on the quality of sleep in FGID patients were lacking. This study aims to explore the sleep quality and influencing factors of the sleep quality in FGID patients. Methods. 1200 subjects, diagnosed as FGID in one of the six class-three hospitals in Tianjin, China, from January to December 2014, were recruited. The information about demographic information, the severity of clinical symptoms, psychological status (Zung self-rating depression scale), and sleep quality (evaluated with Pittsburgh sleep quality index) was gathered. Results. The questionnaires from 1117 participants were collected including 920 of functional dyspepsia (FD) patients, 77 of irritable bowel disease (IBS) patients, 26 of functional constipation (FC) patients, and 94 other FGID patients. The results showed that morbidity rate for FD patients who had sleep disorders was higher than those who suffered from IBS or FC (P<0.001). The proportion of elderly patients suffering from low sleep quality was higher than that of middle-aged and young patients (P<0.001). The binary logistic regression analysis showed that age, education, and the severity of FGID symptom were influencing factors for poor sleep quality in FGID patients. Conclusion. The issue of poor sleep quality in FGID patients in Tianjin area is prominent, and elderly patients suffer lower sleep quality than other FGID patients. Age, education, and the severity of FGID symptoms are critical influencing factors which result in a drop-in sleep quality.