Cognitive Flexibility's Role in Reducing Academic Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Cognitive flexibility (CF) in the psychological literature has been described as an individual's ability to produce several solutions and retain control in novel situations. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to be an ideal scenario that demanded the application of adaptive thinking by students to deal with several challenges of the pandemic. Aim: This study aimed to assess the role of CF in reducing academic stress among university students due to the sudden and strict implementation of online education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional survey design and data collection was completed during the 2020-2021 academic year. The study sample comprised 328 university students from Saudi Arabia. The online survey method was used, and study tools comprises of reliable and valid psychological measures to assess CF, academic stress, the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and emotional symptoms. IBMSPSS25 was used for statistical analysis of data. Multiple regression analysis was applied to determine the role of CF in reducing academic stress after controlling for other factors such as gender, age, academic year, negative impact of COVID-19 on daily life, and unpleasant emotional experiences. Results: CF was significantly decreased the risk of experiencing academic stress (b = ‒0.196, t = ‒3.54; p < 0.001; 95% CI = ‒3.53 to ‒0.11) after controlling for the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on daily life (b = 0.119, t = 2.09; p < 0.05; 95% CI = 0.02-0.63) and emotional repercussions (b = 0.109, t = 1.91; p < 0.05; 95% CI = ‒0.01-0.15). Conclusion: The current findings suggest that CF could be fostered among university students as a useful mental tool to cope with academic stress during less-structured educational and social circumstances that may impact their daily lives and emotional wellness.

Assessing suboptimal health status in the Saudi population: Translation and validation of the SHSQ-25 questionnaire.

Background: Suboptimal Health Status (SHS) is realised as a vital feature for improving global health. However, the Arabian world does not have a validated instrument for screening SHS in their population. Therefore, the study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of Arabic-translated SHS (ASHSQ-25) in the Saudi Arabian population. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among the conveniently sampled 1590 participants from the Saudi population (with a 97.4% response rate). The data was gathered through an online survey and then exported into SPSS and AMOS version 26.0 for analysis. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to identify the median difference between demographic groups. The one-tailed 90% upper limit of SHS scores was chosen as the cut-off criteria for SHS. Reliability and confirmatory analysis were performed for the psychometric evaluation of ASHSQ-25 in the Saudi Arabian context. Results: This study demonstrates that the ASHSQ-25 has good internal consistency, interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.92; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.91-0.93) and reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.92). The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) results indicated a good fit of the databased on the CMIN/degrees of freedom (df) = 4.461, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.94, Tucker Lewis index (TLI) = 0.93, and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.05. The result factor loadings for each item were high (≥ 0.55), except for one item from the immune system subscale. The SHS cut-off point for ASHSQ-25 was 33, leading to a 23.7% prevalence of SHS. Conclusions: This study reveals that ASHSQ-25 has appropriate internal consistency and structural validity to assess SHS in an Arabic-speaking population; therefore, it is recommended.

Blood meal analysis and molecular detection of mammalian Leishmania DNA in wild-caught Sergentomyia spp. from Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Phlebotominae) belonging to the genus Phlebotomus are vectors of pathogens such as arboviruses, bacteria, and parasites (Leishmania). Species of the genus Sergentomyia (Se.) transmit Sauroleishmania (Reptile Leishmania) and feed on cold-blooded vertebrates; recently, they have been incriminated in mammalian Leishmania transmission. In addition, they have been reported to feed on warm-blooded vertebrates. This study aimed to (i) screen wild-caught Sergentomyia species for the detection of mammalian Leishmania and (ii) identify the blood meal origin of engorged females. The sand flies were collected using centers for disease control and prevention (CDC) traps, mounted and identified morphologically. Only females of the genus Sergentomyia were screened for Leishmania infection using PCR targeting the 18S ribosomal DNA locus. For positive specimens, Leishmania parasites were typed using nested PCR targeting ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 followed by digestion with HaeIII. The PCR-RFLP results were confirmed through sequencing. Blood meal identification was performed through PCR amplification of the vertebrate cytochrome b gene using degenerate primers followed by sequencing. In total, 6026 sand fly specimens were collected between 2009 and 2018. Among these, 511 belonged to five species of Sergentomyia genus: Se. minuta (58.51%), Se. fallax (18.01%), Se. clydei (14.68%), Se. dreyfussi (6.26%), and Se. antennata (2.54%). A total of 256 female Sergentomyia sp. specimens were screened for Leishmania infection. Seventeen (17) were positive (6.64%). Two Leishmania species were identified. Leishmania major DNA was detected in five specimens; this included three Se. fallax, one Se. minuta, and one Se. dreyfussi collected from Tunisia. Leishmania infantum/L. donovani complex was detected in four Se. minuta and three Se. dreyfussi specimens collected from Tunisia. In addition, we identified the blood meal origin of five engorged Se. minuta specimens collected from Tunisia. Sequencing results revealed two blood sources: humans (n = 4) and reptiles (n = 1) indicating possible role of Sergentomyia species in the transmission of human Leishmania. In addition, these species could be involved in the life cycle of L. infantum/L. donovani complex and L. major. The results of the blood meal origin showed that Sergentomyia fed on both cold- and warm-blooded vertebrates. These findings enable a better understanding of the behavior of this sand fly genus. Further studies should focus on the role of Sergentomyia in human Leishmania transmission and possible control of this disease.

Psychometric Properties of Suboptimal Health Status Instruments: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Suboptimal health status (SHS) measurement has now been recognized as an essential construct in predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine. Currently, there are limited tools, and an ongoing debate about appropriate tools. Therefore, it is crucial to evaluate and generate conclusive evidence about the psychometric properties of available SHS tools. OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to identify and critically assess the psychometric properties of available SHS instruments and provide recommendations for their future use. METHODS: Articles were retrieved by following the guidelines of the PRISMA checklist, and the robustness of methods and evidence about the measurement properties was assessed using the adapted COSMIN checklist. The review was registered in PROSPERO. RESULTS: The systematic review identified 14 publications describing four subjective SHS measures with established psychometric properties; these included the Suboptimal Health Status Questionnaire-25 (SHSQ-25), Sub-health Measurement Scale Version 1.0 (SHMS V1.0), Multidimensional Sub-health Questionnaire of Adolescents (MSQA), and the Sub-Health Self-Rating Scale (SSS). Most studies were conducted in China and reported three reliability indices: (1) the internal consistency measured by Cronbach's α value ranged between 0.70 and 0.96; (2) the test-retest reliability; and (3) the split-half reliability coefficient values ranged between 0.64 and 0.98, and between 0.83 and 0.96, respectively. For the values of validity coefficients in the case of SHSQ-25 > 0.71, the SHMS-1.0 ranged from 0.64 to 0.87, and the SSS ranged from 0.74 to 0.96. Using these existing and well-characterized tools rather than constructing original tools is beneficial, given that the existing choice demonstrated sound psychometric properties and established norms. CONCLUSIONS: The SHSQ-25 stood out as being more suitable for the general population and routine health surveys, because it is short and easy to complete. Therefore, there is a need to adapt this tool by translating it into other languages, including Arabic, and establishing norms based on populations from other regions of the world.

Epidemiological Profile of Urinary and Intestinal Schistosomiasis in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Seven-Year Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the marked decline of schistosomiasis in Saudi Arabia in recent years, it is still reported in several regions. This study investigates the epidemiology of schistosomiasis in Saudi Arabia over seven years (2014-2020). METHODOLOGY: A retrospective study was retrieved from the annual reports of the Ministry of Health. A Geographic Information System GIS, Chi-square, and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Out of the 4,371,481 tested, 680 cases were positive for schistosomiasis, with a cumulative incidence rate of 2.155/100,000 population. This number showed significant variation over the study period (p value < 0.001). The highest number of cases detected in 2015 was almost 2-fold (OR = 1.93; 95%CI: 1.36-2.74) higher than in 2020. Both clinical forms (urinary and intestinal schistosomiasis) exist in Saudi Arabia (79.6% and 20.4% of all schistosomiasis cases, respectively). Schistosomiasis was reported in seven out of thirteen regions. Among them, Mecca has a relatively high number of cases (OR = 5.57; 95%CI: 2.49-12.47). Conversely, the Eastern Province has a low number of cases (OR = 0.09; 95%CI: 0.02-0.39) when compared to the Najran region (p value > 0.001). Regarding the distribution of schistosomiasis cases by gender and nationality, we noticed that most of the positive cases were found among males (70.6%) and expatriates (83.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The persistence of schistosomiasis and the disparity in the demographic factors underscores the imperative for intensified and integrative One Health interventions to combat this disease in Saudi Arabia.

Risk of depression, anxiety, and stress among the Saudi general population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Promoting mental health and wellness is crucial for healthy communities. This study aims to assess the vulnerability of experiencing psychological reactions such as depression, anxiety, and stress within the general population in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 754 participants recruited from thirteen regions of Saudi Arabia. The information on background variables was obtained by using a set of close-ended questions. The DASS-21, a screening tool was used to assess the risk of depression, anxiety, and stress. Pie-chart displayed the levels of risk to experience psychological reactions. The Chi-square test and Adjusted Odd Ratios (AOR) reported the risk factors associated with experiencing psychological reactions in the study population. RESULTS: The vulnerability to mild to extremely severe levels of stress, anxiety and depression were (36.5%), (34.9%), and (43.5%), respectively. Findings demonstrated that females were at higher risk to experience anxiety (AOR = 1.56; 95% CI 1.11-2.18) and stress (AOR = 1.48; 95% CI 1.10-2.10) as compared to males. Unmarried individuals had higher vulnerability for anxiety (AOR = 1.60; 95% CI 1.04-2.44) and depression (AOR = 1.55; 95% CI 1.02-2.37) as compared to married individuals. Those who lost their job during the pandemic had a higher risk to experience anxiety (AOR = 2.02; 95% CI 1.10-3.74) and depression (AOR = 2.01: 95% CI 1.09-3.87) as compared to those who remain employed. Diagnosis with COVID-19 was associated with anxiety (AOR = 2.40; 95% CI 1.27-4.52) and stress (AOR = 2. 0; 95% CI 1.10-3.69). Participants with chronic medical conditions were almost twice at risk to experience stress (AOR = 2.0; 95% CI 1.38-2.87) depression (AOR = 2.14; 95% CI 1.53-2.99) and anxiety (AOR = 2.59; 95% CI 1.78-3.78) as compared to those without such conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Findings imply the allocation of adequate psychological resources to prevent long-term psychological repercussions in at-risk populations such as females, unmarried individuals, those who lost their jobs, diagnosed with COVID-19 and those with chronic medical conditions.

Time-Series Analysis and Healthcare Implications of COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia.

The first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Saudi Arabia was reported on 2 March 2020. Since then, it has progressed rapidly and the number of cases has grown exponentially, reaching 788,294 cases on 22 June 2022. Accurately analyzing and predicting the spread of new COVID-19 cases is critical to develop a framework for universal pandemic preparedness as well as mitigating the disease's spread. To this end, the main aim of this paper is first to analyze the historical data of the disease gathered from 2 March 2020 to 20 June 2022 and second to use the collected data for forecasting the trajectory of COVID-19 in order to construct robust and accurate models. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first that analyzes the outbreak of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia for a long period (more than two years). To achieve this study aim, two techniques from the data analytics field, namely the auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) statistical technique and Prophet Facebook machine learning technique were investigated for predicting daily new infections, recoveries and deaths. Based on forecasting performance metrics, both models were found to be accurate and robust in forecasting the time series of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia for the considered period (the coefficient of determination for example was in all cases more than 0.96) with a small superiority of the ARIMA model in terms of the forecasting ability and of Prophet in terms of simplicity and a few hyper-parameters. The findings of this study have yielded a realistic picture of the disease direction and provide useful insights for decision makers so as to be prepared for the future evolution of the pandemic. In addition, the results of this study have shown positive healthcare implications of the Saudi experience in fighting the disease and the relative efficiency of the taken measures.

Association between Cholera Outbreak and Traditional Gold Mining in Northern State, Sudan 2017.

INTRODUCTION: Cholera is one of the health problems causing considerable morbidity and mortality. The Northern State of Sudan experienced a recent cholera outbreak, however, there are limited data on the outbreak. METHODS: The objective of this study was to assess the magnitude and risk factors associated with the cholera outbreak in the Northern State of Sudan. A retrospective case series study was conducted in the Northern State of Sudan, which involved tracing cases of cholera outbreak of 2017. Data were collected through reports and interviews. A geographical information system was used to map all cases during the outbreak. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to identify associated factors. RESULTS: There were 957 cholera cases reported in the state with an attack rate of 14.2/10,000 persons. Dalgo locality had the highest number (415) of cases reported with an attack rate of 167.2/10,000 persons. About 78% of cases were adult males, while 56.2% of cases were immigrants from other states. Immigrants in Halfa and Dalgo localities were four times (odds ratio [OR] = 4.031, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.482-6.547) and eight times (OR = 8.318, 95% CI: 5.674-12.193), respectively, at risk of cholera infection compared to immigrants in Dongola locality. The overall case-fatality rate was 1.9%. This was significantly higher in younger (5.8%) and older (22.7%) age groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed that the cholera outbreak spread highly along with traditional gold mining areas due to poor sanitation. Therefore, improving sanitation services and establishing an effective surveillance system in these areas are essential to prevent future occurrence of outbreaks.

Coping during COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Community: Religious Attitudes, Practices and Associated Factors.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many societies' life aspects and activities including social and Islamic practices; more attention should be given to investigate the interaction between Islamic worships and the spread of the disease. Here, we performed a cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire to assess the preventive Islamic attitudes and practices during the COVID-19 lockdown period from the Saudi publics' perspectives. Mann-Whitney, Kruskal and logistic regression tests were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that most participants had positive Islamic attitudes and practices. However, elders and males were less obeyed to preventive measures during performing worship (p < 0.05). While younger, females and not married were less obeyed when dealing with COVID-19 related death (p < 0.05). Even though, elders were less likely to have poor social and Islamic practices concerning adherence to preventive measures during the pandemic (OR = 0.38; 95% CI: 0.176-0.816) than younger. Furthermore, males, Saudi participants, lower education level, lower Islamic attitudes scores were more likely to have poor social and Islamic practices concerning adherence to preventive measures during the pandemic (OR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.126-2.421; OR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.067-2.322; OR = 3.09; 95% CI: 1.721-5.563; and OR = 1.89; 95% CI: 1.309-2.753, respectively), than their corresponding targeted counterparts. Thus, despite the high preventative perceptions of Islamic attitudes and practices of the Saudi community, our study highlighted some risk groups with less preventative practices. Thus, targeted health education interventions are highly recommended for these risk groups to enhance the commitment to government instructions.

Assessing the Level of Awareness of COVID-19 and Prevalence of General Anxiety Disorder among the Hail Community, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a major public health problem around the world. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the awareness and prevalence of General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) with regard to COVID-19 among the Hail community, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in order to help health authorities to effectively control the pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 412 participants living in Hail, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices for the prevention of COVID-19, as well as psychological feelings in terms of GAD as an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: The study found that most of the respondents demonstrated good knowledge, attitudes, and practice for COVID-19 prevention. The elderly and employed demonstrated significant positive attitudes and practices (p < 0.05). Participants with a positive attitude were almost two and a half times (OR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.54-3.99) more likely to have good practices. Additionally, the rural respondents were less likely (OR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.21-0.96) to have a positive attitude. Married participants were more than one and a half (OR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.04-2.44) times more likely to have a positive attitude. The prevalence of GAD was 21.8% and was significantly increased among participants with inadequate knowledge (OR = 2.01; 95% CI: 1.25-3.22), females (OR = 1.92; 95% CI: 1.19-3.09), individuals with chronic diseases (OR = 1.71; 95% CI: 1.02-2.86), and non-Saudi participants (OR = 2.44; 95% CI: 1.02-5.85). CONCLUSIONS: Ensuring a sufficient combination of relatively good levels of knowledge, positive attitudes, and desired practices serves as a good approach to preventing the spread of COVID-19. However, the increased prevalence of GAD requires the attention of policymakers. Therefore, a great emphasis should be placed on health awareness campaigns, with a focus on misconceptions and the provision of counseling.

Cellular pathways involved in silica nanoparticles induced apoptosis: A systematic review of in vitro studies.

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) have been found to pass through biological barriers and get distributed in the human body. They induce cell apoptosis via various mechanisms in body organs. To understand these mechanisms, we carried out systematic review of in vitro studies on SiNPs-induced cell apoptosis. Office of Health Assessment and Translation approach for Systematic Review and Evidence Integration was used to identify 14 studies dating from the year 2000 to current. Four studies showed an increase in DNA damage, cell cycle arrest, proapoptotic factors and decrease in antiapoptotic factors resulting to apoptosis. Eight studies showed induction of mitochondrial dysfunction, Bax upregulation, Bcl-2 downregulation, and caspase-3, -7, -9 activities increase. Increase in FADD, TNFR1 and Bid proteins was observed in one study, while the other NO production and caspase-3 activity was increased. These studies found the potency of SiNPs to induce cell apoptosis through DNA damage, mitochondrial, tumor necrosis factor, and nitric oxide related pathways.

Telomere Length and Accelerated Biological Aging in the China Suboptimal Health Cohort: A Case-Control Study.

Suboptimal health status (SHS) has been linked to cardiovascular risk factors, psychosocial stress, and unhealthy lifestyle. These factors also contribute to the shortening of telomere length (TL). A case-control study was conducted to examine the association between subjective health measures of SHS from the behavior perspective and also objective measures of TL at molecular level. SHS (cases = 294) was matched by age, sex, and body mass index with ideal health (controls = 294) using a propensity score matching method. Suboptimal health status questionnaire-25 (SHSQ-25) was used in the community-based health survey. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to measure relative telomere length (RTL). Shorter RTL was found among the SHS group compared to the ideal health group (p < 0.05). SHS was almost four times likely to be in the first quartile (odds ratio [OR] = 3.81; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.21-6.56), almost thrice in second quartile (OR = 2.84; 95% CI 1.65-4.90), and almost twice likely to be in the third quartile (OR = 1.71; 95% CI 1.00-2.94) compared to the fourth quartile (the longest) of RTL after adjusting for socioeconomic, dietary intake, anthropometric, blood pressure, and biochemistry variables (p < 0.05). Notably, SHS score was negatively correlated with RTL (r = -0.218, p < 0.05). Our study confirms an association between SHS and short RTL. Combination of subjective (SHS) and objective (RTL) measures is a novel tool for health aging investigation. Therefore, SHSQ-25 could be used as a screening tool for measuring biological aging in low-income countries at community level where the expensive technique for RTL measurement is not applicable.

Screening for potential serum-based proteomic biomarkers for human type 2 diabetes mellitus using MALDI-TOF MS.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex, pandemic disease contributing towards the global burden of health issues. To date, there are no simple clinical tests for the early detection of T2DM. METHOD: To identify potential peptide biomarkers for such applications, 406 sera of T2DM patients (n = 206) and healthy controls (n = 200) are analyzed by using MALDI-TOF MS with a cross-sectional case-control design. RESULT: Six peptides (peaks m/z 1452.9, 1692.8, 1946.0, 2115.1, 2211.0 and 4053.6) are identified as candidate biomarkers for T2DM. A diagnostic model constructed with six peptides is able to discriminate T2DM patients from healthy controls, with an accuracy of 82.20%, sensitivity of 82.50%, and specificity of 77.80% in the validation set. Peptide peaks m/z 1452.9 and 1692.8 are identified as fragments of the complement C3f, while peptide peaks m/z 1946.0, 2115.1, and 2211.0 are identified as the fragments of kininogen 1 isoform 1 precursor. CONCLUSION: This study reinforces proteomic analyses as a potential technique for defining significant clinical peptide biomarkers, providing a simple and convenient diagnostic model for T2DM in clinical examination.

China suboptimal health cohort study: rationale, design and baseline characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Suboptimal health status (SHS) is a physical state between health and disease, characterized by the perception of health complaints, general weakness, chronic fatigue and low energy levels. SHS is proposed by the ancient concept of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) from the perspective of preservative, predictive and personalized (precision) medicine. We previously created the suboptimal health status questionnaire 25 (SHSQ-25), a novel instrument to measure SHS, validated in various populations. SHSQ-25 thus affords a window of opportunity for early detection and intervention, contributing to the reduction of chronic disease burdens. METHODS/DESIGN: To investigate the causative effect of SHS in non-communicable chronic diseases (NCD), we initiated the China suboptimal health cohort study (COACS), a longitudinal study starting from 2013. Phase I of the study involved a cross-sectional survey aimed at identifying the risk/protective factors associated with SHS; and Phase II: a longitudinal yearly follow-up study investigating how SHS contributes to the incidence and pattern of NCD. RESULTS: (1) Cross-sectional survey: in total, 4313 participants (53.8 % women) aged from 18 to 65 years were included in the cohort. The prevalence of SHS was 9.0 % using SHS score of 35 as threshold. Women showed a significantly higher prevalence of SHS (10.6 % in the female vs. 7.2 % in the male, P < 0.001). Risk factors for chronic diseases such as socioeconomic status, marital status, highest education completed, physical activity, salt intake, blood pressure and triglycerides differed significantly between subjects of SHS (SHS score ≥35) and those of ideal health (SHS score <35). (2) Follow up: the primary and secondary outcomes will be monitored from 2015 to 2024. CONCLUSIONS: The sex-specific difference in prevalence of SHS might partly explain the gender difference of incidence of certain chronic diseases. The COACS will enable a thorough characterization of SHS and establish a cohort that will be used for longitudinal analyses of the interaction between the genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that contribute to the onset and etiology of targeted chronic diseases. The study together with the designed prospective cohort provides a chance to characterize and evaluate the effect of SHS systemically, and it thus generates an unprecedented opportunity for the early detection and prevention of chronic disease.

Validation of Type 2 Diabetes Risk Variants Identified by Genome-Wide Association Studies in Northern Han Chinese.

BACKGROUND: More than 60 genetic susceptibility loci associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have been established in populations of Asian and European ancestry. Given ethnic differences and environmental factors, validation of the effects of genetic risk variants with reported associations identified by Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWASs) is essential. The study aims at evaluating the associations of T2DM with 29 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 19 candidate genes derived from GWASs in a northern Han Chinese population. METHOD: In this case-control study, 461 T2DM-diagnosed patients and 434 controls were recruited at the Jidong oil field hospital (Hebei, China) from January 2009 to October 2013. A cumulative genetic risk score (cGRS) was calculated by summation of the number of risk alleles, and a weight GRS (wGRS) was calculated as the sum of risk alleles at each locus multiplied by their effect sizes for T2DM, using the independent variants selected. RESULT: The allelic frequency of the "A" allele at rs17106184 (Fas-associated factor 1, FAF1) was significantly higher in the T2DM patients than that of the healthy controls (11.7% vs. 6.4%, p < 0.001). Individuals in the highestquartile of wGRS had an over three-fold increased risk for developing T2DM compared with those in the lowest quartile (odds ratio = 3.06, 95% CI = 1.92-4.88, p < 0.001) adjusted for age, sex, BMI, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). The results were similar when analyzed with the cGRS. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed the association between rs17106184 (FAF1) and T2DM in a northern Han Chinese population. The GRS calculated based on T2DM susceptibility variants may be a useful tool for predicting the T2DM susceptibility.

Glycan Biomarkers for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Its Remission Status in Han Chinese Patients.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a systemic, chronic, and progressive inflammatory autoimmune disease, affects up to 1.0% of the world population doubling mortality rate of patients and is a major global health burden. Worrisomely, we lack robust diagnostics of RA and its remission status. Research with the next-generation biomarker technology platforms such as glycomics offers new promises in this context. We report here a clinical case-control study comprising 128 patients suffering from chronic RA (80.22% in remission, 19.78% active clinically) and 195 gender- and age-matched controls, with a view to the putative glycan biomarkers of RA as well as its activity or remission status in Han Chinese RA patients. Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-ultra-performance liquid chromatography (HILIC-UPLC) was used for the analysis of IgG glycans. The regression model identified the glycans that predict RA status, while a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis validated the sensitivity and prediction power. Among the total 24 glycan peaks (GP1-GP24), ROC analysis showed only GP1 prediction to be highly sensitive with an area under the curve (AUC) = 0.881. Even though GP21 and GP22 could predict active status among the RA cases (p < 0.05), they had lower sensitivity of prediction with an AUC = 0.658. Taken together, these observations suggest that GP1 might have potential as a putative biomarker for RA in the Han Chinese population, while the change in IgG glycosylation shows association with the RA active and remission states. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first glycomics study with respect to disease activity and remission states in RA.