Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency in the peri-operative period is associated with survival outcome in colorectal cancer patients: a meta-analysis.

AIM: Surgery had a significant impact on 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-(OH)D) levels. Uncertainty still existed regarding the effects of peri-operative 25(OH)D deficiency on colorectal cancer (CRC) patients' prognosis. The purpose of the present study was to explore the potential association between the peri-operative 25(OH)D deficiency and the survival outcome of CRC. METHODS: Seven electronic databases [including PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, OvidMEDLINE(R), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wangfang data] were searched without language limitations. The primary outcomes were overall survival and all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were the incidence of 25(OH)D deficiency and risk variables for low 25(OH)D level in the peri-operative period. RESULTS: 14 eligible studies were obtained with 9324 patients for meta-analysis. In the peri-operative period, the pooled incidence of blood 25(OH)D deficiency was 59.61% (95% CI: 45.74-73.48). The incidence of blood 25(OH)D deficiency post-operatively (66.60%) was higher than that pre-operatively (52.65%, 95% CI: 32.94-72.36). Male (RR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.03-1.16), rectum tumor (RR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.03-1.47), spring and winter sampling (RR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.02-1.49) were the risk factors for the 25(OH)D deficiency. The association between the low 25(OH)D post-operatively and short-term overall survival (HR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.24-0.77) was most prominent, while a low 25(OH)D pre-operatively (HR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.31-0.70) was more significantly associated with long-term all-cause mortality than that after surgery. CONCLUSION: Peri-operative 25(OH)D impacted the CRC patients' prognosis. Due to possible confounding effects of systemic inflammatory response (SIR), simultaneous measurement of vitamin D and SIR is essential for colorectal survival.

Factors associated with out-of-school physical activity among Chinese children and adolescents: A stratified cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: This observational study examined the factors associated with the physical activity (PA) of children and adolescents outside of school within the framework of Problem Behavior Theory (PBT). METHODS: This cross-sectional study obtained data from 6528 children and adolescents aged 6-16 years recruited from ten schools in Shanghai, China. The questionnaire measured out-of-school PA and PBT-based correlates. A series of multiple linear regressions were used to explore the factors influencing children and adolescents' out-of-school PA separately. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to explore the association between the three systems of PBT and out-of-school PA. RESULTS: Higher intrinsic motivation is positively associated with increased PA for children (b = 1.038, 95%CI: 0.897-1.180) and adolescents (b = 1.207, 95%CI: 0.890-1.524). Greater frequency of parental involvement in PA correlates with elevated PA for both children (b = 2.859, 95%CI: 2.147-3.572) and adolescents (b = 2.147, 95%CI: 0.311-3.983). In children, increased use of community exercise areas or facilities (b = 1.705, 95%CI: 0.234-3.176) and higher recreational screen time (b = 9.732, 95%CI: 5.614-13.850) are associated with higher PA. The SEM showed that factors of the personality system had a significant direct effect on out-of-school PA among children and adolescents, and factors of the behavior system also had a significant effect on children. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the personality system, particularly intrinsic motivation, is important in promoting out-of-school PA in children and adolescents. For children, modifiable health behaviors in the behavior system can similarly influence PA.

Factors Influencing Readiness for Hospital Discharge among Patients Undergoing Enterostomy: A Descriptive, Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the factors influencing hospital discharge readiness among Chinese patients who have undergone enterostomy. METHODS: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, researchers recruited patients with colorectal cancer who underwent enterostomy at a tertiary hospital in Guangdong Province, China, via convenience sampling between January 2021 and January 2023. Participants completed the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale, Ostomy Self-care Ability Scale, and Stoma-Quality of Life-Chinese Questionnaire (Chinese version) at the time of hospital discharge. Univariate, correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to explore the impact of self-care ability, quality of life, and other clinicodemographic characteristics on patients' readiness for hospital discharge. RESULTS: Of the 200 questionnaires distributed, 177 (88.5%) were completed and included in the final analysis. The median scores for the factors considered in this study were as follows: Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale was 148.00 (interquartile range [IQR], 117.50, 164.00), self-care intention of the Ostomy Self-care Ability Scale was 36.00 (IQR, 34.00, 40.00), self-care knowledge of the Ostomy Self-care Ability Scale was 17.00 (IQR, 15.00, 19.00), self-care skill of the Ostomy Self-care Ability Scale was 5.00 (IQR, 3.00, 6.00), and the total score for quality of life was 60.00 (IQR, 49.00, 69.00). Multiple linear regression analysis identified several key factors explaining 48.2% of the variance in global readiness for hospital discharge: global quality of life (ß = .347, P < .001), self-care knowledge (ß = .259, P < .001), leakage during hospitalization (ß = -0.241, P < .001), monthly family income (ß = .148, P = .008), stoma siting before surgery (ß = .130, P = .020), and self-care intention (ß = .127, P = .035). CONCLUSIONS: The readiness for hospital discharge among patients undergoing enterostomy in this study was high. Factors such as quality of life, self-care knowledge, leakage during hospitalization, monthly family income, stoma siting before surgery, and self-care intention after undergoing enterostomy influenced the patients' readiness for hospital discharge. Therefore, future studies should focus on developing interventions to enhance patients' readiness for hospital discharge.

Associations between joint lifestyle behaviors and depression among children and adolescents: A large cross-sectional study in China.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyles in children and adolescents are associated with mental health, yet the combined effects of diet-related joint lifestyles on depression are unclear. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2020 in primary and secondary schools in Shanghai, China, with 6478 participants in the analysis. Lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, sleep duration, screen time, and diet quality) and depressive symptoms were measured using validated questionnaires. A series of multivariable logistic regressions were performed to examine the associations between lifestyle behaviors and their combinations and depression. RESULTS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms 12.2 % (n = 788). Compared to those considered physically active, physically inactive individuals showed higher odds of depression (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.206). Similarly, insufficient sleep duration (aOR = 1.449), long screen time (aOR = 1.457) and poor diet quality (aOR = 1.892) were all associated with higher odds of depression. Compared to participants with behaviors meeting all guidelines, the odds of depression increased as the number of behaviors not meeting guidelines increased in a dose-response relationship, with an average increase in depression odds of 49 % on average for each additional unhealthy behavior. Moreover, different combinations of behaviors not meeting guidelines showed varied odds of depression. CONCLUSIONS: Our research suggests that lifestyle behaviors not meeting guidelines in children and adolescents are associated with poorer mental health, and the risk varies with the number and specific combination of behaviors not meeting guidelines. Diet-related joint behaviors may be overlooked, and practical measures targeting joint lifestyles are needed to prevent and alleviate mental health problems among children and adolescents.

Automatic Extraction of Power Lines from Aerial Images of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

Automatic power line extraction from aerial images of unmanned aerial vehicles is one of the key technologies of power line inspection. However, the faint power line targets and complex image backgrounds make the extraction of power lines a greater challenge. In this paper, a new power line extraction method is proposed, which has two innovative points. Innovation point one, based on the introduction of the Mask RCNN network algorithm, proposes a block extraction strategy to realize the preliminary extraction of power lines with the idea of "part first and then the whole". This strategy globally reduces the anchor frame size, increases the proportion of power lines in the feature map, and reduces the accuracy degradation caused by the original negative anchor frames being misclassified as positive anchor frames. Innovation point two, the proposed connected domain group fitting algorithm solves the problem of broken and mis-extracted power lines even after the initial extraction and solves the problem of incomplete extraction of power lines by background texture interference. Through experiments on 60 images covering different complex image backgrounds, the performance of the proposed method far exceeds that of commonly used methods such as LSD, Yolact++, and Mask RCNN. DSCPL, TPR, precision, and accuracy are as high as 73.95, 81.75, 69.28, and 99.15, respectively, while FDR is only 30.72. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has good performance and can accomplish the task of power line extraction under complex image backgrounds. The algorithm in this paper solves the main problems of power line extraction and proves the feasibility of the algorithm in other scenarios. In the future, the dataset will be expanded to improve the performance of the algorithm in different scenarios.

Adropin inhibits the phenotypic modulation and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells during neointimal hyperplasia by activating the AMPK/ACC signaling pathway.

In-stent restenosis (ISR) remains an inevitable problem for some patients receiving drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. Intimal hyperplasia is an important biological cause of ISR. It has been previously reported that adropin is a potentially protective factor in cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the present study investigated the function of adropin in inhibiting smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotype modulation and proliferation, causing intimal hyperplasia. A total of 56 patients who visited the hospital consecutively (25 with ISR and 31 without ISR), who were followed up between April 2016 and March 2019, 1 year following DES, were analyzed to evaluate the association between in-stent neointimal volume and adropin serum levels. Rat aorta smooth muscle cells (RASMCs) were used to determine the effects of adropin on their phenotypic modulation and proliferation using western blot, MTT, PCR and immunofluorescence analyses. Adropin serum levels in the ISR group were significantly lower than those in the non-ISR group. Furthermore, linear regression analysis revealed that only adropin levels were negatively associated with neointimal volume in both groups. The overall adropin levels of the 56 patients and the percentages of neointimal volume revealed a strong negative association. In vitro, adropin suppressed angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced phenotypic modulation in RASMCs by restoring variations of osteopontin and α-smooth muscle actin. Furthermore, compared with the Ang II group, adropin markedly decreased the percentage of G2/M-phase cells. Finally, adropin negatively regulated the phenotypic modulation and proliferation of RASMCs via the AMP-activated protein kinase/acetyl-CoA carboxylase (AMPK/ACC) signaling pathway. In conclusion, an independent, negative association was revealed between adropin and intimal hyperplasia; specifically, adropin inhibited the phenotypic modulation and proliferation of RASMCs by activating the AMPK/ACC signaling pathway. Therefore, adropin may be used as a potential predictor and therapeutic target for intimal hyperplasia and ISR.

Global diastolic strain rate for the assessment of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in young peritoneal dialysis patients: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) myocardial longitudinal diastolic strain rate measured by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI) was proved to have a better correlation with the LV diastolic function. We aimed to use this sensitive tool to predict LV myocardial diastolic dysfunction in young peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients with preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF). METHODS: We enrolled 30 PD patients aged ≤60 with LVEF ≥54% and classified as normal LV diastolic function by conventional echocardiography, and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy people as the control group. The left atrial maximum volume index (LAVI), LV mass index (LVMI), LVEF, LV posterior wall thickness (LVPWT), interventricular septal thickness (IVST), peak velocity of tricuspid regurgitation (TR), peak early diastolic velocity/late diastolic velocity (by Pulsed Doppler) (E/A) and E/peak velocity of the early diastolic wave (by Pulsed-wave tissue Doppler) (E/e') were recorded by conventional echocardiographic. Next, the average LV global longitudinal systolic strain (GLS avg) and the average LV global longitudinal diastolic strain rate (DSr avg) during early diastole (DSrE avg), late diastole (DSrA avg) and isovolumic relaxation period (DSrIVR avg) were obtained from 2D-STI. Combined them with E, the new noninvasive indexes (E/DSrE avg., E/DSrA avg. and E/DSrIVR avg) were derived. RESULTS: The PD group 's LVEF, E/e', TR and LAVI were in the normal range compared with the controls, and only e' (p < 0.001) was decreased. The LVMI (p < 0.001), LVPWT (p < 0.001), IVST (p < 0.001) increased while E/A (p < 0.001) decreased. The GLS avg. (p = 0.008) was significantly decreased in PD patients compared with the controls. DSrA avg. (p = 0.006) and E/DSrE avg. (p = 0.006) were increased, while DSrE avg. (p < 0.001), DSrIVR avg. (p = 0.017) and E/DSrA avg. (p < 0.001) decreased. After the multivariable regression analysis, the correlation between DSrE and the conventional parameters including LVPWT (p < 0.001), E/A (p < 0.001) still remained significant. CONCLUSIONS: Young PD patients with preserved LVEF already exhibited myocardial diastolic dysfunction. Global diastolic strain rate indexes were valuable parameters to evaluate diastolic dysfunction. Additionally, LVPWT was highly correlated with DSrE, such parameter should be taken into account for predicting the early LV diastolic dysfunction in clinical practice.

Effect of beraprost on pulmonary hypertension due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Beraprost is used to treat peripheral chronic arterial occlusive disease. However, the efficacy and safety of beraprost in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction (PH-HFrEF) remains unknown. The primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of beraprost on PH-HFrEF.We prospectively recruited patients with PH-HFrEF as determined by echocardiography and right cardiac catheterization. Beraprost sodium was given orally (1 µg/kg/d) added to the usual treatment, and patients were evaluated at 1-year follow-up.Twenty-five patients were recruited with baseline systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) of 49.5 ±â€Š10.8 mm Hg. Systolic PAP results at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months were 39.1 ±â€Š8.1, 30.4 ±â€Š5.2, 27.7 ±â€Š3.0, and 27.0 ±â€Š4.7 mm Hg, respectively, which were all significantly lower than systolic PAP at baseline (P < .05). Left ventricular ejection fraction results at 6 months (43.5 ±â€Š7.0%), 9 months (47.0 ±â€Š5.5%), and 12 months (48.2 ±â€Š4.8%) were significantly higher than at baseline (34.7 ±â€Š9.2%) (P < .05). Six-minute walking distance at 3 months (282.8 ±â€Š80.6 m), 6 months (367.1 ±â€Š81.2 m), 9 months (389.8 ±â€Š87.1 m), and 12 months (395.7 ±â€Š83.4 m) increased with time, and all were significantly higher than baseline (190.1 ±â€Š75.5 m) (P < .05). One patient developed atrial fibrillation and recovered to sinus rhythm after intravenous administration of amiodarone. There were no instances of cardiac-related death, severe bleeding, or severe impairment of liver function.Routine oral administration of beraprost sodium added to the usual treatment may improve cardiopulmonary hemodynamics and exercise capacityin patients with PH-HFrEF.

Inhibition of miR-148b ameliorates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury via regulation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Our work aims to elucidate the effect how microRNA-148b (miR-148b) participated in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury via regulation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. The in vivo myocardial I/R models of SD rats and in vitro hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) models of H9C2 cells were established. The heart function and infarction area of rats and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were evaluated. Myocardial cell viability was measured using positron emission tomography combined with computer tomography and (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, and the apoptosis was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick-end labeling method and flow cytometry; quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot were used to detect the related molecules expressions. The myocardial infarction area of rats was significantly increased with reductions in LVSP, + dp/dtmax, - dp/dtmax, LVFS%, LVEF% and standardized uptake value and elevation in left ventricular developed pressure after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), and the LDH, CK, and MDA levels were enhanced with the decreased SOD. The apoptotic rates were higher in I/R rats and H/R H9C2 cells with upregulated miR-148b and cleaved caspase-3, but decreased Bcl-2/Bax ratio; and meanwhile, the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway was inhibited. Additionally, the H/R-induced H9C2 cells also exhibited decreased cell viability. MiR-148b overexpression further aggravated I/R injury of rats, whereas inhibition of miR-148b reduced I/R and H/R injury through activation of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. In addition, Wnt-1 small interfering RNA exposure abolished the effect of miR-148b inhibitor on H/R injury of H9C2 cells. Inhibition of miR-148b improved the antioxidative ability and myocardial cell survival to suppress its apoptosis by activating Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, thus ameliorating the myocardial I/R injury.

The effect of remote health intervention based on internet or mobile communication network on hypertension patients: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: To systematically review the impact of remote health interventions based on an internet or mobile communication network on patients with hypertension and to provide a theoretical basis for hypertension patients with the implementation of remote health interventions. METHODS: Data were retrieved from a total of 4 Chinese databases and 3 foreign databases. The Chinese databases included: China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang Data, Chinese Biomedical Database (SinoMed), and Chongqing Chinese Science and Technology Journey database (VIP). The foreign language databases included PubMed, The Cochrane Library, and EMbase, and the date range for the search was from the date the database became active to December 1, 2018. After screening and extracting the materials and evaluating the risk of bias in each study (conducted by 2 researchers), the quality of the selected literature was evaluated by Review Manager (RevMan) [Computer program]. Version 5.3. Copenhagen: The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, 2014, and the statistical analysis was applied by Stata 12.0 software. RESULT: This study will provide high-quality evidence-based medicine research evidence for remote health interventions on hypertensive patients based on the Internet and mobile communication network using systematic evaluation and meta-analysis methods. CONCLUSION: This systematic review will provide a scientific conclusion as to whether the remote health intervention model based on an internet or mobile communication network can better control blood pressure and improve patient compliance than the traditional nursing intervention model for hypertensive patients. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials does not require ethical approval and the results of this paper will be published in an open form in internationally influential academic journals. PROTOCOL AND REGISTRATION: A protocol had been registered in PROSPERO CRD42019122404.

Left Ventricular Strain and Dyssynchrony in Young and Middle-Aged Peritoneal Dialysis Patients and Healthy Controls: A Case-Matched Study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the role of two-dimensional speckle-tracking imaging (2D-STI) and myocardial layer-specific analysis in evaluating early left ventricular (LV) myocardial function and systolic dyssynchrony in young and middle-aged uremic patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). METHODS: We enrolled 31 PD patients aged ≤65 years with preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF, ≥54%) as the PD group and 49 age-matched healthy people as the control group. Echocardiography was used to assess the left atrial diameter index (LADI, LAD/BSA), LV mass index (LVMI), LVEF, peak early diastolic velocity/late diastolic velocity (E/A) (measured by pulsed Doppler), and peak early diastolic velocity (by pulsed Doppler)/peak velocity of the early diastolic wave (by pulsed-wave tissue Doppler) (E/e'). Next, we used 2D-STI and myocardial layer-specific analysis to obtain longitudinal strains (LS) of the endocardium (LSendo), the myocardium (LSmyo), the epicardium (LSepi), and the global myocardium (GLS). Then, we measured the postsystolic index (PSI) to evaluate LV myocardial function. Time to peak LS (TTP) and peak strain dispersion (PSD) from 17 consecutive segments were assessed to quantify LV dyssynchrony. RESULTS: Compared with the controls, PD patients had significantly increased LADI (p = 0.041), LVMI (p = 0.000), and E/e' (p = 0.009), but reduced LVEF (p = 0.000) and E/A (p = 0.000). The average values of GLS (GLS avg) (p = 0.01) and GLS of the apical 2-chamber view (p = 0.003), including the LSendo (p = 0.024), LSmyo (p = 0.024), and LSepi (p = 0.032), were significantly decreased in patients with PD compared with controls. In PSI, segments of LS were markedly delayed in the anterior septum (p = 0.047), anterior (p = 0.000) and septum wall (p = 0.024) from basal segments, anterior wall (p = 0.001) from middle segments, and anterior (p = 0.024) and inferior (p = 0.024) wall from apical segments. Moreover, PSD was significantly increased in PD patients (p = 0.015), while TTP was evidently delayed in the anterior septum (p = 0.004), anterior (p = 0.000) and posterior (p = 0.042) wall from basal segments, and inferior wall (p = 0.048) from apical segments. CONCLUSIONS: Despite preserved LVEF, young and middle-aged PD patients developed LV dysfunction and myocardial systolic dyssynchrony earlier compared with controls.

The long-term prognostic significance of high-sensitive C-reactive protein to in-stent restenosis.

BACKGROUND: In the current meta-analysis, we aim to assess the effect of high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) on in-stent restenosis (ISR) outcome in patients receiving stent implantation. METHODS: Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane databases were searched through October 2016 using the keywords "high-sensitive C-reactive protein," "in-stent restenosis." An odds ratio (OR) of on ISR endpoints among patients receiving stent implantation was calculated using random-effects models. RESULTS: In the meta-analysis of 6 prospective observational studies, there are 1156 coronary heart disease (CHD) patients, a total of 885 stents were implanted and 194 ISR events had been followed up for 6 to 12 months; high-sensitive C-reactive protein levels are associated with the prediction of in-stent restenosis among patients receiving stent implantation. The OR of hs-CRP for ISR was 1.16 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-1.30, P < .05]. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis shows that higher levels of hs-CRP are associated with an increased risk of ISR and indicate a poorer prognosis in CHD patients after stent implantation.

Necessity of heparin for maintaining peripheral venous catheters: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Heparin has typically been used as a flushing or infusion solution for vascular lines in daily practice. However, several clinical trials have yielded controversial results about the benefits of heparin in maintaining peripheral venous catheters. The present meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of heparin on the patency profiles and complications in peripheral intravenous catheters. PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched up to February 2016 for randomized controlled trials comparing heparin with placebo in maintaining peripheral intravenous catheters. Additional studies were retrieved from the reference lists of identified articles. In total 32 eligible studies were included, from which the pooled standard mean difference (SMD), relative risk (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. The use of heparin as a continuous infusion significantly prolonged the duration of patency (SMD, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.48-1.32; P<0.001), reduced rates of infusion failure (RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.76-0.92; P<0.001) and occlusion (RR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.69-0.98; P<0.05) in a peripheral intravenous catheter. However, there were no significant changes in the duration of patency and infusion failure when heparin was used intermittently as a flushing solution, although a significantly decreased risk of occlusion was observed in this setting (RR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.66-0.98; P<0.05). Furthermore, the risk of phlebitis was significantly decreased by both continuous infusion (RR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.58-0.75; P<0.01) and intermittent flushing (RR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.56-0.86; P<0.01) of heparin in peripheral venous catheters. In conclusion, the use of heparin as continuous infusion in peripheral intravenous catheters improved the duration of patency, reduced infusion failure and phlebitis, whereas heparin as intermittent flushing showed more benefits in ameliorating phlebitis rather than in patency profiles.

Nonparallel Progression of Left Ventricular Structure and Function in Long-Term Peritoneal Dialysis Patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Left ventricular hypertrophy and dysfunction are key cardiovascular risk factors of patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the dynamic changes of left ventricular (LV) structure and function in patients on long-term PD. METHODS: Patients who underwent PD catheter insertions from January 2010 to December 2012 in our PD center were enrolled into this study. Cardiac structure and function of those patients were determined by echocardiography (4 times) at 12-month intervals. Patients' biochemical parameters, body mass index, blood pressure, urine output, ultrafiltration, and total fluid removal volume were collected. The use of antihypertensive drugs and active vitamin D3 was also recorded. RESULTS: A total of 40 patients were included. After 3 years of follow-up, patients' PD duration time, LV mass/height2.7 (p = 0.580), interventricular septal thickness (p = 0.216), left ventricular posterior wall thickness (p = 0.216), and LV ejection fraction (p = 0.270) did not show significant changes during the follow-up. In contrast, the E/A ratio (p = 0.004) and e' (p < 0.001) were statistically decreased, and the E/e' ratio (p = 0.006) was increased. Left atrial diameter was increased (p = 0.008), but the changes in left atrial diameter index did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.090). CONCLUSION: Long-term PD patients maintain stable LV structure and cardiac systolic function, but cardiac diastolic function declines over time.

Prognostic Value of Ventricular Wall Motion Score and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events Score in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic values of ventricular wall motion score (WMS) and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in a 12-month single-center prospective cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive inpatients diagnosed with AMI in the Department of Cardiology of The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from September 2012 through March 2015 were enrolled in this study. Echocardiography was issued to all subjects to calculate WMS within 24 hours after admission, and GRACE score of each patient was obtained simultaneously. During a 12-month follow-up period, all major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were recorded. RESULTS: After 12 months of observation, 124 of 635 patients with AMI developed MACE. The WMS (23.70 ± 3.80 versus 20.47 ± 3.25) and GRACE score (185.59 ± 45.16 versus 152.19 ± 36.51) were significantly higher in patients with MACE than those without MACE (P < 0.05). Survival analysis using Cox regression revealed that both WMS (95% CI: 1.082-1.184, P < 0.05) and GRACE score (95% CI: 1.010-1.021, P < 0.05) independently predicted MACE. The receiver operating curve curve analysis showed that the area under curve of WMS, GRACE score and the combination of WMS and GRACE score were 0.768 (P < 0.05), 0.718 (P < 0.05) and 0.812 (P < 0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: WMS and GRACE score were independent predictors of MACE in patients with AMI in 12-month follow-up, and the combined application of WMS and GRACE score can significantly improve the predictive value.

lncRNA MIAT functions as a competing endogenous RNA to upregulate DAPK2 by sponging miR-22-3p in diabetic cardiomyopathy.

We previously established a rat model of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) and found that the expression of long non-coding RNA myocardial infarction-associated transcript (MIAT) was significantly upregulated. The present study was aimed to determine the pathologic role of MIAT in the development of DCM. MIAT knockdown was found to reduce cardiomyocyte apoptosis and improve left ventricular function in diabetic rats. High glucose could increase MIAT expression and induce apoptosis in cultured neonatal cardiomyocytes. The results of luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay revealed that MIAT was targeted by miR-22-3p in an AGO2-dependent manner. In addition, the 3'-untranslated region of DAPK2 was fused to the luciferase coding region and transfected into HEK293 cells with miR-22-3p mimic, and the results showed that DAPK2 was a direct target of miR-22-3p. Our findings also indicated that MIAT overexpression could counteract the inhibitory effect of miR-22-3p on DAPK2. Moreover, MIAT knockdown was found to reduce DAPK2 expression and inhibit apoptosis in cardiomyocytes exposed to high glucose. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that MIAT may function as a competing endogenous RNA to upregulate DAPK2 expression by sponging miR-22-3p, which consequently leads to cardiomyocyte apoptosis involved in the pathogenesis of DCM.

Significant reduction of peripheral blood interleukin-35 and CD4+EBI3+ T cells, which are negatively correlated with an increase in the plasma IL-17 and cTnI level, in viral myocarditis patients.

INTRODUCTION: Viral myocarditis (VMC) has become an increasingly common heart disease that endangers human health. In the present study, the plasma interleukin-35 (IL-35) level and the percentage of CD4+EBI3+ T cells in VMC patients were detected to investigate the significance of changes in these parameters in the plasma of VMC patients and their association with the disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: ELISA was performed to detect the plasma IL-35 level and the percentage of peripheral blood CD4+EBI3+ T cells in 40 VMC patients and in 20 healthy individuals. Moreover, the plasma IL-17 levels in the VMC patients and in the healthy individuals were detected using an ELISA, and the cardiac Troponin-I (cTnI) levels were detected using a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay to compare the differences in the groups. RESULTS: Plasma IL-35 level and the percentage of CD4 + EBI3 + T cells in acute phase VMC patients was lower than that in the healthy control group and the convalescent phase VMC patients. Additionally, the plasma IL-35 level in the VMC patients exhibited a negative correlation with the levels of cTnI and IL-17. The percentage of CD4+EBI3+ T cells also showed a negative correlation with the levels of cTnI and IL-17. CONCLUSIONS: The plasma IL-35 level and the percentage of CD4+EBI3+ T cells in VMC patients was reduced, and the amount of the decrease was associated with the severity of the disease. These results suggest that IL-35 and CD4+EBI3+ T might play important roles in the progression of VMC and could be used as indictors of the disease.

The long non-coding RNA H19 promotes cardiomyocyte apoptosis in dilated cardiomyopathy.

In the previous study, we generated a rat model of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) induced by adriamycin and found that the expression of lncRNA H19 was significantly upregulated in myocardial tissue. The present study was aimed to investigate the potential role of H19 in the pathogenesis of adriamycin-induced DCM. H19 knockdown in the myocardium of DCM rats attenuated cardiomyocyte apoptosis and improved left ventricular structure and function. Adriamycin treatment was associated with elevated H19 and miR-675 expression and increased apoptosis in neonatal cardiomyocytes. Enforced expression of miR-675 was found to induce apoptosis in cardiomyocytes with adriamycin treatment and H19-siRNA transfection. The 3'-untranslated region of PA2G4 was cloned downstream of a luciferase reporter construct and cotransfected into HEK293 cells with miR-675 mimic. The results of luciferase assay showed that PA2G4 was a direct target of miR-675. The expression of PA2G4 was reduced in cardiomyocytes transfected with miR-675 mimic. Moreover, H19 knockdown was found to increase PA2G4 expression and suppress apoptosis in cardiomyocytes exposed to adriamycin. In conclusion, our study suggests that H19/miR-675 axis is involved in the promotion of cardiomyocyte apoptosis by targeting PA2G4, which may provide a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of adriamycin-induced DCM.

Regulation of airway inflammation and remodeling in asthmatic mice by TLR3/TRIF signal pathway.

This paper aims to investigate the effect of Toll-like receptors 3 (TLR3)/TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-ß (TRIF) signal pathway on the airway inflammation and remodeling in asthmatic mice. C57BL/6 and TLR3-/- mice were randomly divided into three groups (10 mice per group), including Control group (mice inhaled phosphate buffer saline (PBS)), Asthma group (mice inhaled ovalbumin (OVA)) and polyriboinosinic-ribocytidylic acid (poly (I: C)) group (asthmatic mice were injected intraperitoneally with TLR3 agonist poly (I: C)). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, Wright-Giemsa staining, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Immunohistochemistry, Hydroxyproline assay, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to assess for the indices of airway inflammation and remodeling. In terms of WT mice, all asthma groups with or without the addition of poly (I: C) showed exaggerated inflammation and remodeling in the airways as compared to Control group, which were more seriously in poly (I: C) group than Asthma group. Furthermore, we observed the significant inhibition of airway inflammation and remodeling in the TLR3-/- mice in both Asthma no matter with or without addition of poly (I: C) than the WT mice. TLR3 knockout could obviously relieve the airway inflammation and remodeling in asthma through inhibiting TLR3/TRIF signaling pathway.