Heritability and genetic correlations of obesity indices and cardiometabolic traits in the Northern Chinese families.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the heritability of various obesity indices and their shared genetic factors with cardiometabolic traits in the Chinese nuclear family. METHODS: A total of 1270 individuals from 538 nuclear families were included in this cross-sectional study. Different indices were used to quantify fat mass and distribution, including body index mass (BMI), visceral fat index (VFI), and body fat percent (BFP). Heritability and genetic correlations for all quantitative traits were estimated using variance component models. The susceptibility-threshold model was utilized to estimate the heritability for binary traits. RESULTS: Heritability estimates for obesity indices were highest for BMI (59%), followed by BFP (49%), and VFI (40%). Heritability estimates for continuous cardiometabolic traits varied from 24% to 50%. All obesity measures exhibited consistently significant positive genetic correlations with blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and uric acid (rG range: 0.26-0.57). However, diverse genetic correlations between various obesity indices and lipid profiles were observed. Significant genetic correlations were limited to specific pairs: BFP and total cholesterol (rG = 0.24), BFP and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (rG = 0.25), and VFI and triglyceride (rG = 0.33). CONCLUSION: The genetic overlap between various obesity indices and cardiometabolic traits underscores the importance of pleiotropic genes. Further studies are warranted to investigate specific shared genetic and environmental factors between obesity and cardiometabolic diseases.

Small Extracellular Vesicles From Brown Adipose Tissue Mediate Exercise Cardioprotection.

RATIONALE: Long-term exercise provides reliable cardioprotection via mechanisms still incompletely understood. Although traditionally considered a thermogenic tissue, brown adipose tissue (BAT) communicates with remote organs (eg, the heart) through its endocrine function. BAT expands in response to exercise, but its involvement in exercise cardioprotection remains undefined. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) secreted by BAT and their contained microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate cardiomyocyte survival and participate in exercise cardioprotection in the context of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury. METHODS AND RESULTS: Four weeks of exercise resulted in a significant BAT expansion in mice. Surgical BAT ablation before MI/R weakened the salutary effects of exercise. Adeno-associated virus 9 vectors carrying short hairpin RNA targeting Rab27a (a GTPase required for sEV secretion) or control viruses were injected in situ into the interscapular BAT. Exercise-mediated protection against MI/R injury was greatly attenuated in mice whose BAT sEV secretion was suppressed by Rab27a silencing. Intramyocardial injection of the BAT sEVs ameliorated MI/R injury, revealing the cardioprotective potential of BAT sEVs. Discovery-driven experiments identified miR-125b-5p, miR-128-3p, and miR-30d-5p (referred to as the BAT miRNAs) as essential BAT sEV components for mediating cardioprotection. BAT-specific inhibition of the BAT miRNAs prevented their upregulation in plasma sEVs and hearts of exercised mice and attenuated exercise cardioprotection. Mechanistically, the BAT miRNAs cooperatively suppressed the proapoptotic MAPK (mitogen-associated protein kinase) pathway by targeting a series of molecules (eg, Map3k5, Map2k7, and Map2k4) in the signaling cascade. Delivery of BAT sEVs into hearts or cardiomyocytes suppressed MI/R-related MAPK pathway activation, an effect that disappeared with the combined use of the BAT miRNA inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: The sEVs secreted by BAT participate in exercise cardioprotection via delivering the cardioprotective miRNAs into the heart. These results provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying the BAT-cardiomyocyte interaction and highlight BAT sEVs and their contained miRNAs as alternative candidates for exercise cardioprotection.

Effects of long-term exposure to air pollutant mixture on blood pressure in typical areas of North China.

BACKGROUND: Studies about the combined effects of gaseous air pollutants and particulate matters are still rare. OBJECTIVES: This study was performed based on baseline survey of the Diverse Life-Course Cohort in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) Region of North China to evaluate the association of long-term air pollutants with blood pressure and the combined effect of the air pollutants mixture among 32821 natural han population aged 20 years or above. METHODS: Three-year average exposure to air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, PM1, O3, SO2, NO2, and CO) and PM2.5 components [black carbon (BC), ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3-), sulfate (SO42-), and organic matter (OM)] of residential areas were calculated based on well-validated models. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) were used to estimate the associations of air pollutants exposure with the systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), Mean arterial pressure (MAP), pulse pressure (PP) and prevalent hypertension. Quantile g-Computation and Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) were employed to assess the combined effect of the air pollutant mixture. RESULTS: We found that long-term exposures of O3, PM2.5, and PM2.5 components were stably and strongly associated with elevated SBP, DBP, and MAP and prevalent hypertension. O3 increased SBP, DBP, and MAP at a similar extent, but with greater effects; while, PM2.5 and PM2.5 components had a greater impact on SBP than DBP, which increased PP simultaneously. In multi-pollutant models, the combined effects of the air pollutant mixture on blood pressure and prevalent hypertension was predominantly influenced by O3, PM2.5, and O3, OM in different models, respectively. For example, O3, PM2.5 contributed 57.25 %, 39.22 % of the positive combined effect of the air pollutant mixture on SBP; and O3, OM positively contributed 70.00 %, 30.00 % on prevalent hypertension, respectively. There were interactions between O3, CO, SO2 and PM2.5 components on hbp, SBP and PP. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed positive associations of air pollutant mixtures with blood pressure, where O3 and PM2.5 (especially OM) might be primary contributors. There were interactions between gaseous air pollutants and PM2.5 components on blood pressure and prevalent hypertension.

The influence of open disc repositioning surgery on the internal derangement of the contralateral temporomandibular joint: a prospective study of 96 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of unilateral open disc repositioning surgery (ODRS) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) on the internal derangement (ID) of the contralateral joint. METHODS: Patients with bilateral ID of TMJ who underwent unilateral ODRS were enrolled and followed-up for one year. They were divided into two groups based on the contralateral disease: the anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADDWR) and without reduction (ADDWoR). Postoperative evaluation included clinical and MRI evaluation. Indices measured were unilateral intermaxillary distance (UID), visual analogue scale (VAS), disc length (DL), condylar height (CH), and disc-condyle angle (DCA). Paired t tests were used to compare the clinical and MRI indices between different time points. RESULTS: Ninety-six patients were enrolled, including 47 in the ADDWR group and 49 in the ADDWoR group. One-year post-surgery, ODRS led to significant increases in MMO, DL, and CH, and decrease in VAS and DCA on the operated side (P < 0.05). In ADDWR group, UID, DL, and CH increased significantly, and VAS decreased (P < 0.05), with no significant change in DCA (P > 0.05). In ADDWoR group, clinical and MRI variables worsened slightly, except for UID, which remained unchanged (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ODRS is a promising method for correcting TMJ ID and may improve condition of ADDWR and decrease progress of ADDWoR at the contralateral joint. Preoperative bilateral TMJ evaluation is essential for better outcomes. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: ODRS can effectively treat TMJ ID and produce adaptive changes in the contralateral ID, for which continuous monitoring of the contralateral joint is essential.

Tissue-Specific Gamma-Flicker Light Noninvasively Ameliorates Retinal Aging.

Aging is a risk factor for multiple retinal degeneration diseases. Entraining brain gamma oscillations with gamma-flicker light (γFL) has been confirmed to coordinate pathological changes in several Alzheimer's disease mouse models and aged mice. However, the direct effect of γFL on retinal aging remains unknown. We assessed retinal senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (ß-gal) and autofluorescence in 20-month-old mice and found reduced ß-gal-positive cells in the inner retina and diminished lipofuscin accumulation around retinal vessels after 6 days of γFL. In immunofluorescence, γFL was further demonstrated to ameliorate aging-related retinal changes, including a decline in microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta expression, an increase in complement C3 activity, and an imbalance between the anti-oxidant factor catalase and pro-oxidant factor carboxymethyl lysine. Moreover, we found that γFL can increase the expression of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) in the inner retina, while revealing a decrease of ATF4 expression in the inner retina and positive expression in the outer segment of photoreceptor and RPE layer for aged mice. Western blotting was then used to confirm the immunofluorescence results. After mRNA sequencing (NCBI Sequence Read Archive database: PRJNA748184), we found several main mechanistic clues, including mitochondrial function and chaperone-mediated protein folding. Furthermore, we extended γFL to aged Apoe-/- mice and showed that 1-m γFL treatment even improved the structures of retinal-pigment-epithelium basal infolding and Bruch's membrane. Overall, γFL can orchestrate various pathological characteristics of retinal aging in mice and might be a noninvasive, convenient, and tissue-specific therapeutic strategy for retinal aging.

The diverse life-course cohort (DLCC): protocol of a large-scale prospective study in China.

The Diverse Life-Course Cohort (DLCC) is a large-scale prospective study including around 130,000 participants in mainland China. The primary aims of DLCC include contributing to knowledge on noncommunicable chronic disease determinants, particularly cardiometabolic diseases, and exploring the long-term effect of ambient air pollutants or other environmental risk factors on health among all-age populations. The cohort consists of several sub-populations that cover the whole life-course and diverse resources: from premarital to adolescents, adults from workplace and communities ranged from 18 to 93 years old. Baseline assessment (2017-2021) included face-to-face standardized questionnaire interview and measurements to assess social and biological factors of health. Blood samples were collected from each participant (except for children younger than 6) to establish the biobank. DLCC consists of two visits. Visit 1 was conducted from 2017, and 114850 individuals from one of the world-class urban agglomerations: Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei area were recruited. By the end of 2021, at least one follow-up was carried out, with an overall follow-up rate of 92.33%. In 2021, we initiated Visit 2, newly recruited 9,866 adults from Guangdong province (South China) and Hebei province (Central China), with research focuses on the comparations on ambient pollution hazards and other unique dietary or environmental risks for health. The baseline survey of Visit 2 was finished in July 2021. DLCC is still ongoing with a long-term follow-up design, and not limited by the current funding period. With reliable data and the well-established biobank which consists of over 120,000 individuals' blood samples, DLCC will provide invaluable resources for scientific research.

A Novel 5 kb Deletion in the ß-Globin Gene Cluster Identified in a Chinese Patient.

ß-Thalassemia (ß-thal), a highly prevalent disease in tropical and subtropical regions of Southern China, is caused mainly by point mutations in the ß-globin gene cluster. However, large deletions have also been found to contribute to some types of ß-thal. We identified a novel 5 kb deletion in the ß-globin cluster in a Chinese patient using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), and characterized it with single molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing, gap-polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR) and Sanger sequencing. The deletion was located between positions 5226189 and 5231091 on chromosome 11 (GRCh38), extending from 4 kb upstream of the 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) to the second intron of the ß-globin gene. The patient with this deletion presented with microcytosis and hypochromic red cells, as well as relatively high Hb F and Hb A2 levels. Our research indicated that SMRT sequencing is a useful tool for accurate detection of large deletions. Our study broadens the spectrum of deletional ß-thalassemias and provides a perspective for further study of the function of the ß-globin cluster.

Metabolomic mechanisms of short chain chlorinated paraffins toxicity in rats.

Short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) have received increased interest worldwide since they were added to the list of controlled POPs in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention in 2017. Although many toxicological studies have already shown that SCCPs are hepatotoxic, nephrotoxic, and thyrotoxic to rodents, there have been few studies to date that have characterized changes in the metabolic pathways targeted by SCCPs. In this study, a UPLC-Q-TOF-MS based plasma metabolomics approach was used to investigate the toxicity of SCCPs in rats. Liver and kidney injury occurred rapidly after high-dose SCCP exposure, and the most relevant pathways affected were energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and vitamin B metabolism. Exposure to SCCPs inhibited the tricarboxylic acid cycle and accelerated degradation. Fluctuating levels of phospholipids and nucleotides may have contributed to the neurotoxicity of SCCPs. In addition, the down regulation of folic acid induced by SCCPs may have led to malformations during the early development of laboratory animals. These results suggested that high exposure levels of SCCPs may have serious health risks and more research is needed to assess the health status of relevant occupational groups.

Association of long-term exposure to ambient particulate pollution with stage 1 hypertension defined by the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline and cardiovascular disease: The CHCN-BTH cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence regarding the effects of ambient air pollution on new stage 1 hypertension defined by the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline remains sparse. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association of long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 with stage 1 hypertension and to explore the mediating and modifying effects of PM2.5 on cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: A total of 32,135 participants aged 18-80 years were recruited in 2017. The three-year (2014-2016) average PM2.5 concentrations were assessed by a spatial statistical model. Blood pressure (BP) was divided into four categories according to the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline: normal BP (SBP<120 mmHg and DBP<80 mmHg), elevated BP (SBP 120-129 mmHg and DBP<80 mmHg), stage 1 hypertension (SBP 130-139 mmHg or DBP 80-89 mmHg), and stage 2 hypertension (SBP≥140 mmHg or DBP≥90 mmHg or taking antihypertensive medications). The associations of PM2.5 with BP categories were estimated by two-level generalized linear mixed models. Analyses stratified by age, mediation and interaction analyses of PM2.5 and stage 1 hypertension with CVD were performed. RESULTS: We detected a positive significant association between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and stage 1 hypertension. Compared to normal BP, the OR was 1.05 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.08) per 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5. The association was stronger than that of elevated BP but weaker than that of stage 2 hypertension. Stage 1 hypertension only partially mediated the association between PM2.5 and CVD, and the mediation proportions ranged from 1.55% to 11.00%. However, it modified the association between PM2.5 and CVD, which was greater in participants with stage 1 hypertension (OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.43, 1.93) than in participants with normal BP (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.57), with Pinteraction<0.001. In the analysis stratified by age, the above associations were age-specific, and significant associations were only observed in the young and middle-aged (<60 years) groups. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 was significantly associated with stage 1 hypertension. This earlier stage of hypertension may be a trigger BP range for adverse effects of air pollution in the development of hypertension and CVD, especially in young and middle-aged individuals.

[Analysis on muscle force and injured femoral reduction force based on new muscle tendon model].

Robot-assisted fracture reduction usually involves fixing the proximal end of the fracture and driving the distal end of the fracture to the proximal end in a planned reduction path. In order to improve the accuracy and safety of reduction surgery, it is necessary to know the changing rule of muscle force and reduction force during reduction. Fracture reduction force was analyzed based on the muscle force of femoral. In this paper, a femoral skeletal muscle model named as PA-MTM was presented based on the four elements of skeletal muscle model. With this, pinnate angle of the skeletal muscle was considered, which had an effect on muscle force properties. Here, the muscle force of skeletal muscles in different muscle models was compared and analyzed. The muscle force and the change of the reduction force under different reduction paths were compared and simulated. The results showed that the greater the pinnate angle was, the greater the influence of muscle strength was. The biceps femoris short head played a major role in the femoral fracture reduction; the force in the z direction contributed the majority to the resulting force with maximums of 472.18 N and 497.28 N for z and resultant, respectively, and the rationality of the new musculoskeletal model was verified.

[Development of on-line lateral stiffness measurement system for anterior cruciate ligament and its influence on anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction].

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction mostly relies on the experience of surgeons. To improve the effectiveness and adaptability of the tension after ACL reconstruction in knee joint rehabilitation, this paper establishes a lateral force measurement model with relaxation characteristics and designs an on-line stiffness measurement system of ACL. In this paper, we selected 20 sheep knee joints as experimental material for the knee joint stability test before the ACL reconstruction operation, which were divided into two groups for a comparative test of single-bundle ACL reconstruction through the anterolateral approach. The first group of surgeons carried out intraoperative detection with routine procedures. The second group used ACL on-line stiffness measurement system for intraoperative detection. After that, the above two groups were tested for postoperative stability. The study results show that the tension accuracy is (- 2.3 ± 0.04)%, and the displacement error is (1.5 ± 1.8)%. The forward stability, internal rotation stability, and external rotation stability of the two groups were better than those before operation ( P < 0.05). But the data of the group using the system were closer to the preoperative knee joint measurement index, and there was no significant difference between them ( P > 0.05). The system established in this paper is expected to help clinicians judge the ACL reconstruction tension in the operation process and effectively improve the surgical effect.

Co-occurrence of Plasmid-Mediated Tigecycline and Carbapenem Resistance in Acinetobacter spp. from Waterfowls and Their Neighboring Environment.

Tigecycline serves as one of the antibiotics of last resort to treat multidrug-resistant (including carbapenem-resistant) pathogens. However, the recently emerged plasmid-mediated tigecycline resistance mechanism, Tet(X), challenges the clinical efficacy of this class of antibiotics. In this study, we detected 180 tet(X)-harboring Acinetobacter isolates (8.9%, n = 180) from 2,018 samples collected from avian farms and adjacent environments in China. Eighteen tet(X)-harboring isolates (10.0%) were found to cocarry the carbapenemase gene blaNDM-1, mostly from waterfowl samples (94.4%, 17/18). Interestingly, among six Acinetobacter strains, tet(X) and blaNDM-1 were found to colocalize on the same plasmids. Moreover, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) revealed a novel orthologue of tet(X) in the six isolates coharboring tet(X) and blaNDM-1 Inverse PCR suggested that the two tet(X) genes form a single transposable unit and may be cotransferred. Sequence comparison between six tet(X)- and blaNDM-1-coharboring plasmids showed that they shared a highly homologous plasmid backbone even though they were isolated from different Acinetobacter species (three from Acinetobacter indicus, two from Acinetobacter schindleri, and one from Acinetobacter lwoffii) from various sources and from different geological regions, suggesting the horizontal genetic transfer of a common tet(X)- and blaNDM-1-coharboring plasmid among Acinetobacter species in China. Emergence and spread of such plasmids and strains are of great clinical concern, and measures must be implemented to avoid their dissemination.

Rapid detection of plasmid-mediated high-level tigecycline resistance in Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter spp.

OBJECTIVES: The emergence and spread of plasmid-encoded tet(X3/X4) genes that confer high-level tigecycline and eravacycline resistance in Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter spp. pose serious threats to human and animal health. We developed a rapid and robust assay to detect Tet(X3/X4) in Gram-negative bacteria based on eravacycline degradation by the presence of the Tet(X) enzyme in the test strain. METHODS: This tetracycline inactivation method (TIM) is based on the degradation of eravacycline by the Tet(X3/X4)-producing strain, which results in reduced eravacycline activity against an acid-producing thermophile Bacillus stearothermophilus indicator strain. For Tet(X)-negative strains, eravacycline retains its antimicrobial activity. Coupled with a pH-sensitive dye (bromocresol purple), the reduced colorimetric inhibition zone can be measured to determine the production of Tet(X3/X4). One hundred and eighteen isolates, including 30 tet(X4)-positive E. coli, 30 tet(X3)-positive Acinetobacter spp. and 58 tet(X)-negative E. coli and Acinetobacter spp., were examined to evaluate the performance of this TIM. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity for E. coli carrying tet(X4) was 96.7% and 100%, respectively, and for Acinetobacter spp. carrying tet(X3) both were 100%. The TIM assay can be completed within 6.5 h. CONCLUSIONS: The TIM is a simple, rapid and cost-effective method for the detection of plasmid-mediated high-level tigecycline resistance in E. coli and Acinetobacter spp.

Transformation of Psoralen and Isopsoralen by Human Intestinal Microbial In Vitro, and the Biological Activities of Its Metabolites.

Psoralen (P) and isopsoralen (IP) are the main active ingredients in the dried fruit of Psoralen corylifolia L. (PC), with a wide range of pharmacology activities. The intestinal bacteria biotransformation plays a central role in the metabolism of the complex ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Our study aimed to investigated the metabolic profile of P and IP in the intestinal condition, co-cultured with human fecal bacteria anaerobically. Four bio-transforming products were obtained, including 6,7-furano-hydrocoumaric acid (P-1) and 6,7-furano-hydro- coumaric acid methyl ester (P-2), which transformed from P, and 5,6-furano-hydrocoumaric acid (IP-1) and 5,6-furano-hydrocoumaric acid methyl ester (IP-2), which were transformed from IP. It is worth mentioning that IP-2 is a new compound that has not been published. Their structures were analyzed based on their spectroscopic data. Moreover, a highly sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was used to characterize the metabolic pathways of P, IP, and their bio-transforming products in the reaction samples. In addition, the dampening effects against the oxidative stress of P, IP, and their bio-transforming products by human intestinal flora were estimated in vitro via the human colorectal cells (HCT116) and heterogeneous human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2) cell lines. The results showed that the metabolites have stronger activity than P and IP, which possibly provides a basis for elucidating the treating mechanisms of PC extract against inflammatory bowel disease.

Screening and Isolating Major Aldose Reductase Inhibitors from the Seeds of Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis).

Aldose reductase (AR) is a drug target for therapies to treat complications caused by diabetes mellitus, and the development of effective AR inhibitors (ARIs) of natural origin is considered to be an attractive option for reducing these complications. In this research, the rat lens AR (RLAR) inhibitory activity of evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) seeds was investigated for the first time. In our results, the 50% (v/v) methanol extract of evening primrose seeds exhibits excellent RLAR inhibitory activity (IC50 value of 7.53 µg/mL). Moreover, after enrichment of its bioactive components, the ARIs are more likely to be present in the ethyl acetate fraction of 50% (v/v) methanol extract (EME) of evening primrose seeds, which exhibits superior RLAR inhibitory activity (IC50 value of 3.08 µg/mL). Finally, gallic acid (1), procyanidin B3 (2), catechin (3), and methyl gallate (4) were identified as the major ARIs from the EME by affinity-based ultrafiltration-high-performance liquid chromatography and were isolated by high speed countercurrent chromatography, with gallic acid (11.46 µmol/L) and catechin (14.78 µmol/L) being the more potent inhibitors of the four ARIs identified. The results demonstrated that evening primrose seeds may be a potent ingredient of ARIs.

HIV-1 drug-resistant mutations and related risk factors among HIV-1-positive individuals experiencing treatment failure in Hebei Province, China.

BACKGROUND: To understand HIV-1 drug resistance in 11 prefectures of Hebei Province, China, we implemented a cross-sectional HIV-1 molecular epidemiological survey. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 122 newly diagnosed drug-naïve HIV-1-positive individuals and 229 antiretroviral therapy (ART)-failure individuals from 11 prefectures in Hebei Province, China. Patient demographic data were obtained via face-to-face interviews using a standardized questionnaire when blood samples were collected. Genotyping of HIV-1 drug resistance (DR) was implemented using an in-house assay. RESULTS: In this study, the overall prevalence of HIV-1 DR was 35.5%. The prevalence of HIV-1 DR in participants experiencing treatment failure and ART-naïve participants was 51.9 and 5.9%, respectively. Mutations in protease inhibitors, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), and non-NRTI (NNRTIs), as well as dual and multiple mutations were extensively seen in participants experiencing treatment failure. The proportions of NNRTI mutations (χ2 = 9.689, p = 0.002) and dual mutations in NRTIs and NNRTIs (χ2 = 39.958, p < 0.001) in participants experiencing treatment failure were significantly higher than those in ART-naïve participants. The distributions of M184V/I and M41L mutations differed significantly among three main HIV-1 genotypes identified. Viral load, symptoms in the past 3 months, CD4 counts, transmission route, and the duration of ART were found to be associated with HIV-1 DR. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that new prevention and control strategies should be formulated according to the epidemic characteristics of HIV-1-resistant strains in Hebei Province, where antiretroviral drugs are widely used.

More expression of BDNF associates with lung squamous cell carcinoma and is critical to the proliferation and invasion of lung cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been reported to promote tumorigenesis and progression in several human malignancies. The purpose of this study was to explore the function of BDNF in lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC). METHODS: The expression of BDNF was examined in 110 samples of lung SCC and ADC by immunohistochemistry. The protein level of BDNF was examined in 25 lung SCC or ADC samples and paired non-tumors by western blot. BDNF expression was also evaluated in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBE) and 4 lung cancer cell lines using western blot. Three BDNF mRNA variants containing exons IV, VI and IX were evaluated in HBE, two SCC (SK, LK2) and two ADC (A549, LTE) cell lines by RT-PCR. The expression and secretion of BDNF were also determined in cells using western blot and ELISA. Then the shRNA specific for BDNF was transfected into LK2 or A549 cells to further elucidate the BDNF knockdown on cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion, which were confirmed by MTT, flow cytometry and transwell examinations. RESULTS: 71.8 % (79 out of 110) of lung SCC and ADC samples were detected positive BDNF, and high expression of BDNF was significantly correlated with histological type and T stage. Compared with non-tumorous counterparts, BDNF was apparently overexpressed in SCC and ADC tissues. In cell studies, the extensive expression and secretion of BDNF were demonstrated in lung cancer cells compared with HBE cells. Interestingly, the expressions of BDNF mRNA variant IV and VI were identical in all cells examined. However, more expression of BDNF mRNA variant IX was found in SK and LK2 cells. The apoptotic cells were increased, and the cell proliferation and invasion were both attenuated once the expression of BDNF was inhibited. When retreated by rhBDNF, BDNF knockdown cells showed less apoptotic or more proliferative and invasive. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that BDNF probably facilitates the tumorigenesis of lung SCC and ADC. The expression of BDNF mRNA variant IX is probably more helpful to the upregulation of BDNF in SCC, and intervening the production of BDNF could be a possible strategy to lung cancer therapy.

HIV-1 genetic diversity and its distribution characteristics among newly diagnosed HIV-1 individuals in Hebei province, China.

BACKGROUND: Since the first HIV-1 case in 1989, Hebei province has presented a clearly rising trend of HIV-1 prevalence, and HIV-1 genetic diversity has become the vital barrier to HIV prevention and control in this area. To obtain detailed information of HIV-1 spread in different populations and in different areas of Hebei, a cross-sectional HIV-1 molecular epidemiological investigation was performed across the province. METHODS: Blood samples of 154 newly diagnosed HIV-1 individuals were collected from ten prefectures in Hebei using stratified sampling. Partial gag and env genes were amplified and sequenced. HIV-1 genotypes were identified by phylogenetic tree analyses. RESULTS: Among the 139 subjects genotyped, six HIV-1 subtypes were identified successfully, including subtype B (41.0 %), CRF01_AE (40.3 %), CRF07_BC (11.5 %), CRF08_BC (4.3 %), unique recombinant forms (URFs) (1.4 %) and subtype C (1.4 %). Subtype B was identified as the most frequent subtype. Two URF recombination patterns were the same as CRF01_AE/B. HIV-1 genotype distribution showed a significant statistical difference in different demographic characteristics, such as source (P < 0.05), occupation (P < 0.05) and ethnicity (P < 0.05). The distributions of subtype B (P < 0.05), CRF01_AE (P < 0.05), CRF07_BC (P < 0.05) and subtype C (P < 0.05) showed significant differences in all ten prefectures, and the distributions of all six subtypes were significantly different in Shijiazhuang (P < 0.05) and Xingtai (P < 0.05), but not in other prefectures (P > 0.05). The differences in HIV-1 genotype distribution were closely associated with transmission routes. Particularly, all six subtype strains were found in heterosexuals, showing that HIV-1 has spread from the high-risk populations to the general populations in Hebei, China. In addition, CRF01_AE instead of subtype B has become the major strain of HIV-1 infection among homosexuals. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed HIV-1 evolution and genotype distribution by investigating newly diagnosed HIV-1 individuals in Hebei, China. This study provides important information to enhance the strategic plan for HIV prevention and control in China.

Bioinformatics Identification of Drug Resistance-Associated Gene Pairs in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Due to the extensive use of anti-tuberculosis drugs and the development of mutations, the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is recognized as one of the most dangerous threats to global tuberculosis control. Some single mutations have been identified to be significantly linked with drug resistance. However, the prior research did not take gene-gene interactions into account, and the emergence of transmissible drug resistance is connected with multiple genetic mutations. In this study we use the bioinformatics software GBOOST (The Hong Kong University, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China) to calculate the interactions of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) pairs and identify gene pairs associated with drug resistance. A large part of the non-synonymous mutations in the drug target genes that were included in the screened gene pairs were confirmed by previous reports, which lent sound solid credits to the effectiveness of our method. Notably, most of the identified gene pairs containing drug targets also comprise Pro-Pro-Glu (PPE) family proteins, suggesting that PPE family proteins play important roles in the drug resistance of Mtb. Therefore, this study provides deeper insights into the mechanisms underlying anti-tuberculosis drug resistance, and the present method is useful for exploring the drug resistance mechanisms for other microorganisms.

Effects of prepregnancy dietary patterns on infant birth weight: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Maternal nutrition can have a profound effect on fetal growth, development, and subsequent infant birth weight. However, little is known regarding the influence of prepregnancy dietary patterns. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the effects between prepregnancy dietary patterns on birth weight. METHODS: This study included 911 singleton live-born infants from the Taicang and Wuqiang Mother-Child Cohort Study (TAWS). Baseline information and prepregnancy diet data were collected during early pregnancy. Newborn birth information was obtained from the Wuqiang County Hospital. Macrosomia, defined as a birth weight of ≥4000 g, and large for gestational age (LGA), defined as a birth weight higher than the 90th percentile for the same sex and gestational age, were the outcomes of interest. The dietary patterns were extracted using principal component analysis. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between prepregnancy dietary patterns (in tertiles) and macrosomia and LGA, and subgroup analysis was further explored by pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: Four dietary patterns were identified based on 15 food groups. These patterns were named as "cereals-vegetables-fruits," "vegetables-poultry-aquatic products," "milk-meat-eggs," and "nuts-aquatic products-snacks." After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, pregnancy complications, and other dietary patterns, greater adherence to the "cereals-vegetables-fruits" pattern before pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of macrosomia (adjusted OR = 2.220, 95% CI: 1.018, 4.843), while greater adherence to the "nuts-aquatic products-snacks" pattern was associated with a lower risk of macrosomia (adjusted OR = 0.357, 95% CI: 0.175, 0.725) compared to the lowest tertile. No significant association was observed between prepregnancy dietary patterns and LGA. However, after subgroup analysis of pre-pregnancy BMI, "cereals-vegetables-fruits" pattern was associated with an increased risk of LGA in overweight and obese mothers (adjusted OR = 2.353, 95% CI: 1.010, 5.480). CONCLUSIONS: An unbalanced pre-pregnancy diet increases the risk of macrosomia and LGA, especially in overweight or obese women before pre-pregnancy.