Associations between dietary iron intake from different sources and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in adults.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a worldwide public health problem. Current evidence on the association between dietary iron intake and the risk of NAFLD is limited. The present study aimed to investigate the associations of animal-derived dietary iron (ADDI) intake, plant-derived dietary iron (PDDI) intake, and the ratio of PDDI:ADDI with NAFLD risk among U.S. adult population. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: This was a repeated cross-sectional study. Data were collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2018. NAFLD was defined as a United States Fatty Lives Index ≥30, and dietary iron intake was assessed through two 24-h dietary recall in-terviews. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were applied to examine the associations between dietary iron intake from different sources and NAFLD risk. RESULTS: A total of 9478 participants aged ≥20 years were enrolled in the present study. After adjustment for multiple confounding factors, relative to the lowest quartile, the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of NAFLD for the highest quartile was 1.01(95% CI, 0.82-1.24) for ADDI intake, 0.82 (95% CI, 0.64-0.99) for PDDI intake, and 1.00 (95% CI, 0.81-1.24) for the PDDI: ADDI intake ratio. In stratified analysis by sex and age, the significantly negative associations of PDDI intake with NAFLD was observed in women and participants older than 45 years. Dose-response analyses indicated that NAFLD was negatively associated with PDDI intake in a non-linear manner. CONCLUSIONS: PDDI intake was negatively associated with NAFLD in U.S. adults.

Association between maternal iron status and the risk of pre-eclampsia: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the associations of maternal iron status and placental iron transport proteins expression with the risk of pre-eclampsia (PE) in Chinese pregnant women. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A total of 94 subjects with PE and 112 healthy pregnant women were enrolled. Fasting blood samples were collected to detect maternal iron status. The placenta samples were collected at delivery to detect the mRNA and protein expression of divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) and ferroportin-1 (FPN1). Logistic analysis was used to explore the associations of maternal iron status with PE risk. The associations of placental iron transport proteins with maternal iron status were explored. RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, dietary total iron, non-heme iron intake and serum hepcidin were negatively associated with PE, with adjusted ORs (95%CIs) were 0.40 (0.17, 0.91), 0.42 (0.18, 0.94) and 0.02 (0.002, 0.13) for the highest versus lowest tertile, respectively. For the highest tertile versus lowest tertile, serum iron (4.08 (1.58, 10.57)) and ferritin (5.61 (2.36, 13.31)) were positively associated with PE. The mRNA expressions and protein levels of DMT1 and FPN1 in placenta were up-regulated in the PE group (p < 0.05). The mRNA expressions of DMT1 and FPN1 in placenta showed a negative correlation with the serum hepcidin (r = -0.71, p < 0.001; r = -0.49, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the maternal iron status were closely associated with PE risk, placental DMT1 and FPN1 were upregulated in PE which may be a promising target for the prevention of PE.

Nomogram for predicting the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in older adults in Qingdao, China: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To explore the risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and to establish a non-invasive tool for the screening of NAFLD in an older adult population. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A total of 131,161 participants were included in this cross-sectional study. Participants were randomly divided into training and validation sets (7:3). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method was used to screen risk factors. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to develop a nomogram, which was made available online. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, calibration plots, and decision curve analysis were used to validate the discrimination, calibration, and clinical practicability of the nomogram. Sex and age subgroup analyses were conducted to further validate the reliability of the model. RESULTS: Nine variables were identified for inclusion in the nomogram (age, sex, waist circumference, body mass index, exercise frequency, systolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, alanine aminotransferase, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values were 0.793 and 0.790 for the training set and the validation set, respectively. The calibration plots and decision curve analyses showed good calibration and clinical utility. Subgroup analyses demonstrated consistent discriminatory ability in different sex and age subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: This study established and validated a new nomogram model for evaluating the risk of NAFLD among older adults. The nomogram had good discriminatory performance and is a non-invasive and convenient tool for the screening of NAFLD in older adults.

Folate intake and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in US adults.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The relationship between dietary folate intake and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is controversial. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary folate equivalent (DFE) intake and NAFLD in U.S. adults. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2014 were used. NAFLD was defined as a US fatty liver index (FLI) value ≥30. DFE intake was assessed by two 24-hour dietary recall interviews. Multivariable logistic regression models and restricted cubic spline models were used to investigate the association between DFE intake and NAFLD risk. RESULTS: A total of 6,603 adult participants were included in this study. After adjusting for multiple confounding factors, the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of NAFLD for the highest quartile versus lowest quartile of DFE intake was 0.77(0.59-0.99). In stratified analyses by sex, age, and body mass index (BMI), there were statistically significant negative associations between DFE intake and NAFLD risk in women and participants with BMI ≥25. Dose-response analysis indicated a negative linear correlation between DFE intake and NAFLD risk. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary folate equivalent intake is negatively associated with NAFLD risk in the general U.S. adult population.

Ameliorating Effects of Vitamin K2 on Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Mice.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic recurrent inflammatory illness of the gastrointestinal system. The purpose of this study was to explore the alleviating effect of vitamin K2 (VK2) on UC, as well as its mechanism. C57BL/6J mice were given 3% DSS for seven days to establish UC, and they then received VK2 (15, 30, or 60 mg/kg·bw) and 5-aminosalicylic acid (100 mg/kg·bw) for two weeks. We recorded the clinical signs, body weights, colon lengths, and histological changes during the experiment. We detected the inflammatory factor expressions using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits, and we detected the tight junction proteins using Western blotting. We analyzed the intestinal microbiota alterations and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) using 16S rRNA sequencing and targeted metabolomics. According to the results, VK2 restored the colon lengths, improved the colonic histopathology, reduced the levels of proinflammatory cytokines (such as IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-6), and boosted the level of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 in the colon tissues of the colitis mice. Moreover, VK2 promoted the expression of mucin and tight junction proteins (such as occludin and zonula occludens-1) in order to preserve the intestinal mucosal barrier function and prevent UC in mice. Additionally, after the VK2 intervention, the SCFAs and SCFA-producing genera, such as Eubacterium_ruminantium_group and Faecalibaculum, were elevated in the colon. In conclusion, VK2 alleviated the DSS-induced colitis in the mice, perhaps by boosting the dominant intestinal microflora, such as Faecalibaculum, by reducing intestinal microflora dysbiosis, and by modulating the expression of SCFAs, inflammatory factors, and intestinal barrier proteins.

Relationship between dietary patterns and prediabetes, undiagnosed or diagnosed diabetes mellitus among adults in Qingdao: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To identify the main dietary patterns of adults and investigate the cross-sectional associations of these dietary patterns with prediabetes and undiagnosed or diagnosed diabetes mellitus (DM) in Qingdao, China. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: This study included 4,457 participants who were administered the semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Dietary patterns were identified through principal component analysis (PCA). Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the associations of each pattern with the risks of prediabetes and undiagnosed or diagnosed DM. RESULTS: PCA revealed two major dietary patterns. The Fruits-Vegetables and Poultry-Seafood patterns were not significantly associated with the risk of prediabetes in either crude or adjusted models (all p>0.05). The highest quartile of the Fruits-Vegetables pattern was significantly associated with decreased risks of undiagnosed DM (crude: OR=0.55, 95% CI: 0.41-0.72; Model 1: OR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.46-0.81; Model 2: OR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.42-0.77; Model 3: OR=0.56, 95% CI: 0.41-0.76) and diagnosed DM (crude: OR=0.51, 95% Cl: 0.34-0.75; Model 1: OR=0.59, 95% CI: 0.39-0.88; Model 2: OR=0.60, 95% CI: 0.39-0.93; Model 3: OR=0.59, 95% CI: 0.38-0.91) compared with the lowest quartile in crude and adjusted models. The Poultry-Seafood pattern was not significantly associated with the risk of undiagnosed or diagnosed DM in crude or adjusted models (all p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The Fruits-Vegetables pattern was associated with a decreased risk of undiagnosed or diagnosed DM.

7,8-Dihydroxyflavone Enhanced Colonic Cholinergic Contraction and Relieved Loperamide-Induced Constipation in Rats.

BACKGROUND: Whether 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), a tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) agonist, modulates colonic smooth muscle motility and/or alleviates constipation has not yet been studied. AIMS: Here, we aimed to determine how 7,8-DHF influences carbachol (CCh)-stimulated contraction of colonic strips and the in vivo effect of 7,8-DHF on constipation. METHODS: Muscle strips were isolated from rat colons for recording contractile tension and performing western blotting. Constipation was induced in rats with loperamide. RESULTS: Although it specifically activated TrkB, 7,8-DHF applied alone neither activated PLCγ1 in the colonic strips nor induced colonic strip contraction. However, 7,8-DHF enhanced CCh-stimulated PLCγ1 activation and strip contraction. The PLCγ1 antagonist U73122 suppressed both CCh-stimulated and 7,8-DHF-enhanced/CCh-stimulated contraction. While clarifying the underlying mechanism, we revealed that 7,8-DHF augmented muscarinic M3 receptor expression in the colonic strips. The M3-selective antagonist tarafenacin specifically inhibited the 7,8-DHF-enhanced/CCh-stimulated contraction of the colonic strips. Since 7,8-DHF increased Akt phosphorylation, and LY294002 (an antagonist of PI3K upstream of Akt) dramatically inhibited both 7,8-DHF-augmented M3 expression and 7,8-DHF-enhanced/CCh-stimulated contractions, we assumed that 7,8-DHF/TrkB/Akt was associated with the modulation of M3 expression in the colonic strips. ANA-12, a specific TrkB antagonist, not only inhibited TrkB activation by 7,8-DHF but also suppressed 7,8-DHF-enhanced cholinergic contraction, 7,8-DHF/CCh-mediated activation of PLCγ1/Akt, and M3 overexpression in colonic strips. In vivo 7,8-DHF, also by promoting intestinal motility and M3 expression, significantly alleviated loperamide-induced functional constipation in rats. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that 7,8-DHF regulates colonic motility possibly via a TrkB/Akt/M3 pathway and may be applicable for alleviating constipation.

Association between retinol intake and hyperuricaemia in adults.

OBJECTIVE: Current evidences on the association between hyperuricaemia and retinol intake remain inconsistent. Furthermore, no known studies have investigated the relationship between hyperuricaemia and retinol intake from animal food and plant food separately. This study aimed to assess the relationship between different sources of retinol intake and risk of hyperuricaemia among US adults. DESIGN: Univariate and multivariate weighted logistic regression models and restricted cubic spline models were used to assess the associations of total, animal-derived and plant-derived retinol intakes with the risk of hyperuricaemia. Dietary retinol was measured through two 24-h dietary recall interviews. Hyperuricaemia was defined as serum uric acid level ≥7·0 and ≥6·0 mg/dl in men and women, respectively. SETTING: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2014 were used in this cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Overall, 12 869 participants aged ≥20 years were included. RESULTS: Compared with the lowest quintile, the multivariable OR of hyperuricaemia for the highest quintile intake of total, animal-derived and plant-derived retinol were 0·71 (95 % CI 0·52, 0·96), 0·76 (95 % CI 0·59, 0·96) and 0·92 (95 % CI 0·72, 1·17), respectively. The inverse association between dietary intake of total retinol and the risk of hyperuricaemia was observed in men. Dose-response analyses revealed a novel linear trend between the risk of hyperuricaemia and total, animal-derived retinol intake separately. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that intakes of total and animal-derived retinol were negatively associated with hyperuricaemia in US adults.

Dietary iron and zinc intakes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The differences of dietary iron and zinc intakes between patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and controls remain controversial. The meta-analysis aimed to explore the differences of dietary iron and zinc intakes between NAFLD patients and healthy subjects. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A systematic literature search was performed up to July 2021 in databases of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang. Using a randomeffects model, the differences of dietary iron and zinc intakes between cases and controls were calculated as standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 21 studies from 19 articles with 6639 cases were included. RESULTS: The pooled estimate showed no difference in dietary iron consumption in the NAFLD groups compared with control groups. The difference became significant in Asia (SMD=0.16; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.28; I2=89.1%; pheterogeneity<0.001) as well as in cross-sectional studies (SMD=0.12; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.17; I2=4.7%; pheterogeneity=0.350). The difference in dietary zinc intake between cases and controls was not significant. We noticed a statistically significant increase of dietary zinc intake in NAFLD compared to controls in studies using food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to evaluate dietary intake (SMD=0.15; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.20; I2=12.2%; pheterogeneity=0.332). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that dietary iron intake in patients with NAFLD was higher than healthy subjects in Asia.

Dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acid intakes and NAFLD: A cross-sectional study in the United States.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: PUFAs play critical roles in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study examined the associations between dietary n-3 and n-6 PUFA intake and NAFLD risk in a US population. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2014 was used in this cross-sectional study. Data on dietary n-3 and n-6 PUFAs were extracted through two 24-h dietary recall interviews, and the dietary n-3 and n-6 PUFA intakes were adjusted by weight. NAFLD was defined based on the US fatty liver index (FLI) value ≥30. Multivariable logistic regression models and restricted cubic spline models were applied to investigate the associations between dietary n-3 and n-6 PUFA intakes and NAFLD risk. RESULTS: Dietary n-3 and n-6 PUFA intakes were inversely associated with NAFLD risk. The multivariable-adjusted OR (95% CI) of NAFLD for the highest versus lowest quartile of dietary n-3 and n-6 PUFA intakes was 0.24 (0.17-0.35) and 0.18 (0.13-0.26), respectively. In stratified analyses by sex and age, the negative associations between dietary n-3 and n-6 PUFA intakes and NAFLD risk were significant in men, women, and individuals younger and older than 45 years. Dose-response analyses indicated that NAFLD risk was associated with dietary n-3 and n-6 PUFA intakes in a nonlinear manner. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary n-3 and n-6 PUFA intakes were inversely associated with NAFLD risk in US adults.

[Effects of intervention of sodium alginate on intakes of foods and macronutrients and situation of serum amino acids in healthy male youths].

OBJECTIVE: To research the effect of sodium alginate intervention on the nutritional intake of healthy young men. METHODS: Recruited 20 healthy university students as research subjects. The experiment was divided into two periods: the dietary balance period and the sodium alginate intervening period, and each period was expected to be 28 days. During the dietary balance period, all meals in every day of experiment are provided by the research team; during the sodium alginate intervening period, based on the diet during the balanced diet period, sodium alginate was added to the staple food steamed buns(10 g sodium alginate per person per day). The experiment compares the food intake types, main nutrient intake levels and serum amino acid changes of subjects before and after intervention. RESULTS: Adding sodium alginate can significantly reduce the intake of energy(-242.4 kcal), protein(-11 g)and carbohydrates(-47.3 g, P<0.05)in healthy subjects, but there was no significant effect on the intake of fat(-2.9 g, P=0.496)and cholesterol(-14.9 mg, P=0.070), and because of the addition of alginate, the whole dietary fibers obtained a significant increase(+7.8 g, P<0.05). After the intervention of sodium alginate, there was no significant change in the intake of rice, soy products, poultry products and vegetable oil, while the intake of wheat products(-49.6 g), egg foods(-2.6 g), dark-colored vegetables(-29.1 g), light-colored vegetables(-63.8 g)and fruits(-37 g)decreased significantly(P<0.05). Most of the essential amino acids in the subjects' serum increased significantly after the intervention, especially the valine in serum rise from 226.9 µmol/L to 466.4 µmol/L(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Sodium alginate can play a dietary fiber-like effect, produce satiety, reduce nutrient intake of subjects, especially carbohydrates, so sodium alginate has the potential to limit energy intake and control postprandial blood sugar. And sodium alginate also has a potential positive effect on the metabolism of amino acids in healthy people, especially the metabolism of essential amino acids.

Lower circulating zinc and selenium levels are associated with an increased risk of asthma: evidence from a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies evaluating the associations of circulating Zn and Se levels with asthma have produced inconsistent results. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to summarize and quantitatively synthesize the evidence from observational research. DESIGN: Meta-analysis. SETTING: We searched PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases up to May 2019 for relevant available articles. Random-effects model was adopted to estimate the pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95 % CI. Meta-regression analysis and 'leave-one-out' sensitivity analysis were used to assess heterogeneity. PARTICIPANTS: The meta-analysis focused on general populations. RESULTS: A total of twenty-six studies for Zn and forty studies for Se were included in the meta-analysis. The overall analyses identified that asthma patients had lower Zn (SMD = -0·40; 95 % CI -0·77, -0·03; I2 = 94·1 %) and Se (SMD = -0·32; 95 % CI -0·48, -0·17; I2 = 90·9 %) levels in serum or plasma compared with healthy controls. After removing the studies that contributed to the heterogeneity, the pooled SMD were -0·26 (95 % CI -0·40, -0·13; I2 = 37·42 %) for Zn and -0·06 (95 % CI -0·13, 0·02; I2 = 43·54 %) for Se. CONCLUSIONS: Lower circulating Zn and Se levels might be associated with an increased risk of asthma.

Dietary Vitamin E Intake Was Inversely Associated with Hyperuricemia in US Adults: NHANES 2009-2014.

INTRODUCTION: Current evidence on the association between dietary vitamin E intake and hyperuricemia risk is limited and conflicting. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the association of dietary vitamin E intake with hyperuricemia in US adults. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009-2014. Dietary vitamin E intake was evaluated through two 24-h dietary recall interviews. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were used to examine the association between dietary vitamin E intake and hyperuricemia. RESULTS: Overall, 12,869 participants were included. The prevalence of hyperuricemia was 19.35%. After adjustment for age, gender, BMI, race, educational level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, total daily energy intake, total cholesterol, protein intake, glomerular filtration rate, serum Cr, use of uric acid drugs, and drug abuse, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of hyperuricemia for the highest tertile of dietary vitamin E intake was 0.77 (0.63-0.96) compared with that of the lowest tertile. In men, dietary vitamin E intake and hyperuricemia were negatively correlated. In stratified analyses by age (20-39, 40-59, and ≥60 years), dietary vitamin E intake was inversely associated with hyperuricemia only among participants aged ≥60 years. Dose-response analyses showed that dietary vitamin E intake was inversely associated with hyperuricemia in a nonlinear manner. CONCLUSION: Dietary vitamin E intake was negatively correlated with hyperuricemia in US adults, especially among males and participants aged ≥60 years.

[Effects of lycopene on metabolism of glycolipid and inflammation in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of lycopene on metabolism of glycolipid and inflammation in rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. METHODS: According to body weight, sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group, non-alcoholic fatty liver model group, 20, 60 mg/kg lycopene intervention groups, with 15 rats in each group. The control group was fed normal diet, and the other 3 groups were fed high-fat and high-fructose diet for 4 weeks to establish the model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. After modeling, the intervention groups were fed lycopene of different doses by gavage. After 8 weeks of continuous feeding, the rats were sacrificed, the body weight and liver weight were weighed, and the liver index was calculated. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the morphological changes of liver tissue. Serum was collected, fasting blood glucose(FBG), fasting insulin(INS), and insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR) were calculated; Liver function indicators alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST) were measured; Serum triglycerides(TG), total cholesterol(TC), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-C), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C) and levels of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6(IL-6), interleukin-18(IL-18) and interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß) were measured. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the liver weight and liver index in the model group increased by 27% and 24%, respectively; And steatosis occurred in the liver tissue; The levels of serum ALT, TG, TC, LDL-C, IL-6, IL-1ß were significantly increased, the level of serum HDL-C was significantly decreased(P<0. 05). Compared with the model group, liver weight, liver index, levels of serum ALT, TG, FBG, IL-6 and IL-1ß were significantly lower in the 20, 60 mg/kg lycopene intervention groups(P<0. 05), the INS and HOMA-IR index showed a downward trend; Liver tissue lesions were reduced to different degrees, and the effect was more significant in the 60 mg/kg lycopene group. CONCLUSION: Lycopene can improve non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by regulating glycolipid metabolism and reducing levels of inflammatory cytokines in rats.

Association between serum ferritin and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among middle-aged and elderly Chinese with normal weight.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in normal-weight population is becoming an important health issue. This study aimed to assess the association between serum ferritin (SF) and NAFLD among middle-aged and elderly Chinese with normal weight. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A total of 2029 Chinese adults aged 35-70 years with normal weight were involved in this cross-sectional study. General information, lifestyle factors and laboratory characteristics were collected. The concentrations of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and SF were recorded. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was applied to assess predictive performance of SF for NAFLD. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the associations of SF with NAFLD and elevated ALT. RESULTS: Compared with controls, subjects with NAFLD had higher SF concentrations (p<0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analyses, the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of NAFLD were 3.19 (2.07-4.92) for the highest versus lowest quartile of SF. ROC analysis revealed a predictive ability of SF for NAFLD with an area under the curve of 0.660 (95% CI, 0.63-0.69). In addition, higher SF was significantly associated with increased risk of elevated ALT (OR=1.84, 95% CI: 1.32-2.55). In stratified analyses by gender and age, the positive associations of SF with the risk of NAFLD and elevated ALT were only observed in women and 35~49y group. CONCLUSIONS: SF was positively associated with the risk of NAFLD and elevated ALT among normal-weight Chinese adults. ROC analysis suggested that SF may serve as an indicator of predicting NAFLD.

AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION AND THE RISK OF ALL-CAUSE AND CARDIOVASCULAR MORTALITY: A Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the association between age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by meta-analyses of data from prospective studies. METHODS: A literature search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cocharne Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure for relevant articles published up to December 2016. We estimated hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals with fixed-effect models and conducted meta-regression to explore the potential sources of heterogeneity. Small-study effect was estimated by Egger's test and funnel plot. RESULTS: We identified 13 population-based prospective cohort studies that examined the relationship between AMD and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Overall, the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality associated with any AMD were 1.15 (1.05-1.27) and 1.05 (95% confidence intervals: 0.87-1.26), respectively. The risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality associated with early AMD were 1.08 (1.00-1.18) and 1.05 (0.89-1.24), and the associations with late AMD were 1.23 (1.11-1.36) and 1.28 (1.04-1.57), respectively. No evidence of small-study effect was found. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis indicated that AMD, especially late AMD, was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality based on comparisons with people who did not have AMD and who were of similar age and sex.

[Stability of erythrocyte and antioxidant capacity with obese rats which were supplied of vitamin E and magnesium].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of vitamin E( Vit E) and magnesium( Mg) supplementation on stability of erythrocyte and antioxidant capacity in obese rats. METHODS: Seventy Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups. Each group was supplied defferent doses of Vit E and Mg. All rats were sacrificed after 67 weeks. Erythrocyte osmotic fragility, fluidity of erythrocyte membrane, erythrocytic hemolyses, superoxide dismutase( SOD), malondialdehyde( MDA) and glutathione peroxidase( GSH-Px) were detected. Results of each group were analyzed by One-Way ANOVA andanalysis of variance of factorial design. RESULTS: The values of fluorescence polarization( P) and microviscosity( η) of obese model were( 0. 096 ± 0. 024) and( 0. 543 ±0. 179), respectively, which were significantly higher than other groups( P < 0. 05), it could indicate the fluidity of erythrocyte membrane of obese model was lower than other goups. The erythrocytic hemolyses of obese model was( 33. 57 ± 7. 50) %. Compared with other groups, it was increased by 11. 18%, 10%, 11. 4% and 18. 13%, respectively. The level of SOD of obese model was( 97. 54 ± 24. 81) U/mL which was lower than other groups( P < 0. 05). The level of MDA of obese model was( 17. 18 ± 12. 73) nmol/mL which was higher than other groups( P < 0. 05). Compared with normal controls and obese model, the level of GSH-Px of the group which was adding vitamin E was increased by859. 26 U, 955. 42 U, respectively. CONCLUSION: Both of Vit E and Mg could improve fluidity of erythrocyte membrane and erythrocytic hemolyses of obese rats. Combined use of Vit E and Mg could effectively improve fluidity of erythrocyte membrane. Vit E or Mg can improve the antioxidant capacity in obese rats.

Proteomic Analysis of Plasma in Adult Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients with Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: There is a high burden of both diabetes and tuberculosis in China. Diabetes depresses the immunologic response that facilitates the development of infectious diseases, including infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the agent of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is the third cause of death among subjects with non-communicable diseases, and among the non-communicable diseases, diabetes is one of the most important. The relationship between diabetes and tuberculosis has already been object of many investigations but the association between these two diseases is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to determine whether relative qualitative and quantitative differences in protein expression of plasma could be related to active pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with diabetes. METHODS: Biological parameters are useful tools for understanding and monitoring complicated disease processes. Our study employed two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to analyze the proteins associated with active pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with diabetes. RESULTS: Under the baseline condition, we found that the levels of α-1 antitrypsin precursor, vitamin D-binding protein precursor, CD5 antigen like precursor, clusterin precursor, apolipoprotein A-I precursor, haptoglobin, and fibrinogen γ-chain differed between patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis and active pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with diabetes subjects. Western blotting results confirmed differential expression of clusterin. CONCLUSIONS: We identified active pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with diabetes-associated proteins in plasma. C-terminal haptoglobin is a possible candidate protein of interest, which might be a link between active pulmonary tuberculosis and diabetes. The dynamics of protein expression during disease progression may improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of active pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with diabetes.

[Maternal iron overload results in liver damage in rat offspring].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of iron overload on the liver tissue and function of maternal rats' offspring. METHODS: Forty pregnant rats were randomly divided into four groups, high-dose group, middle-dose group, low-dose group (120, 60 and 30 mg/kg BW) and control group. Iron detran was administered by intraperitoneal injection every other day and the entire trial lasted for 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, the iron serum levels, GOT and GPT of rats' offspring were determined. Histological changes of the liver injury were measured. The expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax in liver were measured by immunohistochemistry method. In addition, MDA, SOD and GSH-Px in liver were assessed by spectrophotometry. RESULTS: After 6 weeks, the level of serum iron in control group was significantly lower than in middle-dose and high-dose group (P < 0.05), and the result of level of liver iron was similar with that. According to the HE staining, it showed that liver cell gradually was damaged with the increasing of accumulation of hepatic iron. The expression of Bcl-2/Bax was significantly higher in control group than in middle-dose and high-dose groups (P < 0.05). The levels of serum GPT and GOT in high-dose group were significantly higher in control group (P < 0.05). The levels of Liver MDA in middle-dose and high-dose groups were both significantly higher than in control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the levels of liver GSH-Px and SOD in high-dose group were significantly lower than in control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Iron overload in maternal rats may result in excessive iron deposition and oxidative damage of liver tissue and cell function in maternal rats' offspring.

Diagnostic value of computed tomography scanning in differentiating malignant from benign solitary pulmonary nodules: a meta-analysis.

An early diagnosis of lung cancer is crucial for early treatment and management. The objective of this systematic review was to assess the overall diagnostic accuracy of chest computed tomography (CT) scanning in differentiating malignant from benign solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) with meta-analysis. The PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database were searched for eligible studies published up to March 2014. The sensitivity, specificity, and other measures of accuracy of chest CT scanning in the diagnosis of SPNs were pooled along with 95 % confidence intervals (CI). Summary receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to summarize overall test performance. Thirty-two studies met our inclusion criteria. The summary estimates for chest CT scanning in the diagnosis of SPNs in the meta-analysis were as follows: pooled sensitivity, 0.89 (95 % CI, 0.88 to 0.91); pooled specificity, 0.70 (95 % CI, 0.68 to 0.73); positive likelihood ratio, 2.88 (95 % CI, 2.46 to 3.37); negative likelihood ratio, 0.16 (95 % CI, 0.12 to 0.21); and diagnostic odds ratio, 23.83 (95 % CI, 16.18 to 35.11). The results indicate that CT scanning has relatively high sensitivity and moderate specificity for the diagnosis of SPNs. Given the low cost and growing prevalence of the technology, CT scanning should be recommended as the initial test for the evaluation of SPNs.