A comparative research on obesity hypertension by the comparisons and associations between waist circumference, body mass index with systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and the clinical laboratory data between four special Chinese adult groups.

BACKGROUND: The obesity-hypertension pathogenesis is complex. From the phenotype to molecular mechanism, there is a long way to clarify the mechanism. To explore the association between obesity and hypertension, we correlate the phenotypes such as the waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SB), and diastolic blood pressure (DB) with the clinical laboratory data between four specific Chinese adult physical examination groups (newly diagnosed untreated just-obesity group, newly diagnosed untreated obesity-hypertension group, newly diagnosed untreated just-hypertension group, and normal healthy group), and the results may show something. OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanisms from obesity to hypertension by analyzing the correlations and differences between WC, BMI, SB, DB, and other clinical laboratory data indices in four specific Chinese adult physical examination groups. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2012 to July 2014, and 153 adult subjects, 34 women and 119 men, from 21 to 69 years, were taken from four characteristic Chinese adult physical examination groups (newly diagnosed untreated just-obesity group, newly diagnosed untreated obesity-hypertension group, newly diagnosed untreated just-hypertension group, and normal healthy group). The study was approved by the ethics committee of Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention. WC, BMI, SB, DB, and other clinical laboratory data were collected and analyzed by SPSS. RESULTS: Serum levels of albumin (ALB)，alanine aminotransferase (ALT), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), uric acid (Ua), and TC/HDLC (odds ratio) were statistically significantly different between the four groups. WC statistically significantly positively correlated with BMI, ALT, Ua, and serum levels of glucose (GLU), and TC/HDLC, and negatively with ALB, HDLC, and serum levels of conjugated bilirubin (CB). BMI was statistically significantly positively related to ALT, Ua, LDLC, WC, and TC/HDLC, and negatively to ALB, HDLC, and CB. DB statistically significantly positively correlated with ALP, BMI, and WC. SB was statistically significantly positively related to LDLC, GLU, serum levels of fructosamine (FA), serum levels of the total protein (TC), BMI, and WC. CONCLUSION: The negative body effects of obesity are comprehensive. Obesity may lead to hypertension through multiple ways by different percents. GGT, serum levels of gamma glutamyltransferase; ALB, serum levels of albumin; ALT, serum levels of alanine aminotransferase; LDLC, serum levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol; TG, serum levels of triglyceride; HDLC, serum levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol; FA, serum levels of fructosamine; S.C.R, serum levels of creatinine; IB, serum levels of indirect bilirubin; ALP, serum levels of alkaline phosphatase; CB, serum levels of conjugated bilirubin; UREA, Urea; Ua, serum levels of uric acid; GLU, serum levels of glucose; TC, serum levels of the total cholesterol; TB, serum levels of the total bilirubin; TP, serum levels of the total protein; TC/HDLC, TC/HDLC ratio.

The association between heavy metal soil pollution and stomach cancer: a case study in Hangzhou City, China.

Stomach cancer (SC) is a severe health burden, with nearly half of the world's cases found in China. Noticeably, the emissions of heavy metals into the environment have increased alongside rapid urbanization and industrialization in China. However, as regards carcinogenic associations, the relationship between heavy metals and SC is yet unclear. Based on 9378 newly diagnosed SC cases in Hangzhou City from 2009 to 2012, this work is concerned with the quantitative characterization of the spatial distribution pattern of SC incidence and its geographical association with soil heavy metals by means of a novel geographical model. The results show that (a) Cd is one of the severe soil pollutants in Hangzhou; (b) higher SC incidence clusters are in central Hangzhou, whereas lower clusters are found in the northeast and southwest with a male to female incidence ratio about 2.2:1; (c) although when considered separately, the heavy metals in this work do not have a considerable impact on the distribution of SC incidence in Hangzhou City, nevertheless, the joint effects of multiple heavy metals have significant impacts on SC risk. The present work calls for a rigorous quantitative assessment of the integrated heavy metal soil pollution and its effects on SC incidence.

Family influences on physical activity and sedentary behaviours in Chinese junior high school students: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Family influence plays an important role in a child's physical activity (PA). This study aimed to describe the level of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behaviours among Chinese junior high school students and examine the associations between different types of family influence and MVPA or sedentary behaviours. METHODS: Participants of two independent cross-sectional surveys, conducted in 2009 and 2011, were students in Grade 7 and 9 from all junior high schools in Hangzhou, China. The daily duration and frequency of MVPA, amount of sedentary time and frequency of family support were self-reported. Multi-level mixed-effects logistic regression was used to examine the associations between different types or levels of family influence and MVPA or sedentary behaviours. RESULTS: A total of 7286 students were analysed finally. Overall, only 9.0% of the students participated in MVPA at least 60 minutes/day; 63.9% spent no more than 2 hours/day in sedentary behaviours. Frequent verbal encouragement and watching were associated with less leisure-time sedentary behaviours. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for verbal encouragement and watching were 1.29 (95% CI, 1.08 to 1.55) and 1.19 (95% CI, 0.97 to 1.45) for 5-7 days per week. The involvement of family in the children's activity in most days of the week was associated with both higher level of MVPA and less leisure-time sedentary behaviours. The respective ORs among students who reported familial support 5-7 days per week, were 1.50 (95% CI, 1.21 to 1.86) for engaging in seven days of MVPA per week, 1.67 (95% CI, 1.19 to 2.32) for at least 60 minutes of MVPA daily, and 1.48 (95% CI, 1.19 to 1.84) for no more than 2 hours of leisure-time sedentary behaviours daily. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that less than 10.0% of urban Chinese adolescents engaged in MVPA at least 60 minutes/day. Family involving themselves in the children's activity exerted the most significant influence on children's behaviours as compared with verbally encouraging and observing children's activity. Any type of familial support including verbally encouraging, watching, and involving had effects on reducing leisure-time sedentary behaviours.

Association between perceived urban built environment attributes and leisure-time physical activity among adults in Hangzhou, China.

BACKGROUND: Neighborhood built environment may influence residents' physical activity, which in turn, affects their health. This study aimed to determine the associations between perceived built environment and leisure-time physical activity in Hangzhou, China. METHODS: 1440 participants aged 25-59 were randomly selected from 30 neighborhoods in three types of administrative planning units in Hangzhou. International Physical Activity Questionnaire long form and NEWS-A were used to obtain individual-level data. The China Urban Built Environment Scan Tool was used to objectively assess the neighborhood-level built environment. Multi-level regression was used to explore the relationship between perceived built environment variables and leisure-time physical activities. Data was collected in Hangzhou from June to December in 2012, and was analyzed in May 2013. RESULTS: Significant difference between neighborhood random variations in physical activity was identified (P=0.0134); neighborhood-level differences accounted for 3.0% of the variability in leisure-time physical activity. Male residents who perceived higher scores on access to physical activity destinations reported more involvement in leisure-time physical activity. Higher scores on perception of esthetic quality, and lower on residential density were associated with more time in leisure-time walking in women. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that perceived urban built environment attributes significantly correlate with leisure-time physical activity in Hangzhou, China.

Objective assessment of urban built environment related to physical activity--development, reliability and validity of the China Urban Built Environment Scan Tool (CUBEST).

BACKGROUND: Some aspects of the neighborhood built environment may influence residents' physical activity, which in turn, affects their health. This study aimed to develop an urban built environment evaluation tool and conduct necessary reliability and validity tests. METHODS: A 41-item urban built environment scan tool was developed to objectively assess the neighborhood built environment features related to physical activity. Six neighborhoods in Hangzhou were selected from three types of administrative planning units. A pair of auditors independently assessed all of the 205 street segments at the same time. Half of the segments (n = 104) were audited twice by the same auditor after a two-week time interval. Inter-rater reliability was assessed by comparing the audits of paired observers, while intra-rater reliability was evaluated by comparing an auditor's repeated assessments of the same segments. The construct validity was tested using factor analysis. RESULTS: The inter-rater reliability for most items was above 0.8. The intra-rater reliability for most items was above 0.4, and was lower than corresponding inter-rater reliability. Six factors were extracted by factor analysis and the factor loading matrix showed good construct validity. CONCLUSIONS: The CUBEST is a reliable and valid instrument that can be used to assess the physical activity-related built environment in Hangzhou, and potentially other cities in China.

Audit of tobacco retail outlets in Hangzhou, China.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of tobacco advertisements and warning messages at points of sale as well as to examine the density of tobacco retail outlets in neighbourhoods and around schools in Hangzhou, China. METHOD: Tobacco retail outlets (n=1639) in all food and tobacco specialty stores were observed objectively by trained students. Tobacco advertisements and warning messages were assessed with an audit, and stores' addresses were recorded with Global Positioning System coordinates. The distances (1) between all pairs of tobacco retail outlets (2) between each tobacco retail outlet and 15 middle schools were calculated to assess the density of tobacco retail outlets in neighbourhoods and around schools. RESULTS: Among the 1639 tobacco retail outlets, <1% had 'no sales to minors' signs, 1.5% had tobacco warning messages, 28% had signs indicating tobacco sale and 12.4% had tobacco advertisements. For 48.7% of tobacco retail outlets, the nearest distances to other tobacco retail outlets were <50 m. For 80% of schools, there was at least one tobacco retail outlets within a 100 m radius. CONCLUSION: Tobacco advertisement in retail outlets is prevalent and the density of tobacco retail outlets is high in Hangzhou, China. Signs indicating 'no sales to minors' and tobacco warning signs are almost non-existent. These findings point to an urgent need for the enforcement of regulations on display of 'no sales to minors' and a new density standard for tobacco retail outlets based on protecting the public's health.

Socio-demographic association of multiple modifiable lifestyle risk factors and their clustering in a representative urban population of adults: a cross-sectional study in Hangzhou, China.

BACKGROUND: To plan long-term prevention strategies and develop tailored intervention activities, it is important to understand the socio-demographic characteristics of the subpopulations at high risk of developing chronic diseases. This study aimed to examine the socio-demographic characteristics associated with multiple lifestyle risk factors and their clustering. METHODS: We conducted a simple random sampling survey to assess lifestyle risk factors in three districts of Hangzhou, China between 2008 and 2009. A two-step cluster analysis was used to identify different health-related lifestyle clusters based on tobacco use, physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and out-of-home eating. Multinomial logistic regression was used to model the association between socio-demographic factors and lifestyle clusters. RESULTS: A total of 2016 eligible people (977 men and 1039 women, ages 18-64 years) completed the survey. Three distinct clusters were identified from the cluster analysis: an unhealthy (UH) group (25.7%), moderately healthy (MH) group (31.1%), and healthy (H) group (43.1%). UH group was characterised by a high prevalence of current daily smoking, a moderate or low level of PA, low FV consumption with regard to the frequency or servings, and more occurrences of eating out. H group was characterised by no current daily smoking, a moderate level of PA, high FV consumption, and the fewest times of eating out. MH group was characterised by no current daily smoking, a low or high level of PA, and an intermediate level of FV consumption and frequency of eating out. Men were more likely than women to have unhealthy lifestyles. Adults aged 50-64 years were more likely to live healthy lifestyles. Adults aged 40-49 years were more likely to be in the UH group. Adults whose highest level of education was junior high school or below were more likely to be in the UH group. Adults with a high asset index were more likely to be in the MH group. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that Chinese urban people who are middle-aged, men, and less educated are most likely to be part of the cluster with a high-risk profile. Those groups will contribute the most to the future burden of major chronic disease and should be targeted for early prevention programs.

Retraction: Transition-metal-free synthesis of conjugated microporous polymers via amine-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1039/D1SC03970A.].

Exosomal lncRNA HOTTIP Mediates Antiviral Effect of Tenofovir Alafenamide (TAF) on HBV Infection.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) virus (HBV) infection has emerged as a global health burden affecting nearly 292 million people. Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) is an effective treatment for CHB patients. However, the detailed mechanism underlying the antiviral activity of TAF remains unclear. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the antiviral effect of exosomes derived from the serum of CHB patients treated with TAF (Exo-serum) and TAF-treated macrophages (MP) (Exo-MP(TAF)). RESULTS: RNAseq analysis was also performed to determine the associated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). The results demonstrated that both Exo-serum and Exo-MP(TAF) could be taken up by HepAD38 cells and exhibited potent antiviral activities, as manifested by significantly downregulating the levels of hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B e antigen, HBV DNA, and covalently closed circular DNA. The antiviral effect of Exo-serum was more potent than those of TAF treatment alone. RNAseq analysis revealed that lncRNA HOTTIP was upregulated significantly in Exo-serum. Further, lncRNA HOTTIP knockdown reversed the antiviral effect of Exo-MP(TAF) on HepAD38 cells, whereas lncRNA HOTTIP knockdown exerted the opposite roles. DISCUSSION: Taken together, these results suggest that exosomal lncRNA HOTTIP is essential for the antiviral activity of TAF and provide a novel understanding of the exosome-mediated mechanism underlying HBV infection.

Association analysis of miRNA-related genetic polymorphisms in miR-143/145 and KRAS with colorectal cancer susceptibility and survival.

BACKGROUND: There is accumulating evidence of aberrant expression of miR-143 and miR-145 and their target gene KRAS in colorectal cancer (CRC). We hypothesize that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within or near mRNA-microRNA (miRNA) binding sites may affect miRNA/target gene interaction, resulting in differential mRNA/protein expression and promoting the development and progression of CRC. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study of 507 patients with CRC recruited from a tertiary hospital and 497 population-based controls to assess the association of genetic polymorphisms in miR-143/145 and the KRAS 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) with susceptibility to CRC and patients' survival. In addition, genetic variations of genomic regions located from 500 bp upstream to 500 bp downstream of the miR-143/miR-145 gene and the 3'UTR of KRAS were selected for analysis using the Haploview and HaploReg software. RESULTS: Using publicly available expression profiling data, we found that miR-143/145 and KRAS expression were all reduced in rectal cancer tissue compared with adjacent non-neoplastic large intestinal mucosa. The rs74693964 C/T variant located 65 bp downstream of miR-145 genomic regions was observed to be associated with susceptibility to CRC (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 2.414, 95% CI: 1.385-4.206). Cumulative effects of miR-143 and miR-145 on CRC risk were observed (Ptrend=0.03). Patients having CRC carrying variant genotype TT of KRAS rs712 had poorer survival (log-rank P=0.044, adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 4.328, 95% CI: 1.236-15.147). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that miRNA-related polymorphisms in miR-143/145 and KRAS are likely to be deleterious and represent potential biomarkers for susceptibility to CRC and patients' survival.

Silencing lncRNA TUG1 Alleviates LPS-Induced Mouse Hepatocyte Inflammation by Targeting miR-140/TNF.

Hepatitis is a major public health problem that increases the risk of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Numerous studies have revealed that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) exert essential function in the inflammatory response of multiple organs. Herein, we aimed to explore the effect of lncRNA TUG1 in LPS-induced hepatocyte inflammation response and further illuminate the underlying mechanisms. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with LPS, and the liver inflammation was evaluated. Microarray showed that lncRNA TUG1 was upregulated in LPS-induced hepatocyte inflammation. qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence assay indicated a significant increase of TUG1 in mice with LPS injection. Functional analysis showed that si-TUG1 inhibited LPS-induced inflammation response in mice liver, inhibited apoptosis level, and protected liver function. Then, we knock down TUG1 in normal human hepatocyte AML12. Consistent with in vivo results, si-TUG1 removed the injury of LPS on AML12 cells. Furthermore, TUG1 acted as a sponge of miR-140, and miR-140 directly targeted TNFα (TNF). MiR-140 or si-TNF remitted the beneficial effects of TUG1 on LPS-induced hepatocyte inflammation response both in vitro and in vivo. Our data revealed that deletion of TUG1 protected against LPS-induced hepatocyte inflammation via regulating miR-140/TNF, which might provide new insight for hepatitis treatment.

Short-Term Efficacy and Safety of IL-17, IL-12/23, and IL-23 Inhibitors Brodalumab, Secukinumab, Ixekizumab, Ustekinumab, Guselkumab, Tildrakizumab, and Risankizumab for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: The role of interleukin-12 (IL-12), interleukin-23 (IL-23), and interleukin-17 (IL-17) has been recognized in psoriasis pathogenesis, and new drugs targeting this axis have already been developed which may provide a new therapeutic approach for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: To compare the direct and indirect evidences of the efficacy and safety of brodalumab, secukinumab, ixekizumab, ustekinumab, guselkumab, tildrakizumab, and risankizumab in the short-term treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis using network meta-analysis (NMA). METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for the available relevant studies. NMA was conducted by Stata 15.0 software using relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence interval to assess the clinical effectiveness and safety. Ranked the efficacy and safety for each drug accordance with the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 28 studies. All the interventions performed better than placebo in short-term achievement. Based on the result of SUCRA, ixekizumab 80 mg every 2 weeks ranked the highest in short-term achievement of PASI 75 (SUCRA = 93.0%). Brodalumab 210 mg ranked the highest in short-term achievement of PASI 100 (SUCRA = 85.0%). Secukinumab 300 mg ranked the highest in short-term achievement of sPGA 0/1 or IGA 0/1 or PGA 0/1 (SUCRA = 98.1%). In terms of having a risk of adverse events, the rates were higher in brodalumab, secukinumab, ixekizumab, and ustekinumab 45 mg compared with placebo. Ixekizumab 80 mg every 4 weeks ranked the highest in the risk of adverse events during short-term treatment (SUCRA = 4.5%). Guselkumab 50 mg ranked the highest in the risk of serious adverse events during short-term treatment (SUCRA = 25.9%). Ixekizumab 80 mg every 4 weeks ranked the highest in the risk of discontinuations due to adverse events during short-ter treatment (SUCRA = 10.7%). CONCLUSIONS: IL-17, IL-12/23, and IL-23 inhibitors had high efficacy in the achievement of PASI 75, PASI 100, and sPGA 0/1 or IGA 0/1 or PGA 0/1 in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis after 12 or 16 weeks of treatment. IL-17 inhibitors showed superior efficacy. However, its clinical safety was poor. Risankizumab appeared to have relatively high efficacy and low risk. The clinical tolerance of other biological agents needs to be further observed.

Contribution of industrial density and socioeconomic status to the spatial distribution of thyroid cancer risk in Hangzhou, China.

BACKGROUND: The thyroid cancer (TC) incidence in China has increased dramatically during the last three decades. Typical in this respect is the case of Hangzhou city (China), where 7147 new TC cases were diagnosed during the period 2008-2012. Hence, the assessment of the TC incidence risk increase due to environmental exposure is an important public health matter. METHODS: Correlation analysis, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Poisson regression were first used to evaluate the statistical association between TC and key risk factors (industrial density and socioeconomic status). Then, the Bayesian maximum entropy (BME) theory and the integrative disease predictability (IDP) criterion were combined to quantitatively assess both the overall and the spatially distributed strength of the "exposure-disease" association. RESULTS: Overall, higher socioeconomic status was positively correlated with higher TC risk (Pearson correlation coefficient=0.687, P<0.01). Compared to people of low socioeconomic status, people of median and high socioeconomic status showed higher TC risk: the Relative Risk (RR) and associated 95% confidence interval (CI) were found to be, respectively, RR=2.29 with 95% CI=1.99 to 2.63, and RR=3.67 with 95% CI=3.22 to 4.19. The "industrial density-TC incidence" correlation, however, was non-significant. Spatially, the "socioeconomic status-TC" association measured by the corresponding IDP coefficient was significant throughout the study area: the mean IDP value was -0.12 and the spatial IDP values were consistently negative at the township level. It was found that stronger associations were distributed among residents mainly on a stripe of land from northeast to southwest (consisting mainly of sub-district areas). The "industrial density-TC" association measured by its IDP coefficient was spatially non-consistent. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic status is an important indicator of TC risk factor in Hangzhou (China) whose effect varies across space. Hence, socioeconomic status shows the highest TC risk effect in sub-district areas.

The spatio-temporal distribution and risk factors of thyroid cancer during rapid urbanization-A case study in China.

BACKGROUND: Incidences of thyroid cancer (TC) have been increasing worldwide in recent decades. In this research, we aimed to analyze the spatiotemporal pattern of TC and explore relevant environmental risk factors in Hangzhou (HZ), which is rapidly urbanizing and home to the highest TC incidence in China. METHODS: Spatial scan statistic was employed to analyze the spatiotemporal pattern of TC in HZ from 2008 to 2012. The geographically weighted regression model (GWR) was implemented to explore environmental risk factors. Its performance was compared to the traditional ordinary least squares model (OLS). RESULTS: A total of 7147 TC cases (5385 female and 1762 male) were diagnosed in HZ from 2008 to 2012. High TC clusters were detected in the northeast, urban areas and expanded outwards while low clusters were located in the southwest rural areas. The GWR model generally performed better than the OLS in analyzing the associations between TC incidence and environmental factors. The industrial density, chemical oxygen demand of wastewater (COD) and the percentage of building area had a strong positive influence on the TC in the northeastern suburb areas of HZ, while the elevation, slope and the percentage of forest area had a significant negative correlation with TC in the middle, rural areas of HZ. Meanwhile, the accessibility to health care might have an impact on the TC incidence. CONCLUSION: High clusters were mostly located in the northeastern urban areas and showed an expansion process from the center urban area to the suburb area, especially for female TC. Intensive industrial activities and the emission of organic pollutants, which positively correlated with the high TC clusters in the northeast suburb areas of HZ, should get proper attention.

Health-Related Quality of Life of Community Thyroid Cancer Survivors in Hangzhou, China.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of community thyroid cancer survivors in Hangzhou, China, and to explore the important correlates defining HRQoL. METHODS: All thyroid cancer patients who met study criteria in 183 communities were invited to participate (N = 1551). A self-administered questionnaire including collection of personal information and HRQoL instruments was completed by each participant (n = 970), with a response rate of 62.5%. HRQoL was assessed using the Short Form 36 Health Survey and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire. Data for comparison were derived from a representative Hangzhou community sample (N = 1790). After bivariate analyses, multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate independent associations between socio-demographic variables, clinical characteristics, life-style behaviors, and HRQoL. RESULTS: Information from 965 participants was available for analysis. A total of 92.1% were diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer, known as the most common type of thyroid cancer. In general, thyroid cancer survivors have impaired quality of life compared to the age- and sex-matched reference population using the Short Form 36 Health Survey. Thyroid cancer survivors reported the highest level of fatigue and insomnia. Multivariable regression analyses showed that being employed, higher education, and per capita disposable income (24,000-56,000 ¥ per year), and undertaking 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days a week were independent correlates of high physical component summary scores, while being overweight or obese and having a higher dose of levothyroxine intake per day had a negative influence. Being employed, higher per capita disposable income (>56,000 ¥ per year), undertaking 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days a week, and eating more fruit were positively associated with mental component summary scores, while females and patients having more surgeries reported lower mental component summary scores. The global quality of life scale scores were associated with education, employment status, marital status, per capita disposable income, physical activity per week, fruit intake per day, and type of surgery. CONCLUSION: Although patients with thyroid cancer have a very good prognosis overall, in this study, they often experienced more problems than the community reference population, independent of their age and sex. Sex, education, marital status, employment status, weight status, per capita disposable income, number of surgeries, type of surgery, physical activity per week, fruit intake, and levothyroxine intake per day are important correlates of HRQoL of thyroid cancer survivors. Awareness of these relevant factors could help healthcare professionals provide better supportive care.

A Geographic Analysis about the Spatiotemporal Pattern of Breast Cancer in Hangzhou from 2008 to 2012.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common female malignant tumor. Previous studies have suggested a big incidence disparity among different cities in China. The present work selected a typical city, Hangzhou, to study BC incidence disparity within the city. METHODS: Totally, 8784 female breast cancer cases were obtained from the Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention during the period 2008-2012. Analysis of Variance and Poisson Regression were the statistical tools implemented to compare incidence disparity in the space-time domain (reference group: township residents during 2008, area: subdistrict, town, and township, time frame: 2008-2012), space-time scan statistics was employed to detect significant spatiotemporal clusters of BC compared to the null hypothesis that the probability of cases diagnosed at a particular location was equal to the probability of cases diagnosed in the whole study area. Geographical Information System (GIS) was used to generate BC spatial distribution and cluster maps at the township level. RESULTS: The subdistrict populations were found to have the highest and most stable BC incidence. Although town and township populations had a relatively low incidence, it displayed a significant increasing trend from 2008 to 2012. The BC incidence distribution was spatially heterogeneous and clustered with a trend-surface from the southwest low area to the northeast high area. High clusters were located in the northeastern Hangzhou area, whereas low clusters were observed in the southwestern area during the time considered. CONCLUSIONS: Better healthcare service and lifestyle changes may be responsible for the increasing BC incidence observed in towns and townships. One high incidence cluster (Linping subdistrict) and two low incidence clusters (middle Hangzhou) were detected. The low clusters may be attributable mainly to developmental level disparity, whereas the high cluster could be associated with other risk factors, such as environmental pollution.

Spatiotemporal Co-existence of Female Thyroid and Breast Cancers in Hangzhou, China.

Thyroid and breast cancers (TC, BC) are common female malignant tumors worldwide. Studies suggest that TC patients have a higher BC risk, and vice versa. However, it has not been investigated quantitatively if there is an association between the space-time TC and BC incidence distributions at the population level. This work aims to answer this question. 5358 TC and 8784 BC (female) cases were diagnosed in Hangzhou (China, 2008-2012). Pearson and Spearman rank correlation coefficients of the TC and BC incidences were high, and their patterns were geographically similar. The spatiotemporal co-existence of TC and BC distributions was investigated using the integrative disease predictability (IDP) criterion: if TC-BC association is part of the disease mapping knowledge bases, it should yield improved space-time incidence predictions. Improved TC (BC) incidence predictions were generated when integrating both TC and BC data than when using only TC (BC) data. IDP consistently demonstrated the spatiotemporal co-existence of TC and BC distributions throughout Hangzhou (2008-2012), which means that when the population experiences high incidences of one kind of cancer attention should be paid to the other kind of cancer too. The strength of TC-BC association was measured by the IDP coefficients and incidence prediction accuracy.

Effects of cytomegalovirus infection on the prognosis of inflammatory bowel disease patients.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection on the prognosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Various databases were searched using a combination of keywords associated with CMV infection and IBD. Subsequent to the selection of relevant studies in line with strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, a meta-analysis was conducted using the Stata 12.0 software. A total of 195 studies were initially retrieved, including 28 studies in Chinese and 167 in English. Following the exclusion of unsuitable studies, 7 cohort studies with 374 IBD patients were included in the meta-analysis. The results of the present study identified significant differences between patients with and without CMV infection regarding the disease duration of IBD [standardized mean difference, -0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI), -1.19 to -0.43; P<0.001], the efficacy of corticosteroid therapy [relative risk (RR), 1.24; 95% CI, 1.02-1.49; P=0.029], the colectomy rate (RR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.03-4.40; P=0.042) and the incidence of severe IBD (RR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.04-1.67; P=0.022). Considering the IBD onset area, patients with CMV infection may have higher susceptibility to pancolitis (RR, 1.31; 95% CI; 1.01-1.72; P=0.045); however, no difference in susceptibility to left-sided IBD was observed between patients with or without CMV infection (RR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.72-1.30; P=0.828). In conclusion, CMV infection may be associated with the disease duration, efficacy of corticosteroid therapy, colectomy rate, severe IBD incidence and disease location of IBD; thus, the presence of CMV infection may be considered as an important biomarker for determining the prognosis of IBD.