[Joint association of depression symptoms and 10-year risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease with the cardiovascular disease in middle-aged and elderly people in China].

OBJECTIVE: To explore joint association of depression symptoms and 10-year risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease (CVD) in middle-aged and elderly people in China. METHODS: Based on China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS)database using 2011 baseline data and the follow-up cohort data of 2013, 2015 and 2018, describe the distribution characteristics of baseline depressive symptoms and 10-year risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease in 2011. Cox survival analysis model was used to analyze the individual, independent and joint association of depression symptoms and 10-year risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease with cardiovascular disease. RESULTS: A total of 9 412 subjects were enrolled. The detection rate of depressive symptoms at baseline was 44.7%, and the 10-year middle and high risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease was 13.62%. During an average follow-up of 6.19 (6.19±1.66) years, 1 401 cases of cardiovascular disease were diagnosed in 58 258 person-years, revealing an overall incidence density of 24.048/1 000 person-years. After adjusting the factors, in terms of individual impact, the participants with depressive symptoms had a higher risk of developing CVD (HR=1.263, 95%CI: 1.133-1.408), while medium to high risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease had a higher risk of developing CVD (HR=1.892, 95%CI: 1.662-2.154). Among independent influences, participants with depressive symptoms had a higher risk of developing CVD (HR=1.269, 95% CI: 1.138-1.415), while medium to high risk of 10-year risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease had a higher risk of developing CVD (HR=1.898, 95%CI: 1.668-2.160). Joint impact result showed the incidence of cardiovascular disease in the low risk of 10-year risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease with depressive symptoms group, middle and high risk of 10-year risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease without depressive symptoms group, and 10-year middle and high risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease with depressive symptoms group were 1.390, 2.149, and 2.339 times higher than that of low risk of 10-year risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease without depressive symptoms (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The superimposed depression symptoms of the middle and high-risk population at the 10-year risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease will aggravate the risk of cardiovascular disease in middle-aged and elderly people. In combination with the actual lifestyle intervention and physical index health management, attention should be paid to mental health intervention.

[Effects of gestational weight on the association between serum high sensitivity C reaction protein and gestational diabetes mellitus among twin gestations: A cohort study].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between serum high sensitivity C-reaction protein (hsCRP) in early pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) among twin pregnant women, and to explore the effects of the pre-pregnant body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) status on such association. METHODS: Twin pregnant women with pre-pregnant BMI greater than or equal to 18.5 kg/m2 were recruited at Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Peking University Third Hospital from March 2017 to December 2020. Serum samples collected in early pregnancy were analyzed for hsCRP using particle-enhanced immunoturbidimetric method. In the following visits, the information about GWG and GDM were prospectively collected in every trimester. The association effect between hsCRP tertiles and GDM were estimated using Logistic regression, and further converted into risk ratio (RR). Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test and mediation analysis were used to explore the effects of BMI and GWG status on the association. RESULTS: Among the included 570 twin pregnant women, 31.6% deve-loped GDM, 26.1% were pre-pregnant overweight or obesity, and 49.5% with GWG out of referenced range. After adjustment for confounding factors, risk of developing GDM in twin gestations with the middle tertile and highest tertile of serum hsCRP in early pregnancy were 1.42 fold (95%CI: 1.02-1.89) and 1.54 fold (95%CI: 1.12-2.02), respectively, compared with the lowest tertile of serum hsCRP, and there existed significantly linear trend (P=0.022). Findings from mediation analysis illustrated that pre-pregnant BMI had partial mediating effect on the association, and BMI accounted for 23.84% (P < 0.001) of the increasing GDM risks with elevated hsCRP. Joint analysis with hsCRP and GWG found that those who were with GWG out of referenced range accompanied with the higher hsCRP tertiles (>1.21 mg/L) had significantly 2.31 fold increased risk according to those who were with GWG in the referenced range accompanied with the lowest hsCRP tertile (≤1.21 mg/L, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Elevated hsCRP in early pregnancy significantly increased GDM risk among twin pregnant women. The hsCRP-GDM association was dependent on GWG status, and pre-pregnant BMI had partial mediating effect on such association. It is suggested that twin pregnant women should consider systemic inflammation and gestational weight at the same time to reduce GDM risk.

[Associations of distribution of time spent in physical activity and sedentary behavior with obesity].

OBJECTIVE: To explore associations of distribution of time spent in physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) with obesity with taking account that time is finite during the day of adult residents in Wuhai City. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was undertaken in Wuhai City, and we carried out a sampling of local residents aged 18-79 by using multiple stratified cluster sampling method. Data about social demographic characteristics, time spent in PA and SB, diet intake, controlling situation of chronic disease and other covariates were obtained by qualified investigators for face-to-face questionnaire survey. Data about height, weight, and waist circumstance, were obtained by doctors in a secondary hospital or above for body measurements. The statistical method used in our study was known as compositional data analysis, which had been used to process compositional data in many fields. Liner regression analysis with compositional data was used to synthetically analyze the associations of distribution of time spent in PA and SB with obesity,and to investigate the effect of re-allocating time from one behavior to another one whilst the remaining one was kept stable. RESULTS: The investigation revealed the special advantage of compositional data analysis in processing time-use data. The result of liner regression analysis with the compositional data showed that after controlling the potential confounding factors, the associations of distribution of time spent in PA and SB was significantly associated with body mass index (BMI, P<0.001) and the negative natural logarithm of waist to height ratio (-lnWHtR, P<0.001). Among them, in professional population, the proportion of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was negatively correlated with -lnWHtR (ß=-0.008, P=0.022), while the proportion of time spent in SB was positively correlated with BMI and -lnWHtR (ß=0.117, P=0.003; ß=0.007, P=0.005). However, in nonprofessional population, the proportion of time spent in MVPA was only negatively correlated with BMI (ß=-0.079, P=0.041). Nevertheless, the proportion of time spent in low-intensity physical activity (LIPA) was not significantly associated with BMI and -lnWHtR in both professional and nonprofessional population. In addition, the effects of MVPA replacing another behavior and of MVPA being displaced by another behavior were not symmetrical, and 10 minutes of MVPA replacing LIPA or SB had a greater influence on intervention and prevention of obesity than 10 minutes MVPA being replaced by LIPA or SB. CONCLUSION: The research has resulted in a solution of the associations of the distribution of time spent in PA, SB with health risk. Our results suggest that public health messages should target the health effects of the distribution of time of PA and SB synergistically in developing PA guidelines and health management practice, rather than simply increasing or decreasing the absolute time of PA or SB, so that we can provide scientific suggestions to make people get a profounder healthy effect.

Cannabinoid receptor 2 activation alleviates septic lung injury by promoting autophagy via inhibition of inflammatory mediator release.

Septic lung injury is one of main causes of high mortality in severe patients. Inhibition of excessive inflammatory response is considered as an effective strategy for septic lung injury. Previous studies have shown that cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), a G protein-coupled receptor, play an important role in immunosuppression. Whether CB2 can be used as a therapeutic target for septic lung injury is unclear. The aim of this study is to explore the role of CB2 in sepsis and its potential mechanism. In this study, treatment with HU308, a specific agonist of CB2, could reduce lung pathological injury, decrease the level of inflammatory cytokines and strengthen the expression of autophagy-related gene after cecal ligation puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis in mice. Similar results were obtained in RAW264.7 macrophages after LPS treatment. Furthermore, the effect of HU308 could be blocked by autophagy blocker 3-MA in vivo and in vitro. These results suggest that CB2 serves as a protective target for septic lung injury by decreasing inflammatory factors, which is associated with the enhancement of autophagy.

[Relationship between sugary drinks and diabetes of adults in Wuhai city].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between sugary drinks and diabetes of adults in Wuhai city. METHODS: A multiple stage stratified cluster sampling was conducted on 8 131 residents who were between 35 and 79 years by cross-sectional study in Wuhai city. Questionnaires, physical measurements and laboratory tests were used to collect information on demographic information, dietary behavior, health status, blood glucose indicators. Besides, other covariate information was also collected by these ways. The analysis was carried out by chi-square test, trend chi-square test and multifactor Logistic regression. RESULTS: The detection rates of impaired fasting glucose and diabetes of people who were 35 years old and above in Wuhai city were 6.0% and 18.4%, respectively, and they both increased with age (P<0.01, P< 0.01). The detection rates of impaired fasting glucose and diabetes of the men were both far higher than the women (P< 0.01, P< 0.01). For the men, the detection rate of diabetes increased with age (Ptrend<0.01), but for the women, and the detection rate of impaired fasting glucose and diabetes both increased with age (Ptrend<0.01, Ptrend<0.01). The consumption rate of sugary drinks of the people who were 35 years old and above in Wuhai city was 30.2%. And after all the subjects were classified into three groups, A (0- mL/d), B (16- mL/d), and C (237- mL/d) according to the daily different drinking quantities, statistical results found that group A accounted for 75.4%, group B for 21.5%, and group C for 3.1%. In group A, for comparison, the impaired fasting glucose OR values of group B and group C were 1.4 and 2.2, respectively. And diabetes OR values of group B and group C were 1.2 and 2.1 respectively compared with group A, and the trend of OR values increased both had statistical significance (Ptrend <0.01, Ptrend < 0.01). Also, after adjusting for other covariates in multifactor Logistic regression, the OR values of impaired fasting glucose in group B and group C were 1.6 and 3.8 respectively, and the OR values of diabetes were 1.9 and 4.9 respectively, compared with group A, and besides, the trend of OR values increased both still had statistical significance (Ptrend <0.01, Ptrend < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Increased consumption of sugary drinks will increase the risk of impaired fasting glucose and diabetes. Residents in Wuhai city should control their consumption of sugary drinks.

[A cross-sectional study on dyslipidemia in migrants in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of dyslipidemia in migrants in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Methods: A stratified multi-stage cluster equal size sampling was performed among the migrants aged ≥18 years who were engaged in manufacturing, wholesale retail, accommodation and catering service, social service, construction and other and 1 501 migrants from five area in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was investigated by means of questionnaires survey, physical measurements and laboratory detection. Results: Complete data was obtained in 1 496 study subjects. The prevalence of dyslipidemia was 42.65% (638/1 496), the age-standardized prevalence was 42.05%; the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, combined hyperlipidemia and low high-density lipoprotein hyperlipidemia were 4.90% (73/1 491), 14.76% (220/1 491), 4.83% (72/1 496), 25.27% (378/1 496), respectively. Dyslipidemia characterized by high triglyceride (HTG) and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LHDL-C) accounted for 81.97% (523/638). The prevalence of dyslipidemia and HTG/LHDL-C dyslipidemia were similar, which increased significantly with age in both females and males, but was significantly higher in males. The prevalence among migrants with other occupations was highest. The prevalence of HTG/LHDL-C dyslipidemia didn't significantly increase with the duration of migration. However, the prevalence of high TG and dyslipidemia increased significantly with the duration of migration, the prevalence of high TG in age group <45 years showed the same characteristics. Conclusions: The prevalence of dyslipidemia in migrants in Inner Mongolia was high, and the main form was HTG/LHDL-C dyslipidemia. The prevalence in males, the middle aged and aged as well as those with other occupations were high. Migrants with longer duration of migration had higher prevalence of dyslipidemia.

[Associations of sedentary behavior and physical activity with dyslipidemia].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze associations of sedentary behavior and physical activity with dyslipidemia among residents in Wuhai city. METHODS: Data about social demographic characteristics, life style, health status and other covariate required for analysis in this study was obtained from a cross-sectional study on a total of 11 497 18-79 years old residents in Wuhai City by questionnaire, body mea-surement and laboratory examination. In this study, sedentary behavior and physical activity were evaluated using international physical activity questionnaire long version (IPAQ). IPAQ is widely used all over the world, and its reliability and validity have been tested in Chinese population. 2016 Chinese Guideline for the Management of Dyslipidemia in Adults was used to define dyslipidemia in this study. RESULTS: According to IPAQ scoring protocol, 124 participants were excluded as a result of reporting more than 960 min of physical activity per day. 50.58% of 11 373 participants included in the analysis reported more than 4 hours of sedentary behavior per day in this study, thus 49.42% participants reported no more than 4 hours of sedentary behavior per day; the proportions of these 11 373 participants who reached Low level physical activity, Moderate level physical activity and high level physical activity were 23.43%, 37.29% and 39.28% respectively; and the detection ratios of new cases and prevalent cases of dyslipidemia in Wuhai City were 20.46% and 16.13% respectively. After controlling for confounders in this study, we found out that sedentary behavior increased the risk of new cases of dyslipidemia in women (OR=1.17, 95% CI: 1.00-1.36), and increased the risk of prevalent cases of dyslipidemia in both men (OR=1.21, 95% CI: 1.02-1.44) and women (OR=1.24, 95% CI: 1.04-1.48); as for association of physical activity with dyslipidemia, association was found between high level physical activity and prevalent cases of dyslipidemia in men in this study (OR=0.78, 95% CI: 0.62-0.98), suggested that high level physical activity may help to reduce the risk of prevalent cases of dyslipidemia in men. CONCLUSION: Our results from this cross-sectional study in Wuhai City suggested that sedentary behavior increased the risk of dyslipidemia; by contrast, physical activity may help to reduce the risk of dyslipidemia.

Remission With Donor Lymphocyte Infusion in a Child With Marrow Relapse After Haploidentical Stem Cell Transplantation for Relapsed Stage 4 Neuroblastoma.

A 7-year-old male with Stage 4 neuroblastoma was treated with chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), resulting in partial response with residual bone and marrow disease. He proceeded to haploidentical-HSCT with his mother as donor and achieved remission. The patient developed marrow relapse 2 years after haploidentical-HSCT with cytopenia and dropping donor chimerism. Donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) using mother's whole blood was given resulting in clearance of marrow disease, resolution of cytopenia, and full donor chimerism. This is the first report of successful treatment for neuroblastoma relapse after haploidentical-HSCT using DLI alone, supporting the role of adoptive cell therapy post-HSCT in neuroblastoma.

Oral administration of Lactobacillus paracasei alleviates clinical symptoms of colitis induced by dextran sulphate sodium salt in BALB/c mice.

The aim of this study was to investigate the alleviating effect of Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei LC-01 (LC-01) on the murine model of colitis induced by dextran sulphate sodium (DSS). 50 pathogen-free, 6-week-old male BALB/c mice were divided randomly into 5 groups, including a control group and four DSS-LC-01-treated groups (DSS, DSS-106, DSS-108, and DSS-1010 with 0, 1×106, 1×108 and 1×1010 cfu/ml LC-01, respectively). To test the effectiveness of LC-01 as a prophylactic it was administered for 7 days before the onset of the disease in DSS-LC-01-treated mice. After 7 days, colitis was induced by administration of 2.5% (w/v) DSS in drinking water for a further 7 days. The disease activity index (DAI), histological score, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and the level of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) were measured. DAI, histological scores and MPO activity of mice treated with a medium or high dose of LC-01 were significantly lower compared to a low-dose of LC-01 and DSS treatment alone (P<0.05). Colon length shortening could be prevented with increasing dose of LC-01. In addition, the levels of IL-1ß and TNF-α were suppressed significantly by treatment with a medium and high dose of LC-01. However, no significant difference in the indices mentioned above were observed between a low dose of LC-01 and treatment with DSS alone (P≯0.05). An appropriate dose of LC-01 can prevent intestinal damage in mice with DSS-induced colitis. The expression of inflammatory cytokines related to pathogenesis of DSS-induced colitis decreased following treatment with LC-01.

Optoelectronic properties of CdSe0.75S0.25 nanocrystals assembled into micro-electrodes.

CdSe0.75S0.25 semiconductor nanocrystals were synthesized by chemical colloidal route. The crystal structure, morphology and optical properties of synthesized CdSe0.75S0.25 nanocrystals were characterized by XRD, TEM and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy respectively. The crystal structure of CdSe0.75S0.25 is face-centered Cubic sphalerite phase. The average size is about 7 nm in diameter. A gold tip-to-tip structure electrode with the gap size -20 microm was fabricated using conventional optical lithography technique followed by film deposition and standard lift-off process. An optoelectronics device was fabricated based on CdSe0.75S0.25 by assembling nanocrystals into electrodes by using dielectrophoresis (DEP) process. The electrical transport properties and opto-electrical transport properties of the fabricated device were measured at temperature range from 5 K to 305 K. The results show that the resistance of CdSe0.75S0.25 NCs increases with the temperature decreases, indicating a typical semiconductor behavior. An obvious photoconductive behavior was observed, demonstrated potential application in nano-optoelectronics devices. After data analyzing, the conductivity shows the 0.5 exponent of Efros-Shklovskii variable-range-hopping (ES-VRH) model.

Induction with and without antithymocyte globulin combined with cyclosporine/tacrolimus-based immunosuppression in renal transplantation: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT) to compare the effectiveness and safety of induction with and without antithymocyte globulin (ATG) combined with cyclosporine/tacrolimus-based immunosuppression in renal transplantation. METHODS: Trials were identified through a computerized literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane controlled trials register, Cochrane Renal Group Specialized Register of RCTs, and Chinese Biomedical database. Two independent reviewers assessed trials for eligibility and quality, and then extracted data. Data were extracted for patient and graft survival, acute rejection, the incidence of Banff, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Dichotomous outcomes were reported as relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Four RCTs (892 patients) were identified. The data showed that induction with ATG was more beneficial than no induction with ATG to reduce the incidence of chronic rejection (RR 0.70; 95% CI, 0.57-0.84) and acute rejection within 6 months (RR 0.68; 95% CI, 0.49-0.96) and at 12 months (RR 0.67; 95% CI, 0.50-0.89) as well as Banff II episodes (RR 0.53; 95% CI, 0.30-0.91), but increased the incidences of CMV infection (RR 1.61; 95% CI, 1.27-2.04) and leukopenia (RR 3.88; 95% CI, 2.80-5.38) and thrombocytopenia (RR 2.92; 95% CI, 1.77-4.04). There was no statistical difference between patient or graft survival rates at 6 and 12 months, as well as the incidences of Banff III or Banff I after transplantation. CONCLUSION: Based on available data induction with ATG was more efficient to reduce the rate of acute rejection episodes and chronic rejection responses after renal transplantation, but was associated with increased side effects, particularly CMV infections. It is important to provide the most benefit for an individual patient.

Transcriptional blockages in a cell-free system by sequence-selective DNA alkylating agents.

There is considerable interest in DNA sequence-selective DNA-binding drugs as potential inhibitors of gene expression. Five compounds with distinctly different base pair specificities were compared in their effects on the formation and elongation of the transcription complex from the lac UV5 promoter in a cell-free system. All were tested at drug levels which killed 90% of cells in a clonogenic survival assay. Cisplatin, a selective alkylator at purine residues, inhibited transcription, decreasing the full-length transcript, and causing blockage at a number of GG or AG sequences, making it probable that intrastrand crosslinks are the blocking lesions. A cyclopropylindoline known to be an A-specific alkylator also inhibited transcription, with blocks at adenines. The aniline mustard chlorambucil, that targets primarily G but also A sequences, was also effective in blocking the formation of full-length transcripts. It produced transcription blocks either at, or one base prior to, AA or GG sequences, suggesting that intrastrand crosslinks could again be involved. The non-alkylating DNA minor groove binder Hoechst 33342 (a bisbenzimidazole) blocked formation of the full-length transcript, but without creating specific blockage sites. A bisbenzimidazole-linked aniline mustard analogue was a more effective transcription inhibitor than either chlorambucil or Hoechst 33342, with different blockage sites occurring immediately as compared with 2 h after incubation. The blockages were either immediately prior to AA or GG residues, or four to five base pairs prior to such sites, a pattern not predicted from in vitro DNA-binding studies. Minor groove DNA-binding ligands are of particular interest as inhibitors of gene expression, since they have the potential ability to bind selectively to long sequences of DNA. The results suggest that the bisbenzimidazole-linked mustard does cause alkylation and transcription blockage at novel DNA sites. in addition to sites characteristic of untargeted mustards.

A method for the preparation of size marker for synthetic oligonucleotides.

Terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase was used for the addition of [alpha-32P]dCTP to the 3'-OH termini of oligo(dT)12-18. A collection of oligonucleotides with chain lengths ranging continuously from 13-mer to over 100-mer was generated. The reaction mixture was then mixed with oligo(dT)12-18 labeled with [gamma-32P]ATP by T4 polynucleotide kinase. A sequence ladder with the bottom base as 12-mer was then formed. These oligonucleotides served as size marker for the purification and identification of oligonucleotides on polyacrylamide gel.