Association between coffee and caffeine intake and risk of COPD: Findings based on NHANES 2007-2012.

BACKGROUND: The association between coffee and caffeine intake and the risk of COPD and lung function has not been thoroughly discussed in Americans, with subgroup and threshold effects remaining unclear. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the association between coffee and caffeine consumption and the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as lung function utilizing data from the NHANES 2007-2012. METHODS: We assessed the associations of coffee and caffeine consumption with the risk of COPD and lung function parameters, including FEV1 and FVC, adjusting for common demographic and disease characteristics in a cross-sectional analysis of NHANES data. RESULTS: A total of 9763 participants were included in the study, and 592 were diagnosed with COPD. Multivariate regression models revealed positive associations between coffee and caffeine consumption and the risk of COPD and lung function. Subgroup analyses stratified by sex, DM, hypertension status, and smoking habits identified potential effect modifiers as well as inflection points from threshold effect examinations. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this cross-sectional study indicated significant positive correlations between coffee and caffeine consumption and the risk of COPD. Additionally, positive correlations between exposure variables and FEV1 and FVC were detected. Among the stratification factors, smoking status exhibited the most potential for modifying effects. Future practices and research are needed to validate the results and explore the underlying mechanisms.

Association between red blood cell folate and Trichomonas vaginalis infection among women.

BACKGROUND: Increased folic acid has been found to be latently protective against gynecological infection, including several kinds of vaginosis. In this study, we laid emphasis on whether RBC (Red Blood Cell) folate was associated with the infectious ratio of Trichomonas vaginalis, a kind of anaerobic parasitic protozoan. METHODS: We set RBC folate as the exposure variable and Trichomonas vaginalis as the outcome variable. Other subsidiary variables were regarded as covariates that may work as potential effect modifiers. The cross-sectional study was conducted with two merged waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2001 to 2004, and a sample of 1274 eligible women (1212 negative and 62 positive in Trichomonas vaginalis infection) was integrated for the exploration of the association between RBC folate and Trichomonas vaginalis infection. Multivariate regression analyses, subgroup analyses, and subsequent smooth curve fittings were conducted to estimate the relationship between RBC folate and Trichomonas vaginalis in women. RESULTS: In the multivariable logistic regression analyses, a negative association was observed between stratified RBC folate status and Trichomonas vaginalis infection with all confounders adjusted. Referencing the lowest RBC folate concentration quartile, the higher concentration quartiles reported a relatively lower infection ratio, while there was a weak correlation between total RBC folate concentration and T. vaginalis (Trichomonas vaginalis) infection. In subgroup analyses stratified by BMI and age, this association was only found significant in high age and BMI groups. CONCLUSIONS: The cross-sectional study indicated a negative association between RBC folic acid and Trichomonas vaginalis infection, and latent effects of BMI and age on the association were also found.

Author Correction: YAP1/TAZ drives ependymoma-like tumour formation in mice.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

YAP1/TAZ drives ependymoma-like tumour formation in mice.

YAP1 gene fusions have been observed in a subset of paediatric ependymomas. Here we show that, ectopic expression of active nuclear YAP1 (nlsYAP5SA) in ventricular zone neural progenitor cells using conditionally-induced NEX/NeuroD6-Cre is sufficient to drive brain tumour formation in mice. Neuronal differentiation is inhibited in the hippocampus. Deletion of YAP1's negative regulators LATS1 and LATS2 kinases in NEX-Cre lineage in double conditional knockout mice also generates similar tumours, which are rescued by deletion of YAP1 and its paralog TAZ. YAP1/TAZ-induced mouse tumours display molecular and ultrastructural characteristics of human ependymoma. RNA sequencing and quantitative proteomics of mouse tumours demonstrate similarities to YAP1-fusion induced supratentorial ependymoma. Finally, we find that transcriptional cofactor HOPX is upregulated in mouse models and in human YAP1-fusion induced ependymoma, supporting their similarity. Our results show that uncontrolled YAP1/TAZ activity in neuronal precursor cells leads to ependymoma-like tumours in mice.