Association between serum asprosin and diabetic peripheral neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the community.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum asprosin level and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in community patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 498 patients with T2DM were recruited from Zhuoma Community Health Service Station and Chengbei West Street Community Health Service Center in Changzhi City of Shanxi Province between November 2019 and July 2021. Their height, weight, and body mass index (BMI), as well as fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), triglyceride (TG), and serum asprosin levels, were analyzed. Patients were divided into the DPN group (n = 329) and the non-DPN group (n = 169) according to the presence or absence of DPN. The t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ² test were used to compare the indicators between the two groups. Pearson or Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between serum asprosin and other clinical data. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of DPN. RESULTS: Compared with the non-DPN group, the DPN group had higher serum asprosin (p < 0.05). The prevalence of DPN gradually increased according to the tertiles of asprosin (56%, 67%, and 75%; p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjustment for covariates, patients with asprosin concentrations between 295.4-367.0 pg/ml and concentrations > 367.0 pg/ml had a higher risk of diabetic neuropathy compared than those with asprosin levels < 295.4 pg/ml (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Serum asprosin was found to be positively correlated with DPN, and it resulted as an influencing factor for DPN in patients with T2DM in the community. With the increase of asprosin, the risk of DPN also increased.

MCP-1 gene polymorphisms in North Chinese patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) remains one of the most important infectious diseases worldwide. Several studies have suggested that genetic factors may affect the susceptibility to PTB, but the specific genes involved have not been fully characterized. The gene for monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) has been linked to an increased risk of tuberculosis in some Mexican and Korean populations. To explore the role of the MCP-1 gene in the susceptibility to PTB in a North Chinese population, we evaluated the association between MCP-1 -2518A/G gene polymorphisms and the risk for tuberculosis. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of genomic DNA followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was used. There was a significant increase in the frequency of the GG genotype of MCP-1 -2518 in 136 patients with PTB compared to that in 152 healthy controls (P = 0.008, X(2) = 7.133, odds ratio = 1.96). Similarly, the frequencies of the A/G alleles in the 2 groups differed; the frequency of allele G was higher in patients with PTB (P = 0.011, X(2) = 6.428, odds ratio = 1.536). In conclusion, the -2518A/G polymorphism in the MCP-1 gene was found to be associated with an increased susceptibility to PTB in a North Chinese population.

Clinical applications of internal heat source analysis for breast cancer identification.

Nondestructive preoperative breast imaging techniques are widely used for breast cancer testing and diagnosis. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of quantitative diagnosis via the thermal analysis of abnormal metabolism. Nine hundred forty-eight women who underwent breast biopsy from 2009 to 2013 were investigated. Thermal analysis was used to calculate the internal heat source (i.e., tumor) thermal power for each participant. The applicability and effectiveness of our approach were estimated using the chi-square test, kappa statistics (k), and odds ratios (OR). Breast density and tumor size were considered during this estimation. A thermal power q = 0.2 w was determined as the optimal separation threshold between breast cancer and benign disease. Moreover, good agreement (k = 0.837) with the gold-standard assessment (breast biopsy) was confirmed in 93.2% of the patients (N = 884/948), and the sensitivity and specificity were 94.2 and 92.9%, respectively. The results also found no significant differences in methodological accuracy between the fatty and dense breasts (OR = 1.194, P = 0.524). Furthermore, after dividing the cohort into three groups according to tumor size (T1: <2 cm; T2: 2 to 5 cm; T3: >5 cm), the tumor size had no effect on the proposed method (ORs = 1, P = 0.724). Internal heat source analysis can feasibly and efficiently distinguish between breast cancer and benign disease.

Imbalance between vascular endothelial growth factor and endostatin correlates with the prognosis of operable non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis is regulated by a balance of pro-angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endostatin respectively represents a frequent component of inducers and inhibitors in the process of angiogenesis. The ratio of VEGF/endostatin may reflect the balance of angiogenic switch. This study aimed to determine whether an imbalance between VEGF/endostatin exists in operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and to assess the correlation, if any, between the imbalance and the prognosis. METHODS: Preoperative serum levels of VEGF and endostatin were simultaneously determined by quantitiative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the ratio of them was calculated among 98 NSCLC patients and 51 healthy controls. The relationship between these factors and clinicopathological features, including prognosis, was examined. RESULTS: The ratio of VEGF/endostatin levels was significantly higher in operable NSCLC patients [median, 10.4; interquartile range (IQR), 5.9-19.8] than in normal controls [median, 5.1; IQR, 3.3-9.7] (P = 0.002). While the ratio in patients who were still alive for more than 60 months was 8.3 (IQR, 4.3-17.9), the ratio in those who died was 12.9 (IQR, 8.0-22.1) (p = 0.017). In subgroup analysis of patients with pathological stage N0, there was a statistically significant increase of the survival time in the group with a lower ratio than in the group with a higher ratio (p = 0.032). Multivariate analysis confirmed that the VEGF/endostatin ratio was an independent prognostic factor (p = 0.018). CONCLUSION: There was an imbalance between VEGF and endostatin in serum of operable NSCLC patients. The imbalance correlated with the prognosis of operable NSCLC.

Association of HLA-DRB alleles and pulmonary tuberculosis in North Chinese patients.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) plays a central role in the regulation of the immune response. HLA class II molecules are essential for T cell-mediated adaptive immunity and present peptide antigens to CD4(+) T cells. Because of its important role in the immune response and its high degree of polymorphism, the HLA system is associated with many diseases. We examined the polymorphisms of HLA-DRB alleles and the sequences of the HLA-DRB promoter region in 97 unrelated patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and in 62 unrelated normal controls of the Han nationality from North China, using PCR with sequence-specific primers and PCR direct sequencing. We found that the frequency of HLA-DRB1*15 was significantly higher in the pulmonary tuberculosis group than in the healthy control group. The P value was 0.001, and the odds ratio was 3.793. The pulmonary tuberculosis group had the same HLA-DRB1 promoter region sequences as the control group. We concluded that the HLA-DRB1*15 allele is associated with pulmonary tuberculosis in the Han nationality from North China. The HLA-DRB1 promoter region sequences had no association with the development of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Genotyping and drug resistance patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in five provinces of China.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the distribution of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing genotype and the association of the genotype with drug-resistant M. tuberculosis strains in five provinces in China. DESIGN: M. tuberculosis strains (n = 158) isolated from five provinces of China were subjected to insertion sequence 6110 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), spoligotyping and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units (MIRU) analyses. The prevalence of the Beijing genotype strains in each province was determined and compared. The proportion method was used to test the drug susceptibility of all strains. RESULT: Of the 158 strains, 123 (77.8%) were identified as the Beijing genotype by RFLP and spoligotyping. Nearly all the strains (n = 152, 96.2%) were grouped into 14 shared spoligotypes. Six other spoligotypes were unique to China. The prevalence of the Beijing genotype was significantly higher in the interior than in coastal areas (P < 0.001, OR 5.4, 95%CI 2.3-12.7). Resistance to rifampicin (RMP) was associated with the Beijing strain (P = 0.05, OR 3.7, 95%CI 1.2-11.1). CONCLUSION: The M. tuberculosis Beijing genotype varies in prevalence in different regions of China and is solely associated with RMP resistance.

Isolation and identification of acaricidal compounds in Inula japonica (Asteraceae).

We identified acaricidal compounds in Inula japonica Thunberg (Asteraceae) that were effective against carmine spider mite, Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval). Petroleum-ether extracts from I. japonica were toxic to T. cinnabarinus, with a 50% lethal concentration (LC50) value of 1.18 mg/ml. Silica gel column chromatography was used to separate the acaricidal components. Seventeen of 38 fraction groups had mite mortality rates >50%, nine fraction groups had rates >60%, and three fraction groups had rates >80% at 2 mg/ml. The major volatile compounds in the bioactive fraction groups were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, and beta-sitosterol (1), stigmasterol (2), lupeol (3), and alpha-amyrin (4) were identified and determined to have acaricidal activity against T. cinnabarinus in vitro.

Assessment of the contact toxicity of methyl palmitate on Tetranychus viennensis (Acari: Tetranychidae).

Previous work demonstrated that methyl palmitate possesses acaricidal activity against Tetranychus viennensis Boisduval (Acari: Tetranychidae) via an unknown mechanism. Here, the symptoms of methyl palmitate toxicity to T. viennensi were studied to determine the acaricidal mechanism of action of this fatty acid methyl ester. Methyl palmitate caused concentration-dependent mortality of T. viennensis, with a moderate concentration (5 mg/ml) eliciting excitement and premature oviposition without spinning shortly after exposure. Tremors of the appendages were subsequently observed, followed by quiescence after approximately 5 h. Mites developed dorsal fluid exosmosis at 15-20 h posttreatment with reduced egg production, followed shortly thereafter by death. Some typical neurotoxic symptoms such as excitement and convulsions were observed in methyl palmitate-exposed mites, suggesting that methyl palmitate may be a neurotoxin. Compared with other neurotoxic acaricides, methyl palmitate poisoning is a slow process in mites. Transmission electron microscopy revealed serious ultrastructural damage in response to 5 mg/ml methyl palmitate exposure. Autolysis of membranous structures was also observed, especially in the mitochondria, suggesting a novel mode of action for methyl palmitate-induced toxicity.

Analysis of HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-DRB1 alleles in Chinese patients with lung cancer.

The primary function of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system is to regulate the immune response. Because of its important role in the immune response and its high degree of polymorphism, the HLA system is associated with many diseases. We examined the polymorphisms of HLA-A, B and DRB1 alleles in 100 unrelated patients with lung carcinoma and in 438 unrelated normal controls of Han nationality from North China, using sequence-based typing and PCR with sequence-specific primers. We found that the frequencies of HLA-A*0201, A*2601, B*1518, B*3802, DRB1*0401, DRB1*0402, and DRB1*1201 were higher in the lung carcinoma group than in the normal control group. The P values were 0.035, 0.040, 0.001, 0.017, 0.014, 0.004, and 0.019, respectively, and the odds ratio values were 1.052, 3.513, 4.047, 3.054, 4.237, 19.397, and 2.128, respectively. The frequency of HLA-DRB1*1302 was lower in the lung carcinoma group than in the normal control group (P = 0.046, odds ratio = 0.168). We concluded that patients with lung cancer and healthy controls of Han nationality from North China differ in the frequencies of various HLA alleles.

Relationship between genetic polymorphism of MCP-1 and non-small-cell lung cancer in the Han nationality of North China.

Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) is an important chemokine that has a dose-dependent anti-tumoral effect. Polymorphism in the MCP-1 distal regulatory region (-2518A/G) can affect the level of MCP-1 expression. We examined the polymorphisms of 112 unrelated patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 82 unrelated healthy controls of Han nationality in North China using PCR-RFLP. We found that the distributions of AA, AG and GG genotypes of MCP-1-2518 were significantly different in NSCLC patients compared to controls (chi(2) = 10.106, P = 0.006). There was a significant increase in the frequency of the AA genotype (odds ratio (OR) = 3.138, chi(2) = 8.905, P = 0.003) and a significant decrease in the frequency of the GG genotype (OR = 0.516, chi(2) = 4.613, P = 0.032) in the NSCLC patients, compared to controls. The frequencies of AA, AG and GG genotypes did not differ in the NSCLC patients according to the number of pack-years smoked. Based on these results, we suggest that the MCP-1 -2518A/G polymorphism is associated with genetic susceptibility to NSCLC.

Methyl palmitate, an acaricidal compound occurring in green walnut husks.

Walnut, Juglans regia L., is known for its insecticidal activities to a range of herbivores and microbes. Isolation and identification of bioactive compounds from walnut is a potential approach for the development of new pesticides. Laboratory experiments were carried out to investigate the acaricidal activities of green husk extracts of walnut. Bioassay-guided fractionation of petroleum-ether extracts of walnut led to the identification of a common plant-borne fatty acid ester, methyl palmitate (MP), which produced strong acaricidal activity (62.8% mortality) at 1 mg/ml at 24 h. The structure of MP was characterized with infrared spectrum and NMR, and the identification of MP confirmed using an authentic standard on high-performance liquid chromatography. Based on a slide dip bioassay, 10 mg/ml MP provided 97.9% mortality against adults of Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval) (Acari: Tetranychidae), whereas mortality against eggs was much lower (57.2%).

Acaricidal activity of Juglans regia leaf extracts on Tetranychus viennensis and Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Acari: Tetranychidae).

Leaf extracts of the walnut, Juglans regia L., were evaluated under laboratory conditions to determine their acaricidal activity on the mites Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval) and Tetranychus viennensis Zacher (Acari: Tetranychidae). Extracts had both contact and systemic toxicity to these mites. The four solvents tested for preparing crude extracts were petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol. Methanol was the most efficient solvent, with an extraction rate from 17.06 + 0.80 to 20.27 +/- 0.28%. Petroleum ether was the least effective solvent, with extraction rates from 2.30 +/- 0.13 to 2.71 +/- 0.13%. However, the crude extracts with petroleum ether resulted in the highest mite mortality (79.04 +/- 0.52%) in a slide dip bioassay. Mites mortalities from the concentrated extracts prepared by chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, or distilled water were significantly lower than petroleum ether. The mean lethal concentrations (LC50) of the extracts from petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, and distilled water to the two mite species were 0.73 +/- 0.04, 1.66 +/- 0.28, 4.96 +/- 0.35, 7.45 +/- 0.67, and 9.91 +/- 0.32 mg/ml, respectively. After liquid chromatography and thin-layer chromatography, the concentrated extracts of petroleum ether were separated into eight fractions and tested for acaricidal activity. Fraction 6 produced significantly higher mite mortality rates than the other groups, killing approximately 90% of both species.

Acaricidal activities of extracts of Kochia scoparia against Tetranychus urticae, Tetranychus cinnabarinus, and Tetranychus viennensis (Acari: Tetranychidae).

Extracts of an annual herbaceous plant, Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad (Macrophomina), were bioassayed to determine their acaricidal activities against Tetranychus urticae Koch, Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval), and Tetranychus viennensis Zacher (Acari: Tetranychidae) in the laboratory. Extracts had both contact and systemic toxicity to these mites. Three solvents were tested for preparing crude extracts: petroleum ether, chloroform, and methanol. Methanol was the most effective solvent, extracting 3.11-4.53% of the acaricide. Petroleum ether was the least effective solvent, extracting 1.25-1.54%. However, extracts with chloroform resulted in the highest mite mortality (78.86%), and ultrasound-assisted extraction required the least time (10 min). Concentrated extracts were prepared using chloroform, methyl acetate, or distilled water as a solvent. Mite mortalities from the concentrated extracts by methyl acetate or distilled water were significantly lower than those by chloroform. The mean lethal concentrations (LC50) of the extracts by chloroform, methyl acetate, and distilled water to the mites were 0.71 +/- 0.06, 2.08 +/- 0.16 and 8.75 +/- 0.062 mg/ml, respectively. After liquid chromatography and thin layer chromatography, the concentrated extracts by chloroform were separated into seven groups of isolated fractions and tested for acaricidal activity.

Acaricidal activities of extracts of Stellera chamaejasme against Tetranychus viennensis (Acari: Tetranychidae).

Extracts of a perennial and poisonous weed, Stellera chamaejasme L. (Thymelaeaceae) were bioassayed to determine their acaricidal activities against Tetranychus viennensis Zacher (Acari: Tetranychidae) in the laboratory. Extracts had both contact and systemic toxicity to the mite. After liquid chromatography and thin layer chromatography, the extract was further concentrated, separated, and bioassayed. This study is the first to report the acaricidal property of S. chamaejasme and its potential as a botanical pest control agent.