Why Female Smokers Have Poorer Long-Term Health Outcomes than Male Smokers: The Role of Cigarette Smoking During Pregnancy.

Objectives: Women's health status is better than men but the opposite is true for female smokers who usually have poorer long-health outcomes than male smokers. The objectives of this study were to thoroughly reviewed and analyzed relevant literature and to propose a hypothesis that may explain this paradox phenomenon. Methods: We conducted a search of literature from three English databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar) from inception to 13 November 2023. A combination of key words and/or subject headings in English was applied, including relevant terms for cigarette smoking, sex/gender, pregnancy, and health indicators. We then performed analysis of the searched literature. Results: Based on this review/analysis of literature, we proposed a hypothesis that may explain this paradox phenomenon: female smokers have worse long-term health outcomes than male smokers because some of them smoke during pregnancy, and the adverse effects of cigarette smoking during pregnancy is much stronger than cigarette smoking during non-pregnancy periods. Conclusion: Approval of our pregnancy-amplification theory could provide additional evidence on the adverse effect on women's long-term health outcomes for cigarette smoking during pregnancy.

A ScWIP5 gene confers fall armyworm resistance by reducing digestive enzyme activities in sugarcane.

BACKGROUND: The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is one of the most dangerous pests to various crops. As the most crucial sugar crop, sugarcane is also constantly threatened by these pests. Plant wound-induced proteinase inhibitors (WIP) are natural defense proteins that play important roles in the defense system against insect attack. Breeding for resistance would be the best way to improve the variety characteristics and productivity of sugarcane. Screening and verification for potential plant endogenous insect-resistant genes would greatly improve the insect-resistant breeding progress of sugarcane. RESULTS: A sugarcane WIP5 gene (ScWIP5) was up-regulated 536 times after insect feeding treatment on previous published transcriptome databases. ScWIP5 was then cloned and its potential role in sugarcane resistance to fall armyworm evaluated by construction of transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana. The toxicity of ScWIP5 transgenic N. benthamiana to fall armyworm showed lower weight gain and higher mortality compared to wild-type N. benthamiana feeding group. Furthermore, the concentration of JA and NbAOC, NbAOS, and NbLOX from the Jasmin acid biosynthesis pathway was significantly induced in ScWIP5 transgenic N. benthamiana compared to the control. In addition, digestive enzyme actives from the insect gut were also evaluated, and trypsin and cathepsin were significantly lower in insects fed with ScWIP5 transgenic N. benthamiana. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that ScWIP5 might enhance insect resistance by increasing JA signal transduction processes and reducing insect digestive enzyme activities, thus impacting insect growth and development. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

A MDM2 inhibitor MX69 inhibits adipocytes adipogenesis and differentiation.

Adipose tissue, a key regulator of systemic energy homeostasis, can synthesize and store triglycerides to meet long-term energy demands. In response to nutrient overload, adipose tissue expands by hypertrophy or hyperplasia. As an oncogene, MDM2 has exerted diverse biological activities including human development, tissue regeneration, and inflammation, in addition to major oncogenic activities. Recently, some studies indicated that MDM2 plays an important role in adipose tissue function. However, the role of MX69, a MDM2 inhibitor, in adipose tissue function has not been fully elucidated. Here, we administered MX69 intraperitoneally to high-fat diet-induced obesity (DIO) wild type C57BL/6 mice and found that MX69 could promote the body weight and white adipose tissue weight of DIO mice. Moreover, MX69 had no effects on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in DIO mice. And MX69 treatment decreased the size of adipocytes and fat deposition in adipose tissue and inhibited 3T3-L1 preadipocytes differentiation. Mechanistically, MX69 inhibited the protein levels of MDM2 and the mRNA levels of genes related to adipogenesis and differentiation. In summary, our results indicated that MDM2 has a crucial and complex role in regulating adipose tissue function.

Murine double minute 2 aggravates adipose tissue dysfunction through ubiquitin-mediated six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 4 degradation.

Healthy adipose tissue is crucial to maintain normal energy homeostasis. Little is known about the role of murine double minute 2 (MDM2), an E3 ubiquitin ligase and has been highlighted in oncopathology, in adipose tissue. Our results indicated that MDM2 expression was associated with nutritional status. Mdm2 adipocyte-specific knock-in (Mdm2-AKI) mice exhibited exacerbated weight gain, insulin resistance, and decreased energy expenditure. Meanwhile, chronic high-fat diet (HFD) exposure caused obvious epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) dysfunction, such as senescence, apoptosis, and chronic inflammation, thereby leading to hepatic steatosis in Mdm2-AKI mice. Mechanically, MDM2 could interact with six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 4 (STEAP4) and inhibit STEAP4 expression through ubiquitin-mediated STEAP4 degradation. Thereinto, the K18 and K161 sites of STEAP4 were ubiquitin-modificated by MDM2. Finally, STEAP4 restoration in eWAT of Mdm2-AKI mice on a HFD rescued MDM2-induced adipose dysfunction, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis. Summary, the MDM2-STEAP4 axis in eWAT plays an important role in maintaining healthy adipose tissue function and improving hepatic steatosis.

An enhancer variant at 16q22.1 predisposes to hepatocellular carcinoma via regulating PRMT7 expression.

Most cancer causal variants are found in gene regulatory elements, e.g., enhancers. However, enhancer variants predisposing to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unreported. Here we conduct a genome-wide survey of HCC-susceptible enhancer variants through a three-stage association study in 11,958 individuals and identify rs73613962 (T > G) within the intronic region of PRMT7 at 16q22.1 as a susceptibility locus of HCC (OR = 1.41, P = 6.02 × 10-10). An enhancer dual-luciferase assay indicates that the rs73613962-harboring region has allele-specific enhancer activity. CRISPR-Cas9/dCas9 experiments further support the enhancer activity of this region to regulate PRMT7 expression. Mechanistically, transcription factor HNF4A binds to this enhancer region, with preference to the risk allele G, to promote PRMT7 expression. PRMT7 upregulation contributes to in vitro, in vivo, and clinical HCC-associated phenotypes, possibly by affecting the p53 signaling pathway. This concept of HCC pathogenesis may open a promising window for HCC prevention/treatment.

The willingness for dietary and behavioral changes in frontline epidemic prevention workers after experiencing the outbreak of COVID-19 in China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has had a massive impact on public health, resulting in sudden dietary and behavioral habit changes. Frontline epidemic prevention workers play a pivotal role against COVID-19. They must face high-risk infection conditions, insufficient anti-epidemic material supplies, mental pressure, and so on. COVID-19 seriously affects their dietary and behavioral habits, and poor habits make them more susceptible to COVID-19. However, their baseline dietary and behavioral habits before COVID-19 and their willingness to change these habits after the outbreak of COVID-19 remain unclear for these workers in China. This study aimed to explore the baseline dietary and behavioral habits of frontline workers and their willingness to change these habits after the outbreak of the epidemic; in addition, susceptible subgroups were identified by stratified analyses as targets of protective measures to keep them from being infected with COVID-19. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online questionnaire using a sample of 22,459 valid individuals living in China, including 9402 frontline epidemic prevention workers. RESULTS: Before COVID-19, 23.9% of the frontline epidemic prevention workers reported a high-salt diet, 46.9% of them reported a high frequency of fried foods intake, and 50.9% of them smoked cigarettes. After the outbreak of COVID-19, 34.6% of them expressed a willingness to reduce salt intake, and 43.7% of them wanted to reduce the frequency of pickled vegetables intake. A total of 37.9% of them expressed a willingness to decrease or quit smoking, and 44.5% of them wanted to increase sleep duration. Significant differences in the baseline dietary and behavioral habits and the willingness to change their habits were observed between frontline epidemic prevention workers and other participants. Among the frontline epidemic prevention workers with poor dietary and behavioral habits before COVID-19, frontline epidemic prevention experience was a promoting factor for adopting worse dietary and behavioral habits, including those in the high-salt intake subgroup (OR, 2.824; 95% CI, 2.341-3.405) and the 11-20 cigarettes/day subgroup (OR, 2.067; 95% CI, 1.359-3.143). CONCLUSIONS: The dietary and behavioral habits of frontline epidemic prevention workers were worse than that those of other participants before COVID-19. They had a greater willingness to adopt healthy dietary and behavioral habits after experiencing the outbreak of COVID-19. However, frontline epidemic prevention workers with poor dietary and behavioral habits before COVID-19 continued in engage in these poor habits. Dietary and behavioral intervention policies should be drafted to protect their health, especially frontline epidemic prevention workers with poor habits at baseline.

Effects of Debaryomyces hansenii treatment on intestinal microorganisms in mice with antibiotics-induced diarrhea.

To investigate the influence of Debaryomyces hansenii treatment on intestinal microorganisms in mice with antibiotics-induced diarrhea, mouse model of antibiotics-induced diarrhea was created by gavaging mice with mixed antibiotics (23.33 mL/kg/days) composed of gentamycin sulfate and cefradine for 5 days. Mice with the symptom of diarrhea were then treated with D. hansenii by intragastric administration. The control group mice were given with sterile water. After 4 day treatment, total DNA of intestinal microflora of treated and control mice was extracted, and their quantities were measured by sequencing the V4 region of 16S rDNA. The results showed that when compared to the control (sterile water), treatment with D. hansenii increased the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of intestinal bacteria. The Chao index in diarrhea treated group was higher than diarrhea control group and was similar to healthy control group, while all differences had no significance (P > 0.05). D. hansenii treatment increased the Shannon index but not significantly (P > 0.05). Moreover, there was not significant impact on density and diversity of intestinal bacterial population at phylum and genus levels (P > 0.05). Interestingly, D. hansenii treatment recovered the population density of certain bacterium species, such as Bacteroidaceae (in family level) (P < 0.05). Our results indicate that D. hansenii has potency of adjusting the density and diversity of intestinal bacteria and recovering the population density of Bacteroidaceae in family level.

E-Cigarette Awareness, Use, and Harm Perception among Adults: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to systematically review the published literature on the awareness, previous and current use, and harm perceptions of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) among adults. METHODS: A search of the most current literature using the PubMed and Scopus database to identify articles published since 2003 yielded a total of 28 relevant articles. RESULTS: The pooled prevalence of awareness, previous use, current use of e-cigarettes and perceived healthier of e-cigarettes than regular cigarettes (healthier perception) among adults were 61.2% (95% confidence interval (CI): 51.5-70.8%), 16.8% (95% CI: 14.0-19.6%), 11.1% (95% CI: 9.2-13.1%), and 52.6% (95% CI: 42.5-62.6%), respectively, using a random effects model. The subgroup analysis showed that pooled estimates were highest in the group of current smokers of regular cigarettes, except that the highest pooled rate of current use was seen in the group of former smokers of regular cigarettes (the corresponding rates were 71.9% (95% CI: 57.5-86.3%), 27.2% (95% CI: 18.8-35.6%), 16.8% (95% CI: 7.2-26.3%), and 63.1% (95% CI: 52.1-74.1%)), and the lowest pooled rates were in the group of non-smokers, except for the rate of healthier perception in the users of e-cigarettes (and the corresponding rates were 46.8% (95% CI: 26.8-66.8%), 2.5% (95% CI: 1.1-5.6%), 1.2% (95% CI: 0.4-2.1%), and 37.9% (95% CI: -0.5-76.3%)). The cumulative meta-analysis found that awareness increased over time, while the prevalence of previous use, current use, and healthier perception first experienced an increase followed by a decrease and remained stable thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: E-cigarette awareness has been increasing, and e-cigarette use and perceived health risks are nearly invariable between 2009 and 2014. Given the substantial heterogeneity in the prevalence rate estimates, there is a need for more accurate and comparable prevalence estimates for e-cigarettes across the world.

Codelivery of thioridazine and doxorubicin using nanoparticles for effective breast cancer therapy.

Cancer chemotherapy can benefit from the combination of different anticancer drugs. Here, we prepared doxorubicin (Dox)- and thioridazine (Thio)-coloaded methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(l-lactic acid) (MPEG-PLA) nanoparticles (NPs) for breast cancer therapy. These NPs have an average particle size of 27 nm. The drug loading efficiencies of Thio and Dox are 4.71% and 1.98%, respectively. Compared to the treatment of Thio or Dox alone, the combination of Thio and Dox exhibited a synergistic effect in inhibiting the growth of 4T1 breast cancer cells in vitro. In addition, the Thio- and Dox-coloaded MPEG-PLA NPs could efficiently suppress the growth of breast cancer cells in vivo. This study suggests that Thio- and Dox-coloaded MPEG-PLA NPs might have potential applications in breast cancer treatment.

Increasing Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy: A Canadian Academic Health Centre Experience.

OBJECTIVE: An institution wide strategic plan was established to improve minimally invasive surgery (MIS) across all surgical divisions at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH). The primary objective of this study is to determine the change in MIS hysterectomy rate between 2005 and 2012 at this centre. Secondary objectives include determining the impact on overall length of stay (LOS) in hospital, complications, return to hospital, operating room time, and cost. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of all hysterectomies for benign disease performed at TOH between 2005 and 2012. Cases were excluded if they were related to pregnancy or classified as "partial hysterectomy." The outcomes and cost of the approaches were compared. RESULTS: A total of 4337 hysterectomy cases were reviewed. The MIS hysterectomy rate increased from 40.1% in 2005 to 74.2% in 2012. There was a decrease in mean LOS from 2.5 to 1.6 days. This translated to a saving of 1898 inpatient bed days. Compared with laparotomy, laparoscopic hysterectomy was associated with a reduced risk of transfusion and a reduced risk of ileus, and vaginal hysterectomy was associated with an increased risk of postoperative abscess. There was no difference in rates of returning to hospital or other complications between women undergoing abdominal hysterectomy and women undergoing MIS hysterectomy (which included both laparoscopic and vaginal approaches). The mean (SD) cost per approach was $7241 ($1985), $4532 ($1718), and $5637 ($1579) for abdominal hysterectomy, vaginal hysterectomy, and laparoscopic hysterectomy, respectively. CONCLUSION: The initiatives implemented at TOH in 2007 resulted in a significant increase in the MIS hysterectomy rate, a decrease in mean LOS, and substantial theoretical cost savings for the hospital.

[Clinical significance of TGF-ß1 in children with primary IgA nephropathy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical significance of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-ß1) in children with primary IgA nephropathy (IgAN). METHODS: Thirty children who were diagnosed with primary IgAN by renal biopsy between May 2008 and October 2012 were included in the study. Thirty healthy children were used as the control group. Urinary and blood TGF-ß1 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the protein expression of TGF-ß1 in the renal tissue was measured by immunohistochemistry. The correlation between TGF-ß1 levels in blood, urine, and renal tissue and their relationship with clinical indices were analyzed. RESULTS: Children with primary IgAN had significantly higher urinary and blood TGF-ß1 levels than the control group (P<0.01). Urinary TGF-ß1 level was positively correlated with the pathological grade of renal tissue (r=0.557, P=0.001), and a significant positive correlation was also found between the TGF-ß1 expression in the renal tissue and the pathological grade of renal tissue (r=0.682, P<0.01). There was no correlation between TGF-ß1 levels in blood and renal tissue (r=0.038, P=0.844). CONCLUSIONS: Urinary TGF-ß1 level is significantly positively correlated with the pathological severity of disease in children with primary IgAN. Clinical measurement of urinary TGF-ß1 may be of great practical value in predicting the progression and prognosis of chronic nephropathy.

Multistage genome-wide association meta-analyses identified two new loci for bone mineral density.

Aiming to identify novel genetic variants and to confirm previously identified genetic variants associated with bone mineral density (BMD), we conducted a three-stage genome-wide association (GWA) meta-analysis in 27 061 study subjects. Stage 1 meta-analyzed seven GWA samples and 11 140 subjects for BMDs at the lumbar spine, hip and femoral neck, followed by a Stage 2 in silico replication of 33 SNPs in 9258 subjects, and by a Stage 3 de novo validation of three SNPs in 6663 subjects. Combining evidence from all the stages, we have identified two novel loci that have not been reported previously at the genome-wide significance (GWS; 5.0 × 10(-8)) level: 14q24.2 (rs227425, P-value 3.98 × 10(-13), SMOC1) in the combined sample of males and females and 21q22.13 (rs170183, P-value 4.15 × 10(-9), CLDN14) in the female-specific sample. The two newly identified SNPs were also significant in the GEnetic Factors for OSteoporosis consortium (GEFOS, n = 32 960) summary results. We have also independently confirmed 13 previously reported loci at the GWS level: 1p36.12 (ZBTB40), 1p31.3 (GPR177), 4p16.3 (FGFRL1), 4q22.1 (MEPE), 5q14.3 (MEF2C), 6q25.1 (C6orf97, ESR1), 7q21.3 (FLJ42280, SHFM1), 7q31.31 (FAM3C, WNT16), 8q24.12 (TNFRSF11B), 11p15.3 (SOX6), 11q13.4 (LRP5), 13q14.11 (AKAP11) and 16q24 (FOXL1). Gene expression analysis in osteogenic cells implied potential functional association of the two candidate genes (SMOC1 and CLDN14) in bone metabolism. Our findings independently confirm previously identified biological pathways underlying bone metabolism and contribute to the discovery of novel pathways, thus providing valuable insights into the intervention and treatment of osteoporosis.

[Clinical significance of serum levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura or Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical significance of serum levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) or Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN). METHODS: Thirty-one children with HSP were selected as the HSP group, and 28 children with HSPN were selected as the HSPN group. Another 31 healthy children were selected as the control group. ELISA was used to measure serum levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in each group. Measurement of 24-hour urinary protein excretion was performed using an automatic biochemical analyzer in the HSPN group. Serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels, complement C3 level and complete blood counts in each group were determined, and urine analysis was also performed. RESULTS: Serum levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in the HSP group were significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.05), and serum levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in the HSPN group were significantly higher than in the HSP and control groups (P<0.05). Among 12 children who underwent renal puncture biopsy, patients with higher pathological grades had higher serum levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3. In children with HSPN, those with proteinuria had significantly higher serum levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 than those without proteinuria (P<0.05). Levels of white cells, red cells, platelet count, complement C3, IgG, and IgA and IgA/C3 ratio were significantly higher in the HSP and HSPN groups than in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Increased serum levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 are observed in the acute onset period of HSP, which may be related to the degree of proteinuria and renal damage. Serum levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 may be indicators of renal involvement.

Maternal exposure to moderate ambient carbon monoxide is associated with decreased risk of preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: Carbon monoxide (CO) in cigarette smoke may be the mechanism by which tobacco use during pregnancy decreases the risk of the development of preeclampsia. We attempted to test this hypothesis by examining the effect of maternal exposure to ambient CO on preeclampsia. STUDY DESIGN: Births that occurred between 2004 and 2009 in the Canadian province of Ontario were extracted from the data. Study subjects were divided into 4 groups according to quartiles of CO concentration that were based on maternal residence. Adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were used to estimate the independent effect of CO on preeclampsia. RESULTS: Rates of preeclampsia were 2.32%, 1.97%, 1.59%, and 1.26%, respectively, in the first, second, third, and fourth quartile of CO concentration. The inverse association between CO concentration and preeclampsia risk remained the same after adjustment for several important confounding factors. CONCLUSION: Maternal exposure to moderate ambient CO is associated independently with a decreased risk of preeclampsia.

A national survey of endoscopic practice among gynaecologists in Canada.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the current status of endoscopic gynaecological surgery in Canada, as well as the attitudes, perceptions, and educational preferences regarding endoscopy among Canadian obstetrician-gynaecologists. METHODS: An electronic online survey was sent to 630 obstetrician-gynaecologists in Canada through the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada electronic mailing list. Survey respondents were asked about demographic variables, level of training and current practice of endoscopic procedures, reasons for and barriers to performing endoscopy, and interest in continuing surgical education in laparoscopy and hysteroscopy. RESULTS: A total of 178 responses (28.3%) were collected and 152 (85.4%) analyzed. The majority of respondents were general obstetrician-gynaecologists (78.0%). More gynaecologic surgeons performed abdominal (92.7%) and vaginal hysterectomies (89.7%) than laparoscopic (68.4%) and robotic hysterectomies (2.2%). Even though 93.2% of respondents selected the endoscopic approach as the preferred approach to surgery for their patients, 38.7% of respondents did not feel that they had adequate training during residency to perform endoscopy. Lack of operating room resources and lack of time and opportunity for further training were frequently selected as major barriers to performing endoscopy. Participants identified weekend continuing medical education courses and trained endoscopic surgeon outreach as preferred methods of acquiring endoscopic skills. CONCLUSION: This survey provides a contemporary assessment of the current endoscopic practice patterns of Canadian obstetrician-gynaecologists, and it helps to identify some potentially modifiable factors hindering the practice of endoscopy and some possible solutions to overcoming these barriers.

Pathway-based association analyses identified TRAIL pathway for osteoporotic fractures.

INTRODUCTION: Hip OF carries the highest morbidity and mortality. Previous studies revealed that individual genes/loci in the Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (TRAIL) pathway were associated with bone metabolism. This study aims to verify the potential association between hip OF and TRAIL pathway. METHODS: Using genome-wide genotype data from Affymetrix 500 K SNP arrays, we performed novel pathway-based association analyses for hip OF in 700 elderly Chinese Han subjects (350 with hip OF and 350 healthy matched controls). RESULTS: The TRAIL pathway achieved a significant p value (p = 0.01) for association with hip OF. Among the 38 genes in the TRAIL pathway, seven genes achieved nominally significant association with hip OF (p<0.05); the TNFSF10 (TRAIL) gene obtained the most significant p value (p = 1.70×10(-4)). SNPs (rs719126, rs6533015, rs9594738, rs1805034, rs11160706) from five genes (CFLAR, NFKB1, TNFSF11, TNFRSF11A, TRAF3) of the pathway had minor alleles that appear to be protective to hip OF. SNPs (rs6445063 and rs4259415) from two genes (TNFSF10 and TNFRSF10B) of the pathway had minor alleles (A) that are associated with an increased risk of hip OF, with the ORs (odds ratios) of 16.51 (95%CI:3.83-71.24) and 1.37 (95%CI:1.08-1.74), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study supports the potential role of the TRAIL pathway in the pathogenesis of hip OF in Chinese Han population. Further functional study of this pathway will be pursued to determine the mechanism by which it confers risk to hip OF.

Biological pathway-based genome-wide association analysis identified the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) pathway important for obesity.

Recent genome-wide association (GWA) studies have identified a number of novel genes/variants predisposing to obesity. However, most GWA studies have focused on individual single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs)/genes with a strong statistical association with a phenotypic trait without considering potential biological interplay of the tested genes. In this study, we performed biological pathway-based GWA analysis for BMI and body fat mass. We used individual level genotype data generated from 1,000 unrelated US whites that were genotyped for ~500,000 SNPs. Statistical analysis of pathways was performed using a modification of the Gene Set Enrichment Algorithm. A total of 963 pathways extracted from the BioCarta, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Ambion GeneAssist, and Gene Ontology (GO) databases were analyzed. Among all of the pathways analyzed, the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) pathway was most strongly associated with fat mass (nominal P = 0.0009) and was the third most strongly associated pathway with BMI (nominal P = 0.0006). After multiple testing correction, the VIP pathway achieved false-discovery rate (FDR) q values of 0.042 and 0.120 for fat mass and BMI, respectively. Our study is the first to demonstrate that the VIP pathway may play an important role in development of obesity. The study also highlights the importance of pathway-based GWA analysis in identification of additional genes/variants for complex human diseases.

Construction and validation of a short-form quality-of-life scale for chinese patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

BACKGROUND: In 2003, a 74-item quality-of-life (QOL) scale for Chinese benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients (BPH-QLS) was developed. Although the scale displayed good reliability and validity, the time required to complete it may limit its use. The purpose of this study was to construct and validate a short-form quality-of-life (QOL) scale for Chinese patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS: According to the previously published 74-item quality of life scale for BPH (BPH-QLS), we developed a pool of items, then condensed these items and validated the shortened scale, based on collected data from 163 patients with BPH. We used eight methods to reduce the items. RESULTS: A 33-item QOL scale for BPH (short-form of BPH-QLS) was constructed. The time take by the new scale was much shorter than the original one. There was no significant difference between the 33-item scale and 74-item scale, in terms of reliability. Moreover, the 33-item BPH-QLS showed a high correlation with the 74-item BPH-QLS (r = 0.971). Scores generated by the two scales were not only parallel and coincident but also at the same level. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the reliability and validity of the short form of BPH-QLS is close to those of the 74-item BPH-QLS. It should be a good choice in clinical practice for its greater compliance and clinical feasibility.