Analysis of coronary computed tomography angiography-derived pericoronary fat attenuation index characteristics in the diagnostic assessment of patients with Takayasu arteritis.

Background: The clinical value of pericoronary adipose tissue in assessing Takayasu arteritis (TAK) with coronary artery involvement (CAI) is yet to be determined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of pericoronary fat attenuation index (FAI) derived from coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) in patients with TAK. Methods: This is a retrospective study involving enrollment of 111 consecutive patients (mean age, 33.92±12.48 years) who were diagnosed as TAK, of which 52 patients had coronary artery involvement (TAK-CAI) and 59 patients without coronary artery involvement (TAK-nonCAI). Based on the extent of coronary artery lesion, the TAK-CAI group was further classified into localized group (n=25) and diffused group (n=27). Furthermore, patients with TAK were divided into active group (n=33) and inactive group (n=78). Meanwhile, 51 gender-matched individuals with normal appearance in coronary CTA examination were enrolled as the control group. The pericoronary FAI was quantitatively evaluated on each coronary CTA examination groups. The diagnostic value of pericoronary FAI was determined using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic. Results: A higher pericoronary FAI was found in TAK-nonCAI group than control group with normal coronary arteries (P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that the FAI is an independent risk factor for coronary involvement in TAK patients [odds ratio (OR): 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13-1.35, P<0.001]. With the best cut-off value of -86.50, the pericoronary FAI identified coronary involvement with 67.8% sensitivity and 74.5% specificity (AUC: 0.794, 95% CI: 0.713-0.875, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that the pericoronary FAI is an independent risk factor for determination of active TAK patients (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.25-1.97, P<0.001). With the best cut-off value of -79.50, the pericoronary FAI identified active inflammation with 93.9% sensitivity and 74.4% specificity (AUC: 0.911, 95% CI: 0.860-0.962, P<0.001). Conclusions: Coronary CTA-derived FAI is significantly increased in patients with TAK and can be used as a reliable biomarker to distinguish TAK patients from those with normal coronary arteries, and determine the extent of TAK inflammation.

Comparison of Different Thoracic Aortic Wall Characteristics for Assessment of Disease Activity in Takayasu Arteritis: A Quantitative Study with 3.0 T Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

BACKGROUND: Determination of disease activity in Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is crucial for clinical management but challenging. The value of different magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics for the assessment of disease activity remains unclear. This study investigated the imaging findings of the thoracic aortic wall and elasticity by using a comprehensive 3.0 T MRI protocol. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 52 consecutive TAK patients. TAK activity was recorded according to the ITAS2010. All the patients underwent thoracic aortic MRI. The luminal morphology of the thoracic aorta and its main branches were quantitatively evaluated using a contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) sequence. The maximum wall thickness of the thoracic aorta, postcontrast enhancement ratio, and aortic wall edema were analyzed in each patient through pre- and post-enhanced T1-weighted and T2-weighted imaging. Pulse-wave velocity (PWV) of the thoracic aorta was calculated using a four-dimensional flow technique. RESULTS: The majority of the 52 patients had type V disease (34.62%, 18/52). Among all the MRI indicators of the thoracic aorta, the area under the curve was the largest for the maximal wall thickness (0.804, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.667-0.941). The maximal wall thickness (93.33%, 95% CI = 68.1%-99.8%) exhibited the highest sensitivity with a cutoff value of 3.12 mm. Wall edema (84.00%, 95% CI = 63.9%-95.5%) presented the highest specificity. A positive correlation was noted between PWV and patients' age (r = 0.54, p < 0.001), disease duration (r = 0.52, p < 0.001), and the maximum wall thickness (r = 0.45, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: MRI enabled the comprehensive assessment of aortic wall morphology and functional markers for TAK disease activity. Aortic maximal wall thickness was the most accurate indicator of TAK activity. The early phase was superior to the delay phase for aortic wall enhancement analysis for assessing TAK activity.

Organophosphate pesticide in agricultural soils from the Yangtze River Delta of China: concentration, distribution, and risk assessment.

Organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) are used worldwide and pose great risks to human health. However, information on their presence in agricultural soils at regional scale and the associated risks is limited. In this study, an extensive investigation on agricultural soils was conducted throughout the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) of China to reveal the status of OPP pollution. The total concentrations of the nine OPPs ranged from <3.0 to 521 ng g-1 dry weight, with a mean of 64.7 ng g-1 dry weight and a detection rate of 93 %. Dimethoate was found to be the primary compound, followed by methyl parathion and parathion. The highest concentrations of OPPs were found in Jiangsu province due to the intensive agricultural activities. The pollution of OPPs is also highly associated with the land use types. The lower concentrations of OPPs found in vegetable fields could be attributed to their easy photodegradation and hydrolysis in aerobic soils. There was no significant difference in microbial communities among the sample sites, indicating that OPPs in agricultural soils of the YRD region cause negligible effects on microbiota. The risks of OPPs in the soils to human health were further evaluated. The hazard indexes in all the soil samples were below 1, suggesting absence of non-cancer risks. This study provides valuable information for a better understanding of the pollution status of OPPs in agricultural soils and a scientific basis for soil quality assessments.

Phthalate esters and organochlorine pesticides in agricultural soils and vegetables from fast-growing regions: a case study from eastern China.

The present study investigated phthalate esters (PAEs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in agricultural soils and vegetables from eastern China. The concentrations of PAEs ranged from 109 to 5560 ng/g in soils and 60.1 to 2390 ng/g in cabbages, with average concentrations of 946 and 601 ng/g, respectively. The concentrations of OCPs ranged from <0.1 to 662 ng/g in soils and <0.1 to 42.8 ng/g in cabbages, with average concentrations of 134 and 11.6 ng/g, respectively. OCPs were mainly in the 0-30 cm surface soil layers, while PAEs could infiltrate in deep soil profiles to 70-80 cm layer. Potential source analysis traced the occurrence of OCPs to both historical application and current usage, whereas building materials and agricultural plastic film were possible input sources of PAEs in the ambient environment. OCPs showed no apparent effect on soil microbial communities, whereas significant negative relationship was observed between PAEs and fungi in soils (R = -0.54, p < 0.01). Human health risk assessment data revealed marginal noncarcinogenic risks and low carcinogenic risks in these soils. Notably, PAEs posed a comparable or higher risk level compared with that of OCPs. This study suggests the need for better regulation on pollution control and management of PAE-elevated sites to protect soil quality and food safety.