Sensing platform for nucleic-acid detection based on a 2-aminopurine probe sheared by trans-cleavage activity of the CRISPR/Cas12a system.

Target double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) or single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) can activate the trans-cleavage activity of the CRISPR/Cas12a, cutting the surrounding non-target ssDNA arbitrarily. In a typical CRISPR/Cas12a system, this non-target ssDNA, with a fluorescent tag and its quencher incorporated at both ends (ssDNA-FQ), is usually used as the reporter. Here, a 2-aminopurine probe (T-pro 4), made by inserting four 2-APs in non-target ssDNA, was screened for using as a reporter in the CRISPR/Cas12a system. Compared with ssDNA-FQ, each 2-AP probe is cleaved by the activated CRISPR/Cas12a system, multi-unit signals are generated. Therefore, the CRISPR/Cas12a system using the 2-AP probe as a reporter may be more sensitive than the CRISPR/Cas12a system which uses ssDNA-FQ as the reporter. We achieved ssDNA detection at as little as 10-11 M using the 2-AP probe as the reporter in the CRISPR/Cas12a system. Compared to the CRISPR/Cas12a system using ssDNA-FQ as the reporter, its sensitivity increased by an order of magnitude. Furthermore, the method that combines PCR and the 2-AP-probe-mediated CRISPR/Cas12a system can detect goat pox virus (GTPV) down to 8.35 × 10-2 copies per µL, 10 times lower than the method that combines PCR and the ssDNA-FQ-mediated CRISPR/Cas12a system. These results indicate that the CRISPR/Cas12a system using the screened 2-AP probe as a reporter has potential in highly sensitive detection of viruses.

Hyperglycemia and Correlated High Levels of Inflammation Have a Positive Relationship with the Severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019.

OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a considerable global public health threat. This study sought to investigate whether blood glucose (BG) levels or comorbid diabetes are associated with inflammatory status and disease severity in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, the clinical and biochemical characteristics of COVID-19 patients with or without diabetes were compared. The relationship among severity of COVID-19, inflammatory status, and diabetes or hyperglycemia was analyzed. The severity of COVID-19 in all patients was determined according to the diagnostic and treatment guidelines issued by the Chinese National Health Committee (7th edition). RESULTS: Four hundred and sixty-one patients were enrolled in our study, and 71.58% of patients with diabetes and 13.03% of patients without diabetes had hyperglycemia. Compared with patients without diabetes (n = 366), patients with diabetes (n = 95) had a higher leucocyte count, neutrophil count, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). There was no association between severity of COVID-19 and known diabetes adjusted for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), known hypertension, and coronary heart disease. The leucocyte count, NLR, and C-reactive protein (CRP) level increased with increasing BG level. Hyperglycemia was an independent predictor of critical (OR 4.00, 95% CI 1.72-9.30) or severe (OR 3.55, 95% CI 1.47-8.58) COVID-19, and of increased inflammatory levels (high leucocyte count (OR 4.26, 95% CI 1.65-10.97), NLR (OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.24-6.10), and CRP level (OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.19-5.23)), after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, severity of illness, and known diabetes. CONCLUSION: Hyperglycemia was positively correlated with higher inflammation levels and more severe illness, and it is a risk factor for the increased severity of COVID-19. The initial measurement of plasma glucose levels after hospitalization may help identify a subset of patients who are predisposed to a worse clinical course.

A multicenter RCT of noninvasive ventilation in pneumonia-induced early mild acute respiratory distress syndrome.

RATIONALE: Our pilot study suggested that noninvasive ventilation (NIV) reduced the need for intubation compared with conventional administration of oxygen on patients with "early" stage of mild acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS, PaO2/FIO2 between 200 and 300). OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether early NIV can reduce the need for invasive ventilation in patients with pneumonia-induced early mild ARDS. METHODS: Prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial (RCT) of NIV compared with conventional administration of oxygen through a Venturi mask. Primary outcome included the numbers of patients who met the intubation criteria. RESULTS: Two hundred subjects were randomized to NIV (n = 102) or control (n = 98) groups from 21 centers. Baseline characteristics were similar in the two groups. In the NIV group, PaO2/FIO2 became significantly higher than in the control group at 2 h after randomization and remained stable for the first 72 h. NIV did not decrease the proportion of patients requiring intubation than in the control group (11/102 vs. 9/98, 10.8% vs. 9.2%, p = 0.706). The ICU mortality was similar in the two groups (7/102 vs. 7/98, 4.9% vs. 3.1%, p = 0.721). Multivariate analysis showed minute ventilation greater than 11 L/min at 48 h was the independent risk factor for NIV failure (OR, 1.176 [95% CI, 1.005-1.379], p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with NIV did not reduce the need for intubation among patients with pneumonia-induced early mild ARDS, despite the improved PaO2/FIO2 observed with NIV compared with standard oxygen therapy. High minute ventilation may predict NIV failure. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01581229 . Registered 19 April 2012.

Endothelial Cell Inflammation and Barriers Are Regulated by the Rab26-Mediated Balance between ß2-AR and TLR4 in Pulmonary Microvessel Endothelial Cells.

Rab26 GTPase modulates the trafficking of cell surface receptors, such as G protein-coupled receptors including α2-adrenergic receptors in some cell types. However, the effect of Rab26 on ß2-adrenergic receptor (ß2-AR) trafficking or/and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) is still unclear. Here, we investigated the role of Rab26 in regulating the expression of ß2-ARs and TLR4 in HPMECs and the effect of these receptors' imbalance on endothelial cell barrier function. The results showed that there was unbalance expression in these receptors, where ß2-AR expression was remarkably reduced, and TLR4 was increased on the cell membrane after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment. Furthermore, we found that Rab26 overexpression not only upregulated ß2-ARs but also downregulated TLR4 expression on the cell membrane. Subsequently, the TLR4-related inflammatory response was greatly attenuated, and the hyperpermeability of HPMECs also was partially relived. Taken together, these data suggest that basal Rab26 maintains the balance between ß2-ARs and TLR4 on the cell surface, and it might be a potential therapeutic target for diseases involving endothelial barrier dysfunction.

Activation of PPARγ inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines production by upregulation of miR-124 in vitro and in vivo.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and miR-124 have been reported to play important roles in regulation of inflammation. However, the underlying anti-inflammatory mechanisms remain not well understood. In the present study, we demonstrated that the expression level of PPARγ is positively correlated with that of miR-124 in patients with sepsis. Activation of PPARγ upregulates miR-124 and in turn inhibits miR-124 target gene. PPARγ bound directly to PPRE in the miR-124 promoter region, and enhanced the promoter transcriptional activity. PPARγ-induced miR-124 is involved in the suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine in vitro and in vivo. These results suggest that PPARγ-induced miR-124 inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines is a novel PPARγ anti-inflammatory mechanism and also indicate that miR-124 may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Uncoupling Protein 2 Increases Susceptibility to Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Mice.

Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) is upregulated in patients with systemic inflammation and infection, but its functional role is unclear. We up- or downregulated UCP2 expression using UCP2 recombinant adenovirus or the UCP2 inhibitor, genipin, in lungs of mice, and investigated the mechanisms of UCP2 in ALI. UCP2 overexpression in mouse lungs increased LPS-induced pathological changes, lung permeability, lung inflammation, and lowered survival rates. Furthermore, ATP levels and mitochondrial membrane potential were decreased, while reactive oxygen species production was increased. Additionally, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) activity was elevated, which increased the sensitivity to LPS-induced apoptosis and inflammation. LPS-induced apoptosis and release of inflammatory factors were alleviated by pretreatment of the Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor SP600125 or the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580, but not by the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor PD98059 in UCP2-overexpressing mice. On the other hand, LPS-induced alveolar epithelial cell death and inflammation were attenuated by genipin. In conclusion, UCP2 increased susceptibility to LPS-induced cell death and pulmonary inflammation, most likely via ATP depletion and activation of MAPK signaling following ALI in mice.

Association between Serum Interleukin-17A Level and High-Altitude Deacclimatization Syndrome.

High-altitude deacclimatization syndrome (HADAS) is emerging as a severe public health issue that threatens the quality of life of individuals who return to lower altitude from high altitude. In this study, we measured serum levels of SOD, MDA, IL-17A, IL-10, TNF-α, and HADAS score in HADAS subjects at baseline and 50th and 100th days and to evaluate the relationship between interleukins, including IL-17A, and HADAS. Our data showed that and the serum IL-17A levels and HADAS score decreased over time in the HADAS group, and serum IL-17A levels were significantly higher in the HADAS group at baseline and 50th day compared with controls (p < 0.05). Furthermore, baseline serum levels of MDA and TNF-α were significantly higher, while SOD and IL-10 levels were lower in HADAS subjects compared with controls (p < 0.05). It is interesting that serum levels of IL-17A were clearly interrelated with HADAS incidence and severity (p < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that combined serum IL-17A and IL-10 levels were a better predictor of HADAS incidence than serum levels of IL-17A or IL-10 alone. These data suggest that serum levels of IL-17A are a novel predictive index of HADAS.

Inhaled budesonide prevents acute mountain sickness in young Chinese men.

BACKGROUND: Oral glucocorticoids can prevent acute mountain sickness (AMS). Whether inhaled budesonide (BUD) can prevent AMS remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to investigate the effectiveness of BUD in AMS prevention. METHODS: Eighty subjects were randomly assigned to receive budesonide (BUD, inhaled), procaterol tablet (PT), budesonide/formoterol (BUD/FM, inhaled), or placebo tablet (n = 20 in each group). Subjects were treated for 3 days before ascending from 500 m to 3700 m within 2.5 h by air. Lake Louis AMS questionnaire, blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation (SpO2) were examined at 20, 72, and 120 h after high-altitude exposure. Pulmonary function was measured at 20 h after exposure. RESULTS: Compared with placebo, BUD significantly reduced the incidence of AMS (70% vs. 25% at 20 h, p < 0.05; both 10% vs. 5% at 72 and 120 h, both p > 0.05) without side effects. The relative risk was 0.357, and the risk difference was 0.45. Mean SpO2 was higher in BUD, BUD/FM, and PT groups than in the placebo group at 20 h (p < 0.05). SpO2 in all 80 subjects dropped after ascent (98.1% to 88.12%, p < 0.01) and increased gradually, but it was still lower at 120 h than at baseline (92.04% vs. 98.1%, p < 0.01). Pulmonary function did not differ among the four groups at 20 h. CONCLUSION: BUD can prevent AMS without side effects. The alleviation of AMS may be related to increased blood oxygen levels rather than pulmonary function.

Association between Triglyceride-glucose index and sarcopenia in China: A nationally representative cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between sarcopenia and insulin resistance (IR) has seldom been reported. Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a new IR indicator, has gained traction as a prognostic tool for many diseases. We aimed to investigate whether the level of TyG index was related to the incidence of sarcopenia. METHOD: A total of 1819 participants above 60 without sarcopenia at baseline were included from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Cox models were applied to evaluate the association between TyG and incident sarcopenia. Mediation analyses were performed to evaluate the contribution of the level of BMI to observed associations. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 4.0 years, 217 (11.9 %) participants developed sarcopenia. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios of total sarcopenia in higher quartiles of TyG index versus the lowest quartiles were 0.59, 0.61, and 0.46, respectively. There were significant trends toward a decreasing risk of sarcopenia across the quartiles of TyG index before adjusting for BMI, but no significant association was observed after accounting for BMI. The area under the ROC curve was 0.6281 (0.597-0.660). In subgroup analysis, there was an inverse significant association between TyG index and sarcopenia among male participants. In mediation analyses, BMI explained 88.7 % of the association of TyG index and sarcopenia. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that TyG index was negatively associated with incident sarcopenia in older Chinese without considering BMI adjustment. The association was not more significant after adjusting for BMI. BMI mediated the relationship between sarcopenia and TyG index among older Chinese population. Future study should validate our findings in a larger population.

Intratracheal administration of programmable DNA nanostructures combats acute lung injury by targeting microRNA-155.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is an acute inflammatory process that can result in life-threatening consequences. Programmable DNA nanostructures have emerged as excellent nanoplatforms for microRNA-based therapeutics, offering potential nanomedicines for ALI treatment. Nonetheless, the traditional systematic administration of nanomedicines is constrained by low delivery efficiency, poor pharmacokinetics, and nonspecific side effects. Here, we identify macrophage microRNA-155 as a novel therapeutic target using the magnetic bead sorting technique. We further construct a DNA nanotubular nucleic acid drug antagonizing microRNA-155 (NT-155) for ALI treatment through intratracheal administration. Flow cytometry results demonstrate that NT-155, when inhaled, is taken up much more effectively by macrophages and dendritic cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of ALI mice. Furthermore, NT-155 effectively silences the overexpressed microRNA-155 in macrophages and exerts excellent inflammation inhibition effects in vitro and ALI mouse models. Mechanistically, NT-155 suppresses microRNA-155 expression and activates its target gene SOCS1, inhibiting the p-P65 signaling pathway and suppressing proinflammatory cytokine secretion. The current study suggests that deliberately designed nucleic acid drugs are promising nanomedicines for ALI treatment and the local administration may open up new practical applications of DNA in the future.

Effect of ubiquinol on electrophysiology during high-altitude acclimatization and de-acclimatization: A substudy of the Shigatse CARdiorespiratory fitness (SCARF) randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: High-altitude exposure changes the electrical conduction of the heart. However, reports on electrocardiogram (ECG) characteristics and potent prophylactic agents during high-altitude acclimatization and de-acclimatization are inadequate. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ubiquinol on electrophysiology after high-altitude hypoxia and reoxygenation. METHODS: The study was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Forty-one participants were randomly divided into two groups receiving ubiquinol 200 mg daily or placebo orally 14 days before flying to high altitude (3900 m) until the end of the study. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing was performed at baseline (300 m), on the third day after reaching high altitude, and on the seventh day after returning to baseline. RESULTS: Acute high-altitude exposure prolonged resting ventricular repolarization, represented by increased corrected QT interval (455.9 ± 23.4 vs. 427.1 ± 19.1 ms, P < 0.001) and corrected Tpeak-Tend interval (155.5 ± 27.4 vs. 125.3 ± 21.1 ms, P < 0.001), which recovered after returning to low altitude. Ubiquinol supplementation shortened the hypoxia-induced extended Tpeak-Tend interval (-7.7 ms, [95% confidence interval (CI), -13.8 to -1.6], P = 0.014), Tpeak-Tend /QT interval (-0.014 [95% CI, -0.027 to -0.002], P = 0.028), and reserved maximal heart rate (11.9 bpm [95% CI, 3.2 to 20.6], P = 0.013) during exercise at high altitude. Furthermore, the decreased resting amplitude of the ST-segment in the V3 lead was correlated with decreased peak oxygen pulse (R = 0.713, P < 0.001) and maximum oxygen consumption (R = 0.595, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results illustrated the electrophysiology changes during high-altitude acclimatization and de-acclimatization. Similarly, ubiquinol supplementation shortened the prolonged Tpeak-Tend interval and reserved maximal heart rate during exercise at high altitude. REGISTRATION: URL: www.chictr.org.cn; Unique identifier: ChiCTR2200059900.

Gastrointestinal syndrome encountered during a train voyage to high altitudes: A 14-day survey of 69 passengers in China.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis and evaluation of the severity of acute mountain sickness (AMS) continue to be problematic due to a lack of consensus on the inclusion of symptoms in a scoring system. Recent investigations highlight the significance of gastrointestinal symptoms in identifying this condition. However, the specific gastrointestinal symptoms associated with AMS have not been thoroughly elucidated in previous studies, and the underlying risk factors remain inadequately comprehended. METHODS: This study aimed to investigate the characteristics, trends, and risk factors related to gastrointestinal symptoms encountered during train travel to high altitude. A total of 69 passengers, specifically all with medical backgrounds, were surveyed 6 times over a period of 14 days. RESULTS: The daily incidence of abdominal discomfort was higher than non-gastrointestinal symptoms within 14 days. Gastrointestinal symptoms demonstrated a greater prevalence, longer duration, and increased risk compared to non-gastrointestinal symptoms, such as headaches. The symptoms of abdominal distension and bowel sound hyperaction were found to be prevalent and persistent among patients diagnosed with AMS, exhibiting a high incidence rate. Gender, age, body mass index (BMI), smoking habits, and alcohol consumption were identified as risk factors associated with the occurrence and duration of gastrointestinal symptoms. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that gastrointestinal symptoms are more common and persistent when traveling to the plateau by train. These symptoms should be taken into consideration in the further diagnosis and prevention of AMS. Therefore, this study provides a significant theoretical foundation for the prevention and treatment of AMS.

The cyclin D1 (CCND1) G870A polymorphism and lung cancer susceptibility: a meta-analysis.

Several studies have investigated the association between Cyclin D1 (CCND1) G870A genetic polymorphism and lung cancer susceptibility, but the results were inconclusive. The aim of this meta-analysis was to summarize available evidence for such a relationship. The reviewers made use of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and BIOSIS databases. The relevant data were independently extracted by two reviewers. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was selected as the principal outcome measure. The heterogeneity test, the publication bias test, and the sensitivity analysis were performed. Overall, a total of 10 case-control studies were included. Our meta-analysis indicated that CCND1 G870A genetic polymorphism was a risk factor for lung cancer under homozygote model (OR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.02, 1.37), recessive model (OR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.03, 1.41), and allele model (OR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.02, 1.21). In the subgroup analysis by source of ethnicity, a statistical increase of lung cancer risk was found among Asian groups for allele model (OR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.01-1.22). The present meta-analysis suggests that CCND1 G870A polymorphism may be a risk factor for lung cancer. Besides, allele A may contribute to increased lung cancer risk.

Enzyme-free and sensitive method for single-stranded nucleic acid detection based on CHA and HCR.

Simple, rapid, and highly sensitive methods for single-stranded nucleic acid detection are of great significance in clinical testing. Meanwhile, common methods are inseparable from the participation of enzymes, which greatly increases their complexity. Herein, an enzyme-free and sensitive method combining HCR and CHA is established to detect single-stranded nucleic acid. A target induces the auxiliary hairpin strands to open their secondary structure, exposing partial sequences that can trigger catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) and hybridization chain reactions (HCR), respectively. To avoid additional signaling substances, 2-aminopurines (which fluoresces differently in double-stranded DNA and G-quadruplex) are modified in the substrate chains of CHA and HCR. Compared with methods that adopt CHA or HCR alone, the sensitivity of this method is increased by nearly 10 times. Moreover, this method can effectively improve the specific recognition of the target. To "turn on" the method, two regions that can pair with H5 and H6 are required. Taking foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) as the object, this method can specifically detect FMDV to 2.78 × 101 TCID50. Although the sensitivity is not as good as RT-qPCR, it owns the advantages of simplicity and speed. We think this method can be used for the primary screening of FMDV, and has application potential in some grassroots.

Pretreatment with anti-flagellin serum delays acute lung injury in rats with sepsis.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the reduction of sepsis-induced ALI by inhibition of flagellin-stimulated TLR5 signaling. METHODS: Rats were randomly divided into three groups: one group served as the sham-operated group (control group), and the other two groups received the induction of sepsis (sepsis and treatment groups). The treatment group was injected with anti-flagellin serum before induction of sepsis. At 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h following induction of sepsis (six time-point subgroups, n = 10 per subgroup), arterial PaO(2), wet/dry (W/D) lung weight ratios, levels of serum and BALF flagellin and TNF-α, pulmonary pathological alterations, and TLR5 mRNA expression in the lungs were examined. RESULTS: Compared to sham-operated rats, septic rats had: increased levels of serum and BALF flagellin at 6, 12, 24, and 48 h; reduced arterial PaO(2); elevated W/D lung weight ratio; increased serum and BALF TNF-α levels; and up-regulated TLR5 mRNA expression at 12, 24, and 48 h (P < 0.01). Pretreatment with anti-flagellin serum, however, significantly inhibited sepsis-associated declines in arterial PaO(2), increased W/D lung weight ratios, elevated serum and BALF TNF-α levels, and up-regulated TLR5 mRNA expression at 24 and 48 h (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Neutralizing the actions of circulating flagellin with anti-flagellin serum delayed the development of ALI in rats with sepsis.

An mTOR siRNA-Loaded Spermidine/DNA Tetrahedron Nanoplatform with a Synergistic Anti-Inflammatory Effect on Acute Lung Injury.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is characterized by severe inflammation and damage to the lung air-blood barrier, resulting in respiratory function damage and life-threatening outcomes. Macrophage polarization plays an essential role in the occurrence, development, and outcome of ALI. As drug carriers, self-assembled DNA nanostructures can potentially overcome the drawbacks and limitations of traditional anti-inflammatory agents owing to their nontoxicity, programmability, and excellent structural control at the nanoscale. A small interfering RNA (siRNA) and drug dual therapy nanoplatform are proposed and constructed here to combat ALI. The nanoplatform consists of a spermidine-assembled DNA tetrahedron and four mammalian target of rapamycin siRNAs. Spermidine serves as a mediator of drug delivery vehicle synthesis and a drug that alters macrophage polarization. Both spermidine and siRNA exert anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo by regulating the macrophage phenotype. More importantly, these factors exhibit a synergistic anti-inflammatory effect by promoting macrophage autophagy. For the first time, an anti-inflammatory dual therapy strategy that uses self-assembled DNA nanostructures as nontoxic, programmable delivery vehicles is proposed and demonstrated through this work. Future work on utilizing DNA nanostructures for the treatment of noncancerous diseases such as ALI is highly promising and desirable.

Screening for and combining serum intestinal barrier-related biomarkers to predict the disease severity of AECOPD.

BACKGROUND: In the patients with AECOPD, the gut displays ischemia, anoxia and oxidative stress, which lead to the intestinal barrier failure. Therefore, it is desirable to screen for effective intestinal barrier-related biomarkers to monitor the disease severity. METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study in 40 patients with AECOPD and 10 patients with stable COPD. The serum levels of I-FABP, citrulline, D-Lactate, DAO, and α-GST, as well as the APACHE II scores were recorded. Person correlation analysis, logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were used in our study. RESULTS: Patients with AECOPD had significantly higher levels of I-FABP, D-Lactate, and DAO than did those with stable COPD. However, the serum citrulline level was significantly decreased in the patients with stable COPD than in those with AECOPD and the serum α-GST was not significantly changed. Additionally, we observed that there was a higher levels of I-FABP, D-Lactate, and DAO and a lower level of citrulline in patients with severe COPD than in patients with nonsevere COPD [APACHE II (nonsevere COPD) <20; APACHE II (severe COPD) ≥20]. Correlation analysis showed that I-FABP and D-Lactate had a significantly positive correlations with the APACHE II score, and citrulline had a significantly negative correlations with the APACHE II score. Following, treatment, the levels of I-FABP and D-lactate were decreased and the level of citrulline was increased. Moreover, we screened out the citrulline and DAO, which independently affected the diagnosis of severe COPD by stepwise logistics regression analysis. Additionally, we found that the combination of serum citrulline and DAO can more effectively diagnose the severe COPD than any single biomarker can, which may be a supportive and convenient method that can be used clinically. CONCLUSIONS: Serum I-FABP, citrulline and D-Lactate could be used to assess the disease severity. Citrulline and DAO can diagnose the severe COPD and the combination is more effective.

Atrial performance in healthy subjects following high altitude exposure at 4100 m: 2D speckle-tracking strain analysis.

High altitude (HA) exposure has been considered as a cardiac stress and might impair ventricular diastolic function. Atrial contraction is involved in ventricular passive filling, however the atrial performance to HA exposure is poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of short-term HA exposure on bi-atrial function. Physiological and 2D-echocardiographic data were collected in 82 healthy men at sea level (SL, 400 m) and 4100 m after an ascent within 7 days. Atrial function was measured using volumetric and speckle-tracking analyses during reservoir, conduit and contractile phases of cardiac cycle. Following HA exposure, significant decreases of reservoir and conduit function indexes were observed in bi-atria, whereas decreases of contractile function indexes were observed in right atrium (RA), estimated via RA active emptying fraction (SL 41.7 ± 13.9% vs. HA 35.4 ± 12.2%, p = 0.001), strain during the contractile phase [SL 13.5 (11.4, 17.8) % vs. HA 12.3 (9.3, 15.9) %, p = 0.003], and peak strain rate during the contractile phase [SL - 1.76 (- 2.24, - 1.48) s-1 vs. HA - 1.57 (- 2.01, - 1.23) s-1, p = 0.002], but not in left atrium (LA). In conclusion, short-term HA exposure of healthy individuals impairs bi-atrial performance, mostly observed in RA. Especially, atrial contractile function decreases in RA rather than LA, which seems not to compensate for decreased ventricular filling after HA exposure. Our findings may provide a novel evidence for right-sided heart dysfunction to HA exposure.

Assessment of right atrial dyssynchrony by 2D speckle-tracking in healthy young men following high altitude exposure at 4100 m.

BACKGROUND: High altitude exposure induces overload of right-sided heart and may further predispose to supraventricular arrhythmia. It has been reported that atrial mechanical dyssynchrony is associated with atrial arrhythmia. Whether high altitude exposure causes higher right atrial (RA) dyssynchrony is still unknown. The aim of study was to investigate the effect of high altitude exposure on right atrial mechanical synchrony. METHODS: In this study, 98 healthy young men underwent clinical examination and echocardiography at sea level (400 m) and high altitude (4100 m) after an ascent within 7 days. RA dyssynchrony was defined as inhomogeneous timing to peak strain and strain rate using 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography. RESULTS: Following high altitude exposure, standard deviation of the time to peak strain (SD-TPS) [36.2 (24.5, 48.6) ms vs. 21.7 (12.9, 32.1) ms, p<0.001] and SD-TPS as percentage of R-R' interval (4.6 ± 2.1% vs. 2.5 ± 1.8%, p<0.001) significantly increased. Additionally, subjects with higher SD-TPS (%) at high altitude presented decreased right ventricular global longitudinal strain and RA active emptying fraction, but increased RA minimal volume index, which were not observed in lower group. Multivariable analysis showed that mean pulmonary arterial pressure and tricuspid E/A were independently associated with SD-TPS (%) at high altitude. CONCLUSION: Our data for the first time demonstrated that high altitude exposure causes RA dyssynchrony in healthy young men, which may be secondary to increased pulmonary arterial pressure. In addition, subjects with higher RA dyssynchrony presented worse RA contractile function and right ventricular performance.

Major Characteristics of Severity and Mortality in Diabetic Patients With COVID-19 and Establishment of Severity Risk Score.

Objectives: Diabetes is a risk factor for poor COVID-19 prognosis. The analysis of related prognostic factors in diabetic patients with COVID-19 would be helpful for further treatment of such patients. Methods: This retrospective study involved 3623 patients with COVID-19 (325 with diabetes). Clinical characteristics and laboratory tests were collected and compared between the diabetic group and the non-diabetic group. Binary logistic regression analysis was applied to explore risk factors associated in diabetic patients with COVID-19. A prediction model was built based on these risk factors. Results: The risk factors for higher mortality in diabetic patients with COVID-19 were dyspnea, lung disease, cardiovascular diseases, neutrophil, PLT count, and CKMB. Similarly, dyspnea, cardiovascular diseases, neutrophil, PLT count, and CKMB were risk factors related to the severity of diabetes with COVID-19. Based on these factors, a risk score was built to predict the severity of disease in diabetic patients with COVID-19. Patients with a score of 7 or higher had an odds ratio of 7.616. Conclusions: Dyspnea is a critical clinical manifestation that is closely related to the severity of disease in diabetic patients with COVID-19. Attention should also be paid to the neutrophil, PLT count and CKMB levels after admission.