The Impact of Serum Uric Acid Levels on Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy in Advanced Maternal Age Women: A Retrospective Study from a Single Center in China.

BACKGROUND In many countries, including China, women are delaying pregnancy until later in life; therefore, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are increasing. This retrospective study from a single center in China aimed to evaluate the association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and HDP in 288 women of advanced maternal age >35 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 780 pregnant women of advanced maternal age were included in the study - 288 were had HDP (including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia) and 492 had normal blood pressure using 1: 2 (84: 168) propensity score matching. SUA (collected before 20 weeks' gestation) and HDP incidence in advanced maternal age women were assessed using multivariate logistic modeling and 3 propensity score-based methods. RESULTS Median patient age was 37 years. The risk of developing HDP increases with higher SUA (30.19% vs 13.65%, P<0.001). In the PS-matched cohort, the risk ratio (OR) for HDP with high uric acid after adjusting for confounders was 2.88 (95% CI: 1.44-5.75, P=0.0027). It has been demonstrated that high uric acid is strongly associated with HDP incidence in both the crude population (OR=3.43, 95% CI: 2.01-4.66, P<0.0001) and the weighted cohorts (OR=3.62, 95% CI: 2.81-4.66, P<0.0001). As a successive variable, after adjusting for the clinical confounders, a 1-SD increase in SUA was related to a 135% increased risk of HDP (OR=2.35; 95% CI: 1.57-3.50; P<0.0001) based on the fully adjusted model. There were similar conclusions in the sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSIONS There was a significant association between SUA and HDP in women of advanced maternal age, supporting the importance of early detection of SUA in pregnant women.

Investigation of the Relationship between Body Parameters and mAs Using Non-Contact Two-Dimensional Thickness Measurement in Chest Digital Radiography.

The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between body parameters and the current-time product (mAs) in chest digital radiography using a non-contact infrared thickness-measurement sensor. An anthropomorphic chest phantom was first used to understand variations in mAs over multiple positionings during chest radiography when using the automatic exposure control (AEC) technique. In a human study, 929 consecutive male subjects who underwent regular chest examinations were enrolled, and their height (H), weight (W), and body mass index (BMI) were recorded. In addition, their chest thickness (T) was measured at exhalation using a non-contact infrared sensor, and chest radiography was then performed using the AEC technique. Finally, the relationship between four body parameters (T, BMI, T*BMI, and W/H) and mAs was investigated by fitting the body parameters to mAs using three curve models. The phantom study showed that the maximum mAs was 1.76 times higher than the lowest mAs during multiple positionings in chest radiography. In the human study, all chest radiographs passed the routine quality control procedure and had an exposure index between 100 and 212. In curve fitting, the comparisons showed that W/H had a closer relationship with mAs than the other body parameters, while the first-order power model with W/H fitted to mAs performed the best and had an R-square of 0.9971. We concluded that the relationship between W/H and mAs in the first-order power model may be helpful in predicting the optimal mAs and reducing the radiation dose for chest radiography when using the AEC technique.

The association between serum uric acid and low birth weight in advance maternal age women with hypertension: An observational study.

In China, the implementation of 2-child policy since 2015 entitles increasing number of advanced maternal age. Recently, Chinese hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in advanced-age women have attracted significant clinical and epidemiological research interest. Previous studies have shown an association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and low birth weight (LBW) in children. Several studies have reported that advanced maternal age is a risk factor for many complications in pregnancy, including LBW. However, it remains unclear whether SUA affects LBW risk in advanced maternal age mothers with hypertensive diseases. The study was observational in nature. A total of 692 advanced maternal age with hypertension were enrolled in our study. A variety of demographic and vital sign data, laboratory test results, and pregnancy outcomes were collected. Children born with LBW served as the clinical endpoint. On admission, blood samples were taken, and women with advanced maternal ages were divided into 2 groups based on their SUA levels. In order to investigate the association between SUA and LBW, a logistic regression model was used. E-value analysis was used to determine the residual unmeasured confounding. The mean SUA level was increased in advanced maternal age patients with HDP. Of 692 newborns, 244 (35.26%) have LBW. With possible confounders adjusted, high SUA levels were independent risk factors for LBW (odds ratio [OR]2.88, 95% confidence intervals [CI]1.22-6.81), multivariate logistic regression analysis using SUA as a continuous variable recapitulated the pattern (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.01). In addition, SUA levels in women with advanced maternal age and hypertension were linearly related to LBW incidence. According to this study, SUA levels in patients with advanced maternal age and HDP are associated with LBW incidence.

Association between the blood urea nitrogen to creatinine ratio and in­hospital mortality among patients with acute myocardial infarction: A retrospective cohort study.

The present study aimed to determine the association between the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) ratio and in-hospital mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The present retrospective cohort study included adult patients (≥18 years of age) who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with a primary diagnosis of AMI. Medical records were obtained from the electronic ICU collaborative research database, which includes data from throughout continental USA. Data included demographic characteristics, vital signs, laboratory tests and comorbidities. The clinical endpoint was in-hospital mortality. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the prognostic values of the basic BUN/Cr ratio and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves. Subgroup analyses were performed to measure mortality across various subgroups. In total, 5,965 eligible patients were included. In the Cox regression analysis, after being adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity and other confounding factors, the BUN/Cr ratio was found to be a significant risk predictor of in-hospital mortality. There was a non-linear relationship between the BUN/Cr ratio and in-hospital mortality after adjusting for potential confounders. A two-piecewise regression model was used to obtain a threshold inflection point value of 18. Furthermore, after adjusting for additional confounding factors (age, sex, ethnicity, BMI, heart rate, oxygen saturation, platelets, total protein, AMI category, heart failure, history of diabetes, history of hypertension, percutaneous coronary intervention, and administration of norepinephrine, dopamine and epinephrine), the BUN/Cr ratio remained a significant predictor of in-hospital mortality (third vs. first tertile: Hazard ratio, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.08-2.09; P<0.05). The Kaplan-Meier curve for tertiles of the BUN/Cr ratio indicated that in-hospital mortality rates were highest when the BUN/Cr ratio was ≥18.34 after adjustment for age, sex and ethnicity (P<0.05). The present findings demonstrated that a higher BUN/Cr ratio was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. These results support a revision of how the prognosis of patients with AMI is predicted.

Propensity score analysis of red cell distribution width to serum calcium ratio in acute myocardial infarction as a predictor of in-hospital mortality.

Objective: Red cell distribution width (RDW) and serum calcium (Ca) levels are predictors of in-hospital mortality in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. However, their sensitivity and specificity are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether the RDW to Ca ratio (RCR) acquired on admission can be used to predict the in-hospital mortality of AMI patients. Methods: This retrospective cohort study extracted clinical information from the Medical Information Market for Intensive IV (MIMIC-IV) database on 2,910 AMI patients enrolled via propensity score matching (PSM). Prognostic values were assessed using a multivariate logistic model and three PSM approaches. Analysis was performed based on stratified variables and interactions among sex, age, ethnicity, anemia, renal disease, percutaneous transluminal coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, dementia, diabetes, paraplegia, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score. Results: A total of 4,105 ICU-admitted AMI patients were analyzed. The optimal cut-off value of the RCR for in-hospital mortality was 1.685. The PSM was performed to identify 1,455 pairs (2,910) of score-matched patients, with balanced differences exhibited for nearly all variables.The patients' median age was 72 years (range, 63-82 years) and 60.9% were male. The risk of in-hospital mortality incidence increased with increasing RCR levels. After adjusting for confounders, the risk ratio for the incidence of in-hospital mortality for high RCR was 1.75 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.60-1.94, P = 0.0113] compared to that associated with low RCR in the PSM cohort. High RCR was also substantially implicated in in-hospital mortality incidence in the weighted cohorts [odds ratio (OR) = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.62-1.94, P = 0.0129]. Assessment of RCR in three groups showed that patients with high RCR also had a higher risk of in-hospital mortality (OR = 3.04; 95% CI, 2.22-4.16; P < 0.0001) than in patients with RCR in the adjusted model. In the sensitivity analysis, both the original and weighted groups showed similar results. Conclusion: The RCR at admission may be useful for predicting in-hospital mortality in ICU-admitted AMI patients.

The baseline and repeated measurements of DBP to assess in-hospital mortality risk among critically ill patients with acute myocardial infarction: A retrospective cohort study.

Changes in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) are common in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The relationship between the dynamic change of DBP and in-hospital mortality among patients with AMI remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the importance of DBP during disease development among patients with AMI. We performed a retrospective cohort study involving patients from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database, which included > 40,000 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Overall, 3209 adult AMI admissions were identified. We extracted the clinical and laboratory information in the patients with AMI. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the prognostic values of baseline DBP. We used the generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) to compare trends in DBP over time among survivors and non-survivors, after adjusting for potential confounders. During the ICU stay, 189 patients died (mortality rate, 6.36%). The age of each non-survivor together with the variations in DBP over time from admission to the time of death is of great importance to the scientific community. Cox multivariable regression analysis displayed that after adjusting for confounding factors, ascended baseline DBP was an important hazard factor for hospital deaths (hazard ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.03; P = .003). Based on GAMM, DBP in the death group was markedly lower than that of the surviving group. Moreover, the difference between the two groups showed an increasing trend within 3 days after ICU admission. After adjusting for various variables, the results were stable. DBP significantly contributed to in-hospital mortality among patients with AMI. There was a nonlinear correlation between baseline DBP and in-hospital mortality among patients with AMI, and the DBP of the non-survivors decreased within the first 3 days after ICU admission. However, the causality cannot be deduced from our data.

Disparate Recruitment and Retention of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells to The Small Intestinal Mucosa between Young and Aged Mice.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC), a highly specialized class of innate immune cells that serve as rapid sensors of danger signals in circulation or in lymphoid tissue are well studied. However, there remains knowledge gaps about age-dependent changes of pDC function in the intestinal mucosa. Here, we report that under homeostatic conditions, the proportion of pDC expressing C-C chemokine receptor 9 (CCR9) in the intestinal intraepithelial cell (iIEC) population is comparable between young (2-4 months) and aged (18-24 months) mice, but the absolute numbers of iIEC and pDC are significantly lower in aged mice. Employing the classic model of acute endotoxemia induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), we found a decrease in the proportion and absolute number of intraepithelial pDC in both young and aged mice despite the LPS-induced increased expression of the chemokine C-C ligand 25 (CCL25), the ligand of CCR9, in the intestinal mucosa of young mice. In adoptive transfer experiments, a significantly lower number of pDC was retained into the intestinal layer of aged host mice after LPS administration. This was associated with recoverable pDC numbers in the intestinal lumen. Furthermore, co-adoptive transfer of young and aged pDC into young hosts also showed significantly lower retention of aged pDC in the epithelial layer compared to the co-transferred young pDC. Collectively, these data show age-associated changes in mucosal CCL25 gene expression and in pDC number. These may underlie the reported inadequate responses to gastrointestinal pathogens during chronologic aging.

Association between red blood cell distribution width and in-hospital mortality in acute myocardial infarction.

ABSTRACT: Previous studies have shown an independent association between increased red cell distribution width (RDW) and mortality after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, evidence regarding the predictive significance of repeated measures of RDW in patients with AMI remains scarce. We aimed to investigate the association between the dynamic profile of RDW and in-hospital mortality in patients with AMI.This was a cross-sectional study. We extracted clinical data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IIIV1.4 database. Demographic data, vital signs, laboratory test data, and comorbidities were collected from the database. The clinical endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the prognostic values of basic RDW, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves. Subgroup analyses were performed to measure mortality across various subgroups. The repeated-measures data were compared using a generalized additive mixed model.In total, 3101eligible patients were included. In multivariate analysis, adjusted for age, sex, and ethnicity, RDW was a significant risk predictor of in-hospital mortality. Furthermore, after adjusting for more confounding factors, RDW remained a significant predictor of in-hospital mortality (tertile 3 vs tertile 1: hazard ratio 2.3; 95% confidence interval 1.39-4.01; P for trend <.05). The Kaplan-Meier curve for tertiles of RDW indicated that survival rates were highest when RDW was ≤13.2% and lowest when RDW was ≥14.2% after adjustment for age, sex, and ethnicity. During the intensive care unit stay, the RDW of nonsurvivors progressively increased until death occurred.Our findings showed that a higher RDW was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality in patients with AMI.

Nitric oxide-mediated inhibition of caspase-dependent T lymphocyte proliferation.

Nitric oxide (NO), a pleiotropic signaling molecule produced at sites of inflammation, is a powerful inhibitor of lymphocyte proliferation. Caspases, central effector proteases in apoptosis, have recently been implicated as critical mediators of T cell activation. We and others have shown that NO can inhibit caspases by S-nitrosylation, which is reversible by the reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT). The purpose of the present study was to determine whether NO inhibits lymphocyte proliferation by modulating caspase activity. Caspase inhibition with z-VAD-fmk blocked T cell proliferation. NO-dependent inhibition of T cell proliferation was associated with an inhibition of caspase activity and activation, and this effect was reversible by DTT. Previous studies demonstrated inhibition of apoptosis through S-nitrosylation of caspases; the present studies extend this effect to inhibition of caspase-dependent T cell proliferation.

MicroRNA-467b targets LPL gene in RAW 264.7 macrophages and attenuates lipid accumulation and proinflammatory cytokine secretion.

LPL (lipoprotein lipase) is a rate-limiting enzyme involved in the hydrolysis of triglycerides. Previous studies have shown that microRNA (miR)-467b regulates hepatic LPL expression and plays a role in the progression of steatosis or abnormal lipid retention in obese mice. Macrophage-derived LPL has been shown to promote atherosclerosis. However, if miR-476b influences macrophage LPL expression and the subsequent effects are unknown. Here, we utilized oxLDL-treatment RAW 264.7 macrophages that were transfected with miR-467b mimics or inhibitors to investigate the potential roles of macrophage miR-476b. We found that miR-467b significantly decreased lipid accumulation and IL-6, IL-1ß, TNF-α and MCP-1 secretions. Furthermore, our studies suggested an additional explanation for the regulatory mechanism of miR-467b on its functional target, LPL in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Thus, our findings indicate that miR-467b may regulate lipid accumulation and proinflammatory cytokine secretion in oxLDL-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages by targeting the LPL gene.