The impact of isolated maternal hypothyroxinaemia on the incidence of large-for-gestational-age infants: the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether isolated maternal hypothyroxinaemia (IMH) is associated with risks of small/large-for-gestational-age (SGA/LGA) infants. DESIGN: Population-based prospective cohort study. SETTING: Ma'anshan Maternal and Child Health (MCH) clinics, China. POPULATION: Pregnant women with singleton births (n = 3178). METHODS: Descriptive statistics were calculated for the demographic characteristics of the mothers and their newborns. Linear regression was applied to estimate the association between thyroid hormone levels and birthweight. Logistic regression was performed to calculate the association between IMH and SGA/LGA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcomes included SGA/LGA. RESULTS: The prevalence of IMH, defined as a free thyroxine value (FT4) lower than the 2.5th percentile with normal thyroid stimulating hormone, was 2.5% (78/3080) and 2.5% (74/2999) in the first and second trimesters, respectively. Additionally, 306 (9.6%) and 524 (16.5%) infants were defined as SGA and LGA, respectively. No evidence supported the notion that IMH is associated with an increased risk for SGA in either the first [odds ratio (OR): 1.762, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.759-4.089] or the second (OR: 0.763, 95% CI: 0.231-2.516) trimester. However, an increased risk of LGA was observed among IMH women in the second trimester (OR: 2.088, 95% CI: 1.193-3.654). Maternal TPO-Ab positivity in the second trimester increased the risk of SGA (OR: 2.094, 95% CI: 1.333-3.290). CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that IMH is associated with LGA. FUNDING: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81330068). TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Isolated maternal hypothyroxinaemia may increase the risk of large-for-gestational-age infants.

Three Eurasian malvid-associated Baridinae (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) with widely different vestiture: congeneric or not?

Based on biological, morphological, distributional and genomic data, it is concluded that the malvid-associated Baris albosparsa (Faust), Malvaevora timida (Rossi) and Squamobaris aurea Pajni, Kohli Kumar are monophyletic and distinct from Baris Germar. Squamobaris Pajni, Kohli Kumar is synonymized with Malvaevora Zaslavskij (new synonymy). Baris albosparsa and S. aurea are transferred to Malvaevora (new combinations). Baris timida polita Reitter, B. subtilina Reitter, Baridius landgrebii Hochhuth and Baridius striatopunctatus Gistel are synonymized with M. timida and Baris striatopunctata Reitter is synonymized with Melanobaris carbonaria (Boheman) (new synonymies). Lectotypes are designated for B. timida polita and B. landgrebii. Baris striolala Aurivillius is recorded from China for the first time.

Decitabine for the treatment of atypical chronic myeloid leukemia: A report of two cases.

Atypical chronic myeloid leukemia (aCML) is a hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell disorder, predominantly involving neutrophils. At present, a limited number of studies regarding the treatment of aCML have been published, and the therapies that are currently available exhibit unsatisfactory outcomes. In the present study, the cases of two aCML patients treated with decitabine (DCA) therapy who achieved remission are presented. A 48-year-old male, who presented with fatigue and a cough that had lasted two months, and a 69-year-old male who presented with dizziness, fatigue and shortness of breath with exercise, were diagnosed with aCML following bone marrow examination, flow cytometry and chromosome banding analysis. The two patients were treated with four cycles of DCA chemotherapy (20 mg/m2, days 1-5) and remission was achieved in each patient. The present study evaluated the clinical manifestations, diagnostic criteria and relevant treatment regimens of aCML, which may provide insights for the treatment of affected patients. Routine blood and bone marrow examinations were performed weekly prior to each cycle. Symptoms were relieved in both patients after the first cycle and the two patients were followed up for 3 months after completion of the final cycle. The findings of the current case report indicate that DCA may present an efficacious treatment for aCML.

Ectopic expression of p33ING1b suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis in colonic adenocarcinoma cells.

Inhibitor of growth 1b (ING1b) is considered to be a class II tumor suppressor gene. Although decreased expression of p33ING1b has previously been reported in colorectal cancer (CRC), its role in CRC has remained to be elucidated. The present study was designed to assess the function of p33ING1b in CRC and to further evaluate its underlying mechanisms of action. Western blot analysis confirmed that ING1b gene expression was significantly decreased in CRC tissues compared with that of adjacent non-tumorous colorectal tissues. Furthermore, recombinant adenovirus-mediated ectopic expression of p33ING1b resulted in growth inhibition, G1-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in the SW480, HT29 and LoVo colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines. The results suggested that the downregulation of ING1b contributes to colorectal carcinogenesis and that ectopic expression of ING1b may be a potentially useful therapeutic approach for CRC.