Erythrocyte Membrane Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Are Associated with Incidence of Metabolic Syndrome in Middle-Aged and Elderly People-An 8.8-Year Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: The total and specific types of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) related to metabolic syndrome (MetS) remain inconsistent. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the association of erythrocyte n-3 and n-6 PUFAs with MetS and the components of MetS in a cohort population. METHODS: This prospective analysis included 2754 participants (aged 40-75 y) from the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study (2008-2019) in China. Erythrocyte PUFAs at baseline were measured using gas chromatography. MetS was assessed every 3 y according to the updated National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate HRs and 95% CIs. RESULTS: We identified 716 incident cases of MetS. The primary analyses showed that the HRs (95% CIs) of MetS (tertile 3 versus 1) were 0.67 (0.56, 0.80) for n-3 PUFAs and 0.70 (0.58, 0.85) for n-6 PUFAs (all Ps trend <0.001). The secondary outcomes showed that, higher erythrocyte very-long-chain (VLC) PUFAs [20:3n-3, docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), arachidonic acid (ARA), and 22:4n-6], but lower α-linolenic acid (ALA) and γ-linolenic acid (GLA), tended to be associated with lower incidences of MetS and its components; among individual MetS components, the associations of PUFAs were more pronounced for hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) and hypertension, followed by low high-density lipoproten (HDL) cholesterol. Significantly higher concentrations of n-3 PUFAs (total, DPA, and DHA) and n-6 PUFAs (total, ARA, and 22:4) were observed in participants with improved (versus progressed) status of MetS (all Ps trend ≤0.003). CONCLUSION: This study reveals that higher erythrocyte VLC n-3 and n-6 PUFAs, but lower 18-carbon PUFAs (ALA and GLA), are associated with lower risks of MetS components (HTG, hypertension, and low HDL cholesterol) and thereby lower MetS incidence in Chinese adults.

Erythrocyte membrane n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are inversely associated with the presence and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Chinese adults: a prospective study.

PURPOSE: Previous studies have shown that high-dose supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may benefit patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but the association of n-3 PUFAs with NAFLD among individuals with normal diets is only speculative. We investigated the cross-sectional and prospective associations between n-3 PUFAs and NAFLD in Chinese adults. METHODS: This community-based prospective study included 3049 men and women (40-75 years) in Guangzhou, China, whose participants completed an NAFLD ultrasound evaluation and erythrocyte PUFA tests. A total of 2660 participants underwent the second NAFLD evaluation approximately 3 years later. α-Linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in erythrocytes were measured by gas chromatography. RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounders, we observed inverse associations between DHA, DHA + EPA, total n-3 PUFAs and the presence of NAFLD in the cross-sectional analysis. The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of NAFLD for the highest (vs. lowest) tertile were 0.74 (0.61, 0.90) for DHA, 0.82 (0.67, 1.00) for EPA, 0.73 (0.60, 0.88) for DHA + EPA and 0.74 (0.61, 0.91) for total n-3 PUFAs  (all P values≤0.05). Over the average 3.12 years of follow-up, higher levels of DHA was associated with an improvement of NAFLD. The hazard ratio of improved NAFLD for the highest tertile was 1.18 (95% CI 1.09, 1.33) for DHA. Pathway analyses showed that favorable associations may be mediated by improvements in inflammatory markers (e.g., interleukin 1 beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha-like). CONCLUSIONS: Erythrocyte membrane n-3 PUFAs are inversely associated with the presence and progression of NAFLD in Chinese adults. TRIAL REGISTRATIONS: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03179657.

Adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is associated with lower presence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in middle-aged and elderly adults.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown that the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet might contribute to managing risk factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but evidence is limited. We examined the association of DASH diet score (DASH-DS) with NAFLD, as well as the intermediary effects of serum retinol-binding protein-4 (RBP4), serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), serum TAG, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and BMI. DESIGN: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of a population-based cohort study. Dietary data and lifestyle factors were assessed by face-to-face interviews and the DASH-DS was then calculated. We assessed serum RBP4, hs-CRP and TAG and calculated HOMA-IR. The presence and degree of NAFLD were determined by abdominal sonography. SETTING: Guangzhou, China. PARTICIPANTS: Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study participants, aged 40-75 years at baseline (n 3051). RESULTS: After adjusting for potential covariates, we found an inverse association between DASH-DS and the presence of NAFLD (Ptrend = 0·009). The OR (95 % CI) of NAFLD for quintiles 2-5 were 0·78 (0·62, 0·98), 0·74 (0·59, 0·94), 0·69 (0·55, 0·86) and 0·77 (0·61, 0·97), respectively. Path analyses indicated that a higher DASH-DS was associated with lower serum RBP4, hs-CRP, TAG, HOMA-IR and BMI, which were positively associated with the degree of NAFLD. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to the DASH diet was independently associated with a marked lower prevalence of NAFLD in Chinese adults, especially in women and those without abdominal obesity, and might be mediated by reducing RBP4, hs-CRP, TAG, HOMA-IR and BMI.

Higher serum carotenoids associated with improvement of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in adults: a prospective study.

PURPOSE: Previous studies have suggested that serum carotenoids might be inversely associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but little data came from longitudinal studies. We prospectively examined the associations between serum-carotenoid levels and NAFLD severity and the intermediary effects of retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), HOMA insulin-resistance index (HOMA-IR), body mass index (BMI), and serum triglycerides in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults. METHODS: This prospective study included 3336 Chinese adults (40-75 years). We assessed serum concentrations of carotenoids at baseline and determined serum RBP4, triglycerides, and HOMA-IR levels at year 3. Abdominal ultrasonography was conducted to assess the presence and degree of NAFLD at years 3 and 6. RESULTS: The 2687 subjects who completed both NAFLD tests were classified into stable, improved and progressed groups according to changes in the degree of NAFLD between two visits. Analyses of covariance showed that ln-transformed serum concentrations of α-carotene, ß-cryptoxanthin, ß-carotene, lycopene, lutein/zeaxanthin, and total carotenoids were positively associated with NAFLD improvement (all p-trend < 0.05). After multivariable adjustment, mean differences in serum carotenoids were higher by 29.6% (ß-carotene), 18.2% (α-carotene), 15.6% (ß-cryptoxanthin), 11.5% (lycopene), 8.9% (lutein/zeaxanthin), and 16.6% (total carotenoids) in the improved vs. progressed subjects. Path analyses indicated the carotenoid-NAFLD association was mediated by lowering serum RBP4, triglycerides, HOMA-IR, and BMI, which were positively associated with the prevalence and progression of NAFLD. CONCLUSIONS: In middle-aged and elderly adults, higher serum-carotenoid concentrations were favorably associated with NAFLD improvement, mediated by reducing serum RBP4, triglycerides, HOMA-IR, and BMI. TRIAL REGISTRATIONS: This study has been registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03179657.

Higher serum vitamin A is associated with a worsened progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in adults: a prospective study.

Background: The association between serum vitamin A and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains uncertain due to inconsistent results and scarce longitudinal data. We examined the prospective associations between serum vitamin A and the evolution of the NAFLD severity score as well as the potential mediating effects in middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Method: A total of 2658 adults (between 40-75 years of age) were included in the analysis. We determined the serum concentrations of vitamin A at the onset of the study (the baseline), and the degree of NAFLD after years 3 and 6. Results: Subjects were classified into stable, progressed, and improved groups according to the changes in their severity score (0-3) of NAFLD between two visits. Analyses of covariance showed that the serum VA concentrations were positively associated with NAFLD progression (all p-trend < 0.05). After adjusting for potential confounders, the mean differences in the serum vitamin A were 7.7% lower in the improved group than those in the progressed group among the total population. Path analyses showed that vitamin A was positively associated with the serum retinol-binding protein 4, triglycerides, insulin resistance, and body mass index (standardized ß 0.065-0.304, all p < 0.001), and all of these factors positively correlated with the prevalence and progression of NAFLD (standardized ß 0.045-0.384, all p < 0.01). Conclusions: A higher serum vitamin A concentration was associated with NAFLD progression, which might be mediated by increases in the serum retinol-binding protein 4, triglycerides, insulin resistance, and body mass index.

Gut microbiota, inflammation, and molecular signatures of host response to infection.

Gut microbial dysbiosis has been linked to many noncommunicable diseases. However, little is known about specific gut microbiota composition and its correlated metabolites associated with molecular signatures underlying host response to infection. Here, we describe the construction of a proteomic risk score based on 20 blood proteomic biomarkers, which have recently been identified as molecular signatures predicting the progression of the COVID-19. We demonstrate that in our cohort of 990 healthy individuals without infection, this proteomic risk score is positively associated with proinflammatory cytokines mainly among older, but not younger, individuals. We further discover that a core set of gut microbiota can accurately predict the above proteomic biomarkers among 301 individuals using a machine learning model and that these gut microbiota features are highly correlated with proinflammatory cytokines in another independent set of 366 individuals. Fecal metabolomics analysis suggests potential amino acid-related pathways linking gut microbiota to host metabolism and inflammation. Overall, our multi-omics analyses suggest that gut microbiota composition and function are closely related to inflammation and molecular signatures of host response to infection among healthy individuals. These results may provide novel insights into the cross-talk between gut microbiota and host immune system.

The Association of Gut Microbiota With Osteoporosis Is Mediated by Amino Acid Metabolism: Multiomics in a Large Cohort.

CONTEXT: Several small studies have suggested that the gut microbiome might influence osteoporosis, but there is little evidence from human metabolomics studies to explain this association. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the association of gut microbiome dysbiosis with osteoporosis and explored the potential pathways through which this association occurs using fecal and serum metabolomics. METHODS: We analyzed the composition of the gut microbiota by 16S rRNA profiling and bone mineral density using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 1776 community-based adults. Targeted metabolomics in feces (15 categories) and serum (12 categories) were further analyzed in 971 participants using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS: This study showed that osteoporosis was related to the beta diversity, taxonomy, and functional composition of the gut microbiota. The relative abundance of Actinobacillus, Blautia, Oscillospira, Bacteroides, and Phascolarctobacterium was positively associated with osteoporosis. However, Veillonellaceae other, Collinsella, and Ruminococcaceae other were inversely associated with the presence of osteoporosis. The association between microbiota biomarkers and osteoporosis was related to levels of peptidases and transcription machinery in microbial function. Fecal and serum metabolomics analyses suggested that tyrosine and tryptophan metabolism and valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation were significantly linked to the identified microbiota biomarkers and to osteoporosis, respectively. CONCLUSION: This large population-based study provided robust evidence connecting gut dysbiosis, fecal metabolomics, and serum metabolomics with osteoporosis. Our results suggest that gut dysbiosis and amino acid metabolism could be targets for intervention in osteoporosis.

Comparison of prognosis of small hepatocellular carcinoma patients with hepatitis B virus infection versus hepatitis C virus infection / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the prognosis of small hepatocellular carcinoma patients with hepatitis B virus infection versus hepatitis C virus infection.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>413 patients receiving curative resections at Tianjin Cancer Hospital for small HCC (< or = 3 cm) from January 1997 to December 2003 were divided into four groups: HCV only (n = 75), HBV only (n = 251), HBV and HCV (n = 33), and neither HBV nor HCV (NBNC, n = 54). The preoperative status and postoperative recurrence were recorded. Survival analysis were used to assess the impact of HBV/HCV status on HCC recurrence.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Patients with HCV were associated with older age, lower mean preoperative platelet counts and albumin levels, higher mean prothrombin time, alanine aminotransferase and total bilirubin levels. Tumors in patients with HCV are multinodular and less differentiated, and were associated with a higher incidence of vascular invasion and cirrhosis. During the follow-up, the HCV group showed a higher incidence of intrahepatic recurrence and multiple recurrent lesions than the other patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>HCC patients with HCV infection tended to be older, and were characterized by more severe cirrhosis and higher incidence of tumor multinodular. The statistically significant determinants of reoccurrence in patients with small HCC were HCV infection, presence of vascular invasion and multiple tumors.</p>

Effects of combined treatment with sansanmycin and macrolides on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and formation of biofilm / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects of combined treatment with sansanmycin and macrolides on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and formation of biofilm.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Micro-dilution method was used to determine the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of sansanmycin, gentamycin, carbenicillin, polymyxin B, roxithromycin, piperacillin, and tazobactam. PA1 and PA27853 biofilms were observed under optical microscope after staining and under SEM after treatment with sansanmycin at different dosages and combined treatment with sansanmycin and roxithromycin. Viable bacteria in PA1 and PA27853 biofilms were counted after treatment with sansanmycin at different dosages or combined treatment with sansanmycin and roxithromycin.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The MIC of sansanmycin was lower than that of gentamycin and polymyxin B, but was higher than that of carbenicillin. Roxithromycin enhanced the penetration of sansanmycin to PA1 and PA27853 strains through biofilms. PA1 and PA27853 biofilms were gradually cleared with the increased dosages of sansanmycin or with the combined sansanmycin and roxithromycin.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Sub-MIC levels of roxithromycin and sansanmycin substantially inhibit the generation of biofilms and proliferation of bacteria. Therefore, combined antibiotics can be used in treatment of intractable bacterial infection.</p>

Infection and latency of HSV-1 on rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in vitro / 病毒学报

To culture bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) of rat in vitro and observe HSV-1 infection on BMSCs, BMSCs were separated from the bone marrow and identified by alizarin red staining and detection of ALP. The morphology of HSV-1 infected BMSCs and the CPE were observed. The total DNA was extracted from HSV-1 infected BMSCs and the desired specific gene fragment of 477bp of HSV-1 was amplified by PCR. Results showed that after BMSCs were induced by mineral-fluid for 14 days, the ALP level was increased and the nodule calcification was formed. The induced BMSCs were manifested to have the characteristics of osteoblasts. CPE couldn't be found in HSV-1 latently infected BMSCs but the 477bp gene fragment was still detectable. HSV-1 could establish latent infection in BMSCs after 7 passages. This study indicated that rat BMSCs could be induced to differentiate into osteoblasts in vitro, therefore they can be used as the seed cells for the tissue engineering. HSV-1 can infect rat BMSCs and develop the latent infection in vitro.

Bioinformatics Analysis of the NP, P, M and L Protein of Paramyxovirus Tianjin Strain / 微生物学通报

In order to demonstrate the taxonomic position of paramyxovirus Tianjin strain and explore its mechanism of pathogenesis. Bioinformatics methods were used to analyze the deduced amino acid sequences of NP, P, M, and L protein of Tianjin strain. Phylogenetic analysis based on NP, P, M, and L protein sequences demonstrated that Tianjin strain belonged to the genus Respirovirus, in the subfamily Paramyxovirinae and most likely a new genotype of Sendai virus. Sequence similarities comparisons indicated that Tianjin strain P protein was poorly conserved, sharing only 78.7%~91.9% amino acid identity with 6 known Sendai viruses, while L protein was the most conserved, having 96.0%~98.0% amino acid identity with other Sendai viruses. Multiple-sequence alignments of Tianjin strain NP, P, M, and L protein with those of 6 known Sendai viruses showed that Tianjin strain possessed a lot of unique amino acid substitutions in protein sequences, 15 in NP, 29 in P, 6 in M, and 29 in L. The presence of these unique amino acid substitutions suggests that Tianjin strain maybe has a significant difference in host or pathological characteristics from the known Sendai viruses.

Complete genome sequence analysis of a newly isolated paramyxovirus Tianjin strain / 病毒学报

Paramyxovirus Tianjin strain is the high-pathogenic virus to primate and might also cause human lower respiratory tract infection. To determine the genome structure, variation features and phylogenetic position, the complete nucleotide sequence of paramyxovirus Tianjin strain was analyzed. The homology comparison and phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide and the deduced amino acid sequences among paramyxovirus Tianjin strain and the 28 strains in seven genera and the 7 unclassified viruses of Paramyxoviridae were performed. The results suggested that Tianjin strain is a member of the Respirovirus genus in the Paramyxovirinae, Paramyxoviridae and has the closest relationship to Sendai virus. Its genome length and composition are similar to the previously published Sendai virus except one extra glutamic acid residue increasing at the C terminus of Large protein due to the genomic RNA mutation at position A15240C. 440 unique nucleotide variations of Tianjin strain lead to 110 amino acid residue changes, making it differed from any other Sendai viruses. The phylogenetic analysis reveals paramyxovirus Tianjin strain doesn't belong to any of the three known evolution lineages of Sendai viruses and locates at a separate evolution branch. The obvious distinctions of genome nucleotide sequence, host tropism and pathogenicity suggest that paramyxovirus Tianjin strain might represent a novel genotype of Sendai virus.