A nationwide characterization of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in livestock and poultry food products across China: Residual levels, origin and the associated health risks.

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are still occurring in various foodstuffs after the ban on their use. However, it remains unclear concerning the contamination source of OCPs in livestock and poultry food products and associated health risks. To fill this gap, we characterized the residual levels of 19 OCPs in multiple types of meats and eggs, which were sampled across China within the same period. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) were dominant in eggs, with the mean levels being 0.76 and 2.03 µg/kg for chicken eggs and duck eggs, respectively. By contrast, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) were the top one OCP in beef and lamb, with its mean levels being 0.51 and 0.65 µg/kg, respectively. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was rather detected in the poultry products. The componential ratio analysis implicated recent inputs of several banned OCPs including technical HCH and DDT, HCB and aldrin in multiple regions, which may origin from local industrial activities or possible illegal use. Risk assessment based on the risk quotient method suggested that daily consumption of cooked meats and eggs contaminated by dieldrin may pose a carcinogenic risk in adult residents of Jiangsu province. We concluded that OCPs remain present in meats and eggs at levels of health concern regionally in China.

Alterations in amygdala subregions-Default mode network connectivity after treatment in patients with schizophrenia.

Disrupted connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) during resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) is well-documented in schizophrenia (SCZ). The amygdala, a key component in the neurobiology of SCZ, comprises distinct subregions that may exert varying effects on the disorder. This study aimed to investigate variations in functional connectivity (FC) between distinct amygdala subregions and the DMN in SCZ individuals and explore the effects of treatment on these connections. Fifty-six SCZ patients and 51 healthy controls underwent FC analysis and questionnaire surveys during resting state. The amygdala was selected as the region of interest (ROI) and subdivided into four parts. Changes in FC were examined, and correlations between questionnaire scores and brain activity were explored. Pre-treatment, SCZ patients exhibited reduced FC between the amygdala and DMN compared to HCs. After treatment, significant differences persisted in the right medial amygdala, while other regions did not differ significantly from controls. In addition, PANSS scores positively correlated with FC between the Right Medial Amygdala and the left SMFC (r = .347, p = .009), while RBANS5A scores showed a positive correlation with FC between the Left Lateral Amygdala and the right MTG (rho = -.347, p = .009). The rsFC between the amygdala and the DMN plays a crucial role in the treatment mechanisms of SCZ. This could provide a promising predictive indicator for understanding the neural mechanisms behind treatment and symptomatic improvement.

Comprehensive analysis of phospholipid in milk and their biological roles as nutrients and biomarkers.

Phospholipids (PL) have garnered significant attention due to their physiological activities. Milk and other dairy products are important dietary sources for humans and have been extensively used to analyze the presence of PL by various analytical techniques. In this paper, the analysis techniques of PL were reviewed with the eight trigrams of phospholipidomics and a comprehensive fingerprint of 1295 PLs covering 8 subclasses in milk and other dairy products, especially. Technology is the primary productive force. Based on phospholipidomics technology, we further review the relationship between the composition of PL and factors that may be involved in processing and experimental operation, and emphasized the significance of the biological role played by PL in dietary supplements and biomarkers (production, processing and clinical research), and providing the future research directions.

A national-scale distribution of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in cropland soils and major types of food crops in China: Co-occurrence and associated risks.

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that resist degradation in the environment. OCPs remain detectable in cropland systems in China. However, spatial distribution of OCPs across China and associated ecological and health risks, as well as the relationship between levels of OCPs in cropland soils and crops, remain to be elucidated. To fill these gaps, we conducted a national-scale characterization of 19 individual OCPs in cropland soils and food crops including cereals and legumes in China, which were on-spot sampled simultaneously. Sparse canonical correlation analysis was employed to investigate the co-occurrence of OCPs in cropland soils and corresponding food crops. The ecological soil screening levels and risk quotient method were adopted for ecological and health risk assessment, respectively. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) were dominant in cropland systems, with its levels ranging up to 337 and 22.8 µg/kg in cropland soils and food crops, respectively. The mean ∑OCP levels in cropland soils varied from below the limit of detection to 337 µg/kg. Peanuts were the most contaminated crop, in which endosulfans and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were co-occurrent with those in cropland soils (correlation coefficient R = 0.999 and 0.947, respectively). Besides, lindane and ß-endosulfan in rice were co-occurrent with those in cropland soils (R = 0.810 and 0.868, respectively). The componential ratio analysis indicated fresh inputs of technical DDT, lindane, chlordane, endosulfan, HCB and aldrin. Among these pesticides, ecological impacts of DDTs, lindane, aldrin and ß-endosulfan could be expected. Human health risk assessment suggested that daily consumption of the OCP-contaminated food crops raises a health concern especially for male teens. It is concluded that OCPs remain present in cropland systems in China at levels that raise a concern for both environment and human health.

A large geographic-scale characterization of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in surface sediments and multiple aquatic foods of inland freshwater aquaculture ponds in China: Co-occurrence, source and risk assessment.

Inland freshwater aquaculture ponds (IFAPs) represent the key component of the global lentic freshwater environment and are increasingly important for global aquaculture production, yet the occurrence of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in these pond systems remains largely unknown. Here, we characterized the residual concentrations of 19 individual OCPs in sediments and in cultured fish and crustacean species (crabs, shrimp, crayfish and lobster), which were on-spot sampled from the IFAPs at a large region-scale in China. The total OCP levels in sediments varied dramatically between regions. Crabs presented the greatest OCP contamination among the studied species. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) was the dominating contaminant in sediments and crabs and its stable degradation products 4,4'-DDE and 4,4'-DDD were co-occurrent between these two compartments. The diagnostic ratio analysis indicated fresh inputs of DDTs, lindane and aldrin in multiple regions, which may be resulted from agricultural soil erosion, surface runoff and local anthropogenic activities. Ecological impacts of these pesticides could be expected at some sites due to their levels in sediments above the risk level. Risk assessment based on the OCP levels corrected by the cooking loss revealed that daily consumption of the IFAPs-derived aquatic foods may pose carcinogenic risks in humans.

Metabolic indexes of obesity in patients with common mental disorders in stable stage.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a serious worldwide public health problem, especially for people with mental disorders. AIM: To explore the related factors of obesity by analyzing the metabolic indexes of patients with common mental disorders in stable stage. METHODS: Five hundred seventy-six subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD) or schizophrenia (SCZ) were included, who received fixed drug dose and routine drug treatment for 2 years or more. Their venous blood was collected, and the blood metabolic indexes were analyzed. RESULTS: BD and SCZ are more prone to obesity than MDD. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the value of BMI increased with the increase of age(B = 0.084, p < 0.001), TG(B = 0.355, p = 0.024), LDL(B = 0.697, p < 0.001), LDH(B = 0.011, p = 0.002), SCr(B = 0.051, p < 0.001), UA(B = 0.014, p < 0.001), HbA1c(B = 0.702, p = 0.004) and hsCRP(B = 0.101, p < 0.001). And It decreased with the increase of HDL(B = -1.493, p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: People with mental disorders should regularly check blood indicators and strengthen weight management to reduce the risk of obesity and promote their health.

The relationship between the expression of serum IL-18 mRNA, CC16, and sTREM-1 and the severity and prognosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia in elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the relationship between the severity and prognosis of elderly patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and the expression of serum interleukin-18 mRNA (IL-18 mRNA), Clara cell secretory protein 16 (CC16) and the soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (sTREM-1). METHODS: The patients were divided into a VAP group (n=75) and a non-VAP group (n=110). According to the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHEII) score, the patients with VAP were divided into a low-risk group, an intermediate-risk group and a high-risk group. According to the 28-day outcome, the patients were divided into a survival group and a death group. Serum levels of IL-18, CC16 and sTREM-1 were detected, and their value in the prediction and prognosis of VAP was analyzed using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: Serum levels of IL-18 and sTREM-1 in the VAP group were higher than those in the non-VAP group, while CC16 levels were lower in the VAP group than those in the non-VAP group (P<0.05). Serum levels of IL-18 and sTREM-1 decreased in order from the high-risk group to the intermediate-risk group to the low-risk group, while CC16 levels increased in order (P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the Youden index and AUC of combined diagnosis of VAP with serum IL-18 mRNA, CC16 and sTREM-1 were 0.710 and 0.930, which were higher than those of single diagnosis (P<0.05). Serum levels of IL-18 mRNA and sTREM-1 in the survival group were lower than those in the death group, and the CC16 level was higher than that in the death group (P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the Youden index and AUC of combined diagnosis with serum IL-18 mRNA, CC16 and sTREM-1 were 0.506 and 0.731, which were higher than those of single diagnosis (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of these 3 factors is of high value in predicting the severity and prognosis of VAP and can provide reference for clinical treatment.

Prevalence of Atopic Dermatitis in Chinese Children aged 1-7 ys.

Prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) is increasing worldwide. Up to date, there has been no face-to-face nation-wide study in China. We aim to explore the prevalence of clinical diagnosed AD in children aged 1-7 ys in China. Twelve metropolises were chosen from different areas of China. In each region, we selected 4-10 kindergartens and 2-5 vaccination clinics randomly. A complete history-taking and skin examination were performed by dermatologists. The definite diagnosis of AD and the severity were determined by two or three dermatologists. All criteria concerned in UK diagnosis criteria, characteristic presentation of AD and atypical manifestations were recorded in detail. A total of 13998 children from 84 kindergartens and 40 vaccination clinics were included. The prevalence of AD was 12.94% by clinical diagnosis of dermatologists overall, with 74.6% of mild AD. Comparatively, prevalence of AD based on UK diagnostic criteria was 4.76%. This is the first face-to-face nation-wide study in Chinese children aged 1-7 ys, revealing that the prevalence of AD in children is closer to that of wealthier nations.

Genome-wide association study identifies two new susceptibility loci for atopic dermatitis in the Chinese Han population.

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, relapsing form of inflammatory skin disorder that is affected by genetic and environmental factors. We performed a genome-wide association study of atopic dermatitis in a Chinese Han population using 1,012 affected individuals (cases) and 1,362 controls followed by a replication study in an additional 3,624 cases and 12,197 controls of Chinese Han ethnicity, as well as 1,806 cases and 3,256 controls from Germany. We identified previously undescribed susceptibility loci at 5q22.1 (TMEM232 and SLC25A46, rs7701890, P(combined) = 3.15 × 10(-9), odds ratio (OR) = 1.24) and 20q13.33 (TNFRSF6B and ZGPAT, rs6010620, P(combined) = 3.0 × 10(-8), OR = 1.17) and replicated another previously reported locus at 1q21.3 (FLG, rs3126085, P(combined) = 5.90 × 10(-12), OR = 0.82) in the Chinese sample. The 20q13.33 locus also showed evidence for association in the German sample (rs6010620, P = 2.87 × 10(-5), OR = 1.25). Our study identifies new genetic susceptibility factors and suggests previously unidentified biological pathways in atopic dermatitis.

Homozygous missense mutation in the ECM1 gene in Chinese siblings with lipoid proteinosis.

Lipoid proteinosis is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the glycoprotein extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM1). We report here mutation analysis of the ECM1 gene in a Chinese family with lipoid proteinosis. A 10-year-old boy presented with a hoarse voice, acneiform scars and yellow skin nodules, as well as beaded eyelid papules and a thickened sublingual frenulum. Skin biopsy showed widespread deposition of hyaline material in the dermis and thickened basement membrane. His elder sister had the same clinical manifestations. The coding region of ECM1 was amplified and sequenced and both affected siblings were shown to have a novel homozygous single nucleotide substitution, c.658T>G, in exon 6, which converts cysteine to glycine, designated p.C220G. Both parents were heterozygous for this mutation which was not detected in 100 control chromosomes. Missense mutations in the ECM1 gene are an unusual finding in lipoid proteinosis, but this case adds to the spectrum of disease-associated mutations in this rare genodermatosis.