Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and the risk of idiopathic central precocious puberty in girls.

INTRODUCTION: Prior studies have found inconsistent results regarding the relationship between vitamin D status and Idiopathic Central Precocious Puberty (ICPP). OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 [OH]D) levels in ICPP development. METHOD: The authors retrospectively collected data from 221 girls with ICPP and 144 healthy girls between January 2017 and December 2019. The participants' serum 25(OH)D levels were measured using an automatic chemiluminescence method, and the association between serum 25(OH)D levels and the risk of ICPP was assessed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Odds Ratios (OR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI) were calculated as effect estimates. RESULTS: Serum 25(OH)D levels in the ICPP group were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that girls with insufficient vitamin D levels (OR = 0.201; 95% CI 0.094-0.428; p < 0.001) and sufficient vitamin D levels (OR = 0.141; 95% CI 0.053-0.375; p < 0.001) both had a lower risk of ICPP than girls with vitamin D deficiency. Moreover, the authors found that the height (p = 0.014), weight (p = 0.014), breast stage (p = 0.010), mother's height (p < 0.001), and luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio (p = 0.010) in girls with ICPP could be associated with levels of vitamin D. CONCLUSION: This study found that a low serum 25(OH)D level is an independent risk factor for ICPP, and several characteristics of girls with ICPP could be affected by their vitamin D status.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and the risk of idiopathic central precocious puberty in girls

Abstract Introduction Prior studies have found inconsistent results regarding the relationship between vitamin D status and Idiopathic Central Precocious Puberty (ICPP). Objective To assess the role of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 [OH]D) levels in ICPP development. Method The authors retrospectively collected data from 221 girls with ICPP and 144 healthy girls between January 2017 and December 2019. The participants' serum 25(OH)D levels were measured using an automatic chemiluminescence method, and the association between serum 25(OH)D levels and the risk of ICPP was assessed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Odds Ratios (OR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI) were calculated as effect estimates. Results Serum 25(OH)D levels in the ICPP group were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that girls with insufficient vitamin D levels (OR = 0.201; 95% CI 0.094-0.428; p < 0.001) and sufficient vitamin D levels (OR = 0.141; 95% CI 0.053-0.375; p < 0.001) both had a lower risk of ICPP than girls with vitamin D deficiency. Moreover, the authors found that the height (p = 0.014), weight (p = 0.014), breast stage (p = 0.010), mother's height (p < 0.001), and luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio (p = 0.010) in girls with ICPP could be associated with levels of vitamin D. Conclusion This study found that a low serum 25(OH)D level is an independent risk factor for ICPP, and several characteristics of girls with ICPP could be affected by their vitamin D status.

New anti-pulmonary fibrosis prenylflavonoid glycosides from Epimedium koreanum.

Four new prenylflavonoid glycosides, namely koreanoside H-K (1-4), together with eleven known ones (5-15) were isolated from the leaves of Epimedium koreanum Nakai. Their structures were elucidated by 1D NMR, 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, IR and UV. The identification of the sugar moieties was carried out by means of acid hydrolysis and HPLC analysis of their derivatives. It is worth noting that compound 3 and compound 4 were elucidated to contain fucose and quinovose moieties, which were two extremely rare sugar units from the genus Epimedium. The anti-pulmonary fibrosis activity of the new compounds was evaluated using A549 cell line. Compounds 1, 2 and 4 showed significant anti-pulmonary fibrosis activities.

DNA methylation level of promoter region of activating transcription factor 5 in glioma.

Transcription factors, which represent an important class of proteins that play key roles in controlling cellular proliferation and cell cycle modulation, are attractive targets for cancer therapy. Previous researches have shown that the expression level of activating transcription factor 5 (ATF5) was frequently increased in glioma and its acetylation level was related to glioma. The purposes of this study were to explore the methylation level of ATF5 in clinical glioma tissues and to explore the effect of ATF5 methylation on the expression of ATF5 in glioma. Methylation of the promoter region of ATF5 was assayed by bisulfite-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) sequencing analysis in 35 cases of glioma and 5 normal tissues. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was also performed to detect ATF5 mRNA expression in 35 cases of glioma and 5 normal tissues. Clinical data were collected from the patients and analyzed. The percentages of methylation of the ATF5 gene in the promoter region in healthy control, patients with well-differentiated glioma, and those with poorly differentiated glioma were 87.78%, 73.89%, and 47.70%, respectively. Analysis of the methylation status of the promoter region of the ATF5 gene showed a gradually decreased methylation level in poorly differentiated glioma, well-differentiated glioma, and normal tissues (P<0.05). There was also a significant difference between well-differentiated glioma and poorly differentiated glioma (P<0.05). ATF5 mRNA expression in glioma was significantly higher than that in the normal tissues (P<0.05). This study provides the first evidence that the methylation level of ATF5 decreased, and its mRNA expression was evidently up-regulated in glioma.

[HPLC characteristic fingerprints of sedi linearis herba and sedi herba].

OBJECTIVE: To study HPLC characteristic fingerprint of Sedum lineare from different harvest periods, and to compare with its related species Sedum sarmentosum. METHODS: The HPLC fingerprints of Sedum lineare from different collecting periods were established and compared with Sedum sarmentosum by the same detection method. RESULTS: Hyperin, isoquercitrin and astragaloside were identified from the HPLC fingerprint of Sedum lineare. The fingerprint of Sedum lineare growing in the same area but different environment were basically identical; while there were remarkable differences of Sedum lineare growing in the same place but from different harvest periods, with the area of most common peaks changing from little to great, and slightly different peak number. The HPLC fingerprint of the two Sedum species had four common peaks, but could be distinguished from each other. The optimal harvest period of these two species should be full-bloom stage. CONCLUSION: The established method can provide reference for identification and quality analysis of Sedum lineare.