The role of zyxin in signal transduction and its relationship with diseases.

This review highlighted the pivotal role of zyxin, an essential cell focal adhesions protein, in cellular biology and various diseases. Zyxin can orchestrate the restructuring and dynamic alterations of the cellular cytoskeleton, which is involved in cell proliferation, adhesion, motility, and gene transcription. Aberrant zyxin expression is closely correlated with tumor cell activity and cardiac function in both tumorigenesis and cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, in fibrotic and inflammatory conditions, zyxin can modulate cellular functions and inflammatory responses. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of zyxin is crucial for deciphering signal transduction networks and disease pathogenesis. Investigating its role in diseases holds promise for novel avenues in early diagnosis and therapeutic strategies. Nevertheless, targeting zyxin as a therapeutic focal point presents challenges in terms of specificity, safety, drug delivery, and resistance. Nonetheless, in-depth studies on zyxin and the application of precision medicine could offer new possibilities for personalized treatment modalities.

Regulation of FSP1 myristoylation by NADPH: A novel mechanism for ferroptosis inhibition.

Excitotoxicity is a prevalent pathological event in neurodegenerative diseases. The involvement of ferroptosis in the pathogenesis of excitotoxicity remains elusive. Transcriptome analysis has revealed that cytoplasmic reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) levels are associated with susceptibility to ferroptosis-inducing compounds. Here we show that exogenous NADPH, besides being reductant, interacts with N-myristoyltransferase 2 (NMT2) and upregulates the N-myristoylated ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1). NADPH increases membrane-localized FSP1 and strengthens resistance to ferroptosis. Arg-291 of NMT2 is critical for the NADPH-NMT2-FSP1 axis-mediated suppression of ferroptosis. This study suggests that NMT2 plays a pivotal role by bridging NADPH levels and neuronal susceptibility to ferroptosis. We propose a mechanism by which the NADPH regulates N-myristoylation, which has important implications for ferroptosis and disease treatment.

Effect of vanadium and tungsten loading order on the denitration performance of F-doped V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalysts.

F-doped V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalyst has been confirmed to have excellent denitration activity at low temperatures. Since the V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalyst is a structure-sensitive catalyst, the loading order of V2O5 and WO3 may affect its denitration performance. In this paper, a series of F-doped V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalysts with different V2O5 and WO3 loading orders were synthesized to investigate the effect of denitration performance at low temperatures. It was found that the loading orders led to significant gaps in denitration performance in the range of 120-240 °C. The results indicated loading WO3 first better utilized the oxygen vacancies on the TiF carrier promoting the generation of reduced vanadium species. In addition, loading WO3 first facilitated the dispersion of V2O5 thus enhanced the NH3 adsorption capacity of VWTiF. In situ DRIFT verified the rapid reaction between NO2, nitrate, and nitrite species and adsorbed NH3 over the VWTiF, confirming that the NH3 selective catalytic reduction (NH3-SCR) reaction over VWTiF at 240 °C proceeded by the Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) mechanism. This research established the constitutive relationship between the loading order of V2O5 and WO3 and the denitration performance of the F-doped VWTi catalyst providing insights into the catalyst design process.

Endocrine disrupting chemical Bisphenol A and its association with cancer mortality: a prospective cohort study of NHANES.

Introduction: There is evidence suggesting that Bisphenol A (BPA) is associated with increased all-cause mortality in adults. However, the specific nature of the relationship between BPA exposure and cancer mortality remains relatively unexplored. Methods: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset was used to recruit participants. Urinary BPA was assessed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrum (LC-MS). Through the use of multivariable Cox proportional hazard regressions and constrained cubic splines, the relationships between urine BPA and death from all causes and cancer were investigated. Results: This study has a total of 8,035 participants, and 137 died from cancers after a 7.5-year follow-up. The median level of BPA was 2.0 g/mL. Urinary BPA levels were not independently associated with all-cause mortality. For cancer mortality, the second quartile's multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio was 0.51 (95% confidence interval: 0.30 to 0.86; p = 0.011) compared to the lowest quartile. The restricted cubic splines showed that the association was nonlinear (p for nonlinearity = 0.028) and the inflection point was 1.99 ng/mL. Conclusion: Urinary BPA exposure was U-shaped associated with the risk of cancer mortality, and a lower level of BPA less than 1.99 ng/mL was associated with a higher risk of cancer mortality.

Acquisition of 2C-like totipotency through defined maternal-effect factors.

Fully grown oocytes have the natural ability to transform two terminally differentiated gametes into a totipotent zygote representing acquisition of totipotency. This process wholly depends on maternal-effect factors (MFs). MFs stored in the eggs are therefore likely to be able to induce cellular reprogramming to a totipotency state. Here we report the generation of totipotent-like stem cells from mESCs using 4MFs Hsf1, Zar1, Padi6 and Npm2, designated as MFiTLSCs. MFiTLSCs exhibited unique and inherent capability to differentiate into embryonic and extraembryonic derivatives. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that MFiTLSCs are enriched with 2-cell-specific genes that appear to synergistically induce a transcriptional repressive state, in that parental genomes are remodelled to a poised transcriptional repression state while totipotency is established following fertilization. This method to derive MFiTLSCs could help advance understanding of fate determinations of totipotent stem cells in a physiological context and establish a foundation for development of oocyte biology-based reprogramming technology.

Traditional Herb (Moxa) Modified Zinc Oxide Nanosheets for Quick, Efficient and High Tissue Penetration Therapy of Fungal Infection.

Fungal infection possesses the characteristics of high invasion depth and easy formation of a biofilm under the skin, which greatly hinders the treatment process. Here, traditional Chinese medicine moxa is carbonized and modified with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanosheets to synthesize carbonized moxa@ZnO (CMZ) with the dual response properties of yellow light (YL) and ultrasound (US) for synergistic antifungal therapy. CMZ with narrow bandgap can respond to long-wavelength YL that is highly safe and helpful for skin repair. Simultaneously, CMZ with a piezoelectric effect can further enhance the photocatalytic efficiency under the stimulation of US with high tissue penetration. Gene mechanism investigation indicates that when exposed to US and YL irradiation, CMZ-based therapy can adjust the expression of genes associated with fungal virulence, metabolic activity, mycelial growth and biofilm development, thus efficaciously eradicating planktonic Candida albicans (C. albicans) and mature biofilm. Importantly, despite the 1.00 cm thick tissue barrier, CMZ can rapidly eliminate 99.9% of C. albicans within 4 min, showing a satisfactory deep fungicidal efficacy. The in vivo therapeutic effect of this strategy is demonstrated in both open wound and deep cutaneous infection tests, speaking of dramatically better efficacy than the traditional fungicide ketoconazole (KTZ).

Impact of body mass index on long-term outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention stratified by diabetes mellitus: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) caused by obesity have increased in recent years. The impact of obesity on long-term outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with or without DM remains unclear. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed data from 1918 patients who underwent PCI. Patients were categorized into four groups based on body mass index (BMI, normal weight: BMI < 25 kg/m2; overweight and obese: BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) and DM status (presence or absence). The primary endpoint was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE; defined as all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and unplanned repeat revascularization). RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 7.0 years, no significant differences in MACCE, myocardial infarction, or stroke were observed among the four groups. Overweight and obese individuals exhibited lower all-cause mortality rates compared with normal-weight patients (without DM: hazard ratio [HR]: 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.37 to 0.78; with DM: HR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.38 to 0.86). In non-diabetic patients, the overweight and obese group demonstrated a higher risk of unplanned repeat revascularization than the normal-weight group (HR:1.23, 95% CI:1.03 to 1.46). After multivariable adjustment, overweight and obesity were not significantly associated with MACCE, all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or unplanned repeat revascularization in patients with and without diabetes undergoing PCI. CONCLUSION: Overweight and obesity did not demonstrate a significant protective effect on long-term outcomes in patients with and without diabetes undergoing PCI.

Equisetin inhibits adiposity through AMPK-dependent regulation of brown adipocyte differentiation.

Obesity has a significant impact on endocrine function, which leads to metabolic diseases including diabetes, insulin resistance, and other complications associated with obesity. Development of effective and safe anti-obesity drugs is imperative and necessary. Equisetin (EQST), a tetramate-containing marine fungal product, was reported to inhibit bacterial fatty acid synthesis and affect mitochondrial metabolism. It is tempting to speculate that EQST might have anti-obesity effects. This study was designed to explore anti-obesity effects and underlying mechanism of EQST on 3T3-L1 adipocytes differentiated from 3T3-L1 cells. Oil Red O staining showed that EQST reduced lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis revealed that EQST significantly inhibited expression of adipogenesis/lipogenesis-related genes C/ebp-α, Ppar-γ, Srebp1c, Fas, and reduced protein levels. There was also increased expression of key genes and protein levels involved in lipolysis (Perilipin, Atgl, Hsl), brown adipocyte differentiation (Prdm16, Ucp1), mitochondrial biogenesis (Pgc1α, Tfam) and ß-oxidation Acsl1, Cpt1. Moreover, mitochondrial content, their membrane potential ΔΨM, and respiratory chain genes Mt-Co1, Cox7a1, Cox8b, and Cox4 (and protein) exhibited marked increase in expression upon EQST treatment, along with increased protein levels. Importantly, EQST induced expression and activation of AMPK, which was compromised by the AMPK inhibitor dorsomorphin, leading to rescue of EQST-downregulated Fas expression and a reduction of the EQST-increased expression of Pgc1α, Ucp1, and Cox4. Together, EQST robustly promotes fat clearance through the AMPK pathway, these results supporting EQST as a strong candidate for the development into an anti-obesity therapeutic agent.

Purine Metabolism and Hexosamine Biosynthetic Pathway Abnormalities in Diarrheal Weaned Piglets Identified Using Metabolomics.

Post-weaning diarrhea significantly contributes to the high mortality in pig production, but the metabolic changes in weaned piglets with diarrhea remain unclear. This study aimed to identify the differential metabolites in the urine of diarrheal weaned piglets and those of healthy weaned piglets to reveal the metabolic changes associated with diarrhea in weaned piglets. Nine 25-day-old piglets with diarrhea scores above 16 and an average body weight of 5.41 ± 0.18 kg were selected for the diarrhea group. Corresponding to the body weight and sex of the diarrhea group, nine 25-month-old healthy piglets with similar sex and body weights of 5.49 ± 0.21 kg were selected as the control group. Results showed that the serum C-reactive protein and cortisol of piglets in the diarrhea group were higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression of TNF-α, IFN-γ in the jejunum and colon, and IL-1ß in the jejunum were increased in diarrhea piglets (p < 0.05), accompanied by a reduction in the mRNA expression of ZO-1, ZO-2, and CLDN1 in the jejunum and colon (p < 0.05); mRNA expression of OCLN in the colon also occurred (p < 0.05). Metabolomic analysis of urine revealed increased levels of inosine, hypoxanthine, guanosine, deoxyinosin, glucosamine, glucosamine-1-p, N-Acetylmannosamine, chitobiose, and uric acid, identified as differential metabolites in diarrhea piglets compared to the controls. In summary, elevated weaning stress and inflammatory disease were associated with the abnormalities of purine metabolism and the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway of weaned piglets. This study additionally indicated the presence of energy metabolism-related diseases in diarrheal weaned piglets.

Decorating of 2D indium oxide onto 2D bismuth oxybromide to enhance internal electric field and stimulate artificial photosynthesis.

CO2 photocatalytic reduction is an excellent strategy for promoting solar-to-chemical energy conversion and alleviating the severe environmental crisis. In this study, 2D indium oxide (IO) is decorated on 2D bismuth oxybromide (BOB) nanosheets to gain BOB/IO (BxIy) heterojunction. The optimal B3I1 composite affords a CO production rate of 54.2 µmol⋅g-1, about 2.2 times and 11.3 times higher than those of the pristine BOB and IO, respectively. The introduction of IO significantly enhances the internal electric field (IEF), leading to accelerated charge transfer and prolonged lifetime of the photogenerated carriers. In the BxIy composite, the BOB and IO serve as the electron acceptor and donor, respectively, facilitating the reduction of CO2 and oxidation of H2O. In-situ DRIFTs spectra are used to confirm the catalytic active sites and provide insights into the mechanism of CO2 photoreduction. The results suggest *COOH and *CO2- species played a crucial role in the formation of CO. This work presents a valuable perspective on understanding the charge transfer route and developing highly efficient photocatalysts for CO2 photoreduction.

The Associations of Two Novel Inflammation Biomarkers, SIRI and SII, with Mortality Risk in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure.

Background: The associations of two novel inflammation biomarkers, systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) and systemic immune inflammation index (SII), with mortality risk in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) are not well-characterized. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients with CHF in two medical centers of Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China. The outcomes of this study included in-hospital mortality and long-term mortality. Associations of SIRI and SII with mortality were assessed using multivariable regressions and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. Results: A total of 6232 patients with CHF were included in the present study. We documented 97 cases of in-hospital mortality and 1738 cases of long-term mortality during an average 5.01-year follow-up. Compared with patients in the lowest quartile of SIRI, those in the highest quartile exhibited 134% higher risk of in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 2.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-4.72) and 45% higher risk of long-term mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.25-1.67). Compared with patients in the lowest quartile of SII, those in the highest quartile exhibited 27% higher risk of long-term mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.11-1.46). In ROC analyses, SIRI showed better prognostic discrimination than C-reactive protein (area under the curve: 69.39 vs 60.91, P = 0.01, for in-hospital mortality; 61.82 vs 58.67, P = 0.03, for 3-year mortality), whereas SII showed similar prognostic value with C-reactive protein. Conclusion: SIRI and SII were significantly associated with mortality risk in patients with CHF. SIRI may provide better prognostic discrimination than C-reactive protein.

HClO-Mediated Photoelectrochemical Epoxidation of Alkenes with Near 100 % Conversion Rate and Selectivity by Regulating Lattice Chlorine Cycle.

Directional organic transformation via a green, sustainable catalytic reaction has attracted a lot of attention. Herein, we report a photoelectrochemical approach for highly selective epoxidation of alkenes in a salt solution using Co2 (OH)3 Cl (CoOCl) as a bridge of photo-generated charge, where the lattice Cl- of CoOCl can be oxidized to generate HClO by the photo-generated holes of BiVO4 photoanode and be spontaneously recovered by Cl- of a salt solution, which then oxidizes the alkenes into the corresponding epoxides. As a result, a series of water-soluble alkenes, including 4-vinylbenzenesulfonic acid sodium, 2-methyl-2-propene-1-sulfonic acid sodium, and 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol can be epoxidized with near 100 % conversion rate and selectivity. Through further inserting a MoOx protection layer between BiVO4 and CoOCl, the stability of CoOCl-MoOx /BiVO4 can be maintained for at least 120 hours. This work opens an avenue for solar-driven organic epoxidation with a possibility of on-site reaction around the abundant ocean.

The disruptor of telomeric silencing 1-like (DOT1L) promotes peritoneal fibrosis through the upregulation and activation of protein tyrosine kinases.

The disruptor of telomeric silencing 1-like (DOT1L), a specific histone methyltransferase that catalyzed methylation of histone H3 on lysine 79, was associated with the pathogenesis of many diseases, but its role in peritoneal fibrosis remained unexplored. Here, we examined the role of DOT1L in the expression and activation of protein tyrosine kinases and development of peritoneal fibrosis. We found that a significant rise of DOT1L expression in the fibrotic peritoneum tissues from long-term PD patients and mice. Inhibition of DOT1L significantly attenuated the profibrotic phenotypic differentiation of mesothelial cells and macrophages, and alleviated peritoneal fibrosis. Mechanistically, RNA sequencing and proteomic analysis indicated that DOT1L was mainly involved in the processes of protein tyrosine kinase binding and extracellular matrix structural constituent in the peritoneum. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) showed that intranuclear DOT1L guided H3K79me2 to upregulate EGFR in mesothelial cells and JAK3 in macrophages. Immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence showed that extranuclear DOT1L could interact with EGFR and JAK3, and maintain the activated signaling pathways. In summary, DOT1L promoted the expression and activation of tyrosine kinases (EGFR in mesothelial cells and JAK3 in macrophages), promoting cells differentiate into profibrotic phenotype and thus peritoneal fibrosis. We provide the novel mechanism of dialysis-related peritoneal fibrosis (PF) and the new targets for clinical drug development. DOT1L inhibitor had the PF therapeutic potential.

In-situ construction defect-rich CuNiCoS4 /1T-MoS2 heterostructures as superior electrocatalysts for water splitting.

Rational design and construction of bifunctional heterostructure electrocatalysts with high-conductivity and more active sites is imperative for water splitting. Herein, based on the tunable property of layered double hydroxide laminates cations, topological transformation technology and template confine method, a series of high-performance bifunctional catalysts composed of transition metal doping NiCo2S4 (MNiCoS4, M = Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn) and 1T-MoS2 were in-situ fabricated on nickel foam. In particular, CuNiCoS4/1T-MoS2 exhibits an ultralow overpotential of 163 mV at 50 mA cm-2 for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and favorable hydrogen evolution reaction activity. The two-electrode system requires only 1.52 V to attain a current density of 10 mA cm-2. To the best of our knowledge, its OER electrocatalytic activity far exceed state-of-art catalysts reported. The outstanding performance of this series of catalysts can be attributed to two aspects. First, the highly conductive 1T-MoS2 can facilitate electron transfer, and second, the defect-rich heterostructure can effectively regulate the electronic structure of the active metal and expose abundant active sites. This work provides a valuable strategy for developing high activity electrocatalysts for efficient water splitting.

[Spatiotemporal Occurrence of Organophosphate Esters in the Surface Water and Sediment of Taihu Lake and Relevant Risk Assessment].

Aiming to explore the spatiotemporal occurrence of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in the aquatic environment of Taihu Lake and to assess the relevant ecological risk, monomeric and oligomeric OPEs in the surface water and sediment of Taihu Lake were determined using solid phase extraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The target monomeric OPEs included chlorinated OPEs, alkyl OPEs, and aryl OPEs. There was no significant difference in the spatial distribution of OPEs in water and sediment between the pollutant-impacted and less-impacted zones. The average concentrations of OPEs in summer and winter were, respectively, 752.7 and 498.5 ng·L-1 in water and 124.0 and 54.5 ng·g-1 in sediment, indicating an obvious seasonal difference, especially for the monomeric OPEs. The OPEs levels in both the water and sediment were ranked in the order of chlorinated OPEs > alkyl OPEs > aryl OPEs≈oligomeric OPEs. The pseudo-partitioning coefficients (Kd) of OPEs between the sediment and surface water of Taihu Lake were much higher in summer (0.05-4.17 L·g-1) compared to those in winter (0.02-3.47 L·g-1) and were significantly positively correlated with the lg Kow values of OPEs. Based on the median concentrations of OPEs in the water of Taihu Lake, the ecological risk of OPEs was assessed by risk quotient (RQ) values, which indicated a medium risk at an RQ level of 0.34 during winter and 0.35 during summer. The assessment results showed that the risk ranking of OPEs was consistent with that of their concentrations, and the monomeric OPEs posed a higher ecological risk in summer compared to that in winter. Although the ecological risk of oligomeric OPEs in this study was not serious and was lower than that of monomeric OPEs, it is an urgent requirement to conduct ecotoxicology studies on oligomeric OPEs in the future since available data is highly limited at present.

Efficacy of adalimumab combined with Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F in the treatment of patient with rheumatoid arthritis: A multicenter, open-label, randomized-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of adalimumab (ADA) combined with Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) in the treatment of methotrexate (MTX)-inadequate response patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: In this multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled clinical trial, 64 RA patients with inadequate response to MTX were 1:1 randomly assigned into treatment or control groups. The treatment group was treated with ADA in combination with TwHF, and the control group was treated with ADA in combination with MTX for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients having low disease activity (2.6 ≤ DAS28-ESR < 3.2) and remission rates (DAS28-ESR < 2.6) at week 24. RESULTS: In total, 53 of the 64 patients (82.8%) completed this 24-week clinical trial. By intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis, a comparable outcome was observed between the two groups. The percentage of patients achieving low disease activity in the treatment group and control group were 43.8% and 46.9% (95% CI, 21.28 to 27.48, p = .802). Percentage of patients achieving low disease activity rates were respectively 28.1% and 31.3% in the treatment group and control group (95% CI, 19.18 to 25.58, p = .784). In per-protocol (PP) analysis, the results were consistent with the ITT model. The incidence of adverse events was comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences in efficacy and safety between ADA combined with TwHF versus ADA combined with MTX in the treatment of RA. TwHF might be an alternative treatment for RA patients who are intolerant to MTX.

Enhanced water resistance mechanism in Ag-Hollandite for catalytic ozone decomposition.

Catalytic ozone (O3) decomposition at ambient temperature is an efficient method to mitigate O3 pollution. However, practical application is hindered by the poor water resistance of catalysts. Herein, Ag-Hollandite (Ag-HMO) with varying Ag+ content was synthesized. Catalysts with more Ag+ exhibited improved efficiency and water-resistance, with the optimal one maintaining 98% O3 conversion at 70% relative humidity (RH) within 8 h. Physicochemical characterizations revealed that Ag+ had entered the tunnel of OMS-2, facilitating oxygen species removal. Notably, enhanced H2O desorption and the complete inhibition of chemisorbed water formation on Ag-HMO were the primary reasons for its high-efficiency O3 conversion across a wide humidity range. The underlying mechanism arises from the charge redistribution induced by the Ag-O interaction within the tunnel, which reduces acidity and modulates hydrophilicity. This study aims to contribute insights for designing catalysts with higher water-resistance.

Intermittent investigations on attenuation mechanism of rechargeable zinc-air batteries during charge/discharge cycles.

Rechargeable zinc-air batteries (RZABs) are an ideal substitute for energy storage, but the short cycle longevity during long-term charge/discharge operation is one of the bottleneck factors that seriously restrict commercial application. Herein, the FeCo alloy/N, S co-doped carbon aerogel (NSCA/FeCo) were prepared as catalysts of cathode for RZABs. We investigated the polarization and impedance on long-term cycles during the battery operation to explore the attenuation mechanism. The results indicated that the roundtrip efficiency of batteries during charge/discharge cycles reduced fast initially and then slow. Besides, the comparative experiment was tested through the replacement of a new electrolyte and a zinc sheet. It is manifested that the failure of the battery is mainly due to the attenuation of the air cathode performance. Therefore, to further disclose the influencing factors and internal mechanisms of air cathode performance degradation, we conducted a series of characterization and testing, including the hydrophilicity, surface morphology, elemental composition, and electrochemical performance of three-electrode systems at different cycle times. This work not only provides a theoretical basis for deeply comprehending the attenuation mechanism of the cathode but also serves a reference for the material design and operating condition optimization of RZABs.

Quantitative Assessment of Myocardial Edema by MR T2 Mapping in Children With Kawasaki Disease.

BACKGROUND: Few studies assessed myocardial inflammation using Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Kawasaki disease (KD) patients. PURPOSE: To quantify myocardial edema in KD patients using T2 mapping and explore the independent predictors of T2 values. STUDY TYPE: Prospective. SUBJECTS: Ninety KD patients including 40 in acute phase (26 males, 65.0%) and 50 in chronic phase (34 males, 68.0%). Thirty-one healthy volunteers (21 males, 70.0%). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3.0 T T2-weighted Turbo Spin Echo-Short Time of Inversion Recovery sequence, True fast imaging with steady precession flash sequence and fast low-angle shot 3D spoiled gradient echo sequence. ASSESSMENT: T2 values were compared among KD groups and controls. STATISTICAL TEST: Student's t test and Fisher's exact test; One-way analysis of variance; Pearson correlation analysis; Receiver operating curve analysis; Multivariable linear regression. RESULTS: Global T2 value of KD patients in acute phase was the highest, followed by those of chronic-phase patients and controls (38.83 ± 2.41 msec vs. 37.55 ± 2.28 msec vs. 36.05 ± 1.64 msec). Regional T2 values showed a same trend. There were no significant differences in global and regional T2 values between KD patients with and without coronary artery (CA) dilation, no matter in acute or chronic phase (all KD patients: P = 0.51, 0.51, 0.53, 0.72; acute KD: P = 0.61, 0.37, 0.33, 0.83; chronic KD: P = 0.65, 0.79, 0.62, 0.79). No significant difference was observed in global T2 values between KD patients with Z score > 5.0 and 2.0 < Z score ≤ 5.0 (P = 0.65). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that stage of disease (ß = -0.123) and heart rate (ß = 0.280) were independently associated with global T2 values. DATA CONCLUSION: The degree of myocardial edema was more severe in acute-phase than in chronic-phase KD patients. Myocardial edema persists in patients regardless of the existence or degree of CA dilation. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.